I've never had much interest in cars shows. Too loud music, muscle cars that drive just between their trailer and the show, late model cars that don't do much either (waste of potential), and classic cars that I appreciate but can't own. Why not? Well, probably because my attitude in this hobby has been "wrecked" because of my focus on Open Track events. If a car won't go faster and faster aournd a race track at high speed... we'll it's just not of interest and there's nothing I could do with it.
That does of course turn a blind eye to much of this hobby. If I let this limited attitude get the better or me, this hobby will turn out to be a love-hate relationship for me. Which, when you get passed by something better on a long straight or inside a turn (or when your POS Cobra overheats yet again), it is.
But I need to stop that negative thinking and appreciate some types of cars for what they are. Cars that can't go fast, or can't go fast in anything other than a straight line.
I'll make one exception to this rule.... at the show today there was a Monte Carlo (worlds most pointless car?) painted up in Jeff Gorden colors. I hate Jeff Gorden. And I put his car in the same category as the Burger King guy with the fiberglass head (worlds worst commercials) and Cobra wanna-be poseur white cars with blue stripes. They can all get in bed together and wake up to Burger King croissants.
But sometimes - very rarely - there are cars that can be appreciated because of the original vision of their creators. One such car is the early 70s Trans Ams. The ones that were serious alll-around performance cars, well before Burt Reynolds came along. The ones that Herb Adams tuned on California highways. This was possibly the first modern handling muscle car... one that was tractable but had purposefully high limits. And one that had aerodynamic add-ons that purposefully worked. I've always had a soft spot for these cars.. and have almost bought one several times.
I found the following car at yesterdays Texas Classic show in Austin. It is, BTW, for sale at $29,500. It is mostly original, a 4-speed, but not wiht the highest-output engine. Very nice car.
