Old Classic / Antique Car
Image by ** Lucky Cavey **
A classic car is an older car; the exact meaning is variable. The Classic Car Club of America maintains that a car must be between 20 and 40 years old to be a classic, while cars over 45 years fall into the Antique Class.
The Classic Car Club of America defines a CCCA Classic as follows:
A CCCA Classic is a "fine" or "distinctive" automobile, either American or foreign built, produced between 1925 and 1948… Other factors, including engine displacement, custom coachwork and luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and "one-shot" or automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a car is considered to be a Classic.
Any member may petition for a vehicle to join the list. Such applications are carefully scrutinized and rarely is a new vehicle type admitted.
This rather exclusive definition of a classic car is not universally followed, however, and this is acknowledged by the CCCA: while it still maintains the true definition of "classic car" is its, it generally uses terms such as CCCA Classic or the trademarked Full Classic to avoid confusion.
There is no fixed definition of a classic car in the United Kingdom though. Two taxation issues do impact however, leading to some people using them as cutoff dates. All cars built before January 1, 1973, are exempted from paying the annual road tax vehicle excise duty. This is then entered on the license disc displayed on the windscreen as "historic vehicle" (if a car built before this date has been first registered in 1973 or later, then its build date would have to be verified by a recognized body such as British Motor Heritage Foundation to claim tax free status). The HM Revenue & Customs define a classic car for company taxation purposes as being over 15 years old and having a value in excess of £15,000.
There was a worldwide change in styling trends in the immediate years after the end of World War II. The 1946 Crosley and Kaiser-Frazer, for example, changed the traditional discrete replaceable-fender treatment. From this point on, automobiles of all kinds became envelope bodies in basic plan. The CCCA term, "Antique Car" has been confined to "the functionally traditional designs of the earlier period" (mostly pre-war). They tended to have removable fenders, trunk, headlights, and a usual vertical grill treatment. In a large vehicle, such as a Duesenberg, Pierce-Arrow, or in a smaller form, the MG TC, with traditional lines, might typify the CCCA term. Another vehicle might be a classic example of a later period but not a car from the "classic period of design", in the opinion of the CCCA.
Drivers of classic cars must be especially careful. Classic cars often lack what are now regarded as basic safety features, such as seat belts, crumple zones or rollover protection. Vehicle handling characteristics (particularly steering and suspension) and brake performance are likely to be poorer than current standards, hence requiring greater road-awareness on the part of the driver. In certain parts of the US, using a classic car as a daily vehicle is strongly discouraged and in some places even prohibited.
It is recommended to retrofit classic cars with seat belts. Retro-styled (color-coded with chromed buckles) 2-point and 3-point seat belts are manufactured according to current safety standards. However, most classic car bodies were not designed to be fitted with safety belts and do not possess readily available reinforced mounting points, on the vehicle body, therefore it is very problematic to install such equipment properly: specific studies and calculations should be performed prior to any attempts. In many cases improper installation of seat belts would only make the car’s safety worse as in case of an accident weak mounting points of the belts may break, or improperly selected position of 3-point belts may cause suffocation. Professionally fitted belts that mount to the vehicle’s chassis are the safest option. Fitting modern tires is also a suggestion to improve the handling. However, most modern tires may be much wider and have a lower profile than those used on classic cars when new, therefore they may interfere with suspension elements and the tire walls may become damaged. The suspension of classic cars may not be suitable for radial ply tyres, having been designed for bias ply tyres. Narrow classic car wheels may have been designed for narrow high profile tubed tyres and not be suitable for modern tubless radial tires. Another problem with modern tyres on classic cars is that increased grip requires increased steering effort; many classic cars don’t have power steering. Many major tyre companies have dedicated classic car tyre marketing departments and will be able to give expert technical advice to address all these issues.
League will review Harbaugh-Schwartz confrontation
They, and apperently their coach, are not mature enough as a team to weather that sort of scenario. Maybe in a couple of years, but not now. Harbaugh should have shown a little more class. He has always been a punk dating back to his irrelevant QB days …
Read more on NBCSports.com
David Arquette: I've Entered "Friend Zone" With Courteney Cox
Drawing a kid into your relationship with your supposedly mature partner is just too much information. And please button your shirt, that was just scary last night. So sad that they split but how sweet that they're so close and put their daughter first …
Read more on Us Magazine
Beating the Odds: My Two Post-50 Marriages
As crazy as it sounded, in the back of my mind, as I plunged over and over into the cold, rough waters of mature dating, I kind of believed that the outrageous myth might be true. Getting hitched for me and my seasoned friends seemed all but hopeless, …
Read more on Huffington Post (blog)