No rods and customs…
Dear Classic American,
I have been dismayed at the letters over the past few months from readers (but not necessarily subscribers – e.g. Geoff Ruffles in the September issue) calling for ‘more rods and customs’ to be featured in the magazine. The magazine is called Classic American, and I subscribe to it because I am interested in classic American cars. Not hot rods. Not custom cars.
If I was interested in those I would read Custom Car magazine. But I don’t. Because I am not. Please do not blur the rationale for the magazine. I already find that it stretches the brief on occasions, with features on ‘period’ hot rods, or ‘resto-mods’ which stuff modern tech into an old carcass. If these are kept to a minimum I find it tolerable to be able to skip over the feature. However, these items should be rarities rather than the norm.
My own preference would be for the definition ‘classic’ to have a cut-off of 1980 with regards to features in the magazine, but I realise that is because of my age – I can’t think of any vehicle made after 1980 as a classic, but younger readers would disagree. And rightly so – the classic car movement is as much about nostalgia for the vehicles of one’s youth as it is about the history of the motor car.
If Mr Ruffles is interested in custom cars and hot rods, then he should subscribe to an appropriate magazine, not expect one dealing with different subject matter to adapt to his whims! “I have been reading Chicken Breeders Gazette, and am disappointed in the lack of features about dogs. Please include many features on dogs in future issues and I may consider a subscription...”
By the way, despite what I said above about a 1980 cut-off, that Lincoln Sentinel concept featured in the July issue was stunning! I do find Richard Heseltine’s articles fascinating. I do like to see a balance in each issue, and you do try to feature a car from each decade, which I appreciate. I know that it is impossible to please all of the people all of the time, but I think you do a great job. Thank you.
Michael Hooton
Holyhead, Wales
You’re not wrong Michael, as our letters pages attest: you can’t please all the people all the time, but we like to think we’re getting the balance right. As for post1980 classics, we can think of a few. Many American cars like the Eighties Cadillac De Villes and Fleetwoods were still rear-wheel drive, body-on-chassis construction and V8 powered. You can’t get more classic American than that!