Classic Car Club of America
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The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) is an organization founded in 1952 to celebrate the grand automobiles of the prewar period. At the time, the vehicles covered by the Club were considered too modern to be of any interest by such organizations as the Antique Automobile Club of America and despite their often stupendous cost when new, were considered practically worthless.
Times have changed, of course, and the vehicles eligible for CCCA membership are now some of the most highly valued cars in existence.
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Definition of a Classic car
In the words of the CCCA:
- A CCCA Classic is a "fine" or "distinctive" automobile, either American or foreign built, produced between 1925 and 1948. Generally, a Classic was high-priced when new and was built in limited quantities. 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.
The CCCA is considered to have invented the term classic car, which was coined to describe the vehicles covered by the Club's interest. While the term is nowadays used to describe any interesting old vehicle, many consider it only properly used to describe vehicles considered eligible for the CCCA. This may be considered analogously to the correct usage of 'Classical music' to mean only from a specific historical period, even though many people use the term to mean any orchestral work.
In order to avoid ambiguity, classic cars that are eligible for the CCCA are generally called 'CCCA Full Classics', 'CCCA Classics', 'Full Classics', or just capitalized as 'Classics'.
The CCCA has an admittedly narrow focus, being interested only in the high-priced cars available in a limited time period. Racing cars and serious sports cars are not covered by the CCCA, either.
Eligible Vehicles
The Club has an officially sanctioned list of eligible makes and models of car; some makes, not very well represented in the Club, are accepted on a "Considered by application" basis. A member can petition the Club to accept a vehicle not listed. Such approval may be given if the car is one of a similar standard to vehicles already accepted into the Club.
Cars built after 1942 and up until 1948 are only accepted if they are nearly identical to prewar vehicles; the focus of the club is on the prewar, but this accepts that many cars built immediately postwar were actually the same vehicles as were available immediately before hostilities began.
Cars older than 1925 may be accepted if they are fundamentally the same as eligible vehicles built in 1925 or newer.
Grand Classics
The CCCA's car shows and judged championships are known as Grand Classics and are held at various points throughout the US over the summer months. About a half-dozen Grand Classics are held annually. While neither as large nor as glamorous as the largest concours d'elegance such as Pebble Beach they are most certainly prestigious events in their own right.
While many cars go to be entered into competition, the Club encourages its members to bring their cars even if they are in no condition to win at show.
Concours judging is based on a comparison of the car to its condition when new. If the car now is identical to its as-new condition (or indeed better, given the quality of modern restoration) then 100 points are awarded. These days, quite a few vehicles rate 100 points at show.
Some alterations for safety purposes are permitted and do not cost judging points. Glass must be safety glass except in classes purely for unrestored, as-original cars. Many original vehicles from early in the period had only one tail light and stop light; fitting a second one is OK as long as it looks right. Equipping a car built with only brakes on two wheels with brakes on the other two wheels is also permitted, as long it is done in keeping with the car's period.
CARavans
The CCCA organises long distance driving tours under this name. Distances covered are often well in excess of a thousand miles and the events take place over several weeks. While some CCCA members' cars are strictly 'for show', others take great pleasure in driving them, even long distance.
Complete Car List
All vehicles built between 1925 and 1948 are accepted unless specified otherwise.
- AC
- Adler (by application)
- Alfa Romeo
- Alvis (Speed 20, Speed 25, and 4.3 litre)
- Amilcar (by application)
- Armstrong-Siddeley (by application)
- Aston Martin (all 1927-39)
- Auburn (all 8 and 12 cylinder)
- Austro-Daimler
- Ballot (by application)
- Bentley
- Benz
- Blackhawk
- BMW (327, 328, 327/318 and 335)
- Brewster (all heart front)
- Brough-Superior (by application)
- Bucciali (TAV 8, TAV 30, TAV 12 and Double Huit)
- Bugatti (All except Type 52)
- Buick (1931-42 - 90 Series)
- Cadillac (All V-12 and V-16; All 1925-35; 1936-48 - All 63, 65, 67, 70, 72, 75, 80, 85, 90 Series; 1938-47 - 60 Special; 1940-47 - All Series 62)
- Chenard-Walcker (by application)
- Chrysler (1926-30 - Imperial 80, 1929 Imperial L; 1931-37 - Imperial Series CG, CH, CL, and CW Newports and Thunderbolts;1934 - CX; 1935 - C-3; 1936 - C-11; 1937-48 - Custom Imperial, Crown Imperial Series C-15, C-20, C-24, C-27, C-33, C-37, C-40)
- Cord
- Cunningham (Series V6, V7, V8, V9)
- Dagmar (6-80)
- Daimler (All 8 and 12 cylinder)
- Darracq (8 cylinder and 4-litre 6 cylinder)
- Delage (model D-8)
- Delahaye (Series 135, 145, 165)
- Delaunay Belleville (6 cylinder)
- Doble
- Dorris
- Duesenberg
- DuPont
- Excelsior (by application)
- Farman
- Fiat (by application)
- FN (by application)
- Franklin (All models except 1933-34 Olympic)
- Frazer-Nash (by application)
- Georges Irat
- Graham (1930-31 - Series 137)
- Graham-Paige (1929-30 - Series 837)
- Hispano-Suiza (All French models; Spanish models T56, T56BIS, T64)
- Horch
- Hotchkiss (by application)
- Hudson (1929 - Series L)
- Humber (by application)
- Invicta
- Isotta-Fraschini
- Itala
- Jaguar (1946-48 - 2-1/2 litre, 3-1/2 litre (Mark IV))
- Jensen (by application)
- Jordan (Speedway Series Z, as well as 1929-31 Jordan 8, various model designations of G, 90 and Great Line 90)
- Julian
- Kissel (1925-26; 1927 - 8-75; 1928 - 8-90 and 8-90 White Eagle; 1929-31 8-126)
- Lagonda (All models except 1933-40 Rapier)
- Lanchester (by application)
- Lancia (by application)
- LaSalle (1927-33)
- Lincoln (All L, KA, KB, and K; 1941 - 168 H; 1942 - 268 H; All Lincoln Continentals)
- Lincoln Continental
- Locomobile (All models 48 and 90; 1927-29 - Model 8-80; 1929 - 8-88)
- Marmon (all 16 cylinder; 1925-26 - 74; 1927 - 75; 1928 - E75; 1930 - Big 8; 1931 - 88 and Big 8)
- Maserati (by application)
- Maybach
- McFarlan (TV6 and 8)
- Mercedes
- Mercedes-Benz (All 230 and up, as well as Benz models built prior to the merger, 1926-26 10/30 h.p., 16/50 h.p., and 16/50 h.p. Sport.; K., S., S.S., S.S.K., S.S.K.L.; Grosser and Mannheim)
- Mercer
- MG (1935-39 SA; 1938-39 WA)
- Minerva (All except 4-cylinder)
- N.A.G. (by application)
- Nash (1930 Series 490; 1931 Series 8-90; 1932 Series 9-90, Advanced 8 and Ambassador 8; 1933-34 Ambassador 8)
- Packard (All 12cyl; 1925-34 All 6 and 8 cyl; 1935 Models 1200-1205, 1207&1208; 1936 Models 1400-1405, 1407&1408; 1937 Models 1500-1502, 1506-1508; 1938 Models 1603-1605, 1607&1608; 1939 Models 1703/5/7/8; 1940 Models 1803-1808; 1941 Models 1903-1908; 1942 Models 2023, 2003-2008, 2055; 1946-47 Models 2103, 2106 and 2126; All Darrin-bodied)
- Peerless (1925 Series 67; 1926 - 1928 Series 69; 1930-1 Custom 8;1932 Deluxe Custom 8)
- Peugeot (by application)
- Pierce-Arrow
- Railton (by application)
- Raymond Mays (by application)
- Renault (45hp)
- REO (1931-4, all Royale 8-cylinder)
- Revere
- Roamer (1925 8-88, 6-54e, 4-75 and 4-85e; 1926 4-75e, 4-85e and 8-88; 1927-29 8-88; 1929-30 8-120)
- Rochet Schneider (by application)
- Rohr (by application)
- Rolls-Royce
- Ruxton
- Squire
- S.S. Jaguar (1932-40 S.S. 1, S.S. 90, SS Jaguar and SS Jaguar 100)
- Stearns-Knight
- Stevens-Duryea
- Steyr (by application)
- Studebaker (1928 - 8, FA & FB President, 1929-33 President except Model 82)
- Stutz
- Sunbeam (8 cylinder and 3 litre twin cam)
- Talbot (105C and 110C)
- Talbot-Lago (150C)
- Tatra (by application)
- Triumph (Dolomite 8 and Gloria 6)
- Vauxhall (25-70 and 30-98)
- Voisin
- Wills Sainte Claire
- Willys-Knight (Custom bodied only, considered by application)
External link
- Official website (http://www.classiccarclub.org/)