Just recently, my car show team and I had a meeting to discuss our first car show of the year. Being in the car show scene since 2002, I've got a few years under my belt and I've watched the scene evolve as much as my bugeye WRX has over the years. During the off season, it's easy for me to lose enthusiasm for what my team and I do every year, but this time I've paid witness to a lot of changes that I believe are bad for the scene, even if it really isn't particularly anyone's fault.
The most apparent thing I've noticed is that a lot of the car show enthusiasts that I've gotten to know over the years are retiring from the scene. Many of them have their show cars for sale and others have already sold their cars off and moved on with their lives. The problem is, there really hasn't really been much of a crowd to fill these shoes. This can partly be attributed to an overall movement of the aftermarket industry toward being much more performance-oriented rather than aesthetic-oriented, but I truly don't see that as being a problem.
If anything, I actually welcome this very much, since I'd rather see a really powerful, complete car that is driven like it should be at a car show, rather than a car that only sees the light of day a few times a year, with some of that daylight blinding you from its fully-chromed undercarriage. However, all too often lately I've been hearing comments such as "I saw better cars in the parking lot than in the actual show" and that truly disheartens me. If you have a show-worthy car, why not show it and be proud of the money you've put into the aftermarket parts. Sure enough, the argument can be made that one just wants to keep to themselves and what-not, but if your car in the parking lot looks better than what's in the show, then I think it's almost snobbish not to share your wonderful creation with everyone else.
Another problem that I've seen is all the drama that comes about because of how car shows are administered. Everyone wants fame by winning trophies; after all, there was a time when winning 1st Place Subaru was my main goal when I went to shows. However, thanks to inconsistent judging practices, politics related to car show teams or event sponsors, and the simple fact that the trophy you win comes nowhere near the amount you invest into your car, I think that many people are losing sight of what it means to be a car enthusiast, and more specifically a car show enthusiast. I think that I've reached a point now where I could truly care less about winning another trophy personally. All I'd like to do is show off my car, help support my team, and enjoy myself without all the drama.
Okay, so I've cited a few problems, so how do I propose we all fix it? I think a big step in the right direction would be to have more show and shine events, where there aren't any trophies or competition and the money used to participate goes to a charity of some sort. That way, the show goes back to just being for enthusiasts and showing everyone what you've done with your car, your money, and your heart and soul. Hot rod enthusiasts are able to do this easily on an almost weekly basis during the show season, so why can't those of us with imports do the same? Since I don't think it's all the difficult, I'm hoping to organize at least one of these charity show and shines with my team this year. If it's anything like what we had done in the past (raised about $3000 for Seattle's Children's Hospital) then I think it'll be a huge success.
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