Been thinking about this a lot lately, where do all the great cars go after they are shown for a year? It seems they just fall off the planet and are never seen again! There are so many killer Street Machines out there that are only shown for a year, maybe 2 years at the most then they just seem to disappear. Why????
I'm not just talking about the Street Machine of the Year winners but all the cool cars you see at SEMA, Good Guys, NSRA and all the other big shows of the summer, and not only the million dollar cars built but all the great cars that come out every year! Do the owners lose interest in going to the big shows? Is it because the cars won't compete for the top awards the next year? Is it just too much trouble to travel the long distances to the shows? Would they rather just go to more local shows instead?
Do they just enjoy the build process and once that's over, they're just on to the next one? Do they have a collection of cars and this is just the latest until the next one is built and these cars just sit in a warehouse with the rest of them and never get enjoyed?
What about all the awesome, Pro Street cars from years ago? What's happened to all of them? I know there are still a bunch around, some getting redone and freshened up for the Street Machine Nationals and shows like the upcoming Pro Street Invasion this summer, but that still leaves a bunch we haven't seen in 25+ years! Where are they all??
Even cars that have won the big awards with nothing to prove, where have they gone? Why not let people see them, ask questions about them and see the craftsmanship and ideas that went into building such great cars?
It could be a combination of things. That car could be someone's therapy in a way. It could be their dream car and they get the most relaxation and satisfaction by just going into the garage and admiring their car without driving it too much or going to the shows.
It costs a lot of money and time to go to the big shows if you live a far distance from them and trailer the car to the shows. I know, they could just drive them because people think that's what they are for, but how long do they stay in great shape if you're pounding the roads with them? Not to mention the maintenance and upkeep on them, especially if you've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on them and would have to have them refreshed every few years. I also wonder how many cars have been recreated into another version or rebuilt in a different style without anyone knowing it? Owners get tired of it or it seems dated and they want to make it better or more with todays trends so they build it over again? I also think there are many that are just sitting in a garage someplace because it's part of a collection or the owners lost interest in the hobby or the car because it's not the newest, freshest car out there. If that's the case, I know a lot of people, including myself, that would absolutely love to have a car like those in our garages!
There are so many great cars with different build styles from years past as well as present that many people never see or hear about that could inspire someone to try something different on their car or turn them on to something that sparks their creativity and opens their eyes to things that aren't just what everyone else is doing today. It used to be about building what you wanted and what was different from everyone else, maybe we need to bring some of that back...
What are your thoughts on this topic? What do you think happens to all the cars that have only been shown for a year or two then are never seen again? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this! Please comment on this post or feel free to email me at: streetmachinecentral@gmail.com
Thanks for reading!
Michael