All Things Being Equal

I can remember a time as recent as the mid to late 60's, that women simply weren't considered in the world of muscle cars, hot rodding and drag racing. While that by-gone era may seem like ages ago, it is still burnt in my memory, because it was during my lifetime. If you want a glaring example of just how bad and sexist things used to be, dig into the October 1966 issue of Hot Rod magazine and check out the article and road test on the new 1967 383 Plymouth Barracuda S. It's full of all kinds of groovy lingo, but it openly states that this car is not for a woman. Period. Today, however, I'm reminded of the progress we've made during that time when browsing through automotive history books, checking out the latest racing events, as well as chatting with muscle car / street rod enthusiasts.

For example, I was at a weekend cookout that was hosted by a friend of my wife. The host and hostess were wonderful, gracious people. When the husband found out I work at an automotive repair garage and I'm a dye-in-the-wool vintage car nut, he took me down to their garage and showed me two pristine examples of sports cars; one was a 1968 Jaguar XJE roadster, the other was a 1963 split-window Corvette. Unfortunately, I was drawn immediately to the Vette, and almost ignored the Jag. Why unfortunately? Because the XKE was his and the Corvette was his wife's. I had to gently explain to him my infinity for American cars only as I handed him my business card. When I returned to the outdoor deck to rejoin my wife, she asked about the cars and I told her that I thought I broke the poor guys heart, because in my heart, the Corvette blew away the Jaguar. Our hostess Gail piped up, "...did he tell you the Corvette is mine?" I replied that he indeed had. "Did he also tell you my car just absolutely annihilates his on the road?" Uh... nope. 

By now, tons of pictures and scads of news have flooded the internet regarding the east coast The Race Of Gentlemen that took place about a month ago down on the beaches in Wildwood New Jersey. If this event is not on your vintage automotive bucket list, shame on you. It has got to be one of the best times one can have all year. Not only does the town fully embrace this annual shindig, but it truly is a nostalgic family event. What's also truly refreshing, is that there is a pleasant mix of male and female drivers of vintage cars as well as motorcycles - not just hot looking flag starters. Don't be fooled by the term "Gentlemen" in the event title, nor the blurb on their website, "... time and tide wait for no man." Everything looks the part - from the cars, to the drivers, even the spectators. Many people go to great lengths to give this event a feel of early drag racing from the late 40's. Cars and bikes must be 1934 and older models with drive-train mods using speed equipment up to the year 1948. The event pretty much occurs every year in mid-June - mark it on your calendar for next year.

I'll end this week's blog with a splash of drag racing. You can cruise the net and find all kinds of articles on famous drag racing drivers, both men and woman, ranging from Don Garlits, to Shirley Shahan. Many of the articles state the extra lengths women had to go through so they could be viewed as competitors that were just as good as the guys. Driving this point across is none other than Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney in a Sunday News Magazine cover from 1978. A picture is worth a thousand words...

Until next time, peace out.
Dave