Fiat-Simca bodies

[NathanStewart]

dan, what's your definition of "generic" because that's what that rule is called in the book.  gt/ms doesn't say all two seaters.  it says "sports" cars with two seats.  is/was a '48 fiat a sports car? 

[dw230]

Nathan,

You were at the meetings. You guys decided that a sports car is two seats, a coupe four seats.

Is there a change in the future?

DW

[desotoman]

Nathan,

You were at the meetings. You guys decided that a sports car is two seats, a coupe four seats.

Is there a change in the future?

DW

I really don't understand the logic in two seats being a sports car and four seats being a coupe. IMO if a four seat car was advertised as a sports car, and sold to the public as a sports car, how can a four seat car not be a sports car.

Tom G. 

[Tman]

I am with Nortonist. Fiat Topolinos and Simcas like Jays were weezer economy cars built to meet post-war demand. They were far from "sporty"

[Nortonist 592]

Yeah,  I was going to add that Fiats were sportscars like BSA M20s were sportsbikes.

[NathanStewart]

Nathan,

You were at the meetings. You guys decided that a sports car is two seats, a coupe four seats.

Is there a change in the future?

DW

Dan, I'm just reading out of the rule book.  From pg. 79: This class is limited to 2 seat production sports cars. 

I believe it was deemed that a CRX isn't a sports car (although Drew Peitch ran his CRX in GT at Muroc years before this whole ordeal).  Woudn't a vehicle trying to compete in gt/ms need to meet both the criteria of being a two seater as well as being a sports car? 

[dw230]

I don't control the committees. If you guys want Fiat coupes in GT/Mod Sports write it into the rulebook.

DW

[NathanStewart]

I don't control the committees. If you guys want Fiat coupes in GT/Mod Sports write it into the rulebook.

No, but you do sign off on record certs.  You posed the question about seating for four so you tell us.  How would you rule this one?  I read the requirement for GT/MS as being a two seater sports car.  Seems like the general concensus (on here right now at least) is that a '48-ish Fiat isn't a sports car.  

I honestly don't care one way or the other but people suggesting that a Fiat or a Chevy SSR or whatever else is some how a GT/MS because they have two seats is well... kinda lame.  I honestly think the old rules were fine.  They just weren't followed very well in some instances.

[NathanStewart]

Something else caught my eye...

The lowest engine break is now F, up to 183 cid, new for 2012.

F is the ONLY class that a foreign car can run if the car is entered as Classic, right?

[Stan Back]

Yep -- that's real clear (in the Rule Book).

What's not clear, at least to me, is where in h-ell is this going -- are even where did it come from?

[Glen]

Nathan is bored and not working on his sedan

[Milwaukee Midget]

This has just caused the dogmatic, draconian traditionalist in me to rear its ugly head.  Usually, he's pretty subdued.

Sports cars have 2 seats - left and right - and no marketing effort, regardless of the performance capability of any car will sway my thinking - end of story.

And for that matter, there had better be some chrome on it, too.

And I realize that I've just excluded the 55-57 Thunderbird (Bench seat), Ferrari 365P Berlinetta Speciale (3 seats - too many), the Jaguar XKE 2+2 and the MGB-GT.  Those are "sporty" cars, NOT "sports cars".

Flame away, boys and girls - I stand my ground, and I will not be moved.   

Now with respect to the rule book, and regarding the Topolino, the phrase "comfortable high speed touring" negates the Fiat.

That was cathartic. 

All in good fun.

[NathanStewart]

Nathan is bored and not working on his sedan

LOL you may have got me there Glen.  I would normally have nothing to do with this conversation until I saw the part about a Fiat being illegel for Alt in the Modified Category.  That obviously isn't correct and I'd hate for someone to read that and assume that all '81 and older foreign coupes/sedans MUST run in Classic because that isn't true. 

Everyone is welcome. 

[dw230]

Nathan,

Go thru the door behind you and ask John his thoughts on this subject.

DW

PS - I gave up on this argument when a committee tried to redesign the genre. It was so easy in 1965.

[Glen]

Maybe a roadster with a rumble seat is a GT