Flawless Perfection

As most of you know, I have issues with "kit cars" that vie in the same class as originals. And while it may sound like prejudice, that is not the case.

For the record, I do not consider every vehicle with molded fiberglass parts to be a "kit" car. My take on a kit is any vehicle that is built from the ground up from new parts - a new car that is designed to copy or mimic an older one. Using molded parts to restore an old classic does not result in a kit car.

My concern with kit cars lies with the simple fact that they automatically have an unfair advantage over originals. Since they are new, they do not have the "wear and tear" of years and mileage. And because they are usually fiberglass, their perfect, seemless molded bodies are inherently flawless and glass-like. Steel bodies simply cannot compete on that level of modern perfection. Pitting a kit car against an original is much like comparing a tight, pre-fab modular home with a drafty old farmhouse.

I love kit cars, and have often considered a 1956 Jag XK C-type or '55 T-Bird replicar. But they should compete in their own class, just like any other vehicle. If I were to pit the 56 XKC replica against an original 56 XKC, the original would not stand a chance.

And that is the issue I have with kit cars. All cars should be judged among its peers, according to it's class. A "1965" KIT car that is actually built in 2005 should not be in the same class as a true 1965, because the kit is NOT a 1965. It only LOOKS like one.

Many shows have a class for kit cars and replicas, and that is fine. They are competing against their peers. And that is as it should be. But to allow a brand new, perfectly molded kit '29 Mercedes to compete against its original counterpart is simply unfair.

That is my opinion, and I am fully aware that it probably is not shared by all, or even most other enthusiasts. I do not intend to offend anyone, though I probably have. What offends me is when someone has an unfair advantage over another. And kit cars do have an unfair advantage. How does one compete fairly against flawless modern perfection?