Smart banned from best of france & italy show

[Mike T]

Originally Posted by Bum-bling-B

Cadillac Allantes could even enter it since they are Ghia bodied.

OMG, FAIL!

The Allanté was designed and built by Pininfarina in Grugliasco Italy, just where my 404 C was made a few decades earlier!

[dsoukup]

What I tried to tell her today is that unless FIAT really does begin importing FIAT and Alfa Romeo products her show ia going to continue to get smaller every year. Maserattis, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris don't enter this show. It has been quite a while since FIAT, Lancia, Alfa, Renault, Citroen and Peugot left the US market. Those cars are getting old. A mainstay of her show has been the silly, whimsical cars like the Citroen Mahari, and the DeuxChaveux. The smart Fortwo is the logical successor to these cars. Imagine seeing a Mehari next to a Crossblade. How cool that would be!

But perhaps she is trying to sell her books about old cars and old planes and keep the past alive. That's fine... It's just a bit limiting.

You mentioned the Cadillac Allante? That is a wonderful story: shipping chassis back and forth from Detroit to Pininfarina in Italy and back on 747 Jumbos. Were they good cars? No, but what a story... and the Allante is very definitely a car that should be represented in the French & Italian car show... And if it is allowed to be entered then so should the smart... but then we are crossing that line again... the one that has to be drawn... Too bad.

[EdwardDennis]

Originally Posted by dsoukup

This year I intended to enter ...: (1) My 1968 Fiat/Ferrari Dino 206 Spider,... B][/U]

A formidable entry. Enjoy the show!!

[dsoukup]

Here's looking at you Kid!
D.

[PeteInLongBeach]

Originally Posted by SmartDrive

Many Japanese cars are made in Ohio, Canada and Mexico. Does that make them American, Canadian or Mexican? No.Swatch was a Swiss conglomerate, Mercedes is German, Mitsubishi is Japanese and the car happens to be made in France. Auto manufacturers have their cars and constituent parts made in factories all over the world, but the country of origin, the designer, remains constant. The smart is not a French car.
It's considered a German make.

I completely agree with this and have little to add. I've been displaying French cars at this show for many years, and agree with Tina's decision on this for the above reasoning. The show is already about to outgrow the venue, so limits must be drawn somewhere. This is a reasonable limitation. There are countless other shows around southern california where smarts can be displayed. No need to try crashing this one...

[SmartDrive]

Getting in on some technicality doesn't change the fact that it's not a French design, it's a German-designed car with German-engineering. If a Renault happened to be manufactured in Germany would it deserve to be in a German car show? What if that Renault had parts made in America....would it then be ok to have it in a U.S. car show? No. The logic is completely clear on this in my opinion.

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by Mike T

OMG, FAIL!

The Allanté was designed and built by Pininfarina in Grugliasco Italy, just where my 404 C was made a few decades earlier!

You know what, I KNEW THAT! Just as I was laying down into bed I had thought to myself, "DANG IT! Pininfarina!!" NOT Ghia! I eved remember the Pininfarina emblems on the side when I went down in 1987 and looked at them brand new on the showroom floor. Yes, I deserve a spanking for getting that wrong - in my defense - I was tired.

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by PeteInLongBeach

I completely agree with this and have little to add. I've been displaying French cars at this show for many years, and agree with Tina's decision on this for the above reasoning. The show is already about to outgrow the venue, so limits must be drawn somewhere. This is a reasonable limitation. There are countless other shows around southern california where smarts can be displayed. No need to try crashing this one...

Well if they are already about to outgrow their real estate and have no desire to make it a larger show while still staying true to the French/Italian heritage of the show than by all means they should not add a "others" class that would allow French and Italian bodied or built cars. Understood. A line should be drawn to keep the numbers down.

I wouldn't suggest parking a Crossblade next to a Mahari. They shouldn't be classed or even displayed together IMHO.

For myself, I have a not too distant French ancestry, a French name, even a complexion that makes me look as though I am from France but I was Made in the USA. So am I French or American? Can't speak French. If I was damaged, parts for me could come from France but I am pretty much interchangeable with parts from anywhere. What's odd is that my smart's birth certificate (title) still says Germany for some reason. That dang "W".

It does seem like a debatable subject and unfortunately the owner of the show is the ultimate decision maker....however right or wrong she is. Honestly who's to say she is right or wrong? It is one of those "how you look at it" things. Quite confusing.

A other category would eliminate that confusion as long as they aren't parked intermingled with the truely named, built, company owned French/Italian cars. I think it would be great for people to get an idea of the other cars that have French/Italian roots while not being true Italian/French cars. One of those things to open people's minds.

[RVGRINGO]

I don't know about your US 451, but my Mexican 450 says, "Made in France" in the engine compartment, even though the VIN has the 'W'.

[T12121]

Leave it up to the french. But honestly as an american should I really care I know its made in france I really dont care who owns the company. I am a bit of a "outsider" anyway being I live in michigan and I am suppose to be driving an "american made" car. If you listen to most people in this state.