by Wayne Ramsey

Created on: April 05, 2007   Last Updated: April 25, 2007

There is no greater joy to a true class car lover than the traditional classic car show. Having hundreds of incredibly restored classic cars all in one location can be an amazing site for the auto enthusiast, and a whole lot of fun for anyone in the family. Even if you don't know a thing about cars, these events are normally jam packed full of entertaining events for the entire family.

The important thing to remember however, is that these classic beauties aren't like any other car that you may have parked in your driveway. These vehicles represent the history of automotive development and many are a significant symbol of true Americana. It is for this reason, that you have to make sure that you take take proper consideration for not only the owners of the vehicles, but for the vehicles themselves.

While at these shows, there is an unwritten, unspoken conduct that is expected to be followed. It is almost assumed that everyone is born knowing these rules, instinctively doing everything in their power not to break them and break the unwritten code of the classic car. This however isn't the case for most people that come to car shows. Many people just don't understand the proper etiquette and as such could find themselves getting hassled by the car collectors for breaking etiquette.

There are several very important things that you should remember, while you are looking at the vehicles:

1. Watch your children and pets at all times. It is your responsibility to make sure that they don't touch or scratch the vehicles.

2. Just like you heard as a child, you can look, but you can't touch. Sometimes the car collector will invite you to site inside the vehicle, but this is only on rare occasion. Don't ever just assume that this is alright.

3. If you are going to be near the vehicle, avoid wearing long jewelry or touching the vehicle with hands or arms that contain jewelry such as bracelets or rings. This could scratch the paint horribly and ruin a beautiful car.

4. Make sure that you do not smoke anywhere near the vehicle. This is important because the smoke can get into the interior of the vehicle's which could ultimately damage it. It is extremely expensive to remove the smell of cigarettes from a vehicle interior, so please respect this rule.

5. Make sure that you aren't eating or drinking around the vehicles. If you are going to eat or drink, do it at least 20 feet from any vehicle. This should be adequate enough space to ensure that a spill doesn't splash into the interior of the vehicle causing costly cleaning expenses.

And most importantly, just have a good time. The collectors love to talk about their vehicles and are going to tell you everything that you want to know. Most travel around and go to all of the local shows and absolutely love their vehicle above anything else. So take the time, ask about the vehicle, and I'm sure you'll make their day. Just make sure that you follow the above rules of etiqette and you should be fine.

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