That seems to be what's going on everywhere . . . 
I think it's because of a number of things.
* Older cars are getting harder to find and many car enthusiasts are getting priced out of the picture.
* Promoters are trying to appeal to a wider range of enthusiasts to help raise more money.
* Many of these people are using their cars as daily drivers as well, something that most of us don't do.
* They're trying to attract new vehicles because, many times, it winds up being the same people with the same cars, especially at the local or smaller shows.
* The current generation doesn't have the same feelings about the older cars that we do. Their Challengers and Cudas are the Neons and Eclipses of today, because that's what is readily available.
Let me tell you a little story. Occasionally, I write stores for a local car mag. Not much, but mostly just coverage of local shows. A couple of years ago, I went to a local show, and saw a guy there, with a mid-80's something car. The guy reminded me of the Joe Dirt movie. The car had hand painted flames, fun fur, a crappy paint job, the whole works. Everyone was making fun of him, including me, I am ashamed to admit. But he took all of the ribbing that he got very graciously, so I decided to go over and talk with him a bit. He was a young guy, with a wife, a couple of small kids, and a minimum-wage job, so he had trouble even just making ends meet, yet he managed to save a few pennies here and there, and used them to do a few special things to their only car. He was as proud of that car, as any owner of any of the rarest cars in the show. He had the spark that makes a life-long enthusiast, he just didn't have the resources. But, because this guy didn't have a rare ground pounder, he and his car weren't worth anything as far as people were concerned. Because his car didn't have a flawless, mirror-finish, twenty-foot deep trailer queen paint job, they were not suited for anything more than ridicule and contempt. It was at that moment, as I talked with him and realized his level of enthusiasm, that I realized that the people at that show, myself included, were car snobs, and I began to feel really, really ashamed of myself. We were forgetting that it's not only the car that is worthy of attention, but it's also the dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work that are a huge part of our hobby. It's about the love of automobiles, and the passion to own one, and make it an expression of who we are. We need to nurture that passion and dedication, not drive it away through ridicule and contempt just because the vehicle doesn't seem to be worthy of our attention. We all have to be careful not to be car snobs. By the way, the guy did win third place in his class (because there were only three cars in his class), but I don't think any Nobel Prize winner anywhere in history, was more proud than that young guy, standing in that supermarket parking lot, on that beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Having said all that, I do feel, however, that if newer models are allowed into a show, they should have their own classes, and when judging results are presented, they should be presented oldest first.
