AOMCI registrations

[h-whitten]

What is the difference between "antique" and "Classic" outboards?

[Mumbles]

From the bylaws of the club:

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Attachments:

[pm-t2]

they are the two classifications used to more or less draw a line in time for us to use as a reference.

Antiques – anything built 1950 and prior.

Classic – anything after 1950 up to a point in time 30 years prior to the current calendar year.

The AOMCI was founded in 1965-66 based on the older motor category. It wasn’t until the late 1980’s or early 1990’s that the "classic" division was created.

It recognizes the differences in between classes while not excluding more modern motors from participating in club events or shows.

There’s a little more in-depth explanation to be sure, but that’s the nuts & bolts of it, so to speak.

Hope this helps.

Best,
PM T2

[wbeaton]

Those made prior to 1950 are considered antique while those made after are classics. Its kind of a line in the sand. Significant engineering and manufacturing changes happened in the outboard manufacturing world during this time frame. 1950 is roughly the divide between the old and new world. Of course there are motors that overlap this line, but you have to pick a point and this is the one they chose. It made sense back in 1966. Now the collecting world has changed and so have the motors people collect. It is only a matter of time before someone gets serious about changing the designations and adding new categories.

Wayne
Upper Canada Chapter

uccaomci.com

[punchbug]

I am a firm believer that the classifications should be a rolling year. Any motor that is over 40 years old is a classic, anything from 41 to 75 years old is an antique and anything older than 76 years old would be a "vintage class". So as of this year a 1978 would be a classic a 1943 would be an antique while a 1942 and older would be considered a "vintage motor". I am sure that someone can come up with a more fitting name than "vintage" but that is my humble opinion on the matter. The reason for this is to just keep new life into each class. Every new year would see an influx of new motors into each class. It would keep the judging at events more meaningful in my opinion. Lets face it the best in class of any show should in theory win the best in class for every show if the motors remain stagnant. New blood keeps the the class alive, just as new blood keeps this hobby alive! As it stands 20 years from now that 1951 motor will still be classified as a classic even though it will be 87
years old!!!

[vintin]

My opinion falls in line with Punchbug’s.

[twostroke]

Ditto here…

That makes all of my motors (and me…) antiques.

Jim

I say "pardon me" a lot. I had a 20H, then raced open mod sleds.

[20mercman]

I have been in favor of changing the categories for motor classification for several years. The following is a post I posted some time ago on a thread, "What is an antique"

Honestly, I think it is time for the national club to revisit the terms on how we classify the motors. The fact that 1950 and older are considered "Antique" has been the policy of the club as long as I have been a member, and probably for some extended period of time before that. (Perhaps from the inception of the club?) In any event, it is hard to not all a 1953 Corsair anything but an antique. As much as we may want it to at times, time does not stop, and the objects of our interest are getting older every day. I would offer that the club adopt some different parameters for motor classification. These are just examples, but would welcome feedback.

1) Rowboat motors 1920 and earlier.
2) Pre-war antique 1921-1941 (Most motors built during WWII would fit into this category also)
3) Post-war antique 1945-1959 (These are all 58-72 years old!)
4) Vintage Classic 1960-1975 (These are 45-57 years old)
5) Collectable 1976-1987 (30-41 years old)

These parameters should be revisited from time to time. Some of our members would scoff at calling a 1975 Mercury 200 a "Vintage Classic", but I remember my dad getting one 42 years ago when I was a kid and I have a lot of memories of the time we spent with that motor. I still have it, and it turns heads at the boat ramps.

Steve

[crosbyman]

Other than a Merc Classic 50 (45 hp) I don’t think anybody would call my oldies " classic"

Antiques would be more like it 😀

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[garry-in-michigan]

In my opinion a lot depends on the motor and not the year. The very first outboards were "Row Boat Motors". Heavy sand cast monsters that were still better than rowing. A revolution in the early ’20s saw lighter faster motors which I call "Antiques". These still had the heavy sand cast Iron cylinders and some were built until 1951. Johnson started Die casting in the late ’30s and motors got lighter. The true change to the Classic happened when Johnson and Scott Atwater introduced the full F-N-R gear shift in 1950. In my opinion The next revolution happened when electronic ignition took over in the 1970s. I call these later motors Modern Classics. And yes – I am an Antique . . . 😆

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