It has been discussed in the comments frequently over the course of CC’s existence, but I don’t believe it has been formally addressed. I am, of course, speaking of the CC Effect. First, a definition: The CC Effect occurs when a rarely-seen Curbside Classic is posted to the site, and then, mere days later, a CC reader, writer or editor stumbles upon the very same make and model. It is uncanny how often this happens to me.
For instance, I couldn’t remember the last time I saw a Chevrolet Beretta in my rust-prone region of the country. Then Richard Bennett goes and posts an article on one, and guess what? A few days later, I’m sitting at a red light, happened to look over to my left down an alley, and there it was: a Beretta, slightly less pristine than Richard’s CC, parked crosswise in front of a garage.
Just a couple of weeks later, it happened again. After visiting the car show in Geneseo, IL (where I spotted the ’64 Cruiser), I was walking back to the car when I came upon this rather solid Suzuki Samurai. It was September 8. Guess what? On September 5, our own Ed Stembridge had done a Roadside Outtake on–you guessed it–a Samurai.
Which brings me to the question. Does this happen to you too? If so, how frequently? Inquiring minds want to know!
Kind of the opposite. I see a car and then a few days or weeks later someone writes about it here.
The Electra and Colony Park are two that spring to mind.
As I’m one who has mentioned the CC Effect in the comments (before you coined the phrase) yes many times. I’d say about 50% of the time preceding the article as 86er mentioned and about 50% of time after the article.
It happens to me all the time. Right after the Eagle Premier lookalike Dodge Monaco, I saw a Premier sedan sitting at the stoplight. Not exactly the same, but I think it counts. I will be interested to hear if it works with wooden Town & Countrys and Marmons. 🙂
I remember when my parents bought a new 1971 Chevy Impala in Copper with a brown vinyl top. Mom saw it and thought it was an unusual color and had to have it. After a couple of weeks driving it around town she was put out that that color combo seemed to be everywhere! P.S. after riding in my parents 1965 Chevy Biscayne with no air-conditioning and no radio for 6 years the Impala with AC and an AM radio was like a Cadillac to us!
I think it stems from the same phenomenon as the fact that if you buy a particular car, even if it’s one that’s older and not particularly common, you suddenly find that you’re noticing a lot of others like it.
This happens also when you’re looking for a particular vehicle. For several months I was looking for a short-wide-box regular-cab late-model Dodge pickup. I didn’t see any I liked and we finally bought the ’03 Silverado. Immediately afterward, several nice Dodges of that configuration were seen on local car lots.
I’ve experienced a different CC effect: I get excited about spotting cars that I normally couldn’t care less about.
For example, a couple of months ago a coworker and I went to the mall for lunch. In the parking lot was a 1st gen Taurus in mint condition. The paint was even shiny. I’ve never liked those cars, but when I saw that one I wished I had my camera with me.
Today was a perfect example, yesterday we had the post about the roadsters with a MGB and today I saw not 1 or 2 but 3 MGBs. Two rubber baby buggy bumpered and one chrome bumpered version. They were all together enjoying the last of the warm sunny weather with their tops down and appropriate driving hats on.
And yet again today, just minutes ago I was out and about and saw the Duster’s cousin the Demon. I have seen it around the area in the past, repainted nicely and all but I haven’t seen it in months until today.
Well, I did see a 1st gen Ford Falcon today sitting outside a gas station across the street from my bank branch. Nothing special, it was just a base-level sedan painted beige, but that makes it kind of special around the Detroit area, where it seems every car older than about 25 is a muscle car of some kind that’s only taken out of the garage for summer weekend drives or the Dream Cruise.
I wish I had had the time to stop at the station and inquire about the car. Given its good condition I doubt it’s spent its life in Michigan. Maybe it’s somebody’s project.
It’s the “plate of shrimp” theory…..
Repo Man FTW!
Anymore, it doesn’t surprise me at all. In fact, one of Paul’s recent stories, and a car I found yesterday and did a writeup on and just sent to Paul go together rather well.
I am also finding that in the past year another version of the CC Effect is that I constantly notice CC worthy cars out in the field. I am finally learning to keep my camera with me!
I’d not paid much attention to the Protege5, but ever since I bought mine, I see them everywhere, even the sedans too, but the P5’s seem to proliferate more though to a degree.
I see plenty of the Mazda3 too, again, everywhere, and it seems the hatchbacks proliferate more than the sedans.
I still see the occasional RX7/RX8, though I have always noted the Miata a lot for a long time, and yes, plenty of the old ones still plying the roads around here, thanks to a lack of rust out here in Puget Sound land.
I even briefly saw a guy who owned a forest green Miata of 2000-2002 vintage or so, and we took a ride one sunny, spring day from his place in SeaTac to Tacoma, and we both got a bit sunburned, thanks to dropping the top before we left the house.
Yes, being in the same regional area as Paul, it happens almost every day around here. That said, I pay far more attention to the Classic’s I see now than I ever have, thanks to this site. REALLY need to carry a camera in my car…Oh that ’66 Imperial I saw late last week…`