One Cars and Coffee Banned Modern Muscle Cars for a Controversial Reason
The Houston area Cars and Coffee meet is among the most infamous in the country. Its organizers have banned modern muscle cars–Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros, and the Dodge Challengers and Chargers–for the upcoming season. Why? Owners’ burnouts and other forms of hooning around threatened the existence of the entire event.
Cars and Coffee meets are often scheduled early in the morning. The intention is to hold a meetup that has few spectators, creating opportunities for enthusiasts to connect with one another. Before you get too made at the Houston even organizers, know they’ve been giving out warning for months. Here’s a November Instagram post’s wording:
Due to this morning’s burnouts and revving, we will be temporarily banning all Mustang, Chargers & Camaros. We keep asking for cooperation to reduce this behavior and we have signs posted. If this behavior continues we will be forced to only do Invitational Only Events. We have an Epic lineup for the end of the year Toy Drive. PLEASE STOP ENCOURAGING THIS BEHAVIOR, SPREAD THE WORD PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
Houston Cars and Coffee via Instagram
One aspect of the Houston meet that may make it difficult to resist a burnout is the way spectators gather late in the morning and line up to watch cars leave. And it appears the temptation was too much for certain enthusiasts. After the March 2nd meet, the organizers posted again:
It all starts with you. These are the so called “enthusiasts” who have ruined our car gathering. Don’t complain when we do invitationals from starting today. All modern muscle cars, mustangs, Camaro, charger & challengers, permanently banned.
Houston Cars and Coffee via Instagram
Commenters hit back against the ban, labeling it as everything from elitist to racist. Some suggested hiring more cops. Others said they’d never attend the event if it didn’t allow modern muscle cars. One commenter even comically suggested event organizers run credit checks on new muscle car owners, assuming anyone with a score over 600 would be too responsible to attempt a burnout. One interesting counterpoint called out specific vehicles, such as lowered trucks, also guilty of burnouts.
Of course the ban also had supporters. Commenters said none of this hooning was done by “true car enthusiasts.” Or that “these individuals don’t appreciate the effort put into hosting” the meets.
The event organizers also fired back, answering angry comments with replies such as “Banned modern muscle cars [checkmark emoji]” and “[The meet] got successful the moment you left.” It doesn’t look like they’ll be reversing the ban anytime soon.
If you live in the Houston area and are trying to think of a car event to host, it looks like there’s a market for a burnout showdown. I’d say there will be many modern muscle car owners looking for a place to hangout Saturday mornings this summer.
Next, see just how wild Houston Cars and Coffee can get in the video below:
