BEHIND THE SHADES: If there’s one thing that Steve Davis is passionate about, it’s cars. Muscle cars, in particular.

January 21, 2016
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Steve Davis’ dark glasses protect his eyes from light sensitivity – but that doesn’t hinder his vision of the collector car market. In fact, if it hadn’t been for that vision back in the mid-1990s, the collector car world as we know it today might not even exist.

In its 45 years of existence, Barrett-Jackson has seen some of the finest muscle cars in existence cross the block – but that might not have been the case had it not been for a certain piece of California legislation almost 20 years ago.

Steve Davis working on his car in 1969.

In 1997, Davis owned Valley Oak Auto, a collector car dealership in Visalia, California. But his eyes were on January 1998, when the state’s stringent Smog Check II Program was to take effect, which meant cars near and dear to his heart – those from the 1960s and 1970s, the “Muscle Car Golden Era,” as Davis puts it – would essentially be forced off the road as they wouldn’t pass the emissions test and therefore could not be registered.

“I am passionate about the hobby,” he says. “I loved those cars. I couldn’t imagine a life without these cars on the road, and without people being able to enjoy the history and share in the passion that these cars represent. It was absolutely un-American, taking away our right to enjoy and perpetuate the spirit that represents.”

Davis didn’t waste any time. He literally began a one-man crusade to fight California’s legislation, drafting a petition to amend the dreaded smog regulations and exempt vehicles that are 25 years old or older, given that they constituted about 1% of the vehicles registered in the state. “It was a grassroots petition,” says Davis. “We wanted to be able to register our cars, even if we had to drive them a limited number of miles per year or pay a premium for registration. Most of these cars are like members of our family. They’re very well taken care of and used very sparingly. I was ready to go to war – it was guerrilla warfare, really, as I had no formal support or resources.”

It was the days before social media (even email was in its infancy), so Davis relied on his trusty copy machine and fax to crank out petitions, which he distributed wherever he could – even going to truck stops on the highway and persuading truckers to spread the word. His efforts gained momentum, and more people jumped on board, including the media. Autoweek did a piece, calling Davis’ efforts “muscle-car activism.” Jay Leno signed the petition. “It took on a life of its own,” says Davis. In the end more than 50,000 signatures were collected, and State Senator Quentin Kopp sponsored what was now known as Senate Bill 42. The next stage was about to begin.

Davis and his father-in-law traveled to Sacramento, where he testified before state subcommittee hearings. It was truly a David and Goliath scenario. “I was the lone soldier who testified,” remembers Davis. “I marched up there in a packed room. This was high drama. I walked through the crowd and sat at a long table. On one side was me. On the other side were an alphabet soup of state and federal agencies, oil company representatives, lobbyists, all their counsels and manufacturers of anti-smog devices.”

A framed copy of SB42, signed by Senator Quentin Kopp, who sponsored the bill, hangs in Steve Davis’ home to this day.

His arguments – and the signatures of thousands – were convincing. In October 1997 SB42 was signed by the governor, and beginning January 1, 1998, the bill exempted from smog check requirements collectible cars manufactured prior to the 1974 model year. The bill also stipulated that beginning January 3, 2003, any motor vehicle that is 30 or more years old be exempted. As Senator Kopp later wrote to Davis, “I especially want to acknowledge your dedicated efforts … your tireless promotion of the legislation … and the contribution of your time and expertise in traveling to the State Capitol and testifying in support of the legislation. Your articulation and earnestness were compelling and acutely effective.”

Davis was aware how intensely important it was to establish this legislation in California to set a precedent that would create a ripple effect across the country – and so it did.

SB42 was a monumental piece of legislation that, had it not passed, would have dramatically impacted the collector car hobby. Although a major battle had been won, the war is not entirely over. Laws like this continue to be under attack, but thankfully organizations like SEMA lobby hard to protect the collector car hobby.

“If we’re not aware of this history that got us to where we are today,” says Davis, “we can’t appreciate where we are and what it took to get here – and what it’s going to take to keep us here, going forward.”

So when those prime examples of American muscle roll across the block at the 45th Anniversary Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction, you can thank that “muscle-car activism” that took place nearly two decades ago. Barrett-Jackson is fortunate to have committed, passionate people like Steve Davis on its team to ensure the collector car hobby is here to stay for generations to come.