Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

Driving the same car for over 25 years now, I can't help but notice that where folks used to stop in their tracks and stare when I passed, very few now take any notice. Mostly limited to older folk (like myself) or infants fascinated by the "old fashioned car of indeterminate make".

Following on from this I've noticed an obvious drop in attendances at classic car shows and the like. I also heard today the The Vintage Austin 16 Register are abandoning their Ashover Event this year. To my mind one of the best of its kind. Certainly attendance last year was poor, but so was the weather. Is this a continuing trend?

It seems to me that we, and like minded people, have had our day?

Well, it looks as if my first three score years and ten have been more interesting than the next will be! Confused

My Triumph Speed Twins still turn a few heads, but then you can always hear an old Triumph coming (and going), even if you don't recognise them as such.
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buzzy bee · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire

Hi

I know in certain areas people get used to things. When cycling my penny for the first time around here, I had every bugger looking and honking at me, now they see me, sometimes say hi, otherwise it is pretty normal.

I am not sure further a field, as I am limited to the range! (Saddle sore and all!) Laughing

Cheers

Dave

Phil - Nottingham · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1252 Location: Nottingham

Disappointing about the Ashover event we have been going every 2 years recently as it clashed with another one we liked.

It is not just the weather though, terrible though it has been the last few years, but Ebay has taken the place of autojumbles generally and car shows have to offer so much more than cars in a field for younger families generally who need so much more to keep their interest than in the past
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victor 101 · Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 446 Location: East Yorkshire

Your probably right about ebay, but I still like a good rummage at an autojumble, all the better if the sun is shining.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22841 Location: UK

I still get positive comments (about the car..) whenever I'm out and about in an oldie, only the other week a young lady was admiring the Standard at the petrol station, saying that it was cute Confused

Often when I've parked it, whether in the local towns or supermarkets, there are one or two people peering inside it when I return. Someone flashed their lights the other day when I was taking the Devon for a gentle, post-timing chain replacement, run down the road, and even the Cambridge, cosmetically-challenged as it is, often gets a positive response or a double-take.

As for shows, the ones I go to seem to be as well attended as ever, but I do see interest in shows that involve vehicles being demonstrated, or taking part in a road run, increasing in popularity. Perhaps shows where you spend the entire day sat in a deckchair behind your car, are losing their appeal slightly?

I also think that fewer people are willing to travel long distances to take part in shows, whether this is because of modern-car drivers being too impatient with old cars, or simply the costs of attending shows (fuel, grub, and in some cases entry fees) I'm not sure.

Rick
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buzzy bee · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire

Hi

I like the road run shows, or the run to the show often is the best bit! Not to say sitting on a nice day behind a vhicle in a nice chair, with good conversation isn't good I like that too!

Fuel costs have got to have alot to do with things now, with it cost well over a £1 a litre once again!

I know a chap that doesn't go to a rally that doesn't offer money for attending. There are still a number of such rallies, if you search them out. Saying that, another off putting factor is going to a show and paying for the fuel to get there etc, then being charged money to exibit, be this to line the organisers pockets or not. Exibiters should not be charged in my eyes. Then another reason for atendances dropping perhaps is that you have to pay to look around, maybe £5 and at some, even pay to park up, making the overall cost for a single like myself over £10 or £15!!

Lotsof local gatherings such as the boxing day do Penman, Rick and I attended do very well, informal, have a laugh, a bit of a drive another chat another drive and then a chat, same as local evening gatherings during the summer. They cost only fuel costs, and being local not much, there are no other costs, and you need not stay all day, come and go as you like! I can see this is the way forward for me at least!

Cheers

Dave

Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

buzzy bee · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire

pigtin · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7219 Location: Edinburgh

Uncle Alec · Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 734 Location: Manchester

On the positive side, I couldn't help but notice that over the days of this year's NEC Classic show the average age of the "punters" had dropped by about 15years! Not all looking for Mk 3 Escorts and the like, most were interested in anything and everything.
Definitely cheered me up, and not just because of the pretty ones (girls that is). I am considering revising my opinion that this old car lark is going to die out with our generation. OK, my generation.
As an aside, I once suggested to my fellow RM Club Committee members that we invest some Club funds in procuring the services of nubile young women of child-bearing age for the Committee to breed with, thus creating a sort of genetically-engineered young car enthusiast.
Most of the Committee hasn't spoken to me since. I presume that the cost of the associated memory training, and necessary medication, would have been prohibitive.

Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

Quite a few events now are pre75 so this bars your more modern collectors cars like the Mazdas and escorts and such like which the younger generation are more interested in. There are more events springing up now exclusively for cars of this era and they are mainly all modified which the younger generation are more interested in.
2009 with the credit crunch definitely affected attendances, and as pigtin so rightly says we are being asked to pay more to enter our cars. Personally I dont mind as I enjoy the shows anyway. Its better than sitting in the house.
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peppiB · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:56 am Post subject:

I have only done 2 shows this year (should have been 3 but the dreaded pig flu laid me low for the last one) mainly because of escalating costs. One organiser wanted me to pay £30 to display my vehicle - arguing the insurance costs for the field were over £1500 and fewer entries meant everyone had to pay more, and any profits would go to charity. I declined. I now much prefer to take the cars for a drive, pop in for lunch somewhere or take a picnic, and rely on ebay and the owners clubs for spares. I have a chance to do that 7 days in a week, not just weekends. This coming year, depending on where it is being held, I may just do the landcrab national - but that is more a social weekend catching up with other members

Keith D · Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 2:30 pm Post subject:

This is a very interesting thread.

I have been driving on old car runs since the 1970's and the number of spectators has definitely decreased in Western Australia. At one time the side of the road would have parents sitting with their kids outside their houses, all waving as we passed them. Nowadays we have modern vehicles cutting in on us as they pass, and often abusing us for daring to congest their roads!

I joined the Veteran Car Club of Western Australia in 1977 and I was one of the youngest Members (I was 34) I'm still in the Club, and I am still in the youngest half of the Members! All Old vehicle Clubs in WA are having problems getting youngish Members.

I have considered that we should have at least one open day a year in a large paddock, (and not on the public roads) where we could instruct youngsters to drive our cars. Sitting beside them of course! I think the idiosyncrasies of the old cars would pique their interest and some at least would maybe see the cars in a completely different light! It's just an idea of mine, although insurance companies would probably go up in a sheet of flame!

In the meantime, I'm still getting a lot of fun out of my old cars even if my three sons in their 4 wheel drives all pity me!

Keith