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chapelfarmer
United Kingdom
241 Posts |
 Posted - 10/06/2019 : 11:38:08
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The question of 'younger people' came up in a different thread recently and I thought maybe was a topic in its own right. One I know that other clubs I am connected to have struggled with and not yet found an answer for. Longstanding events are coming under threat as the supply of volunteers is running out and one club in particular has had to put its subs up enormously with a view to having to pay contractors to deliver events they used to self-manage.
We should worry that the cars we love so much will find themselves homeless at some not too distant point: not just because we fondly hope they have some financial value but because they have given us and several generations before us so much pleasure, it seems a shame we can't pass the baton.
I recently spoke to some friends of my kids (ages 23 and 25) about this and was told some pretty serious things - most of which will presumably not be surprising:
1. Younger people are much less interested in cars per se: they want to live in cities and cars aren't easy to use there these days. They and their friends no longer recognise car brands.
2. Younger people don't feel very flush or confident about the future or their prospects and they like to spend what money they have on experiences (travel etc) rather than 'things', which they can see as encumbrances / liabilities.
3. They are much less likely than I was at their age to have any inkling of mechanical knowledge: they just aren't used to owning things that you can fix! My view = At the same time: a) our repair industry has become a restoration industry with £50 an hour charges and no longer the prospect of long educational chats on the phone with generous-minded engineering types (you get the receptionist now and are invited to 'bring the car (and your cheque book) in'...) and b) the cars themselves have often been restored to the point where they are both unaffordable and in danger of containing 'no user-serviceable parts' simply because everything is so pristine you'd be scared to touch it!
4. They see us as a very monochrome bunch: older, male, a bit fixated (!). They are more into 'mixing' and used to doing things with partners / mates / their own kids.
5. They have no aspirational role models from our world and we have no exposure in their media. Pre war cars are passing from 'dad thing' to 'grandad thing' - there may be no way back!!
6. We tend to do things they don't like doing: navigation rallies, car park conversations = not their bag, (although racing, trials and driving tests maybe could be?).
7. Much more seriously I think than any of the above - most of them have never been in let alone driven a prewar car. This really resonates for me. My kids loved pootling around in the old motors in fields when they were youngsters but when they became old enough to drive I couldn't find an insurance company that would let them anywhere near a prewar car until they were 25. Now that they are 25 the moment, I fear, has passed - they have moved away and the opportunity is no longer there. The window to get your youngsters on the road in prewar cars is probably 17-22 or so.
It strikes me that some of these could be addressed by a concerted effort (at a bigger level than any one club?) and might be worth talking about. Not sure whose 'job' it is though?
john |
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John James
United Kingdom
960 Posts |
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Ian Bowers
United Kingdom
937 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 11:55:30
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I wonder whether the relevant 'young' are simply 'younger than us'!
Personally, I cannot see any in the under 40's bracket showing any self generated interest in MMM cars. There is nothing in their world to create the interest or the ability to find a minimum of £20K for a working example to garage and use on the occasional high and holyday.
I would suggest that attention is better directed at the active retired, who have a higher potential to have the disposable funds and the time to indulge.
Does this suggest an advert/article in the Saga Magazine or The Oldie?
Ian Bowers
OD 6791
J3 3772 |
Edited by - Ian Bowers on 10/06/2019 11:58:36 |
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colintf
United Kingdom
1481 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 12:40:29
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this is a very interesting topic.
I bought my D Type in my late 40's. I always loved the old MG's having been brought up with Dad's TC.
At the time I bought mine, a mate (similar age) at work bought a new Audi S3, his A£ had depreciated like a lead balloon now!
I was very lucky really, the car found me and I was able to borrow some money to complete the purchase
What I was even more lucky with is knowing and being a friend of Guy over in Luxembourg (Guy is the MGCC Luxembourg President). MGCC Luxembourg are very aware that the younger generations are the key to the future of our cars, and keen to involve families at events, make events affordable to all, and promote the cars to all ages. For example I've known Guy arrive at modern only MG events in Luxembourg in his Prewar MGs . Guy gave me driving lesson in his P type while at an event in Sweden, and the following year in his N Type in Denmark. I was hooked (and Guy knew it!) a couple of years later I bought my MMM MG.
We are very lucky with the racing and the VSCC. Young Harry Painter for example, and I can think of two young ladies with us at MGOT Goodwood earlier this year keen to join our Grids, one of which now has her race licence!
:)
Colin Murrell
D0285
Photographer for MGCC (LeMans Classic, Oldtimer Grand Prix etc) & MG Motor (BTCC 2012-5)
http://www.triple-mracing.com/ |
Edited by - colintf on 10/06/2019 12:42:14 |
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LewPalmer
USA
3209 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 14:25:34
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The key to getting the younger generations interested is to involve them early on. We are about to embark on our annual trek to the GOF Central. We have 3 generations going, ages 75 to 2-1/2. Our granddaughter, now 16, has been going since she was 8 years old. Ask her what she wants for Christmas, and she'll answer that she wants a registration for the GOF. She's the only 16 year old girl that I know of who has pictures and models of MGs in her bedroom.
Lew Palmer
PA1169, PB0560 |
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Onno
Netherlands
1027 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 14:29:04
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35 now and in my late 20’s when Ii bought my D.
There is only one reason why young people don’t start with classics.
MONEY!!!!
To make a 30+K investment in a useless thing requires a lot of commitment.
All the other reasons are just excuses old people make up to not feel guilty.
So want more young people in old cars? Sell them cheaper.
I know of occasions where the seller priced the car with a discount for the under 30’s
An admirable action in my mind
Onno "D" Könemann |
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chapelfarmer
United Kingdom
241 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 14:42:07
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John - I love the Classic Car Loan Scheme, thanks for pointing that out.
Onno - you are partly right of course but the same problem exists with regard to Austin 7s. There are a lot of 'discount to younger member' ads nowadays in the VSCC classifieds but I wonder whether more concerted action is needed.
If the average age of car club members keeps going up it can only end in one place!! Of course maybe I'm wrong and the average age has always been the same as the cars await the next 'cohort' moving up (Ian's point), somehow I doubt this though.
I'm involved in Riley Register, VSCC, Austin Healey Club, MMM and various A7. Same picture everywhere as far as I can see. Maybe though there is a new cohort that just doesn't attend events? As above, somebody must know the answer?
john |
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Onno
Netherlands
1027 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 15:14:31
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Austin 7’s are expensive cars as well.
Remember a 20-30 something has a mortage (if he can get one) college debt, starting a family and with a bit of bad luck a ****ty contract due to having started work in the recession.
Even spending 5-10k on a “useless” thing can be a stretch.
So lower and middle incomes are completely out of frame.
That just leaves you with the higher incomes with usually less practical education so not accustom to working with their hands.
See where this is going?
Onno "D" Könemann |
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chapelfarmer
United Kingdom
241 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 15:48:24
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Crikey Onno - the Netherlands sounds as bleak as here!
john |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
5999 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 16:06:03
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Does anyone know anyone (apart from Onno  ) under the age of 30, no make that 40, who doesn’t come from a vintage car family and who has gone out and spent upwards of £20k to join the small (I was going to say 'elite' but that would give the wrong impression) group of people who own a Triple-M car or even any other vintage or post vintage car? I certainly don’t.
All clubs are suffering in the same way and the only young people in them are those who come from a vintage car family and who have grown up with the cars. And even then, not every son or daughter is interested. My younger daughter is very enthusiastic - my older one, not at all.
Add to that the fact that while clubs used to be how we met other like minded people and hopefully made friends, young people today don’t want or need clubs. And clubs with, in effect, an 'entry fee' of £20k or more like ours are going to struggle.
Simon J
J3437 |
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LewPalmer
USA
3209 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 16:10:45
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I have 3 generations of my family involved with MGs. The only problem I have is to decide who gets my MGs when I decide I am too old to be driving them. They don't need to invest anything. They just have to tell me which car they want. I see a fight coming. If no one wants a car, then I didn't do my job well enough.
Lew Palmer
PA1169, PB0560 |
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Ross Kelly
Australia
226 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 16:35:18
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There are many items that are essential to a good life, health, happiness, friends and family.
Owning any vintage car is a choice that may involve sacrifices in other areas of one's life if that desire is to be met at an earlier age.
I was fortunate at 21 to meet a girl who did not take the advice from her mother: don't lend boyfriends money and don't sl.... with them. After borrowing $500.00 from her to buy a MG 1250cc TF I soon realised that my meagre $27 per week was not going to repay the money.
The only way out of my problem as far as I could see was to marry the girl.. Might I say it was the best investment SHE ever made. She is still the ex girlfriend.
That car had to sold to put a roof over our head when interest rates in Australia were at 21%.
Fast forward 40 years before I could afford another vintage car to be in my garage. Sometimes the non essentials of life have to be worked for.
cheers
clifford ross kelly
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JohnE
United Kingdom
366 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 17:44:47
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Not sure I can improve on MG themselves, Chums;
JohnE |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
744 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 18:01:51
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[quote]Originally posted by Simon Johnston
Does anyone know anyone (apart from Onno ) under the age of 30, no make that 40, who doesn’t come from a vintage car family and who has gone out and spent upwards of £20k to join the small (I was going to say 'elite' but that would give the wrong impression) group of people who own a Triple-M car or even any other vintage or post vintage car? I certainly don’t.
I do, Simon! Three of our little ‘Monster group’ people are youngsters (way under 40) who have managed to buy themselves projects in all sorts of price ranges and in all sorts of conditions, some running, some not so much. Including Onno, who was lured into old cars by his slightly older cousin Thijs and his then girlfriend, that makes four. One of their fathers is into MGAs, but the other three have no clue as to why their sons have ‘thrown away’ perfectly good money on this old stuff!
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
5999 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 18:46:56
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I knew you Dutch were daft
Simon J
J3437 |
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chapelfarmer
United Kingdom
241 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2019 : 18:52:49
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One more reason to emigrate to the NL (if they’ll have us!). Is this phenomenon restricted to the Monsters or are other young Dutch people as enlightened as this? If so maybe there’s something we can learn..
john |
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