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Cooperman
United Kingdom
752 Posts |
 Posted - 11/06/2019 : 16:41:08
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The MGCC are trying to encourage young members see here https://www.mgcc.co.uk/membership/young-members/ which although probably attracting them with affordable M.G.s such as Metros and other like cars and perhaps even secondhand 3's. As stated above we are not the only club affected. However I have just been reading my recently arrived The Light Car & Edwardian Section magazine and I was pleased to see an article entitled The Welsh Tour and Trial - First Time Driving By Felicity Aston (aged 15). She obviously couldn't drive on the tour but drove on the trial on a double entry with her dad in the family's Austin Seven. How absolutely marvellous. My own son, now coming up 50 later this year, is not interested in our type of cars, but loves racing his Austin Healy 3000 and AC Cobra, he is fortunate enough to be able to afford such luxuries. Back in the late fifties and early sixties our cars were our everyday cars, I was once told by an insurance agent, when I tried to buy my first 18/80 in 1962, "well it is a 2 1/2 litre sports car, come back next year when your 21 and we;ll see what we can do". I did indeed manage to get insurance, but it cost me almost twice the cost of the car for third party, fire and theft and road tax was £12.10.00 for a year, I was an Engineering Learner on about £550.00 pa.
John Cooper M 628 |
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Ian Grace
USA
651 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 16:42:48
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Jason made a good point. MMM cars are not the best gateway cars, unless money is not a factor. That role has long been played by Austin 7's, but I'd suggest that the Minor is a better gateway car for MMM ownership, as the transition from vintage Minor to M Type is almost seamless!
In the VMR over the years, we've had lots of Minor owners step up to an M or other MMM in due course. SV Minors are about half the price of an M, are relatively simple to maintain (no funny valve gear!), and are now VSCC-eligible as PVT. And unlike M Types or other MMM cars, there are literally hundreds of SV Minors awaiting restoration and very cheap out there. |
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JCB
United Kingdom
384 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 16:56:59
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Dear Forum:
There is another element to this topic.
Mainly the one of the cars rarely gathering in numbers giving the public a chance to see more then a few types.
As for the rare types; I still have not seen them all.
All the best .
John Bakewell
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
5999 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 16:57:57
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I’d agree with Ian. There’s an ohc Minor for sale over here in Norn Iron needing a bit of TLC to get it back on the road (its last MOT was 5 years ago) and the asking price is £6250.
Simon J
J3437 |
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colintf
United Kingdom
1481 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 19:41:44
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I guess for some it's inevitable. I was brought up with Dad's TC. I used to play in it as a kid behind the steering wheel as soon as I could get into it. Helped Dad as I was growing up with different stages of restoration. Talking of in the blood, just how cool is this young lad :)
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
5999 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 19:43:32
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Looking again at the question posed in the title of this thread - where have all the young people gone? - the answer is blindingly obvious: we’ve all got old 
Simon J
J3437 |
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colintf
United Kingdom
1481 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 19:51:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Simon Johnston
Looking again at the question posed in the title of this thread - where have all the young people gone? - the answer is blindingly obvious: we’ve all got old
Simon J
J3437
Damn, that's true
Colin Murrell
D0285
Photographer for MGCC (LeMans Classic, Oldtimer Grand Prix etc) & MG Motor (BTCC 2012-5)
http://www.triple-mracing.com/ |
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Ian Grace
USA
651 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 20:32:01
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You can say that again!
Here's a young student Grace at Bath University, summer of '76, sorting the burnt out wiring on my 8 - I bought it for GBP 350, which is what I got for my Herald. The Herald was always in the garage, sucking up most of my funds so I figured a pre-war car would be more fun and I could probably fix it myself when it went wrong.
I bought it from Mike Gibson, a school teacher in Bath who kindly brought forward the MoT for me. When I collected it, he said, "You'll be wanting the spares too?". Spares? I never heard of buying a car with spares. "Thanks - put them on the back seat?" "Er, come with me." He took me to his sheds at the bottom of the garden, where lurked the majority of two more 8's! A rented van and a shoe horn, and it was all stuffed away into my room in residence, which was fine until the gearbox in the wardrobe decided to deposit its unspeakable contents across the beige carpet during the night.
A week later the clutch packed up. Or so I feared. It was making a terrible noise when I brought the clutch up, so I took it back to Mike for advice. Five minutes and he had it fixed - slipping fan belt! Doh!
It was a great student hack, with an XPAG engine fitted so you could spin the wheels in first and second. Happy days.
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Richard Hardy
United Kingdom
2138 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 20:47:57
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As a matter of interest, what is the average age of the MMM Committee members ?.... !!!!! 
Not wishing in any way to sound disrespectful to the Committee, far from it, can we not find a role for some keen younger enthusiasts, in order to portray a more inclusive organisation. Young outlook can bring fresh ideas and may attract more youngsters to become more mmm active.
Rich
Vintage MG Parts |
Edited by - Richard Hardy on 15/06/2019 13:39:25 |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
5999 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 21:22:49
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Rich,
I think you will find that the Committee would welcome volunteers of all ages - perhaps you might care to put your name forward?
Simon J
J3437 |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
744 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 21:45:55
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I don’t think the Committee is doing all that badly actually! Sure, I may have been the youngest committee member (when I joined in around 2010, I think, I was about 34) to join in the past 30 years or so, though I guess Elizabeth will have been in her teens still when she joined, ‘cause she can’t be much older than I am and she’s been serving forever! Anyway, since ‘my time’, Mark Dolton joined the Committee (only two months my senior), Duncan Potter has (just a few years older than I am) and let’s not forget our Chairman who is still only half the age of most of this gang!
Of course we can’t beat the original ‘cast’ who were obviously only in their twenties when they formed the Register, but still, I really don’t think this Register is doing all that badly! |
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Richard Hardy
United Kingdom
2138 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2019 : 22:08:45
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Actually, that's pretty impressive !!! Makes me feel old at 52!
Rich
Vintage MG Parts |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2019 : 05:00:10
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In the Rover ' club ' we have a committee member ( just elected ) who is in his 20s, very knowledgeable and worthy of the position. We are actively encouraging younger members to participate more...and we are getting results from alternative suggestions.
Chris
J2353
J4129 |
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Cooperman
United Kingdom
752 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2019 : 06:49:17
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Three or four years ago the Vintage Register committee were all over 70. And there're only a couple of members who are under 60.
John Cooper M 628 |
Edited by - Cooperman on 12/06/2019 06:49:58 |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
744 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2019 : 13:25:55
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| I believe your current Registrar only turned 44 the other week though, so the Vintage Register is on the up! Woohoo! |
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