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tahoe healey

tahoe healey

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I just returned from The Autumn Classic in Morgan Hill CA. This was to be the last one after 18 years. It was an all British gathering. The attendance was down 25% and couldn't support the costs anymore. I think it is important to attend these shows to keep our hobby alive and viable for the future owner of our cars. I'm not interested in prizes and competing but attend to see old friends and make new ones. We talk about our cars, paint, improvements and repairs, just like on these forums. What is missing is the interaction of our spouses, dining and generally a fun time. Can we afford to loose the physical part of our hobby?
It took me 5 hours each way (rained all the way home). It rained the whole time at the event. But I think we all had a good time, though. I will miss this event.
TH
 
Well TH, I think we will all endorse your feelings about these gatherings.
However, if the 25% reduction in participants put the affair off the radar screen, then like many other shows lost the underlying cost "RENT" may have escalated above 25% making the affair operationally untenable.

This has happened where the facilities were city or state owned.

OTOH, there are probably some of us on the short end of the stick because of this economic slump.---Fwiw--Keoke
 
I really enjoyed the Autumn Classic too and only had to drive an hour and a half each way.

I'm wondering why such a big drop in attendance from last year, which I also enjoyed. There was no rain in sight when we had to sign up.
 
There was no rain in sight when we had to sign up.

Course NOT!! :laugh: Maybe the rain is what kept those other folks home. If I had of known there was going to be Hail ~ 1" in DIA I would have stayed away from Phoenix AZ too. :hammer:

------Keoke--AZ :cowboy:
 
Keoke said:
There was no rain in sight when we had to sign up.

Course NOT!! :laugh: Maybe the rain is what kept those other folks home. If I had of known there was going to be Hail ~ 1" in DIA I would have stayed away from Phoenix AZ too. :hammer:

------Keoke--AZ :cowboy:
Click to expand...

Oh no, did you get caught in that? We didn't get hail on the east side of the valley, but my wife's folks had just purchased a new car, it was only a week old when the hail got to it.
 
Oh no, did you get caught in that?
Yep, but I had driven down from Prescott earlier washed the car and put it in the garage :winner1:


We didn't get hail on the east side of the valley,Yeah I know :laugh:

Well that is AZ I can recall walking down a street with rain on one side but dry on the other or raining only in certain blocks. :crazy:

but my wife's folks had just purchased a new car, it was only a week old when the hail got to it. OH I hope there was not too much damage.Keoke---LA- :cowboy: :smile:
 
TH is right. I attend all the major, regional shows in and around VA and have seen such attrition. My LBC club, The Shenandoah Valley British Car Club is also experiencing attrition.

If we don't support these groups, who will?

Appears to be the result of several factors, none of which are easy to verify.

> I think the age of the enthusiasts is one. At most of the big shows, look around: we ain't exactly a youth movement! And, when the older, active members leave, they aren't being replaced. In my club, this is an increasingly prominent factor;

> The crappy economy. Enough said, much may be blamed on loss of jobs, tough to get credit, etc.

> Some clubs are not working hard enough to reach out to younger folks, and other groups with similar interests (e.g., other antique car groups/car enthusiasts). We need more youth.

Other observations? The above is what I've seen.
 
Just back from a car show in France this weekend. Same symptoms here as well, numbers down year by year. One of the problems with the Healey in particular may be that it's now priced out of the range of younger people at a time when they may be starting a family, buying a home etc. There's also the problem that kids are brought up in homes where fewer and fewer people service their own cars so they are not exposed to it by dad from being youngsters. Too complex many modern cars and scary with all the gizmos on board these days. We have simpler cars, bought in the main when they were less expensive. Those I see as the problems, answers, not sure.

Ian
 
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