[Fot] VTR & FoT

[Kramer, Robert]

I was born in 1956. My interest in Triumphs starts with the TR6 model I saw as a teen and led to my exposure to the earlier cars, eventually racing a TR3, 4 and 4A. The local clubs are the not so secret solution to our future. We need to support the TR7/TR8 late Spitfire contingents in our local clubs and we can still grow the marque. This is one of the problems we have with vintage racing. By cutting off in 1967 or even 1972 we cut off the younger generation, you know the 40 year olds.

________________________________
From: fot-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:fot-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of John Macartney
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 2:40 PM
To: N197TR4 at cs.com
Cc: fot at autox.team.net; bdischer at blakedischer.com
Subject: Re: [Fot] VTR & FoT

Andy Mace wrote:
This does raise an interesting possibility, were FoT members so inclined: perhaps we could become some sort of "Special Chapter" or "Affiliate" of VTR?

I take a very 'broad church view' on issues like this, essentially summarised as follows:

1. It doesn't really matter how you use your Triumph (or Standard) and because of that, there should be room in your local or national club to accommodate your usage preference.
2. The vehicle parc is getting smaller each year and current owners are getting older. This largely explains the diminution of club memberships
3. A surprisingly large number of cars will outlive their enthusiast custodians and will need to have 'a home'
4. Clubs (national or local) need to recognise this - and its my perception in the UK that clubs don't adequately do this
5. There will come a time when the vehicle parc and custodian base is so small that clubs as they currently stand will probably not be viable as heretofore. This begs the question
6. What plans are national clubs making to address that inevitable eventuality?
7. No-one can confidently expect to substantially 'grow club membership.' The vast majority of cars that will survive are already known. Barn-Finds will become ever more infrequent

With regard to point 6, my perception of the evidence as it relates to the UK (and probably elsewhere too?) is "nothing at all." Additionally, for as long as clubs and others continue to provide 'free' technical information on "How to .....?" projects via the internet, clubs will continue to diminish in size.

Rant off

Jonmac



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://autox.team.net/pipermail/fot/attachments/20080924/a89508ed/attachment-0003.htm>