Am I the only one who doesn't feel that the club is all that interested in the early cars?
Shoot me down in flames if you like!
Shoot me down in flames if you like!
PCGB for early 911?
- Thread starter wendysloper
- Start date
What about Hedingham?
http://www.classicsatthecastle.com/2012/
http://www.classicsatthecastle.com/2012/
Yes, but is there anything else?
Months go by without anything in Porsche Post, even from the register secretary, nothing in my region R13, the annual event at the Chateaux Impney didn't organise the cars into eras.
Months go by without anything in Porsche Post, even from the register secretary, nothing in my region R13, the annual event at the Chateaux Impney didn't organise the cars into eras.
pauljmcnulty
New member
Which, for years, has been run outside of the Club as a for-profit event. With some misunderstanding, I admit, as we have had full-page adverts and pages of coverage in the magazine (more than genuine Club events sometimes), neglecting to mention that it's not a "Club" event....
I think it would be a real shame if the early cars formed their own breakaway group. You say the Club isn't interested, but if you think about it YOU are the Club? If enough people organise meets, submit copy for the magazine, offer technical support, or even keep the forum areas busy, then the owners will come to the Club. It has to come from the bottom-up, IMO, as that's where the enthusiasm is. You're not alone, the front-engined cars are in exactly the same position, with the owners tending to use the various forums for free, and not bother with Club membership.
It's up to the Register secretaries I guess. Why not call your Register secretary and ask the question directly? [
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Philip, as with all Clubs you get out of it what you put into it. What events have you attended this year? What do you like to do with your car show it or drive it? From my experience if you attend at any kind of show you would be welcomed because not many of the early cars do actually present themselves for members or the public to see. Have you ever written an article about your car and sent it to the RS to go into the magazine? If not, is it so dull that it does not have special things we might like to know about it?
Generally though, I share your concern about the early cars because as they become older and more valuable and expensive to maintain, they come out to play less and less. Many of the Club members who own early cars often also own modern cars and these are the cars they attend events in, leaving the older cars at home tucked away in a nice dry garage, so we see them infrequently.
Regarding the magazine articles, I recently wrote a small article to go into the Christmas edition and sent it off to the Register Secretary and the magazines Publication Assistant because there was nothing in the Early 911 Register section in the last magazine. I have yet to have any sign from the recipients as to whether they have recieved it or whether it will actually go in the Christmas edition.
Next year we should be celebrating the 50 anniversary of the 911 and I am asking the Register members to speak up and tell us of all and every event where the Anniversary could be celebrated. I know that plans were spoken of having a special gathering of 911's at the Silverstone Classic next year and The Goodwood Festival of Speed and I expect the 911 will be the featured model at Techno Classica and the Old Timer Grand Prix but I don't know of other events around Europe where the model would be specially celebrated. I am asking the members to let us know so we can tell everyone what is happening so they can make their plans for 2013.
Incidentally I drove my 1973 911 to our regional meeting last night in the wet and enjoyed driving it, I do hope the members do not end up like our Operations Director who is laying up his car for the winter as he said in his Porsche Post article, Why? it will still devalue when it is locked away and you lose the enjoyment of just driving the cars. End of Rant.
Hi Robin,
As far as PCGB events go, I attend the majority of region R13 meetings and I also attended the National Event at the Chateaux Impney and the PCGB area at the Silverstone Classic. Both in my early 911, in which I drive around 800 miles a year. I didn't go to Classics at the Castle as I had something else on that weekend, but I have participated in a number of runs in my area (not organised by PCGB) which I enjoy.
Most issues of Porsche Post have nothing in them about early 911's, so I hope your article is published.
As far as PCGB events go, I attend the majority of region R13 meetings and I also attended the National Event at the Chateaux Impney and the PCGB area at the Silverstone Classic. Both in my early 911, in which I drive around 800 miles a year. I didn't go to Classics at the Castle as I had something else on that weekend, but I have participated in a number of runs in my area (not organised by PCGB) which I enjoy.
Most issues of Porsche Post have nothing in them about early 911's, so I hope your article is published.
As Paul so rightly says, it is organised and run outside the Club umbrella, but as I understand it, received around £3000 from the Club.
Good grief, that happened over 10 years ago with the formation of DDK, at that time almost entirely PCGB members, now with bare any. And the water cooled cars have been well catered for by TIPEC for even longer than that.
I would love to see a Club event that caters for all the early cars, including the impact bumper cars which also seem to be neglected and are also now gaining in value as the generation that had a poster of a 930 Turbo on their wall in the 70s and 80s becomes wealthy enough to have one for real.
Hi Philip , the most active club for early 911 is DDK , as Nick points out. For example this Saturday they have organised a trip to Centre Gravity to see how an early 911's suspension can be set up . If you are not already a member I'd recommend you join , their internet forum is mainly public so it costs nothing to go have a look.
With respect to PCGB not having much to do with early cars , then as Robin says a lot comes back to members who own early cars making their presence felt. I used to own a 964RS (now 20 year old ) and the PCGB 964RS forum always was and still is a very active and interesting place to go to , even though there are not many 964RS (made 1992) cars about in UK or world. There are (probably) many more early 911s ( made 1965-73) out there but the PCGB early 911 forum does not reflect that much activity or interest.
I currently run a 1969 911E and a 1990 964C2 . The early car does about 200 miles a year , it goes to Hedingham , and most times it goes to Goodwood for trackdays. I joined GRRC to make that easier , I also joined early911s.org for the excellent Esses magazine devoted to early cars , and DDK for events to meet other owners eg Xmas dinner !
I guess I don't expect PCGB to give a lot of coverage to 50 year old stuff , in the same way that I would not expect an OPC to give a lot of coverage to 50 year old stuff ( notwithstanding PORSCHE CLASSIC of course! )
With respect to PCGB not having much to do with early cars , then as Robin says a lot comes back to members who own early cars making their presence felt. I used to own a 964RS (now 20 year old ) and the PCGB 964RS forum always was and still is a very active and interesting place to go to , even though there are not many 964RS (made 1992) cars about in UK or world. There are (probably) many more early 911s ( made 1965-73) out there but the PCGB early 911 forum does not reflect that much activity or interest.
I currently run a 1969 911E and a 1990 964C2 . The early car does about 200 miles a year , it goes to Hedingham , and most times it goes to Goodwood for trackdays. I joined GRRC to make that easier , I also joined early911s.org for the excellent Esses magazine devoted to early cars , and DDK for events to meet other owners eg Xmas dinner !
I guess I don't expect PCGB to give a lot of coverage to 50 year old stuff , in the same way that I would not expect an OPC to give a lot of coverage to 50 year old stuff ( notwithstanding PORSCHE CLASSIC of course! )
It pains me somewhat to read that owners of older cars are being led to join other clubs which are more interested in their type of cars.
But being pragmatist understand their reasons, I also belong to the American 356 Registry because of what it does for the 356 cars and the excellent magazine. My question is why do owners and members seem to want to start their own Clubs or break away from PCGB, rather than working for the only Porsche Approved Club in UK and making our Club better for all owners of the early cars ? It may not be common knowledge but a short while ago Porsche AG looked upon PCGB as being the worldwide model for a Porsche Club because the Club welcomed All models of Porsches into the same Club. This is something that doesn't happen in a lot of other Porsche Clubs around the World. We have our own Club within a Club for the early cars, in our Registers. To go back to the original question posed by Philip what we get out of our Club is down to us.
What do we want to have organised for the Early 911 Register in 2013 ?????
But being pragmatist understand their reasons, I also belong to the American 356 Registry because of what it does for the 356 cars and the excellent magazine. My question is why do owners and members seem to want to start their own Clubs or break away from PCGB, rather than working for the only Porsche Approved Club in UK and making our Club better for all owners of the early cars ? It may not be common knowledge but a short while ago Porsche AG looked upon PCGB as being the worldwide model for a Porsche Club because the Club welcomed All models of Porsches into the same Club. This is something that doesn't happen in a lot of other Porsche Clubs around the World. We have our own Club within a Club for the early cars, in our Registers. To go back to the original question posed by Philip what we get out of our Club is down to us.
What do we want to have organised for the Early 911 Register in 2013 ?????
I am a paid up member of DDK, and also the MAC (Midland Automobile Club), Teme Valley Car Club and Club Lotus. MAC and Teme Valley are not one-make clubs, so can't be compared with PCGB, but the interesting thing about Club Lotus is that they cater fully for the early Lotus models, in fact modern owners might say too much so!
Obviously PCGB has to cover all eras, but it would be nice to read about the early cars in Porsche Post regularly, and for them to show some interest in the cars at the events they organise. At the moment the only early car they seem to be interested in is the 1973 911 RS!
Obviously PCGB has to cover all eras, but it would be nice to read about the early cars in Porsche Post regularly, and for them to show some interest in the cars at the events they organise. At the moment the only early car they seem to be interested in is the 1973 911 RS!
MJB
New member
We don't really seem to be helping ourselves here and some of this discussion has already taken place in the Castle Hedingham thread. The fact would appear to be that we are happy to support -financially and otherwise- members who are catering for the earlier cars outside the club, so what else can we expect?
That's easy, an annual get together! Take over the Heddingham event, go back to Beaulieu or use the Silverstone Classic. How about a presence at Classic Le Mans?
BTW I speak as a non-member these days, having cancelled my fairly long term membership last year due to the lack of interest shown by the club in the early cars.
Because the club came under ever increasing (financial) influence of Porsche AG and began to feel less like a car club and ever more like an extended marketing arm of AG i.e. only interested in promoting new cars and nil interest in older cars .
Having been to many meetings across Europe i was well aware that Porsche AG promote PCGB as the ideal set-up.
Why ? Because that suits Porsche AG !! Only having one club and therefore one "board" per country means it's far easier for them to exert influence and control that way.
It may not be common knowledge but...the "one club" model that suits Porsche AG so well is met with great resistance from the many and varied classic, one model and regional clubs that exist across Europe .
Independent "classic" Porsche clubs across Europe appear to me to encourage a greater active membership than we do amongst classic owners in P.C.G.B.
I wonder if this is because they are actually focussed on satisfying their members needs and interests ?
Nope !
Someone hit the nail on the head in the recent "Hedingham" thread when they said :
PCGB needs Hedingham more than Hedingham needs PCGB.
Personally I would like to see the club express more interest in the early cars through the pages of Porsche Post and at events, I wasn't really suggesting a break away group, just that it would be nice if the club catered for all eras of car rather than seemingly just the newer models.
It's interesting than Porsche themselves seem to be trying to focus more on supporting the older cars, with more spares becoming available through the Porsche Classic program, perhaps realising that "heritage" is good business! Although they have a long way to go to rival the support that some other manufacturers give, in particular Mercedes.
So if PCGB is a seen as a model for an owners club, maybe the club needs to follow the factory by also paying more attention on older cars.
Phil
It's interesting than Porsche themselves seem to be trying to focus more on supporting the older cars, with more spares becoming available through the Porsche Classic program, perhaps realising that "heritage" is good business! Although they have a long way to go to rival the support that some other manufacturers give, in particular Mercedes.
So if PCGB is a seen as a model for an owners club, maybe the club needs to follow the factory by also paying more attention on older cars.
Phil
Great idea.
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