AMOC Membership
Discussion
Ok just so my point isn’t misunderstood, I have bullet pointed the challenge I see.
Member age – Lets not get ageist. I don’t have anything against older generations, but a club like this has to consider what the younger generations want from their membership. I guarantee it is different from what other generations want and the membership stats will confirm that. Does AMOC have anyone under 35 on the committee, to help advise them?
Elitism – A maxim I strongly believe in is “perception is reality”. Unfortunately AMOC can be perceived by some, as an organisation that embraces elitism. Now an Aston Martin Owners Club of any guise is going to have a degree of elitism, as they are cars that few would choose or be able to afford, but AMOC needs to work hard from a PR sense to ensure it’s not perceived as snobby or a public schoolboy “Tim nice but dim” clique.
Image – This is the image the Spanish Aston Martin Club promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHsuKy0BN8&li...
This is the image the UK AMOC promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWhF6dXBk5w
Notice a difference anyone?
My point is, if AMOC doesn’t change/adjust it’s image to attract the younger generations/Gaydon era owners, then it will suffer the same consequence as many golf clubs in the UK, where they struggle to attract new members due to their years of shortsightedness of what future members will want and their commitment to tradition over evolution.
Member age – Lets not get ageist. I don’t have anything against older generations, but a club like this has to consider what the younger generations want from their membership. I guarantee it is different from what other generations want and the membership stats will confirm that. Does AMOC have anyone under 35 on the committee, to help advise them?
Elitism – A maxim I strongly believe in is “perception is reality”. Unfortunately AMOC can be perceived by some, as an organisation that embraces elitism. Now an Aston Martin Owners Club of any guise is going to have a degree of elitism, as they are cars that few would choose or be able to afford, but AMOC needs to work hard from a PR sense to ensure it’s not perceived as snobby or a public schoolboy “Tim nice but dim” clique.
Image – This is the image the Spanish Aston Martin Club promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHsuKy0BN8&li...
This is the image the UK AMOC promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWhF6dXBk5w
Notice a difference anyone?
My point is, if AMOC doesn’t change/adjust it’s image to attract the younger generations/Gaydon era owners, then it will suffer the same consequence as many golf clubs in the UK, where they struggle to attract new members due to their years of shortsightedness of what future members will want and their commitment to tradition over evolution.
Barnezy said:
Image – This is the image the Spanish Aston Martin Club promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHsuKy0BN8&li...
Looks like fun; some nice Astons, a castle and a posh meal. Oh hang on 
that's what AMOC do isn't it? 
Mind you we do things like this on our tours which should appeal to most drivers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detai...Joking aside the points you make are perfectly valid, I'm not on the committee so I don't know the age. I could find out.
Edited by RichB on Thursday 23 October 18:23
Barnezy said:
Ok just so my point isn’t misunderstood, I have bullet pointed the challenge I see.
Member age – Lets not get ageist. I don’t have anything against older generations, but a club like this has to consider what the younger generations want from their membership. I guarantee it is different from what other generations want and the membership stats will confirm that. Does AMOC have anyone under 35 on the committee, to help advise them?
Elitism – A maxim I strongly believe in is “perception is reality”. Unfortunately AMOC can be perceived by some, as an organisation that embraces elitism. Now an Aston Martin Owners Club of any guise is going to have a degree of elitism, as they are cars that few would choose or be able to afford, but AMOC needs to work hard from a PR sense to ensure it’s not perceived as snobby or a public schoolboy “Tim nice but dim” clique.
Image – This is the image the Spanish Aston Martin Club promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHsuKy0BN8&li...
This is the image the UK AMOC promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWhF6dXBk5w
Notice a difference anyone?
My point is, if AMOC doesn’t change/adjust it’s image to attract the younger generations/Gaydon era owners, then it will suffer the same consequence as many golf clubs in the UK, where they struggle to attract new members due to their years of shortsightedness of what future members will want and their commitment to tradition over evolution.
Assuming you watch the news on TV, you should know that perception and reality frequently don't resemble each other much Member age – Lets not get ageist. I don’t have anything against older generations, but a club like this has to consider what the younger generations want from their membership. I guarantee it is different from what other generations want and the membership stats will confirm that. Does AMOC have anyone under 35 on the committee, to help advise them?
Elitism – A maxim I strongly believe in is “perception is reality”. Unfortunately AMOC can be perceived by some, as an organisation that embraces elitism. Now an Aston Martin Owners Club of any guise is going to have a degree of elitism, as they are cars that few would choose or be able to afford, but AMOC needs to work hard from a PR sense to ensure it’s not perceived as snobby or a public schoolboy “Tim nice but dim” clique.
Image – This is the image the Spanish Aston Martin Club promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHsuKy0BN8&li...
This is the image the UK AMOC promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWhF6dXBk5w
Notice a difference anyone?
My point is, if AMOC doesn’t change/adjust it’s image to attract the younger generations/Gaydon era owners, then it will suffer the same consequence as many golf clubs in the UK, where they struggle to attract new members due to their years of shortsightedness of what future members will want and their commitment to tradition over evolution.
I agree that the AMOC should pay attention to what younger owners and enthusiast want out of the club. As I understand it, they're working on making some changes to bring the club more up to date. Of course, these "wants" have to be considered in the context of the entire membership, younger and older.
Personally, I've found far less elitism in the AMOC than I perhaps expected to, and certainly not nearly enough to turn me off from the club.
About the videos, I think the comparison is a bit unfair. Each video is about just a single event rather than the club or events in general. The Spanish club's video is obviously about a driving event, and the UK video is about a Concours -- of course they'll come across very differently. Also, the Spanish video appears to be entirely focused on newer cars -- every car but two is a VH car, except for one DB7 and one '90s Virage. I think it's very important that the club embrace the newer cars, and my experience says that the newer cars (again, mine's a MY09) are both welcome and wanted in the AMOC (there will always be those who think nothing post-war (or whatever date) is any good, but that's always the case). I also think it would be a massive shame for the club to stop appreciating the older cars. Part of what makes Aston Martin so interesting to me is its history and heritage. The club should fully embrace both old and new cars, and my experience suggests that it does.
I'm in the States, so my experience has only included US AMOC events so far (plus the US and UK magazines and, of course, the AMOC forum), but the events at Lime Rock have included several UK members -- who have been a pleasure to meet.
Barnezy said:
This is the image the UK AMOC promote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWhF6dXBk5w
Notice a difference anyone?
"...then we drove around for a bit and parked in neat formation and took the picnic basket out of the boot. After lunch some bloke in a white coat said I had the wrong valves caps on my car and walked off in disgust. All in all a good day out and well worth the money."Notice a difference anyone?
Impasse said:
"...then we drove around for a bit and parked in neat formation and took the picnic basket out of the boot. After lunch some bloke in a white coat said I had the wrong valves caps on my car and walked off in disgust. All in all a good day out and well worth the money."
Who said that? RichB said:
Impasse said:
"...then we drove around for a bit and parked in neat formation and took the picnic basket out of the boot. After lunch some bloke in a white coat said I had the wrong valves caps on my car and walked off in disgust. All in all a good day out and well worth the money."
Who said that? Impasse said:
RichB said:
Impasse said:
"...then we drove around for a bit and parked in neat formation and took the picnic basket out of the boot. After lunch some bloke in a white coat said I had the wrong valves caps on my car and walked off in disgust. All in all a good day out and well worth the money."
Who said that? 
That good... I find all this really disappointing. I had my first Aston for at least a year before I joined the Club because from the outside it did look elitist and I wondered how welcome my new car would be amongst the Classics! To be honest the cost didn't bother me and I had not compared the price with what other Clubs charge.
One weekend we went away to Bovey Castle up on Dartmoor in the Aston and when we returned to the car after a round of golf found about 10/12 Astons lined up in the car park - a mixture of DB5's through to Gaydon cars but mainly DB7's in different guises. As luck would have it our car had a flat battery
and we were still there when the Aston guys came out from lunch. There were not many V8V's around then so they all crowded around to have a look and all seemed really interested and quite amused that the newest one there was the one that had broken down! Couldn't argue with that. One even said that the reason they had joined AMOC was that at least when their Aston broke down they would be alone
I thought they seemed a decent bunch and we decided to join. That was five/six years ago and I cannot tell you how many events we have been to now. We have done four foreign tours, several road runs, car festivals, circuit parades, Centenary events, rally's in the UK, too many lunches to think about, loads of Christmas Party's and I think my annual fee for being able to be involved in these is covered several times over. I love the cars that I have had, made many very good friends (both on here and on the AMOC forum) and the world of Aston has become very much part of our lives.
I must declare that I am the Area Rep for Devon & Cornwall and I do not see the elitism in our Area that others talk about. As far as I am concerned if you have a DB5 worth £500k or a DB7 i6 which is worth around £20k you have the same standing. In our Area we have the problem of getting the classic cars out. It may be the fact that we are a very social Area with mainly new cars that stops them coming but they would be welcome. We have very few events where owners do not turn up in their Astons. I can only think of one Christmas Party up on Dartmoor in icy conditions where the non-Astons outnumbered the Astons.
I suppose what I am trying to say is do not let your perception of what AMOC is like stop you joining. After all, if you don't like it you can leave. Barnzey, the views you have expressed are very similar to the ones I hold. However, my chance meeting with the Area 20 guys at Bovey Castle changed my mind and I have really enjoyed my time with the Club and now wished I had joined earlier. I think if your perception of AMOC comes from the clip from the Concours events then you are way out. There are two concours events a year and they are for people who take pride in getting their Astons as close to original condition as they possibly can and then displaying them. I wouldn't mind going along to one (never been before) but I would rather take my car for a drive than spend hours preparing it for an event like that. Across the Country AMOC holds hundreds of events each year and I am sure you would find something that you enjoyed attending.
I do readily agree that the Club needs to work very hard on attracting those new to the marque who, in the main will be buying Gaydon cars, as this is the only way to ensure the longer term survival of the Club. You can't change it from the outside but if you join then you can influence from within. There is nothing stopping people trying for COM if they so wish and have the support.
We are very fortunate to own fantastic cars from a fantastic marque. I enjoy PH and AMOC. Long may they both continue.
One weekend we went away to Bovey Castle up on Dartmoor in the Aston and when we returned to the car after a round of golf found about 10/12 Astons lined up in the car park - a mixture of DB5's through to Gaydon cars but mainly DB7's in different guises. As luck would have it our car had a flat battery
and we were still there when the Aston guys came out from lunch. There were not many V8V's around then so they all crowded around to have a look and all seemed really interested and quite amused that the newest one there was the one that had broken down! Couldn't argue with that. One even said that the reason they had joined AMOC was that at least when their Aston broke down they would be alone I thought they seemed a decent bunch and we decided to join. That was five/six years ago and I cannot tell you how many events we have been to now. We have done four foreign tours, several road runs, car festivals, circuit parades, Centenary events, rally's in the UK, too many lunches to think about, loads of Christmas Party's and I think my annual fee for being able to be involved in these is covered several times over. I love the cars that I have had, made many very good friends (both on here and on the AMOC forum) and the world of Aston has become very much part of our lives.
I must declare that I am the Area Rep for Devon & Cornwall and I do not see the elitism in our Area that others talk about. As far as I am concerned if you have a DB5 worth £500k or a DB7 i6 which is worth around £20k you have the same standing. In our Area we have the problem of getting the classic cars out. It may be the fact that we are a very social Area with mainly new cars that stops them coming but they would be welcome. We have very few events where owners do not turn up in their Astons. I can only think of one Christmas Party up on Dartmoor in icy conditions where the non-Astons outnumbered the Astons.
I suppose what I am trying to say is do not let your perception of what AMOC is like stop you joining. After all, if you don't like it you can leave. Barnzey, the views you have expressed are very similar to the ones I hold. However, my chance meeting with the Area 20 guys at Bovey Castle changed my mind and I have really enjoyed my time with the Club and now wished I had joined earlier. I think if your perception of AMOC comes from the clip from the Concours events then you are way out. There are two concours events a year and they are for people who take pride in getting their Astons as close to original condition as they possibly can and then displaying them. I wouldn't mind going along to one (never been before) but I would rather take my car for a drive than spend hours preparing it for an event like that. Across the Country AMOC holds hundreds of events each year and I am sure you would find something that you enjoyed attending.
I do readily agree that the Club needs to work very hard on attracting those new to the marque who, in the main will be buying Gaydon cars, as this is the only way to ensure the longer term survival of the Club. You can't change it from the outside but if you join then you can influence from within. There is nothing stopping people trying for COM if they so wish and have the support.
We are very fortunate to own fantastic cars from a fantastic marque. I enjoy PH and AMOC. Long may they both continue.
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