Fellow owners and the owners clubs
Discussion
I'm really not loyal to any one brand and have owned cars from quite a few manufacturers
For me, certainly with the weekend cars I like to get involved with the owners clubs and various online groups, hoping it adds something positive to the ownership experience.
Without a doubt the best group of owners I have come across are the TVR crowd, both online and at shows / events, no hint of ";mine is better / more expensive / faster. rarer than yours"; - its a case of "if you like TVRs, are interested in them or own one then thats good enough for us"
Incredibly active owners club too, spoiled for choice in terms of events and activities - making TVR ownership even more enjoyable than I thought it would be
Been disappointed by two brands in particular over the years but did not mean I did not love the cars
For me, certainly with the weekend cars I like to get involved with the owners clubs and various online groups, hoping it adds something positive to the ownership experience.
Without a doubt the best group of owners I have come across are the TVR crowd, both online and at shows / events, no hint of ";mine is better / more expensive / faster. rarer than yours"; - its a case of "if you like TVRs, are interested in them or own one then thats good enough for us"
Incredibly active owners club too, spoiled for choice in terms of events and activities - making TVR ownership even more enjoyable than I thought it would be
Been disappointed by two brands in particular over the years but did not mean I did not love the cars
General thoughts
- the worse the reliability, the better the camaraderie - more reasons to communicate, more sense of shared peril/suffering. Along those lines, the community around Mazda RX-7s was pretty good I thought. The old joke is that the Lexus owners forum closed down for lack of use.
- think about what makes people buy that brand, is it a car people buy to make a statement about themselves, is it seen as a 'reckless' purchase, etc; that will shape the kind of people you meet and the attitudes they're likely to bring
- the worse the reliability, the better the camaraderie - more reasons to communicate, more sense of shared peril/suffering. Along those lines, the community around Mazda RX-7s was pretty good I thought. The old joke is that the Lexus owners forum closed down for lack of use.
- think about what makes people buy that brand, is it a car people buy to make a statement about themselves, is it seen as a 'reckless' purchase, etc; that will shape the kind of people you meet and the attitudes they're likely to bring
Owners club forums are useful to share / learn info when issues arise or workarounds are found.
Tried a meet up once in the dim and distance past, but wasn't really my cuppa tea.
Driving an hour to stand around a pub carpark looking at similar cars with people you have nothing in common with except the car you drive was a bit boring imo so I scooted off after 45mins.
The thought of days out, Christmas dinners, drinks night every other Thurs etc... nah, nice folk but I just don't have that sort of free time to dedicate to my car hobby.
To be fair I think a lot of the people were either retired or young pre-family, so a great way to socialise and invest time around a common interest. So great that they exist for those who like them.
Tried a meet up once in the dim and distance past, but wasn't really my cuppa tea.
Driving an hour to stand around a pub carpark looking at similar cars with people you have nothing in common with except the car you drive was a bit boring imo so I scooted off after 45mins.
The thought of days out, Christmas dinners, drinks night every other Thurs etc... nah, nice folk but I just don't have that sort of free time to dedicate to my car hobby.
To be fair I think a lot of the people were either retired or young pre-family, so a great way to socialise and invest time around a common interest. So great that they exist for those who like them.
I tend to agree that I'm less interested in the purely social events standing around in a pub; however I definitely appreciate being part of a group when doing a trackday. People to share the experiences with, other cars of similar speed and characteristics out on track, someone to help with technical issues, all make the day more enjoyable.
So I guess that goes back to the OP, what sort of activities are you interested in doing, and thus what sort of 'club' are you hoping to join.
The TVR group on here and others I met during my ownership of my Chimaera are all excellent people. Great to meet up with and do track days and drive outs with. The occasional anorak who wants to describe everything in minute detail, but that's not a bad thing to be fair as learning opportunities abound.
The AMG groups I was in or still am in are a pretty mixed bunch with lots of information freely available and good folks to have a coffee with, but the AMG brand does attract the odd fantasist/weirdo it appears. Plus driving standards on trips out are somewhat lower than you would want on occasion.
The Mini group I have just joined appears to be much along the same lines as the TVR crowd and I hope to get involved more as the weather improves and meets appear in the diary.
The monthly Essex meet I attend via PH is excellent with a really eclectic mix of cars and owners that all get on and just focus on cars as a common interest. For example at one meet last year we had an SF90, a couple of Lambo's and some other exotica parked up being drooled over and the main interest immediately switched to the classic mini in utterly factory condition when it arrived.
Overall it takes all sorts to own and maintain the cars we choose and enjoy seeing when at a gathering, just have to give and take on personalities to enjoy the occasions.
The AMG groups I was in or still am in are a pretty mixed bunch with lots of information freely available and good folks to have a coffee with, but the AMG brand does attract the odd fantasist/weirdo it appears. Plus driving standards on trips out are somewhat lower than you would want on occasion.
The Mini group I have just joined appears to be much along the same lines as the TVR crowd and I hope to get involved more as the weather improves and meets appear in the diary.
The monthly Essex meet I attend via PH is excellent with a really eclectic mix of cars and owners that all get on and just focus on cars as a common interest. For example at one meet last year we had an SF90, a couple of Lambo's and some other exotica parked up being drooled over and the main interest immediately switched to the classic mini in utterly factory condition when it arrived.
Overall it takes all sorts to own and maintain the cars we choose and enjoy seeing when at a gathering, just have to give and take on personalities to enjoy the occasions.
Piginapoke said:
Any social event based on car ownership is very odd.
In your opinion of course, the massive growth in cars and coffee type meets in recent times would suggest that many people think differentlyI find it brings people of all walks of life together that just happen to have a shared common interest. Go to TVR meets and mixed vehicle meets, very often the cars start the conversation and then you go off in whole different directions.
Made some good friends, admittedly met a lot of people I would not necessarily share time with but isn't that life in general?
carlo996 said:
Single marque websites and clubs are generally fawning love fests 
I think some are love fests about the people themselves and the opportunity to demonstrate how much cash they haveEdited by Andy665 on Sunday 12th March 13:51
Andy665 said:
Piginapoke said:
Any social event based on car ownership is very odd.
In your opinion of course, the massive growth in cars and coffee type meets in recent times would suggest that many people think differentlyI find it brings people of all walks of life together that just happen to have a shared common interest. Go to TVR meets and mixed vehicle meets, very often the cars start the conversation and then you go off in whole different directions.
Made some good friends, admittedly met a lot of people I would not necessarily share time with but isn't that life in general?
carlo996 said:
Single marque websites and clubs are generally fawning love fests
I think some are love fests about the people themselves and the opportunity to demonstrate how much cash they haveEdited by Andy665 on Sunday 12th March 13:51
And the so-called “coffee run” things in their many guises make my skin crawl.
I agree with the Porsche thing. When I had a 986 Boxster S in 2013, I went to a Porsche Club GB 'meet.' Too many 'look at my 911' snobs, I didn't renew.
I've had many TVRs and yes on here, it's a good bunch, but I don't go to single make dos. I don't see the point in having an individualist car and going mob handed with a load of others the same. I prefer multiple make meets like the one Footman James do.
I've had many TVRs and yes on here, it's a good bunch, but I don't go to single make dos. I don't see the point in having an individualist car and going mob handed with a load of others the same. I prefer multiple make meets like the one Footman James do.
A couple of things from single clubs I’ve seen.
BMW Coupe club, we shared a space with them once and there was this utter mouth breather of a woman who was apocalyptic when she couldn’t get her car close to the front. BMWs are very exclusive things
NSX club, most of the owners knew more about golf. On the day at Castle Combe one guy rolled his car on the parade lap
S2000 club, a bunch of total weirdos. An almost Apple level fascination for the car. I recall one chap proclaiming that the car was sure footed in the wet, only to inform everyone he’d buried it into the barrier on a dual carriage one morning after hitting standing water.
Exceptions are small beardy clubs, TVR, Caterham etc, genuinely interesting people who just like driving.
BMW Coupe club, we shared a space with them once and there was this utter mouth breather of a woman who was apocalyptic when she couldn’t get her car close to the front. BMWs are very exclusive things
NSX club, most of the owners knew more about golf. On the day at Castle Combe one guy rolled his car on the parade lap
S2000 club, a bunch of total weirdos. An almost Apple level fascination for the car. I recall one chap proclaiming that the car was sure footed in the wet, only to inform everyone he’d buried it into the barrier on a dual carriage one morning after hitting standing water.
Exceptions are small beardy clubs, TVR, Caterham etc, genuinely interesting people who just like driving.
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