Clarkson lays into Ferrari Owners Club in Sunday Times..

[simonspider]

I do like Clarkson but his comments in the bit about the new M3 re the FOC are hilarious, and guaranteed to have the flat cap brigade up in arms
I quote...

Today, I loathe, with a furious passion, all car clubs. The notion that you're going going to get on with someone because he also has a Mini is preposterous. Clubs are for people who can't get friends in the conventional way.They're for bores and murderers.
The Ferrari Owners Club is particularly depressing because they all have carpet warehouses in Dewsbury and creaking £10000 rust buckets from the seventies and eighties. Most turn up to events in Ferrari hats, Ferrari shirts, Ferrari racing boots and Ferrari aftershave and you can't help thinking 'for heavens sake man. You've spent more on your apparel then you have on your damn Mondial' Anyone with the wherewithal to buy a proper important Ferrari from the past 60 years is going to have better things to do with his time than drive to some windswept motor racing circuit no one has ever heard of, and spend the day watching a bunch of Dewsburyites going off the road backwards in their botched and bodged 308's...

Well I'm originally from Dewsbury, so god knows what he thinks about car internet forums! I can't wait to see the FOC reaction

[crikeymikey]

Thanks for posting, Si. Now why would you take particular delight in this piece? Hmmmmm... let me think.

I have mixed feelings about good ol' Clarky. I take exception to his shot at ALL CAR CLUBS for obvious reasons but that's funny none the less. And he's (sadly) atleast half right. Especially the bit about apparell. Nice to see he can write something original instead of relying on Richard Porter most of the time. Now he is funny!

I do feel sorry for anyone with a £10K 308GT4, though. They're really going to cop it from their mates!

See ya Friday!

[magic torch]

Full article http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/arti

I'm not even sure he believes half the stuff he writes.

[15hn]

Not the first time hes said this in the Times. Cant remember what he was reviewing when he previously mentioned FOC members being carpet shop owners from Dewsbury driving Mondials. In all fairness he did say that the majority of real Ferrari owners have no interest in the OC's, i.e. that they are reserved for the saddos and the rustbuckets.

[crikeymikey]

15hn said:

reserved for the saddos and the rustbuckets.

I'm sure they prefer to think of themselves as 'true enthusiasts', rather than saddos with rustbuckets!

What does that make memebers of the TVR Drivers Club (apart from axe murderers, if my mate Paul is anything to go by)?

[magic torch]

Remember this is the guy that was fooled by a badge on a certain Italian car he bought in a Top Gear episode.

[F355GTS]

This is an ancient piece of his dragged up presumably to save him writing anything new. IIRC it relates to and FOC track day at Bedford in around 2001/2 when he was researching for his (unsuccesful) book

I rate him as an entertainer, that's it

[360boy]

Yes, Clarkson is an entertainer.
Take everything with a pinch of salt.
He contradicts himself all the time.
I did chuckle at the FOC article in the ST though! There is some truth in that article. Admit it.

[Davey S2]

He has done the Northern carpet warehouse owners thing loads of times before.

Apparently they all buy them [northern accent] 'flappy paddle gear box like Michael Shooooomacher' [northern accent]

[f355spider]

Davey S2 said:

He has done the Northern carpet warehouse owners thing loads of times before. Apparently they all buy them [northern accent] 'flappy paddle gear box like Michael Shooooomacher' [northern accent]

and drive "chaarl-hengge straaaa-daaarlays"

[chrisx666]

magic torch said:

Remember this is the guy that was fooled by a badge on a certain Italian car he bought in a Top Gear episode.

Apparently Eurospares bought that car to break up afterwards - they say that it was, in-fact, an SS.

[LotusJas]

LOL......Clarkson is more accurate in this than in most of what he writes FOC

[anjum]

For what it's worth, I was at Spa with a FOC trackday.

I must say old Jezza (irritating sod that he is) - was not far wrong. Quite a few lovely cars - quite a few duffers - and when a 355 drivers power quotiant exceeded his skill capability, we all had to sit and wait for 4 hours - half a day for gods sake - whilst he argued that he shouldn't have to pay for damaging the posts (he wrote off 4) and his 355 was a tad messed up.

That said, he was the exception - and most of the others where alright - if a little obsessive. I was seen as a dark horse with my preferrence for Lamborghini's to Fezza's.....

Horses for courses and all that!

Cheers

Anjum

[Davey S2]

anjum said:

For what it's worth, I was at Spa with a FOC trackday. I must say old Jezza (irritating sod that he is) - was not far wrong. Quite a few lovely cars - quite a few duffers - and when a 355 drivers power quotiant exceeded his skill capability, we all had to sit and wait for 4 hours - half a day for gods sake - whilst he argued that he shouldn't have to pay for damaging the posts (he wrote off 4) and his 355 was a tad messed up. That said, he was the exception - and most of the others where alright - if a little obsessive. I was seen as a dark horse with my preferrence for Lamborghini's to Fezza's..... Horses for courses and all that! Cheers Anjum

Anjum was that the guy who was subsequently given a 15 month suspended sentence for fraud?

Smashed up his 355 at an owners club day at Spa then realised his wife hadnt told the insurance company about the track day so he wasnt insured. Shipped the car home and claimed to be the victim of a hit and run accident with a lorry.

[355f]

Whilst Clarkson is indeed and 'entertainer' I do concur with his views on this one.

Actually, the many owners club occasions I attended seemed to be frequented by not particularly nice people- many think they have 'arrived' because they had a ferrari- even if it was a rather dire model- and lets face it there were many! All think what they have is worth a fortune- until trade in time that is when you discover your pride and joy that you have done next to no miles in has lost a fortune

The thing I find very interesting is that if one arrives in something arguable better in performance and capability- and lets face it many cars are better! these 'enthusiasts'dont even acknowledge anything else Ok its a nice 'noise' and a lot of it- but is one really going that fast!

Whilst I have a passion for the marque one has to acknowledge that even mediocre machinery will outclass most F cars excepting the 430.

I enjoyed mine very much but got fed up very soon of these kind of events and regretably the kind of individual that now buys the cars.

[crikeymikey]

This all comes back to the "image" thing. One of the nice things about having a Lambo is you never see a scruffy teenager with a Lamborghini cap on. Ever. I like that. Underdog thing, I guess.

I have great respect for Maranello, I just don't buy into the image marketing they put so much effort into. Clearly some owners do (though, thankfully, not all).

Ofcourse, car clubs are the best place to meet like-minded souls and source technical information. Afterall, plenty of football supporters happily share their enthusiasm with anyone sharing their taste in team. Ditto car clubs. You don't necessarily join to make friends but you will make friends of some of the people you meet. It's human nature. (Bloody hell, I'll start chanting in minute!!)

[simonspider]

crikeymikey said:

This all comes back to the "image" thing. One of the nice things about having a Lambo is you never see a scruffy teenager with a Lamborghini cap on. Ever. I like that. Underdog thing, I guess. I have great respect for Maranello, I just don't buy into the image marketing they put so much effort into. Clearly some owners do (though, thankfully, not all). Ofcourse, car clubs are the best place to meet like-minded souls and source technical information. Afterall, plenty of football supporters happily share their enthusiasm with anyone sharing their taste in team. Ditto car clubs. You don't necessarily join to make friends but you will make friends of some of the people you meet. It's human nature. (Bloody hell, I'll start chanting in minute!!)

Quite agree. 2 of my Subways wouldn't exist if it wasn't for F-chat cos I met my business partner through that, and I wouldn't have a half share in a 360 cos I met my mate Rick the same way

[DJC]

crikeymikey said:

15hn said: reserved for the saddos and the rustbuckets. I'm sure they prefer to think of themselves as 'true enthusiasts', rather than saddos with rustbuckets! What does that make memebers of the TVR Drivers Club (apart from axe murderers, if my mate Paul is anything to go by)?

There's an axe murderer in the TVR Driver's Club? Suddenly I can actually see a decent reason for joining, it would at least mean one interesting and worthwhile person to talk to!

Read the article also, was p1ssing myself laughing at his rant against the FOC, AMOC and owners/car clubs in general. Pretty much agreed with every word as I think Ive used most of the arguments against the TVRCC and the ph meets I keep being told I should go to!

[v12Aston]

I too had a bit of a laugh at the jibes at FOC, AMOC etc However, if you agree with them and use them to avoid club meets I would suggest that you should look into your motives for being involved in a forum. I would suggest that forums are along a very similar vein to clubs. eg a common interest in one type of motorcar or another etc etc

Just my penny's worth.

(member of FOC and AMOC but not very active in either)

[crikeymikey]

v12Aston said:

I too had a bit of a laugh at the jibes at FOC, AMOC etc However, if you agree with them and use them to avoid club meets I would suggest that you should look into your motives for being involved in a forum. I would suggest that forums are along a very similar vein to clubs. eg a common interest in one type of motorcar or another etc etc Just my penny's worth. (member of FOC and AMOC but not very active in either)

Oh, you just beat me to it. I was about to make that very point!
The thing with being interested in any topic is that inevitably you will want to discuss and share your knowledge. It's not a reflection of being 'friendless', just a perfectly normal desire to herd together. Equally, just because you have one common interest doesn't stop someone from being dull or an asshole. People are people.
It would be easy to have a pop at Clarky (only 3 years older than me but looks about 10 years older, overweight, needs a proper haircut, appears not to have an arse, his smoking has made his skin all wrinkly and blotchy, spectacularly poor dress sense, constantly contradicts himself, underestimates his viewers, took 10 years to pronounce Porsche properly, doesn't know anything remotely technical, assumes constant references to oversteer and understeer make him sound well informed, etc).
Fortunately, I'm above that sort of thing. So he's free to say what he wants. And good luck to him. I'm sure his kids love him.

>> Edited by crikeymikey on Wednesday 17th May 17:30