Classic Car Show, NEC, November

I can`t believe I`m hearing this. You`re being offered the ultimate sports racing car of the most exciting era in motorsport and you don`t want it, in case it leads to the demise of the club? I`ve been in this club since it started and can assure you that having the car that ended the GT40`s winning ways, on the stand, will not cause the club to fail, really it won`t. I for one would love to see it and I know I`m not alone. It would need to be parked at the front though with it being so much lower than the other cars. Just my personal opinion, go for it Dick, you know you want to, cheers, Kev
 
I had a private discussion with Darren C and a firm decision made as a result of adverse comments and unhappy members.

Fill the space with 40s this year.
I regret offering the 917 to help fill the large area you have, and thus causing friction. My 40 is complete but engine less following a complete upgrade for next season, but not enough time to get it back together in time, so i cannot help you with that.
 
This is where the Gtd club died, they wanted to bring in other makes ( mates ! ) cars and the gt40 membership walked .

Typical 'Sledgehammer Remark' made without due thought. Car clubs are about people enthusiastic about cars and making them elitist for only one marque shows a totally blinkered, opinionated approach to things. Let's not forget that the COH Baines trophy died as it was made eligible ONLY to GTD40s, NO other GT40s, despite their obvious quality and performance...(STUPID)

Un-f***ing-believable!! :shocked: :furious: :thumbsdown:

GT40 E.C. :rifle:

Glenn

Spot on Glenn and I agree, G's 917 is awesome and would make a positive impact to the interest of any stand. Also, the demise of the GTD40 club had nothing to do with the involvement of other vehicle types, the club was in its latter stages primarily supported (not solely) on enthusiasts who focussed on the competitive element of vehicle ownership, leaving much of the shows etc for other clubs, including the very well subscribed GT40 Enthusiasts Club. IF I had actually owned and been less into competing then I would most likely have joined the Enthusiasts Club too. As GTDs were no longer being produced the club was on a route to nowhere if it tried to stay single marque and when people started selling cars and were no longer competing, or submitting editorial, then unfortunately the writing was on the wall with the nails in the coffin being sledged into place en-route.

I enjoyed my time with the Club and the events that many members of both clubs attended, together with the editorial content we received from all quarters. I still have good memories of fun at events, track days and even AGMs for that matter and I will not cloud those happy memories with the bollocks that inevitably comes from club politics.

RIP GTD40 CLUB and LONG LIVE the GT40 ENTHUSIASTS CLUB..

Oh, and

LONG LIVE GT40s.com - A forum that goes from strength to strength and does so supporting ALL forms of vehicle if there is a combined interest. Yes, it focusses on GT40s but who on here ONLY reads the GT40 related posts and ignores all others...? I even read about cars over 100 years old......
 
Well that's me out of the Club. I've heard enough. Glad I'm building a Porsche now. How about a Porsche Enthusiasts Club Graham sure we would welcome with open arms GT40's to our stand as a guest car. The attitude of those who have stopped Grahams car attending is pathetic in my opinion and I would love to hear all the comments from members who are against it, not seen many on here and I mean Club Members.
Shall we have a public vote on this?
 
I would have supported Graham's car being on the stand but respect any decision made by those Club members who are putting in the time and effort to organise the stand.
 

Malcolm

Supporter
Darren, only seemed to be one negative comment on the 917.....by Mr Positive himself.

Graham, your car is fab and long may the EC live!
 

Mike Pass

Supporter
I find this somewhat unbelievable and very disappointing. The club were short of GT40s and were asking for cars and got an offer of a Porsche 917 which is a rare item and a direct. successor to the 40. On the forum this was met by a majority very much in favour. We now hear that it won't be on the stand because of some "unhappy members".
I find it sad that anyone in the club should have this attitude. We have had a Ferrari F40 on our pitch at the Oulton Park Gold Cup and this year we were pleased to be joined by a Piper GTT. I believe this shows the club in a bad light and infers that we are somewhat non inclusive and narrow minded.
Perhaps those paid up members who object to a 917 on the stand would care to identify themselves on the forum and tell us who they are and what their objections are as the response on here is pretty positive for it's inclusion. I would like to thank the gentleman for his offer of the 917 and apologise for the reaction he has received.
I would have thought that this was a great opportunity to do a Gulf theme on the stand. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dick and all the members who put in a lot a hard work to make these things happen.
Cheers
Mike
 
Whoa, whoa, everyone,

please lets not get into inter-departmental war over this subject. I take full responsibility for sparking this debate off, in innocently offering the car to help fill some vacant space after hearing of a possible shortfall of cars for the stand.

Not pulling rank but my senior years have seen such circumstances manifest themselves in clubs and organizations before over the most trivial of things, and beg you all to refrain from harsh words and bad feeling within the GT40 enthusiasts club.

Please don,t spoil it over my error.

Frank and all concerned individuals, you may stand easy.
 
I had a private discussion with Darren C and a firm decision made as a result of adverse comments and unhappy members.

Fill the space with 40s this year.
I regret offering the 917 to help fill the large area you have, and thus causing friction. My 40 is complete but engine less following a complete upgrade for next season, but not enough time to get it back together in time, so i cannot help you with that.

Graham, you have nothing to regret. I believe you made a generous and well intentioned offer to help the club out when it was struggling to find cars to exhibit, the offer even prompted Martin to offer his Southern. The idea of the occasional guest car (particularly one as iconic as a 917) heralding the death of the GT40EC is frankly ludicrous.
Perhaps those unhappy members making adverse comments would respond publicly with their reasoning, and no doubt be willing provide cars for exhibition. This matter seems to been very badly handled.
 
Dear all

Due to comments made on and off the forum, Graham has contacted me to confirm that the 917 will not be available, so best to leave it there. Graham - it was a very, very kind offer, so please don't feel bad if it provoked a small number of adverse comments from some on the forum; everyone, after all, is entitled to their own opinion.

For next year, let's have a proper discussion about how we make the stand more appealing. The reason for the stand is to generate interest in our club, and hopefully swell membership numbers. It's fair to say that most GT40 owners are already associated with the club, so why not encourage non-owners (i.e. Enthusiasts) to join regardless of the car they own? Can you imagine the 917 with a poster on one side saying "look what we beat in'69!", and on the other side saying "membership not limited to GT40 owners...."

Unfortunately, as a result of this, Martin's car is also no longer available, so we are back to square one - who else will put themselves out to make their car available for the show?
 

Mike Pass

Supporter
Quote - "Due to comments made on and off the forum, Graham has contacted me to confirm that the 917 will not be available, so best to leave it there. Graham - it was a very, very kind offer, so please don't feel bad if it provoked a small number of adverse comments from some on the forum; everyone, after all, is entitled to their own opinion."

Due to comments made on and off the forum? There was only one negative comment on the forum and many positive ones. As we have now lost the 917 perhaps the paid up members who have have made these negative comments off the forum would like to say who they are and why they were against the idea as I still don't get it.

Thank you once again Graham for your kind offer and Darren and Dick for your efforts with the club stand.

Cheers
Mike
 
What a golden opportunity to promote the club. TV, Magazines etc etc. The stand with Grahams 917 on it would have stolen the show. Pathetic.
 
I have watched this thread without comment for long enough.
If Dick Townsend's Classic Car show group and the Club Committee had been left to handle this issue, it could have been resolved without rancour and to everyone's satisfaction.
But no, we had management of the GT40 Enthusiasts Club by forum, with the inevitable bad temper that resulted being totally counter-productive.
Dick was completely right in asking on the forum for volunteer cars, but what cars are chosen is entirely between the organising and Club committees and the owners of potential cars.
Would the Committee and Dick Townsend's group have invited the 917 onto the stand? That's for them to decide.
Finally, if anyone feels sufficiently strongly to want to manage the Club on this forum, then do the democratic thing and join the Club -and get one vote - or if already a member, stand for the Committee rather than shout from the sidelines.
 
As long as my membership lasts I will shout. This has been managed just as badly as the Gelscoe visit and that has already driven a wedge in the club.
Come on people those who objected let yourselves be know and give your reasons, I am happy to sit her and put myself forward and not hide behind my keyboard. Maybe I should stand for the committee and give it some balls.
 

Mike Pass

Supporter
Tony, this is an open forum where everyone can voice their views. One may not agree with them but that is how it is. I for example do not like the tone of your reply or the accusations made in it but am willing to listen to what you say and respond accordingly. You may not agree or approve of the opinions expressed. That is your problem, not ours.

It does appear to the members who commented on here however, that some of the views which have not been expressed publicly have more weight than the many who have openly said their piece. It is quite correct that the organisers should have the decision as to what is on the club stand. All we were asking was who was against the 917 being on the stand and what their reasoning was as all the comments on this OPEN forum were resoundingly for it. They do not seem to want to do so which is rather puzzling as it's no big deal.
We are not displaying bad temper or shouting from the sidelines. We are not trying to manage the club on the forum either. If the members of the club wish to question the decisions of the commitee or anyone else either we will do so.
We are attempting to have a discussion as we have a right to our opinions and will voice them on the forum or via the club. Perhaps someone will care to explain to the many club members on our club's section of this forum who were very keen to see this car on the club stand who decided against it and why. Not too much to ask surely? What's the problem?

Cheers
Mike
 
Interesting to read the discussion over a non-GT40 exhibit at the NEC. Here's an 'off the wall' suggestion - display a bare chassis, complete but without body. Now that would appeal to potential members considering construction. Might one of the manufacturers oblige?
 
Hi again

We have 4 confirmed cars on the stand, and space for a further 2.

Is anyone else interested in loaning their car for the event?

Thanks in advance


Darren
 
hi all, back from my road trip around the USA i feel i need to put things straight on the forum regarding the 917 wich was offered to be put on our stand. after two hours of thinking i got darren to accept the 917 on our stand, didnt take long! i had our stand extended at the NEC show to ccomadate it, unfortunately graham then resended his offer which i had to accept, at no time did any of the commiteee or the midlands group ask for the 917 not to be put on the stand, infact they were all for it. obviously it seems to have caused a slight problem which you must understand is nothing to do with the commitee, darren or myself. getting this stand up and running for the NEC is a big job, i know it costs people time and money to bring their cars to the show, because of our extended stand my company has sponsered the extra carpetting due to our increase in stand size. martin, i would ask you again to show your car, as it is a beautiful example of a GT40, and graham i would love to have your car on our stand, im asking you please change your mind there is still room to have your 917and it would possibly make the GT40 stand create more attention especially as we are next to ferrari, however i respect all of your desicions. graham and martin you can contact me through [email protected]. jet lagged dick townsend.
 
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