Is it worth me joining Ferrari owners club ?

[swanseaboydan]

Hi there,
I have a California T and love Ferrari- all types.
I used to be in the supercar drivers club but never really went to any meets - was all a bit speed focused for me and I’m more the type to just drop the top and cruise around. I’m much. Ore likely to drive somewhere, park up and have lunch, chat to other owners etc etc. I know my car isn’t a real supercar but id still like to meet other Ferrari owners but in a relaxed environment- any PHers members of the FOC?

would it be for me ? I’m in South Wales - does much go on down this way ? I guess I don’t want to join up if I never attend any meets - anyone have experience of it here, cheers, Dan

[johnnyreggae]

Welsh area group was one of the more active before lockdown - also Cotswold

[gcpeters]

Guess it depends also on your age to be honest, i was a member as it came free when i bought my first Ferrari but the wife and i were literally half the age of 95% of the people...

I did not bother paying to renew.

[willy wombat]

A bit ageist, GPPeters! Sure there aren’t many twenty year olds in the Ferrari Owners Club but then not many twenty year olds own Ferraris. In my area (Sussex) we have a wide spread of ages and sometimes you find yourself talking to one of the older generation and discover they have done some amazing things with cars. The OP said he likes driving about, going for lunch etc. The Ferrari Owners Club should be right up his street.

[swanseaboydan]

Thanks all ! I reckon I will look through their site and see which events I would be likely to attend and make a decision then, thanks for your input though, Dan

[willy wombat]

Don’t just base it on the FOC national events. Most of the activities are with the local area groups.

[_Leg_]

I'm crap at clubs. I join, people get on my wick, I leave.

Just because you share a passion for the same car doesn't mean you'll get on or want to do things together.

I play out with my friends instead.

Mind you, they get on my wick too. It's probably me. In fact now I type it, it's me isn't it. Damn.



EDIT: I just asked them. It's me.

[willy wombat]

Ah, Leg. You can be a bit of a miserable git. Given that you love a road trip to the likes of the Amalfi Coast, what’s not to like about a lunch or dinner at the likes of Chewton Glen or the Montagu Arms (both regular haunts of Sussex Ferrari)?

[rat rod]

swanseaboydan said:

Hi there,
I have a California T and love Ferrari- all types.
I used to be in the supercar drivers club but never really went to any meets - was all a bit speed focused for me and I’m more the type to just drop the top and cruise around. I’m much. Ore likely to drive somewhere, park up and have lunch, chat to other owners etc etc. I know my car isn’t a real supercar but id still like to meet other Ferrari owners but in a relaxed environment- any PHers members of the FOC?

would it be for me ? I’m in South Wales - does much go on down this way ? I guess I don’t want to join up if I never attend any meets - anyone have experience of it here, cheers, Dan

All depends on the individual, I'm not much of a club person but do go to a lot of car meeting but a member of none of them.

I joined the F.O.C for a few years but mainly for the track days, did attend a couple of concours meeting but turned up in my

battle scared race car and they didn't quite know where to put me so ended up behind a tree,

I looked a bit out of place with my Sainsbury's carrier bag and flask of tea amongst all the Harrods hampers and champagne .

Felt more at home on the track days with like minded people more into the track times than polishing rags and picking blades

of grass out of their tyres.

I was a member of the Caterham club at the same time and paid a fifth of the price and was sent a monthly mag appropriately

called " Low Flying" compared from memory to the by- monthly one with the FOC, and had to pay extra for a coloured one on top of the

membership, With social media things must be a lot different and i hear now the six colour mags are included in the membership.

To be fair i didn't use my membership to the full and think if your a sociable person you can enjoy what the club offers.

Certainly the lady's seem to like it, Always enjoy there club stand at the NEC Classic Car Show.They seem to make a big effort.

This may not be the best year for any club what with Covid so may not show the club at it's best.

We are all in the hands of Boris this summer.

Give it ago for the first year and see how it goes.

Edited by rat rod on Sunday 21st March 02:44

[swanseaboydan]

Thanks rat rod - that’s very useful, I would be the one in a tracksuit with paint or cement embedded under my fingernails so I may stick to the casual meets that I go to. Thanks again

[Mogsmex]

_Leg_ said:

I'm crap at clubs. I join, people get on my wick, I leave.

Just because you share a passion for the same car doesn't mean you'll get on or want to do things together.

I play out with my friends instead.

Mind you, they get on my wick too. It's probably me. In fact now I type it, it's me isn't it. Damn.



EDIT: I just asked them. It's me.

[456mgt]

I've been a member for over 20 years now, and while I no longer do many of the national events, and none of the area group ones, for the 100 odd quid a year there's usually at least one thing a year that takes our fancy. It's definitely not elitist (in my experience) and there's a wealth of marque information and history on tap. The reason I don't do much any more is because they tend to do the same things over an over; this isn't a criticism, since if I was that bothered about it I could get involved and organise some different events. Remember that your other half may have something to say about it, and the spring ball is probably more compelling for them than it is for you, same for the national concours and picnic.

Over the years we've had some good trips, including the factory tour, which is more of a laugh than it sounds. This year we'll do the June event at Sywell at the very least. It's true that most of the members are retirement age, that simply reflects the owner demographic, and at some point I'll match that demographic! So who knows, we may end up doing more.

The big cost of entry to the FOC is to own or have owned a Ferrari, not the club dues which are less than the cost of a replacement bulb.

[browngt3]

I might join up when Boris and his chum, Hand Cock let us out to play again

[Fast Eddie]

_Leg_ said:

I'm crap at clubs. I join, people get on my wick, I leave.

Just because you share a passion for the same car doesn't mean you'll get on or want to do things together.

I play out with my friends instead.

Mind you, they get on my wick too. It's probably me. In fact now I type it, it's me isn't it. Damn.



EDIT: I just asked them. It's me.

Perfect. We would get along famously - or maybe not......

[robsco]

What are the advantages of paying £130 per annum to be part of an owner’s club which would cease to exist if people didn’t buy the cars?

[jtremlett]

robsco said:

What are the advantages of paying £130 per annum to be part of an owner’s club which would cease to exist if people didn’t buy the cars?

That's a very strange question. What would be the point of being on Pistonheads if people stopped buying cars? Surely people join car clubs to enhance their enjoyment of their cars, meet like-minded people who have a common interest and so on. I imagine most car clubs will disappear if/when people don't buy cars any more but I think that's a little way off yet.

That said, I can't really see much point in paying for membership of a car club right now when nothing is happening. Far better to wait until there's something going on because you won't get much out of any of them at present.

[robsco]

jtremlett said:

robsco said:

What are the advantages of paying £130 per annum to be part of an owner’s club which would cease to exist if people didn’t buy the cars?

That's a very strange question. What would be the point of being on Pistonheads if people stopped buying cars? Surely people join car clubs to enhance their enjoyment of their cars, meet like-minded people who have a common interest and so on. I imagine most car clubs will disappear if/when people don't buy cars any more but I think that's a little way off yet.

That said, I can't really see much point in paying for membership of a car club right now when nothing is happening. Far better to wait until there's something going on because you won't get much out of any of them at present.

It was a genuine question. By joining the FOC, they will relieve me of £130 per year, what does a member get in return? PistonHeads, despite its flaws, brings thousands upon thousands of like minded enthusiasts together, gives us all a foundation to air our views, arranges meets and events nationwide but yet they don’t expect a membership fee. Is it just a Ferrari tax, a case of “you’ve got a Ferrari so a membership fee should be chicken feed”?

Surely the FOC need the owners more than the owners need them.

[johnnyreggae]

Many people find paying for membership of a club with others sharing an interest worthwhile be it cars golf knitting or whatever - what is wrong with that ? Some prefer to knit alone and that's ok too

[robsco]

Nothing wrong with it at all, I just asked what the advantage was. Those who pay the membership fee and enjoy it, good for them. For me, unless I was gaining in some other regard (ie perhaps by insurance savings, discount from parts, privileges that non members don’t receive), then I’d rather keep my money and spend it on a tank of fuel and 300 miles out in my Ferrari; particularly when there are clubs out there which give me a base to meet like minded people without having to pay for the privilege. That’s just me.

[jtremlett]

robsco said:

jtremlett said:

robsco said:

What are the advantages of paying £130 per annum to be part of an owner’s club which would cease to exist if people didn’t buy the cars?

That's a very strange question. What would be the point of being on Pistonheads if people stopped buying cars? Surely people join car clubs to enhance their enjoyment of their cars, meet like-minded people who have a common interest and so on. I imagine most car clubs will disappear if/when people don't buy cars any more but I think that's a little way off yet.

That said, I can't really see much point in paying for membership of a car club right now when nothing is happening. Far better to wait until there's something going on because you won't get much out of any of them at present.

It was a genuine question. By joining the FOC, they will relieve me of £130 per year, what does a member get in return? PistonHeads, despite its flaws, brings thousands upon thousands of like minded enthusiasts together, gives us all a foundation to air our views, arranges meets and events nationwide but yet they don’t expect a membership fee. Is it just a Ferrari tax, a case of “you’ve got a Ferrari so a membership fee should be chicken feed”?

Surely the FOC need the owners more than the owners need them.

Ok, that was a rather funny way of effectively asking what the benefits of FOC membership are and whether they are worth the membership fee.

You can have a club with no membership fee either if everyone involved is prepared to work for nothing and cover expenses or if you can cover the costs some other way (e.g. advertising).

Once you start arranging events and things that have a significant cost attached (e.g. track days, parties and so on) then generally you need a membership fee or otherwise be in a position where you put up money up front and withstand losses. Pistonheads' meets are not the same thing at all although they might very well be all many people look for.

Actually, the FOC does both. The membership fee basically pays for running the Club office and for the magazine. Local activities are all organized by volunteers giving up their time (and often money). Activities arranged by the Club office are all at additional cost.

If it was of no value presumably there wouldn't be any members and that's the same with any other club. No-one needs a Ferrari and no-one needs to be a member of the FOC but some people choose both.