promoting your car and hobby 100 years

[Tony Betts]

well its 2022, and we must officially be in the austin 7s 100th year.

in my thoughts are, what people are doing or looking at do to promote and enjoy this part of our cars / hobbies place in history.

im sure everyone is looking forward to enjoying there cars during the summer. and may even be out in them today. THE SUN IS OUT.

im sure there will be various event, to take cars to as usual.

i know we have the 100th anniversary coming up. and i get that its for owners not outsider. this definatly lessens the chances of theft and damage. but for me it doesnt promote our hobby or the austin seven to to the larger world.

personaly i love to point out to non owners austins advertising, "the dependable austin" or "motor for the millions" or even the fact that the humble austin 7 was the start up for jaguar, or even BMW, perhaps contrversial the DATSON. or the fact that the 7 had such a large part of motoring history. they carried on useing its name to promote the A30 and mini. amongst everything else.

so id love to hear what people are doing to promote there little car or hobby, more the individuals promoting the car rather than promoting clubs. or even if you dont care to do anything at all.

will people be looking to drive with a monte carlo type plaque mounted? billboards out at shows? i know there is always a worry of letting the low life know you have a valueable car. but will anyone be promoting 100 years from home. or even for many villages today having walk arounds to promote villages. will you have your car out in a village promotion to promote 100 years.

id love to hear what others have planned.

personally i thought of putting a breif write up of the cars 100 years on a billboard with my car at shows. 

if anyone is interested in promoting the austin 7s 100 years to take us into the future. i have a friend with a printing company. i dont mind paying for a poster to be printed it others want to put them on boards with there cars. to promote our cars and hobby. others are welcome to have them FREE. for promotion. the negative is i cant post them out free.

" what are you all planning for 100 years"

tony

[JFaulknerUlsterRep]

Happy new year to you Tony, as last year I feel we did a great job promoting the cars at local events so I’m hoping to carry on with that best I can. I will organise a pitch at the Hinckley bids motor show in September so we can have an actual place to display our cars together. We really need to promote the cars and clubs to a wider younger Audience and keep the hobby and movement going. I’m planning to attend as many events as possible this year even going to try and get a car down to Beaulieu make a weekend of it. 
I believe we now have some stickers that have been made for the midshires group to help with promotion. Hopefully we will have all our cars on the road including the light 12 Ascot so hoping to get about in that as much as the saloon and ulster rep. 
I’m very active online and always keeping an eye out for new events that we could attend. I’m not sure about the whole leave the car on your driveway thing and have a walk around to see what else is about as this is just advertising to the world where the car is kept. I know you shouldn’t have to think like that but sadly not all people are fourth coming. I’m happy to be out at events talking to folk and even let people sit in the car etc. will keep you in the loop if any events come up which could be of interest. Would be good to get into rempstone steam rally another good event. Autokarna 2022 is back on the 22nd of May. I think we all had a car plaque for the 90 years.

[Reckless Rat]

I just get out on the road and drive mine. You can't have a better advert for something that's as old, and apart from motorways it tootles along quite nicely. I did have an "oh shit!" moment today when a knobhead in a Porsche Boxter made a stupid overtake and had to fit in between me and the bloke in front, braking hard in order to do so. He was very lucky he didn't get a starting handle up his rear end. He did discover how loud a 6volt klaxon can be when applied with gusto. Quel couillon!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I struggle to separate Austin Sevens from every day existence, so I may be in a minority, but what exactly are we "promoting"?

Serious question.

[Denis Sweeney]

I try to run Ruby every week, not always possible, but I get out whenever I can, she always draws a smile, a wave, a toot, requests too take photos and invariably a long conversation with interested people we meet when we return to her wherever we park, young and old.
The downsides are the idiots as already noted above, had a BMW overtake whilst negotiating two mini roundabouts at a staggered junction in a built up residential area, madness.

[andrew34ruby]

I struggle to separate Austin Sevens from every day existence, so I may be in a minority, but what exactly are we "promoting"?

Serious question.

I think we need to promote the story. Promote what we have known since first reading Wyatts books in the local library in the 1960s. Our library no longer has those books available. They sold them off decades ago.... i know because I bought them!

We need to tell the story how the first ones began, Stanley Edge etc. We need to mention the BMW connection etc. And mention where our particular car fits into the story.

I often tell part of the story on a printed A40 sheet taped in a rear sidewindow.

[JFaulknerUlsterRep]

I think what it means by the word promotion is taking the cars out there and showing them to the younger generation/wider audience in the hope of them maybe taking an interest and possibly becoming owners/drivers in the future. Looking around in the clubs and how it comes across at times is that it’s very much an Old mans club and that’s what we need to try and change and get away from that image that seems to come across with Austin sevens. That came from a younger member last year so I’m not alone. No disrespect to anybody but sometimes at events I do look around and wonder how it simply will carry on into the future

[Tony Betts]

Thank you joe,

It's exactly that.

The 100th anniversary is a big milestone in the cars history.

And there owners I'm sure will have a good time with there cars this year.

I was just thinking if anyone is looking to use this milestone to promote the car, brand if you like. The chance to show others that we have the best choice of pre war and vintage car on offer. And show others what they are missing. And if they want to join in for the next 100 years. (Keeping the cars future alive).

Or is nobody bothered about there cars future? 

Hand them on to museums when we are done, because everyone has been told they are slow, they dont stop. Etc. And we should all be buying a ford escort if we want an old car.

I didnt ask for the club side, because clubs take fees from there members. If the dont look to the future. They wont have members, and there for wont be able to collect fees. So I would expect them to have there ow  interest in the cars future.

Tony.

Ps, joe do let me know what you are attending. It would be good to attend more. And be in the workshop less. After the mallory meeting I had a drink I the local with the hinkley organisers. And they are very interested in an area for the austin 7 to have there own area for the cars 100th anniversary. It would be good to have as many cars there as possible. To promote its future to other car enthusiasts.

[JonE]

After having to change a flat tyre (thus removing wheel) on a fat Prius this week, I think the thing about the Seven is the celebration of being in control of something which has the capacity to be simple efficient local passenger transport and yet be properly human scale. The Prius jack handle was so badly designed, and the car so heavy, as to make it impossible for someone a bit older or less fit than me to have operated. I had to go in search of a 5lb long shaft hammer to knock the wheel off the hub after the bolts were out.

Celebrating practicality and using the hands and touch, be it music, engineering, art... all these interactions are going to get rarer as digital and electric advance. I notice Goodwood Revival promote their green agenda on re-use of old objects. Ahem. The (vintage) Seven and the 2CV are going to represent the vintage and classic camps well in doing as much mpg as efficent moderns, and better exemplify re-use if their runs are practical ones rather than tearing round a track committing unmitigated enjoyment.

[phillips]

Hi all, Pat and I are out in our Ruby most weeks, Shopping, and runs to the Pub. But Ruby is laid up at the moment, being attacked with a MiG welder. But will be back on the road soon. S&P