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During the summer months you will hear some of our members mention about supporting one or more of the many shows, rallies, village fetes that are held every weekend around Cornwall to raise money for local causes. Some of our members support a local rally or two during the summer, either in a nearby village or one supporting a favoured charity. No doubt, you will be asked if you will be going along.
This is a personal choice and it will not be a 'Club event'; the Club only has a display at one major rally during the year. Once you get to know other club members in your locality they will have information about the shows/rallies in the area.
Entry Forms
The first requirement for most shows/rallies is to obtain an entry form and
return it, usually with an sae, to the organiser before the date specified.
There are very few shows which do not have an entry form and the organisers are
happy for you to turn up on the day.
The organisers of the bigger shows will normally send you a pass so that the security staff at the gate will allow you entry to the site. Do check that there may be specified times to arrive before, and leave after, as movement around crowded show sites is prohibited once the general public are wandering about. Please accept that the organisers require that you submit an entry form as they have to account for all entrants in order to comply with their legal obligations and the event insurance (in the UK that is). Be alert to what you are signing as some entry forms still contain illegal statements see Entry forms warning below.
Once you have attended an event you will be on the organisers mailing list to be sent an entry form next year, if you have provided an sae the previous year. However, most organisers are now publishing the entry forms on event websites and so the responsibility is on you to ensure that you download the form and enter before the closing date.
Your entry is not a definite commitment and you may genuinely not be able to attend due to some late problem or on the day the weather is not ideal for sitting around in a field. However, it does not do you credit, or the Club, if you send an entry form on the off-chance that you might go to the event and then fail to turn up.
Your annual insurance arranged with RH Specialist Insurance Group through the A7CA insurance scheme covers you for attendance at shows/rallies.
What will you be doing?
Whenever you are out with your 'Seven' throughout the year you will always be meeting the public; and inevitably many people will be interested in your car and what you are doing - a rally, a Club run? When you attend a show/rally you are there to display your 'Seven'. In return for your attendance free of charge, it is implicit upon you to form part of the event and attract the paying public to view your car.
Most of the historic cars present will be post-war and unfortunately some owners arrive at these events, park and lock their vehicle and that is it; no rally number or details on display; they go off, having gained free entry, to look at the rest of the show. Sadly, some will sit near their vehicle all day and completely ignore anyone showing interest.
Enjoy the day
Although the purpose of being at the show is to display your 'Seven' you
can find time to wander about and chat tto other enthusiasts with their
post-war cars and m/cycles that you recall seeing on the roads when you
were a child. Depending upon the size of the event there will be
trade stands or, for the smaller village shows, table-top, bric-a-brac
sales. All shows, however large or small, will have a show ring, or
main ring, for a programme of displays throughoutt the day. So there
is plenty for you, and your good lady, to do and see. But don't
lock up your 'Seven' and disappear for the day - you have been allowed
free entry to display your car and so .
. . . . .
You should display your
Seven
At any event the public will wander over because they have some level of
interest in looking at
historic
cars. Of the few makes of pre-war cars present our colourful and
distinctively shaped cars will always attract their attention; maybe because
they often see a 'Seven' in their area and want to view them a lot closer, or
have read about CA7C. It helps if you are prepared
to display your 'Seven' by opening the bonnet and arranging your personal items
inside so that as much of the interior as possible can be seen by those peering
in.
Information sheet
A
laminated A4 sheet, or two at the most, displayed with salient information is
really an essential. State the model name and year of manufacture; engine
size and RAC hp/bhp; when and where it was first registered; when you bought it; how
many owners it has had; any major restoration work; any modifications from
standard; what your
main interests are - Club runs, holidays, rallies?
Talking to people
Some people will glance, perhaps take a photograph, and wander away; others will wish to talk
but do not know how to approach you. So, how do you engage their interest? Some owners now cringe and
say "I am no good at the 'PR'." Fine, we have not all had careers
where, through an official, or senior, position it has been incumbent upon us to
'break the ice', to open the conversation and put people at ease. Some of you
will say that you were not a 'rep' (meaning sales representative) but by your
very dress, behaviour and charisma you have been a 'rep' all your life for your
family, your school and perhaps university, your youth organisation, your company, and
when you go abroad on holiday you 'rep' for England and St George!
So when you are out with your 'Seven' you are a 'rep' for the historic car movement and, in particular, Austin Sevens and CA7C. By being at an event, or driving on a Club run, with your 'Seven' you 'rep', like it or not. In reality, now you are there and parked, you really should try to talk to the people who come close to look at your 'Seven'.
Lacking in confidence?
But you own a 'Seven', and you know, without thinking, what model it is; how
much it cost; its likely value; how long you have owned it; what has been done
to it; what documents have been retained.
You also know that CA7C offers members a choice of monthly runs, social events, holidays, teach-ins, black-hand gang support, and you know about the members who drive their 'Sevens' to up country events. The person standing by your car doesn't know anything like as much, so you are in pole position and now is the time to use your knowledge accordingly.
You must have had a chat up line at least once in your life, so don't be self-conscious about someone looking at your 'Seven' and showing interest. If you are sitting in your car do not ignore them, but at least open the window and chat or, better still, and being more polite, get out and talk to them.
Judging people's interest and opening
the conversation
By his/her appearance the person looking at your 'Seven' is either
too young to have owned a 'Seven', may be old enough to have owned one as a
student or had to sit in the back of one on the family holiday jaunt to the west
country, even worked as a mechanic in a local garage. Selling an interest,
in this case information about Austin Sevens and CA7C, is the art of making
people feel special and that they might be more interested in what you can tell
them.
Firstly, do not pounce or hover too close, let them have time to learn
something from looking under the bonnet and inside, and from reading
your info sheet. Whilst doing this they may well look around for
someone to talk to and notice that you are watching them showing
interest in your car. Just by catching their eye you have invited
them to say something. They may just say "Its a nice car." or not
having fully read your info sheet may ask "Have you had it long?"
If they do not say anything but look as though they wish to be spoken to then, without delaying too long, and remember that a smile is both welcoming and disarming, you have engaged their interest and now for the opening line for the conversation.
It could be "Did your father (grandfather) have a 'Seven'?" Perhaps you might ask "Have you ever owned an old car?" Or how about "This car is now xx years old!"', or go rash and add "It is a (year/model) with a 747cc engine giving xx bhp." but only if you have noted that they haven't read your script.
Let them ask questions
Once you have 'broken the ice' they should feel welcome to lead the conversation but you are in control because
you, on most occasions, will know more about the 'Sevens' and your car in
particular, than they do. From then on it is just natural conversation.
People usually ask about mpg and top-speed; what maintenance is required; where you obtain spares; whether it runs on leaded or unleaded petrol; the cost of insurance; the need for an MoT and annual road tax etc..
Caution - only 'talk technical terms' if they ask a technical question because these days many car owners are clueless about the workings of their car. You might have to tell them that the principles of the engine and gearbox on their modern car is no different; but nowadays we have a better knowledge of metals and efficiency is good due to fuel injection, electronic ignition and engine management systems; that fuel and lubricant chemistry is so much improved etc; but of course few of our modern cars will never last as long!
If they mention that they, or a family member, once owned a 'Seven' and they may wonder if it still exists then do refer them to the online AC7C Surviving Austin Seven Register at www.a7ca.org Some previous owners have found that their once cherished and memorable car still exists.
Your wider knowledge
It helps to know the difference between the several 'Sevens' on display,
eg. which have 3- and 4-speed crash boxes and when synchromesh first
appeared; that the Mk1 Ruby has right angles at the base of the
windscreen pillars and non-winding rear side windows, the Mk2 has curves
at the base of the windscreen and wind up/down rear side windows; the
Big Seven has a completely re-designed 900cc engine, and you can point
them out in the display area.
You know that about 300,000 'Sevens' and variants, by specialist coach-builders, were built between 1923 and 1939 and that around 10,000 are known to survive worldwide. You might mention that Datsun and BMW, Holden in Australia, Rosengart in France, and the American Bantam Austin Co. built 'Sevens' under licence; that Jaguar was once the Swallow Motor Co. established by William Lyons using 'Seven' chassis and engines; that the chassis and engine has been an ideal base for specials for many years, the first Lotus built by Colin Chapman; and also the Caterham Seven.
You are winning, you are a great person and really interesting to meet, and you have done your bit for Austin Sevens and the historic car movement, but above all for CA7C, one of the most active and respected of Austin Seven clubs in the country. Tell them that we have around 135 members with near that number of road-legal 'Sevens', several others are being worked on, the oldest 'Seven' in the Club on the road in Cornwall is a September 1925 'Chummy', and that two in north Devon were registered in March 1925. You might tell them about the background of the 'Chummy' and why Herbert Austin designed a small, low-cost, car for the masses.
If
you are stuck on some topic in the conversation through lack of
knowledge or information then involve another member with an interesting
'Seven' or someone else displaying a pre-war car nearby. There is so much to talk about, once you have made that simple opening
comment. But do judge the interest of the person in front of you,
don't hang onto them too long if the wife and
children are fidgeting and are wanting to move on.
But now for it - invite the well behaved child(ren), with the parent's permission, to sit in the driver's seat and have a little toot of the horn, let Mum and Dad take photos. It makes their day, we are making memories!
Coming to the end.
If you have a really good conversation and the person seems to be very
interested in historic cars, even having asked about prices and
availability, why not be a bit cheeky and suggest that he/she might like
to own a 'Seven' and that CA7C (or their local A7 Club) helps people to
buy and maintain their car; refer them to our website and the helpful
information about buying and owning a 'Seven'. Finally, when those
who have been interested do depart and offer their thanks for your time,
please do make a point of thanking them for their interest.
But be prepared for the awkward
moments.
Mostly you will be chatting with people who have a good knowledge of, or
a real interest in, historic vehicles. However, there are always
those who look but don't want to know or talk; but when some people feel
compelled to talk to you you will hear all sorts of comments. The
most common being 'My father (grandfather) had one of these' and
inevitably they proudly quoted the registration number followed by much
reminiscing of a young life squashed on the back seat with siblings, dog
and luggage, for a long trip.
We would all love to have a £1 for every time we have heard those
stories.
Some of the comments we have had
are:
'My father had one of these, it was a Morris Ten.' "No, this is an
Austin Seven." 'They're the same thing, this is just a badged
Morris.' Oh, dear he was thinking of BMC in the 1950's!
'This is one of the best cars that Ford ever made'. "No, this was
made by the Austin Motor Company at Longbridge." 'No mate, Ford
made 'em with the Prefect and Popular.' "Sorry, that was the
Anglia, Prefect and Popular.' 'Cobblers, you've no idea what
you're talking about.' "Well, I only own the car." Another
lost cause!
'You folk have ruined these old cars painting them in these gaudy
colours.' "They are all restored and painted in their original
Austin colours.' 'Utter rubbish, all pre-war cars were painted
black.' Some people will never accept the correct information
so why continue the chat?
'Austin Seven? (with suitable puzzled look); are these kit cars?'
'You have got an incorrect registration, all pre-war marks were two
letters and four numbers.' "Actually this is the original
registration as three letter marks were introduced in 1932 when two
letter marks had been fully allocated by some Licensing Authorities."
'Oh.' Why worry with folk who are not really interested?
'The engine fitted into this Ford Popular was one of the best at the
time.' His wife was most impressed with his knowledge as they
stood in front of a 'Big Seven' with a clearly headed information sheet;
'Austin' marked on the engine; an Austin Seven badge on the grill;
parked in the middle of the Cornwall Austin Seven Club display.
'How did you get these cars here?' "We drove them." 'Oh, so
are you allowed to drive these cars on the road?' "Yes."
All you can do is to smile and be tactful, let them pass on their way
blessed in their ignorance - some will never be convinced as their mind
is already made up.
However, the real joy is with the younger generations; the little lad in
a pushchair who seeing the 1929 'Chummy' exclaimed 'Brum' (from
children's TV). The boy who realised the cars were older than his
Granddad; the teenage girl who came and talked to us in a car
park saying 'They're kinda cute, real cool.' Those who want to
know how the engine works and are so sure that it differs from their
modern car. The lad who drew each 'Seven' on display, made
notes, and then visited a member to see some other models, and has kept
in touch ever since. The two lads who were doing a GCSE project on
old cars and went away with photographs, pages of notes and website
references.
Those moments are so worthwhile, and enjoyable, and a reward for our
time preparing for, and attending, the event.
Time to go home
At the end of the day you will have enjoyed talking to people who were
interested in your 'Seven'; you will have heard, and said, the same
thing countless times. You will have met people who think that
they know more than you, and usually they don't!
After all that you may be given (not always) a memento by the organisers
to acknowledge your attendance at this year's event. If it was an
worthwhile event then you will want go again and will be waiting for the
entry form next year; just hope that the sun shines!
So, do try a show/rally, you will meet some interesting folk, enjoyed a
few chuckles, and have an enjoyable day, if the weather is good.
If you enjoyed the day why not write a report for the Club magazine? The aid-memoire might help you.
Entry forms - warning: The following information appeared in the FBHVC Newsletter No:2 April 2007.
EVENT ENTRY
FORM INDEMNITIES
It came as something of a surprise at FBHVC to discover that participants in
some events are still being asked to sign entry forms that indemnify the
organisers against all claims, however caused.
FBHVC cannot emphasise enough that no-one should sign such a form, as in doing so they are likely to be breaching the terms of their own insurance policies and thus put themselves at risk of invalidating their insurance. An incorrect entry form indemnity can be worse than no indemnity at all.
Any entry form indemnity that uses phrases like ‘howsoever caused’ or ‘notwithstanding that the same may have been caused or occasioned by’ is likely to fall into this category. Such wordings were made illegal by the Unfair Contract Terms Act of 1977 because they go against the principles of fair contract by seeking to hold the organisers indemnified against claims resulting from injury or damage that they may themselves have been responsible for causing.
[CA7C members should not fall into this trap and do check what you are being asked to sign. Do not hesitate to strike out the words and write "Illegal by the Unfair Contract Terms Act of 1977".]
This article, written by Doug Castle, is based upon the one which originally appeared in CA7C Seven Focus in July 2007 pp15-17.