Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Discuss anything Morris Minor related.
Forum rules
By using this site, you agree to our rules. Please see: Terms of Use
FrankM83
Minor Legend
Posts: 1188
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2004 4:05 pm
Location: Malta
MMOC Member: No

Post by FrankM83 »

I wish I could!!

all I can do is when my van's ready I'll use it as much as possible and when I go out to meet with friend I go in it

Sidney'61
Minor Legend
Posts: 1550
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:35 pm
Location: Northampton
MMOC Member: No

Post by Sidney'61 »

It's brilliant to come back from a weekend away and find that this thread has now spread to 11 pages.

Personally I think it would be great to join the committee, I just don't know how much time and effort I could put in around my education. But if you have ideas and would really like a teenager on the commitee then I'm happy to help.
I'm also going to do a survey this week around the internet and see how many young classic car enthusiasts there are that would be interested in a rally.
Andy W____________1961 2-door 948cc (Sidney)_____________1963 2-door 1275cc (Emily)_______

FrankM83
Minor Legend
Posts: 1188
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2004 4:05 pm
Location: Malta
MMOC Member: No

Post by FrankM83 »

Fantastic idea ANdy :D

les
Minor Maniac
Posts: 8737
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2002 12:00 am
Location: kent
MMOC Member: Yes

Post by les »

According to a recent thread, it seems that the club has already managed to attract younger members, maybe they know why more don't join?
Kevin
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 7592
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2002 12:00 am
Location: Watford, Hertfordshire.
MMOC Member: No

Post by Kevin »

Personally I think it would be great to join the committee, I just don't know how much time and effort I could put in around my education. But if you have ideas and would really like a teenager on the commitee then I'm happy to help.
Great ideas Andy, and I do appreciate that for the younger members/drivers that time is also an issue and that studies do take up a large amount of time and are of course very important.
But as an older member I feel that I am probably on the wrong wavelength just like my parents were when I was a youngster as we all see things from different perspectives and as my daughters will tell you its me that is in the wrong :oops: and that they of course are always correct :lol:
I think that collective ideas are the way forward.
Cheers

Kevin
Lovejoy 1968 Smoke Grey Traveller (gone to a new home after13 years)

Herts Branch Member
Moderator MMOC 44706
bobbycharlie
Minor Friendly
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:27 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by bobbycharlie »

i know this thread is old and probably dead but i just wanted to have my input i'm 22 so quite young not very though i really like morris minors.

i don't think theyve had as much coverage as the vw as the altenative transport e.g hippys, surfers etc because they were cheap. Although in the 80s alot of older people i know had morris minors my furniture production teacher had a van, my uncle, countless old art teachers as they were cheap, but it never got coverage.

customisation is key for the younger generation but morris minor missed that and has to steal alot from the mini and other customisations take alot of fabrication its not plug and play type. i know that can't be rectifyed but its a point. also many are difficult to find out about.

i've been looking at minors for a while (a year or two) and missed a couple of cars that would have been worth it a notable minor in suffolk which was uprated type 9 gear box, spax, marina brakes and slot mags plus other things like a terrible input of a central consol from a metro good (idea sort of) but badly done. and an austin van with a 1275cc engine uprated brakes etc. should have gone for them but wasn't sure so walked away mostly because of rust (not a confident welder or a welder of any sort) and local support i know of many old vw places locally but no minor.

maybe try to get a morris minor in view of younger generations in shop adverts vw is used alot in fat face and freespirit and in clothing although it would either have to be well used classic or retro custom to have that alternative appeal. once saw an austin a35 van in topshop.

hopefully the customised show will take place a get some coverage if thats what your planning
i'd be glad to help spread the word of the minor ill do anything i can to help hopefully i'll have one soon aswell
andrew.searston
Minor Addict
Posts: 687
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:55 pm
Location: kenilworth
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by andrew.searston »

i think the moggy attracts its self. ive been into moggys since ive been little. and finally bought one when i was 15 and im 16 now.
mmjosh is also 16 and a mate of mine, so theirs plenty of young people who like moggys on the message board
[sig]9671[/sig]
mmjosh
Minor Legend
Posts: 1062
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:51 am
Location: Atherstone,Warwickshire
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by mmjosh »

ye i have one like andrew said

DanRodd
Minor Fan
Posts: 174
Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 7:38 am
Location: Pershore
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by DanRodd »

im 21,always liked minors since a young age,bought my first off my dad in 2007,and have had 2 more since,im lucky as i have bull motif 17 miles away,brum minor centre 15 miles away,etc etc

Kevin
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 7592
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2002 12:00 am
Location: Watford, Hertfordshire.
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by Kevin »

bobbycharlie wrote:i know this thread is old and probably dead but i just wanted to have my input i'm 22 so quite young not very though i really like morris minors.

i don't think theyve had as much coverage as the vw as the altenative transport e.g hippys, surfers etc because they were cheap. Although in the 80s alot of older people i know had morris minors my furniture production teacher had a van, my uncle, countless old art teachers as they were cheap, but it never got coverage.

customisation is key for the younger generation but morris minor missed that and has to steal alot from the mini and other customisations take alot of fabrication its not plug and play type. i know that can't be rectifyed but its a point. also many are difficult to find out about.

i've been looking at minors for a while (a year or two) and missed a couple of cars that would have been worth it a notable minor in suffolk which was uprated type 9 gear box, spax, marina brakes and slot mags plus other things like a terrible input of a central consol from a metro good (idea sort of) but badly done. and an austin van with a 1275cc engine uprated brakes etc. should have gone for them but wasn't sure so walked away mostly because of rust (not a confident welder or a welder of any sort) and local support i know of many old vw places locally but no minor.

maybe try to get a morris minor in view of younger generations in shop adverts vw is used alot in fat face and freespirit and in clothing although it would either have to be well used classic or retro custom to have that alternative appeal. once saw an austin a35 van in topshop.

hopefully the customised show will take place a get some coverage if thats what your planning
i'd be glad to help spread the word of the minor ill do anything i can to help hopefully i'll have one soon aswell
This section might give you some ideas
http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=25
Cheers

Kevin
Lovejoy 1968 Smoke Grey Traveller (gone to a new home after13 years)

Herts Branch Member
Moderator MMOC 44706
chickenjohn
Minor Legend
Posts: 4064
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 8:50 am
Location: Margate, East Kent
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by chickenjohn »

bobbycharlie wrote:

"i don't think theyve had as much coverage as the vw as the altenative transport e.g hippys, surfers etc because they were cheap. Although in the 80s alot of older people i know had morris minors my furniture production teacher had a van, my uncle, countless old art teachers as they were cheap, but it never got coverage.

customisation is key for the younger generation but morris minor missed that and has to steal alot from the mini and other customisations take alot of fabrication its not plug and play type. i know that can't be rectifyed but its a point. also many are difficult to find out about.
"

First of all , customisation brings with it the nightmare of the BIVA test and the full weight of the DVLA/EU bureaucracy coming down on us. Loss of historic vehicle status, a Q plate and eventually the authorities will come and take the car away. Best strategy for the Minor is to stay historic and original, this is also for another reason:-

The image of the Minor is one of a nice reliable cheap car for nice people, nurses, teachers, vicars, teachers etc. And quite rightly so. There is nothing wrong with that, it is good.

VW has the surfer/ drag car image, 2-CV is for hippies and the Mini has all the motorsport heritage and Michael Caine "Italian Job" etc. This is not the Minor heritage which is one of British niceness. Nothing wrong with that, there are a lot of nice people around and these will continue to be drawn to the Minor. The East kent branch of which I am a member is positively thriving and that is because we are getting more and more new members, of all age groups. The majority of new Minor owners are 40- 60 years old. And that is fine as long as we keep getting new members on a rolling basis. We actually have more members now, this year than at any time in our branch's history.

There is no demographic crisis in the Minor world, it is just that people are getting into classic cars 20 years later than they used to. Probably because the cost of living is so much more expensive now than it used to be.

Trying to make the Minor appeal to "yoof" would be a huge mistake, like your Dad wearing a baseball cap and listening to dance music to try and be cool. It would be fake, and would not work because the history and culture of the Minor is not one of "cool", "surfing", "modding" etc but one of nice people in nice cars.
Cheers John - all comments IMHO
- Come to this years Kent branches Hop rally! http://www.kenthop.co.uk
(check out the East Kent branch website http://www.ekmm.co.uk )
ImageImage
DanRodd
Minor Fan
Posts: 174
Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 7:38 am
Location: Pershore
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by DanRodd »

i totally agree with you there chickenjohn,and im only 21 :D i had a totally original,1981 mini city,complete with economy sized steering wheel and single central speedo,requirements which i had set that i wanted.i went to a massive mini event at santa pod,must have been a few thousand there,mine was the only unmodified mini city there!plus,i felt massively out of place with all the other young people there,all modifying and adding sound systems,alloys etc.

im probably old before my time,but one of the reasons i love the Minor is exactly what you have just said,its niceness,genuine "Britishness" and the fact that here is a 40 year old car,that looks exactly that,yet is perfectly able to be used in 2010.

I have done some modifications,but these are simply improvements that detract nothing from its appearance,and all in period.295 head,leccy ignition,3 chrome rimmed smiths gauges in a traffy blue panel in the drivers glovebox etc.
I for one would not want it to appeal to the same sort of people that minis/beetles attract,for that is its attraction :D

chickenjohn
Minor Legend
Posts: 4064
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 8:50 am
Location: Margate, East Kent
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by chickenjohn »

Hi Dan,
thanks for your reply! I sometimes think my outspoken views will get me in trouble on here but that is not my intention! By the way, I also wanted to get a classic car as my first car, but being a student, a classic was beyond my reach so had to wait till i was 30 to get my Traveller.

I'm glad you replied, it shows that by a Minor just being a Minor we can attract younger owners. Just need to get the word out to the right people!
Cheers John - all comments IMHO
- Come to this years Kent branches Hop rally! http://www.kenthop.co.uk
(check out the East Kent branch website http://www.ekmm.co.uk )
ImageImage
jonathon
Minor Legend
Posts: 4052
Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 3:43 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by jonathon »

The reason the 'yoof' are modifying their cars is that the want a fusion of old and new. However not many 'Yoof' even know what a Minor is, so if we only attract modifiers then this is a good thing.
To be fair too, most heavy mods to Minors are not performed by the 'Yoof' rather by the mid 30-60 range. Most of our modified motors are sold /built for the over 40's.
I supposed the future of the minor may rest in nostalgia, rather than what a Minor can offer us today, but how many of our 'Yoof' want austerity, picnic blankets, and the like. (ducking already) :roll: :D

plastic_orange
Minor Legend
Posts: 1405
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 8:34 pm
Location: Broughty Ferry
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by plastic_orange »

Oh, I don't know Jonathon, a tartan thermos is a must have :)

Pete
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/sinky_aps/4e634210.jpg[/img] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/sinky_aps/MorrisRain4.jpg[/img]
new_adventures_of_arthur
Minor Fan
Posts: 129
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 12:57 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by new_adventures_of_arthur »

If you're looking for ideas, I think the magazine is the best representation of the club and changes need to start here.

I'll give my opinion because that is what this topic is about and because I consider myself as a young member, though dont consider myself young really (I'm 27 now). I've already decided in my first year that I'm not renewing my membership as the club is just not for me, so it doesnt bother me if the club take on board what the 'yoof' are saying or not - but I think they should for their own sake. I'm past caring, but I think it's a little sad.

The impression I get from the magazine is that the club is old fashioned and for fuddy-duddies. Reports on Easter-bonnet competitions, tea & scones in a field, fancy dress competitions etc etc, it just sounds sad (from a younger perspective). Why would that encourage me to come along? Just because we like old cars, it doesnt mean that we're a bunch of sad b*gg*rs - look at Practical Classics and Classic Car Weekly? Their style of writing is much more modern, charismatic, humorous and interesting, and doesnt make me feel embarrassed about being associated with a bunch of "diddly-wack anoraks" as this the impression that I get from the mmoc magazine. Granted there are a few web rallies which are organised that are a little more tailored for younger members, but surely is this not born out frustration of the club not catering to the younger members? And just to clear it any confusion, not all young people like the custom cars - the more original the better for me - but each to their own (and besides, part of the popularity of VW's is due to the custom scene).

Dont get me wrong, the technical advice section of the magazine is brilliant - and I just wouldnt change in any way. Rob Thomasson does a great job of this section. It's great and does exactly what it needs to. Great job Rob. It's perfect, and descriptive and informative.

Then there is the forum - the moderators are so frustrating and want to wrap the forum and topics up in cotton wool. Their lack of freedom of speech is a joke. It is freedom of speech despite what their ignorance argues and the empty threats they receive or the stories of other forums apparently closing down. The moderators can bang on about how they need to do this for the sake of the forum but this is over reacting to the n'th degree. Thousands of forums by institutions with a higher profile than the MMOC allow controversial comments, but always ask to avoid strong language, and harrasment (which I agree with). It's like this forum was hosted in China.

If those at the centre of the club gave a care for the future of the club, they have to accept the fact that things change, and will have to embrace different styles of running a club. Now I can already hear the club defending themselves against my comments, and saying "well you do something then" but until I'm in a position to do so (family commitments and a newborn baby, etc) I can only offer my opinion which comes from genuine concerns about that state of the club. I've tried to give critical criticism before and it's defended like I'm attacking the reputation of Issigonis himself.

Yes, they have one of the most popular clubs on the uk, but so it should! The Minor was a hugely popular car - but this doesnt mean the club have to sit back on their laurels. The morris minor is one of the best loved british cars, with tons of personality - it's just a shame the club doesn't seem to have the charm, charisma and innovation to match.

I actually think the MMOC is a disappointment to the Morris Minor.
Have now joined the 'cool kids' at [url]http://www.morrisminorowners.co.uk[/url] :wink:
ASL642
Minor Maniac
Posts: 5200
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:14 pm
Location: Warwickshire
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by ASL642 »

In your own post you've answered some of the reasons why the MMOC appears "older" to the uninitiated. We do have many young members with cars. They then go to Uni/get jobs which leave them little time to "play Morris Minor". Like you they go on to marry and have families. Financial constraints of young families/mortgages/jobs mean that family time is sacred and the partner doesn't necessarily want to spend their spare time driving around in a classic car with small babies in the back!

This is why although the Club welcomes people of all ages it is mainly the very young who still live at home or people of say over 40 who now have slightly older children who don't need so much care that come back to the Minor scene. I had to give up my A35 as I couldn't fit 3 children + dog in! I waited until my youngest was out of a childseat and joined the MMOC scene. We need young members with their familes attending rallies etc. as this will attract more younger families to even out the age ratio.

Lou Rocke
MMOC 43512
new_adventures_of_arthur
Minor Fan
Posts: 129
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 12:57 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by new_adventures_of_arthur »

I totally agree with you with what you're saying Lou. But its not just the rallies.

Like I say, it's the magazine too. It just feels old fashioned, and fuddy-duddy (to me anyway) - apart from the tech tips [thumbs up]. The magazine is probably the best way to reach all members, as even though I have little time to dedicate to the scene, I still read the magazine - but it just doesnt inspire me to think that being a member is a fun, and enjoyable thing.

To be honest though, I think this whole conversation is pointless. As I doubt any of the ideas offered here will be taken up by the committee. I think there's more chance of an unofficial owners group doing more to attract younger owners that the mmoc.
Have now joined the 'cool kids' at [url]http://www.morrisminorowners.co.uk[/url] :wink:
ASL642
Minor Maniac
Posts: 5200
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:14 pm
Location: Warwickshire
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by ASL642 »

Well I'm a Committee member and I'm listening. :D

Lou Rocke
MMOC 43512
jonathon
Minor Legend
Posts: 4052
Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 3:43 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: Ideas to attract new young blood into the MMOC

Post by jonathon »

Lou, are the rest of the committee aware of the 3 threads currently running ,regarding the MMOC and its abilities. If so is there any feedback to come which might be posted on this forum.
If the rest of the committee are not aware then are you able to bring it to their attention.

Post Reply