Are car clubs hurting for younger members?

So, I've been doing some research and it looks like younger car people (20-30) are not joining single make car clubs. I'm a member of CCE (Chicagoland Corvair Enthusiasts) and since I was a teenager, I have always been the youngest member. To this day, I'm still one of the youngest by like 10 years (I'm 32). I'm a fluke. I grew up with the club and a lot of the members are my friends by default because of my dad.

Now CCE does A LOT of stuff throughout the year. They have tours (basically driving in a convoy to various locations) 4 to 5 times through the year. They have meetings once a month and almost every other month is something to have participation in like a chili cook off or sweets auction. We have the Orphan Auto Picnic, which is a large car show/picnic that we've been putting on for 20+ years. They also have overnight tours that are driving somewhere thats a few hours away, staying the night and coming back then next day. And parades, there's always parades through the warmer months. They have always been family friendly, they have always accommodated people with children when having their events. I imagine a lot of clubs do stuff like this or multiple clubs get together to do things like this.

However, is this what isn't appealing? Because honestly, when I was 16, yeah the tours and such were boring as hell, but as I got older I started enjoying it.

Second, is the single make that we're talking about. Cars like Mustangs and Corvairs are way more affordable to own and maintain than say Jaguars and Lancias. Most of the people in the latter, are going to be older folks that have spent many of many years saving up or collecting the more expensive makes when they were cheap. However, any car can be money pit. To me, cars like MGs should be affordable, but unless you find one that has taken care of well, sometimes they're a basket case and take a lot of money to get back to a running/driving condition. A situation like that could be a deterrent from something that could otherwise be an affordable car to start with. Parts availability can also be a deterrent, common American cars like Mustangs and Camaros have a ridiculous aftermarket, so parts are easy to get, but cars like Corvairs and Studebakers don't have a very big aftermarket, so the idea that you may not be able to get a part easily and cheaply is not a comforting feeling.

Lastly, is it the people? Maybe. As a younger adult, you don't really want to hang out with people that are your parents age. I went through this myself, but I usually would drag a friend with to make things a little more fun. However, in my experience, everybody was friendly, willing to help if you had an issue or needed a hand for a few hours working on your car. You never felt left out and people were usually inclined to strike up a conversation with you, so I can't see how the people would make you not want to be involved. Also, there were other people with kids. They either had little ones or kids my age, so even if it was a younger couple, there were other people there with kids themselves.

I worry some days when I hear about the younger crowd not being interested in cars. The torch isn't getting passed down from car enthusiast to child anymore it seems, mainly due to lack of interest.

So does this sound about right? From your own experiences think that this could be some reasons why?

It's the cars. The Corvair is old. MGs are old. Heck, NA Miatas are old. Car shows tend to be old cars (the local ones have 8-10 classes for American cars from the 50's and 60's, then one for "imports") with the same tired mild rock and roll music like Woodstock never happened. And Woodstock was more than 45 years ago.

There's a youth car culture. For example, in the Miata world there's a group called KINOD. They're fun, irreverent and enjoy meeting up. But they don't park in the grass on a Sunday and pull out a lawn chair, they meet at In-N-Out at night and take cool pictures in the parking lot.

It does depend on the car....

As Keith points out... although... some cars as a group have model specificity within the group.

For example... Muscle cars - Pontiac GTO and Dodge Charger, Pony Cars - Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang, and as a more "modern" example J-Tin - Toyota Corolla AE86 and earlier, Celica(rwd typically) NA Miata, Datsun Z, 510, 610.

All of these cars kinda have their own models, as well as getting together as a group

In SoCal we have a E36 M3-ton of car clubs. If you're in the Euro scene, lots and lots of options. Most of which are people in their 20's and 30's.

Not sure on the Japanese car scene because I tend to stay away from those groups. Not necessarily clubs, but San Diego has at least one car meet every night somewhere around town. Usually at a local restaurant/strip mall.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

The age of the cars is something I didn't take into consideration. I'm so used to be around 40-50-60 year old cars that, it doesn't phase me.

But, I do know there are a lot of younger people, some in their teens, that own and drive Corvairs. They are possibly a fluke like myself though.

I participate in a very small group that isn't really a club , but we have a name. When I first came around I was the youngest by about ten years, now we have one person younger than myself. We mainly do a lot of camping and every first Thursday of the month we do a cruise to a local pizza place. Before I got involved with the group they had decided on one rule and only one rule, you must drive an aircooled Volkswagen. So there are no membership fees and no one is really in charge. Personally I like this model much better than a club with politics.

I've never been a joiner. I think the drive of younger people (which I am not, anymore) to join a "club" and be part of a larger group is seriously diminished from what it historically has been. I think this is because of the changing nature of social interaction as driven / reflected by internet interaction.

Add to that all the problems mentioned above related to "outdated" cars and culture and you have a change in what a "car club" will be in the future.

Were there car clubs in the thirties and forties? Some kind of wheelman's club or touring group? I wonder how they viewed the socal hot rod clubs of the fifties?

I'm 36 and have tried joining a couple clubs and it just hasn't worked out. I get that these are the types of organizations that you "get what you give" to a large extent, but I couldn't figure out how to really get anything out of membership. Most recently, I tried joining my local Triumph motorcycle club. I did not go to meetings, but did go to a couple club sponsored events. Most of the people I wound up talking too weren't even club members. I guess I should have volunteered to work at events so people actually in the club would know I exist. You can also tell I'm not really a social butterfly either. Long story short, I was happy to contribute dues for a year to help a club out, but I did not renew my membership.

I guess a big part of the problem is I don't know what I want out of a club other than the obvious "I want to look at and talk about cars and bikes". I don't really need to join a club to do that and I haven't found much other purpose in joining.

In reply to Waldo:

I could see that working, but I've been in a club with structure for so long I would look for someone in leadership.

I have heard of structured clubs working like a dictatorship and horror stories. So a non structured club would be appealing to some.

FYI, CCE only has a $15 yearly membership. With that you get a monthly news letter. Yeah not a lot for $15, but it's something.

Are car clubs hurting for younger members? From my experience with British car clubs, absolutely yes. Age group in the local club I belong to is mainly if not exclusively 40+, and predominantly 60+. That's the age group that grew up with these cars. Despite attempts to attract younger people, the strong interest that's required just isn't there with the young people. I think in another 15-20 years most of the British car clubs will disappear. I'm sure there are a few twenty-something's with the passion, but probably not enough to sustain numerous local clubs. And this isn't limited to the club I belong to. As part of my membership dues I receive a monthly publication called "British Marque," which is basically an update of what's going on with British car clubs around the country. There are a lot of clubs out there, but rarely do I see any young people in photos of club events. It's primarily the 60+ group. I really don't know what the solution is, for the British clubs anyway. The cars will remain long after the current owners are gone, but will the heirs have the same passion to sustain clubs?

I am part of an "Euro" club. Most of the young people (15-25) are driving BMW's or VW. They are young tight knit group and does not really hang out with the 30+ crowd.

Car clubs are full of people who can both afford the cars and want the cars involved. Kids in high school or college aren't dreaming of Corvairs or MGs, they're dreaming of newer iron. That's why they're more likely to be gathering around Silvias or BRZs or Civics.

ultraclyde wrote: I've never been a joiner. I think the drive of younger people (which I am not, anymore) to join a "club" and be part of a larger group is seriously diminished from what it historically has been. I think this is because of the changing nature of social interaction as driven / reflected by internet interaction. Add to that all the problems mentioned above related to "outdated" cars and culture and you have a change in what a "car club" will be in the future. Were there car clubs in the thirties and forties? Some kind of wheelman's club or touring group? I wonder how they viewed the socal hot rod clubs of the fifties?

I think you hit the nail on the head. From what I've seen, most of the younger crowd will opt for an online forum, rather than a real-life club. Maybe it's a comfort thing. I don't know.

Not to say that no one young ever joins a club. It just seems our generation has become much more inclined to jump on a computer rather than into a club to get their automotive kicks.

I am almost 30. I recently made an attempt to join a GTO car club (I own a '68). I told myself it was a deal breaker if any of them started in about how there haven't been any good cars since 197x.

Well, one gentleman tried to tell me that his (stock) 1976 firebird would certainly outrun and outhandle the 2004+ models. That was all I needed to hear.

Additionally, most of the members were retired, and the only tool they use anymore is a checkbook.

I'm sad about all of this because I really wanted to find a group of enthusiasts to spend time with and learn from.

Don't know about the older cars, but there's a pretty huge FRS/BRZ club that's very active around here. They meet up weekly - but usually at night, and usually in a parking lot somewhere. There are also a lot of weekend wrenching meetups that happen. I think it's really about the car.

Though I have joined marque-specific clubs in the past, I don't anymore, simply because my tastes are too eclectic. Too much "ours is better than theirs" provincialism in marque-specific clubs, IMO. Or marque-specific web forums, for that matter....

I'm currently an SCCA member, and I'm debating whether or not to renew. Basically, the whole reason I re-joined was to be able to get a discounted entry at autocrosses and participate in the season-long DCSCC season here in the Detroit area. Well, I haven't turned a wheel at an autocross since late 2011. Hopefully that will change this year if I can finally get Ugly going, but still, $80 a year for a club I don't really feel part of and a crappy magazine.... I dunno.

In my experience being the young guy into old cars in a group of people, in which some of them have been driving the same vehicles for 40 plus years, they were more than willing to teach me what I needed to know. Without them and their experiences I wouldn't know half of what I know about ACVWs and I wouldn't know how to weld and fit patch panels.

Ed Higginbotham wrote:

ultraclyde wrote: I've never been a joiner. I think the drive of younger people (which I am not, anymore) to join a "club" and be part of a larger group is seriously diminished from what it historically has been. I think this is because of the changing nature of social interaction as driven / reflected by internet interaction. Add to that all the problems mentioned above related to "outdated" cars and culture and you have a change in what a "car club" will be in the future. Were there car clubs in the thirties and forties? Some kind of wheelman's club or touring group? I wonder how they viewed the socal hot rod clubs of the fifties?

I think you hit the nail on the head. From what I've seen, most of the younger crowd will opt for an online forum, rather than a real-life club. Maybe it's a comfort thing. I don't know. Not to say that no one young ever joins a club. It just seems our generation has become much more inclined to jump on a computer rather than into a club to get their automotive kicks.

I'm not sure joining a forum community is much different, honestly. Instead of standing around a park or a parking lot talking about cars, you talk online.

I'm not actually a member of the local Miata club. Too many old folks who just want to drive to restaurants. I don't go to car shows anymore because I don't have a 1956 DeSoto or something like that. I don't cruise to the Sonic on Friday night to eat limp hamburgers. If you were a car club person, you'd have no idea I was in town.

But I am a member - heck, I'm the source - of the local track community. I run all the track days. I'll drop in on the Corvette club autocrosses. I'm sure involved in being part of larger groups.

Ironically, I was one of the founding members of a Miata club in Ottawa. That was 20 years ago, when I was much younger than I am today. We did a lot of performance driving. Now, the old folks have taken over and it's more of a "drive to eat" group with bylaws and regulations on obligatory hands free CB radios to take part in tours and the like.

I think you're overlooking one major thing, the 18-25 group these days do not have the disposable income the prior generation or three did. Between student loans, wage deflation, and decreased home(read: garage) ownership, a second, recreational car is a hard thing to swing for a lot of people who would otherwise pick one up for fun.

In reply to Kenny_McCormic:

Good point. I can barely do anything—let alone spend on my poor Miata—thanks to student loans.

In fact, I still have an E36 race car up in Maryland that has done nothing but sit in my dad's shop since I moved down here to Florida. I just barely finished it before coming down. It's never even seen a track before. I just don't have a place to keep it (1-bedroom apartment). I may end up just selling it before I ever even see it again.

Keith Tanner wrote:

Ed Higginbotham wrote: I think you hit the nail on the head. From what I've seen, most of the younger crowd will opt for an online forum, rather than a real-life club. Maybe it's a comfort thing. I don't know.

I'm not sure joining a forum community is much different, honestly. Instead of standing around a park or a parking lot talking about cars, you talk online.

I think there's more to this on-line option than you both perceive. One major reason there's a marque club in the first place is to share information about a car- how to maintain it, how to modify it, how to... Also, the clubs became a way that someone could share tools, particularly the specialized ones. Reading old Alfa Owners, there was not much about shows and displays- more about how to tune the Webers, or later SPICA; what shocks work best on a Giulietta, who is racing a GTV the best. etc.

Most, if not all, of that information is available on line.

So if I want to know how to modify an MZR engine in a NC Miata, I go on line and search options. No need for a club.

Clubs do exist to "do stuff"- whatever it is. But in my close to 20 years being active in the Alfa club- the numbers who "do stuff" are a small fraction of the whole body. Most want the information.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: I think you're overlooking one major thing, the 18-25 group these days do not have the disposable income the prior generation or three did. Between student loans, wage deflation, and decreased home(read: garage) ownership, a second, recreational car is a hard thing to swing for a lot of people who would otherwise pick one up for fun.

I didn't have disposable income when I was young, too. Granted, I got an Alfetta GT from my parents, and they did a lot to keep it running- but all I could do it keep it running- not change it.

There are plenty of creative, hard working people who know how to use what they have. Which is why you see a good Challenge team from Georgia Tech.

I'm 63 and in our British Car Club wife and I are the "kids". But then our 1980 TR8's are the youngest cars showing up.

I have a 24 year nephew who has built a very fast G60 Corrado, and a stunningly fast VR6 Turbo Corrado. H makes his own methanol injection, rebuilds ECUs, and troubleshoots melt downs.

No club though, and no organized racing.

Old cars are too slow for him.

I would like to have him enter an Autocross with me in my 1965 Lotus 7, just so he could find out how quick slow can be.

I think some of this is the reason why the Cars and Coffee events are gaining popularity.

A car club for new cars seems strange to me, almost "car racist" in a way. The association they have is that they have cars that look like each other. The cars are new, they don't have to learn about repairs and issues. It's just a bit weird.

For my local Corviar club, it is literally dying off. Heck most old guys are intimidated by the "unique" Corvairs, many young ones have no idea what they are looking at.