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MG MG Y Type - SILVERSTONE - is there a future for it

I dont know how many of you attended this year's Silverstone event.I have read Andrew Coulson's report and he was there for the three days, whilst I was only present for the Sunday - thanks Andrew and Arlene,Jack and Mollie for keeping the seats warm as I made my customery late arrival.

I wondered what the view of the membership towards Silverstone is? I e-mailed the Car Club with some thoughts and a few caveats about only being present on the Sunday.

I was not very impressed with the set up as it seemed very similar to recent years - but with fewer traders,less cars and increased prices. Though reading Andrew's notes it would seem that there were a few different things.

What I suggested to MGCC is that they should arrange for the Register's to undertake an on-line survey. Main club could set out the questions, with each Register able to add 2 or 3 of their own. This would ensure some consistency and a small amount of variety.
Hopefully it would establish whether the membership (a) wish to continue to attend Silverstone (b) suggestions for an alternative location and (c) how we can attract new members.

I also commented that with the greater transparency that the finances now operate under that the membership know (a) how much it costs to hire Silverstone (b) whether there was a profit/loss (c) and some feedback from traders etc.

This might help to clarify that Silverstone is what members want and whether if its time to move on.

I would have thought that an event that has some practical workshops, encourages a greater number of traders and is more realistically priced may be a way forward. However, that is a personal view.

I would be interested to get some feedback from subscribers to this site.

Sincerely

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

Hi Jerry

Well, personally I dont enjoy paying my subscription to subsidize personal motor racing to the extent that I clearly do, but maybe I am in a minority?

For many years of personal attendance at Silverstone, and National MG Day at Beaulieu before that, I see many similarities in that increased gate charges = decreased visitors (and revenues) = fewer traders = fewer visitors = increased gate charges. It is about a 2 year cycle, and there after a cyclical downturn of ever decreasing circles. Some of the blame for the demise of both events has to be laid at the door of the host - be it Octagon Racing, or Beaulieu Palace Estates as vendors are squeezed on their margins by exhorbitant site fees, further reducing the number of attracting vendors.

For whatever reason, I beleive the rot set in about 2003, and it certainly didnt help that Main Club decided to exile some of my best friends who had been somewhat vocal about the lack of washroom facilities for traders in the traders village.

As the internet grows, there is little room for an event that offers little in the way of innovation and spares are readily and easily accessable from ourselves and a host of vendors using credit cards and not having to wander for hours with wads of cash.

Bottom line - Silverstone is a bit of a white elephant ... but I hassen to add folks - that is absolutely only my personal opinion and is in no way an official comment.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Haven't been to Silverstone for years, but the point of these super-events is not only to go searching for parts and watch the racing. The main reason why I would love to attend each year is because of the PEOPLE you meet.

The Internet and especially this forum has provided me with invaluable information and part bargains. I also consider some of you as trusted friends, even if we have never met. So much so that I considered cancelling my MGCC-membership. But I decided against it because the (big international) MG-meetings excel in the fact you see REAL cars and REAL people.
Willem van der Veer

You can still go to Silverstone without being a member of the MGCC ... but they just charge you even more on the gate.

I totally agree about the fellowship aspect though, one just doesnt need the added overhead of the expensive venue of somewhere that is the like of Silverstone! What would be an interesting development I have often advocated would be to move the event away from Silverstone to another more Midland area such as Rockingham or Donnington circuits and pass the savings through to members and traders and try to recapture some of the lost market. However MGCC powers seem to have a suicidal obsession with Silverstone. Tradition is all well and good - until it kills the very thing it was trying to foster.

Again - I hasten to add - this is only my personal opinion.

Paul
Paul Barrow

I make my appologies since I attended on Saturday in my T Type, that register as such seemed well supported. The Y types and Z Magnetts were a bit thin on the ground though. I intend to be more active in the future - promise! Maybe that Y and Z owners are not so interested in racing or Gymkhanas, I don't know, but although I havn't been to Silverstone for more than a couple of decades it seemed to have changed very little. It could do with a rethink, maybe more emphasis on regions rather than segregating into registers, fresh ideas are really needed perhaps even co-operating with non MG Clubs under the BMC/British Leyland umbrella.
Bryan

I have never been able to go to Silverstone but I brought up this question at this weeks local MGCC meeting.

About half a dozen had attended, mainly for all of the three days, and there were no negative comments.

As to the profit or loss to the club, I am told that the accounts are available each year, and that the lions share of the cost is borne by the racers who I am told paid £170+ (per race?).

Michael
Michael

Hi Michael

MGCC accounts are available, and yes the lion's share of the racing is indeed paid for by the racers ... however, only the lion's share. That still leaves something to be picked up by the rest of the members, and given that Motor Racing Activities was not a 'net contributor' to Gross Margins of the club, (and I understand hasnt been for a number of years) I do not see why the Ordinary Joe member has to pick up any subsidy for it. Racing should be held seperately from other gatherings, and if Ordinary Joe wants to go and watch, he can buy an Ordinary Spectator ticket at commercial rates. That way, racing will be either self financing, or face commercial realities as it will be directly sponsored by those who want to watch it.

The biggest problem with the accounting for Silverstone is that it is impossible to seperate the costs of the Auto Jumble and Social side from the Motor Racing, although I suspect if the Auto Jumble etc. were offsite from Silverstone Race Circuit and held in a farmer's field somewhere away from Silverstone, I would bet the farm that the costs would be substantially lower!

Again folks - so that there is no confusion - this IS only my personal opinion!

Paul
Paul Barrow

It was as a little boy that I watched a gold YA race at Silverstone and I vowed I would once own such a car. Some 30 years later I finally fulfilled that dream, so in my personal opinion "racing improves the breed".
Willem van der Veer

That gold YA would have been Frank Voultier's(?) super car! Gee Willem, are you that young? I figured you were at least shaving!!

Paul
Paul Barrow

Some time ago there was a poem written about Frank's racing Y type which appeared in S.Fast, I unfortunately cant find my copy. If anyone has this copy please publish as it is most amusing.
Bryan

Thanks everybody, it is always good to have comments about Club events, it is only by knowing what members are thinking that we can make improvements. That is the reason we did carry out a survey among members last year. Silverstone International was found to be one of the most popular offerings from the Club, with the best features thought to be the racing (with the open paddock), parking by registers and the traders. It does cost a lot to hire the circuit for three days, though much the same as other circuits, and the economics are pretty knife-edge, bad weather or cancelled races can hit pretty hard, and both can come together! Last year the event just about washed its face, and we put prices up a bit this year to be able to afford some innovations. The three day ticket for members still compares favourably with the single day cost of some other events. With the good weather this year, and no cancelled races, we should have made money, but we have not got the final figures yet. 2009 will be the last year of a five year deal, and whether we remain at Silverstone or go elsewhere depends on what we can negotiate. No other circuit offers quite the range of facilities we get at Silverstone, though. I agree those facilities would ideally include some more loos!

Thanks to some strenuous efforts by the racing sub-committee, racing has turned round over the last two years from being subsidised by non-racing members to being a profit-making part of the Club, both at Silverstone and for other meetings. Bear in mind that at Silverstone it is also one of the main attractions for visitors.

To bring a more focussed centre for the event, we did have an arena area this year, and brought some events into it, along with Russ Swift doing his amazing stunts, and some participatory events such as a tyre changing competition and a reverse steer car. We also introduced a run into the countryside, including a visit to Gaydon, historic buses transporting visitors around the circuit and a trip out to Stowe Gardens for those who wanted a break. We also re-introduced circuit tours, and the Saturday evening BBQ we brought in last year was again very popular. Any further ideas for new features would be very welcome.

We are aware that we need to cultivate our traders more, and my colleague George Wilder spent the weekend visiting them all and getting their feedback on the event and relations with the Club generally. The trade is beginning to change, with fewer cars now being rebuilt, and less interest in second-hand parts. This aspect of course now also faces competition from the MG Spares Day at Stoneleigh.

Silverstone International, and the Club generally, are considerable undertakings to run, we have only a small professional staff and rely mainly on volunteer efforts, so any help that can be offered is very greatly appreciated, either in the form of your comments or getting more closely involved.

Chris Hunt Cooke
Vice-Chairman, MGCC
C Hunt Cooke

Having consulted widely with someone else who has attended probably the same 27 days of the last 9 Silverstone meetings I offer the following to Register, MGCC and - most importantly - fellow Y owners.

The formula is a bit static at Silverstone - but with this slowness to change also comes a beneift that if you attend more than once or twice the event can have a familiar feel. The downside of course is that lack of change and too much familiarity can encourage people to think twice about going "for the same as last year". A 400+ mile round trip, two nights B&B somewhere, two nights dining, 3 day pass for two and - if the mortgage permits maybe a shared beer at over £5 per pint (yes that's right!!) on the circuit makes it cost around £350 - 400 for a three day break with racing etc.

We enjoy the friends we see there, the racing and a browse through the traders - this year's buses were a bonus, but a tour of a garden can be done anytime- and at a lot less than £350. Please do not turn the event into a country fair! The cost of food/drink on Silverstone circuit can appear to be profiteering - a friend from Ripon (modern TF, second visit in 08) has been berating me that his two bacon rolls and two plastic coffee cups were £12.50, he was glad he didn't come for three days!

Money aside, the main Club may find benefit from securing different circuits - most of us at Silverstone do not visit all UK racing sites so we would have the benefit of 'newness' every time you changed it.

Now to the Y Register - how about making a difference by only offering one theme on the stand/at the event? (Any pre-ordered regalia obviously would be taken for collection) We could do e.g. electric and have a display of items/sequence of lamps/changes, advice from the pamphlets, possibly even a technical piece from one of our gurus! Changing the theme periodically may attract more attendees... which brings me to YOU!

The Y owners attending Silverstone are typically so few that we would fit our entire line up into a small marquee each year! For those unsure if their car will get them there, be of good heart the XPAG does well at 50mph + and the journey can be quite pleasant/ exciting! For those who want to see quality cars, why not go for a POO - this year it was free!! (If one of mine can get a pot then everyone deserves one!) If I can persuade Frank V to part with it we may even get one back on the grid !

All in all I believe we need a major national event in the Club; we need variety as well as familiar; we need honest pricing rather than opportunistic/hostage pricing; we need members with their cars and we need to not be afraid of trying something new. If F1 can give the thumbs down to Silverstone then, if needed, maybe the MGCC could do similar.

Yours with a fresh (today) MOT on the YT, a YA to fettle for the Broughton Game Fair on Sunday and a YB pickup that needs a kick up its electrics!
Andrew

PS Oh yes, I forgot the most important thank you, to a patient wife, message taker, emailer, etc
Andrew Coulson

Jerry,

Nearly 9 years on what's your conclusion?

Richard
R E Knight

This thread was discussed between 17/06/2008 and 03/03/2017

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