Re: If you are under sixty, how did you get interested in Packards?

Posted by Craig the Clipper Man On 2013/5/1 12:19:14

Graham:

Maybe the next time you go to a show/tour/meet, bring along a couple of friends. They'll enjoy riding in your car and if you trust them, let them take a spin at the wheel. When they are at the event, take them around to individual members, introduce them to everyone, and make sure your friends spend some time talking to the members, no matter what their age. As you have already found out, the cars are the stars and you can get as much enthusiasm out of a 70-year-old when it comes to talking about his car as you can a 30-year-old. The dialogue might be a bit different, but you get my drift.

The point is, it is up to you and others like you who are into these cars to bring in more younger members. Most clubs do not require car ownership as a prerequisite. If you can plant the bug in your friends' heads about how cool it is to own a car like a 1952 200 or a 1955 Clipper, or maybe something even older, then it will take root and you may get a few bites. Whenever I see young people checking out our cars, I immediately go over and engage them by talking about my Clipper and explaining the history and details of other Packards in the vicinity. They really get it and really appreciate what is going on. I try to tell them that it is possible to get into a Packard without totally busting a budget; that by taking your time and looking around, you can generally find a reasonably priced driver that requires little just to make it a decent tourer. While the glorious trailer queens may steal the show, the good runners costing under $10,000 make great starters for younger folks with limited means.

As I said, it is up to current members to try to draw new people into the clubs. Since most of the members I know have no reservations about getting their hands dirty adjusting a carburator or changing a battery, most club members are anything but snobs. The snobs are usually members of the Rolls-Royce/Bentley clubs whose cars do not generally run, but look fantastic!