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In a recent post Hank mentioned the Packard owner age gap which is a concern to many Packard enthusiasts who want to make sure our Packards have good custodians after we have left the scene. We also need a lot more younger enthusiasts. Many of our cars should live for several hundred years with maintenance and attention. I'd like to start a post soliciting the ideas of our forum to help our current region and national leaders create the next generations of Packard lovers. Your thoughts....

My kids are 11, 10 and 7. They are already fighting over who gets the Packard when I'm dead.

Give 'em a car, that's what happened to me. I knew nothing of Packards when I got my grandfather's car, now I am obsessed! I'm 39, but like a 2 year old, I want my car done, NOW!

Ray,

Get them involved at an early age...

(o[]o)

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Have events that appeal to a younger audience. While Concourse's and fancy black tie dinners are wonderful at times, they are not always appealing to a younger generation both socially and financially.

I think the best response I ever get from people is at local cruise nights. The local chapters should be bringing their cars out to as many of these as possible.

1. yes get them involved early. i was around them pretty much since birth. see the pic of me on the hood of the 47 when i was about 1 or 2.

2.unless you started out young with them (either father or grandfather, as you pretty much idolize them, you know your dad liked the cowboys so you do too kinda thing.) then you have to have been given one out of the blue. (my son knows Packard....and says dad you got more Packard parts today? and lets go get Packard parts daddy!) he sees all the Packard stuff around the house and i always tell him Packard is the best ever made, so he believes it. (you know brainwashing like the north koreans...j/k)

3. do something more youthful with the clubs. like going to a toy drive for sick kids. when we show up in these old cars the kids love it and it makes an impression on there life whether they are terminal or not and it also makes an impression on the younger parents that may be around my age....30s (motorcycle clubs do this all the time and we did it all the time in the BMW Z3 club i was in) can you image a HUGE line of Packards full of toys going to the childrens hospitals. tons of people would notice...young and old. (some Packard clubs may do this already, just a suggestion for those that don't)

4. When the fair comes to your area...or the autoshow...they usually have a car area. i know the one in Dallas has a classic car corral that does all one car make each day....sign up for Packard day or something like that. Tons of kids going to the fair

5.Get your club in the news somehow (toy drive) get Packard's name out there in your local area in the mass media.

6. Big Kev already made a more youthful website, because to be honest...the others are outdated for youngsters eyes...even mine...they use old tech website designs.

7.get in as many parades as you can. tons of kids. make sure they know what kinda car it is....put a Packard sign on the side and give the most candy.

8.If your local highschool has a shop class....talk to the teacher about showing up with your Packard to explain the old tech. give out some Packard literature.

9. but mostly...don't be a prude ass jerk of an old person. that is a HUGE turn off. i know a few like that and i refuse to believe that the Packard life is that way. Packard stands for loyalty and friendship and doing anything with kindness for a fellow Packard owner. Not being a cranky old person. it doesn't matter how much your car cost...its just a car...and YOU can't take it with you.

he with the most toys....does NOT win.

but....if you would like to continue my obssesion with Packard personally.....you can give me a 1937 Packard coupe out of the blue

Hank

Me! Me! Me! I want one too......(outa the blue)

Way to go Hank! Lot's of great ideas there!

And a couple more -

If there are kids around, when I'm out and about with my Packard, I try and offer them a sit behind the wheel. Mine's definitely a driver so I don't have too many concerns about errant marks from their ingress/egress to the cabin.

Along the same lines, if people want to take photos offer to take them for them so they can feature in the pic with the Packard. Or close the doors, bonnet(hood) or boot(trunk) so they can get "clean" pic's of the car. Or conversely open the bonnet(hood) if they want an engine shot.

A couple of years ago when we had our Packard National Rally in the Southern Highlands of Sydney I made contact with the local radio and TV stations as well as the local newspaper. They were only too willing to feature the event on their stations and publication.

And yes, I want a '37 Coupe too!

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Just a couple of thoughts to add:

1. The Packard Club does have an officer assigned to the "Tomorrow's Packard Owners" program and does conduct programs for them at National and perhaps other meets. They also vote among themselves and make one or two awards at National meets.

2. When I'm at a car show and I see some mom or dad hoisting up a child to look inside the car, if they look like well-behaved folks I normally offer to let the kid or kids sit behind the wheel so mom and/or dad can get a couple of pictures. Almost invariably the kids and parents are very gracious in their thanks, and I enjoy the look on the little one's face as he grabs the steering wheel and "takes to the road".

Guys
I hate to pour water on the fire or salt on the wounds, but I am afraid we ALL better enjoy our Packards while we can because I am afraid that within 50 years they are are going to be chebbied or scrapnard. Most of todays kids as far as I am concerned are hopeless. They have no interest in anything beyond the last half million texts, tweets, twits, twops or whatever they do. Plus you have to consider the one thing that none of us have any control over, evolution. In 50 years time most humans will have thumbs that will be about 11 inches long and be able to bench press 250 pounds, eyes as big as saucers, ears that you could not fit a 14 inch wheel cover around. With physical attibutes like that they would be unable to hold any kind of a wrench or screwdriver of any kind, or fit their head in an engine compartment. Gasoline burning cars will be a museum piece and nobody will know how to operate them. Manual transmissions, how do you work that? An ignition key, what does that do. When we were kids, we had an overiding sense of things mechanical and how they worked and how to modify them in different ways. It's not like that anymore. Today, if it does not beep, ping, bling, pop, pow or blip, they not only don't know about it, they don't want to know about it. If they can't fix it with another computer chip, they will modify it so they can. How can I be so negative you ask? Two days ago Cheetah died, there were some 30 somethings in my wifes office, when my wife and another co-worker were discussing this event, not only did they not know who Cheetah was, one of them asked what's a Tarzan????? Things historical are of no interest to kids today, and in case you have not noticed history is barely taught today in school. I will grant you I doubt that I could drive a model-t, (never got the hang of the shift pedals), but I at least know what they are. I doubt you could find 10 kids that could tell you who made the model-t. As far as Packard, the constant question I get is who made that Ford or Chevy. So let's enjoy what we have while we have it.