UK meetings...

[macaroni]

There are a few UK based Matra owners hanging around here so this is relevant.

My attempt to organise a Matra stand at this years French Car Show has been met with a deafening silence, as has my request for people to attend the Goodwood Breakfast club.

Is anyone interested in attending any of these meets en masse? Come on guys, we own such rare cars there must be a desire to meet up with other Matraciens and pore over other French strangeness.

Anyone?

[davidewanprice]

I may have missed the post but when is the french car show? I live in Sheffield but may be able to make it if im not working? Goodwood would be nice but it's a bit far.... I'd love to meet up with other matra (especially Murena) owners and talk about our cars and experiences.

[macaroni]

http://www.matrasport.dk/forum/index.php?topic=350.0

[Lennart Sorth]

My attempt to organise a Matra stand at this years French Car Show has been met with a deafening silence

I appreciate your effort macaroni, and I really would love to attend, but both weekends are unfortunately spoken for in my diary.

/Lennart

[lewisman]

Unfortunately my murena is still needing a lot of work but I am getting there.  Maybe next year...

[davidewanprice]

I'll see if im working and if im not, then i'll do my best, do you have more details? Has the MEC showed much interest?

[macaroni]

No, the MEC have shown zero interest, so I doubt I'll be organising a stand.
Shame as I only need 3 or 4 cars to get a stand going and I think the Matras will be a real attraction.

It is £15 on the door or £12.50 via a club.
It used to be held in makeshift surroundings at Bruntingthorpe proving ground in Leicestershire, but quickly outgrew that and this years event at Rockingham should be awesome.

Track time has already sold out, but 0-60 sprint track tickets are still available.

It should be a great day out for anyone interested in cars, especially French ones.

[lewisman]

When is the car show at Rockingham?  I might be able to work it in with a visit to my sister in Corby....

[macaroni]

Sunday July 15th.

Bring her along too, I'm sure she'll love a day out amongst lots of noisy french cars, who wouldn't?

If you can bring your Murena along too, that would be 3 (assuming David can make it) and we can get a little stand going.

Come on guys, don't make me put mine on the PGAC stand amongst all the modded Pugs...

[lewisman]

No chance of mine being ready for July. Even leaving the paintwork as is, I now need to rebuild one of the trailing arms as some numpty has used it as a jacking point

[macaroni]

Right, well good news.

Andy Owler has been working behind the scenes to drum up some support from the MEC for the French Car Show.

There will be a stand with at least 4 cars on it, but there could be more.

So come on all you UK-based Matra owners, get your motors sorted and come along to the best gathering of modern french metal this year.

If anyone needs any more info, give me a shout!

Cheers,

Antony

[roy4matra]

There are a few UK based Matra owners hanging around here so this is relevant.

My attempt to organise a Matra stand at this years French Car Show has been met with a deafening silence, as has my request for people to attend the Goodwood Breakfast club...

You are new to the MEC UK Antony, but you should understand that the clubs first priority and effort is to its own meetings. (and I notice you didn't turn up at the April club meeting - like most others - in fact there were only five of us, the couple that organised it and three committee members, and one Matra car!)  So you can see why we don't have the resources or inclination to non official club meetings.

By all means we applaud anyone willing to organise 'local' meetings as we wouldn't expect say Scottish members to attend a meeting in Kent or vice versa, but don't expect a large interest in any meeting  since even official club meetings are not often attended by most.

The Goodwood breakfast is even worse in some ways as it's only an early morning breakfast event - how many people are going to get up early enough to travel all the way to Goodwood for a breakfast?  Only those in a reasonable local area at a guess.  When we can't get club members to come to an official club meeting in their area, why do you expect them to travel much further for a breakfast event?

We are organising a Scottish week-end meeting this August as there hasn't been a Scottish meeting for some years.  You would think those in Scotland or the north might attend, but I bet there will be more of us from central or southern England than the locals.  I hope I am wrong, but I know from years of experience what it is likely to be like.

I sometimes wonder why many of our members have Matra, but if you realise how many are actually on the road, that's another reason for low attendance.  Keep plugging by all means but don't expect a large response.  If a good number actually turn up at a meeting (like Goodwood) consider it a bonus.

[macaroni]

Roy,
I am new to the MEC and as such, find it much easier to try and include Matra owners in meetings I usually attend than jump feet first into "unknown territory", as it were. Hopefully, when I have made a few acquaintances I will happily attend the more official club meetings. It is also easier on the family to continue with my usual meetings, at the moment, than add others into the calender.
My main reason for wanting a decent Matra presence at the French Car Show is to show Matras to car enthusiasts that wouldn't otherwise have a chance to see them. I know many people on the Pug, and other car, forums I frequent were very excited and intrigued when I posted details of my latest acquisition.
I can't see that it would hurt the club to try and have a presence at meetings not on the regular club calender.

Regarding the Goodwood Breakfast Club day, I was amazed at the number and variation of Matras there.
1 530, 2 Djets, 2 Bagheeras, 2 Ranchos, 3 Murenas and a whole field full of Avantimes!

So far for the FCS, there are, provisionally 3 cars booked, 2 Baggies and a Murena, which is excellent.

Cheers,

Antony

[Lennart Sorth]

I can't see that it would hurt the club to try and have a presence at meetings not on the regular club calender.

yep, - thats called enthusiasm, which is what MECUK is all about  :-)
However, I also do understand Roys need to concentrate on the regular meetings, - it is not easy to get it all into a calendar, when some of them needs weeks of preparation.

And yes, Goodwood was excellent, having all Matra roadcars (bar Espace) represented.

/Lennart

[macaroni]

I wonder why there were no Espaces at all?