Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

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Colin Newbold
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Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

Post by Colin Newbold »

I literally just heard about this event:

"The European Cobra car owners are celebrating their 8th annual meeting on Hayling Island in Sept. Previously held across Europe in locations such as St Tropez, Sitges (Barcelona), Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Germany this will be their biggest meeting ever.

More than 150 participants in 87 cars will be coming from as far as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium as well as the UK. Havant Borough Council is helping the organisers of the event by informing them about signage, key sites to visit, timing for the visits and key congestion points. The event will bring more than £80,000 to the local economy." (taken from a Southampton local paper story).

I'm guessing that none of us knew about this event - right? Dont know if our new friends in the French club no anymore??? I'll make enquiries with Havant Borough Council and see what opportunities there are (if any) for us to get involved, shall I?

Its reasonably near to us and I'd quite like to put T289R on their radar...unless you dont want me to?

Colin
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catsx11
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Paul Blore
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Re: Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

Post by Paul Blore »

Hi Colin,

We were approached some time ago to ask if we would organise it, but we declined the "offer". :wink:

I've heard very little more about it since then I'm afraid.

Paul
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Roger King
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Re: Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

Post by Roger King »

I share Dave Woodward's concerns, as raised at the AGM re: the French Club. I personally think we should leave this sort of thing to the UK Cobra Club.
Paul Blore
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Re: Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

Post by Paul Blore »

We took the decision we did for exactly those reasons. :wink:

I you read the thread in the link that Alan provided, it was getting pretty bitter between the organisers and those who have stood on the sidelines and offered no help but felt they could have done it better.

It does seem to be a recurring theme on the CRC forum of people choosing to build and/or own what amounts to a quite expensive toy and then winging about the cost of things.

Paul
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Roger King
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Re: Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

Post by Roger King »

'twas ever thus! The restoration company I was involved with specialised in TRs. We had an increasing number of customers complaining about the cost of repairs, mechanical and body, claiming they didn't want to spend so much money on what was just a 'fun' car and not daily transport. We spent some time trying to explain that a car is a car, doesn't matter what you want to use it for - a new gearbox is a new gearbox, be it for a BMW 5-series or a TR6. An increasing number just don't get it, so we wound the business down - not worth the hassle. Probably should have gone upmarket to Jags or Astons, I suppose.
Colin Newbold
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Re: Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

Post by Colin Newbold »

Re Roger's comments, in the late reply 80's I too was the 4th partner in a company set up to build aluminium Cobras. One of my co-partners was John Hurst who had just started making Dino 246GTs (some of you will know Mike - "The Brigadier" - who owns one). Anyway, to get things rolling and start earning revenue, we bought a Bristol 401 in a very sorry state. We did return a modest profit after a few months and went on to build our first ally Cobra, based on (of all things) a Contemporary Classics chassis. Some of you will know that the project ended in tears with me selling off the whole thing unfinished and the partnership folding. One of the guys tried to carry on doing restos but that didnt make so much sense in the early 90s when classic prices came back down. You can fully understand an owner putting money into a DB Aston, a Healey, an E-type, a Pagoda, 300SL etc....but a TR never quite got there (until now perhaps???).

Back to the subject of this Topic....reading some of the vitreolic comments on the other Forum makes me think this is an event best avoided!!! Makes me reassured that the emotional intelligence displayed by T289R members means we are the ONLY club suitable to preserve the Cobra flame.
"How you see yourself is all very well, but it's how others see you that will determine the results you get as a leader!"
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peterc
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Re: Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

Post by peterc »

As a member of the U.K. Cobra Club I heard about his event quite a while ago. They wanted you to commit to three days and use the camping/ hotel facilities plus partake in all the planned events. I was unable to commit to the whole event and hoped to visit on just one day but they made it quite apparent that was not an option. All or nothing.
The booking for the event closed several weeks/ months ago.
I was also concerned at being out numbered by 427's.
Nice guys as the Goodwood crowd are ( I will be attending their B-B-Q in Aug ) I think a very large crowd of 427's would have perhaps been over kill.
Peter C
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Roger King
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Re: Cobra Car Event - Hayling Island, 2nd to 5th September.

Post by Roger King »

This event is clearly geared towards cars whose only connection with the name 'Cobra' seems to be a rough similarity of outline. Different thing altogether, I think.
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