MG Saloon Day 2013 - Sunday 7th July 2013

[Jeff Turbo]

Far less owners prepared to take their cars out to shows too. We went a cracking event at the weekend (mid lincs rover rally) and guess how many maestros and montegos were there?


None.

There were 30+ SD1's, Probably 50 P6's (maybe more), 20 or so ZT's, half a dozen BRM's, and a dozen or so 200/400 R8's, and many many other cars there. The lincs MG club stand must have had 50+ cars on it alone.

Well thats coz my Montego's aren't on the road Dan
I've any of them were they would be on the MGCC stand as i'm a member.

[H48HPE]

we'll be attending the gaydon event next year as a club, if it clashes with saloon day or not... its just one of those things, nothing wrong with either show, they just clash, but the Gaydon event was considered more suitable to our general membership, we took 4 Austin/rovers and 2 MG's I believe + 2 that weren't on the official stand. and of course the LC10 prototype was as good as on the stand too.... hope for more next year

Andy

[E_T_V]

Well thats coz my Montego's aren't on the road Dan
I've any of them were they would be on the MGCC stand as i'm a member.

Yes I did look for you a couple of times as I thought you might have been there in something. I was in the ZTTT this time.

[The Express Valeter]

If the two shows clash again next year would it not be helpfull or even sensible to have Saloon Day at Gaydon? After all there is no limit on which/how many car clubs attend providing there is enough space of course..
In terms of location it is similar as in a point on an ariel view of a map to Duxford.

I have organised a Range Rover Evoque Meet at Gaydon on September the 8th the same day as the Porche Owners Club. They just provide you with an area, give you discounted entry to the museum & no charge for parking.

[normanmg2000]

events

Andy, i was just trying to point out a lot of people would like to come to both [if it was able to be organised],and not have to choose, I think your reply is "take it or leave it", which was not the purpose of the request, in the first place.

[The Express Valeter]

What I meant was & I thaught that was how it read was if you have Saloon Day at Gaydon it can run alongside the BL event so you can attend both events at the same time?

[David3500]

What I meant was & I thaught that was how it read was if you have Saloon Day at Gaydon it can run alongside the BL event so you can attend both events at the same time?

You make a valid point, Andy. I recall back in 1997-8 when the MG M Group tied in their national event with the MG Marque Day that used to be held at the Heritage Motor Centre. The MG M Group display area was on the grassed terrace overlooking the main MG Marque event. You had the best of both worlds.

It was a good idea although the obvious downside of combining the two events at Gaydon may be a potential loss of trade stands (depending on the attitude and pricing set by the Heritage Motor Centre), and also a loss in income for the two clubs who now organise the MG Saloon Day.

Certainly some form of flexibility needs to be shown by both parties for 2014 so as to avoid such a clash, should there not be the desire to hold them on the same day and at the same venue. After all those who attend the MG Saloon Day may well decide to attend the BMC event on an alternate weekend, and vice versa.

[normanmg2000]

saloon day

Your last paragraph David sums up my thoughts entirely.I would love to attend both.

[Tanya]

I'll email this thread to Tom Caren, the show manager at Gaydon so that he is aware. This is Tom's first full year as show manager.

The date for the BMC & Leyland Show was inherited from the Mini Show, which was incorporated into the new show. It maybe possible to move the date of next year's show at Gaydon, but I know from experience, it always clashes with something somewhere. If Gaydon are going to maintain a strong Mini presence, they will also need to try and not clash with another major Mini show.

It might not be possible to get a solution to this problem, but it is certainly worth trying particularly as we now have time on our side. I too would like to go to both shows.

[The Express Valeter]

I wanted to attend the BL event at Gaydon but as I didn't actually have my Montego that kinda rulled that out by default though except for last year due to the weather I have attended Saloon day since 2004 & like to stay loyal.

I doubt that there should be an issue with clubs/funds re entry fees as I suspect most of what we get charged goes to the venue anyway.
Around 5 years or so ago the entry fee to the Saloon Day events was around £6 to £8 & that was at a venue.
I'm sure in this day & age the two/3 clubs could speak with each other & sort a generic entrance fee somehow.
Even if you had a member from the BL club & a member from Saloon Day club collecting revenue at the gate so long as both clubs charge the same fee then it is down to the entrant where they park!

[Guest]

The amount charged at MG Saloon Day is dependent on the venue.
The minimal profit that each of the organising clubs makes from the attendees is currently split down the middle.
The clubs only break even, after expenses etc, if there are more than 100 cars.
We are currently looking for another venue, that is further north and west from Duxford.

In terms of clashing with other events, yes there are always more than 1 show per weekend that another event is going to clash with that caters for similar attendees. We had confirmed MG Saloon Day 2013 months before Gaydon confirmed their BL day. We knew it was previously a mini day, but as our show doesn't attract any minis, it didn't affect us.

MG Saloon Day 2014 is currently planned for 6/7/14, but this will be confirmed probably by NEC Classic Motor Show in November this year.

regards,
Patrick Roberts
Chairman
MG 'M' Group
one of the organisers of MG Saloon Day

[The Express Valeter]

We are currently looking for another venue, that is further north and west from Duxford.

Roughly where Gaydon is then lol.

I agree with Patrick about evens clashing, that will almost allways happen in some degree though given the low turnout of MMM cars in recent years at Saloon Day for some reason I have no answer for that an amalgamation for 2014 may be a good thing.
It is a shame that the venues make nearly all the money from the entrance as I would be more than happy for a larger amount going to the respective car club.

[G51 NAV]

What would be nice to know is what's keeping the once-regular attendees away. Surely most of the mint/presentable cars which used to attend five years or so ago are still with us? If they're with new owners, then how do you attract these people? It's not even that they're attending regional/local shows instead: if you count two M/M's at a generalist/local show you've done well. Are their owners just anti-social lol?

[The Express Valeter]

What would be nice to know is what's keeping the once-regular attendees away. Surely most of the mint/presentable cars which used to attend five years or so ago are still with us? If they're with new owners, then how do you attract these people? It's not even that they're attending regional/local shows instead: if you count two M/M's at a generalist/local show you've done well. Are their owners just anti-social lol?

+1.

[David3500]

What would be nice to know is what's keeping the once-regular attendees away. Surely most of the mint/presentable cars which used to attend five years or so ago are still with us? If they're with new owners, then how do you attract these people? It's not even that they're attending regional/local shows instead: if you count two M/M's at a generalist/local show you've done well. Are their owners just anti-social lol?

While I do not wish to show criticism in how the event is publicised, I must admit that I do not see it publicised in publications beyond those geared towards MG or on MG/MG-Rover related forums.

Admittedly I am not a diehard MG fanatic so never bother reading MG publications. The same sentiments may well apply to current owners of these MG M saloons, more recent MG Z saloons and Rover saloons. Publications such as Classic Car Weekly (CCW) and Practical Classics are widely read by readers with diverse interests, with the magazines being proactive in publicising events although I have never seen MG Saloon Day given a prominant editorial mention. I do know that the latter publication would need to be canvassed at least four months in advance of an event taking place. CCW certainly gave a show based in the Westcountry, which I am involved with as their Press and Publicity Officer, a sizeable mention a few weeks ago based on a press release and images I had furnished them with.

Why don't I attend MG Saloon Day? Simple, my MG Maestro is still waiting for someone to take the project on and restore it from the wheels up. I have been contact with a known restorer of these M saloons but have heard nothing from them for nearly four months. I must therefore conclude that they do not wish to restore it and do not need the work. No car to drive equals no show to take it to.

I have to concur with John's comments "It's not even that they're attending regional/local shows instead". Six years ago there was a thriving band of MG M owners in the Westcountry. Now you don't see more than two of them together at any one event. It was a rare treat to see two of them parked on the Modern Classics display at the annual Historic Vehicle Gathering held at Powderham Castle, near Exeter, last weekend.