Collectible Sports Cars: Activities

In the first two parts of this series we covered some of the better classic sports cars on the market, and explained how to check their condition prior to purchase. If everything has gone according to plan, you now have a new member of the family which occupies a warm spot in the garage where the SUV used to sit (it has a top, so park it outside). No reason to be rational, this is an affair of the heart!


So you've made a few trips around the block, taken a spin in the country, visited envious friends and gotten to know a foreign car mechanic on a first-name basis. So what's next? There are a number of automotive events that are ideally suited to older sports cars and can enhance the enjoyment of your new toy.

Clubs and Events
Sports car clubs sprang up the U.S. in the late 1940s, coinciding with the importation of hundreds of MGs and Jaguars to placate America's growing love affair with cars featuring sophisticated looks and handling to match. These organizations put on rallies and started the postwar boom in road racing. In fact, the first sports car race put on after the war was organized by an MG club!


Today sports car clubs come in many specialties. All popular models (and many obscure ones) have internet-based clubs that require no membership dues and are great places to chat, chase rare parts and get advice on mechanical problems. Many have now graduated to holding regional or national gatherings so you can meet "Cobraeaters" and "Kickbutt911s" face-to-face.


Most large cities have affiliates of the huge nationwide clubs that cater to fans of Corvettes, Porsches, MGs and other popular makes. Other clubs are organized by country and cater to Italian or British sports cars, for example. There are also generic sports car clubs that welcome any marque into the fold. These clubs usually require dues, but put on events like rallies, tours, car shows, autocrosses and track events. These are great places to meet new friends, try your hand at low-level competition and find somebody who is willing to help with mechanical adventures in return for the same.