KFOCI combining with another club?

[darrin502]

What do you think about KFOCI combining with another club like the Hudson club?
Our club needs to grow, our members are aging (i am one)and we need new members.
Not many young people joining our club. Grow or colapse?
Lee
LM 1068

[darrin502]

Its a start

[FleetMaster]

The Hudson club is a great group of people with activities nationwide annually plus active regional meets.  As a whole the group embraces everything from pure stock to radical hot rods ( very few around ) based on Hudson, Es***, Terraplane,and Railton cars.  Membership is young to old and all points in between.  One thing some in the KF community may find negative is overall the Hudson club does not share the ZEAL i see in KF for pure stock cars and absolute factory perfection on restorations.  I would expect within 10 years that if KF does not merge, it will lack enough active engaged members to be viable and desireable.  Likely due to aging members and a limited younger crowd.  Nash Rambler club has been pulling back as well.  Perhaps the real approach would be Hudson/KF/Nash Rambler as an independents club.  The Studebaker community is still viable for 20 years before they may need to look at options, though they are making meets shorter to accomodate peoples lives today.  Not sure about the Packard people, though they do buddy up with Studebaker community.
Lives and the world are changing.  It will be harder and harder to keep the torch burning...

[njpatera]

As a newbie...I'm hoping the club is around for a long time. I'm looking forward to car show weather here in Ohio and getting my kiddos to them as well! It's definitely imperative to facilitate the interest.

[KWZ]

The Hudson club is a great group of people with activities nationwide annually plus active regional meets.  As a whole the group embraces everything from pure stock to radical hot rods ( very few around ) based on Hudson, Es***, Terraplane,and Railton cars.  Membership is young to old and all points in between.  One thing some in the KF community may find negative is overall the Hudson club does not share the ZEAL i see in KF for pure stock cars and absolute factory perfection on restorations.  I would expect within 10 years that if KF does not merge, it will lack enough active engaged members to be viable and desireable.  Likely due to aging members and a limited younger crowd.  Nash Rambler club has been pulling back as well.  Perhaps the real approach would be Hudson/KF/Nash Rambler as an independents club.  The Studebaker community is still viable for 20 years before they may need to look at options, though they are making meets shorter to accomodate peoples lives today.  Not sure about the Packard people, though they do buddy up with Studebaker community.
Lives and the world are changing.  It will be harder and harder to keep the torch burning...

I could not agree more.  I am 40 and one of the younger members of KFOCI.  I remember the National here in St. Louis back in '86 had something like 200 cars.  Times have changed.  I really think a national independent makes club is a great idea.  Don't know if you could ever get the Packard people on board....

[darrin502]

thanks for the responses keep them coming. ANYTHING WE WANT TO DO WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE MEMBERSHIP.

[joefrazer]

The idea of combining clubs has been entertained in the past. Many years ago, a Willys club existed and a few of the KFOCI faithful approached them about forming one large club but nothing came of it. Eventually, the Willys club folded and the KFOCI moved on.

We've also had some conversations with the Graham Owners Club but that was more on the level of joint meets, like that we're doing next month with the Willys Reunion group. The Willys Reunion group is not a club but instead are just a loosely formed group of people who get together twice a year to share their vehicles, parts, and stories. I'll share that we're using this meet as a way to gain membership, or at least awareness of the KFOCI. If all goes well both groups have agreed that we may do this more regularly - which is how it may have to be with many single marque clubs.

Just my thoughts...

[r1lark]

Perhaps the real approach would be Hudson/KF/Nash Rambler as an independents club.  The Studebaker community is still viable for 20 years before they may need to look at options, though they are making meets shorter to accomodate peoples lives today.  Not sure about the Packard people, though they do buddy up with Studebaker community.
Lives and the world are changing.  It will be harder and harder to keep the torch burning...

This is perhaps an idea whose time has come, or at least has gotten much closer. 10-15 years ago, there would have been many vehemently opposed in each club to a merger - those still left who had started each club and been involved in the early growth, and those who actually had driven their favorite marque's cars when they were fairly new. But many of those folks are gone now, and the younger folks coming into our clubs were not even alive when these cars were still being manufactured. The newer folks would most likely be much more open to a multi-make club. Even some of us old folks would be too  .

Generally the Packard folks don't seem to buddy up with the Studebaker folks, except for those that own the '55 thru '58 Packards (especially the '57/'58s that were built in the Studebaker factory in South Bend and based on Studebaker body shells). In the Studebaker Drivers Club, the reality is setting in that the future is not all so rosy unless a consistent effort is made to attract younger members; while different things have been tried, I think we are still losing ground in SDC although not as much as some other clubs. And maybe that will be the case for all the 'old car' clubs in the future, as many young folks today are nowhere as interested in cars today as 'we' were when their age. And a lot of the ones that are interested in cars are interested in modified cars, not 'factory stock' cars. I know I will get a lot of flack for saying this, but all the 'marque' clubs will have to be much more accepting of modified cars if they want to stay viable in the future.

Independents merging to stay viable -- history repeats itself!

[boatingbill]

I think all the above statements have real merit and deserve further discussions. #458

[darrin502]

Keep it going
The Studebaker club would probably not be interested as they have about 12000 members I was told so we could not offer them anything. But there are many small clubs like us.
Lee

[MarkH]

Not knowing either club's history, it's always struck me as odd that all Willys, and especially Willys Aero's aren't in the Willys Overland club.

Looking at the total history of Willys, the connection to Kaiser was extremely brief and only at the very end of both companies existence in the US market, excluding Jeep products. If you lump US & Brazil production together it might make more sense but Ford was the final owner in Brazil, yet the same logic didn't carry over putting Aero's in the Ford club.

As for the declining interest now, I think an independant auto club or an orphan club might be the most viable solution.

[Aeroman]

There already is a club (of sorts) that is a combined, independent alliance - the Antique American Independent Automobile Association. I do not know much about them, but is worth a looking into. Their banner says, "AAIAA is an association of non-dues paying owners of American Independent brands of cars (non GM, Ford or Chrysler Corp). i.e. Hudson, Willys, Graham, Nash, Pierce-Arrow, AMC, Hupmobile, Packard, REO, Studebaker etc." They are affiliated with the Sweethearts & Orphans Meet in Texas (Robby Markman, KFOCI member is a regular there, along with other Texan members). More info:  http://clubs.hemmings.com/americanindependentautos/

[Gordie]

I believe that two once large multi-make car clubs are now gone.  CHVA and the Milestone Car Society.

[MarkH]

I believe that two once large multi-make car clubs are now gone.  CHVA and the Milestone Car Society.

That doesn't surprise me. It would be a balancing issue between inclusiveness and your favorite marque being lost/diluted in the crowd. I don't know how this works but I know there's a way to search car registrations. Maybe a "marketing" campaign to contact all registered KF & Willys owners with an invite to join. Other than that, maybe a marque specific club(s) merger.

[Terry T]

The policeaman can do it but they wouldn't 'cause of the laws.

If you got a friend in blue, try asking.