McGaheyRx@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 1/16/2007 11:42:50 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>portermd@zianet.com writes:
>
>Does it change what I think about the state of the VTR lately? No.
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>the state of VTR you described exists only in your mind.
>For instance, you said membership is declining - its not - its increasing.
>
>Are you going to correct that error too?
>
>Everything else you've said is equally inaccurate.
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Okay, what are the stats, since they're not available on the VTR
membership page?
When I rejoined in the mid-`90s (after being an early member in the
mid-`70s), the total registration was around 3300. By the time I stopped
my registration, it was down to about 3150. Hell, at the time I
rejoined, I was the only nationals participant from a whole state!
What is it now? Big increase, small increase, what?
There were, at minimum, 315,000 cars imported into this country (likely
more), and membership is 1% of that total, at best?
That's not even close to the collective membership figures in the UK,
where the number of cars sold was much smaller than in the US.
You say I'm "bitter," but, I'm not sure that's the right word, or even
the right approach to the problem.
I feel alienated to the people in this hobby who don't drive their cars
regularly, and who are obsessed with an originality that never
existed--that's the point John Macartney was trying to make and by doing
so, was trying to return some sanity to ownership, I think--and I will
continue to believe that people who obsess about such minutae are
obsessive, by definition.
And, I will continue to believe that such is detrimental.
What the fuck are we--Jaguar owner wannabes?
Cheers.
--
Michael D. Porter
Roswell, NM
Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....
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