I'm a new owner based in SoCal. What's the difference between FCA and FOC? Are either worth joining?
Here's an article I just wrote (open to input) I all depends on who is running the club any given time of course Image Unavailable, Please Login Thoughts on What Makes a Good Car Club.... I recently was a guest artist at a Ferrari Club of America Southwest Chapter annual Palos Verdes lunch. Palos Verdes is a big hunk of land with rolling hills that juts out from Los Angeles with cooler smog-free ocean breezes. It was a pleasant low-key event, maybe 30-40 Ferraris, with a catered lunch looking out at the boundless Pacific. Since I have been going to Ferrari Club events since 1970 it had me pondering what makes for a good car club. Here's a few observations on what makes a good club as witnessed by myself at this event. --A good club keeps a schedule of repeated events, so that every year you know there's a Christmas dinner, every year a drive up the mountain to lunch in a village, every year group participation in a concours (this one at San Marino, a superb of Pasadena where they handily have a Ferrari concours within larger all-marque concours). -A good club honors long time members. Calling them up to the stage and acknowledging their contribution to the club. There once again I re-met Earl Waggoner, a retired airline pilot who, back when he was still flying, would roam the US in his time off to buy trashed Lussos, rolled 275s and whatnot. Now in his 90s, he owns three concours V12 Ferraris. -A good car club plans events so the womenfolk get full participation. At the Palos Verdes event they were involved in the raffle, and I'm sure the planning and enjoyed dressing up while a lot of the men wore Ferrari-themed clothing. I have been to Ford events where the women were few and far between, and not invited to participate in any way. -A good car club plans driving events that are on regular roads, not just racetracks, so conversation at lunch is not how fast did you get up the mountain but are you having a nice time? -A good car club documents their chosen marque and their activities. Important to me as a car historian is the effort to produce a written history of the activities and their magazine is very professional. -Acknowledgement of history. Even though I am not in the club I plan to ask if I can attend an upcoming speech they are going to, a speech by a local independent dealer who 50 years ago once bought and sold cars like 250GTOs for under $10,000. I don't know if all the skeletons will be let out of the closet but I wager a good many will (and I can possibly use some to inspire events in my novel Ferrari Hunters, where one character is an old barn finder). At this event Ed Swart, a well known Abarth racer, was showing his history book on racing in the '60s. I admired his tenacity in tracking down old racers who had pictures for his book. --A good car club gives owners a reason to keep their cars running. Though I belonged to clubs that didn't always. In '65 when I went to the Gullwing Group meeting in Los Angeles, only one member drove their 300SL to the meeting. In the early 70s, when l belonged to a club--the Iso-Bizzarrini Owners Club --in which almost every member had one of the cars in the club title--gradually none would drive their Iso or Bitz cars to meetings which I thought ridiculous since the cars all had Chevy V8s, easily fixed (except for those few Isos with Ford 351s). At least at the Palos Verdes Club lunch , most drove Ferraris, even though some cars were over 60 years old. -A good club plans Museum visits. Sometimes the museum isn't devoted to their marque but members appreciate the documentation the museum presents and sometimes the visiting club gets to see the restoration shop. -A good club passes on the memorabilia. At this one, a raffle saw paintings, Ferrari watches, etc. went to the lucky winners. Not a member of a car club now, (as a reporter I can't join every club, I just drop in on occasion) What I miss the most by not being a regular is sitting at lunches or dinners getting to know the other club members--hearing their stories of finding their cars or restorations that didn't work out. --Belonging to a club makes you privy to inside info on where to find vintage parts and which mechanics to go o. My sad experiences owning collector cars were a result of being out of the loop, for instance when I owned an Alfa Sprint Speciale and a couple of other cars, I didn't belong to a club and didn't know who to go to. (I remember even a vaunted Alfa mechanic had no parts for a Speciale...welcome to the old car world...) All in all, I think if you own a collector car, it behooves you to join a club, maybe even before buying that special car. Long after you bought that rare car,looking back, those memories of club events could be the most rewarding part of owning that car...
A good club will also get and keep members involved and rotate officers often. The clubs are only as good as the members make them and everything being done buy a few either by necessity or design is never good.
No opinion, per se, but perhaps you should join both for a year or so and decide yourself ? Or check their respective websites for activities/benefits/etc each provides ? Many I know have membership in both.
Here is a link to the FCA's regional website: FCA Southwest Region (fca-sw.org) You'd be welcome to join us as a guest at one of our upcoming events to get a feel for what it's like. In addition, there are numerous monthly events: I host a drive and lunch from Brentwood to Malibu (and environs) on the last Friday of every month. You're welcome to join us for the next one to meet and chat with other members. Please reach out to me directly and I'll be glad to provide more info. Shawn
I second Bitzman's comments, especially the one on the club having events for the spouses. My wife has contributed significantly to the restoration of our 250 GTE and enjoys going with me on drives. However, it can be awkward when she is the only woman in the group. Also, look at the kind of events the club does and see if it is the kind that you would enjoy. Some have shop tours and others have long drives or collection visits. I have done drives with the FCA and highly recommend the LA group's gathering at the San Marino show in August. I have recently joined the Owner's club, but they don't seem to have a lot of events, so I have not yet been to one. Also, I have met a lot of good vintage guys, not necessarily Ferrari, through the Petersen Automotive Museum. They have great drives, tours and gatherings, especially if you join the Checkered Flag.
Also just my two cents... and I know this can't be helped but club members who have high dollar and or multiple car collections are most of the time snobs to the lower members who own cars under $100K.... I joined FCA in the late 90's when I bought my first 308 and these type of members didn't give me the time when I tried to chat with them... Never renewed my membership since until now. Two weeks ago and became a new member once again. I figure I'll give it one more chance, maybe things had changed... Jury is still out!
Rob, I can't say how it is in the Bay Area (different FCA Region) but the Southwest region (Southern California & Hawaii) has a lot of active 308 & 328 drivers. Those cars are usually well represented at the FCA events. I sold my 328 (to Ed Niles) but I bring my 355 to events in addition to my 612. Its not all newer cars only and attitudes. Its members that appreciate the Ferrari no matter what model.
FOC has focused on many drives, FCA has focused on many Concours. That is changing as FOC has their new Carmel concours https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/ferrari-owners-club-concours-carmel-thursday-august-17.679756/
I was a member from the mid 80s until I left California in 2014 and never once experienced that. At the Hill Climb one year I was alone and looking for a place to sit at the dinner and found a seat next to someone I didn't know. We talked about cars all night, all kinds of cars. Great guy and Larry and I are still friends. I found out a couple of years later he was CFO of Cisco Systems. I never looked for snobs and never found any.
Try FCA, one sub group of that group meets at Starbucks on Beverly Glen at 9:30 first Saturday, long fun drives. 300 miles +
And there is also a shorter drive and lunch last Friday of every month: NEW THREAD - WEST LA LUNCH GROUP https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=9080&share_tid=487811&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eferrarichat%2Ecom%2Fforum%2Findex%2Ephp%3Fthreads%2FNEW-THREAD---WEST-LA-LUNCH-GROUP%2E487811%2F&share_type=t&link_source=app Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Im a new board member for FCA south Florida /Dade chapter I’ve been pushing for more drives and the other members have been receptive. Depending on location of the chapter (quality of drives), people’s desire to actually out mileage on their car (I know…)it can be difficult, but I’m vocal about the necessity for it The coffee breaks and lunches should be secondary to an actual drive in my opinion… Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Adam, I'm also an FCA board member, for the Southwest region and agree completely. While both of our regions have a sizable number of Ferrari's, many don't actually drive them. Fortunately, there are a large number of owners out here that do drive their cars on a regular basis, and we definitely encourage that. The single biggest request from newer members is to have more drives. Shawn
Yawl wanna drive??? Then sign up for FCA, southwest division (so cal), and show up for the 1st Saturday drive. Bring a change of underwear just in case Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I didn't realize that had been your car. I had that car for about a year. Ed had bought it to eventually flip but had no room for it in the meantime, so he left it with me. Great car! Image Unavailable, Please Login Taking my son for a spin in 60053 back in 2018. He could barely see out of it at the time, but now he's taller than me.
No, it went back to Ed once he'd made room for it and was ready to put it up for sale. I'd never considered owning a 3X8, but Ed's car kind of grew on me while it was here, and so I bought my 308 not long after it was gone.
agree totally, great group, but we do have a number of younger members married to doctors that need to get out more, but I'm hopeful they will eventually grow a pair and turn the key.
Like the sound of this... Some would say the same about the monthly morning breakfast run I started in Southeast Florida...
