GUEST SPEAKERS
Porschephiles speak their brains.
With all of us having to adapt to a new way of living until the pandemic is a thing of the past, the clampdown on faceto-face contact is already having a long-term effect on the classic car scene, from both a personal and commercial perspective. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing...
The pandemic has brought into focus how the classic car scene revolves around people sharing their passion in person, where meeting with our cars is a major ingredient. The deprivation many enthusiasts are currently feeling due to not being able to head out with their four-wheeled friends to meet like-minded folk at shows or local meets is likely to continue for some time to come, but what has been reassuring to see is how the people occupying our corner of the motoring world have adapted to the ‘new normal’.
I’m talking specifically about how many older classic car owners — members of a demographic recognised for online engagement notably lighter than that of younger enthusiasts — have taken the plunge and joined the world of social media. Recognising meetings in person are unlikely for the foreseeable future, sharing their photographs and stories online is a way of keeping the passion alive during these challenging times. Moreover, from manufacturers down, the automotive world often pigeonholes its audiences by territory, whereas platforms like Instagram, Facebook and blogs encourage interaction with enthusiasts worldwide, thereby expanding the reach of owners clubs and the content their members generate beyond previously accepted boundaries. Encouragingly, this positive take-up of online interaction is set to become customary for those new to social media, even when we’re able to meet one another again at shows.
The lack of face-to-face contact has also presented challenges from a commercial standpoint, not least due to showroom traffic restricted or prevented. Once again, digital media has waved the flag, with online sales increasing to reflect the changed world we’re living in right now. The best example of where the enthusiast community of buyers and sellers meet en masse, of course, is that of a traditional classic car auction. Online bidding has been a key feature of these events for some time. It’s steadily growing, but the pandemic delivered the rationale for wholly online auctions when it became debatable if traditional open-to-public auctions could be staged or, indeed, would prove viable. Online auctions certainly work from a logistics perspective, but they’re a poor substitute for realworld engagement enjoyed by a room full of enthusiasts.
Rather than resorting to online-only sales, Historics Auctioneers took a different stance. Despite the prevailing pandemic, the company has succeeded in hosting four open-to-public auctions with a traditional auction hall, backed with telephone and online bidding. Yes, social distancing was strictly enforced (together with all necessary legislation), but it was clear that the ability to attend in person was appreciated by those present. Historics is passionate about encouraging get-togethers across the classic car community — it’s been the brand’s drumbeat since being established ten years ago, hence the pre-pandemic full-to-bursting hall of around 500-750 enthusiasts at each auction, with more attending on pre-auction viewing days. What’s more, the results of the last Historics open-to-public auction (held at Ascot Racecourse in December) showed the resilience of the traditional in-hall auction format: 118 of 159 cars – that’s seventy-four percent — of classics passed to bidders in the auction hall or by telephone. The eighty-four percent sale rate of entries proves the market is strong, despite the problems we’re all facing. Nevertheless, the fact that there were bidders 840 from registered an astounding online thirty-two countries – an increase on previous Historics auctions — adds credence to the popularity of online bidding for those that cannot attend in person. Additionally, the huge international reach is a fantastic illustration of how the internet can help engage enthusiasts on a world stage.
In a nutshell, the pandemic has left an indelible mark on social interaction in a community which loves to meet and chat, but the fact increasing numbers are now more familiar with engaging online, whether to buy and sell or simply to share comment, is a wonderful thing for all who contribute to this sector, which is hugely important to the UK economy.
PLATFORMS LIKE INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK AND BLOGS ENCOURAGE INTERACTION WITH ENTHUSIASTS WORLDWIDE