<VV> What if?, was: CORSA

[Mark Corbin]

That's a very intersting subject, Lon. I can tell you what happened to the
Fiero hobby, if that's any guide.

When the Fiero started production, there was already a shyster promoting
his own "club", which was really a business disguised as a club. He managed
over the years to drive every other attempt to establish a "competing"
national club out of business (though most were "club" businesses, just
like his). Eventually he folded his tent and disappeared over the hill,
just like every other "club" that had been formed like his. By that time,
he had ticked off more people than he had members in the end, and thus
poisoned the well for any other national Fiero club that has been attempted.

As a result, there are only local clubs here and there, and a number of
internet sites, such as Pennocks and the Fiero List. Resale prices are not
where they should be, and have been stagnant for at least a decade or two.
Parts reproduction and availability is spotty if not nil, other than the
more common (to other lines) off the shelf parts. No event insurance is
available, nor are any truely "national conventions" or any of the other
club-derived benefits that Corvair people can take for granted.

Granted, they only made 370,000 cars, as opposed to the Corvair's 1.7
million. But the general situation is one that is nowhere near what's
available for any other marque that has a club behind it. Having a
"national" club behind one's marque means more than what a lot of people
think.

As far as I'm concerned, people who don't join a national club of whatever
marque car they have are idiots. Just the networking alone that's available
only through a national club is worth the dues. We who are members of the
national need to tell such people to take a hike. If everybody did, those
freeloaders would find themselves cut off and isolated from everything for
their car, and would soon be forced to sell out or join.

BTW a friend of mine once said that the only reason there's a market for
old F**ds is because of the existance of a national club. LOL

-Mark


> [Original Message]
> From: Lon Wall <corvairs at pacifier.com>
> Subject: Re: <VV> CORSA
>
>  There's 
> also the very intangiable issue of the hobby itself. What if there had 
> never been a Corsa?   I'll leave that for my next post.
>
> Lon Wall
> Corsa Western Director (For a month or two more?)
>