Giving something back?

Keep an eye open for events here plus over at Pistonheads and at Club Scuderia as well as Owners Club and Dads Day Out at Dunsfold in June(ish)

(you may have to travel a little from Devon as activities tend to be more population-centred)

 

Well now....there's a thought. I think I might just get into my Ferrari and drive off into the sunset.

 

Interesting comments, zudnic, but let's try to keep the conversation away from political or religious discourse. The P&R subforum in the subscribed areas is the appropriate place for that. Thanks!

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Yeah, my point wasn't to be political. Just want the British we still have deep connections with them even today. Like learning about my favorite things.

I want Jeremy back on Top Gear and hope they keep Leblanc. I don't watch BBC America much now. When I want real news I turn in on PBS.

I just want Brits to know the connection I have with All British is more then just cars.

 

I take mine along to local shows now and then. Only problem is some people think it is their right to not just look at the car, but lean on it etc which I am not keen on at all.
Most people are good, just be prepared!
Overall, drive your car, don't just leave it in the garage. You will see many smiles on happy faces just for getting to see and hear it driving past.

 

I take mine along to local shows now and then. Only problem is some people think it is their right to not just look at the car, but lean on it etc which I am not keen on at all.
Most people are good, just be prepared!
Overall, drive your car, don't just leave it in the garage. You will see many smiles on happy faces just for getting to see and hear it driving past.

 

Hi, I just wanted to say what a lovely thought.
I work for a National company who are very keen to contribute to charities during our working hours and we are always trying to raise funds for different charities.
Have you thought about offering yourself as a prize in a raffle for 'Win a Ferrari and driver for an hour'?
Please feel free to contact me as I know an excellent charity who would love help raising funds.
Thanks

 

Nice idea: you might want to look for a couple of UK sites to get more visibility for your request

 

One of the things I do, and I know its not a Ferrari but when kids take an interest I let them sit in my car. On occasion even a ride. It's so wonderful to see how their faces LIGHT up! Most important thing is not to be rude to people that take and interest in your car and make sure you answer questions. The only question I don't answer is what it cost or if I am rich. I answer any and all questions about the car and any time someone tells me "nice car" I thank them. When they ask if they can take pictures I always say "as many as you want but please don't sit on my car." People are respectful when you are with them.

Every year there is an organization that gives less fortunate people or mentally challenged people ride to prom in their high end cars. I haven't had the opportunity to do that yet but if I see it come up here I will gladly take part.

 

I rolled several of my Ferraris as Art Cars, over the years with my daughter....

We visited schools and hospitals and the kids were by far the most enjoyable part of the gig..you can let them access the car certainly but you do need to keep a sharp eye out they don't do damage.

It's tough duty to visit the Hospitals certainly....
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Have a search for Sporting Bears, they do lots of charity based events where members of the public pay for rides in the cars and the money forwarded to supported charities and also days where children with serious and sometimes terminal illnesses are given rides in the car. The Sporting Bears have regional coordinators so you should be able to link up with other owners in your area.

 

I've done a ton of proms, weddings, special events for people, love doing them, as people tend to allow themselves to appreciate the cars properly, rather than your everyday driving around where it's a crap shoot as to whether people smile or throw you the finger. I even took a widow to a funeral once in an Aston I had because her husband was a massive Aston fan, and she thought it would've given him a smile to think there was an Aston there

That said, while I don't do it for any reward, I don't charge any of them, they are clients of my business and I do it as some nice public relations, it never ceases to amaze me that few even offer some gas money, which I find a little strange, but then, many brits don't really like to tip a waitress!

Had a few funny moments too, when the cars aren't appreciated. I remember a wedding I did for a client once, I spent an entire day there, and pretty much took anyone that wanted a ride out for a ten minute blast, got through a tank of gas doing so. Everyone that went was really pleased and loved it. However, at one point in the day, I came out to take a chap for a spin, and a lorry and a car had decided to park extremely close (parallel parking at a very high kerbside outside the church), so I had little room to manoeuvre the 599 out. As I was doing so, a clearly jealous chap stood in a group of people, all three of them having had a ride so far, starts trying to tell me through the open window that he could easily get out of the tight space, why was I taking so long etc, it's easy. I got out the space, and stepped back out the car, and in front of all his friends just asked 'so, which ferrari do you have?, is it a V8 then cos they tend to be shorter and easier to manoeuvre '. That shut him up and had his friends laughing at him

Earlier that same day, the brides son had been telling me the local kids give him trouble because his soon to be stepdad is black, and being a smaller kid, he has to put up with it. I took him for a ride out to the local park where these 'tough' 12 year olds hang around, and made a big show of his 'gangster' uncle and his ferrari. Well, nothing makes you cool at school like a fake gangster uncle giving blasts in his new ferrari. His mum stays in touch, and he never had trouble with bullies after that day, and has now moved onto college (5 years flies by)

 

I always figured that I had the car through hard work, and it was for me alone not as some kind of show off item, but everyone has dreams, some of them are about ferraris and other cars..... why not let them sit in one and go for a spin, they will never be able to walk into a dealer and test drive, if they even get to open a door! In petrol stations, I lost count of the times I left a mummy and her kids taking it in turn to have their photo taken in the drivers seat while I went to pay up for my fuel, and it's let them know that even a dumb fool like me, who left school at the earliest point he could, can apply themselves and achieve their ambitions - my ambition of a car was clearly just bloody stupid of course!

 

I'm taking mine to Castle Combe racetrack this weekend for the Under 17s car club charity "magic" day, both to give passenger rides and to allow the more experienced juniors the chance to drive the car around the track...

Hopefully I'll get a smile or three!

 

Three proved to be an understatement, I ended up continually lapping for nearly 6 hours... Mostly passenger laps but two of the young people had achieved a skill level enough to drive me around including 12yr old Rose....

Not too many 12 year olds get to lap a racetrack in a Ferrari I should imagine...

A great day.
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If your near Castle Coombe, check out the Stroke Association day in October. Friend use to help organise it. People bring a wide variety of cars, people pay to get taken around the track and all proceeds go to the charity.

derekmines; I'd be interested to hear about the day at castle coombe you did! I'm only one village up so no excuse not to go next year!

Cheers
Adrian

 

Hiya, yep, it's an annual event, I'm sure you know the ethos of the club so I won't write a tome here.

Magic day is their annual fundraiser for CLIC (Childrens cancer charity) where members pay a token amount to drive / be driven around the track in whatever vehicle takes their fancy....

Within the club, even the newest starter gets to drive, however some (like Ruth in my photo) have achieved a grade high enough (the grading system starts at 5 and runs through 4,3,2,1 and then X, with 2 being considered a test pass) to be able to drive slightly more challenging cars.

it's all at the discretion of the owner, but most allowed grade 2 and above to drive themselves.... sadly I've no photo but I think my favourite sight of the day was a girl about 4' tall driving a popping, banging Noble M12 around the track! - She was, in fact one of only 2 grade X students - a level commensurate with IAM driving and considered able enough (on a normal weekend) to drive themselves around with no adult in the car.

I was constantly amazed by the ability of these young people, their spatial awareness and their ability to listen to instruction and understand the reasoning behind it.

Can't recommend the day highly enough, it really was brilliant.