Whether you will agree or not, let’s take stock of the current status quo of the Club, which everyone when they became a member, had his/her own level of pride from having achieved such an honour. Personally I remember it well as I considered it to be the pinnacle of my career in 1966 when Les Leston and Graham Hill proposed and seconded my membership to the BRDC and Gerald Lascelles called me to tell me that I had been accepted into the fold some few weeks later.

 In those days, to be able to wear the same badge as Sir Stirling, Jimmy, Jackie, Graham, Jack  and all my other contemporise of that era who displayed it on their overalls, was perhaps the proudest moment of my life! I had become part of an ‘institution’ which recognised and rewarded a driver’s success, welcoming them into the fold of elite professionals… judging them principally by their results as the main criteria for membership. There can be no doubt that most Associate members who have been elected to the Club have shared similar emotions; most will have played a big part in assisting drivers in one way or another to achieve success however, there is a massive difference between winning the races as a driver compared to providing sponsorship, trade support or ones contacts to organise a driver’s seat. It has to be much more meaningful for the driver in emotional terms.  

A combination of time and circumstances has culminated in many changes within the Club, many would say that a good deal have not been for the best or, of late, not in the best interests of the members. I don’t think many would argue that there has been a serious decline in both passion and interest in the Club over the past decade, to the point when, at a crucial time in the Club’s history, when a member’s vote was called for on an issue that may change the whole direction and future for the BRDC….less than half the full and life members could be bothered to vote and probably less than a third even bothered to turn up to the meeting.  

There is, in my opinion, a clear answer to it all. The politics and the commercial affairs of the Club are responsible for 90% of the apathy, loss of passion and general interest of the membership. I think it is also the reason why so many younger people are just not interested in becoming part of it and see no real every day benefit of being a member. Other Clubs such as the BARC and The BRSCC have more to offer for their generation at a much lower cost too. The younger ones want theme bars, live music with ambience and atmosphere which the BRDC clubhouse cannot provide them with. With the average age of the Club being in the mid sixties and more falling off the perch than new ones joining, the answer is more than obvious in the medium to short term. With so many privileges either gone or dissipated now, no Grand Prix to attend…. chances are interest will further decline in the Club by members.

For almost a year now, I have been pondering all the issues above and wondering to myself what members of the club really want from it, as well as what most members are prepared to put into it themselves. It seems obvious that most of the prestige and kudos of membership has shrunk with time and is no longer the primary incentive of becoming a member. This I believe is a terrible shame and makes the case for there no longer being a motor-sport Club which is regarded as the pinnacle of excellence that every racing individual can aspire to be part of for that reason alone! I have come to the conclusion that the biggest factor that has brought about this situation is that first and foremost the BRDC has become a commercial animal which has to fight to survive in a commercial world. The commercial affairs of the company therefore take president above all else which has in turn stifled the Club’s camaraderie atmosphere. Consequently, this has reduced the interests of the members to a lowly position in the order of priorities of the Club’s administration, culminating in them limiting member’s benefits to their present day level through general necessity rather than by choice.       

The irony of all this is, the club belongs to the members who have now become the poor relations and, if the Board’s intentions run the stated course they have now set, there is a distinct chance that the members rights and privileges are likely to become even further limited and could evaporate completely in the next decade whilst members will likely be asked to pay even more for their membership each year.  

Another point to ponder; it’s the membership who have demanded the severance of the commercial affairs from the Club and have therefore in turn contributed to the dissipation of their own benefits of membership. As many know and have commented on our forum, the exclusitivity of their own clubhouse is undermined on important dates to make way for important corporate paying guests and celebrities and those ‘wannabes’ that are willing to pay to be seen rubbing shoulders with the so-called elite of the BRDC. Not the perfect scenario! Not what the Bentley Boys had in mind in the original formation of the Club and, probably not your idea of a great Club’s membership policy.

Let us examine for a moment another leading motor-sport Club in the UK, The BARC. Whilst it does not have the so-called prestige of the BRDC as anyone can join and because there are no racing qualification rules to consider, here is a well and long-  established organisation that owns no freehold property, trades very profitably each year, holds various social functions for all levels of membership, is free of politics and

Commercial intrigue, is extremely well managed from the top and has a year on year growth rate. It holds countless events each year and manages to make a good profit without referring any commercial decisions to the membership for ratification. A very good example of what a good Club is all about! Most of all, it’s not owned by the members and is therefore free to dictate the commercial policies whilst taking into consideration what members want from it and delivering! That’s what I would call a good business model to build upon.

After a lot of research since early this year, I have been working on a project for which I believe there is a space for in the current market place. It is conceived from what I consider to be a current need based on the history of events within the BRDC and the direction in which the Club is heading since this year’s recent mandate secured from its membership. The object is to create an organisation which fills all the gaps and which will provide a raft of benefits, without parallel in any other Club, with a view to building upon those benefits which will make it the most desirable entity to belong to if you are a motor-sport competitor, or associated individual in all aspects of the sport.

The intention is for it to be affiliated with the MSA as a recognised body within the sport. In other words, a Club with a difference! The major difference being that it will not be influenced by commercial business operations; will concentrate on the participation of the members in all divisions of the sport and categories; will contain more benefits than any other motor-sport clubs in the UK; will cater solely for the needs and requirements of its membership; will promote and encourage a multitude of social programs and events for the benefit of members and their families and friends; will establish itself as the most prestigious motor-sport Club in the UK to belong to as its primary raison d’etre, thereby giving a member the pride and passion of membership, at all levels.

As an example of what I am talking about, here are some of the features I have researched and am confident will be available to be included in the membership benefits and its original charter:

Free entry for all members at most UK circuits (subject to conditions)

The Club’s own home circuit with the use of a clubhouse

 Special negotiated member’s rates and a discount card for:

·        Car hire and world wide flights. Club card discounts.

·        Health insurance, motor insurance and home cover @group rates

·        Theatre trips and travel concessions, weekend breaks.

·        Utility savings with group membership to https://www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk

·        Hotels around the world. Club card discounts.

·        Legal advice for active competitors.

·        Golf, fishing, shooting, tennis, sailing and other events for members.

·        Special facilities for our members at important motor-sport events in the UK.

·        Assistance for any member who falls into difficult circumstances.

·        Dedicated website with forum, blog and monthly newsletter.

·        The Club’s own Visa or Mastercard.

·        Sponsored young driver programme with member coaching.

·        Bi-monthly regional lunches.

·        Club annual awards dinner and member’s ball.

·        Member’s track days.

·        Major annual fun-run/rally, incorporating circuit visits in Europe.

·        Specially designed member’s insignia.

·        Sponsored junior club.

·        Free member’s ads section on website and newsletter.

·        More benefits constantly added as we progress.

Whilst the Club will be a private Limited company, the club will have a committee, drawn from the membership, who will meet at regular intervals to determine all Club matters and programmes and membership qualifications. They will not be responsible for corporate commercial decisions, those will always be in the company’s domain. There will be 3 categories of membership, they will be:

Full member, Affiliate member and Junior member.

I have already gone a long way in securing potential commitments from various companies and organisations, thus enabling me to list the benefits and privileges I have outlined which can be available to members. I have some very specific ideas as to the categories of membership which will be offered whilst remaining aware of not offending anyone or creating divides between the values of one section or another. It’s my dedicated wish that the primary objective is to create a new Club that will be looked upon by the UK motor-sport fraternity and all the periphery, just as the BRDC was so many years ago, as the Club of Clubs and THE one to be recognised as the ultimate one to belong to if you were a driver or were, or had been, involved in the sport as a patron or sponsor.

Just as the BRDC has a supposed qualification process and requirement, so will the new Club. We may differ somewhat in that we will not put a prospective member’s ‘pedigree’ as a yardstick to measure his/her eligibility for membership and the one thing that prospective members will never be able to do is buy their way in. Genuine sporting achievement will be the benchmark, at all levels, that paves the way to membership in any category. The only automatic qualification criteria for membership will be if you are or have been a member of the BRDC, even then there might be the odd exception if that membership was only gained by an invitation in the first place and not by results or merit.          

At this early stage, I will be interested to have your comments and any suggestions you may have for further facilities or categories not covered by what has been outlined. I am obviously keen to solicit your views on the entire concept and will be pleased to note your interest in being a potential founder member of this proposed new enterprise.

I still have not finally decided on a name or logo, although I do have one in mind, as well as an insignia design for the Club, nor have I definitely settled on a fee structure that will suit the structure and objectives of the Club in its finite form, although it will be less than the BRDC’s annual subscription and more than the BARC’s.  You are welcome to also give me any suggestions which you think might be fitting and appropriate for the new structure.

Whilst I am pinning this to the Forum chat section and you are welcome to post your comments there, feel free to e-mail me privately if you so prefer at….

harry.stiller@gmail.com

With best regards to all,

Harry Stiller.