Buying and Selling an Avanti using AOAI

[psdenno]

18 minutes ago, ronmanfredi said:

There seems to be a huge resistance to change here, not only about this topic but change of the forums platform etc.  It's all part of the age group of AOAI / Forum members.  I also participate with another vehicle group of which the majority are much younger than my 73 years.  

 

I think you probably need to "read the room" regarding your perception of resistance to change.  Rereading the comments posted so far, it doesn't seem to be resistance to change so much as resistance to a less than sterling idea.

I manage an international vintage Porsche club and recently did a survey of members ages.  No one was younger than 60.  As with the Avanti, we all bought our Porsches because they were cars being built that excited us when we were young.  Again, relating to the Avanti, we are no longer young and folks who are tend to be more interested in the cars of their automotive formative years, not the Avanti which stirs us.

So the question to answer is, "How do we get younger buyers excited about the Avanti?".  Get the Avanti out of the garage and into car shows, parades, charity rides, park it in your driveway, cars & coffee, and any other way that gets the car in the public eye and possibly sparks interest in younger buyers who could then become club members.

[ronmanfredi]

1 hour ago, psdenno said:

I think you probably need to "read the room" regarding your perception of resistance to change.  Rereading the comments posted so far, it doesn't seem to be resistance to change so much as resistance to a less than sterling idea.

I manage an international vintage Porsche club and recently did a survey of members ages.  No one was younger than 60.  As with the Avanti, we all bought our Porsches because they were cars being built that excited us when we were young.  Again, relating to the Avanti, we are no longer young and folks who are tend to be more interested in the cars of their automotive formative years, not the Avanti which stirs us.

So the question to answer is, "How do we get younger buyers excited about the Avanti?".  Get the Avanti out of the garage and into car shows, parades, charity rides, park it in your driveway, cars & coffee, and any other way that gets the car in the public eye and possibly sparks interest in younger buyers who could then become club members.

Your suggestions of how to get younger buyers excited are all good ones and are also being done throughout the country today.  The level can be increased by those who care but I'm not sure if it's enough.  With that being said, I'm looking at something completely different. The old saying that we can't keep doing the same thing (no matter what the level) and expect different results is always true.  I now work part time for an aftermarket Harley parts manufacturer/reseller.  Started in 2011 and have the business trendline for the entire business in all markets, through all channels, which I manage, plus social media.  And the trend is this, decline, decline, decline since 2017 (with the exception of the Covid spike). Harley and all related businesses are affected.  It's the baby boomers, aging out (I'm one of them) and no new young buyers coming in.  There are several known reasons for this and a couple that you can point the finger to Harley-Davidson and its culture that caused it.  So what is the solution for Harley (and Indian who Polaris Industries recently sold off)?  They are going to have to offer a product that the younger generation of bike riders want and provide benefits to those who buy them. 

The Avanti clubs across the country each put in their share of effort to do various events and functions that benefit their members and families. I'm sure a lot of them go way out of the way to participate in charities and other local events also.  Yet with all of this and with the years of experience that AOAI has in promoting the brand, the decline continues.  

I have mentioned this car sales idea to a couple of AOAI board members who thought it was interesting.  I've also shared the need to do what it takes to get a few Influencers on board with the Avanti Automobile and to increase our presence and activities on Facebook and Instagram.  These are all untested and will take time and money.  I'll front the money for my ideas and if they work, then the investment will be worth it.  If not, then it's my loss and no one else can complain.

So how does this look from the AOAI Boards perspective?  Well at Palm Springs, there were 4 directors who got with me individually during the event and asked me to take over the forums and website.  They know that some changes need to happen and are hoping I can make a difference.  Lew, who has done a fantastic job over the years with these, plus the outstanding magazine, just doesn't have the time to do this and wants to slow down which I understand.  The passing of the torch for both of these is a relief for him and exciting for me. 

So here we are, a couple of unproven new ideas and we will see if and how they go.  I challenge everyone who uses this forum to come up with 1 New idea on how to grow the Avanti business.  Let's see who participates!

[mfg]

I’m happy that this forum has lasted as long as it has. Once again, it seemed at the time (2014) the plug was going to be pulled on it…. and then the Trivia feature was started… and this forum seemed to come alive!

My suggestion would be to get away from the buying and selling and ‘how much is it worth’ banter…. It turns people who really care about these cars off.

Avantis have always been a ‘cult’ car. Even when new in ‘63 they didn’t get strong approval from the general public….. Can we really expect a lot more interest from young folks now?

Let’s face it, kids today couldn’t care less about cars…. It’s a different world now… and we really can’t do anything about that!

I say if you own an Avanti simply enjoy it, drive it, take it to shows, and you’ll probably have the only one there, and show goers will seek YOU out to learn more about your interesting car.

Will that result in another Avanti owner down the road?  Who knows!…Ed