The best classic car owners’ clubs to join this year (Part 2)

Here at Lancaster, we have been supporting car clubs for the last three decades. We love the camaraderie between owners, meeting lifelong friends and sharing vital tips and knowledge about the vehicles we love the most.

It helps to keep classic car culture alive, encourage generations of new enthusiasts to get involved, and keep these brilliant vehicles on the roads for as long as possible. That’s why we work so closely with car clubs when providing insurance for classic cars.

Picking up where we left off in part one, here are more classic car owners’ clubs keeping classic motoring alive. Remember, you don’t always have to own the classic in question to join the club. If you have a love of that classic marque, that’s usually enough!

TR Drivers Club

Formed in the 1980s and celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2021, the TR Drivers Club is for enthusiasts of Triumph TR sports cars ranging from the TR2 to the TR8.

Boasting a large membership across the UK and further afield, the club is run entirely by volunteers who look after quite a diverse membership, ranging from drivers to owners who might have refurbished or rebuilt and restyled their TR.

Packed full of people who live and breathe Triumph TR, the club is proud to say its leading members know more about TRs than anybody around. To share this knowledge, the club publishes a bi-monthly magazine featuring expert articles about the Triumph TR range.

Meanwhile, expect regular events, such as meetups, spares days and trips to car shows at places like Stoneleigh Park. You can also browse the Club’s online store that features regalia, TR parts, and a place to sell your Triumph TR, which members can do for free.

Full membership costs £32 for a year, while three family members can be added to your membership for just £2.

Fiat 500 enthusiasts

The Fiat 500 Enthusiasts Club is a non-profit that looks to bring together lovers of the Fiat 500 and the derivatives of it produced from the 1930s to the 70s. It’s a place where members can share advice, support, or lend a hand to others who might need it, which they say promotes ‘the true spirit of 500 ownership’.

It’s quite an active and busy club to be involved in, with car-related or even Italian-themed events, demonstrations, social gatherings, and trips to the pub all common. They will also arrange trips to interesting places from time to time, too.

With an annual membership fee of £20, it’s a pretty good deal if you’re an owner of a Fiat 500. Throughout that year, you can email the club’s experts to help you with any technical issues or questions about your car, receive a bi-monthly magazine and newsletter all about Fiat 500 news, and be kept up to date with exciting events through the summer.

MX-5 Owners Club

According to Guinness World Records, the Mazda MX-5 is the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car. So if you’re the proud owner of one, there are many like-minded enthusiasts out there who you have something in common with.

For the ones who have joined a club, most of them are in the MX-5 Owners Club – the world’s largest MX-5 club with an impressive 7,500 members. Formed in 1994, the aim of the club is for all those members to get the absolute most out of their experience as an owner of an MX-5.

When you join, you enjoy a range of benefits including access to local, national and global events including pub meets, socials and rallies. The Club attends car shows throughout the year, and exhibits at the Lancaster Insurance NEC Classic Motor Show, as well as the Silverstone Classic.

There’s also a buzzing forum full of expertise and great discussions. The first year of membership will cost £39.50 due to the £4.50 joining fee. After that, the annual cost will be £35.

British Mini Club

Established in 1992, the British Mini Club welcomes Mini owners and enthusiasts from all over the world, with Minis from 1959 right up to the present day. As well as a bi-monthly magazine, the club organises and attends events throughout the year, for example a Mini drive-in cinema, as well as four large annual events including the Mini Fair – the UK’s largest indoor Mini event.

If you have a Mini and are thinking of getting involved, you can join the British Mini club at a cost of £25 for a year, which can be ordered on the website. In return, they promote a range of benefits including the bi-monthly ‘Mini Driver’ magazine and a personalised membership card, among others.

Type 3 & 4 Club

Type 3 & 4 Club celebrates UK owners of Volkswagen Type 3s and Type 4s built in the 1960s and 70s. The Club is a regular feature at major UK Volkswagen events, usually found hosting a Club Stand with regalia, sales of parts, and lots of information related to their favourite vehicles.

If you own one, they say that this is the club for you!

Joining costs just £5 for a year, and when you do that you are joining a network of fellow enthusiasts with plenty of knowledge to spare about Type 3s and Type 4s. You’ll be able to seek advice and ideas, for example how or where to source items or parts that are hard to find. There is also the ability to find spare parts to help you maintain or restore your vehicle.

The club has a library of manuals, parts information and instruction videos to help you solve any problem you might have with your car. You can also look forward to regular social events, including workshops and meets at VW shows. Take the chance to meet like-minded owners and share fun stories about life with a Type 3 or Type 4.

Reliant Owners Club

Now for a club that has been in existence since 1958, when a group of enthusiasts met in a cafe in London to get it started. The Reliant Owners Club quickly grew after forming that year and even had Princess Anne as an honorary member – the royal was a big fan of Reliants and is known to have had several Reliant Scimitar GTs over the years.

But no matter what make of Reliant you have – three wheels or four – you will be welcome at the Reliant Owners Club. Expect regular events throughout each year, local branches to get involved with, and access to a network of Reliant experts who you can get to know and learn from. Perhaps you could share your knowledge, too?

You can sign up on the website to become part of this club’s proud history. It’s just £3 to join and then there is a £15 annual members fee. For that, you get to choose a branch to join and then you’ll be updated about all their events and socials throughout the year.

Military Vehicle Trust

Do you love military vehicles? If so, this group could be the perfect one for you.

Officially the largest military vehicle club in the world with more than 5,000 global members, the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT) is a charity aimed at maintaining former military vehicles, as well as their legacy. It says members are responsible for ex-military vehicles from both the UK and overseas, ranging from before WWI right up to the present day.

The MVT has a network that spans right across the UK to allow people who share an interest in military vehicles to meet up, exchange knowledge and become friends. Throughout the year, there will typically be various events, trips and social gatherings to get involved with. Meanwhile, they say you don’t actually need to own a military vehicle to join. All you need is a passion for ex-military vehicles, re-enactments or history.

You can join the Military Vehicle Trust for £35 for a year, or start a joint membership with someone in your house for £40.

Volvo Enthusiasts Club

Formed more than 30 years ago in 1989, the Volvo Enthusiasts club is the only club in the UK that focuses on classic Volvo models. Starting out with just 50 members, it has grown to more than 1,500 featuring Volvo lovers all across the world.

The Club's main aim is to support owners of older or out-of-production Volvos, providing them with technical information and parts that might otherwise be difficult to come by.

Founder Kevin Prince says the club has great relations with Volvo itself and is completely self-financing through its membership fees and activities such as regalia sales and selling ad space in its club magazine.

Among the events and meetups the club organises, there are regular Club displays at classic car shows around the UK. These have included the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at NEC Birmingham and the Bristol Classic Car Show. To join, there is an annual membership fee of £25, or £30 for overseas members.

Land Rover Series One Club

For fans of the early Land Rovers, the Land Rover Series One Club claims to be ‘for all things to do with’ the original Series Ones, which were built between 1948 and 1958 before the Series Two arrived.

The Club’s aim is to help fellow Series One enthusiasts successfully restore, use and maintain their original Land Rovers via networking and sharing ideas, knowledge and spares. With more than 3,000 members, it has a global network of representatives to meet with local enthusiasts to help them out. Members also receive a regular club magazine and can access the club’s online forum.

Meanwhile, there are a range of events throughout the year that, if you love Land Rovers, you won’t want to miss. Some of these are open to anybody, but some are for members only.

To join, you’ll need to pay a £5 joining fee. After that, it’s £29 per year for UK members, £32 for EU members, and £35 for members around the world.

Austin 1100 Club

Formed in 1985, the UK-based 1100 Club is aimed at owners of the British Motor Corporations 1100/1300 range, which included cars branded as Austin, Innocenti, MG, Morris, Riley, Vanden Plas and Wolseley – collectively known as ADO16.

So if you own one of these specific vehicles, this club would be perfect for you. As a member, you have access to lots of technical support and advice to help maintain your unique and precious vehicle. You will also receive an award-winning, bi-monthly magazine called Idle Chatter and you can log in to the website’s ‘Member only’ area to read all the back issues you might have missed.

However, that’s not all members have access to. There’s also a searchable database of technical resources and exclusive access to classified ads two weeks before the public can see them. Also, a dedicated member helpline provides technical and spares advice.

Meanwhile, if you’re interested in the social side of membership, when you join you’ll have the chance to meet up at national and regional shows, as well as attend meetings with other local members. Joining costs £29.50 per year in the UK, £36 if you’re in Europe, or £39 further afield.

Working with car clubs to provide classic car insurance discounts

Lancaster has teamed up with many car clubs around the UK to provide classic car insurance discounts for members.

We’re proud to support car clubs and everything they do to promote vintage vehicle culture. With us, owners club members may enjoy classic car insurance premium discounts of up to 25% (the level of discount offered by each insurer differs and is subject to underwriting criteria).

We have access to some of the most competitive classic car insurance schemes in the UK, with bespoke solutions that suit all our customers’ needs.

We can provide a classic car insurance quote for virtually every vintage vehicle on the road today, so why not get in touch?

Other benefits of insurance through us can include:

- Limited mileage discounts
- Static Show Cover
- Two year Agreed Valuation available for £18

Talk to the team today.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.