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MG MGA - Charting our Membership - MGA Reg. MGCC Victoria

Ih has been pretty quiet on this forum for a few weeks now so have add a recent article that maybe of interest from the MGA Register in Victoria.
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Fascinating. Just for kicks I answered your survey:
Mk2
Roadster
Red
Running
>11 (I also drive my TD and MGB about the same amount)
Leisure/Club tours
5 years
1

Jud

ps: I'm NOT the guy wearing the skirt.

J K Chapin

It surprises me how few people drive their MGA more than 20 days per year. I assumed most people would drive far more than that. That nearly 25% of owners drive less than 10 days per year is astounding to me. I can't imagine having such a car and not using it often. That 75% are running is encouraging though.
Steve Simmons

I've looked back at my notes and find that I drive my MGA more like 30 days a year. The TD usually takes precedence because it's just fun.

Jud
J K Chapin

Steve, the reason why there is such a low usage is because the figures relate to cars in Melbourne Australia. We have been in COVID -19 lockdown for 220 days since the start of 2020 that restrict cars to travelling only 5kms from home for approved reasons ie food, medicine, etc. we have been in lockdown more than any other country. In normal times the daily usage would be much higher.
Expect restrictions to be lifted when we reach 80% double dose vaccination around end Oct.
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

I skip the rainy days or really muggy days, but I use the MGA to run errands and go to the Post Office almost daily to get mail. I find I have less issues the more I use it and it is still lots of fun to drive, much more than the new vehicles. When people ask me what I do to winterize the car, I tell them other than anti-freeze I do nothing but continue to use the car regularly.
Bill Haglan

Bill, one of the reasons us Victorians don't use our cars as daily drivers is that we have a cheap registration scheme for classic cars here (Club Permit Scheme) where an annual 45 day permit is around $85 compared to full registration of $800. Cars must be +30 years old, you must be a member of an approved car club, your car meets a certain roadworthy standard and you fill in your log book each time you take your car out. (You can also get a 90 day permit for $160 but that is the limit).
Victoria's climate also suits open top motoring - similar latitude to Arizona only down under!
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

I see! I didn't realize this was a survey for the past couple years only.

Registration sure is high there. Here in California it's considered high compared to most places in the country, but an MGA will still only cost around $140 USD per year.
Steve Simmons

The high registration in Australia also includes 3rd party insurance.

Mark
Mark Wellard

Hi Mark, not in N.S.W. where you have to obtain separate green slip insurance when on full rego, that gets really expensive the older the car is because they aren't equipped with the latest safety features & therefore have a lower "safety rating". Steve, historic rego has been available for over a decade and prior to that we had "club plates" a system overseen by the car club which limited use even further to club sanctioned runs only. The registration system for old cars over the long term has limited the amount we can use our cars. My MGA was a daily driver until 2010 when it became cheaper to buy, insure & register a more modern vehicle for daily use & put the A on historic rego for limited pleasure trips. In the questionnaire it makes little difference to the result how far back you want the question to trace. The registration system (or rather the cost) has limited the use of our cars not our want to drive them.

I Hazeldine

Interesting method. It's the opposite here in the USA, where the older a car is, the cheaper it becomes to register and insure. Here in California we have "Historical Vehicle" plates which offer much cheaper registration but you're limited to parades, shows, etc. No "normal" driving. Most other states have their version of this, being more or less restrictive state by state. Considering how cheap registration is here in CA, I don't know why anyone would get historic plates, but a lot of people do. The vehicle must be at least 25 years old, which was a good number back when the plates were first created. But now that means you can register a 1996 Toyota Camry as a historic vehicle, and run the special plates which say "Historic Vehicle" next to an image of a brass era touring car. Strange.
Steve Simmons

This thread was discussed between 03/09/2021 and 05/09/2021

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