ECMs for 2017, 2018 and 2019

superrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Good news!
Hope I will be able to make it.
Regards, Patrik

Hi,
the question was asked as to why we are not attending the 2017 meet.
A bit of a whim answer, but it is purely down to distance.
Looking forward to hearing where you are meeting in 2018

Hi Neil,

Have you driven your car in Europe before? If not, believe me that the European roads are considerably better than ours, and far less crowded. If you don't mind paying the tolls, the French autoroutes are, in my experience, largely deserted - you can cover long distances effortlessly. The German Autobahns are also great roads - and present the opportunity to legally drive at faster speeds than the UK. Of course the European motorway networks have roadworks too but, again in my experience, nowhere near as bad as our system.

I use the motorways as a way to get from Calais to wherever I'm aiming for as quickly and easily as possible. But the real pleasure comes when you get there - well maintained, uncrowded roads, beautiful scenery, friendly people and, in most countries, cheap (compared with the UK) hotels and restaurants. If you've not done so already, the first time you drive your Cobra in the Alps or Pyrenees, you'll be as hooked as I am!

I now do over 90% of my Cobra driving in Europe - in comparison, it's just no fun driving in the UK these days - especially down south. I make the ECM my annual holiday, extending the time before and after the ECM weekend. For example, this year we'll probably spend a couple of days on the French autoroutes to get to the French/Swiss border, and from there spend four days driving various Alpine passes in Switzerland, Northern Italy, Lichtenstein and Austria (hopefully with some of our French ECM friends) on our way to Liberec - maybe spending a weekend with the German Cobra Club guys at their event on Lake Constance en route.

Of course a lot depends on the weather. We were blessed with glorious weather for our first tour to ECM 2013 in Bavaria, but we've experienced torrential rain on subsequent tours. That hasn't put us off though - one sunny day on mountain days is more than adequate compensation for five wet days!

I accept that not everyone has the time or the money to spend on a two week 2500/3000 mile European tour at 20mpg, but believe me if you're someone who enjoys driving your Cobra more than polishing it, there is no finer way to enjoy your car and reap the rewards of all the time and money you put into building/improving it. And, again in my experience, everyone over there loves these cars.

So please don't let the distance put you off!

Alan

Hi Uwe.

ECM 2018 will be announced in Liberec, and ECM 2019 will in turn be announced at ECM 2018.

By the way, I see you managed to get a great individual photo of your car on the banking at Brooklands - nice one!

Alan

Yes, I notice that various French cities now require Crit-Air windscreen stickers with the car's emissions band - which rules out our cars completely. 

If they introduce this system in Calais then we Brits will be totally stuffed ....... 

Alan