In addition to the 9th ECM in 2017 that is being organised by Roel and Yvona de Vringer, we also have offers to organise the 10th ECM in 2018 and the 11th ECM in 2019.
It has become an ECM tradition that we announce each future ECM at the end of the current one. Following ECM2016 in the UK, Roel & Yvona de Vringer made the announcement for their ECM. Similarly we have asked the organiser of ECM2018 to announce that event at the end of ECM2017, in June 2017.
We have also asked the organiser of ECM2019 to announce that event at the end of ECM2018.
This tradition of making announcements in this way enables everyone, organisers and participants alike, to focus on the planning and arrangements of the next ECM and keeps something to look forward to in the following years.
For the first time in the history of ECM we have three events provisionally in our calendar. Organisers, venues and dates will be announced as described above.
The Steering Group
Achim Deboeser, Nigel Brackenbury, Michel Mousset, Rocco Jansen and David Allen-Butler
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
Post by Roel de Vringer on Feb 5, 2017 11:09:22 GMT
Hi Neil,
Dover > Liberec = about 728 miles which is - of course - a fair distance.
The 2018 ECM location can not be disclosed just yet, but without giving anything away, i can tell you that will be about 672 miles from Dover. Just 56 miles less... So you won't attend that one either i suppose?
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.
Post by Michel Mousset on Feb 6, 2017 13:00:20 GMT
My advice: Don't wait too long!
Thanks to those f.....g ecologists, we absolutely do not know if we will still be allowed properly driving our Cobras in 2018 or 2019 So we urged registering to ECM 2017 to have at least one more great moment with our cars and with all our friends!