History

A Brief Early History of The Constructors Car Club
by Patrick Harlow

March 1988

The First Meeting

The meeting was held at St Bernard’s College upstairs in the Library. The six people including myself were a little bit nervous.
For the months preceding we had been tracking down and phoning up people who had been building cars. About fortyfive people were contacted. We were hoping that somewhere between fifteen and twentyfive would turn up. I think thirtyeight turned up in the end.
John Marshall chaired the meeting and I was secretary. Minutes were taken for the purpose of discussion at the next founding committee meeting that was held a couple of weeks later.
This had all come about from a chance meeting between Ian Carswell, Roy Hoare and Darrell Blewett.
Most who attended the meeting came out of curiosity, surprised that there might be others daft enough to build a car which did not have the high profile of a Hot Rod.
During the first part of the meeting John Marshall introduced the six founding members and gave a brief run down as to how the meeting came about. Roy discussed the some of the things that we could do if we formed a club such as help each other out with technical information or where to get a wasit to attach a thingy-ma-jig to that bracket there. Or what will happen when you attach a widget to a fidget.
One of the key discussion points besides what everybody was building was Car Insurance and it was agreed that by forming a club we might be able to negotiate a good deal. In those days nobody had even heard of LVVTA.
The last key question that John Marechal raised was this, "Is there sufficient interest to hold another meeting?" Basically we were not sure as to how many were along for a "look-see" never to be seen again.
By the way, the foundation committee was: Darrell Blewitt, Ian Carswell, Roger Dunkley, Patrick Harlow, Roy Hoare and John Marechal.

2nd Meeting

No records of the meeting survived. Approximately forty people turned up. The key discussions were how to go about forming a club. It was decided that we should, for our own protection, become an Incorporated society.

April 1988

May 1988

3rd Meeting - the club is formed

The clubs aims and objectives were stated and agreed to. Also the copy of a possible constitution was handed out for discussion at the next meeting.
At the first and second meeting the club was called the "Wellington Kitt Car Club" which was a great tribute to my powers of creativity and spelling ability. This first name was only ever designed to be temporary and had it continued I promise that I would have corrected the spelling.
There had been various names suggested and the CCC name was the most popular. It was Derrick Halford who first suggested it as the Car Constructors Club. Although a few agreed initially that it was a good idea, George Ulyate had other plans and started a debate that said it be called the "Constructors Car Club". George used very eloquent language and confused us all with English idioms and history tells the rest.
The Club was given the name "Constructors Car Club".

1st AGM

The first AGM was held and the first committee elected.
Once committed to a club name the next job was to design a new club logo. Again the logo that went with "Wellington Kitt Car Club" was a futuristic car. I thought it was pretty flash but nobody else did. It was Derrick Halford who formulated the first logo and it was done on the back of a pack of cigarettes with a Government health warning.

Derrick had been chatting to one of his contacts about a sign that we could use for the upcoming Nissan Mobil 500 (1988). We had been able to score some display space in the middle of the circuit and needed some signs made quickly. The contact came through with a sign which featured a green steering wheel with three spokes and a ‘C’ between each segment. The Nissan/Mobil display was a great success and the impromptu logo was to be a part of the club for the next four years.

June 1988

October 1992-

Club Patron

By 1992 the club was firmly established. Frank Costin of the original Marcos fame had visited the club and become the club patron as well as donating the Costin Cup. His brother Mike of Cosworth fame was coming. Steve Dorrington, the club treasurer before Steve Strain, suggested that we re-look at the club Logo. After more discussion than I care to remember a logo evolved. The logo is the one that we have now and was first printed in Spare Parts in October of 1992 on the back cover. The grid behind the wheel demonstrated our relationship with Frank Costin as it took the Costin logo with the power curve on the grid and replaced it with our logo. The Constructors Car Club is now a well known club. It has become known both nationally and internationally.