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The classic car community loves welcoming new owners into the fold. They’re a welcoming bunch who love sharing their passion with others, and passing on some of their motoring knowledge. With hundreds of classic car clubs up and down the country, you won’t have to look far to find a club that’s perfect for you and your vintage motor.

Take the Gay Classic Car Group (GCCG). Unlike ‘traditional’ clubs which are more about the ‘nuts and bolts’ of owning a car, the GCCG aims to go beyond that and give its members an additional gay space in which to enjoy their shared interest in retro motors.

Whatever owners’ club you’re a part of, don’t forget that you need to seek out some adequate classic car insurance. Lancaster Insurance are specialists in arranging classic car insurance, as well as cover for vintage and other classic vehicles. Combining our wealth of experience and industry knowledge, we are able to quote for virtually every classic car available – even hard-to-insure classics – and offer discounts to classic car club members.

But more about classic car insurance later. Let’s delve a bit deeper into what the GCCG is all about and how you can become a member.

A brief history of the GCCG

The GCCG is a diverse group of more than 1000 members, which is open to anyone who thinks they’d find some enjoyment in the events held – even if they don’t own a classic car! Not everyone can afford a classic car, of course – but that’s not to say that they don’t enjoy being around vintage motors and experiencing some of that nostalgia.

Founded in 1988, the GCCG has grown steadily over the years, with members now aged anywhere between 18 and 80. Most (75%) of its members live outside of London, with 10% living on shores beyond the UK.

The growth of the group hasn’t been an overnight thing – things were very different in the 1990s for gay people in terms of attitudes and experiences, which meant that it took a while for the GCCG to attract members.

But the word has definitely now spread that the group provides access to a friendly diverse mix of people and cars in a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere.

When the 10% of members who come from outside the UK aren’t doing their own events, they try to meet up with the UK-based members, at least twice a year – often there are more than 100 people in attendance for these get-togethers.

You might have seen the GGCG windscreen sticker on cars at classic car shows. Not only does the sticker help to promote the group, it encourages acceptance for gay people in the greater classic car community. So, if you have a chance to get one, display it loud and proud.

Some significant events in the GCCG’s history:

• In 1988, a few friends met up at a pub in London. It was here the foundations of the group were put in place, with the GCCG’s first event a 12-car London to Brighton run.
• In 1989, the GCCG put five classic cars on display at London Pride in Kennington Park. This helped attract more than 20 new members. By 1990, more than 40 were in attendance for the events.
• The GCCG hit the 1,000-member mark in 2015, having seen a year-on-year increase in membership since 2005 – not many car clubs can say that!

What do events involve?

In recent years, the GCCG has organised more than 60 events, with members even keen to meet up over the cold winter months when many classic car owners might have put their motor away for hibernation. 

As you might expect, events vary from gathering in a public field to road trips to places of interest including National Trust properties, car museums, art galleries and breweries.

The group has even been known to put on a midnight drive, a visit to a drive-in cinema or a camping weekend. The group is open to new ideas for events, so if you were to become a member, you’d be able to get your suggestions heard.

In addition to official GCCG events, members gather at many local and national car shows, with social media ensuring that it’s easy to organise a meet-up.

Meanwhile, although the GCCG is a national UK club, each region is represented by area organisers, whose job it is to rally members to set up events and deal with some of the admin of ensuring all events get publicised properly. As a result, in most regions, there is a monthly pub meet, where members can catch up with their friends and find out what’s happening over the next month.

How much is it to join?

If you like what you hear and want to become an official member of the GCCG, sign-up is easy through the website.

You can either pay for a year’s membership via PayPal (£18.50) or set up a Direct Debit payment (£17.50), which will ensure you are enrolled each year (until you cancel the DD).

Get a car insurance quote today

If you’re lucky enough to be a classic car owner, you’re going to need specialist classic car insurance to protect your motor for the future.

Whatever model you end up buying, we can offer cover to match. Over 96,000 vehicles are insured by Lancaster in the UK. Did you know that over 30% of all MG Midgets have their classic car insurance arranged by us?

Like you, the team at Lancaster is passionate about classic motors and we want to help preserve them for the future.

Benefits of classic car insurance through us include:

• Up to 25% classic car club member discounts
• Cover for static shows
• Cover for historic rallies
• Salvage retention
• 90 days free EU cover
• Limited mileage discounts

You’ll also have 24-hour access to our claims line and UK call centre.

Get a quote 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.