The Allard Register + The Allard Owners Club
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I am excited to announce that I have accepted the role of North American Vice President of the Allard Owners Club (AOC). The position was long held by Andy Picariello, a stalwart supporter of the Allard marque for 60 years. He and his wife Judy had a hand in hosting pretty much all Allard events in North America for the past 30 years. He likely served as the North American VP and Membership Secretary of the Allard Owners Club for at least that long. Since Judy’s passing a few years ago, Andy was looking for someone to take over his AOC responsibilities. I had been considering stepping forward, but never said anything. That was until a few months ago when Josh Sadler reached out to me on behalf of the AOC leadership to ask if I was interested in becoming the AOC VP for North America. I was honored to be asked, but needed time to consider the offer.
While considering the decision, I talked to some trusted Allard friends and they encouraged me to accept. We all shared the common belief that, if we are going to keep Allard’s alive for future generations, we’re going to all have to work together. Soon after I contacted Josh to accept the offer, we learned of Andy’s passing. It was a sad time, but I imagine Andy would want us to hit the gas and drive forward rather than looking back. Thank you Andy!
The Allard Register was started in the early seventies after a disagreement within the AOC. Over time, the Register morphed into the North American Allard club while the AOC was home to UK owners; with both organizations having an international reach. From its start, the Register was formed as a non-club with no dues (thanks to some generous benefactors) and the goal to avoid a repeat of what led to its creation in the first place. This non-club status has been both a blessing and a curse. There is no politics, but the decentralized nature has made it hard to attract new volunteers to support the organization. One could easily see the Register fading away in a few years time.
The power of the Internet has made it possible to mend the separation between the two groups over the last several years. We’ve been able to connect with owners from all over the world via the old Yahoo Groups, the new groups.io site, and Facebook. During COVID, the Register put together the Global Online Concourse with the goal of bringing Allard owners together from all over the world.
The truth is, if we want to build interest in Allard cars going forward, all Allard owners are going to have to work together. We have to attract the next generation that will fall in love with these amazing beasts the same way that we have. Right now, I believe the best way to do that is via the Allard Owners Club and the organizational benefits that it brings.
What will happen to the Allard Register? This web site will continue, as I’m a firm believer that more voices are better than one. The AOC supports this belief and has approved my request to re-publish old AOC newsletter content that would be helpful to Allard owners.
I invite you to join the Allard Owners Club and be a part of the future to make the club more engaging for you and to help build value for your Allard. Additionally, there will also be some exciting changes to the quarterly newsletter that North American subscribers will appreciate. My goal is that you won’t see club membership as an expense, but as a value. If you have any questions, suggestions, or would like to get involved, please click here to email me anytime. You can also message me on the Allard Register Facebook page. Click here to join the Allard Owners Club online or you can email me to get a membership application that you can mail in.
Cheers, Colin Warnes
