I need a SVTOA recent history lesson

[rarecat]

I guess there has been a change in leadership around here, but does that mean ownership as well? I joined this club a few months ago before the all the lawsuits started flying between CS and SAAC. With the level of non-activity I've experienced from the SVTOA, it left me wondering why I joined.

Now there is new leadership (who it is, I still don't know) and a rally cry to renew memberships....so I need to understand who's in charge and why I would want to renew.

Let me be clear, I'm not trying to stir up any old issues or problems, I'm just a newbie trying to understand the lay of the land. As such, it's fine with me if the mods/leadership would like to reply via PM and lock/delete this thread to prevent a storm. Just help me understand whats going on and why I would want to stay....

Frank
2008 GT-500
Former SVT Products owned: 99 Contour, 95 Cobra Hardtop Vert

[ronb]

Ford created SVTOA. Ford chose a perfessional marketing company to run the day to day operations of SVTOA but kept a management team in place to direct the goals of SVTOA through the marketing company and the regional directors. From time to time Ford chose to change the marketing company and or Ford personel assigned to manage SVTOA. This was a great system. While changes did orrur they were rarely felt at the grass roots level. Ford never "sold" SVTIA they just licensed its day to day operations to professional companies.

In 2006 Ford had no new SVT products to sell. They chose to give up some of their management roles and combine those roles with the marketing of SVTOA to a for profit group. This did not work.

It is my personal belief that due to the 06/07 problems FORD throught long and hard about who to trust with the management and or marketing of SVTOA in the future. Ford has chosen a well known company with previous strong ties to SVTOA to manage and or market SVTOA. I also personally believe that Ford will be more hevialy involved in SVTOA, that they will insure that promises made are promises kept, and that SVTOA continues in its original (upward) direction.

If you are thinking about joining please do so. You will not be disapointed. If you are thinking about renewing please do so in confidence. The people who made promises that were not kept no longer have anything do do with SVTOA. The people that allowed the web sight to languish (non payment of operational fees) no longer have anythind to do with SVTOA. If in doubt contact your regional director. I am sure they are itching to share their feelings and insights with those disappointed with recent past performance.

[rarecat]

Ron,

Thanks for the response (on both forums), it clears things up a bit. It's interesting that SVTOA has AmyB's backing, it would lead me to believe that SAAC is out of the picture as far as SVTOA is concerned. I'm not hunting for dirty laundry, but before I send money in, I want to know who is getting it. I guess in time, all will be revealed.

[lauraq]

Ron,

Thanks for the response (on both forums), it clears things up a bit. It's interesting that SVTOA has AmyB's backing, it would lead me to believe that SAAC is out of the picture as far as SVTOA is concerned. I'm not hunting for dirty laundry, but before I send money in, I want to know who is getting it. I guess in time, all will be revealed.

Yes SAAC is out of the picture as far as SVTOA is concerned and your money would be going to SVTOA. We are a great bunch of people and now that things are back on track it is onward and upwards from here.

[shlbygt]

Ron,

Thanks for the response (on both forums), it clears things up a bit. It's interesting that SVTOA has AmyB's backing, it would lead me to believe that SAAC is out of the picture as far as SVTOA is concerned. I'm not hunting for dirty laundry, but before I send money in, I want to know who is getting it. I guess in time, all will be revealed.

Yes, SAAC is out of the picture. Rick Kopec and Ken Eber were entrusted with SVTOA during 2007, but were relieved of their duties by the folks at Ford due to a number of reasons. The Regional Directors are elated at that development and have been patiently waiting for it to occur. I'm certain all will be revealed in due time.

[rarecat]

Much clearer now, thanks for all the responses! Looks like we need to start a Florida Chapter

Frank

[shlbygt]

Much clearer now, thanks for all the responses! Looks like we need to start a Florida Chapter

Frank
There are four chapters in Florida.
http://www.svtownersassociation.com/svtoaforums/view.php?pg=southern

[stevedmurray]

Much clearer now, thanks for all the responses! Looks like we need to start a Florida Chapter

Frank

Hello Frank

I am not sure where in FL you live, but I used to live outside of Tampa and I can vouch for the Tampa SVTOA club. Its a good group of people and Gene is a terrific regional director.

I can understand your concerns and questions... we all join for many reasons. I am a member (and renewed last night) because I am concerned about the heritage of these cars and I want to be able to associate myself with like individuals. I might be able to surround myself with "like individuals" through any number of websites or car clubs, but at the end of the day, there is only one that's led by former SVT folks and is backed by Ford.

Get involved locally - pick a rally or a track event - and have a great time in your GT500 (I'm envious).

Steve

[MW03Cobra]

Ford has chosen a well known company with previous strong ties to SVTOA to manage and or market SVTOA.


Is that company Ford Performance Group , MCA, or a different group?

[stevedmurray]

Is that company Ford Performance Group , MCA, or a different group?

Hello Mike!

Trust you are doing well. I saw the following post from John Clor on a previous thread and thought this would answer your question.

I haven't disappeared... just trying to do well in work and raise two kids. Hope to see you soon.

Let's hope all of our great Regional Directors stay on and work together with the new leadership to finally make this club as great as it can be!

For a list and the backgrounds of the newly-empowered National team, go to Page 2 of last year's SVT Enthusiast magazine, where 8 people (1 owner and 7 SVT folks) were listed there. The former National Director and Publisher is now out as the owner of the SVTOA, and has been replaced by the Publications Manager (and owner of T-5 Design), who is now the new National Director and SVTOA franchise holder. All the remaining 6 former SVT people on that list remain to run the national club operations.

I can tell you that we're all pumped at the opportunity to help deliver the kind of great benefits that our strong connection to the original SVT group can provide! Plus, we hope to get new people involved, too -- so if SVT is in your blood, the time to step up and become part of the club is now!

Hope to see you ALL at the SVT 15th Anniversary Reunion in Carlisle!

John
1978 Cobra

[shlbygt]

There are four chapters in Florida.
http://www.svtownersassociation.com/svtoaforums/view.php?pg=southern

Rarecat, I forgot to mention that we will be back at Sebring on May 23-25 for our annual Camp Steeda/SVTOA Sebring Sensation track event. Bring that new GT500 out for a little exercise in a controlled environment or just come on by to meet some of the folks and grab a giggle ride with an instructor.
Information can found at: http://tinyurl.com/52rny6

[MW03Cobra]

Hello Mike!

Trust you are doing well. I saw the following post from John Clor on a previous thread and thought this would answer your question.

I haven't disappeared... just trying to do well in work and raise two kids. Hope to see you soon.



Awesome thanks... I had read that but didnt have the magazine to look the names up. I will dig up the ole magazine and see what names are listed.

I hope that you are doing well too :beer:

[rarecat]

Very cool, taking the GT-500 out on Sebring sounds like a great idea! Are the events open to all cars?, my business partner races his Porsche 930's with the PCA and I'm sure he'd love to hit the track and show us what some german engineering can do....

I'm in Gainesville (GO GATORS!), so I guess Tampa or Orlando would be the closest groups...

Frank

[jwsweatt]

RareCat, I appreciate your thoughts, which echoed mine. I recently got an email notification about renewing my membership. I have spent time on reflectinng on what I actually got for for membership last year...not much to speak of. Didn't even get all the SVT Enthusiats mags (I only got one). I wish there was more information from the "top" that would make me feel better. :confused:

[jwsweatt]

Okay, I made the leep and renewed my membership, again. I really hope things get better soon. And a specail thanks to those who have worked hard to hold things together.

[shlbygt]

Very cool, taking the GT-500 out on Sebring sounds like a great idea! Are the events open to all cars?, my business partner races his Porsche 930's with the PCA and I'm sure he'd love to hit the track and show us what some german engineering can do....

I'm in Gainesville (GO GATORS!), so I guess Tampa or Orlando would be the closest groups...

Frank
SVTOA welcomes owners of all makes of cars at our track events. At Sebring we usually have a gentleman bring his Lamborghini, though I can’t recall if it is a Gallardo or a Murcielago and there are also a couple of Porsches in attendance.
Here is a video from the 2006 Sebring event showing Cliff Hemstock, one of our instructors, in an “old red farm truck” running down an unsuspecting Porsche…
http://www.kyhorsepower.com/svt_ky/Farm%20Truck%20IV%20Sebring%202006.wmv

Come on out and enjoy the weekend.

[MCipriani]

Rarecat - Welcome! Yes, you joined the club during the time when there wasn't much going on and I understand your questions regarding why you should continue to be involved. I posted this on another thread, but might as well spread it around so everyone knows what's going on now...


WHEW!!!
Yes, I've been quiet on the forum lately, but now my hands are officially untied and I'm allowed to run with the ball! (sports reference - you guys like that, right?) As of April 17th (how perfectly fitting) I am your new National Director.

Lots of you on this forum (and other forums) know me already, but for those of you who don't, here's a little background. (There will be a formal introduction in the first magazine.)
I am Marcie Cipriani, owner of T-5 Design. I have been involved with SVT for many years and have made lots of great friends along the way. I have a true passion for Mustangs and all SVT vehicles. My first car was a bare-bones 4cyl. '84 Mustang L (not even an LX) hatchback, that was 18 years ago and since then I have never not owned a Mustang. My love of Mustangs was shifted to SVT products when I met Tom Shreiner and helped him publish the SVT Cobra Mustang Recognition Guide in 1999. Developing a relationship with the great people of SVT Marketing and SVT Engineering during that project has been an unbelievable blessing and has lead me to where I am today.

When the club was put in private hands last year, I was excited to be a part of it. While I am not able to get into the details of last year's managerial mess, rest assured I was affected directly by the way things were handled and decided to throw my hat in the ring to try to fix this mess, not only for myself, but for all of you who were let down and were justifiably pissed off. :)

Now that is behind us and I plan to move forward and get things back on track for 2008. Developments this week: Event insurance is being reinstated, registration is now open, and renewal reminders have been emailed to current members.

We've got a late start and a lot to make up for, but with everyone's patience and cooperation we can build ourselves back up to being THE Ford high-performance car club!


Thanks for sticking with us!
~Marcie
SVTOA

[MW03Cobra]

Welcome back to the site Marcie...

Thanks for the above post, it clears the water a great bit. I look forward to working with someone (you) that has the engery, experience, and motivation to get SVTOA back on its feet.

Mike

[Dellcobra]

Okay, I made the leep and renewed my membership, again. I really hope things get better soon. And a specail thanks to those who have worked hard to hold things together.

Speaking as one of the regional directors, thanks for giving us a chance to make this work. We all have a passion to make SVTOA what it needs to be and what the members want it to be.

Dell Hughes
Central Regional Director

[jclors]

Hey, gang!

For an updated history of the SVTOA, click on the "About SVTOA" tab here on our site -- the new copy on SVT and the SVTOA should clear things up.

Please don't gauge your 2008 membership (or a re-up) decison on the club's 2006 or 2007 performance. Many of us former SVT staffers who had helped out the SAAC owners last year simply worked too hard to see things go silent like they did after the magazine was printed and the funding dried up. We all care a lot about the SVTOA and had a large personal stake in making the club work, so rather than just take our lumps and throw in the towel, we worked even harder to right the ship over the winter.

Our managers at Ford Racing (who inherited remnants of the old SVT Marketing operation of which the SVTOA was a part) wanted the club's problems solved as much as we did. So we worked out a solution that met their approval. Even though we don't officially hold the SVTOA franchise license (as some of us still work over at Ford Racing), we are fully in support of the current operation (hence, the SVT-savvy mention) and we have a great new owner/partner in Marcie.

The "company with strong ties to the SVTOA" is Marcie's own T-5 Design, who now holds the SVTOA license from Ford. The MCA, and Amy's new Team Shelby, are simply other car clubs -- they don't play any role in the operation of the SVTOA. The Ford Performance Group is a new program run by Ford Racing designed to support Ford vehicle clubs -- and the SVTOA is one of the three inaugural clubs to gain Ford's recognition in this all-new program. (Visit www.FordPerformance.com for info -- and see how they are hleping to promote us!)

If you ever have questions, don't hesitate shoot an email to info@SVTOA.com and you'll get honest, straightforward answers -- it's a member benefit that we're really proud of -- and work hard at delivering.

This is the year to be part THE turning point in SVTOA history. Join us!

See you all in Carlisle!

john

[cobraken]

SAAC has a history of forgetting it's members. I was a charter member of SAAC back when it was formed after a membership disagreement with the old SOA (Shelby Owners association). Over the years I've joined and w/drawn from SAAC as I've bought & sold my Shelbys. Never miss them.

[rarecat]

My confidence is restored, thanks for all the replies and insight, I'm sure many will benefit from the responses. Are memberships annual from when we sign up or do we renew based on the calendar year change? I joined in Oct 07....

[keilhauer]

Marcie, thanks for the updated info. Nice to see that someone, not only with a passion for the SVT family of vehicles, but Mustangs in particular with the three you show there, is taking the reins and helping to steer this club in the direction it needs to go - up! A question, if I may? With your previous involvement with the SVT Calendars, will we be able to continue to look forward to upcoming calendars, recognition guides, and the like? Understanding that with the role you have taken on, unless you have the backing and cooperation of both Ford and either employees or volunteers to help out, it would be a huge task to undertake. Thanks once again, and I look forward to seeing big changes to SVTOA in the coming months.

[MCipriani]

Yes, I do plan on continuing to produce calendars for each year and work will continue on the SVT Recognition Guide. Obviously a LOT of my time is taken up with club business now, but I have a great team of people who are willing to help out on the book and it will be the 'bible' of SVT when it is done!

[lukabrozi]

I am an SVT owner and had the same questions about rejoining SVTOA but decided to do it because I want to support the project instead of just looking for benefits for myself.

Look, we all have to work hard for our money and don't want to waste it.

Kind of seems like there might be a 'substitution effect' with the fee for joining... "Join SVTOA or get some gas"... but !!

At this point in time with all that is going on with the auto industry, it makes sense to get involved with the good people who are going to speak our voice in things that matter to us who own SVT cars, lest it be unheard.

[snake]

Marcie. Congrats on your new position. My interactions with you have been very positive, so I believe you will be guiding the Club in a very positive direction. Thanks for the update on why things have been so quiet. See you at Carlisle.