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Porsche Club of America
Running In Red

By Karen Adams, Karen930@PorscheNet.com
NOR'EASTER Online - February 2000

The Board has met for the annual January planning meeting. As we sat in the Weber’s living room watching the gently falling snow flakes we planned the yearly calandar for the Region’s activities. This is somewhat like a puzzle, moving post-it notes around on one large calendar until all the pieces fit together. Each post-it note represents an activity, including the Zone 1 activities. We make sure, to the greatest extent possible, that no one event conflicts with another so that members have the greatest opportunity to participate in as many activities as they want. We have external factors to consider including dates given to us by New Hampshire International Speedway and Devens where the autocrosses are held. Miracously every year we are able to put the pieces together and find a schedule that works. Even with the falling snow, I could feel the heat of the sun, smell the rubber and and hear the roar of the pits that I associate with summer. There’s nothing like the adrelaline rush that comes with the first run group of the Driver’s Ed season. Can you tell what activity I most look forward to?!

I’d like to encourage all members who are not familiar with the activities we run to attend the March Newcomer’s meeting and find out what activity has the potential to inspire the same passion in them. Do not let the name “Newcomers” discourage you. We encourage all members who want to find out more about our activities to attend. The format tends to run to the activity chairpeople manning tables with information about each activity. Other members are there to share information and their enthusiasm and passion whether it be presenting a well prepared car at the Concours or manuvering around cones at an autocross. Keep an eye out in the Nor’Easter for the meeting date, time and location. The usual date falls on a Sunday and starts in the a.m.

Changing subjects I was given something several months ago by Bill Chadwick who thought I would find the information amusing. It was a booklet published by the Savings & Loan Foundation in 1968 entitled “Helpful hints on managing your money (For Young women only)”. I never did ask Bill why he would have had such a thing in his possesion. However being a woman in the field of finance I did find it hilarious. By the way for those who want to know, they considered “young” women to be between the ages of 18 and 34. Guess I’m not young anymore! The index included the sections “So you have landed your first job”, “So he finally proposed!” (their exclamation, not mine!) and “Congratulations! You have a baby”. I found the section on cars under the “So he finally proposed”. I wondered if the authors thought a woman shouldn’t have or need a car unless she was married? It was obvious that they didn’t think a (young) woman competent enough to purchase a car herself as the text starts out “if you do have to buy a car, let a qualified businessman help you handle your deal…Next time after you have seen the transaction through once, you can handle it yourself”. I wonder who the “businessman” watches when he buys his first car?

While some of the statements would definitly not be considered “PC” today, their words of advice on the purchase are plenty valid although simplistic: when purchasing a used car have a trusted mechanic check out the car, shop around for the lowest interest rates and down payment and make sure the car is fully insured before you drive it off the lot. Not bad advice today. Because this is a savings and loan the purpose of the booklet is to quide young women in their approach to money management. They suggest various spending levels for the necessities. You will be interested to know that, according to the authors, the annual operating cost for a compact in 1968 was $860, an intermediate-size car $925 and $1,130 for a full-sized model. My, times have changed! They end this section by saying “public transportation, healthy walks and friends’ cars are the best transportation” but to budget 10% of take-home pay for transportation regardless of whether you purchase a car. I wonder what the average percentage of car expenses to take-home pay is of Porsche Club members! My quess it would be a lot higher than 10%!

Being a clotheshorse myself I read on to the next section following the car purchase entitled “Something to keep you warm and pretty”. While they alloted the same percentage of take-home pay (10%) to clothing, they allow only 2% or $100 for education (!) or self-improvement such as a once-a-year restyling at your favorite beauty salon. Let's see now, should I chose to be an ugly, smart woman or a dumb, pretty woman? Decisions, decisions. I feel pretty lucky to be living in a time where my decisions include whether I should drive my racecar this weekend or not.