2nd April 2024

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Taking place on Thursday 28th March, this year’s PAAA Spring Members’ Meeting and AGM attracted the highest number of delegates ever, with 70 guests attending the event that dived deep into the current legislative activities that surround the tuning, modifying and automotive performance industry.

 

Hosted for the first time at Silverstone Museum, the venue provided a perfect environment for the occasion, with the Grand Prix circuit offering a striking backdrop to proceedings via the meeting room’s panoramic window wall. 

 

The meeting was opened by PAAA Chairman Greg Kirby. Following a brief introduction, Chris Lowe and Chris Dormond from the DVSA went on to provide a highly informative presentation on the work being carried out by the department and its Mobile Surveillance Unit and the department it is dealing with tuners and owners who are modifying cars in a way that renders them illegal for road use. 

 

With the DVSA’s presentation covering a range of points relevant to our industry, unsurprisingly it provoked a considerable number of questions from the floor. The subsequent a Q&A forum hosted by Paul Cowland, saw Sgt. Owen Messenger from the Devon and Cornwall Police – who is spearheading a campaign that showcases the importance of complying to road laws when modifying cars – Henry Pearman of the HCVA (Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance), together with Jonathan Douglas and Greg Kirby representing the PAAA, join the DVSA representatives to field comments and questions.

 

The 90-minute session proved extremely productive and informative for all concerned, after which there was an opportunity for guests to take a look round the intriguing and memory-provoking collection of cars and exhibits in the Silverstone Museum.

 

Following an excellent buffet lunch provided by the museum caterers, the meeting reconvened with an Insurance Forum, where Mark Taylor from REIS Motorsport Insurance and Gerry Bucke from Adrian Flux – specialists for providing cover for classic, sports and modified cars – provided valuable answers to a series of industry-relevant questions.

 

Next on he agenda was a presentation about Autosport 2025 from event director Ben Whibley, who updated delegates with the latest news about the show and highlighted a number of new initiatives specific to PAAA members.

 

The meeting concluded with a summary of what the PAAA is doing behind the scenes, a reminder of the relevance and significance of the association’s SMART campaign, the need to increase membership numbers and what’s in store in terms of events and get-togethers for the rest of the year.

 

Feedback following the meeting confirmed that not only was the information imparted during the day invaluable to member companies but confirmed the importance of the work being carried out by the PAAA. 

 

ENDS

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