History

On a cold February night in 1984, a small group of English car enthusiasts gathered at a restaurant near Inman, South Carolina, with the idea that maybe it would be a good thing to become a club. Over dinner, the group tossed ideas about; and the germ of what was to become the Southeastern British Motorcar Owners Club was planted.

Very early on it was decided that the group (as yet unnamed) would not be a "sports car" club in the classic sense, but rather a focal point for owners and enthusiasts of all motorcars manufactured in the UK. The emphasis was to be on the enjoyment and preservation of our favorite marques, whatever they might be.

Now, having a name and purpose, the SBMOC was officially born.

Growing pains were the norm for the first several years. Like most clubs early on, the SBMOC had trouble attracting members. Word of mouth was the prime method of advertising, along with windshield cards, which were deposited on each and every British car a member happened to notice. Membership flagged for a time, so much so that regular meetings were cut back to once per quarter, and the newsletter ceased publication.

Within a short time, though, membership began to increase, as did member participation in scheduled events, which were also on the increase.

Searching for an event which would both give members a chance to enjoy their cars, and to give something back to the community, the club approached the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind with the idea of putting on a TSD Rally and turning over the proceeds to the school as a donation. It wasn't long before the TSD rally became the "Braille Rallye." Entrants, which were restricted to British Motorcars, were paired with a sight-impaired student of the school who acted as navigator. Route instructions were printed in Braille, thus requiring the driver to depend on the navigator for directions.

Over the course of the next few years, the "Braille Rallye" raised well over $100,000 for the school.

At about this time, a change was made in the venue and timing of the monthly meetings. Where before, the meeting was an evening meal at a rotating series of eateries, it was decided that henceforth meetings would be at 9:00 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month, and would be held at the Beacon Drive-in, one of the largest drive-in restaurants in the Southeast.

A tradition was born.

Meetings are still held at the same time and place. Holidays, rain, snow, sunshine; none of these can change the meeting time and place.

Today the SBMOC has upwards of 75 active members and an average attendance at meetings of 40, the vast majority of whom arrive in their English motorcars. In addition, regularly scheduled club events and participation in other groups' shows, gatherings, and like events, mean that SBMOC members can always find some way to enjoy and show off their cars.