Hi Barrie
Yes, you are right, 2 litre saloon certainly sub £15k will need some work, good ones £20k plus but not much more I would think. My own 2 litre was £13k 4 years ago and have spent some £4/5k on it. But if a youngster wanted a 2 litre powered car of AC variety they would be horrified at the cost of an engine rebuild £15-22k depending on what is required. Yes, they could get one that needed engine work and do the same as me and swap it for a better engine/gearbox and make it more usable, buy is the style of the car what they want.
Yes, there are vintage, PVT etc again what cost to get to a good spec and are these what the youngsters want nowadays, after all look at the auctions including Bangers and Cash for the interest in 80's cars, faster, cheaper more street cred? E Types £40k, GT6 £8k, TR6 £10k, RS turbo £9k etc etc, ok the e E type is a bit dear for a youngster but the others quite reasonable.
The 3000me yes a nice car but cost of some repairs, ouch. Whereas say a Reliant scimitar 3 litre for around £5-6k for a decent one and a little tuning same sort of performance.
A section for Fake snakes,Plastic Aces, though in some cases these are getting very expensive £30-100k, then there is the insurance etc.
For instance, I was going to offer my son (32) a share in one of the 2 litres advertised in Action as needing work/rebuild as a joint project for him to work on and use also future inheritance. Alas no, he wanted my V8 series 2 Landy as its 'cool', he got it as it was costing me a fortune.
I think the younger generation, unless they inherit a cobra, ace etc will not buy one until they have disposable income, by then they are no longer young.
So many of these cars are now looked at as an investment rather than a user, yes before you all start shouting not mine as I say not all, but many.
I hope there is a way to inject life into the club, before it needs the ICU.
And just as an aside I have considered taking over the Le Mans classic run, with a view to open it up to those that cannot afford the cost of the Chateau/Ferry, dinner as currently run. Again, if there were younger members would they be able to afford the cost of the Le Mans run, the National, the International as these are getting quite expensive and in my own view rather to formal.
Still, I am a grumpy ol' bugger and love to do my own thing.
Cheers Gary