The other human aspect of this hobby is that only a handful of people are involved as club officers, newsletter writers, web-masters, historians, and event planners. We owe these people a debt of gratitude. Very often, I have seen people serve in these capacities and be under-appreciated or treated no better than store clerks. They are volunteers, and need to be thanked and supported. I want to insert a special thanks for T.J. Higgins, the owner of this mailing list and the author of the Alpine web page. This is the best thing that has happened to Alpines since I've been involved with them (longer than I care to admit). It overcomes geography and international boundaries, and it broadens and deepens our thinking. Thanks T.J. for the many hours of service you quietly give to all of us.
My personal impression is that Alpine owners have a kinship with the British and European sports car tradition. It would mean something to them that the Alpine was driven in Competition by Jack Brabham, Sterling Moss, and other internationally prominent sports car drivers. To them, the Alpine's record at LeMans, Sebring, and in two National SCCA championships is a true reflection of the original conception of the car. They are more likely to be interested in British car clubs and marques than in muscle cars, trans-am cars, roundy-rounds, or dragsters. They would be much more likely to be caught with a copy of "Road and Track" than "Hot Rod". They appreciate the Alpine's neutral handling and good road manners, and get a charge out of driving twisty roads. They also admire the Alpine's styling, ergonomic design, and the unique feeling of driving something you don't see coming at you all the time. Mustangs, VWs, and MGBs are classic icons to note in passing, but an Alpine is something to stop and admire. Alpine owners treasure the fact that the their cars are an affordable classics, even if it means that the car is under-appreciated by other car buffs.
When Alpine owners talk about performance mods, they are more likely to be interested in enhancing the Alpine's basic sports car nature, and not turning it into a street racer or muscle car. If an Alpine owner was offered 200+ horsepower, but told the car would be nose heavy, wouldn't steer or go around corners as well, would get 10 mpg, would have heating problems, would over-power the braking system, and would have serious axle-hop on acceleration, the answer would either be "no thank you", or "can I keep the Alpine too?" Most of us choose these cars because we recognize that not all change is progress, and that more is not always better.
The upshot is that under the Sunbeam umbrella we have many different interests and specialized cars. Sometimes it's good to pursue those interests together (like at SUNI), and sometimes its more rewarding to talk to your own counterparts (this mailing list). What if "CAT" stood for "California Alpines and Tigers", or better yet: "Club for Alpines and Tigers"? When it does, send me an application.
My 2c
Rex Funk