Motafrenz Car Club

The logo of Motafrenz Car Club.

The Motafrenz Car Club, Inc (Motafrenz) is a social club for car lovers and their friends based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is Australia's oldest gay and lesbian car club.^[1]

Motafrenz is fully affiliated with the Australian Organisation of Motoring Clubs.^[2] and is authorised by VicRoads to operate in Victoria under the Club Permit scheme for veteran, classic, historic and street rod vehicles.^[3]

History

1990 to today

In 1990, two guys wondered whether they were the only ‘non-straights’ at a motor racing meeting. They believed that gay men had a natural love of the beauty of all types of cars and if a club existed these men would have an outlet for this passion. Advertising in the gay press was undertaken and an initial meeting convened. Motafrenz, Australia’s first^[4] GLBTI car club exists today as proof their theory was correct.

Many of their members are also involved with “straight” car clubs, but find Motafrenz provides a more friendly and open environment. Motafrenz offers a club where members can feel completely at ease without the pressures that can be associated with hiding one’s sexuality. Non-members are also welcome to attend events.

Motafrenz is an incorporated association^[5] and was established to:

• Conduct motor vehicle orientated events for members of the gay and lesbian community;
• Organise social events for members of the club;
• Communicate with other motoring clubs and/or associations with common interests and, where appropriate, co-operate and participate in joint events;
• Participate in events organised by the gay and lesbian community^[6][7]; and
• Promote the club to gay and lesbian motorists and the wider community.

The club has proved very popular and now has in excess of 100 members who share a common interest in, and enthusiasm for, motor vehicles. Members have a combined collection of over 200 cars. Motafrenz welcomes all motoring enthusiasts who have an intestest in all cars from modern to classic, vintage and antique - they have always aimed to cater for a wide variety of people.

Interstate Operations - New South Wales

Later in the 1990s a separate gay and lesbian car club was started in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The name of this club was GEARS. It had a similar mission to Motafrenz and the two clubs worked closely together during this period. So close that by the early 2000s the two clubs shared the same newsletter, produced and posted from Melbourne. The two clubs gradually merged and the GEARS name was phased out.

The Committee of Management of Motafrenz, in Melbourne, continue to run affairs in both states, with a separate co-ordinator for New South Wales dedicated to the members in that state.

Interstate Operations - South Australia

QCar logo

During the 2000s the Club began attracting members from South Australia, Australia. These members, in turn, began attracting ever larger numbers of new members. As local numbers grew, the South Australian members desired greater autonomy and a larger say in local affairs of the club. Many changes were proposed, but, none proved satisfactory to all parties. Motafrenz helped its members in South Australia form their own sub-committee and provided them with advice and support. The sub-committee in Adelaide broke with the remainder of the Club, based in Melbourne, and took the majority of the club's South Australian members with them.

Motafrenz (SA) is now known as QCar.^[8] Motafrenz and QCar still share a close and friendly association.

Cruise Control

Cruise Control's current masthead.

Motafrenz has a highly acclaimed magazine-style newsletter called Cruise Control. First published in 1991 as the Motafrenz Newsletter, in A4 photocopied leaflet format, it soon grew into a multi-page periodical (still A4 and photocopied, but, with a staple in the top left-hand corner!) A major improvement occurred in the early 2000s when the Cruise Control name was introduced and the format was changed to the now well known A5 magazine format. Cruise Control has often been produced in full colour and e-magazine format - it is currently printed in black-and-white.

Since its introduction, Cruise Control has gone from strength to strength and is now considered "one of the best car club newsletters around"^[9]. Club members are posted the magazine monthly and enjoy many articles written by members on topics as varied as event reports, an Agony Aunt column, musings from the Club President, members' models, retrospective articles from the newsletter's past, and a full list of upcoming club events.

Issues of Cruise Control may be viewed by contacting the club^[10] or by visiting the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives.

References

1. ^ Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives
2. ^ AOMC
3. ^ VicRoads
4. ^ Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives
5. ^ Consumer Affairs Victoria
6. ^ Pride March Victoria
7. ^ ChillOut
8. ^ QCar
9. ^ AOMC
10. ^ Motafrenz Car Club

External links

• [1]
• [2]
• [3]
• [4]