Feel free to copy and reuse this!
Back in 2013 for our last Motoring Middle East Car Meet in Dubai’s Festival City, we had poured all our efforts into creating a well-organised event, and as such had a large contingent of volunteers and staff helping us out. For a pre-event briefing I prepared and delivered a speech to rally the troops and get them in the mood.
The speech was never reproduced anywhere else, but I came across it recently on my computer. So here it is, published for the first time. And with the new Car Meet season soon upon us here in the Middle East, I welcome and invite all organisers to reuse it for their own events. Believe me, I know what it’s like. Good luck!
‘Friends, petrolheads, countrymen, lend me your engines!
‘”The Motoring Community” – those words should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences, and allegiances to car badges, anymore. We will be united in our common interests.
‘We few… we happy few, we band of brothers… and sisters. For he, or she, today that sheds their blood and oil with me shall be my brother/sister!
‘I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our motoring passion, to ride out the storm of revving engines, and to outlive the menace of environmentalists, if necessary for years, if necessary, alone.
‘My brothers, and sisters. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of electric vehicles and shattered windshields may come when the Age of Car People comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good grippy tarmac, I bid you stand and fight!
‘And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our cars!
‘Rev it up, Yeah!!’
Report from the Meet here
And before you ask, here’s why we haven’t done another since. Probably.
The Problem With Car meets!
