About the GCCG
The GCCG is a the UK’s original group for LBGTQ+ car enthusiasts. Founded in 1988, the club has over 1000 members across the country with hundreds of club events happening each year.
Our members cars range from those built in the 1900s through to modern classics and even if you don’t own a classic car, you are welcome to join and come along to events and social meets. Above all the GCCG is a social group for LGBTQ+ individuals to meet like-minded people with an interest in cars in a safe and understanding environment.
We have a strong set of regional area groups each organising their own events and social activities. More information about our different areas.
Benefits of Membership
- Quarterly printed editions of our club magazine 'Big End Journal' - see an example here
- Monthly 'All Torque' national and local emails that give you updates on everything happening in the group.
- Attendance and discounted entry to many classic car events across the country with specific GCCG stands, including large events like the NEC Classic Motor Show.
- Monthly social meets at various locations across the country
- Organised GCCG weekends away at home and abroad. Previous events have included Northumberland, the Isle of White, the Lake District and Wales.
- Access to the Members Area of the website with resources for members.
- Discounts with various classic car insurers and suppliers including Peter Best Insurance, Hagerty Insurance and Disklok.
Membership starts at just £17.50 a year. This includes a member's partner if applicable.
Awards
In December 2020 The GCCG won 'Best Virtual Club Event' at the Classic & Sports Car Club Awards 2020 for our 'Fix-It Weekend'.
Mark Wells, our Yorkshire Area Organiser was also Highly Commended as part of the 'Lockdown Award'.
Full details of all the award can be found at: www.classicandsportscar.com or watch the virtual ceremony on Youtube
Events
The GCCG organises over 100 events a year ranging from monthly pub nights across our regions to multi-day international rallies. A lot of our events are one day visits to local attractions, usually involving a scenic drive and an eating opportunity. We also have club stands at an ever increasing number of public car shows as well as an annual GCCG Members Car Show.
Even though the GCCG is a primarily a UK based club we have very strong international links with our sister organisations in France, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Switzerland, USA, and Australia. At least twice a year we meet up with at least 100 people from the other European groups for weekend events such as Sweet Trip and Eurotour.
See more of our Previous Events here
There's a regularly updated full list of events available to Members in the Members Area and members also receive a monthly e-newsletter called All Torque with latest news of events.
History of the GCCG
Why the GCCG exists
The GCCG was founded back in 1988 when the classic car and LGBTQ+ world was a very different place. Since those early days and gentle growth in the 1990s the GCCG has expanded to over 1000 members. The GCCG offers a home to enjoy a friendly diverse mix of people and cars in a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere.
The GCCG windscreen sticker can be seen on many cars at classic car shows, which shows how increasingly relaxed attitudes are to our existence. Indeed many of the classic car press often contact us to find rare or unusual cars to review as they know someone in the club will own one and our members tend to love to share their passion.
Our humble beginnings started informally in 1988 when a few friends met up at a pub in London. After a few more ad hoc meetings the first event was a 12 car London to Brighton run.
In 1989 the GCCG displayed five cars at London Pride in Kennington Park, where more than 20 people enrolled as new members. By 1990 over 40 people attended a meeting in Surrey. The 1990s saw a few events per year and a photocopied newsletter. Our Big End Journal today is a multi page full-colour professionally printed A4 magazine.
GCCG membership has grown steadily, going on to exceed 1000 in 2015.
Now that public events have resumed we plan to keep building on our previous success with participation in a wide range of public shows and our own programme of GCCG organised events.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about GCCG - please feel free to contact us if your question isn't answered here: