The History of GEM Motoring Assist (1932 - present day)

Legend has it that on his way to meet friends at the Warnes Hotel in Worthing in 1932, our founder was nearly involved in a serious road accident when a young man in a sports car failed to stop at a crossroads. The group of friends agreed to form an organisation to help combat the increasing problem of road accidents and so the Company of Veteran Motorists was born.

In its early years, CVM’s focus was on promoting good roadcraft to its growing membership, principally through the publication pamphlets and its members handbook ‘Good Motoring’. By the end of the 1930’s it had emerged as an effective pressure group, giving evidence to the 1937 House of Lords Committee on Road Safety.

During WWII the organisation contributed to the war effort by sponsoring mobile canteens operated by the WRVS throughout London and elsewhere in Britain. HMS Veteran, a V&W class destroyer was also adopted carrying an enlarged CVM badge from 1940 until it was sunk in 1942.

Since then the organisation has championed a wide variety of Road Safety activities, including sponsorship of conferences, award schemes and research; support for national and local Road Safety campaigns; donation of equipment for training, assessment and vision screening; and the production of free literature for distribution to the general public.

1978 saw the launch of a unique pay-and-claim motor breakdown recovery service GEM Recovery. Hugely popular amongst members, the scheme was designed to offer a low cost alternative to the traditional motoring organisations.

As car ownership became universal, it was felt the ‘veteran’ tag was no longer quite in tune with the attitudes of the vast majority of motorists. So in 1983 the name was changed to The Guild of Experienced Motorists. GEM, as it became known, claimed a unique position amongst motoring organisations. Free from Government finance it speaks with a truly independent voice, and often finds itself in the front line of the Road Safety debate.

The organisation maintains regular dialogue with the Department for Transport as well as with local authorities and police forces. As a respected professional body its advice is sought on Road Safety matters and many Government publications are sent to GEM for comment before publication. GEM also publishes its own series of Road Safety leaflets and films, on a wide variety of subjects.

With membership now in excess of 60,000 an established reputation on the national Road Safety stage, GEM continues its important work by promoting Road Safety issues both nationally and locally and by supporting the GEM Motoring Assist, registered Road Safety Charity.

GEM’s name was slightly amended in 2004 to GEM Motoring Assist, reaffirming its position as a provider of assistance to its members in all matters relating to motoring.

In 2005 the range of breakdown cover products available was expanded beyond the original ‘pay and claim’ scheme thus offering direct value for money alternatives to those provided by GEM’s national rivals.

During 2006, ‘Good Motoring’, the members magazine, was given a major re-design to more accurately reflect the needs of motorists in the 21st Century while 2007 marked the 75th Anniversary of the organisation. Former President, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, offered his personal congratulations to GEM for the outstanding work it had achieved both on behalf of its members and on behalf of Road Safety since 1932. Also in that year GEM was able to develop Road Safety literature and films using its website and thus drastically increase the coverage of its life saving activities.