Motorclassica 2014: The Right Stuff or Too Esoteric?
Motorclassica 2014 further cemented its place as one of Australia’s premier motoring events after almost 21,000 visitors equalled the record best set by last year’s event. In its fifth year, MotorClassic 2014 faced new challenges in maintaining such a healthy attendance against major car events over the October 24-26 period. These included several major one-marque events and the huge Camperdown Cruise weekend that attracts many thousands of display cars and up to 18,000 visitors. It is a measure of the depth of the Australian classic car culture that such big events can co-exist over the same weekend.
This year, while representing Shannons Club, Mark Oastler and I attended as representative members of the public on the opening Friday morning, not the usual lavish industry and press event held on the previous evening.
The photos tell a story but not the complete story. The Club Sandwich, supported by Melbourne prestige car dealer, Lorbek Luxury Cars, is an integral part of the display featuring vehicles from over 32 clubs.
Because the club cars are brought to the event by their owners, they are not available to Friday visitors. Even then, the club vehicles on display change totally on the Saturday and Sunday. The experience of Motorclassica 2014 was as different as the exhibits themselves over the three day period.
For 2014, the Saturday clubs included Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Morgan, Daimler-Lanchester, Fiat, Pontiac, Maserati, Volvo, Capri, Jensen and RS Owners along with several regional enthusiast clubs and the Classic and Custom Japanese Motorcycle Club.
On the Sunday, clubs catering for the VE Commodore, Austin A40, Ferrari, Lincoln Mercury, Holden, Morris, Mustang, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Rover, Singer and Eureka were represented, for a very different experience from the Saturday!
What didn’t change was the main display inside the glorious Royal Exhibition Building near central Melbourne. It consisted of around 500 vehicles. Over half were carefully chosen according to set themes, the rest was dependent on what is entered in the event’s auction. It ensured a fairly broad and unusual mix if not always to a consistent standard.
The official entry categories included Australian Specials, Veteran, Vintage and Pre-War, Contemporary, Post-WAR UK Classic, Post-War US Classic, Post-War and Modern European Classic, Modern Classic GT Euro/UK, Modern Classic US, Modern Classic US Mustang, Modern Classic Sports and Performance Euro/UK, Modern Classic Sports and Performance USA/Australia, Preservation, Bicycles/Tricycles, Motorcycles Post War, Motorcycles Preservation and Motorcycles Pre War.
There were awards for best in each category.
This year’s featured marques were Maserati (100 years) and Mustang (50 years) which may explain criticism levelled at this year’s event that the displays have become repetitive. Last year’s event featured a tribute to Bertone’s designs, many of which were Maseratis and arguably too close to this year’s Maserati theme.
The standout tribute of the Motorclassica 2014 event was the commemoration of Donald Campbell’s land speed record attempt at Lake Eyre, exactly 50 years ago. It was a momentous event for Australians, as the trials and frustrations that bedevilled the attempt kept Australians glued to the news for several years before it finally delivered a new record in 1964.
The impact of this level of technology and organisation hitting remote Australia in the early 1960s cannot be understated. To this day, rural residents of Australia’s southern states remember the Bluebird entourage rumbling through town on its way to Lake Eyre, including the car itself. The Bluebird record was particularly significant as its fastest run of 690km/h remained the highest until 2001 posted by a car driven by its wheels, not a wheeled frame blasted along by a jet engine.
Although the Bluebird display was limited to large cartoon panels telling the story of the record attempt, the real coup was the regular appearances throughout the show of Gina Campbell, Donald Campbell’s daughter. A world water speed record holder herself, she was articulate and able to bring Motorclassica visitors much closer to the Donald Campbell experience than any display.
Another feature was the combination of several of today’s standout cars with models from their heritage. New models from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Caterham, Aston Martin, Porsche, Morgan and Lotus were represented. From the motorcycle world, the event featured Indian, BMW, MV Augusta, Triumph and Benelli. It will remain a challenge for organisers to keep this balance and relevance right if Motorclassica is not to be swamped by modern cars.
The big question following the Motorclassica 2014 event is how to keep the event fresh and unrepetitive while drawing from the same pool of exhibits. Given that the local car industry is about to be dismantled, perhaps it’s time that Motorclassica featured a special display segment celebrating Australian industry achievements for designated years. For 1964, a display on the first locally-manufactured Toyota Corona and what it led to would have been of interest.
Next year’s event could place the spotlight on what went into local assembly/manufacture in 1955 and 1965. The year 1955 would allow displays on popular milestone new US-Australian models including the first Ford Customline Y-block V8 and first curved windscreen Chevrolet along with several new British cars. For 1965, there is the XP Falcon You Yangs 70mph/70,000 mile record, the Australian Mini and Cooper S range, HD Holden and several other milestones.
However, it’s the upstairs section that leaves plenty of room for improvement. Although the motorcycle displays were exceptional as always, the absence of motoring books and model cars along with the wide range of motoring paraphernalia normally on offer at such events was noteworthy.
For a relatively new event in its fifth year, Motorclassica 2014 was impressive and deserves the global attention it is now commanding. If it’s not to become a me-too exhibition of the same vehicles that can be seen anywhere in the world, it might be the perfect time for the event to celebrate what makes the Australian motoring scene so unique while avoiding the well-worn trail of local muscle cars already covered by others.
Concours Results
Motorclassica 2014 organisers issued an official confirmation of awards for the event:
Vintage & Pre War
1936 Desoto SG Airflow, Turner Foundation - VIC
Post-War Classic
1954 Jaguar XK120 Coupe, Peter Arundel - VIC
Post-War Classic USA
1959 Cadillac Series 62, Eric Hill - VIC
Post-War Modern & Classic – European
1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider, Michael Kelly - NSW
Modern Classic USA
1966 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350 H, Brian James - VIC
Modern Classic (GT) Euro/UK
1971 Ferrari 365 GTC/4, Miles Sandy - NSW
Modern Classic Sports and Performance – Euro/UK
1974 Lancia Stratos Stradale, Philip Allen - VIC
Preservation Class (cars)
1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II - VIC
Motorcycles Pre-War
1931 Indian 101 Scout, Peter Arundel - VIC
Motorcycles Post-War
1948 Vincent Rapide Factory Racer, Jon Munn - VIC
Motorcycles Preservation
1951 Moto Guzzi 250 Airone sport, Robert Marro - VIC
Australian Specials
1956 Edelbrock Ford V8 Special, Derek McLaughlan - VIC
50 Years of Mustang
1967 Ford Mustang Eleanor, Ron & Dorothy Cremona - VIC
100 years of Maserati
1966 Maserati Sebring II, Con Caracoussis - SA
People’s Choice Award
1966 Porsche 912 SWB, David Belford - VIC
Chief Judges Award
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429, Sam Newman - VIC
Restoration of the Year
1952 Aston Martin DB2, Marque Restorations - SA
Best in Show – 2014
1952 Aston Martin DB2, Mal Hemmerling - SA