Motorclassica returned to its home at the Royal Exhibition Building again this year for its sixth annual event. Motorclassica is Australia’s ultimate vintage, rare and classic motor show, and will be one of the only occasions you can see some of the country’s rarest vehicles.
This was my second time at Motorclassica, and the machinery present was even more spectacular than last year! With various milestones being celebrated at the show, including; 50 years of the Supercar, 50 years of the Shelby Mustang, 50 years of the Australian Bugatti Club, as well 70 years of MV Augusta- the organisers pulled out all of the stops in getting the finest automobiles available for the public to admire up close (close enough for a three year old to drop an empty water bottle on an F40, yes I did see that happen).
After buying my ticket and entering the gates, I was greeted by an expansive outdoor display of various club and manufacturer displays. There was a splash of everything, from rally-spec Datsun 1200’s, to the MG club, to a collection of Jensen Interceptors.
Also taking up plenty of floor space was Lorbek- a luxury car dealer here in Melbourne- with a fleet of modern supercars, as well as a lineup of Porsches of almost all eras and models spanning almost the entirety of one of the REB’s wings.
Amongst all of the Porsches, there was one that absolutely demanded my attention from the rest.
It was this 1957 Porsche 356 at the very end of the row.
The detail on the car was jaw-dropping, from the louvred side windows to the little moulded silver badge/plaque just in front of the rear wheels- it was a restoration and a rebuild of the highest quality, but completely unique in execution.
Moving inside, the layout was such that show-goers were immediately directed upstairs where there were a few food and drink outlets, various bike displays and even
a movie space (unfortunately I couldn’t stay until Fast and the Furious at 5:15pm…). Looking down from the second floor was a sight to behold. Everywhere I looked, there were cars I’d never seen before in my life, and cars I’d honestly never thought I’d see with my own eyes. I snapped one or two shots, and went down into the action immediately!
Car shows are a unique photographing setting; having to dodge other patrons and trying to frame a car well, whilst making sure not to accidentally walk backwards into some priceless machine decades older than you, all I can hope is that you readers like detail shots.
The first section I went to was designated to contemporary supercars. It hosted Australia’s only Mclaren F1, a BMW M1, a Jaguar XJ220 and an XJR15, Australia’s only Pagani Zonda (which I had previously thought resided in Sydney), and a Gulf liveried Ford GT- all historically vital cars I had never before seen in the metal.
Another roped off section housed the legends of yesteryear; a Ferrari F40 and a 288 GTO, a Lamborghini Miura and a Countach LP400, as well as a genuine Porsche 959 and it’s descendant (and again, I believe to be Australia’s only example of) a Carrera GT.
Ashamedly I had to rush off to work after only a few hours at the show, feeling like I had missed out on a lot of spectacular cars.
However the last thing I saw was probably the absolute standout of the show for me, and was definitely something I never thought I would see with my own eyes.
Making its first appearance in the southern hemisphere, BMW had brought down the incredible 3.0 CSL Hommage R, alongside an original E9 3.0 CSL.
I could have spent hours more exploring the cars at MotorClassica. It’s a truly unique event, allowing you to get right up up close to some of the rarest cars you’ll ever see. I would definitely suggest penciling in a visit to Motorclassica next year!
-Alex, Happiness by the Kilowatts
More photos below
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