After the morning JDM Cars & Coffee meet, the boys and I headed out to see the cars that rocked up for the NS.com Movember cruise. Unfortunately they were heading out just a few minutes after we pulled in, so we opted to head to Hamilton to see a small car show I had recently heard about. Slightly different to our usual programming, Speed + Style + Beauty is all about classics, vintage cars, prestige and exotica. To be completely honest, I was more interested in this gear than the NS.com cruise. Am I just showing my age? In any case, indulge a little and check out the styling and the little details of these rolling artworks.
Starting in 2009, organiser Rod Gould managed to pull together a great location, sponsors and some amazing cars to look at. Now you might think that late model tuned cars and JDM imports are where it’s at, but if you don’t know where you’ve come from, how can you know where you’re going?
Let’s begin with this 1959 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder. I think this was in the centre of the main hall because of its very high collectible value (into the 7 figures). It’s almost needless to mention how insanely rare these are, with a total worldwide production of 37.
For its day, this was a genuine supercar. While it only has a 1.5L engine, it weighs only 576kgs!!
Next was the 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL Alexander Calder Art Car Group 2 LeMans Replica. With a 438hp. We’re hoping to bring you a full feature on this soon, so will leave you with a teaser for now.
Circa 1954-55 Ferrari 750 Monza. This was the only serious competitor to the Gullwing in sportscar racing of the time.
Check out the leather buckets and tiny windscreens.
And the jewellery-styled dash.
I wandered into the second hall with the boys, and amongst the Lamborghinis and E-type Jags, this old-timer was one of the most interesting machines. It’s fascinating to see how automotive technology has evolved over 100 years. This 1910 Brush has just turned 101 years old. The manual crank lever on the front of the car brings into sharp contrast the starter button on my modern S2000.
Timber wheels, chain drive, hand-horn. Cute.
Speaking of Lambos, this is one of the most iconic shapes of the 1980s. Only 157 were ever made of this LP400, the sleekest and most attractive of the Countach series. Apparently the first production unit was delivered to an Australian. Could this be it?
Citroen has always had some pretty unconventional designs. This example is one of their most famous models, the DS, which was originally designed by a sculptor.
Check the plush leather sofa seats, and the single-spoke steering wheel.
Which brings us to this beauty, a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. The fastest production car of its day, its 3.0 litre inline six made 212hp, making it one of the most collectible M-B models ever. I can’t think of many other cars I would rather own than one of these, but unfortunately half a mil is a bit out of my budget at this point.
A few Jaguars were also on display.
The little details on these were the most fascinating for me, like the leather bonnet straps and the horn button.
You think your wheels are hard to clean?!
This Aston reminded me of a praying mantis.
Lets finish with a bit of Australiana, namely Dick Johnson’s Ford XC Falcon Coupe.
Interesting wheels & tyres. BBS & Goodyear Eagle slicks!
