Big celebrations highlight Motorclassica in 2019

AUSTRALIA’S leading automotive exhibition, Motorclassica, will return in 2019, but its 10th anniversary will likely be remembered for the even bigger birthday celebrations it will hold for Citroen, Bentley and Mini, among other brands.

Held once again at Melbourne’s historic Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Motorclassica will run from Friday, October 11 to Sunday, October 13, with its event director, Paul Mathers, pointing out that it has gone from strength to strength since 2009.

“In many ways it does not seem like 10 years since we embarked on this journey, taking what was then a big gamble, and yet over that decade Motorclassica has changed and matured enormously,” he said.
 
“Where once it might have been considered an event primarily for enthusiasts, today Motorclassica is an event with broad mainstream appeal, a celebration if you like of the automotive lifestyle and all that it encompasses.

“It is now a globally significant and recognised event in the classic- and collector-car world and we can be immensely proud of that.”

Citroen will be among the headline brands this year, with its centenary to be commemorated by its chief executive officer, Linda Jackson, who will make the trip Down Under for the first time to discuss the French brand’s past, present and future on Saturday, October 12.

In total, 16 of Citroen’s most iconic models will be on display, including examples of the DS sedan. Visitors will also be given the opportunity to test drive a selection of its current offerings on site.

Bentley will also celebrate its 100th anniversary, with an extensive display of its luxury models promised alongside that of lesser known British brand Alvis, which ceased production in 1967 after nearly five decades of churning out sportscars.

Spanish tuner Abarth will mark 70 years in the game with its showcase, while now-German-owned Mini will throw it back to the BMC-built original from six decades ago with a display that recognises its contributions to automotive design and popular culture.

Even Japanese sportscars will be acknowledged at Motorclassica this year, with a special showcase to pay tribute to their long-lasting impact. The Datsun DC-3, Honda S500, Toyota 2000GT, Mazda Cosmo and Nissan Skyline will be among the models on display.

Motorclassica will also play host to the return of Australian sportscar specialist Bolwell, which will debut the Nagari 500 half a century after the original Nagari arrived.

While it has a strong visual resemblance with the preceding Nagari 300, the Nagari 500 ups the performance ante by combining sub-1000kg weight with Chevrolet’s LS3 V8, tuned to produce 372kW of power.

Bolwell claims that the Nagari 500 will sprint from standstill to 100km/h in less than three seconds, while its top speed will be in excess of 300km/h.

In total, it is expected that 140 cars and motorcycles will entered into the Australian International Concours d’Elegance, which is held every year as part of Motorclassica.

Outside the venue, a further 200 cars and motorcycles will be showcased as part of a club-based display known as Club Sandwich. Lorbek Luxury Cars will show 30 modern supercars in the same area.