Inglewood Rotary Car Show 2015

The Inglewood Rotary Club finally celebrated its 20th annual car show on February 15, after a bad-weather postponement from earlier in the month. A fundraiser for numerous worthy community causes, this show is always an enjoyable and relaxed day out; a chance to catch up with people you haven’t seen for a while, and to view a very wide range of vehicles old and new. Some are regulars that turn up every year, and this time there seemed to be a bigger than usual number of cars not seen before. Anything with wheels is welcome — the Military Vehicles Collectors Club put on an excellent static and active display, and a local person put on a one-woman classic motorcycle display, with at least half a dozen of her bikes on show.

The Taranaki Mustang Club had easily the best–represented make and model display, although the Jaguar Club was not far behind. Part of the appeal of this show is the diversity of vehicles that turn up. A near–new Jaguar F-type Coupé was a stand-out car, while the Principal’s Choice Award (the show is held at the

Inglewood High School) went to an immaculate 1929 Chevrolet Roadster that was restored 30 years ago. This is a show where that over-used term ‘mint’ could be applied to a sparkling white Hillman Hunter and equally to a couple of very tasty Jaguar XKR dropheads.

My pick was the superb black 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, but there was a surprising number of cars I would happily have taken home. With 200 or so vehicles on display, a laid-back and sometimes humorous commentary, sausage sizzle, ice-cream van, car and motorcycle people — the Inglewood Rotary Club can be justly proud of their effort. Only a coffee van could have improved the day for some caffeine addicts who had to make do with a heady dose of vehicles instead, which wasn’t exactly a hardship!