CARS & COFFEE DUBBO

WHERE? VICTORIA PARK, TALBRAGAR ST, DUBBO, NSW WHEN? FIRST SUNDAY MORNING OF THE MONTH, 8.00AM

With the late-2015 introduction of its 60-day-per-year log-book based historic registration scheme, there’s been a huge increase in the use and enjoyment of classic cars in NSW. It’s really taking the “driven, not hidden” mantra of classic car ownership to the next level and the reason for the many Cars & Coffee-type get-togethers, usually on a Sunday morning, in many cities and regional areas.

Dubbo in central-western NSW is the latest town to establish a regular Cars & Coffee. Started in June last year, the Sunday morning get-together in the centre of town is growing quickly as word spreads among the NSW Central West’s car enthusiasts.

When we wandered in, we were greeted by more than 50 cool cars. Even though many of the entrants are wearing historic registration, these events are not just for older classics – there was a healthy number of later model sport-spec Holden and Ford stuff there, too, such as a couple of later-model Falcon GTs and a particularly tasty bright red VX SS Holden Commodore track car. But here, as elsewhere, cool older stuff seems to be the core of Cars & Coffee and some of the owners brought their cars from homes more than 100km away.

Probably the coolest car on the day we were there was Hiram Marr’s awesome old ’63 Chevrolet Impala. Bought a decade ago from a local farm (it was a deceased estate) the Chev carries the character of a life well lived, from its bent headlight trims over its faded and heat-hazed paint to the crumbling door and boot sealing rubbers. Other cars at the event included a Suzuki Mighty Boy – yes, really! – and a handful of tough local rods.