An Island motor gathering to remember

The fifth annual Vancouver Island Motor Gathering last Sunday in North Cowichan raised $174,850 in cash donations for the David Foster Foundation and the Cowichan District Hospital Foundation.

Another $180,000 was given through in-kind donations.

The event is presented by the GAIN Dealer Group, which created it to encourage all makes, models and genres to be displayed at one time.

The gathering, the largest car show on Vancouver Island, drew about 10,000 spectators on a sunny Sunday afternoon. They had a chance to look at more than 500 cars of every description, and chat with the people who owned or restored those vehicles.

The gathering featured a display of vehicles from the private collection of Rudi Koniczek, the world-renowned restorer of Mercedes-Benz gullwings and other vehicles.

Koniczek was one of three judges who rated the vehicles in several categories, including best American, best British, best German, best Italian, best Japanese, best classic, best motorcycle, best import, best pre-war, best post-war, best sports car, best truck, best muscle car, best street rod, best original, best in show, and best car-club display.

The other judges were Mike Grams, who runs Coachwerks, the Victoria-based classic car restoration business, and Chris Yarrow, who has had a lifelong passion for cars, especially American classics and British sports cars.

Next year’s event is already being planned. It will be held Aug. 26, 2018, at the Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit in North Cowichan.

The 2.3-kilometre motorsport track is a private membership club and motorsports facility in front of Mount Prevost, west of Duncan.

About 10,000 people packed Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit last Sunday for the fifth annual Motor Gathering.

Left: A row devoted to British classics included an early MGB, an MGA and a Lotus Super Seven replica. Above: A sign on a TR7 convertible shows why the dry humour of British car owners is legendary.

This 1964 Thunderbird Sport Roadster came with a tonneau cover, which effectively turned the car into a two-seater.

A display of vehicles restored by Rudi Koniczek, the world-renowned restorer of classic cars, including several Mercedes, two Packards and a Lagonda.

Even without the hot-pink-and-flames paint job, this 1934 Plymouth Coupe would still stand out in a crowd.

A BMW M635 CSi, foreground, was among the contingent of classic German cars on display.