Classics are out in force at Motorfest
Almost 70 cars toured to Oban’s Station Square on Saturday for the fifth Motorfest.
The prize for the furthest travelled was awarded to Ian Forbes from Musselburgh, while Drew Cowan’s Mk2 Ford Escort won the best car and Mel Burnip’s Ford Cortina Mk1 took best club entry.
Kevin Devine, chairman of Oban and District Classic Vehicle Club, was very pleased by the number of cars, but had to turn back 20 cars because there was not enough space.
‘Most folk have decided they are going whether it is wet or not,’ he said. ‘It is a free day out. There are people who have been here since Friday. It is good for the economy.’
Also praising the ‘excellent’ turnout of cars and visitors, was BID4Oban chief executive Andrew Spence. He said: ‘Motorfest had a significant economic impact on the town. One of the highlights was the visiting Clan Mountain Bike Stunt Team which entertained the crowd with three shows throughout the day.’
Iain MacKinnon, station officer for Oban Coastguard, was delighted to welcome the rescue service’s 2001 Land Rover, normally on active duty in Kintyre, which featured on a commemorative postage stamp in 2013 celebrating 55 years of the off-road icon.
‘There are just two [Land Rovers] left in the coastguard in the UK,’ Iain said. ‘We had to move heaven and earth to get it here. They are in high demand around the coast because of their reliability. It has many fans in the coastguard. They are solid workhorses. Now it has arrived I hope it will never leave. I hope it has five years left, and will go to a museum rather than be destroyed.’
Gary and Donna Blackburn from Dunfermline brought their beloved 1971 Volkswagen Campervan, called ‘Tammy’, but chose to stay in a hotel overnight due to the rough weather. ‘She has got no heating, so she is cold even when you are driving,’ Gary said. ‘It’s had 13 owners – I am the last.’
Meanwhile, Emma and Les Norrie from Blairgowrie were in a 1970 VW Beetle, and David and Morag Paul from Arbroath in a 1951 Ford V8 Pilot, parked alongside one another having a wee picnic of sandwiches and hot tea. ‘I love this car,’ David said. ‘It is the car I always wanted. It has a top speed of 82mph. I have not had it to that speed – it would be very scary.’
Paddy and Trish McDermott serenely motored across from Crieff in a 1934 Austin 12. ‘I have always been fond of Austins,’ Paddy said. ‘When it was new the maximum speed was 50mph. Now we go no faster than 45mph.’
‘I love it with a passion,’ Hazel Barry from Bonawe said of her 1966 Mark II Ford Zephyr, which is called Frank after Frank Zappa/Zephyr. ‘People always come to talk to us.’
Liam Campbell of Oban also brought the show’s only motorbike, a Honda VFR400 which took him five years to build.
David Hutchison, visiting again this year from Crieff with his son David in a bright green gem saying ‘old Fords never die’, summed up their day: ‘It is a friendly show with nice cars, plenty to see.’