Lawn ornaments
VanDusen Garden’s All-British Field Meet a feast of Empire classics
Victoria Day weekend is celebrated by Vancouver car fans in a very fitting way: the All-British Field Meet at VanDusen Botanical Garden put on by Patrick Stewart.
This year’s show was exceptional with lots of the big Healeys, only overshadowed by the huge number of MGAs celebrating that marque’s 60th anniversary.
I set up my display and then headed to my favourite spot to shoot the cars as they drove on the beautifully manicured garden lawns. I wasn’t there as early as usual but still got great driving shots of at least 34 of the MGAs, and approximately 350 out of the rumoured 600 vehicles in attendance.
One of the standouts was the Grizzly Torque, a 1957 Land Rover with the 107” Pilcher Body normally used as an ambulance. This vehicle was picked up new at the factory by renowned artist Robert Bateman and his school chum Bristol Foster as they departed on a world tour in 1957-1958. Bateman painted each area they visited on the truck’s sides. Once the “Grizzly Torque” has completed its restoration in Merritt, it will have the murals recreated by Bateman.
Another car of interest was the last 100 1967 BJ8 Austin Healeys built, restored to replicate one of the “Factory Works” Sebring race cars. Unbeknownst to me, the big Healeys have air ducts that bring cool air into the passenger compartment to help cool the driver. On this car, the ducts are upgraded and are used to allow cool air to flow into the triple Weber carbs.
To help the driver keep his cool, a special scoop was fabricated and added to the top of the fender, capturing air and directing it to the driver’s feet. The spare tire is kept inside the cockpit held in place by a leather strap. Other parts of the car were lightened where possible; aluminum fenders, trunk, lightened flywheel, starter and hardtop.
Although the sound of the big Healeys is one of the greatest engine sounds in the world, this Weber-equipped car sounds better.
Simon Oliver’s 1960 Triumph TR3A usually has its hardtop removed by this time of the year but he thought it would be cool to be the only TR3 with a hardtop at the show ... and he was correct. This little car is no trailer queen, except for the time it towed a trailer on a trip to New York. He has owned the car since 1980 and has put 90,000 miles on her.
This weekend has lots of fun stuff, too.
There’s drag racing in Mission and at the Sechelt Airport, while the Agassiz Speedway features oval track racing.
The 46th annual Coastal Swap Meet sets up shop at the Tradex near the Abbotsford Airport. It’s Western Canada’s largest indoor/outdoor automotive and collectables swap meet and if you need something to complete a project you will find it here.