Beetlemania: Dee Gray took home prizes from last year’s show for her original 1976 VW Beetle.
ORGANISERS of the Rotary club’s Torquay Motor Show this Sunday are expecting a “dead-heat” in one of the judging categories when a display of historic hearses will feature for the first time in the show’s four-year history.
Rotary club spokesperson Rob Harris said the hearse display was only confirmed this week as well as a new category for motor sport which will include sprint cars and racing specials.
He said the show on Sunday, is a great family event, attracting some of the best-restored and modified cars, bikes and trucks in the area and from around the state.
“The first year was a wash out, the second year we got 220 entrants and last year 240 entries, so this year we are expecting an even greater variety and number,” Rob said.
He said the annual motor show staged on the Melbourne Cup holiday weekend at the foreshore reserve on The Esplanade Torquay, brings more than 4000 spectators through the gates.
The show is one of the bigger fundraisers for the Torquay Rotary club money and goes mostly to the local community.
Entries are invited for vehicles in 24 categories from pre-1918 to best club team display.
Among the special car marque sections include best MG and best Jaguar, Ford, Holden, European and American cars.
Five categories for motorcycles from pre-1975 to the best examples American and British bikes will ensure bike enthusiasts will see some of the best veteran and modern machines.
The commercial categories cater for vehicles before and after 1960. Vans and trucks are fast becoming popular restoration projects with certain finished vehicles being considered more valuable than cars.
Leading the judging team will be Geelong’s “Mr Motorsport” Gary Grant who, with wife Karen and a selection of other specialist judges, will start evaluating entries from 11am.
They will be scoring vehicles, depending on category, bodywork, interior, boot, wheels and tyres, engine and engine bay, originality accessories and overall presentation.
Entries cost $10 and $2 each for passengers. Gates open at 9am for participating vehicles and spectator entry is $2.
