Dave’s “How To” Day and Shannons Wheels
16 March 2013 / Words and photos by: Bob Judd
Each year, the ACT Council of ACT Motor Clubs arranges a show and shine day for its member clubs to raise money for a local charity. This year, the ‘Technical Aids for the Disabled, ACT’ group were the beneficiaries of the profits from the Shannons Wheels Exhibition.
The Canberra Chapter of the Mazda MX 5 Club has traditionally supported this day as, apart from the purpose of fund raising, it is usually a great day to be seen with the members of the other 60 or so Clubs in the Canberra Region that make up the diverse community that is the local group of specialised Car Clubs.
We thought that to make the day a little more interesting, we would run a fun Concours de l’Elegance. However, as very few of us had any experience in this field, our Chapter sponsor, Dave Battisson of MX 5 Solutions (Carco) opened up his shop for us on the Saturday to come and see how it is done. Those who came along enjoyed a good chin-wag and had the opportunity to get out their cleaning cloths and spruce up the toy to the level of showroom magnificence.
As I peered out the window of my humble abode on the Sunday morning, the weather looked sunny and, therefore, must be warm. Wrong! Sunny, it was. Windy, it was as well. And unfortunately the wind was with us all day.
900 + cars, bikes, trucks, fire engines and radio controlled model cars came along to Wheels and braved the windy conditions. Hot coffee and egg and bacon rolls were the order of the morning whilst our 10 or so club cars gathered in our rather dusty corner of what is usually the home of the local equine establishment, the Canberra Racecourse.
Long time club member, John Brown (“Mr Bling” to his friends), gracefully accepted the role of Concours judge for the day. Judging wasn’t easy as the cars were slowly disappearing into the dusty environment. However, after due consideration with the assistance of fellow member John Broughton, John announced the winners as:
- Best NA Dave Bolton
- Best NB John Brown (it helps when you’re the only NB there)
- Best NC Paul Beerworth
As the afternoon progressed a brand new McLaren MP4-12C burbled into the display area. After a good perv, and the realisation that it was worth more than all our cars put together, we decided that an early mark was warranted. As we headed home, the wind was still blowing.
Next year, I’m sure the weather will be kinder. Bob Judd Canberra Co-convenor
