Photo by: Alan Hewett of McIlroy Auto Group Victor Harbour
Stageas, Stato's, T-buckets, Renaults, Volvos and everything inbetween.
While the car scene may not be as prevalant in SA as the eastern states, it still has all the same vibes; imports with sooted up rear bumpers, the looks of absolute awe on both young boys and girls faces, the odd whiff of methanol and the thud of the SPL crew in the background....oh, and granny who is just trying to get out of the shopping centre car park :D
From pro streeters with some serious dollars poured into them right through to dads grocery getter with chopped springs and a nice set of shoes.
While we all like to rib each other, whether it be the age old Ford vs Holden, japcrap, yank tanks or whatever else is fair game, we all share the same passion.
I'd probably be right in saying 99% of us got into the automotive industry as a result of a passion for cars in some way, shape or form and you can't deny the electricity in the air (or maybe is just all the noxious gases) at a meetup.
It's good to see, in most instances (AFAIK) the police showing some level of appreciation/restraint considering every second car we walked past could have easily been canaried.
This just underlines the importance of being civil and not ripping skids (as tempting as it may be) as this is only going to further paint the scene in a bad light to the authorities and put the squeeze on at coming events....although there always seems to be one idiot.
There is a time and a place for cutting loose, like the track (or a quiet sidestreet, what?) but meets and events aren't that place; especially those of which that already have a strong police presence.
What we're really trying to underline here is how important these events are to not only the gear heads, but the community at large.
From mums and dads giving their kids their first taste of car culture, the crowds supporting local business or the sense of belonging and purpose being a part of something like this gives alot of people.
Whether playing with lights and speakers is your thing or your passion is screwing together big hp engines, you will find your people here along with endless sources of inspiration.
Thanks to everyone who gets their rides out to support these events, not only in SA but right across the country.
Check out this great montage of the evening shot by Jay Visuals to see some of the rides in action.
