AOMC British & European Motoring Show 2023

Presented by AOMC (Association of Motoring Clubs) held at Caribbean Park, Scoresby. 

Show map <source>

MG obviously had spent extra money to be at this show because their space was HUGE compared to everyone else. AOMC (Association of Motoring Clubs),

When I got there at 12:00 pm it felt like it was at the tail end of events, and as I was walking around it seemed there were already some gaps in the cars parked there.

Caribbean Park is not well recognised by Google Maps, and from watching other people on the road they too must've been confused by how to get in there. 

There is Caribbean Business Park, there is a driveway / road that's not marked but was the entrance to the Caribbean Markets and then there is the entrance to "Caribbean Park". If you're coming from the main freeway – EastLink then you need to head east along Ferntree Gully Road and then do a u-turn at the turn for Koornang Road.  Caribbean Park has a big archway at its entrance.

Entry was $8 with that money supposedly going to the local CFA according to the tannoy announcements.

Where I walked in

The area was fenced somewhat, but I'm not sure why because there were gaps in the fences where you could walk in and there was no one stopping you to check. The site isn't exactly easy to walk into either, it's almost 900 metres from Ferntree Gully Road (although there is a bus stop at the entry so it is possible to go here via public transport).

Walking past the BMC-Leyland Car Club as I wandered into the show from the side, these were an eclectic mix of cars. What I would frame them as is '1950s-early 1960s TV show background cars'. Some Morrises including a van.

I really like the Jensen Interceptor, a lovely design of car. But the back window, which it has a unique curved piece of glass in it would be worrying to drive around in, because if it's damaged there's likely none in this country and likely if one existed it'd be expensive and / or probably have to come from the UK. But it's fabulous that there were so many of them on display and their car club is active.

I also really quite like Jaguar E-Types. Although every time I see them in person I'm just struck by how long the bonnet is, and can't help but wonder how hard it makes them to park.

Triumphs were well represented with several Triumph Stags on display. 

I like the latter TR Triumphs the TR7 and TR8 where they took on more of a wedge sort of shape.

Bentley was well represented by several 1980s examples, along with much older varieties. 

I quite appreciate the much older cars, the "vintage veteran" cars, there was a 1913 De Dion Bouton Model DW2 - 2 Cylinder, it has 821 cc and a cruising speed of 42 kilometres per hour. And it's for sale!

Also there was a Minerva Type R 1909 Roadster; a four cylinder 2.3 litre, it didn't list a cruising speed, but it has 16 horsepower. 

I appreciate the Rovers, I wouldn't say I'm a fan, or even think they look pretty, but there is a design aesthetic to them that I can appreciate.

I liked this Wolseley 16/45 Special 1925, with its tools in the engine bay and luxurious carpet in the small cabin.

Up one end of the show were Alfa Romeo, Saab, BMW and Volvo.

There weren't many Alfa Romeos left when I got up there, there looked to have been space for a few more, but it seemed like those drivers had left.

There were a number of interesting French cars from Renault, Citroën and Peugeot.

I quite like the French cars, both old and new, there's something that's a little different with them compared to their contemporaries.

In the Volvo area one stuck out the Volvo TP21 4x4 a Radio Command Car.

The Austin-Healeys all looked nice. And I'm sure they're nice to drive on the days when it's not too hot or sunny, there's no danger of rain and it's not too windy.

Of the many, many MGs, I didn't wander around a lot of them, it was a little bit overwhelming in a sort of...not underwhelming...just...whelming sort of way. MGB GTs are nice, but I don't really have a huge interest in MGs in general, and I sort of got to the MGs at the end of wandering around everything else. 

The pre-war MGs are great, and you can clearly see these are cars that have had money, time and care spent on them, very much the once on a club run sort of cars.

While I had heard of many of the defunct car makes at least in passing Alvis was one I had not. Two examples in bare aluminium caught my eye as I was finishing my wander around. They certainly were eye catching. I imagine them being driven by a love interest of Miss Fisher or something like that.

As I was getting ready to leave at around 1:00 pm it seemed like several cars on show were also starting to leave. 

When I was driving out the gates were no longer manned by anyone, which meant that entry was probably free by that point. 

So I guess if you're going to one of these car club shows get there early.

There were some food options, none that I thought to take photos of, or take advantage of. 

There were two coffee vans, one with the main food area, and another beside the MG area.

There was a pizza van, something that did 'tornado potatoes' and I think I saw a third thing but didn't quite process what it was.