Nearly 100 beautiful old sports cars lined Russell Street on Saturday when the visiting pre-war MG Register of Australia was joined by members of the Wolseley Hornet Club.
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Two hundred people and 89 MGs spent the weekend in the Bathurst region and a good crowd turned out to admire these fine examples of automotive history.
The rally kicked off with a function at the National Motor Racing Museum on Friday night.
Bathurst Mayor Gary Rush welcomed the participants to Bathurst and the visitors made the most of the opportunity to tour the museum.
Following the display outside the courthouse the MG owners went back up to Mount Panorama for some photos on the track, before Cr Rush waved them off on their laps around Mt Panorama.
He was lucky enough to hitch a ride in a couple of different cars.
Mr Shellshear said the group spent about an hour driving around the circuit – at the speed limit of course.
The three-day rally is held every two years and this time the MG owners came from as far afield as the UK, the USA and New Zealand, as well as from all over Australia.
Mr Shellshear said everyone loved Bathurst because the motel was right on the circuit and the roads were quiet.
He said Bathurst Regional Council’s support for the event goes a long way towards making the city an attractive venue for car clubs,
“It’s a perfect place to hold such a big rally,” Mr Shellshear said.
“The region has such good empty roads and Mount Panorama is a real drawcard.”
Yesterday rally participants headed off on a drive along the Ophir Road and on to Orange, where they had lunch at the Borrodell Vineyard before returning to Bathurst through Spring Hill.
The oldest of the MGs taking part in the rally was a 1925 model.
The bulk of the sports cars on show were manufactured between 1930 and 1936.
Mr Shellshear said he thinks the reason the MG has always been so popular is because it is a sports car for every man.
He still races his MG at veteran events. He particularly enjoys the one held in Winton in Victoria.
Mr Shellshear added they are simple to fix and visually appealing.
“People just love them,” he said.
He said the people who were in Bathurst over the weekend ranged in age from 50 to 90.
Mr Shellshear said that while owning an MG mostly appeals to retired folk, there were a few younger participants this time around.
He said one family brought four generations of motoring enthusiasts along. The youngest was two years old and oldest 90.
They all love the unrestored car and most of them took turns at driving it. The car has been continuously owned by the family patriarch for 67 years.
