In 2022, Motorclassica took place at the Melbourne Exhibition Building in Carlton as had it done so for about 10 years. Exotic machinery from the past and present showed up yet again, attracting car enthusiasts from across town and beyond. However, the event did not come back for 2023, which did raise a few questions about the future of it. Were manufacturers still interested? Did the attendance fall too dramatically? Was it too expensive to put on? I was concerned that it wouldn’t come back at all, but then a show called “Motors And Masterpieces” popped up and I thought, hang on, is this the replacement for Motorclassica? The answer to that was a resounding yes. Laid out in a different form at the Melbourne Showgrounds, less emphasis was placed on the concours portion of the show with a lot more modern machinery that most of us would recognise. Think Honda NSX, Nissan R32 GT-R, Maserati 3200, Ferrari Enzo, Lamborghini Diablo and Toyota Sprinter Trueno. There was still a decent selection of vintage cars on display, but they aren’t really my thing so I just ignored them for the most part. Anyway, with only a handful of people in attendance on Friday, I was able to take plenty of fantastic photos which I thoroughly intend to showcase here. It’s gonna be less talk and more action for today.
This is a Buick Regal Grand National – a muscle car from the ’80s that I’ve never seen before. It must be the only one in the country. Unlike most muscle cars, this one had a 3.8 litre turbocharged V6 and back in the day, it was a force to be reckoned with. Whilst the big boys at the top end of town were still stuffing around with their outdated V8’s, Buick went all-in with a completely different philosophy. This car only came in black, and it wears it better than anything else if you ask me. Unfortunately Buick were unable to follow this up as the V8 engines returned to prominence. The V6 turbo never caught on as Americans love nothing more than a V8 motor.
The Mazda Cosmo is the original rotary-powered sports car. I don’t think I’ve ever got this close to one and wow is it a stunner. The design is still fantastic despite being 50 something years old. All the details are excellent without being too ridiculous like the massive American land barges with huge amounts of chrome everywhere. The Cosmo name is reflective of the space-age styling and the novel new powerplant that was the Wankel rotary engine. Now I want it back in Gran Turismo.
Lamborghini has been using the V12 since the very beginning, and this is the latest offering with over 1000 HP. Called the Revuelto, the design takes cues from the Vision GT, the Centenario and Sian for a properly futuristic V12 supercar that sticks it to the green climate activists. Like the Aventador, it’s 4WD but it has a modern gearbox so the car is much smoother off the line and accelerates without kicking you in the back each time you press the upshift paddle. However this car does have an electric motor which produces 190 HP on it’s own, but the V12 still makes a whopping 825 HP for total of 1015. So much for a bleak future.
It’s crazy how modern this car looks despite being 24 years old. The TVR Tuscan is an extremely rare machine that I’ve only seen once before in person and I’m happy to see it get the respect it deserves. It’s powered by an inline-6 that was made by TVR themselves, which is unusual for a boutique sports car manufacturer. Those lads from Blackpool really did it their own way.
Here is the Maserati 3200 with the iconic “boomerang” tail lights that people go mad over for some reason. This front engined V8 sports car has garnered a cult following with a soundtrack that is as aggressive as it is exotic. Maybe not the best car in terms of build quality, but who cares? This is a proper Maserati that has class and performance in equal measure, so of course it’s going to be part of the brand’s 110th birthday celebration.
Now for some proper Jags. The E-Type was praised by Enzo Ferrari as the most beautiful car ever made, and it’s easy to see why when you look at the incredible styling. It’s just a wonderful shape that has stood the test of time and after the shocking “rebrand”, we’ll be holding this car just that little bit closer to our hearts. See, this is what Jaguar is to you and I, which makes the stupid rebrand all the more confusing. People are totally outraged that a company with soo much history has just been shunned like it’s nothing. What’s worse is that some of the people who are outraged are essentially being told, “if you don’t like it, piss off” which is wrong. Even ELON FUCKING MUSK had a go at Jaguar, asking “Do you sell cars?” because the ad was soo ridiculous. Take a few steps back, Jaguar. Appreciate your history. Remember the style icons you created years ago and show us that you care! Now, excuse me whilst I buy an E-Type. Or a TWR Supercat. Or both. (In 1:64 scale most likely).
Vintage cars are exquisite works of engineering with a lot of fascinating details, but this little Toyota Sprinter Trueno in factory condition with the original stickers is soo much more interesting to me. Compared to today’s modern stuff, this car doesn’t have many safety features or luxuries with the only kind of “infotainment” being a cassette player. However, this car’s simplicity made it great for budding enthusiasts to experience the joy of driving. Seeing a stock example gives you a window into the genesis of tuning culture – a culture that has swept the world. It may not be made of brass or have big, sweeping mudguards with a giant radiator out front, but for me, this humble rear-drive hatchback is worth celebrating.
One of my favourite cars from the ’70s is this: the De Tomaso Pantera. Powered by a Ford “Cleveland” V8, this car combines style, grunt and reliability – a combination that was hard to find at the time. Using a mass-produced engine to power a mid-engined sports car was genius, because it made the ownership experience a whole lot simpler. You could take the car to a Ford dealership for mechanical repairs instead of some specialist or worse still, the factory. In fact, some Panteras were sold in Ford dealerships for a time during the first years of production. Despite the American engine, this car is still very much Italian and I love it.
This wouldn’t be a proper car show unless you had a few old Lambos in attendance. The Muira, Diablo and Countach are all special machines that always cause a stir wherever they go. Having all three together however is even more special.
I don’t remember the Maserati Merak looking this good before. I only know this car thanks to Top Gear when Jeremy Clarkson bought one for the “Italian supercar for the less than the cost of a new Mondeo” challenge. Dr Clarkson’s experience was far from ideal, concluding that “yes, you can” buy a ’70s Italian supercar for less than a new Mondeo, but “for the love of God, don’t”. This car has a V6 engine in the middle with a modest 220 HP – given that everything is in working order of course.
Now I’ll dump a few more photos here.
I was really pleased with the selection of vehicles that showed up to this event. From Japanese classics to Italian supercars and British grand tourers, some of the most important cars from across the world were given a chance to shine. Opportunities like this don’t come up often and being able so enjoy these cars without a massive crowd made me feel like a VIP who’d been given early access to the event. I knew that Friday would be the right day to capture these wonderful masterpieces.
DevMacCars 