Trevor Bellchambers

GAWLER Car Club’s membership has grown to 746 members and 44 junior members.

Our events program has continued and included many special events.

The Classics in the Park event was held on the grounds of Virgara Wines at Angle Vale on April 24, with participants from many parts of the state displaying their vehicles.

On May 19, the SA Mercedes Club was invited to join our club for a Mercedes-led run to the Aircraft Museum at Greenock, with lunch at the Vine Inn and a visit to Maggie Beer’s Farmshop at Nuriootpa.

The combined run was enjoyed by both clubs, with an invitation to future events.

Being a very large club with lots of vehicles, we have special events for many makes and types of vehicles like the MG Run (our members own about 45 MG Bs and many other models), a truck run, Mercedes run, vintage and veteran run and there are plans for other “make” runs.

On long weekends, we have away runs.

This year, on the June long weekend, we went to Port Augusta with more than 40 members, travelling there on Friday to a welcoming club barbecue. Our activities included a day trip on the steam-powered “Old Ghan” up through the Ranges to Quorn and return.

There was a combined dinner with the Port Augusta Vintage Car Club in its new clubrooms, and visits to the Desert Gardens and Wadlata. As usual, it was a very special and enjoyable club event.

One of the advantages of club membership is car clubs’ registration system for vehicles 30 years and older, and being able to register them at a fraction of normal registration cost.

Each registered car has a logbook that must be filled out by the driver before each use of their car. The logbook system allows 90 days’ use of that car for the year. Several dates in June were available for annual logbook signing by our club registrars for the coming year. Club cars also usually attract lower vehicle insurance rates.

If the driver has not filled out their logbook for the day and are pulled over by police, there can be heavy fines because technically the car is unregistered and without compulsory insurance.

We have some exciting events planned. The first is a Drive It-Old Car Day on September 1, which is Wattle Day, the first day of spring. We host an invitation to all clubs for a picnic day at Bethany Reserve near Tanunda.

In the past, up to 25 clubs have attended, completely filling the grounds with their classic vehicles.

The Gawler Swap Meet is on September 19.

On September 22, the club will host a day of Motorfest, where events are organised by clubs for each day of the weeks before and after the Bay to Birdwood.

Gawler Car Club meets under COVIDsafe rules on the third Tuesday each month at Gawler Sport and Community Centre from 7pm. Everyone is welcome to attend and hopefully join this great family club.