GAWLER’S veteran and vintage cars are preparing to take over the roads of Gawler and the Barossa this weekend.

The Gawler Veteran, Vintage & Classic Vehicle Club will hold its annual Veteran and Vintage Run on Sunday, with around 70 cars ready to take part in the event.

Every car in the run was built before 1931, and featured vehicles will include a 1905 Clement Bayard, a 1909 Stanley Steamer and a 1925 New Imperial motorcycle.

Willaston resident Graham Butler will be driving his 1928 REO Flying Cloud on Sunday.

He said loving old vehicles had been instilled in him growing up and that his passion was a family affair.

“I just love the old vehicles,” he said. “To me they’re proper cars.

“I can hop in this car (the 1928 REO) and drive it any time. It may not be very fast, it’s a drinker of fuel and weighs about 1.8 tonnes, but it’s just a beautiful old thing.

“As far as I’m concerned, it can run for another 50 years if it’s looked after.”

The Veteran and Vintage Run will begin at the Immanuel Lutheran School oval on Lyndoch Road, Gawler, with the cars on display from around 8am.

They will then set off at around 9am along Lyndoch Road towards Lyndoch, before arriving at Greenock Oval at midday, where they will be on display again.

At Greenock the best car on show will be chosen and food will be available for attendees at both Greenock and at Immanuel Primary School.

Entrants have come from across the state and even across the country, with one vehicle coming down from Darwin to participate.

GVVCVC secretary Gavin Launer said veteran and vintage car owners were often wary of taking their vehicles for a drive, but the run gives them a chance to show them off.

“We started this because a lot of old cars are becoming unreliable and a bit hard to drive as the owners get older,” he said.

“When you leave Adelaide you have to drive stop-start with traffic, lights, hills, so it’s harder for them to get their old cars out.

“We’ve limited the run to 1931 and older because people are putting them in sheds and not driving them.

“People will see cars and makes they’ve never heard of before. Some are very rare and can be older than 100-years-old and they’re still on the open on road and driving.

“You can come admire the chrome work, engineering and style. They really are something to behold.”