2014 RACV Great Australian Rally

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On January 19 an estimated 900 vehicles took part in the annual RACV Great Australian Rally at Mornington Racecourse, to support the Peter McCallum Cancer Institute.

There were cars present to interest fans of both classic and contemporary cars, everything from an 1885 Benz (The world’s first petrol car) to a current model Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG gullwing.

Reflecting how far we’ve come in term of technology, I doubt many people today would be able to drive the 1912 Rolls-Royce on display. Not only does this car have various controls mounted in the steering wheel, but all the dials are not located on a dashboard but actually directly on the firewall! Worth noting this particular car was also displayed at no less than the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours D’elegance in America in 2011.

What I noticed most during this show was the variety of bonnet ornaments/mascots featured on some of the classic cars. Sculptures as elegant and stylish as anything you’d see in a museum/art gallery.

While I’ve been a fan of the Lotus Elise since it was released, I think the latest model is easily the best looking yet. Like the Porsche 911, it’s looks have matured into something quite elegant. Present at the show in Mornington was a very lovely and very bright yellow current model.

The star of the show in my opinion were the supercharged Auburn speedsters present. Every aspect of this design exudes class and refinement. I imagine it would have been very expensive indeed in its day!