Auto-Social – Tremendous Turnout at The Motorist

7

Dale Vinten

Well, to say that went well would be a bit of an understatement! The third and latest instalment of our Auto-Social cars and coffee series surpassed the previous two events in every respect, and it’s not exactly like they were an unmitigated disaster either, just the opposite in fact. Building upon the success of those two gatherings at The Classic Motor Hub and Hilton & Moss respectively, Sunday’s event at The Motorist “oop north” was by far the biggest turn out yet with literally hundreds of you making the trip to Sherburn in Elmet, Leeds and bringing with you a frankly staggering array of cars and bikes spanning pretty much all eras, classes, niches and tastes. The sheer breadth of two, four and even three-wheeled machinery on display was staggering. Petrolhead heaven? Absolutely.

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Having such a fantastic venue as a backdrop no doubt played a huge part in the festivities as well and The Motorist has everything one could possibly need for such a shindig. With great food and drink from the cafe and restaurant to the on-site shop and balcony overlooking the expansive car park that was full to the brim on the day of an ever revolving selection of vehicles it really is a top notch site and if you haven’t visited yet then you really need to get down there ASAP.

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The weather too may have helped to keep spirits high because we were treated to glorious sunshine from the off, but even if it was raining sideways it would still have been a great bash simply because of the cars. There really was something for everyone, from pre-war Fords, American muscle cars and hot rods and rare, limited edition examples to modern supercars, conspicuous sleepers, swinging sixties Brits and a celebration of the unexceptional, every appetite was satiated, and that’s all before the sausage sarnies came out!

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Interspersed amongst this assortment of automotive awesomeness were various stalls dotted about the ample car park, including one-man cleaning crackerjack Michael Wheatley, owner and operator of Squid Ink Detailing who provide premium car care products that are affordable and easy to use. Michael’s passion for the craft is infectious and we’ll be reviewing some of his gear in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled. As the trusted detailing products partner of The Motorist we have high hopes.

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Our good friend Illustrator Maker was also on hand displaying his incredible talents in real time inside the hub. Creating unique automotive art completely digitally via an iPad Terry has a keen eye having studied vehicle design at university before going on to start his illustration business during lockdown whilst simultaneously studying for a Masters degree in the subject. His affection for classic cars really comes through in his work and it was truly mesmerising (and eye-opening) watching him create digitally from scratch via a monitor hooked up to his tablet, not relying on the technical wizardry that can potentially fix every little happy accident but rather letting his natural style shine instead so if you want your pride and joy immortalised, framed and hung in the man cave then he’s your man.

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But back to the meat and potatoes of our day at The Motorist: the cars. As mentioned earlier the incredible variety of vehicles is what really stood out for us. It was a constantly revolving smorgasbord too as some people packed up and moved on whilst simultaneously making way for new arrivals. It wasn’t merely a case of being stuck with the same handful of cars after the first hour, the palette was constantly shifting and just when we thought we’d seen everything a whole brace of fresh metal would show up, complete with the required amount of pops, bangs and burbles. We must have completed at least five laps of the sizeable site over the course of the day and there was always something new to catch our eye, cause a sharp intake of breath or kick off a friendly but heated debate. It’s difficult to compose a list of highlights because there were just so damn many but here are a few of our top picks.

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Lowering a Land Rover might not be everyone’s first choice of mod but as one of the initial cars through the gates this 2.5-litre turbo on a Disco chassis caused quite a stir.

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JDM cars are perennially popular and this tastefully modified Nissan Skyline R32 GTR was no exception.

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An incredibly rare Jordan edition Honda Civic drew quite a crowd and rightly so as just 500 of them were ever built.

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Big block V8s from across the pond were well represented with this gorgeous Dodge Charger as well as a beautiful Buick Riviera jostling for best yank tank award on the day.

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You know we have a (some would say strange) soft spot for a Nissan Bluebird and this ZX turbo had just the right amount of attitude. Having picked up the car for a few hundred quid as a bit of fun the current owner has now fallen in love and continues to fettle with it. Yep, we get it.

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KITT even made an appearance at The Motorist in the form of a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, arriving in convoy with its buddy, a Volvo 740 wagon. It was a bizarre pairing but one we’re totally on board with, and speaking of odd couples this photo of a stunning Aston Martin Vantage parked next to a Stock Nissan Sunny in wonderfully original condition sums up the vibe and the eclectic mix of cars on display throughout the day.

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Thanks to all of you lovely lot that came, fuelling our passion and making the Auto-Social at The Motorist such an unforgettable day. If you haven’t managed to attend one of our Auto-Socials yet though, fear not because we’re going to make this a regular highlight of the automotive calendar so keep your eyes peeled for our next stop and join us for more classics, coffee and conversation. Tickets will remain FREE and are available on a first come, first served basis. We hope to see you at the next Car & Classic Auto-Social!

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