This just in:

As we celebrate Spring with increasingly warm and sunshine-filled evenings it’s time to look forward to Summer and all of the wonderful automotive adventures awaiting us. Very high up the list is Australia Day, and CARnivale.

Registration for the event, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2016, is now open – so it’s time to get organised!

CARnivale will be held on Australia Day, Tuesday the 26th of January, 2016. Next year sees it move to Parramatta Park to better cater for its growth and changes in Sydney CBD traffic arrangements.

The event attracts some six hundred vehicles of all shapes, sizes and vintages, and is a wonderful summer celebration of automotive culture and history.

Joining in the celebrations this year are a hot air balloon aerial show, the Parramatta BBQ Festival, family concert and kids’ rides, the Hottest 100 Party and more.

It’s looking to be a brilliant celebration, and we can’t wait to get involved for another year!

Registration and details for CARnivale are available online at this link, as well as through the registration form linked below. To display your veteran, vintage or classic vehicle, it must be over thirty years of age and built before the 31st of Devember, 1985 or be an identical model run-on. For more information, grab the official entry letter, which we’ll also link below!

2016 CARnivale Invite Letter [PDF]

2016 CARnivale Registration Form [PDF]

The Adelaide Motorsport Festival was held over the weekend of the 17th & 18th of October and featured a particularly special tribute to Formula 1’s time on Adelaide’s classic street circuit.

The Sporting Car Club organised for two of Ayrton Senna’s Lotus F1 cars to join in the fun, making it even more wonderful for us, and there was a strong Lotus presence outside of the Formula 1 festivities. This is the story of their weekend, thanks to Andrew Stevens.

By Andrew Stevens

Having brought two ex Senna Lotus F1 cars, including the iconic Lotus Renault 97T, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1st Adelaide F1 grand prix, the Sporting Car Club could have been forgiven for expecting the car to do more than half a lap before breaking. Having been unable to get to the 1985 event, I was looking forward to seeing the 97T on the Adelaide street circuit. Alas it was not to be.

While the 97T and Honda engined 99T were relegated to static displays, the rest of the “Tipo F1” contingent put on a show, along with the historic tourers, sports cars and variety of modern categories.

With the Adelaide skyline in the background, the Victoria park street circuit was picture perfect under blue skies for the weekend of motorsport. In addition to the 97T and race-winning Honda-engined 99T, Lotus was represented by Mike Bennett in his Lotus 12, Ian Peters in his championship winning Reynard 91D Formula Holden, and Michael Dennerley in his Exige Roadster, who was showing the Ferrari’s the way, despite a dodgy front shock absorber.

After a hurried preparation, Ian managed to score 3rd fastest time of the weekend, beating most of the F1 cars home. Can’t wait until next year, when we’ll have a CLA display in the static display area.