What a Grand Day Out

Four Sprites and a Midget burbling up though the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley enroute to Collingrove on a beautiful crisp clear Spring morning on the club’s ‘Picnic Run’. What a fabulous sight and sound!

Setting out from The Gully Hotel for a straight run up through Birdwood and then on to Collingrove, of course someone (the President … err, me) was late to the starting point but luckily Don was patient and waited with new Sprite owner, Don Cameron (he hasn’t yet decided on joining a club but he and his lovely Mk3 are welcome to join our runs when ever he wishes!). Eventually we got there (only 20 minutes late … despite having no traffic on North East Road I still managed to get every red light!) and the three of us headed up to Birdwood where the Lows and Dean were waiting and then the run out to Collingrove. It really is nice when the 80kph limit ends and we can run up to 100 (or there abouts)! 5x 1275 A Series, all in good song!

Despite my car really not having a decent run in nearly five months it seemed in fine fettle for the run out with a muted rasp and a crackle and pop on the overrun coming down the hills. Most thought I was slightly crazy wearing a polo shirt and shorts (and Margy in a short sleeve linen top) on a 5 degree morning but as usual the heater was in fine form heating our feet and the escaping warmth keeping our ears and noses from freezing as we headed through the hills with the roof down and picnic hamper strapped firmly in place. A perfect way to start the month of October!

And what was it all about? The Sunday of the Labour Day long weekend sees the running of the Sporting Car Club of South Australia’s annual Barossa Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb and, thanks to the efforts of Sprite Club and Sporting Car Club Member Gary Dodd, we had pole position inside the pit paddock for the day, including a run up the course for those who desired to partake!

The Sutherlands joined us with their lovely Mk2 Midget (its still for sale … David … I know you’re reading this … caravan, Sprite, caravan, Sprite …) and, including Peter Stanley’s hill climb Sprite, we had seven Sprites and Midgets, as well as Pat and Gerard Miller with the Plymouth and the likes of Miles and others in more ‘normal’ cars. A great turn out really, consider it was the middle of the Long Weekend after all. Thank you to everyone who made the effort!

And what a fabulous day it was, with an amazing collection of historic South Australian and interstate cars and bikes taking on the twists and incline of the Collingrove climb. From cars built for the Australian GP in the 1950s (and in one case, driven by the 15 year old Great Grandson of the cars creator), to a hauntingly beautiful SS100, classic Speedway Sprint Cars and all manner and marques of cars and bikes in-between, there was something for everyone!

Thank you to the SCC-SA for the opportunity and thank you to all the owners and drivers of these fabulous cars who were only too happy to stop and talk and recount the history of their vehicles.