Bay to Birdwood embraces ‘whole-of-history’ format
This weekend’s milestone running of the iconic Bay to Birdwood will usher in a new era for the classic car rally as one-off change becomes permanent.
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The Bay to Birdwood is about to enter a groundbreaking new era.
Organisers have revealed plans to make the historic car rally a “whole-of-history” event every year, featuring vehicles from all eras.
Previously, veteran, vintage and antique cars, which were mostly produced before World War II, featured in The Bay to Birdwood Run on even-numbered years, while classic cars, produced between the end of the war and 30 years ago, participated in the Bay to Birdwood Classic on odd-numbered years.
But organisers decided to combine the two events for the 40th-anniversary run and, barring any major hiccup tomorrow, plan to make that change permanent.
Interactive guide: Explore all 1681 vehicles in the Bay to Birdwood
They will curate the number of cars from various eras so each decade is represented each year, giving spectators the chance to see cars ranging from 30 to more than 100 years old.
“As history is ever evolving so the Bay to Birdwood has adapted and changed over the years to embrace vehicles that have become ‘of interest’ and ‘part of contemporary history’,” National Motor Museum director and event director Paul Rees said.
“The introduction of the Classic in 1997 was in response to what were newish cars back in 1980 when the Bay to Birdwood first started becoming ‘of interest’ to a new generation of historic vehicle enthusiasts.
“The 40th anniversary is a good opportunity to see what could be done with the iconic Bay to Birdwood to once again change with the times and reset itself.
“After discussions with many enthusiasts in the historic vehicle movement, the idea of a full celebration of motoring history rather than the demarcated decades surfaced and seemed like a good idea.
“Going by the amount of early registrations at the beginning of this year it was a popular idea. If the event is a success tomorrow, then I can see the Bay to Birdwood being delivered in this way from here on in.”
The move will also help solve a minor but growing dilemma of declining entry numbers in the Run as the vehicles, and some of the owners, age and become more fragile.
“There possibly is a time with some cars that were made in the 1900s, you just can’t run them anymore,” Mr Rees said. “Because when you run them, you take the risk of them bing in danger – there are some vehicles that are just so precious and rare that you wouldn’t risk running them on a public road.”
Organisers expect about 1250 cars and motorbikes, the eldest produced in 1904 and the youngest in 1990, to participate in tomorrow’s Bay to Birdwood. They will start rolling out of West Beach’s Barratt Reserve about 7.30am, head south to Glenelg, up Anzac Highway,
Greenhill Road and Fullarton Road before eventually making their way along North East Road to Tea Tree Gully, Inglewood, Gumeracha and on to Birdwood, where the last cars should arrive just after lunch.
In another first, this year’s event will be live streamed on advertiser.com.au.
Among the entries will be Paul and Lisa Clisby and their mother Nola. Their father and husband Arthur was one of the founding fathers of the Bay to Birdwood, and their 1934 Buick which has been in every Run since the inaugural 1980 event.
