It’s been said that the first motor race happened not long after the first two cars rolled of the production line. The first car club formed not long after, with another ten or so. But what to do afterwards? Coffee, of course. And so was born Cars and Coffee.
These are a fun, vibrant, and multi-cultural environment, with people and cars from most points of the globe attending. The machinery can range from Minis in all shapes and sizes, to classic rally cars, to exotics from the major car houses of Italy.
What shouldn’t come as a surprise is that many of those that attend are either in a car club, or have more than one kind of car they bring, or both.
For example, Jim and Virginia Mather (Ginnie, to her friends) are in the Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia. They own a garage of vehicles which includes a classic pair of examples from Morris Garages. A 1954 MG TF and a 1957 MG A are part of their stable.
One thing is for sure, though.
The conversation is engaging, the coffee hot, and the view is pure automotive nirvana.
Head into the inner western suburbs of Sydney and parked riverside can be Lamborghinis, Ferraris, perhaps even a Pagani.
An intriguing element of a Cars and Coffee gathering is the camaraderie shown by those that attend. There’s brand loyalty, yes, but there’s no derision, no “what is that doing here”. Rather, there’s an appreciation for the patina of age, the whitewall tyres, the chromed intake tubes, the whizz of a thoroughbred’s V12.
Some Cars and Coffee groups also hold events for sponsorship or fund raising. These can be something like a gathering to raise money for a childrens‘ hospital.
