By Danielle Kutchel
This year’s Akoonah Park Men’s Shed Classics in the Park Car and Bike Show is set to raise the bar, with activities on offer for the whole family.
Now in its fourth year as an annual event, the Car and Bike Show on Sunday 27 October will bring together arts, market stalls, good quality food, raffles, activities and of course, outstanding cars, bikes and military vehicles for all ages at Akoonah Park in Berwick.
Akoonah Park Men’s Shed members have been hard at work behind the scenes organising the event over the past few months.
A spokesman for the show committee said: “It’s always a nice family day, even if not all family members are interested in cars and motorcycles as the Akoonah Park Market will also be on which offers plenty for everyone including food, clothes, plants and more.
“People often spend a couple of hours at the show. There are plenty of vendors and the live music is great.”
The day will see talented live musical entertainers such as “The Sound of Them” take to the stage, while trade and sponsor stands display tools, 4WD equipment and tyres and much more.
Around 300 cars and bikes enter the show every year, including hot rods, vintage and classic cars and plenty of Harleys, and it continues to be a success, the spokesman added.
“This year we’re expecting a lot more. The word has been getting around, and everyone is welcome regardless of whatever car or bike they have,” he said.
Participants can enter the car or bike competitions on the day to be in the running to win one of 14 trophies. Prizes are awarded in categories including best car and bike of the show, best European car and bike, best American car and bike and best Australian car.
This year a number of star attractions will be on display, including a 1938 EL 61 ‘Knucklehead’ bike.
Known as ‘knucklehead’ because the rocker boxes look like a human knuckle, Harley Davidson officially adopted the name in response to widespread public use.
The model is considered a major historic feat in American history with the basic design principle of this simple V twin motor surviving and hardly changed until the introduction of the twin cam engine in 1999.
Also on display will be a 1948 Tucker sedan, the most distinctive feature of which is its third headlight, known as the ‘Cyclops Eye’. This headlight would be activated at steering angles of greater than 10 degrees to light the car’s path around corners. Only 51 of the Tuckers existed before production was abandoned due to numerous court cases. Remarkably 47 have survived and it is expected that one of those will be at the show.
Gates open at 8am. Entry is $10 for those displaying a car or bike, $5 for adult spectators and children under 16 are admitted free.
For more information contact Greg on 0417 898 760 or Ray on 0419 116 851.
