HK Classic Car Club rolls out for luncheon

Apart from muddy tyres after an unexpected downpour the night before, the more than 50 vehicles at the Classic Car Club of Hong Kong's annual lunch formed an immaculate line-up.

Taking place in the gentile grounds of the Jockey Club's Beas River Country Club in Sheung Shui two weeks ago, members displayed vintage marques ranging from stately Rolls-Royces and sporty Aston Martins to a historic Ford Model A and an adorably frog-faced Austin-Healey Sprite.

The annual gathering is one of the biggest private social events on the club's calendar, says chairman Ian Foster. It was attended by almost 300 members and 40 guests of British carmaker McLaren Automotive, which sponsored this year's lunch. The club's main public event is the popular Chater Road Concours d'Elegance.

The event, held each year in October, draws thousands of spectators and, judging by a recent spike in the club's membership, the interest in classic cars continues to grow. "We have always had about 500 members in the club over the years, but recently this has risen to more than 600, partly due to new owners looking for insurance for their classic cars, which we have secured with insurance agents," Foster, an architect, says.

The club was founded by a small number of enthusiasts in 1979 as a special interest group under the Hong Kong Automobile Association, and became independent in 1989. Most of the original members were colonial police officers.

Rather than newly arrived expats who have brought their cars with them to Hong Kong, however, most of the club's new members are local Chinese who have imported their favourite old models from overseas.