COMING ATTRACTION Next Level Eleanor Mustang

Rock ‘n’ Roddin’

After a forced break, the Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo returned to Rosehill Racecourse with a packed house of Rod’s, Custom’s, Street Machine’s, Racecar’s and more…

I knew we were in for a big show when we rounded the corner to enter the huge Rosehill Racecourse public carpark, and it was almost full. That alone proves that people have been missing going to car shows. Being the only indoor car show in Sydney, the Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo was sorely missed when it was forced from the calendar in 2020. In the lead up to that show, the momentum was building into what was going to be one hell of an event. Then that bastard Covid put an end to it. Like many, I was so disappointed, not because the show wasn’t going to happen, but because I know how much work Andy and Donna Minas had put in during the months leading up to the point where they were told it simply wasn’t going to happen.

After that announcement, and with the mainstream media telling the world we could be in those conditions for years, the future of the event was uncertain. But, because we suffered through some pretty tough times, we managed to get on top of the pandemic to the point where the was once again, light at the end of the tunnel. With the news getting better daily and restrictions being lifted just as often, it become apparent that the show would make a return in 2021. You could almost hear the collective sigh of relieve coming from the custom car world as the new dates for the show were announced.

Leaving the carpark to walk into the prestigious Rosehill Racecourse facility, you could feel the energy coming from those at the front gate dealing with the large crowd that were lined up to check out the show. Once inside, there was no way you were going to be disappointed. In each building, on each level, the Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo delivered a level of quality and a variety of cars, bikes and boats like never seen before. No matter where you turned, there was a display that deserved a second look.

The Nostalgia Lane section – a show within the show, never disappoints with another hand-picked line up of cool hot rods and slick customs. Walking through this hall was like taking a step back in time. Under the guidance of Andy Colalillo, Nostalgia Lane featured his late Dad’s ’39 Plymouth Coupe (this first time out in many years) as one of the biggest talking points of the show. Mario built this car many years ago and was really meant for quarter-mile work. After his passing, Andy decided to put it back as a street car, and has done an amazing job. I’m sure this won’t be the last time we see the coupe out and about.

Once again, the Lowrider crowd were out in force, putting on an impressive display of their highly detailed rides showing their cars in various poses to entertain the crowd. Those that thrive on high-horsepower we also treated to the menthanol-burning tunes coming from the AC Delco Top Doorslammer team who fired up their supercharged Monaro’s periodically throughout the show. Each time the power was flowing from those zoomie headers, the crowds went running to check it out up close and personal.

There was so much to take in this year, that it was well worth the wait. From the abundance of traders, to the Pinstriping demonstrations, car park show and shine, Pin-up Pagent and trade demo’s, the Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo had it all. If you missed it this year, you missed a cracker. I bet you won’t suffer the same fate in 2022… For a full list of trophy winners, check out the official website - www.hotrodandcustom.com.au

MY FAVOURITE PHOTO I love shooting Hot Rods - always have, always will! John Thompson’s wild blown big Paul Beck block ‘33 Speedster is one of my all time favourites. The colour. The stance. The attitude. It all add’s up to a great subject to point a cmaera at. Finding this old train yard with the run down carriages proved to be the perfect backdrop!