MEET
HUA HIN ‘CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE’
From 29th November to 1st December the 2013 Hua Hin Concours was held at venues in and around town. This is an annual event, which has been held since 2008 and is really all about nostalgia. Accordingly the main venue, the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas, was most appropriate with its olde world charm and gracious surroundings. The full title for an automobile concours is really “Concours d’Elegance”. This is from the French language meaning a competition of elegance, dating back to 17th Century French aristocracy who paraded horse-drawn carriages in the parks of Paris during summer weekends and holidays. Over time carriages became horseless and the gatherings became a competition among automobile owners to be judged on the appearance of their vehicles.carriages became horseless and the gatherings became a competition among automobile owners to be judged on the appearance of their vehicles.
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populated city in Australia, with an estimated population of 1.9 million. Perth is very isolated. Djakarta is closer than Sydney. Bali is considered to be the ‘local’ holiday destination for many Perth people and the rest of Australia referred to collectively ‘the Eastern States’. However a direct flight from Bangkok to Perth takes just 7 hours. The time difference is only I hour so it’s very user friendly for visitors from South East Asia. Perth is all about the outdoors; the river and the beaches. Like beautiful cities around the world you’ll find fine restaurants, boutique shopping, markets and culture but what people find so special about this city is access to a wide river, white sandy beaches and parkland right on the city doorstep and ………………….. the weather! River frontage and fantastic ocean beaches are not dominated by resorts but accessible to everyone. Perth is not inexpensive but the waterfront is free! Family bar BQs are a very popular pastime and the weather makes this a year round passion. The weather is essentially Mediterranean. Summer (December to February) is hot and dry but cooled in the afternoon by a reliable sea breeze known as the ‘Fremantle Doctor’. Winters (June to August) are cool but never too cold. Spring (September to November) and Autumn (March to May) are just perfect! A list of Perth attractions and for that matter the rest of Western Australia has filled many a good book. However we have opted for a virtual short holiday - Seven Days in Perth. No time allowed for lolling around the pool or reading a good book. This is a full-on schedule with each day spent getting to know Perth a little bit better!
The ‘horseless carriages’ on display at the Centara were certainly elegant and guests attending the cocktail party at the Centara on 30th November were equally so. In the spirit of the occasion many guests dressed as they would have done when the motor vehicles on show were first parading along the boulevard to impress passersby. For the men bow ties and hats were in vogue and for the ladies colourful silk organza dresses with matching millinery set the scene. The vehicles on show ranged from the fuel guzzling American ‘muscle cars, to British classics to iconic European favourites. Some extremes were in evidence. At one end of the spectrum was the ‘Peel’, a three-wheeled microcar which held the record for the smallest automobile to go into production, powered by a tiny 49 cc engine delivering a top speed of 60 KPH. At the
other of the scale, a Cadillac Eldorado with a massive 6384 cc V8 power plant or perhaps the Ferrari 512 BB capable of speeds over 300 KPH. It was easy to be nostalgic about the familiar lines of the VW beetle or combi van and the French Citroen with its ability to magically raise and lower its suspension because the unique hydropneumatic suspension. But then no one could ignore the aristocratic Rolls Royce, the German engineering of the Mercedes-Benz, the fast lines of a Chevrolet Stingray or Camaro or the understated Porsche and BMW. The 1922 Austin Seven could be described as an original ‘compact’ with 290,000 produced. Being one year older than the original Hua Hin Hotel (now the Centara), perhaps some of the first guests arrived driving this rather cute ‘people mover’.
All this and not one Toyota or any other Japanese manufacturer on show! However my ‘nostalgic moment’ was to relive the experience of owning a 1967 MGB many years ago. Nothing better than cruising on a warm evening with the hood down. Mine was ‘baby blue’ in colour rather than the traditional British Racing Green on show. The Hua Hin Concours is a fantastic nostalgic opportunity, regardless of whether you are a motoring fan or not. This is an opportunity to soak up the atmosphere of yesteryear and to reminisce about the times when chrome rather than plastic was important and Japanese cars didn’t rule the road!