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MG enthusiasts gather in Yamba

Coldstream Street was closed on Saturday morning to accommodate the pre-war MG car display. Image: Tearn Wheatley-Mazzitelli
Geoff Helisma Around 50 pre war MGs and 108 members of various MG enthusiast clubs in Australia and overseas spent last Friday to Monday motoring around and enjoying the Clarence Valley’s attractions. The biennial event, which was held in Yamba, was organised by the Gold Coast MG Car Club; the previous two events were held at Bathurst and Beechworth, Victoria, respectively. Organiser of the event, Murray Arundell, said “I put my hand up to organise this one because I know the area quite well”. “I’ve spent a lot of time down here, and everything just fell together, with interest from Angourie Rainforest Resort, and there’s lots of little back lane touring we can use to get out and about and have a bit of fun,” he said. So what’s the fascination with pre-war MGs? “Before the war they had a fabulous racing heritage; the little cars were very much affordable to the average person,” Mr Arundell said. “You could buy a race care that you could drive to and from work every day, if you wanted to, and race it on the weekend. “After the war things changed and that sort of thing rarely occurred.” He said that the visitors from overseas didn’t bring their cars, but “they specifically came for this event; they own similar cars overseas”. “One guy flew in from London to Canberra and travelled up with a chap in his pre-war car,” Mr Arundell said. He said the weekend had been a success, despite the inclement weather and, ironically, the only mechanical failure was experienced by a post-war, 1974 model. The MG enthusiasts, he said, certainly “spent some money” during their stay – “They like to get out and entertain themselves; there was a boat cruise and a big night out at a The Italian On The Hill restaurant.”