President of the American Car Club of Australia Nick Arnott with a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang, one of the many classic cars that will be on display at the Queanbeyan Showground this Sunday.
President of the American Car Club of Australia Nick Arnott with a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang, one of the many classic cars that will be on display at the Queanbeyan Showground this Sunday.
ASK Nick Arnott to pick a favourite from between his seven prized classic American cars and he admits the choice would be akin to a parent choosing a favourite from among their children.
This Sunday, Arnott will be one of hundreds of motoring enthusiasts on hand at the Queanbeyan Showground as the annual American Car Classics show descends on the city to the tune of a throaty, perfectly tuned roar.
President of the American Car Club of Australia, Arnott has long held a particular passion for the distinctive style of the much-loved American classics.
"That's why I've got seven of them," Arnott laughs. "I like all of them, they've all got their own personalities.
"Even though mechanically they're all fairly similar in some ways, they've also all got their own quirks and they're each completely different to drive. "I wouldn't be able to pick a favourite when it comes down to it."
This weekend's show will see roughly 200 vehicles from nearly every decade of the 20th century on display including plenty of classic Plymouths, Chevrolets, Cadillacs and Pontiacs. This year's exhibition will also pay tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Corvette.
Arnott meanwhile, said there was no secret behind the continuing passion engendered by the classic American automobiles.
"I think it's just the effortless cruising and the luxury without the high price tag," he said.
"Obviously these days as well, it's a lot to do with the way they look.
"When they were building a lot of these cars, they were coming out with new body styles each year so there was a lot of variation in styling.
"It's not like these days where you get lumped with the same body type for most cars for 10 years."
Arnott said he had first been drawn into the world of classic cars more than two decades ago after picking up a '65 Valiant as nothing more than "a work hack".
"The first classic car I had was a 1965 Valiant Wagon and one day I was just looking at it from the back and noticed it looked pretty cool," he said.
"I still have it in the shed today slowly being done up.
"Out of necessity I learned to do all my own tuning and it just peaked an interest and went from there."
The American Car Classics incorporating Canberra Chrysler Day will be held at the Queanbeyan Showground this Sunday from 8am-4pm. Spectator entry is $4.