BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (August 27, 2009) – The dust covers will be lifted in public for the first time off many of Australia’s most exotic cars in the interest of charity as part of the inaugural SPEED+STYLE+BEAUTY exhibition being staged at Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds from September 10-13.
The exhibition, which is being sponsored by Shannons and is set to become an annual event, will tap into the estimated 450 rare and exotic cars currently held in Australian private collections, bringing rare Bugattis, Porsches and Ferraris out of their garages and into public gaze.
This first exhibition of its kind in Australia will depict cars of the 20th Century as modern artforms, focusing as much on style and beauty as functionality.
Some of the treasure trove of British and European sporting classics to be seen at SPEED+STYLE+BEAUTY include a 1929 Blower Bentley, a 1935 Bugatti 57C Fastback, a 1938 SS100 Jaguar, a 1955 D-Type Jaguar, a 1957 Ferrari 750 Monza, two Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gull Wings and a 1960 300SL Roadster and a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT.
From the United States the spectacular cars include a ’49 Buick Sedanette fastback, a ’57 Corvette and a ’68 Shelby Mustang fastback, while an HT ‘Bathurst’ Monaro GTS 350 heads the Australian muscle cars on show.
A number of dealers will be showing their 2009 model equivalents of the displayed classics, including the latest Ferrari and Porsche models.The exhibition will also include historically significant race cars from 1920 onwards.
An elegant cocktail party at ‘The Avenues’. RNA Showgrounds from 7.00pm on Wednesday September 9 will formally open the four-day exhibition. Tickets at $75 per person are available from qtix.com.au.
Shannons will conduct a charity auction as a highlight of the cocktail function, with celebrity auctioneer Bill Wellwood knocking down a range of donated items. Proceeds will benefit SPEED+STYLE+BEAUTY’s two official charities: SmartCare, an organisation that assists young people with a disability to live independently and Backstop House, which is a Queensland respite facility for permanently disabled wheelchair users.
The exhibition will be open to the public on Thursday and Friday September 10-11 from 12 noon-8.00pm and Saturday and Sunday September 12-13 from 10.00am-6.00pm. Adult admission costs $15. Concession $12 with children $5. On-line booking is available through qtix.