If you were out and about taking a drive on the morning of Sunday, September 26, in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Cairns, or Noosa, you may have noticed more than the average number of classic pre-1980 cars cruising about.

You may also have noticed the rather dapper get-up of the drivers and their passengers – stylish and sophisticated, with a dash of humour mixed in, was the order of the day.

The reason for all this tasteful cruising was the inaugural Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive – a celebration of classic style and classic cars with a cause at its heart.

Being a ‘drive for men’s health’ means Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive participants are encouraged to raise sponsorship in support of the charity Movember. Funds are to be used to tackle prostate cancer and men’s mental health issues.

This year was the event’s debut, and Distinguished Gentleman’s Drives were held across the world – from Argentina to Pakistan, from the UK to Uruguay, from the USA to Australia.

And Australia, as it always seems to when an endeavour is worth doing, pulled out all the stops, with the most drivers of any country taking part, and scoring the largest amount of donations. According to the event’s website some 576 drivers were registered to take part across the nation with nearly $95,000 raised.

On the Gold Coast – which saw more than 20 beautiful cars take part in the 50km cruise from the Classic Car Clinic automotive shop in Burleigh Heads to the Espresso Twenty5 café at Coomera – the Drive was organised by Bill Key, who some of our readers may remember as a former editor of Motor Trader.

The owner of a beautiful 1969 Triumph GT6 MKII, Bill said that that while the drive was geared to be a fun cruise, the serious matter of raising money for, and awareness of, a worthy cause, was at the core of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive and that was a big reason Australian car enthusiasts had dusted off their classics for the day.

“Australia had the largest number of participants for the drive, which is fantastic, and we have raised the most amount of money,” he said. “Some of our cities have been in lockdown and couldn’t take part – they are going to postpone and do it another day – but all the ones in the states where we have been able to do it have raised a huge amount. Our little group here on the Gold Coast has raised over $3,500, and Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast has also done a sterling job of it all.

“I think Australians just love getting behind a good charity and a good cause and we have the ultimate lifestyle and weather to do it.”

Categorising the event as a grand success in its inaugural year, Bill said the future looked bright for what is the newest event on the classic car enthusiast’s to-do list.

“This year I was hoping to get 12 cars and I had 27 registered,” he said.

“I imagine next year I might have to cap it because there has been so much interest . . . I can see it going from strength to strength and being a regular on the charity and motoring calendar.”

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2021)

29 October 2021