The philosophy behind Maclean’s Bridge:

This vision is the view held by the members of the Triumph Sports Owners Association (Old) Inc (the TSOAQ) of the event which for 35 years has been known as the Maclean’s Bridge Classic Sports Car Display. While it is our intention to maintain the general theme, changing times and participant expectations demand that we make some modifications and additions to the event in association with a change of venue. It is important that we share our philosophy for the event with all those who have supported us in the past and who we hope will share many memorable and enjoyable sports and classic days in the future.

For traditional sports and classic cars there is a slowly contracting pool of cars.  There will also be diminishing community support for a range of reasons that revolve around the fact that the cars are aging. This lack of support will possibly manifest as both legislative change and negative community response.  Manufacturers are responding to changes either by manufacturing multi-purpose vehicles, coupes or convertibles. While some, or even all, of these may become classics, the future make up of sports and classics will be quite different from the past we are trying to preserve.

This somewhat negative vision for sports and classic cars is offset to a major degree by growing interest in the history of sports and classic cars.  It is also a social history and a reflection of many positive and enduring aspects of our society and the community of Queensland during the age of the motor car so far. Owners of sports and classic cars are often viewed as ‘car collectors’ by the wider public and view themselves as custodians of the car or cars they own. This is a positive vision for sports and classic cars and has an intrinsic community value that is embodied in the continued preservation of these cars.

The contracting pool of sports and classic cars is an acute problem for marques that are no longer manufactured. The owners of these cars and their clubs face a prospect of decreasing members unless they can redefine themselves to attract a new generation of members/owners. Public displays and a gathering of owners and experts are ways of stimulating new interest, and it is the TSOAQ’s way of helping to foster that interest.  Our vision also includes a belief that those cars that are in transition to classic status should be embraced as part of the sports and classic community.

The TSOAQ wishes to share its passion and commitment to the view that the history of sports and classic cars is worth preserving and that there are on-going community benefits from such preservation.  The TSOAQ wants those that share these principles, not least of which is the demonstration of safe and responsible motoring, to join with us on one day each year to demonstrate the worthiness of sports and classic car preservation.

TSOAQ

We will see you at Maclean’s Bridge at Lakeside, 15 May 2011.