If you’re a car enthusiast, you’ll have to pace yourself this weekend, with two major car events — the Oak Bay Collector Car Festival and Jaguars on the Island — set to take over Oak Bay.
The Jaguar Car Club of Victoria leads the way, hosting the Jaguars on the Island Concours d’ Elegance, the largest annual gathering of Jaguars in North America, on Saturday.
Expect to see more than 100 Jaguars on display, from classics from the 1940s to more contemporary post-1990s examples.
Some cars are registered to be formally judged at the Concours d’ Elegance competition, while others, such as Wayne Watkins’ 2006 XK8, will be entered in the “enthusiast” class, where owners of well-loved cars proudly show off their rides.
“We have entered our car in the Concours d’ Elegance in past years,” said Watkins. “This year, we’re just going to dust her off, enjoy the ride and spend the day chatting with people.”
A “Royal Family of cars” display will feature three classic Jaguars named after royals.
Owners can enter their cars in the show for a $25 registration fee, with proceeds benefiting the Victoria Hospice. The event runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Windsor Park.
On Sunday, an estimated 300 vehicles are expected to line five blocks of Oak Bay Avenue for the Oak Bay Collector Car Festival.
It’s the 22nd year of the annual show, one of the most popular on the Vancouver Island automotive event calendar.
Ken Agate, the show’s organizer, says the Oak Bay Collector Car Festival — unlike Deuce Days — features largely local vehicles, with some from up-Island. “We welcome a nice mix of classic and special-interest vehicles, representing all makes and models from any year.”
He said while there will undoubtedly be some show cars, the majority will be simply enthusiasts’ vehicles, with some entries on display for the first time, and others works in progress.
“If it is not done up, or if it’s not shiny, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
If the weather co-operates, he expects the show to attract up to 15,000 car lovers over the course of the day.
Cars will be placed in sections along Oak Bay Avenue, from Monterey to Mitchell Street, plus portions of Hampshire Road and Elgin Street.
“I hope people like Aston Martins because we will have a special section to showcase up to 40 of them — probably the largest gathering of them in western Canada,” he said.
The Aston Martins, attending from elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest and Alberta, are in town to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise, which featured a one-of-a-kind DB5 model, equipped with machine guns in the front and a retractable bullet-proof shield in the rear, which starred in the film Goldfinger.
Prime-rib barbeque burgers will be available from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. on the Oak Bay municipal lawn. Local businesses will be open during the event.
Registration for car exhibitors is $20, and can be done online at OakBayCarShow.eventbrite.com or in person the morning of the event.
The gate opens for car exhibitors at 7 a.m. Sunday at the west end of Oak Bay Avenue, near Foul Bay Road. The vehicles will be on display until 3 p.m.
