Much sought-after sunshine this weekend brought out record crowds to the 13th annual St. George’s British Motoring Show at the Fort Langley Community Hall on Sunday.
Attendance was about double last year’s, with an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people strolling through the streets of the village as well as the hall’s front courtyard and back parking lot, said participant and show promoter Martin Ross.
Ross has taken part in the past 11 of the show’s 13 years, and he can’t remember a larger number of cars registered or spectators visiting the show hosted by the Langley Area Mostly British (LAMB) Motoring Club.
Last year, due in part to inclement weather in the afternoon, the show had only 55 cars registered.
But this year, he estimates that number doubled. There were a record 93 pre-registered for the show. Looking over the site early Sunday afternoon, Martin estimated there were even more. He guesstimated there were in excess of 100 cars and other motorized vehicles – including a double-decker bus – on display.
“A lot of people were amazed at the variety of cars,” packed in on the front lawn of the historic community hall, everything from sports cars to Bentleys and Rolls Royces, Ross said.
The car owner who travelled the farthest to be part of the show came from Seattle, Wash. Ross said it’s the first time they’ve had a participant from south of the 49th Parallel, and he came up with a 1967 Morris Minor 1000.
Ross was intending to bring his own 1961 Morris Minor police cruiser to the show Sunday, but said clutch problems that morning prohibited it. He’s brought it to the last two St. George’s shows, and is a regular participant in local parades.
• Click here to see more photos
.
RELATED: Langley tinkerer’s touch brought to British car show