201 MGs on the 2010 Australian Annual Kimber Run - MG80

Question heard at the bar at the MG Car Club Clubrooms: “So! Did you do the Kimber this year?
Yes! I did! wasn’t it great!
I caught up with quite a few we saw when we did the testing Kimber to Balaklava last year.
 Yes! That was a hot one! This years was great, even though we had the hood up for the first part.
The run was pretty good, seeing all those MGs in front and behind us – Stunning!

So another Kimber run has been completed and all of the entrants made the journey and back home again by all accounts. They are pretty hardy!
Possibly the weather was more conducive to our treasured machines, certainly better than the Kimber Run last year to Balaklava! I have never seen so many harassed drivers and passengers! We all certainly earned our plaque then, didn’t we!
The date this year was picked for us actually by virtue of the request from the UK MG Car Club who asked MG Car Clubs world-wide to join in celebration of their being formed 80 years ago in 1930.
It is getting increasing hard to find a suitable venue to seat 370 MG hungry and thirsty drivers and passengers in country town restaurants so this year after a lot of discussion with the Exec Committee a simpler version seems to be the best solution. With the meal component being by far the biggest cost, this tends to be the deciding factor in whether to participate or not.
As with all big events these do not just happen, there are a lot of our own MG Car Club members who have contributed and make this so enjoyable for all I do not wish to single out anyone , just wish to say a heartfelt” Thank You”!!!  to everyone who did help.
I believe that the reason that this event is so popular is because due to the fact that it is organized to appear very laid back and casual, as long as we all got our run plaques then all was OK! And to be fed as well was a bonus. So there was I bit of a queue but this is all part of the master plan, you get to meet other MG drivers and their navigators, out of the normal comfort zone so to speak!
The BBQ at the Torrens Parade Ground was a great success, thanks to all the cooking crew! I don’t think that they had much chance to view all the cars unfortunately, very busy!
So this year the start time was later, maybe this is why we got so many entrants? By 10.30 we had practically everyone going on the run in place.
Did you notice that the marshals had the full spectrum of models along the front row? This gave a terrific variety both of models but also of colours, well done to the Marshals!
Getting everyone together was somewhat chaotic but it sort of worked. With so much going on it was a bit confusing but as I mentioned above, casual, is the name of the game!
By 12.15 all that remained were the members who did the cooking and myself, gone were all the MGs conveying the well fed owners and their navigators or partners off to do what they had waited for…drive their machines with like-minded people.
From all accounts I received everyone enjoyed the run down to Normanville, where a caffeine fix was needed, or was it the sticky buns?
From Normanville right through to Strathalbyn either way is an absolute joy for drivers and coming down into Victor Harbour is a joy for all, unfortunately it was a bit cloudy, on a bright day it is an absolute panorama.I am afraid the section from Victor to Goolwa is very average, but one gets the activity level on the up when leaving Goolwa and you can hear the engine starting to work harder as the paddocks slip past you on either side.
We got permission to park the cars on the oval, only approved just before we left Adelaide, as the oval had been drenched on the previous Tuesday. Everyone was in great spirits when Jan & I got there, which was great, the best reward for spending the time to get it all arranged.
There was quite a lot of publicity this year and we noticed quite a number of visitors who came to see all the MGs, and quite a number of the owners were more than happy to explain the different models to be seen. Maybe future MG owners and we hope new members to the MG Car Club of SA.
Here are the statistics:-

So to everyone who came along, well done! I would imagine that Cecil Kimber would have been proud to see us all out enjoying the driving experience.
Have a look at some of the photos on the UK linked website for www.mgccsa.org.au
Regards
Mike Greenwood - Coordinator

Australian Annual Kimber Run 2010 MG80- The celebration of 80 years of involvement with the MG models.
The MG Car Clubs’ inception started with a meeting of interested parties at a little pub in Stevenage at The Roebuck Inn, on the A1 Great Northern Road, London and it was over 80 years ago!
The MG Car Club UK, in Abingdon, asked if all MG Car Clubs throughout the world get as many MGs on the road over the weekend of 16th & 17th October as a celebration of MGs continued use be they 1928 vintage or 2005 manufacture.

This event - known as MG80

Check out the links below to see how great the response was and see all the clubs who participate sending back a video and photos of their involvement; starting in New Zealand as the earliest in the time zone and moving in a westerly direction through all the Australian MG Car Clubs and on over to South African MG Car Clubs; through the MG Car Clubs in Asia; through the  many MG Car Clubs in Europe through to  the many UK MG Car Clubs and pass through Abingdon at noon and over to the many American MG Car Clubs and ending in the Alaskan MG Car Clubs  in the evening.
This year’s South Australian event was organized to start a bit later at round 10.00 am at the Torrens Parade Ground, Victoria Drive just off King William Street in the City and took the form of a hot BBQ “brunch” before the off .
The run was a lovely drive down through the Southern Adelaide Hills. Through McLaren Flat to Willunga over the Myponga Dam Wall from there there was an option to either turn left in Normanville and do a slightly shorter drive through the Inman Valley to Victor or tirn right and carry on through Second Valley to Delamere and then turn left and on towards Victor Harbor.
Then thru Goolwa and will end round 3.00 to 4.00pm with afternoon tea in Strathalbyn.
We wanted as many MGs as we could get to be on the road over this weekend and more importantly come on this special run and receive a Kimber Run Plaque with the MG80 logo for 2010 on it!
Only those who actually enter the event got one of the 200 plaques!
Due to an unprecendented response we had over 200 MGs on the run

I wish to thank a lot of wonderful helpers who contributed to the success of the event.

Mike Greenwood – MG80 and AAKR Coordinator

Welcome to MG80!