The route may be a little busier and drivers a tad greyer round the temples, but members of Kildrummy Veteran Vintage Vehicle’s Club came together 60 years to the day of the group’s very first rally.
With dozens of members across Aberdeenshire, the club has kicked the trend when it comes to the struggle in finding fresh blood to take over and is a wonderful mix of old and new – quite literally!
Some members really are veteran in every sense of the word, having joined as car-mad teenagers and have completed the full 60-year stint.
Spectators were able to enjoy the nostalgia following the final run of the year which took place over the weekend, and 40 cars made their way from Aberdeen beach promenade to Kildrummy Inn where the first rally was originally held.
It has been a busy season for the club but members are now preparing to hang up their driving gloves for the winter, with many classic cars going into storage due to the unforgiving Scottish weather.
Club secretary David Noble believes this is quite a sad moment for many drivers but there is no doubt that come the spring of 2018, the group will follow the rules of nature and come back to life.
David believes there will be many more anniversaries to celebrate and puts the club’s longevity down to the continued hard work of its members.
He said: “It’s pretty special to think that, 60 years on, the club is still going strong but there’s a team of us keeping the show on the road not to mention the many members who keep showing up year after year.
“We have to so much to offer to classic car enthusiasts including our spring and summer run, but the 60th rally is a pretty special occasion.
“There used to be a focus on pre-war vehicles but we have done away with that and now the only rule we have is that the car has to be 25 years old, which means we have an amazing variety.
“Some cars are very expensive and others not so much but we all have a shared passion, from doctors and lawyers to the average man on the street.
“I work for Royal Mail and have two Ford Capris and a Daimler. We were all quite sad that this is our last run of the year but it was great to make that extra effort to celebrate.
“The club was started by land owner James Smith, cars would gather on a field by The Kildrummy Inn and then head to The Beach Ballroom.
“We retraced that route although we had gathered at Pittodrie Stadium instead, and the event really emphasised the concept of how important it is to keep this club going.
“We stopped off at Grampian Transport Museum and I think our convoy was quite the sight for those passing.
“Members even come from Arbroath and Elgin and every year new faces pop up and you see a car you’ve never come across before.
“Obviously we have members who have been here the entire 60 years but we also have new comers, and without fresh blood the club would die.
“There’s even an old film of the rally from 1959 and it’s a reminder of our origins and of how far we’ve come.
“There are seven people on the organising committee including myself, the chairman, the judge, marshal, and then work horses who do everything behind the scenes.
“I find the club interesting not just because of my passion for cars but because I’m using a different part of my brain in comparison to my day job.
“So much has changed in those 60 years but the core of the club is still alive and well.”