At least 400 people descended on Nathalia’s Blake St on Sunday, September 1, to celebrate Father’s Day while taking in all things automotive and the ever-popular beverage.
By mid-morning, 181 vehicles were on display, with nearby businesses reportedly overflowing with customers.
Zephyr & Zodiac Club of Victoria vice-president Andrew Maclean, who organises the event, said he was speechless at how successful the Cars and Coffee event was.
“To think at our first Cars and Coffee Nathalia I was hoping for a dozen cars and five months on we have close to 200 vehicles in town and 400 people is blowing me away,” Mr Maclean said.
“I could never have imagined a thought I had one night would grow to the size of this.
“I’m very proud of the event.”
The event’s very first tractor, restored and owned by father-son duo Jim and Mark Sutton, was also on display.
It was no ordinary morning for the Suttons, who ended up taking home the Shannons Trophy for Vehicle of the Morning for their restored 1952 Sunshine Massey Harris tractor.
Mark and his father, Jim, had only recently finished refurbishing the tractor after it had sat neglected on the family farm for half a century.
When the engine blew up 50 years ago, the Sutton family thought the much-loved tractor had seen its last days.
Indeed, for the next 50 years, the tractor sat abandoned as a wreck on the Sutton family farm.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that Jim began restoring the tractor.
For such a massive task, it was no surprise that restoring the tractor soon became a father-son effort, with Jim handing the reins over to his son to finish the job.
And before long, restoring the tractor became a family project, with Geoff Sutton of Yarroweyah Paint and Pannel giving his expert touch by painting the tractor’s bonnet and mudguards.
The Zephyr & Zodiac Club of Victoria would like to thank Nathalia Lions Club for its continued work each month.
The club is also grateful for the ongoing support of sponsors Shannons Insurance, Nathalia Printers, and Waaia Timber Floors and Property Maintenance.
The next Cars and Coffee Nathalia event is scheduled for Sunday, November 10.