Car culture rolling strong in Adelaide as unofficial event attracts thousands
Despite becoming unofficial several years ago, a community-driven event has attracted about 1,000 drivers and even more spectators in Adelaide.
A community-driven motoring event has attracted thousands of people in Adelaide despite officially ending several years ago.
The Boxing Day Esplanade Car Cruise, which sees drivers of classic and significant cars take a coastal route from Adelaide's west to Outer Harbour and back, this year attracted 1,000 participants and about 2,000 spectators, according to SAPOL.
Originally called Jaf's Last Cruise and launched with text messages that attracted about 300 cars, it has grown, changed and morphed over about 17 years — including a period when it ended at the Marion Shopping Centre car park with thousands of cars.
It has since become an unofficial event that attracts various car clubs, organisations and enthusiasts.
A classic Holden Torana SLR 5000 was among cars turning heads along the Esplanade. (Supplied: MadAs Photos)
James "JK" Koutlakis founded Horsepower Crew 10 years ago to help connect SA's many car clubs, motoring-related small businesses and charities.
He said the cruise was comparable to Adelaide's historic vehicle Bay-to-Birdwood run for the number of spectators it attracted.
"Everyone knows where the cars are going to be and sets up a chair alongside the road on the Esplanade," he said.
"It's a great occasion to celebrate."
As well as various car runs, Adelaide's car culture is also highly visible in regular Cars and Coffee meets, and official events like the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, Adelaide Rally and the Adelaide 500 (Supercars final round).
The Adelaide Supercars event attracts more people than any other round of the series, this year drawing 285,700 people over four days — its biggest crowd in a decade.
Oil in the veins
JK said SA's "rich history of motoring enthusiasts" could be attributed to three key elements.
"The Adelaide grand prix, the Holden factory, the Mitsubishi factory, all those parts of fabric in our history have created motoring enthusiasts of older generations," he said.
"And while we don't have the Grand Prix, the Holden and Mitsubishi factories here any more, there were all the fathers and mothers, the families, the uncles and aunties, who became motoring enthusiasts.
"Because of those types of events, initiatives and businesses that were here, it has fed through the bloodline.
"There's oil pumping through the veins of those families."