When a classic car rally from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, China, was met by thousands of excited fans
- In 1986 car ownership in China was virtually unknown, so when Classic Car Club of Hong Kong members showed their vintage cars, thousands in Guangzhou went wild
- Cheering fans were held back as they tried to get close to the vintage cars, while the owners looked on; later on, sports car drivers displayed their skills
“Thousands of enthusiasts turned out yesterday to observe and admire a sport that China has never known,” reported the South China Morning Post from Guangzhou on March 23, 1986.
“They roared approval as members of the Classic Car Club of Hongkong put sports cars through their racy paces on a makeshift motor-racing demonstration ground.
“Dozens of Public Security Bureau policemen had to link hands to keep back the excited fans. The usually docile and obedient crowd kept pressing forward to touch and stroke some of the 26 vintage vehicles on display in the forecourt of the provincial museum.
“The proud owners of the fleet of fine old cars stood by anxiously, but unprotesting as the big crowd jammed around the vehicles.
“‘You can’t blame them,’ said businessman Arthur Chan as hundreds of onlookers gazed at his luxurious Cadillac Fleetwood, bigger than many a Guangzhou home. ‘They are amazed at seeing a car like this.’
“The gala display of venerable vehicles by the club is part of a rally sponsored by Martell Brandy, Nestle, Lombard Insurance and Shell. The fleet drove to Guangzhou from Hongkong on Friday. It was making the 100-mile (160km) return trip to the border crossing at Mankamto today.
“The host, the Guangzhou Sports Service company, says the event has sparked enormous interest in Guangzhou. Local newspaper and television have covered it widely. One reason for the fascination is that car ownership in China remains virtually unknown […]
“About 2,000 people paid to look at the cars when they went on display in the museum grounds yesterday morning.
“In the afternoon, some of the sports car drivers put on a display of driving skills on a slicked-down concrete parade ground. A crowd of about 5,000 cheered wildly as the cars spun and twisted through lanes marked by plastic cones.”
