The ongoing coronavirus pandemic might have put pay to many summer events, but the St Vincent’s Hospice Car Fest managed to go ahead in virtual form. 

This annual motoring extravaganza usually takes place in Paisley town centre. But with ongoing social distancing measures, Car Fest organisers had no option but to make the event into the virtual domain to raise money for an excellent cause.

The 2020 St Vincent’s Hospice Car Fest took place from 10 am until 4 pm on Saturday 20 June. The event was hosted on the SVHCarFest Facebook page, and it featured an eye-watering selection of vintage and specialist cars ranging from Corvette C7 Stingrays and classic Citroen 2CVs to a 1970 Harley Davidson Electraglide motorcycle.

 

Other highlights featured more modern vehicles like a delightful 1998 Lexus LS400 and a heavily modified Mazda 2 that are a marked difference to the likes of the Auburn Speedster that won 2018 Best in Show award.

Although the event was forced to take place online, it proved to be a big success with £150 raised for St Vincent’s Hospice on the Facebook page alone.  

This was mainly due to the quality of vintage and muscle cars on display. For many people, it was the closest thing that they’ll get to see cars that have become iconic through their use in popular culture.  

Classic cars like the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 were made famous through their use in the James Bond Goldfinger movie, while a significant number of video games that feature such prized vehicles. And legendary muscle cars like Shelby GT500 have made several appearances in the Need For Speed game series. 

Even games that aren’t directly related to motor racing have featured plenty of excellent cars. Classic rally cars from different eras have also made an appearance in slot games like Rally 4 Riches featured at big number of UK casino sites such as Unibet, offering players a unique way to spin and drift to glory.

Nevertheless, we all know that for a car enthusiast, seeing cars in real life brings different emotions. But, this year, the car viewers of the Paisley Car Fest had to settle for seeing some classic cars from their computer screens and discover which entrepreneur made tractors before entering the sports car business.

Not that there were any disappointed car fans for this event as it proved to be a similarly fun way to enjoy ‘hitting the road’ from a virtual space. 

There was plenty of fun to be had in admiring the classic cars, and participants were allowed to vote for their favourite vehicles in various categories to win a range of prizes. 

Highlights included a fantastic 1936 Chevy Master hot rod truck, a sumptuous 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 XL, and a particularly stylish 1997 Pontiac Trans Am WS6. 

Some of the previous Car Fest events have featured a procession of over 100 classic cars making their way through the streets of Paisley, along with a range of fairground rides and family-friendly stalls. 

car festival

While this year’s Car Fest wasn’t able to recreate the full scale of previous years’ events, it was thanks to the assistance of Bill’s Automotive Detailing and the Paisley First business initiative that the motoring extravaganza was able to take place at all. 

Such an event has proven to be a hugely important source of funds for St Vincent’s Hospice. The hospice has been inundated with extra work in the community due to the effects of the coronavirus crisis. 

The fact that the 2020 Car Fest was able to go ahead shows just how much love there is for classic cars in Paisley, and thankfully there are already plans to bring back the motoring festival to the town in 2021. 

Author

Founder of Paisley.org.uk in 1998 and constantly strives to change peoples attitudes to the town, Brian is a self described Paisley Digital Champion who promotes Paisley via any means necessary. You can also follow me on X