As all good things seem to be, the first Any Given Reason Burger Meet was born from a simple, almost flippant idea. Over conversation a couple of weeks ago, the point was raised to me that AGR has a really wide spectrum of readers – dedicated rally folk, hardened circuit racers, Euro car fanboys and Stance fanatics just to name a few. So why not get them all together, and attempt to create a melting pot of different styles for a little while?
A quick email to some close friends confirmed that people would probably be keen, and just like that, Burger Meet was on. We created a Facebook event and a whole bunch of people expressed their interest. It was a little concerning at the start – I didn’t even know if people would actually want to come, and within 24 hours it was looking bigger than we ever expected.
The premise for Burger Meet was pretty simple. We all met at a carpark in Blackwood within close proximity to a gourmet burger shop, and stood around talking about cars and eating burgers for a couple of hours. I was completely awestruck by how many people trusted the idea and came – we had over 60 cars and easily more than 100 people! And it wasn’t just the number of cars that surprised me; it was the diversity and quality that really blew me away.
When was the last time you went to a gathering and saw a Ferrari 575M parked next to a hardcore gravel rally WRX?
Or a couple of Alfa’s flanked by an MX5 and a Clubsport?
You probably couldn’t have a more diverse pair – a Nissan Stagea and a classic Beetle, scrapin’ rail.
Fiat X1/9, a classic original Mini, a beautiful Alfa GTV6 and a Lexus LS600H in one line.
Two rally legends separated two decades apart – David’s Lancia Delta Integrale HF 16V, and Kate Lehmann’s Evo 9 MR.
As the sun slowly set, people were more than happy to just hang out with the cars.
The fitment on Laurie’s FPV GS ute is pretty close to perfection in my books – flush, but still useable.
But the crowds weren’t gathered for the fitment, they were gathered to see what’s going on under the bonnet…
… 490 rear wheel kw is a fair whack, especially in a ute.
Here’s a solid lineup of fast Ford’s, punctuated by a sole Evo X. Fiesta XR4, Focus RS, Mustang Mach 1 and a new Focus ST highlighting the blue oval’s performance credentials.
It’s really hard to resist taking this exact photo whenever I see a Ferrari at a gathering; that yellow prancing horse is just so alluring…
… and the Save Ferris sticker is a nice touch.
One of the most popular cars by far was 2festi – it actually earned a cheer from the crowd when it drove through the gathering! Yes it is only a 1996 Festiva Trio, but it has a bit of an interesting tale. Read about it here.
Henry Nott came down in the TVR Chimaera rally car, fresh from its outing at Targa High Country in Victoria.
My Dad brought his 1978 Fiat X1/9 along for the evening….
… and it proved to be a huge hit with Declan’s kids. Take that Declan – the kids have voted with their feet; they want none of that Mini rubbish!
My old Uni mate Jake came along in his Mini 850. This thing is bog stock, and is in unrestored, original condition.
The little 850 is apparently quite popular with the ladies, and it will fit three German backpackers in the back seat. You’ll probably need to ask Jake about the rest of the story though…
… and it easily had the coolest sticker of the night. The shrinkage indicates that this is probably an original Marlboro BRM sticker, not an ebay special replica.
Lawrence came along in his bargain Celica GT-Four, purchased recently for just $300 with what turned out to be a very minor and easily fixed mechanical problem.
We all had our fingers crossed that the wild weather predicted for later on in the evening would hold off.
As the sun edged closer down to the horizon, the sky turned a fiery mix of red, orange and purple and lightning flashed in the background. But still the rain held off, providing a quite a surreal backdrop to the group of gathered cars.
As the night went on, more and more bonnets began to be popped as everyone met new people, and checked out some cars that they might not have seen before. Many a secret was divulged.
Chris and Caitlin’s Legacy RS Turbo might not have the sheer grunt of Laurie’s ute, but I know which car would be faster on the drive home if the skies opened in the manner they were threatening.
And as sunset turned to night, I attempted to get a little creative with some light painting. I think I’ve still got a long way to go, but it might prove to be an interesting skill to practise over the summer off season.
You can achieve some really interesting effects with a little thought.
People started to head off at about 930; I guess three hours is plenty of time to spend hanging around a carpark!
Chris Harvey’s dumped Beetle is running a potent 1916cc twin carb engine setup, and it sounded superb as he took off down Main Road.
But not everyone went home then; Burger Meet continued till well past eleven. That’s almost five hours of carpark action – brilliant!
So will we hold another Burger Meet? Almost certainly. At this stage I’m thinking maybe early February sometime, but we’ll see how we go. Would you all like another one sooner? Or not at all?
And for those that attended, what did you think of Burger Meet? The location? The day? The time? Would you be back if we did it again? Hit up the comments section at the bottom with your thoughts – this Burger Meet was one giant guess, so with your thoughts and ideas we can make the next one even better!
I’m keen for another meet went really well thanks mate
great night pic of the 575M
Top notch writeup, and a great meet too – can’t wait for the next one!
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Good evening with some good blokes. Also isn’t the guy on the back of the camry from television?? He gave me beer
I am sorry I couldn’t make it. What great spread of machinery and once again the pictures were excellent. Definitely hold another one.
Might just have top bring the Familia out when it has 4 wheels and a gearbox.
Oh, and have you got those stickers yet….
Hi-light of the night for me…. standing on the path between two rows of cars. A tense hush falls over the crowd as a rogue Police car wanders in from the southern entry. He cruised at less than walking speed between two rows of shining cars before turning and making his way back between another two rows of peoples pride and joy. He had a pretty ‘disapproving’ look on his face as all eyes in the car park carefully watched him stalking by, thinking to them selves “please don’t stop near my car”. Finally he stopped… right next to my Mini. “Who’s is the Mini?” he called out to a couple of lads near by. “Not sure” They said as they turned around, I’m guessing relieved as it was not their cars that had attracted the potentially unwanted attention. “Who’s is the Mini?” they echoed but at a higher volume. “Errrrrr Mine” I nervously said, wondering what might be the problem. The Policeman looked at me with a hardened look on his face and gave the smallest of nods and said “Nice car mate”.
I nearly collapsed on the spot through a combination of relief and humor as he continued on his way. Top bloke I thought!
What a great spread of cars! I will have to make the next one
What a great selection of machinery, I will have to make the next one.
The spirit of Any Given Reason is to bring your car out whenever possible & the Burger Meet was definitely a great reason. Can’t wait for the next one.
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Excellent meet, hopefully another planned this month? I will actually bring a car down this time!
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