Photo galleries

The Sprite Club of SA and The Austin Healey Owners Club held a combined display day at Wigley Reserve, Glenelg. It was open to all Austin Healey's and Sprites to join in the celebrations and display their vehicles. There was a People's Choice Award for three categories, Sprites, Big Healey's and Others, voted on by the general public. Our Tony Cappellutti took out the Big Healey award for his BJ8. Don Cardone won the Sprite Award with his Bugeye Sprite. Our John Cronshaw was there with his magnificent stall of motoring books creating interest among the crowd. We had 15 Healey's on display during the day. It was great to see one of our newer members Dan Farmer there with his white BJ8. Hard luck story of the day was the BJ7 of Trotters who had brake issues before they left home. Ian Hay had a busy week repairing a leaking oil seal on the rear end so he could make the day. Graham Hammond brought all our signs and marquees to the event, leaving his Healey at home. A very successful day with the weather and the turnout of so many vehicles, many thanks go to The Sprite Club for their organisation in the lead up to and on the day. All participants had a great day, and the general consensus was to continue with combined display days. Hopefully we will see a few more Healey's next year at this event.

2024 Annual Dinner & Awards Night This year’s Annual Dinner was held at the Parkside Hotel on the 6 th of August a chance to celebrate some the year’s events. The Shannons Trophy for best car at the All British Day was won by new member Tony Cappelluti for his Blue & White BJ8 recently restored as a passion project at his Naracoorte Cappa body works congratulations Tony. Jock Osborn presented the trophy and announced a new trophy to be awarded from next year to combine the two previous trophy’s into one, members will be asked to nominate people who have contributed to the club by organizing runs, dinners, events or any worthy effort.

Marion Hotel Dinner 7th May This month’s dinner was in the Terrace room at the Marion Hotel. We were lucky to get a separate room for this month’s dinner as it is becoming increasingly difficult to book a room these days without having to pay a significant deposit thanks again to the Hammonds for their work securing another great venue.

Hyde Park Hotel Dinner The clubs bimonthly dinner meetings are always well attended as it is a great opportunity to keep our wives involved with the club. The March 6 th meeting at the Hyde park hotel also gave members a chance to rehash the weekends All British Day showing having the upstairs room gave us a private venue with a great group photo to remember the event.

All British Day 2024 This year’s event was the 40 th anniversary of the event which started as a picnic day at St Clair in 1984 moved to Uraidla, then outgrew that venue and since 2013 has been held at Echunga with a breakfast at nearby Mylor which serves as a meeting point for many clubs, around 800 vehicles attended with all profits going to charities. The event also celebrated the 90 th anniversary of the Sporting Car Club where we hold our meetings. This year a dozen members entered the event and it was very pleasing to see some new cars and some that had been in restoration for many years on display.

Coonawarra & Grampians Run 2024 Following the over-whelming success of Grant & Bronte Trotters Flinders Ranges run last year they teamed up with Rod & Helen Bishop to produce an equal or better run by doing it a couple of times before hand to get the timing right (zealots). Wednesday 20 th of March we met at the Crafers Hotel we headed of collecting the Hillier’s Smeaton’s and Hammonds at Wistow first stop was at Langhorn Creek where David Hillier’s bonnet was lifting, that grill in six cylinder bonnets is perfect for tying them down with the binder twine farmer David produced from his boot. With no further problems we had morning tea at Meningie followed by a trouble free run to Penola using some of the lesser highways to avoid the traffic where we were joined by Anton Hardeman a friend of many in the club from Portland in his Cobra. That night we celebrated Bronte Trotter and Peter Schembrie’s birthdays at the local pub. Thursday morning it was off to the Yallum Park homestead a mansion built by John Riddock a prominent local politician for a guided tour by the owner then on to the Ottelia restaurant for lunch a wander through the historic parts of Penola and some of the Smeaton’s wine for the evening. Friday morning it was off to the Grampians via the Mannon Falls minus the water then Dunkeld Bakery for lunch at the turn off David Hillier’s clutch gave out but the local mechanic who was easy on the eye according to the girls had him back on the road after lunch and on to Halls Gap. Saturday was a wander around the area meet for lunch then a tour of the beautiful heritage Seppelts Great Western cellars, dinner at Barney’s bar a converted shearing shed in the center of what only weeks before had been the Grampians bushfires to which the proceeds of Paul Bradley’s raffles were contributed. Next morning, we were off again for a run to the Murtoa stick shed from the outside a big bulk handling shed but on the inside it revealed its amazing construction with 560 Mountain Ash poles up to 80 feet high supporting the roof, built to store surplus grain during WW2. The Woods farming machinery museum was another gem discovered by our organizer’s with a huge collection of all types of machinery and lunch supplied then onto Horsham. Sunday it was off to Goroke to visit the painted silos with lunch and farewells at Keith and a big thank you to the Trotters and Bishops for organizing the run.

Healey Holiday 2024

2024 Vice Presidents Dinner at The Arkaba Hotel, Fullarton Room.

2024 All British Day at Echunga

Dinner Meeting at the Hyde Park Hotel