Generally speaking, people who like to garden don't give a fig about automobiles. And vice versa. Your typical car buff doesn't know a hosta from a bluebell.
But at the Van Dusen All British Field Meet in Vancouver, both groups of enthusiasts are in their glory. British car motorheads can ogle 500-plus vintage automobiles, while horticulturalists and plantheads can stroll around one of the most beautiful gardens in Canada.
It may be one of the only places in the world where you can simultaneously get advice on how to grow hydrangeas while enduring jokes about Lucas electrics.
It seems to work, because this year, the 21st anniversary of the event — nicknamed the Greatest Show on British Wheels — saw one of the largest displays of Brit iron ever. Well over 5,000 paying customers passed through the turnstiles on May 20.
"We had 565 cars this year," event organizer Joan Stewart says. "That's the second-best turnout we've ever had. And if the weather had been just a bit more settled, I'm sure we would have had even more."
Considering that just 50 cars showed up at the inaugural event, in 1985, the Van Dusen show demonstrates that cars and flowers can get along and it is now one of the largest events of its kind in Canada.
Unlike formal concours gatherings such as California's Pebble Beach, Van Dusen is geared toward enthusiasts at all levels. Sure, there is the usual array of Rolls-Royces, Jaguars and Aston Martins, but there is also a formidable presence of Minis, Vauxhalls, MGs, Austins and so on.
"We have always tried to make room for all kinds of enthusiasts," Stewart adds. "Of course we love the expensive cars, but we also encourage people to bring their daily drivers. We want people to have fun and not take things too seriously."
That said, cars are judged and there is an awards ceremony at the end of the day, but the winners are determined by the exhibitors themselves and not the public or a panel of judges. In other words, the people you're competing against vote for you — or not.
As well as manufacturers' categories, there are also awards for neatest little car, debuting restoration and long distance driving as well as a swap meet/jumble sale. And each year, there is a featured marque. This time around, it was the Nash Metropolitan.
For some reason, the west coast seems to be a hotbed of fans of this quirky little coupe, and they were there in all their glory, including Jim Cave's custom-built estate wagon — towing a trailer.
Assembled in Birmingham, England, with Austin running gear, and a body designed by Nash-Kelvinator, the Metropolitan was made from 1953 to 1961.
Easily as idiosyncratic is the Jowett Jupiter. Two showed up this year, both driven to the event. This two-seater, made in Bradford, England, was built from 1950 to 1954 and is powered by a horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine. That's right: a flat four, but liquid cooled. Hard to believe, perhaps, but the Jupiter competed at Le Mans from 1950 to 1952, taking home first place in the 1,500-cc class each time.
Built specifically to compete at Le Mans and arguably the most valuable car at the event was John Fairclough's 1934 Aston Martin Ulster Mk II.
Aside from being absolutely breathtaking to look at, it has its own tale to tell. Several years ago, freshly restored, while being taken by trailer down to Pebble Beach, it broke away from the tow vehicle and was broadsided by an 18-wheeler.
Utterly destroyed and, literally, in pieces, the Ulster was taken back to Vancouver and restored again. Fairclough drove it to this year's event. It is apparently one of 20 such cars left in the world.
Well represented at this year's show — as always — was Morgan. About two dozen were parked in amongst the rhododendrons, including the debuting restoration of Ken Miles's 1962 Drophead Coupe. Like many of the owners displaying their cars, Miles did much of the work on this car himself. "But I'm still into it at least $32,000," he added. On the scale of things, that's not half bad for a Morgan.
Speaking of rhododendrons, if you or your significant other just can't look at cars any more, there's 22 hectares of botanical gardens to satisfy the senses. The cars actually take up a very small part of Van Dusen, which is one of the things that draws people.
"From a female perspective," Stewart laughs, "you can keep your spouse happy because you can do two things in the same day. The setting is extremely relevant for people that pay to get in and for those that bring their cars. There's nothing else quite like it."
A significant number of the cars on display were brought in from Washington State, Oregon and Alberta, including a canary yellow Lotus Super Seven that was driven in from Edmonton. It received the long distance award, and if you've ever spent any time in a Super Seven, you'd agree that it was well earned.
Next year's Greatest Show on British Wheels will take place, as usual, on the third weekend in May.
