CCCA Starts 2020 in Style!

Members and guests of the Classic Car Club of Andalucia were delighted to get their year off to a flying start this January.

After what has seemed like an interminable festive season it was good to start the Club’s 2020 activities, all of which were very well supported.

The first thing was a ‘reunion’ dinner at Treetops Restaurante to get the year started, this preceeding the Club’s first classic car run of the year which was to start from Venta Los Almendros, just above San Pedro on the Ronda road.

Organiser, Ian Giles, was both surprised and delighted with the 100 or so members and their guests who turned up at the Start on a warm and sunny January Saturday morning full of enthusiasm and raring to go! And what a fabulous collection of cars parked outside the Venta waiting for the ‘Off.’

Classics, Prestige and Sports cars of all shapes, sizes and manufacture gleamed in the warm sunshine as their owners enjoyed the chance to reunite with fellow enthusiasts over coffee and bacon sarnis.

Both Start and Finish venues for these events can be very difficult to find as these places have to be able to cope not only with around 100 people wanting food and refreshments but also, and perhaps equally important, they need to be able to provide parking for around 50 valuable, shiny classic and prestige cars!  As the Club has grown so has its needs…

Needless to say, the registration, signing on and payments process was quite a busy one and the Club is so lucky to have the support of a small band of ladies who turn out every month to administer this.

All this business successfully completed, the registration desk closed at 10.45 or thereabouts as participants studied their Tulip Roadbooks and waited for a short briefing from Club President and event organiser, Ian Giles.

Once the informative briefing had been delivered it was the organiser’s fabulous bright red V12 E-Type Jaguar that would depart the Start first in order to deal with any problems that could arise on route.

It is a rare occurrence, but well organised events such as these can crumble if suddenly participants are faced with a road closure or traffic accident. Such dramas necessitate quick action to re-route and this is why the ‘course opening’ car sets off first, at the head of the field. Contrary to popular belief, these events are not a race but, neither are they a procession.

The navigation system used by the Club allows people to set off and drive entirely at their own pace.

Thus people who would like to stop to take photographs or coffee can do so without feeling rushed or having to conform to a time schedule.  Likewise, drivers who want to ‘get on with it’ can do so and go at whatever pace they enjoy.

The routes are then usually interspersed with a coffee stop and, usually, a sherry or Cava stop which regroups everyone so that they arrive at lunch at roughly the same time.

The route today would first head up to Ronda before turning north east on to the Campillos road. After passing the famous ‘Ascari’ racetrack, the route would then turn south towards Serrato, taking a fabulous scenic road up and over the Sierra de Ortegicar and then the Lomas de Chapera to drop in to El Burgo. Just before El Burgo, in the woods on the mountain, crews were greeted by the organiser and a quick stop for a Sherry or Manzanilla was enjoyed.

Due to the size of the enthusiastic contingent, none of the coffee stops en route could hold the numbers so a list of a half-dozen suggested stops was given out with the roadbooks and people could choose their own, many stopping in the friendly town of El Burgo before heading on to Yunquera, then going through Guaro and Monda to head back to the coast, coming out by the La Cañada shopping centre near Marbella.

Lunch was planned at the fabulous Papillon Beach Restaurante which was really excellent and a marvellous place to finish what everyone agreed was a superb event.

What made that special was the superb venue, a marvellous location on the beach, great food and great company whilst also enjoying the wonderful Spanish winter weather and sunshine.

Many members enjoyed the Retro-Malaga classic car show last weekend, it was a great place for enthusiasts to gather and enjoy the show and the social side of it too. Next event for the Club is a classic car run and lunch starting from Venta Platero, near Coin, on Saturday.

Ian Giles

Further information on Classic Car Club of Andalucia events can be found on the Club’s website www.cccandalucia.com. Membership of this vibrant club is open to anyone owning a genuine classic car here in Spain. Saca tu coche clásico del garaje y diviértete con el.