Cool Classics And Dapper Drivers Gather To Raise Funds For Mental Health

This year, Collecting Cars partnered with The Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive, which brings enthusiasts around the world together for memorable experiences in crowd-pleasing classic cars – all to help raise vital funds to invest in research programs for the most significant men’s health issues.

First run in 2021, the ‘Drive’ event follows on from the hugely successful Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, which was founded in 2012 by Mark Hawwa in Sydney. With that in mind, it was entirely appropriate that our main partner event for this year was hosted by the Collecting Cars team in Australia.

The drive events took place on Sunday 24 September, with Collecting Cars hosting a run through the beautiful countryside north of Sydney for a curated assembly of just shy of 20 classic and vintage motor cars.

The day dawned cool and cloudy – far from spectacular, but perfect for dapper gentlemen and ladies to cruise in classic cars, particularly when compared to the 35-degree spring days seen in the week prior.

We were pleased to host a wonderful group of people, from customers and friends in the motoring community to the Collecting Cars team in Sydney, and we were thrilled to see everyone ‘dressed to the nines’ in the spirit of the event.

Some very special motor cars were brought out for the run, headlined by a stunning and beautifully driven 1929 Bentley Speed Six. This elegant motor car was joined by kin from Great Britain in the form of a 1951 Jaguar XJ120 Roadster, while the run also saw Aussie royalty in a Leyland P76, plus a charming Volkswagen Combi, a 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250 SL and matching 280SL, a spectacular 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4, and perennially popular classics such as the Range Rover and Shelby Mustang.

Our run took us on a round trip from Dural through the beautiful Hills region, along flowing open roads and then down an adventurous path to Berowra Creek and back. The early morning Sunday start allowed drivers an uninterrupted cruise, maintaining the convoy all the way back to lunch at The Vicar in Dural.

Around 12 hours later, our hosted drive event in the UK got underway, with the Collecting Cars team from the London office meeting up with an eclectic mix of machinery – including another vintage Bentley. This time it was a 4.5-litre ‘boattail’ built by Petersen Engineering, with other classics including a Porsche 356 1600, and a characterful MGB GT.

The Collecting Cars teams from Australia and the UK would like to thank The Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive for allowing us to be a partner host for 2023, and we hope that our members will consider getting involved with this fantastic cause in 2024. We look forward to seeing this annual ‘drive out’ going from strength to strength around the world.

We would also like to thank everyone who joined us for the drive, for their efforts in preparing not only their cherished classic and vintage cars, but also for enthusiasm shown in “dressing dapper” to raise vital funds and awareness for the Movember charity.