Hot rods to fill Queenscliff streets for annual Rod Run

QUEENSCLIFF will roar to life next weekend as hundreds of classic hot rods roll into town for the annual Queenscliff Rod Run.

The three-day event will run between January 30 and February 1, bringing up to 800 vehicles – all 1965 models or earlier – to Queenscliff’s streets and foreshore for a weekend of cruising and public displays.

The event is run by the Geelong Street Rodders and attracts entrants from across Victoria and interstate, with vehicles dating back to the earliest days of hot rodding.

For the public, Saturday night will again be a highlight, as sections of Queenscliff’s main streets close to general traffic for the Rod Run’s popular street cruise from 5pm.

“That’s always a big night,” Geelong Street Rodders event organiser Greg Morrissey said. “We get thousands coming in spectating, and the streets are usually pretty full.”

The event wraps up on Sunday with a “Show ‘n’ Shine at Princes Park, near the Queenscliff Pier, where vehicles will be parked for a static display between 10am and 2pm.

“Whether you’re a car person or you’re not a car person, there seems to be a bit of an appeal for old cars, [even for] a lot of people who probably really couldn’t give a bloody hoot about cars,” Mr Morrissey said.

“It does become quite a spectacle.”

The public event features live music, trade stands and food stalls run by local sporting and community groups, with a $5 entry fee supporting the Queenscliff Point Lonsdale Lions Club.

Mr Morrissey said the event continued to draw a strong mix of returning participants and new entrants each year, ensuring there was always something new and unique to see.

The event has been taking place in Queenscliff since 1998.

“The beauty of some of these smaller places [is that] with a huge influx of hot rods and people, it doesn’t matter where you look, there’s a hot rod,” Mr Morrissey said.

“Up, down, sideways – there’s a hot rod – and I think that adds to the atmosphere. It just overtakes the town.”