It had not been expected, just a few days before the Swiss British Classic Car Meeting in Morges, the weather forecast had not looked very promising, but then the participants were greeted by an almost perfect autumn day on October 7, 2017.
Perfect conditions
The sun was shining and temperatures hovered around 15 degrees Celsius, the ideal weather for British cars, which can be affected by too much heat.
While the journey to the event could still be a comparatively cool affair, especially for the open-top participants, the sun warmed the cars and visitors on the quay at Morges.
Tried and tested and yet new
This was the 26th time that cars of British origin had gathered on beautiful Lake Geneva, and for most visitors it hardly felt any different from all the years before. The organization had changed and there were also a few minor teething problems.
For example, an unusually large number of newer cars, which normally could not reach the quay in the past, were not prevented from entering.
Variety and mass
But there was also a huge rush to deal with, as the favorable autumn weather naturally encouraged many owners of British classics to get their cars out of the garage and drive to Morges. There were probably well over a thousand cars and the popular classics such as the MGB, Triumph Spitfire and Austin-Healey were of course not missing. On the contrary, because it is rare to see so many of these mostly open-top sports cars in one place.
On the other hand, other brands and entire eras were conspicuous by their apparent absence. There were significantly fewer pre-war classics on display than in other years, it seemed to some visitors, and vehicles from Vauxhall, Armstrong-Siddeley or Riley, for example, had to be searched for almost like the proverbial needle in a haystack, if they were to be found at all on the parking spaces spread over a kilometer along Lake Geneva.
Jaguar as guest of honor
The range of vehicles on display in 2017 was dominated by Jaguar, which was invited as the guest of honor. Many of the big cats were parked around the castle in Morges, but practically the entire range of Jaguar models from the beginning could also be seen on the other squares and on the quay.
As expected, the sports cars, e.g. the E-Type, the XK models and the SS 100, were very much in evidence, but there were also many of the saloons built in various eras on display.
See and enjoy
Once you had found a spot for your little treasure, you could stroll along the quay, visit the various parking lots with British classics and then treat yourself to a meal with local wines, ideally with a view of the lake and cars.
The 26th meeting was also something for connoisseurs and the rush hardly seemed to stop in the afternoon.
Large crowds
They came to Morges from German-speaking Switzerland and France, but of course also from the surrounding cantons, the friends of British car creations. In the streets, this led to a wide variety of languages - English, Italian, German, French - all of which were spoken and talked about.
The common denominator was often the home language of the British, which also matched the range of vehicles on offer. And so it was easy to find out more about the cars, provided the owners were nearby.
The 1963 Ginetta G4R, for example, was found to be a former racing car with a DKW engine that had recently been restored by the Walketts and fitted with a Lotus Twincam four-cylinder engine. And yes, the car was for sale, said the owner.
Successful end to the season
In any case, there was a good mood in Morges, the sun warmed the hearts and many were happy about the successful end to the season, as many Brits will soon be heading back into winter.
More about cars and impressions can be found in the extensive picture gallery with 150 photosaccompanying this article.
