YOU would be forgiven for thinking Ryan and Kirsty Turner had stepped out of a time machine if you encountered them at the annual Bay to Birdwood.
The Mount Gambier couple and their young son Flynn have matched their outfits to cars from different eras for the Fashions in the Field event since 2014.
This Sunday the young family – including newborn son Blaise – will drive 70km from West Beach to the Adelaide Hills in their restored 1926 Pontiac wearing authentic 1920s tennis garb.
“Bay to Birdwood has two events – the Classic and the Run – on alternate years,” Mr Turner explained.
“This year is the Run which is for older cars, so we will drive the Pontiac and dress in the same tennis-themed clothing we debuted in 2016.
“We have since welcomed Blaise to the family and Flynn is a few years older, so we have had to source a few extra things.”
Attention to detail at the last Bay to Birdwood Run earned the Turners the coveted Concours d’Elegance award.
“There was a lot of research involved and we spent a good two years assembling it all,” Mr Turner said.
“Authentic clothing from the 1920s is hard to find – a lot of clothing from that era is on display in museums.
“Wherever we could not source original clothing we found reproductions or the modern equivalent.
“We had an original wooden tennis racquet, tennis trophies people had won in the ’20s and we even had 1920s coins in our pockets.”
The Pontiac has been in the family for more than 60 years and was restored to its former glory in 2012 by South East residents Murray Langford and Wayne Wright.
“Dad always wanted to restore it but he never got around to it,” Mr Turner said.
“When he passed away we decided to start the restoration process and most of the work was completed in Millicent.”
The Turners’ entries at the Bay to Birdwood have included a Holden Monaro GTS and a Torana which also belonged to Ryan’s father.
“It has become a tradition I guess and it’s an opportunity to get the cars out and enjoy them,” Mr Turner said.
“More so than the prize money it is just an honour to win because you know everyone puts in so much effort.
“There will be about 1700 cars this weekend – it’s quite a spectacle.”
One of the world’s great historic motoring events, the Bay to Birdwood Run will celebrate vintage, veteran, post-war and early classic vehicles manufactured before December 1959.
Thousands of spectators are expected to line the 70km route along Anzac Highway and through the centre of Adelaide as the historic vehicles continue towards the finish point at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood.
