REPORT - 2026 Torquay Motor Show

Words and Photos: Mike Ryan

Conducted by Torquay Rotary volunteers as a fundraiser for their community programmes, the Torquay Motor Show is open to just about anything on wheels. From high-end supercars to humble daily drivers, this annual show also welcomes commercial vehicles, electric cars - and motorcycles. Of the latter, there was a small but diverse selection on display for this year’s edition of the show ‘n’ shine that was held on Sunday, 9 February.

At 25 years old, Torquay Rotary is a young chapter of this global charitable organisation, but it’s grown to become an important part of a town that’s also grown. Once a sleepy surfing spot, Torquay is now a major residential area and Victoria’s go-to place for those wanting a sea change.

Combined with a ‘Surf Coast Cruise,’ the Torquay Motor Show that was first held in 2008 is now a major fundraiser for Torquay Rotary, attracting hundreds of vehicles and even more spectators to the Torquay Foreshore each year.

Hot Harleys

Of the bikes on display this year, it was hard to go past a pair of heavily customised Harley-Davidsons for pure eye candy. In the ‘Vicla’ style (the two wheel equivalent of US lowriders), both bikes featured an insane amount of detail. From their custom paint with metalflake inserts, to panel sections and pinstriping, these bikes also featured an abundance of chrome and anodised parts, but it was the engraved sections on the fuel tank console, headlight rims and other areas that really impressed.

Unsurprisingly, both these bikes won trophies on the day: a 2008 Softail Deluxe won the Modified/Custom Motorcycle award; while a 1998 Heritage Softail scored the Hallam Award for Best Bike in Show. This perpetual trophy was introduced to the show seven years ago to honour the noted motorcycle engineer and co-creator of the Hunwick-Hallam superbike, Paul Hallam.

Beyond these two, there were some milder customs, including a Harley Road King bagger and heavily-raked chopper from the American IronHorse brand that boomed in the early 2000s when TV shows like American Chopper and Monster Garage were at their peak.

With Indian unveiling their 2026 Chief Vintage a fortnight prior to this show, a similarly styled C2015 Chief Classic that was loaded with touring accessories brought a lot of attention, as did a 2021 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide that was rocking a Milwaukee-Eight 117, special paint and all the other goodies that come with being a Custom Vehicle Operations model.

Classic Brits

Close by the big American machines, there was a variety of British bikes on display, with the standouts being presented by Alan Howlett, who’s recently retired from his Ace Classics restoration and vapour blasting business that’s based in Torquay. A mix of customer builds and Alan’s own bikes included a 1973 Norton Commando 750, early-1950s Velocette MSS, 1959 Velocette Venom and 1970 BSA Lightning 650. The standout in this group, though, was a 1965 Velocette Thruxton. Alan explained this example was from the first week of production (#35 off the line) for a model that only reached 1,100 units in total. Of the same type that finished 1-2 in the 500cc Production class at the 1967 Isle of Man TT, this particular bike had been raced in the USA, then fully restored by noted race bike builder and mechanic, Peter Molloy, in the 1980s. Fitted with a factory Avon fairing, and in the Thruxton Register, this bike went to Western Australia sometime afterward, where Alan found it three years ago with only 56 miles completed since the resto.

Parked alongside this group was a BSA Gold Star (the original, not the new one!), Triumph Bonneville-based bobber and a C1922 Raleigh single that’s still in use by its nonagenarian owner.

Mixed Grill

Other motorcycles on display included a fully-restored 1974 Kawasaki Z900 and a 1990s Yamaha Virago 750 (aka XV750) cruiser that had been restyled as a cafe racer. An early BMW, Laverda Jota, near-new Royal Enfield Classic 350 and a handful of Japanese sportsbikes were also on display. As with the car component of the Torquay Motor Show, the motorcycle section is open to any make, model, era and theme, hence the variety.

For dates and more details on the 2027 Torquay Motor Show, go to: torquaymotorshow.com.au

Thanks to Alan Howlett of Ace Classics for assistance with this article.