The High Society category will undoubtedly be a highlight of the ten motor classes featured at the inaugural Motors & Masterpieces festival, which will take over the Melbourne Showgrounds from November 22-24.
Encompassing vehicles manufactured throughout the 1930s and ‘40s, Motors & Masterpieces will play host to the best in breed, from an era of transformation in automotive circles.
Against a backdrop of the changes and challenges presented by the Great Depression and World War II, from both a technology and geopolitical standpoint, the period had a massive impact on man and machine.
While vehicles for the masses were at times simplified, at the top end of town, opulence was the name of the game, with the period producing a distinctive style.
Aviation had a significant influence on design, with aerodynamic streamlined curves met by innovation under the skin, with hydraulic brakes and refined suspension improving driving dynamics and safety.
Post-war prosperity saw economic growth meet pent-up demand, automobile ownership reached new heights, and technology improved rapidly.
Hydra-matic and automatic transmissions, plus air conditioning, became accepted design features.
At Motors & Masterpieces, in the High Society category, luxury and outstanding craftsmanship will meet bespoke design features.
The breadth of vehicle designs will include examples from manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce, Cadillac, Packard, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Aston Martin, Cord, MG, Bugatti and beyond.
Visitors to the event will be able to enjoy a wide range of automotive classics from across generations, including the dawn of the motoring era in the Golden Age class, through to modern Supercars presented in Monaco Glitz.