Sunday, 18th of July 2010
It used to be the Scottish Motor Show at the SECC that people
looked forward to each year (then every second year towards
the end of its demise) but over the past half decade, that
void has been filled by the anticipation that the Scottish
Modified Car Show creates!
Now in it's 7th year, the SMC show brings together more
than just petrol heads and die hard car fanatics, with
more and more family attractions being added year on
year it's also a place that you can take the wife and
kids (if you so desire) and everyone can enjoy a fun
filled day out with the blokes enjoying the motors
and PR girls, the kids enjoying the fun fair rides
plus carnival and the girls can eye up the firemen
and soldiers from the army who come along every year.
For 2010 the show was once again reinvigorated with a new indoor layout and stunt show. Outdoors saw the welcome return of the world famous record holding stuntman Terry Grant after a 4 year hiatus performing dazzling stunts to the packed grandstands. With a chrome TVR and his infamous Legend he tore his tyres to shreds each and every performance throughout the day, thrilling the audiences along the way. One lucky punter from each show had their camcorder borrowed and ended up with a very up close and personal recording of his daredevil stunts as Terry held the camera while jumping and in and out of the cars before returning the video to its rightful owners who looked overjoyed to see the safe return of their equipment.
As an extra treat Terry teamed up with another of this years stunt performers, Kevin Carmichael, to perform a joint performance with both Terry’s TVR and Kevin’s Triumph motorbikes sitting no more than inches apart as they came drifting full pelt round the corners of the Ingliston track. With tyres screeching and plumes of smoke following close behind this finale to the stunt show really captivated the crowds and got the biggest cheers of the day. Talking of drifting we cant forget the local heroes from here in Scotland who gave it their all to show that it isn’t just Guinness World Record holders that can put on a good show, the local lads brought everything from the classic drift bus the Nissan 200SX S13 through to the "drift taxis" which this year were a Vauxhall Senator and BMW 540i.
You'd be forgiven in thinking that with such an action packed live show there wouldn’t be much time for anything else but you'd be sorely mistaken. Inside the Royal Highland Centre hall there was so much going on you really couldn’t take it all in. On the main indoor stage Room At The Top and MegaBar, two of the biggest clubs in Scotland, had their premiere DJ's playing to the crowds throughout the day plus of course Mark Burns compering the days competitions and challenges which this year included such silly additions as a pie and donut eating competition.
Max Power magazine in conjunction with Maxxis brought along their mobile stage and set it up right in the middle of the Top 75 display area. From here their MC and DJ's spent the day getting the crowds going with their own crazy challenges including their very own version of the Highland Games. The guys from Max really pulled out the stops this year and brought with them 35 award winning show cars from across the UK and Europe which the Scottish show visitors had never seen before. With a bevy of Max Babes also on duty they really had it sewn up when it came to entertainment from the moment the show opened until the very end. The only complaint was that us Scots aren’t really into break beat and garage music - sorry chaps
The Top 75 Cars display area was filled yet again to the gunnels with top class motors. A final tally showed there was probably closer to 100 cars on show but that can only be a good thing. With previous Max Power cover cars plus previous feature cars from other magazines such as Redline, FastCar and Classic Ford there was something to catch the eye of any car enthusiast. With everything from the Peugeot 406 GoldDigga through to an Australian Ford Falcon XR 6 Turbo and airbrushed SMART Car every base was covered and if you one thing didn’t tickle your fancy you were sure to find something there that would.
The Scottish motor trade was also out in force showing that we might be looking after the pennies more and more as the years go on but that hasn’t stopped people taking a pride in their cars and wanting to stamp a little individuality on them. This year vinyl wrapping really took off and two of Scotland's leading vehicle wrapping companies, Clyde Wraps and Totally Dynamic were on hand to showcase their customer’s cars and to demonstrate throughout the day the process involved in wrapping a car. Of course there was a plentiful supply of alloy wheel retailers, powder coating companies such as ESP and a wide range of car audio stores like AudioWise all along to not only promote products on the day but to let show visitors know of the other services they offer which may of be interest in the future.
Rockstar Energy Drinks have been the resident caffeine dealers at the SMC show now for 3 years and this year they were offering FREE energy drinks to visitors - yes, FREE! This was to let the Scottish public sample a brand new drink soon to be launched which comes in a massive 500ml yellow can. Based on lemonade and being non-carbonated, it's easy to neck a full can quickly without the usual stomach complaints related to quick consumption of a fizzy drink. Judging by the crowds swarming along to their marquee the cans were being snapped up all day long and with 3 stunning PR chicks kitted out in skin tight PVC leggings and skirts we cant be sure if it was the freebies or the girlies that brought people over in the first place
Speaking of PR girls we can’t forget to mention the ton that attended the show this year. With girls from The Sun, Max Power, Maxxis, Rockstar plus of course the resident SMC Show Babes you didn’t have far to travel to see a hotty in a figure hugging costume parading in front of a sea of lenses. Strathycruise's very own PR team this year consisted of Laura, Lara, Kirsteen and Dominique. The four girls patrolled Ingliston for the full 7 hours and must have had over 10,000 photos taken. They couldn’t walk more than 5 feet without being stopped by someone wanting to grab some snaps which is a testament to their stunning good looks and friendly, approachable nature.
The soundtrack for the show was provided by a wide and varied range of talent this year with everything from old skool techno through to hip hop, R'n'B, grime and hardstyle being catered for. Outdoor on the main stage DJ's, artists and MC's from Scotland's leading brands such as Hostile, MCF Records, Epidemic and Parklife all pulled together and put on a fantastic stage show, headlined by Scottish rave legends QFX and with the aid of the Ultimate Style Dancers crew strutting their stuff along side the performers. Things never stay the same or get a chance to get stale at the SMC Show. With crowds assembled throughout the day, again the wide choices offered gave something to everyone no matter their own musical tastes.
Strathycruise were along on the day celebrating their 10th anniversary with a massive display area outside which didn’t go unnoticed by the judges as they picked up a trophy for having the best display area outside while the team at Monster Unit picked up the silverware for the best indoor stand.
With people thinking carefully where they spend their hard earned cash the Scottish Modified Car Show represents remarkable value for money and even with the majority of areas in the leisure industry taking a serious hit the attendance numbers for this years show were up again on the previous year. With the backing of the biggest names in the business, a solid following with car enthusiasts and the backing and sponsorship of the governments Road Safety Scotland campaign it really is an event people look forward to all year round and one you definitely shouldn’t miss!
Words: Rikki
Photos: Rikki, EK Andy, Emicen, Andyroo & FastPix Photography
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