Hong Kong Classic Car Club vehicles line up in an impressive display
	Ian Foster in his 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 at Clear Water Bay Country Club

Nothing shows success quite like a flash car – which is why Hong Kong has so many motor enthusiasts, and so many prestigious automobile clubs.

On any weekend or holiday, Hong Kong motorways are lined with luxury vehicles as their owners head out to a club event or a scenic drive or ride. Among the more memorable was the Ferrari gathering of 2004, when a Guinness World Record was set marking the world's biggest Ferrari parade.

Hong Kong also set a record for the largest ever single order of new Rolls-Royce cars, when in December 2006 The Peninsula hotel took delivery of 14 new Phantoms.

In addition to the Ferrari Owners Club, other prestige car clubs in Hong Kong include the Classic Car Club, Supercar Club, BMW Owners Club and Porsche Club. The sporty MG Car Club and Mini Cooper Fan Club also enjoy a strong following.

Buying the best

Enthusiast James Ogilvy-Stuart, a financial media consultant, drives a 2005 Aston Martin DB 9 – a modern version of the James Bond car. He also owns a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, a Land Rover Discovery and an Audi TT Cabrio.

"Hong Kong people have a love affair with the motor car. It's partly due to the fact that so many are successful in business, but also because in this city people are very aspirational – if they can afford to buy the best, they will," he said.

Mr Ogilvy-Stuart also says Hong Kong is a great city to drive in, offering scenic country and coastal routes within 20 minutes of leaving Central. "It's a fun way to spend a weekend," he says.

Classic Car Club member Ian Foster calls himself a "fanatic". The Irish architect owns 70 motor cycles and 15 cars in various locations around the world, and says he is "just small fry" compared to some other members of the 500-strong club.

Motor museum

Mr Foster is the driving force behind the move to establish a motor museum in Hong Kong. His concept for a Classic Auto-cycle Museum (CAM) was first proposed in 2001.

"Hong Kong has a unique wealth of motoring heritage that does not exist in mainland China or in other Southeast Asian countries," he said. "The city is also responsible for indoctrinating a generation of children around the world, during the 1960s and 1970s, with plastic toy cars and motorcycles marked ‘made in Hong Kong'.

"Our concept is to create a mecca for motor enthusiasts in Hong Kong similar to the popular Rock Store in Los Angeles and Ace Cafe in London. This venue would be a hub for local car and motorcycle enthusiasts, day-trippers, school trips and tourists wanting to see the story of the development of vehicles in Hong Kong."

Mr Foster, who has worked for the Hong Kong government as a design consultant on various heritage buildings, said the concept was "openly accepted by government, if a privately funded museum could be established". He said private collectors are willing to provide their vehicles for the museum, and that the vacant court house at Fanling, New Territories, was being considered as the preferred venue.

Walk through time

"In the existing (heritage) building we will accommodate the main museum exhibits, as well as a lecture theatre, library, club meeting rooms and a coffee shop/cafe" Mr Foster said. "The museum exhibits will be presented as a walk through time with at least one car and two motorcycles from each decade. Children can experience how their parents and grandparents moved around Hong Kong in days gone by."

Mr Foster is also writing a book about the history of motoring in Hong Kong, and is inviting people to submit old photos of their parents or grandparents' cars.

Related links
Classic Auto-cycle Museum (CAM)
Classic Car Club