2020 – what a year it has been. All of my favourite car events got cancelled one after the other such as the Granby classic car show or even Monterey Car Week in California, which I was planning on attending for the first time. Cancelled, cancelled, cancelled, this summer clearly wasn’t the best for petrol heads. Despite this, one of the province’s largest annual shows was not ready to call it quits just yet.
Reuniting European car fans from all around North America to the Circuit ICAR for nearly a decade, Eurokracy was one of the very few events that still took place this year. With plenty of regulations in place such as obligatory masks, hand sanitizer stations, and security agents on site, the organizers ensured that the safety and well-being of attendees was their number one priority.
FINALLY – I was able to get out of the house and attend a car event that was not taking place at the local supermarket. The beauty of Eurokracy is not solely the variety of custom European cars present, but more importantly, the passionate owners (men and plenty of women). of these vehicles that are eager to converse among like-minded individuals. Some people brought six-digit supercars, others brought slammed VW Beetles (I will let you guess which I preferred).
With the US border still closed, our American neighbours were not able to attend this year’s show, but despite that, there were still numerous high-quality builds that were present. The majority of cars wore Quebec plates, with several from Ontario as well (one of them being my personal favourite, which I’ll discuss shortly). Some of the most complete builds could be found in the Show & Shine section where the only components that were still stock were the windshields and door panels. Exterior mods, custom interiors, built engines and unique paints and wraps, if you wanted to see some of the best modified European cars from the province, that was the section not to be missed.
I’ll take this opportunity to point out a few of my favourite cars, starting with @dropculturegarage’s beautiful 1994 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon. Complete with air suspension, AMG brakes and a tasteful set of multiple-piece OZ Racing Futura’s, if I had to take one car home, this would without a doubt be my choice.
@jamesmtl88 brought some heavy machinery as well, his Porsche 964 and E30 M3 were certainly, in my opinion, some of the best vehicles of the event.
My final car of choice is @carlosmobilos’ 1972 Super Beetle, which photos don’t do it justice. I absolutely love the uniqueness of this build with the ample use of copper, truly a first for me. The best part is that it seems he built it himself, major kudos!
To conclude, this year’s event was tremendously refreshing and much needed as it allowed car guys and gals to safely attend a quality car show before winter arrives. I look forward to next year’s event, and hopefully, by then, things will be back to ‘normal’ and Eurokracy will truly shine as it has in the past!
Click here to learn more about Eurokracy
Photography by Olivier Lessard