BMW ‘Batmobile’ named Best of Show at inaugural Motors & Masterpieces festival

This E9 CSL was named Best of Show at the inaugural event (Image: Motors & Masterpieces)

The inaugural Motors & Masterpieces festival was held in Melbourne this past weekend, with thousands of attendees and over $100 million worth of vehicles on display.

Running from November 22-24 at the Melbourne Showgrounds, there was a representation of everything from 1930s and ’40s ‘High Society’ to motorsport classics, and ’80s nostalgia to some of the glitziest modern supercars.

However, it was 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL E9 – a model often referred to as the ‘Batmobile’ for its extreme aero package – which was named Best of Show overall.

This Zagato-built Maserati Biturbo Spyder was awarded the title of best preservation (Image: Motors & Masterpieces)

Other award winners were as diverse as the cars on show. A lovingly restored 1910 Willys Overland Model 40 was bestowed the Spirit of Motors & Masterpieces award, while the crowds went the other way in naming a circa $3 million 2020 McLaren Speedtail the People’s Choice.

However, plenty of other classics were shown some love. A 1991 Maserati Biturbo Spyder, designed and built by Zagato unlike other Biturbo variants, claimed the title for best preservation. Meanwhile, a 1973 Holden Torana GTR XU-1 earned best restoration honours.

Across the tailored categories, a 1971 Ford Falcon XY GT was deemed the best Aussie on show, while a 1970 Mercedes Benz 280SL was named the finest Euro entrant.

This XY Falcon was named the finest of the ‘Great Southern Land’ entrants (Image: Motors & Masterpieces)

There was also some Aussie appreciation among the ‘Chequered Flag’ motorsport class, with the honours there going to a 1968 Brabham BT23E racer.

Lastly, a few often-forgotten marques were given their time in the spotlight in other areas. A 1931 Delage D8S was named the standout in the aforementioned ‘High Society’ sect, while curiously, a 2004 TVR Tuscan Speed Six S Mk I was named the finest of the modern supercars.

 

 

Deputy Editor

Patrick is an automotive journalist with nearly a decade’s experience across a range of online, print, and broadcast media titles, having road tested over 500 new and classic cars in that time.

After starting out with The Adelaide Hills Weekender Herald newspaper while still studying, he has since contributed to the likes of DriveTribe, Finder, Supercar Blondie, Exhaust Notes Australia, and WhichCar before joining the Retro Rides team. He also launched the car review website Drive Section in 2019 and automotive adventure site Essential Drives in 2024, and has experience in journalism education and academia.

At Retro Rides, Patrick oversees website publishing and content creation. If you have a story you think would be of interest to our audience, he’s your best point of contact at [email protected].

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