If you like your music loud, your cars louder, and your shirts brighter than a explosion in a Hawaiian gift shop, then Cooly Rocks On is your kind of event.
I’ve been to many car shows over the years – Pebble Beach, Goodwood, even a strange one in a Bunnings car park where a bloke tried to convince me a lowered Camry was “a sleeper”.
But Cooly Rocks On, held on the sun-drenched streets of Coolangatta, is something else. It’s as if Mad Max met Elvis in a jukebox and decided to throw a five-day party.
- Check out Cam’s video tour of Cooly Rocks On 2025 below:
Over 500 cars were in attendance, and it wasn’t your average shopping centre fodder, either. We’re talking fins, chrome, and superchargers that stick out of bonnets like mechanical middle fingers to climate change.
From ’50s Chevys to ’70s Mopars, there’s more American steel here than in a Michael Bay film. The whole Coolongatta area transforms into a living, revving tribute to the golden era of motoring – when fuel was cheap, seat belts were optional, and every car had an identity, a soundtrack, and a soul.
Clear standouts from the event at first included a silver Holden Torana GTR XU-1 and a mint-condition white HQ GTS Monaro. But then a serious Chrysler Charger arrived that made a noise so gloriously rude it nearly got arrested.
Of course, Cooly isn’t just about the cars – it’s about the vibe. Rockabilly bands play and Elvis impersonators roam the streets with the swagger of Vegas-era Presley, hips swinging dangerously close to OHS violations.
As for the crowd, it was glorious mix of leather-clad bikers, wide-eyed kids, pin-up queens, and tattooed blokes named ‘Baz’ who’ve rebuilt more engines than they’ve had birthdays.
After the show came a cruise. Imagine a conga line of American and Aussie muscle rumbling down Marine Parade – one part car show, one part rolling thunder parade. Kids waving, grown men weeping, and tourists filming it all while wondering how this wasn’t already a Netflix special.
Cooly Rocks On is more than just a car show – it’s a celebration of rebellion, craftsmanship, and pure, unapologetic horsepower. It’s a reminder that cars used to be fun, loud, and built with both passion and chrome. In a world full of hybrid SUVs with automated parallel parking, thank the motoring gods that Cooly still knows how to rock.
10/10, would burnout again.
