A STEAM-POWERED car was among more than 70 veteran vehicles in the island this weekend. Fifty-two cars from across the UK joined four local vehicles for the latest Veteran Car Club of Great Britain gala.

And even more went on show yesterday at Blanchelande, with the addition of Guernsey Old Car Club vehicles.

‘This is like a museum on wheels,’ said organiser and veteran car club member Michael Fattorini.

‘There are so many historic cars, which are all so different because many were not mass-produced but constructed in a garden shed or something similar.’

John Blackford, from Calne in Wiltshire, making his first visit to the island, brought his 1900 Mobile steam car.

He bought it last year and had it shipped over from San Francisco. It cruises at between 15 and 20mph, with a top speed of about 40.

‘I do get quite a few funny looks in the UK but just after I had got here the other day, I was stopped by a lorry driver who told me that I had smoke coming from my engine. Of course that was just the steam, so I just said I was glad that there was smoke and carried on.

‘This is my first time in Guernsey and I have really enjoyed looking around while perched on top of the car but there is a lot more traffic here than I thought there would be.’

The visit was the latest of the fortnightly meetings that the Veteran Car Club south-west division holds. It is ten years since the previous gathering in the island, which was held to celebrate 100 years of cars in Guernsey.

All the club vehicles were built between 1899 and 1918.

UK club members came to the island on Friday.

On Saturday, local members led the way on a drive around the island which included calls at Rousse Tower, Sausmarez Manor and Saumarez Park.

‘This is a chance for veteran car enthusiasts to meet up, drive around and just have good fun motoring,’ said Mr Fattorini.

There was a parade through Town on Sunday morning before the cars went on show at Blanchelande in the early afternoon.

‘The idea behind the parade was to give the UK members a chance to see Town from the vehicles while also placing these old vehicles in an historic setting. Of course, it also gave the public another opportunity to see the cars and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of spectators who turned out,’ said Mr Fattorini.

Today, UK car owners are travelling – without vehicles – to Sark before rounding off the trip with an island-wide drive on Tuesday.