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The Venue – Gasoline Juice
One of the hardest parts of organising a Saab meet is finding a suitable venue. Space for the cars to park is one thing, but you need something extra, something unique. This ‘extra’ is hard to define – perhaps something cool, picturesque, maybe historic and with good food and drink. Alongside this a host who is happy to throw open his doors and do everything he can to accommodate you.
I was lucky enough to visit Gasoline Juice for its Swedish Day back in June and it left a lasting impression. Based in the heart of England at Weedon in Northamptonshire the location was actually an arms depot built for the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s. The phrase heart of England couldn’t be more apt as the strategic site is the furthest possible distance from the coast and had an excellent canal network for distribution of the weapons.
Gasoline Juice
Gasoline Juice is owned and run by Cesar Pieri and is fast becoming a Mecca for anyone with petrol running through they veins. Cesar is a car designer spending the weekdays working with Jaguar Land Rover, McLaren and the famous Italian design houses before his Gasoline Juice ‘shape-shifts’ to an entertainment venue.
Due to Cesar’s designer routes this is no ordinary venue. Artwork adorns the walls and sculptures attract your eye everywhere you look. Cesar himself creates it all and if you’re expecting his art to use paper or canvas as its substrate – you’ll be wrong. Instead, car bonnets and aircraft panels are preferred creating art that is both part painting and part sculpture.
Iconic machines sit between the tables and chairs: a Cessna light aircraft, Austin Mini, Fiat X1-9 and even a Sinclair C5 electric vehicle. Could there be a better venue to host a Saab meet – one of the only few automotive companies that straddled both the aerospace and automotive world?
As I mentioned earlier, last Saturday was actually the second ‘Swedish Day’ arranged at Gasoline Juice. Back then the site became overrun by the other Swedish car manufacturer with Saab presence limited to just a couple of cars. With just two weeks to arrange a better Saab turnout I can confess to being a little concerned prior to the day. I needn’t have worried as both the quantity and quality of the cars that turned up was stunning!
The Saabs
We had a 99 Turbo, not just any 99 turbo, one that was actually owned by a Saab GB managing director who didn’t want a 3-door so a 5-door was made for him. We had a very early 900 Turbo with its door mounted wing mirrors and twin bonnet vents. In fact we were spoilt with amazing 900s as we also had a unique cream/striped saloon turbo which has been registered in three different countries as well as facelift models in both 3-door, 5-door and convertible forms.
First generation 9-3s were present looking very standard on the outside but punching hard with their modified engines. Second-generation 9-3s, including an ultra–rare Griffin 9-3X along with both generations of 9-5 took us as up-to-date as possible. Oh yeah, Saabs heavily outnumbered Volvos!
The Future
The vice-Chairman of the Saab Owners Club of GB, Elli Wilson, paid a visit and whilst enjoying Gasoline Juice’s own label beer, mentioned he was very impressed. I think it’s safe to say that next year this event might grow and may even receive support from the club. If that happens I think we can dispense with the name ‘Swedish Day’, ‘Saab Day’ would be far more appropriate.
As good as the cars were and as great as it was to talk to other Saab owners, it was the venue that shone. Although thinking about it, maybe the Saabs parked inside and outside made Gasoline Juice look even more special? After all, if you want to display stunning art and iconic vehicles from the aviation and automotive world, then you’ll need the most iconic car/aircraft manufacturer of all time – you’ll need a Saab (or Saabs).
Matt Searle
All Photos: by Matt Searle www.matt-shoots-cars.uk
