Looking down the flags of the Hong Kong Chater Road Show 2025 this past Sunday, Oct. 26, the street was transformed into a rolling museum, showcasing over 100 classic cars from different eras and nations. This free event gathered citizens and tourists, remembering memories of the city’s streets from the past decades.
This annual event, organised by The Classic Car Club of Hong Kong, hosts its 46th year in Central. The event celebrated the city and community’s love for vintage machines over the years. This passionate community, bound by mechanical artistry, spans generations.
The energy hits first through the senses on Chater Road. The bitter smell of petrol, the ticking sounds of cooling engines, and the shuffling crowds trying to capture the perfect photographs fill the air. Each generation experiences this atmosphere differently, with digital cameras, film cameras, and even unfolded stools and sketchbooks scattered along the street.
One of the attendees, Victor Law, a member of Urban Sketchers Hong Kong, attracted a small semi-circle of passersby as he sketched the 1930 Bentley 4½ Litre Blower positioned near the entrance. “I come here every year,” said Law, “but this year feels different, more cars, and the display stretches across three sections of the street. It’s like the city gave the past a little more room today.”
A standout exhibit this year is the Tilling-Stevens “Express” bus, a front-engine single-decker produced in the United Kingdom from 1947 to 1952. Both the Kowloon Motor Bus and China Motor Bus companies once operated this model, customising their own bodies for Hong Kong’s unique streets. This year, Island Vintage Bus made its appearance, aiming to protect the city’s transportation heritage. “If I could recommend just one thing for everyone to see, it’s this bus,” Law added, showing the sketch he created of the vehicle.
Angela Ho, who brought her 9-year-old car enthusiast son Ethan to the event, saw the Tilling-Stevens for the first time. “Seeing this bus and exhibition really connects the decades. It links us to the Hong Kong that my parents knew and brings that history to life for my son,” said Ho as they climbed aboard the historic vehicle. Bringing these “old antiques” to real life, created a memorable experience for the 9-year-old. “I had only seen these in old photos,” said Ethan as he looked around the vintage car. For a moment, the vehicle’s smell of leather and oil transformed Central into a nostalgic old Hong Kong.
However, the preservation of nostalgia comes with challenges related to policy related matters. Island Vintage Bus noted on their Instagram that, despite having several fully restored historic buses, only one currently holds a permit to operate on public roads for events. This restriction makes events like the Chater Road Show a rare opportunity for the public to witness these restored pieces of history. The company argues that with more flexible licensing, vintage buses could become regular fixtures at displays.
According to Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan’s interview in Wen Wei Po, she mentions that public transportation is a key attraction in Hong Kong, and vintage buses are believed to be even more appealing. The Transport and Logistics Bureau agrees, raising hopes that regulations will eventually align with public interest. Ho echoed this sentiment, “It’s unfortunate that we rarely see these iconic vehicles representing Hong Kong.”
The appreciation for classic cars extends beyond large-scale organisers to individual owners, who are finding creative ways to share their passion. Andrew Ng, a long-time participant and author of the book “Hong Kong Motoring: 20s to 70s”, created a unique exhibit from the trunk of his own car. He displayed collectables that trace the history of Hong Kong’s car culture, from Classic Car Club of Hong Kong licensed badges in different eras to a model of his own 1972 Volkswagen VW1303.
“I’ve participated in this Chater Road Show for many years,” Ng explained. “This year, I wanted to do something different and share my passion with the city.” He now drives his vintage car only eight to ten times a year, but each outing is a cherished moment. For him, the car serves as a tribute to the memories the city holds. “I want everyone to be transported back to a time when these magnificent machines roamed our roads,” he said, “and each one has a special story to tell.” Ng believes that whether you are a car enthusiast, a history buff, or someone who cherishes the stories of the city, this appreciation speaks a universal language.
From the start, the Classic Car Club of Hong Kong has served as both clubhouse and custodian. For many decades, it has guided this event from a niche community gathering into an annual significant milestone. Along the way, the community has expanded. Today’s Hong Kong Chater Road Show reflects diversity, featuring live sketching, citizens and tourist tours, concours judging, heritage talks, and intergenerational exchange conversations.
The influence has grown alongside the scale of the event. Concours d’Elegance once again crowned a “Best of Show,” with Sir Michael David Kadoorie, longtime patron and collector, repeating his 2024 achievement in 2025. Awards like these set standards and demonstrate to younger enthusiasts what car “care” looks like, the dedication collectors have spanned over half a century.
As the afternoon light began to fade on Chater Road, one by one, the car owners started their engines, closing the exhibition with a symphony of rumbles. The vehicles drove off the road, not into storage today, but back onto the streets of modern Hong Kong, bonding between generations.