Faro’s Classic Car Festival Cancelled Overnight, Club Hosts Impromptu Cruise

Collectors across Portugal had pencilled 15 November into their diaries for a sun-soaked rendez-vous beside Faro’s marina. Less than twenty-four hours before engines were due to rumble, the organisers of Oldies Motorfest pulled the plug, citing unresolved safety and logistical issues. The abrupt move has left classic-car owners polishing chrome for an event that no longer exists and local businesses wondering how to fill the gap in their autumn trading calendar.

Sudden U-turn: Festival called off

At midday on 14 November, less than twenty-four hours before the public gates were meant to open, the Oldies Motorfest team issued a terse social-media statement confirming the cancellation of the 6th edition. Originally advertised as a free celebration of vehicles 30 years or older, the exhibition had been expected to draw several thousand visitors to Faro’s Jardim Manuel Bivar, spilling over into the palm-lined promenade beside the Ria Formosa.

According to spokesperson Luís Baptista, a confluence of logistical hurdles and elevated safety requirements made it impossible to secure the urban venue in time. Behind the decision stand the long-time partners Americancars Algarve and Sulpeças Faro, who conceded that a last-minute decision was “painful but unavoidable” for the region’s vibrant classic car scene.

Ripple effect on Faro businesses

Hotel managers along the Baixa waterfront had banked on a mid-November boost, with occupancy forecasts creeping above 80% thanks to the expected influx of motorheads. Now, many are fielding refund requests while souvenir shops, street-food vendors and auto-parts dealers calculate the loss of what would have been an eight-hour window of high-spending traffic.

The local chamber of commerce has no exact figures for past editions, yet traders recall the 2024 gathering as “one of the busiest Saturdays of the year”. Economists at the University of the Algarve estimate that each physical attendee typically injects €65-€85 into the city through meals, parking and impulse purchases. With projected attendance between 1,000 and 2,500 guests, analysts say the immediate shortfall could exceed €150,000 in direct revenue, not counting the marketing halo the event often creates for winter tourism.

Disappointed but determined: voices of the community

Porto-based collector Miguel Sousa had already driven his 1967 Mustang Fastback south, arriving in Loulé on Wednesday evening. “The car is polished, tanks are full, and now I have an unexpected vacation day,” he joked, before admitting “I would rather be showing the engine bay.” Similar frustration echoed through online forums where owners of Fiat 600s, Citroën DSs and BMW 2002s swapped photos of rigs stranded on trailers.

Yet the setback has also sparked solidarity. Several clubs, including the Algarve Classic Vehicles Association, are hurriedly organising an informal promenade on the same Saturday afternoon, inviting members to line the Estrada Nacional 125 for an impromptu showcase. Organisers stress that this spin-off gathering will respect traffic rules and limit numbers, but the gesture underscores how passion, camaraderie and mechanical artistry intertwine in Portugal’s motoring subculture.

Looking ahead: other engines still roaring

While fans digest the disappointment, the regional calendar remains crowded. The 12th AmericanCars Algarve meeting is slated for 1-3 August 2025 at the Albufeira marina, promising a parade of V8 rumble and surf-side concerts. One week earlier, the Algarve Classic Cars rally, running 11-13 July, will thread through the Serra do Caldeirão before parking for a concours d’élégance in Faro’s old town. Beyond 2025, drivers have circled 28 September 2026 for the global charity cruise The Gentleman’s Drive, expected to raise funds for prostate-cancer research.

As for the Oldies Motorfest, organisers have not ruled out a 2026 comeback. Baptista says the team will “re-evaluate venue options, sponsorship packages and volunteer capacity” early next year. Until then, owners will keep engines warm, polishing chrome in garages from Porto to Portimão, hoping that next autumn the scent of unleaded petrol, not cancellation notices, will waft over Jardim Manuel Bivar once again.