"Hello John, got a new motor?"

No, but I've just done the Sydney Motor Show. Like I do every year. Some of my acquaintances reckon it's only worth attending bi- or triennially, that not enough changes in the Australian auto market in 12 months. Rubbish! I arrived at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre at 6.45pm and only left a whisker before the 10pm close. Granted, I was waylaid for 20 minutes by an enthusiastic Hyundai salesman (possibly spurred on by his company's logo on the side of my Newcastle United Jets cap), but there really was stacks to see - and I'm not just talking about the plunging necklines of former "Big Brother" housemate Tilly and the other ladies on the Mitsubishi stand.

For three hours, I worked my way betwixt manufacturers, noting innovations, asking dumb questions (that strange intake on the roof of rally cars is simply to let air into the cabin as they can't very well wind down the windows), checking prices, collecting brochures, testing out front seats, complaining when they didn't easily accommodate a 6'5" frame, and imagining what various new models would be like on an empty road. Funny thing was, amid all the top-of-the-line and concept cars, the vehicle that impressed me most was in the Shannon's auction section - a 1930 Cadillac with a V16 engine, the aerodynamics of a garden shed and as much class as the day it was completed.