Adelaide has more car clubs per head than almost anywhere. Part of that is history, part of it is the state's club registration scheme, which makes a club membership the cheapest way to keep a classic on the road. The result is a club for nearly every make, era and kind of enthusiast, most of them running for decades and most of them looking for new members.
This is a guide to the ones worth a look, grouped by what you drive and what you want from a club. Every club has a page on Drivesome with its events and a follow button, linked below, so you can watch a club for a while before you commit.
If you drive anything at all
Austin 7 Club of SA is one of the state's longest running clubs and, despite the name, an all-makes club with clubrooms at Seaton that half of Adelaide's other clubs borrow for their own meetings. Adelaide Allmakes Automobile Club at Glandore has promoted the restoration and use of historic vehicles of every make since 1984. Adelaide Hills Motor Restorers Club at Mount Barker covers the hills with its Power of the Past show. And Adelaide Car Club pitches itself at a newer generation, with a modern social take on the format.
Austin 7 Club of SA, Adelaide Allmakes, Adelaide Hills Motor Restorers, Adelaide Car Club
If it is a Holden
No city takes its Holdens more seriously. There is a club for nearly every model run: the FX-HZ Holden Car Club for everything from 1948 to 1980, the EH Holden Car Club of SA, the oldest running EH club in the country, the FE-FC and FB-EK clubs for the late fifties and early sixties cars, the 48-FJ Holden Club for the humpies, and Commodore and Classic Holden Enthusiasts for the later cars, with club registration on offer. Pick the club that matches your model and you will find people who know that car better than the factory did.
FX-HZ Holden Car Club, EH Holden Car Club of SA, FE-FC Holden Car Club, FB-EK Holden Car Club, 48-FJ Holden Club, Commodore and Classic Holden Enthusiasts
If it is a Ford or a Chrysler
The Falcon Car Club of SA covers every Falcon from the 1960 XK to the last FG-X. The Cortina Capri Car Club is the home for small Fords, Escorts included. The Early Ford V8 Club looks after the 1932 to 1954 side-valve cars. And the Chrysler Car Club of SA at Pooraka is one of the biggest and oldest car clubs in Australia, the spiritual home of the Valiant in the state that built it.
Falcon Car Club of SA, Cortina Capri Car Club, Early Ford V8 Club, Chrysler Car Club
If it is American
The Corvette Car Club of SA has been running since 1977. The Chevrolet Performance Association of SA at Seaton takes every kind of Chevrolet, and the Cadillac LaSalle Car Club of SA looks after the big cars. The American GM Drivers Club has run All American Day, Adelaide's largest American car show, since 1986, and the Classic and Muscle Car Club of SA meets at the Kent Town Hotel and puts real effort into charity.
Corvette Car Club of SA, Chevrolet Performance Association, Cadillac LaSalle Club, American GM Drivers Club, Classic and Muscle Car Club
If it is European
The Alfa Romeo Owners Club SA dates from 1976 and is active on track as well as on the road. The BMW Drivers Club South Australia mixes social runs with technical nights and motorsport. For French cars there are two Citroen clubs, Club Citroen of SA, the largest and longest established, and the Citroen Societe, plus the Club Automobile Francais for every French marque. Bike riders have the Ducati Owners Club SA, the oldest Ducati club in the southern hemisphere.
Alfa Romeo Owners Club SA, BMW Drivers Club SA, Club Citroen of SA, Club Automobile Francais, Ducati Owners Club SA
If you just want to turn up
Some of the best "clubs" in Adelaide are the monthly meets that do not ask you to join anything. Coffee N Chrome at Mile End has run since 2017 for pre-2000 cars and bikes. Adelaide Cruisin Classics calls itself a no-fuss social club for the 21st century. And Adelaide Rev Heads is a small, family-safe crew that raises money for causes. Start there if a committee meeting sounds like the opposite of fun.
Coffee N Chrome, Adelaide Cruisin Classics, Adelaide Rev Heads
Club registration, the real reason many people join
South Australia's conditional registration scheme lets a car over 25 years old, or a left-hand-drive or street rod meeting the rules, be registered for a fraction of full cost, provided the owner belongs to a recognised club, keeps a logbook and stays within the annual day limit. Most of the clubs above take part. Ask before joining: it is the difference between a club you join for the people and one you join for the paperwork, and it is worth knowing which you are getting.
How to choose
Go to one event as a guest before you pay anything. Ask when the last run was and when the next one is. Ask who does the work and what happens when they stop. Then follow the club on Drivesome and watch its page for a month. A club that posts its events and its photos is a club that is alive.
The full list, including the regional clubs in the Barossa, the Fleurieu, Murray Bridge and the south-east, is in the club directory. If your club is missing, add it. If you run one, claim the page and you get member management, applications, announcements and events with RSVPs, free.
Questions people ask
How many car clubs are there in Adelaide?
More than fifty active clubs in the metropolitan area alone, with dozens more across regional South Australia. Drivesome lists them in the club directory with their events.
Which Adelaide car club should I join for club registration?
Any club recognised under the state scheme that suits your car. Most of the marque clubs and all-makes clubs above take part. Check with the club before joining and ask about the logbook and day limits.
Are there car clubs in Adelaide for modern cars?
Yes. Adelaide Car Club, Adelaide Cruisin Classics, the BMW Drivers Club and the Chevrolet Performance Association all welcome modern cars, and the monthly meets like Coffee and Machines at Aberfoyle Park lean modern.
