Big car show are great, but lately I’ve found myself enjoying the more chilled out vibes of smaller events. They have the atmosphere, people and the cars, but distill things down to a level that’s devoid of the panic and madness you find on a packed show floor. So what’s not to love?!

Northern Ireland’s EuroTreffen is the perfect recipe for a great day out, and boy did it deliver last weekend.

Run by GTINI, the team behind Dubshed, the level of preparation and organisation is naturally on point, but from the moment the cars began to roll into the Blue Circle Sailing Club venue, things just felt relaxed.

I found myself onsite early, like 15 hours early, so had the chance to overcome a post-camping groggy head watching the first of the cars snake their way down the tree-lined entrance towards the show field.

The show brief was clear: bring anything European and cool. But such was the openness of the invite it was a great guessing game of trying to predict what would next roll around the corner. Totally stock Vauxhall Cavalier or bagged Jaguar XKR? Right on it. Immaculate MG ZT? Oh, absolutely.

As cars made their way onto the lawn, the GTINI team sprang into action, directing them to designated parking spaces.

It seemed confusing, cars angled in all directions, but once I stuck the drone in the air, the masterplan made perfect sense.

Car crop circles?

The layout, the secluded woodland venue and the drive-on stage are the elements that make EuroTreffen incredibly special. As an array of cars and owners were brought before the crowds to be interviewed by the GTINI team, I took a stroll around the field.

While the core of the show was mainly VW based, it was a chance to get up close with a brand new Lotus Emira for the first time, chat Peugeot 106s (which I am always open to), and think about just how good Mk2 Golfs look right now, as they seem to dominate the VAG tuning scene once more.

It was only a very short flying visit to Northern Ireland, but in that time EuroTreffen reminded me just how great the car scene is when all the madness and stress is removed, and you can spend a few quality hours with great people chatting about the things that bring us together.

I’ll leave you with a small gallery of images from the day below.

Cian Donnellan
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