If you’re a keen user of Instagram you’ll know all about #ThrowbackThursday – that time of the week where everyone takes a little time to reflect back on cool cars, events and much more! To kick off the first Meguiar’s Blog #ThrowbackThursday, we’re heading back to July 2012 @ Meguiar’s HQ for the annual invite-only BBQ!

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‘What makes a good car show? Attendance figures? A high-standard of cars? Or simply just a great bunch of people? Here at Meguair’s we believe it’s a combination of all these elements and more, so after a morning’s brainstorming alongside Scene-Media PR the Meguiar’s Premium BBQ was born.

We first held this event in 2011 and the concept was as simple as the name suggests – get some stunning cars together, host a BBQ and spend the day relaxing and chatting to friends without the hustle and bustle of a traditional car show. To say we were impressed by the attendance and feedback was a bit of an understatement, so it made sense to do it all over again in 2012!

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So what makes the Meguiar’s Premium BBQ special? For a start it’s an invite-only event. This isn’t to be elitist or exclude people, but as it’s hosted at Meguair’s HQ there’s limited space available. With so many high-quality cars being built in the UK from so many scenes we aim to get a good mix of everything be it Euro, JDM, Lowriders or Hot Rods. It’s the only feasible way to do such an event. There’s no entry fee, in fact there’s no costs at all (including free BBQ and ice creams!) it’s simply a get together for friends and enthusiasts to do what they do best – appreciate cars.

For all those attending, special Meguiar’s ‘Swag Bags’ were handed out for taking the time to pop along – basically goodie bags filled with cleaning products you’ll actually use! A detailing station was setup in the middle of the event allowing owners to polish every single wheel bolt prior to the official opening time of 11am where Stephen Brooks and other members of the media would arrive to photograph and film the event. With the cars lined up and looking fresh, the hog-roast BBQ fired into action for lunchtime providing high-quality burgers, hot dogs, pasta and various salad to keep everyone fuelled throughout the day – no costs, no stale buns and no questionable sauces, that’s what makes the Meguiar’s BBQ that little bit special.

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To give you a rough idea of the cars in attendance, here’s a rough breakdown (bearing in mind not a single car was left standard): VW Scioricco, Audi R8, Chevrolet Impala, Mitsubishi Evo 9, Honda Civic Jordan, 1932 Ford Model B, Mazda RX8, BMW E30 M3, VW Jetta, Mercedes E190, Honda S2000, VW Mk1 Golf GTI and even a classic Corvette to name a few. Every single owner is passionate about their car, devoting hours and investing thousands of pounds to showcase their vision. This is a chance to give a little something back to these guys, to spend a few hours appreciating not only what they’ve built but what other like-minded people have.

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We’ve been extremely lucky with the weather today – part of what made 2011 so special was the sunshine, and given the UK’s ‘summer’ this year it’s been a blessing to have clear skies and a bit of heat. With drinks offered throughout the day there was just enough time to say a big thank you to everyone who turned up as well as handing out a selection of awards – varying from Meguiar’s cleaning bags right through to bottles of JD from both Scene-Media and Players.

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It’s genuinely humbling to have such a quality turn-up and everyone so chilled and relaxed. We’re massively proud to have put on another great event and we really hope everyone who came enjoyed it too.’