Lovers of the big, the bold and the beautiful need look no further than Queanbeyan this weekend when our nearest neighbour hosts its American Car Nationals.
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The event shares the date, and the Queanbeyan Showground, with the annual swap meet.
Both run from 10am to 3pm over the two days.
Murray Mules, a car enthusiast with an eclectic taste in motor vehicles who works in Fyshwick, has confirmed he will be taking his 1969 Cadillac DeVille four-door pillarless hardtop sedan along for the occasion.
Murray turned heads recently when he took part in Canberra's Centenary Rally resplendent in an Elvis Presley outfit.
After having lived in it for two days Murray has decided to give the Elvis look a miss this time around and will, instead, make an appearance as a mild-mannered spare parts guru.
His DeVille will be among the larger of the machines on show.
It weighs about 2.3 tonnes, is slightly smaller than HMAS Melbourne and is powered by a 472-cubic inch (7.8-litre) high-compression V8 that generates almost 400 horsepower.
The downside to all this comfort and performance is, you would expect, fuel consumption. The year 1969 was a period when Americans measured petrol usage in terms of gallons per mile, not the other way around, and the big Caddy was among the worst.
''Horrendous,'' is Murray's response to any question about his fuel bills. ''You get about 11 or 12 miles per gallon around town [about 23 litres per 100km].''
Murray, who also owns an NSU RO80 and has a Datsun Sunny as his daily driver, loves 1960s cars in general and Cadillacs in particular.
''The 1960s were an era of chrome, of metal and of leather,'' he said. ''The Cadillac marked a high point of American culture at the time.''
This is a view he shares with the King, along with the wardrobe. Elvis was a massive fan of Cadillacs and gave dozens away to friends and associates over the years.
One lucky beneficiary of his largesse was the karate instructor who trained him up to the level of 7th degree black belt.
Although most famous for his ''Pink Cadillac'', probably the most copied car in history, he is believed to have bought almost 200 over the years.
While he also owned Mercedes, one Ferrari, a De Tomaso (which he famously shot after it broke down), numerous Lincolns and even a hybrid Cadillac-Buick wagon), America's most famous prestige car was always Elvis' first love.
It is fitting then that his last two motoring experiences were aboard Cadillacs.
American motoring journalist Sean O'Connor reports that when his body was transported from the hospital to the funeral home on August 17, 1977, it was aboard a 1976 Cadillac converted into a hearse by Fleetwood.
A 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood hearse transported the body to the funeral service on August 18. It was followed by a procession of white late-model Cadillacs that had been organised at very short notice by local Caddy dealers and Elvis fans.
This weekend's fun at Queanbeyan is not just about Cadillacs, however.
Major muscle cars, hot rods and some little-known brands from all periods will also be taking part.
Saturday is an ''All Ford and All GM Day'' (covering Buicks, Pontiacs, Mercurys, Lincolns, Cadillacs etc) while Sunday, which is billed as the ''American Car Nationals'' is open to anything as long as it is made in America.
The swap meet, as is normal for such events, is an opportunity for petrol heads to scrounge through the collections of others for that special treasure or missing piece to complete their own project.
Admission prices for both days are very reasonable ($4 per person) and there will be something for the inner car tragic in everyone.
