Led by the Australian Federal Police's fully restored circa 1975 Ford Falcon GT patrol car, now a very rapid museum piece, the huge colourful combustion parade revved, sucked and blowed its way into the centre of the city and northward up to Summernats central again, as thousands of spectators found their favourite vantage points all along the route.

Ironically, three low-lift rescue trucks formed up the rear of the parade just in case some of the more highly tuned examples, their overheated engines more accustomed to high performance than low speed poddling, decided to call it quits.

Canberra has come to embrace the City Cruise in a way no-one expected after the tumultuous events of the late 1980s, when a similar attempt at allowing the entrants onto the city streets ended in thrown bottles, multiple street burnouts and police intervention.

Now the cruise has evolved into the traditional opener to Canberra's four-day car festival. It appeals to the exhibitionist streak in the Summernats entrants and nationally, there are still very few events quite like it.

This year the parade was remarkable for its diversity.

There were American muscle cars mixed with Minis, Australian-made Falcons, Kingswoods and Commodores, a very standard yellow Toyota Corolla, and more hot rods than expected, their numbers likely encouraged by one of their number winning the Grand Champion prize last year.

Summernats 32 was the first time in 16 years that a hot rod had won the most coveted champion's broadsword.

Tucked away in the centre of the multi-faceted mobile mass on Northbourne Avenue was a low-slung, wide-bodied Pontiac Parisienne, driven by the man who started it all, Chic Henry. He was smiling, as usual, delighted now to be still part of the show after it was sold to new owners.

Summernats promoter Andy Lopez described the opening day as "great, fun day" despite the added difficulties caused by the smoke haze, which has been lingering around Canberra, pushed in by winds fanning the huge bushfires still actively burning to the south and east of the territory.

In deference to the conditions, the traditional Saturday night fireworks have been cancelled.

"We are very mindful that there are people still trying to get here [to Canberra]," he said.

"We know there are people still on the road, towing cars and caught in traffic or having to work their way around the closed roads because of the bushfires.

"We've heard the Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor is closed and we were fully expecting some quality entrants across from there."

One of those entrants determined to make the long trip eastward was Perth's Lennard Vidot, who was planning to drive across in his metallic green award-winning V10-powered 1968 Dodge Charger. The most recent report was that with people stranded by road closures on the Nullarbor, Mr Vidot abandoned his 2020 Summernats campaign.

Mr Lopez said that he was mindful of the issues faced by entrants this year, the traffic queues and how travel plans had changed.

"For that reason, we're being very flexible with our vehicle scrutineering," he said.

"We've listened to those issues and will be keeping scrutineering open until late Friday night to give those people who are still trying to get here every chance to get here and be part of Summernats."

Additional road closures are in place this year, which has complicated precinct access both for entrants and spectators. Flemington Road off Northbourne Avenue can only be accessed by light rail.

Police have again established a command post and event oversight at Thoroughbred Park.

On Thursday morning detectives and Specialist Response Group members were stationed at Antill Street ahead of an operational activity unrelated to Summernats.