About Us

The inaugural Macedon Ranges Grand Tour was held in 2003, an event open to owners of cars 25 years and older, showcasing the region as a tourist and gourmet food destination to all who love to drive classic cars through picturesque countryside. It was the first use of the slogan "Everyone loves a drive in the country", the motto which has been adhered to ever since.

Initially a single day all inclusive event, the Tour, whilst retaining the Saturday tour as its core, has grown to offer a social pre-event dinner at a local hotel on the Friday evening, and a low key car display in conjunction with a Picnic in the Park on Sunday, situated in the congenial surroundings of the John Aitken Reserve in Gisborne. Both of these are optional additions.

Unfortunately, Covid lockdowns forced the Tour into hiatus from 2020. By 2024, due to the popularity of the event, there were repeated calls within the Macedon Ranges community and from previous Tour entrants for the Macedon Ranges Grand Tour to be revived. The Committee reconvened to formally hand over responsibility for the Tour to a new Committee comprising of members of the TD Automobile Club in bloodless coup that everyone was happy about!

The new Committee went straight to work to deliver a Tour up to the high standard set by the previous administration. On Saturday 4th October 2025, more than 50 vehicles were flagged off from outside the Old Courthouse in Gisborne, for the successful running of the 17th Macedon Ranges Grand Tour.

The Tour continues to foster an atmosphere of relaxed touring, good food and fine wine together with good old country hospitality. It is a community based event in which the organising committee are volunteers and local establishments are used wherever possible to provide services and catering. However, it would not be possible to stage the Tour without the backing of our sponsors.

The TD Automobile Club was established by the owner of TD Automotive Services, Joe Quercio, an experienced mechanic and classic car enthusiast. The Club was founded to provide an extra service to customers who owned classic vehicles and were wanting to register them on the Club Permit Scheme. TD Automobile Services became synonamous with the MRGT after many years of sponsorship, so the TD Automobile Club becoming the event organisers and sponsor was a natural progression.

The Gisborne Region Events Activities & Tourism Association (GREAT) has been the largest sponsor of the Tour for many years. The GREAT Association are responsible for an extraordinary amount of good work in the Gisborne region; producing and distributing the 'Gisborne Gazette' local newspaper and also running the Gisborne Old Time Market. Proceeds from the market are distributed to improve local facilities and benefit many causes and groups, including the CFA, SES, Scouts and Rotary.

Proline Bodyworks is a small family run business in New Gisborne, with father and son team Charlie & Anthony Zammit doing outstanding restoration paint and bodywork on a variety of modern and classic vehicles. From detailing, ceramic coating or full resprays, no job is too small or large.

MRGT welcomes Gisborne Collision Centre aboard as a valued sponsor in 2026. The experienced team pride themselves on repairing vehicles to pre-crash quality using modern technology and equipment.

If you want your car to handle the bends a little better for the Tour, call Paul at Pedders Melton. Their support of the MRGT since the 2025 revival has been greatly appreciated.

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