This week, tens of thousands of cars came to the tiny village of Amorosa, São Bartolomeu de Messines, in the central Algarve.
And parking was not a problem. Of course, many of the cars were no bigger than a fingernail, and none larger than a foot. Welcome to the 1st Algarve Diecast event!
More than 700 miniature car collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts attended the day-long gathering, for the fun and passion of a shared hobby. “Diecast” are the metal cars we all played with as children, but this was no child’s play. Many of the attendees were talented and creative at customizing Matchbox, Hot Wheels, and many other brands. There were unique paintings, body changes, and dioramas to embellish these beauties.
The whole thing was a brainchild of Carlos Reis and Sérgio Martins, both Algarve residents and diecast hobbyists. “There have been conventions like this in other parts of Portugal,” said Reis, “but never before in the Algarve.” Reis and Martins chose Amorosa as their location because it is centrally located, and more accessible to the entire Algarve. Also, it has a surprisingly large and well-equipped social club, Associação Recreativa e Cultural da Amorosa (ARCA).
It was a pleasure to see people enjoying each other’s company through a shared hobby. “Since we mostly just communicate and see the cars online,” said Reis, “everyone was enthusiastic and interested to see the creations in person and have a bit of a chat and get to know each other.”
By ERIC ROTH
