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Motorcycles and parts at the Millarville Vintage Motorcycle Swap Meet in the old riding arena. This building collapsed early in 2018, and a new arena has been built in its place. In 2019, the event takes place on Sunday, Sept. 8.Greg Williams Vintage motorcycle enthusiasts enjoy nothing more than rooting around on tabletops and through boxes searching for elusive parts and pieces that will bring an old machine back to life.Since 2003 the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Groups Rocky Mountain Section (Calgary) has hosted a motorcycle parts swap meet in early September. It started in a small community hall in Inglewood, but in 2006 the event moved to the riding arena at the Millarville Racing and Agricultural Societys pastoral grounds south of the city. Early in 2018, however, a heavy snow load collapsed the riding arenas roof and that left the group without a venue. They scrambled to come up with a plan B and managed to pull off a mostly outdoors swap meet at Millarville.This year, things are different. The Millarville Racing and Agricultural Society has built a new, larger riding arena, and the 2019 version of the Millarville Vintage Motorcycle Swap Meet is ready to take the building for a test ride. A 24,750 square foot steel structure was designed and erected by the Ironwood Building Corp., and the building was up late in 2018. The footprint of the previous arena was 16,000 square feet. Its almost double the size of the old arena, says CVMG-RMS swap meet coordinator Janice Whitby. She adds, Theres new frontage, and the configuration of the building has changed so the table layout will be different this year.I think a lot of people are looking forward to seeing the new venue. Its brighter inside and its a building with unique appeal. The structure is new and fresh it feels modern and its got wood around the interior walls that makes it feel a little warmer, and not sterile.Yes, she says, there is a dirt floor.Its close to dust-free, however, and it helps add to the overall charm of the swap meet, she explains.A diverse range of two-wheeled products, from complete machines to parts, often turn up for sale at the event. For example, the swap meet caters not only to motorcycles, but also to scooters and, occasionally vintage bicycles and everything that goes along with the hobby including riding gear and tools.Personally, I found a really cool Belstaff motorcycle jacket here, and my husband Fred has found parts and pieces for projects that do help move them along, Whitby says.About four years ago Whitby even found a new-to-her vintage motorcycle project.A 1972 Suzuki T350 rolled in, I sat on it and my wallet fell open, she says. I brought it home and now have restored it.Whitby maintains the swap meet often offers something for just about every brand thats out there, from Japanese to European to British to American.And its not just a swap meet for motorcycles and parts, its also a large social event, she adds. I know folks who only see each other annually at this particular meet.Whitby expects about 100 vendor tables will be set up in the Millarville riding arena on Sept. 8, and says the event routinely draws close to 800 visitors. A portion of funds raised is donated annually to the Legion Poppy Trust, and tables are often given to local motorcycle charities to help them promote their own event.Millarville is a destination, its not a swap meet thats just around the corner in the city, Whitby says. That means a number of people choose to ride out and check out the event, but we also see motorcyclists who might be riding by drawn in by our signs on the highway.For many, its a first-time visit, and theyre delighted because they had no idea the racetrack or the swap meet existed.IF YOU GOSeventeenth annual Millarville Vintage Motorcycle Swap Meet, hosted by the CVMG-Rocky Mountain Section on Sunday, Sept. 8 in the new riding arena on the grounds of the Millarville Racing and Agricultural Society approx. 35 minutes south of Calgary just off Hwy 22 and Hwy. 549 (306097 192 Street, Millarville, AB). Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. For more information, call 430-273-7840, email rms-secretary@cvmg-rms.ca or visit cvmg-rms.ca and click on the Events tab.Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca WHAT’S NEXTSept. 15: Sixth annual Magic of Christmas motorcycle toy run. Cost of registration is a new unwrapped toy or minimum $10 cash donation. Registration starts at 9 a.m. at Century Downs Casino in Balzac — breakfast to be served. Ride departs the casino at noon, with a tour to Cremona followed by a turkey dinner at the Grey Eagle Casino. Contact Cheryl at 403-870-3024 or email her at choppergirlcq@shaw.ca for more information.Sept. 28: Annual Call of the West Museum automotive and vintage collectibles swap meet at the High River Rodeo Grounds, $4 admission, free parking,
Origin: 17th annual Millarville Vintage Motorcycle Swap Meet

Jaguar Land Rover has recorded an annual loss of £3.6 billion, but chief executive Ralf Speth says an ongoing cost-saving programme will transform it into a “leaner and fitter” company for the future. The pre-tax loss for the financial year that ended in March reflected a £3.1 billion write-down of the value of the business in the final quarter of last year, but also showed the ongoing impact of falling sales in China and continued uncertainty over Brexit. The firm’s annual revenue of £24.2 billion was down £1.2 billion year-on-year. Without the one-off write-down, Jaguar Land Rover’s annual pre-tax loss was £358 million. While annnual sales increased by 8.4% in the UK and 8.1% in North America, the sharp decline in China meant that its overall sales of 578,915 vehicles was a year-on-year decline of 5.8%. Jaguar Land Rover did post a £269 million pre-tax profit in the final quarter of the financial year running covering January-March 2019, although this was reduced to £120 million after redundancy costs, part of its ongoing transformation programme, were taken into account. The firm noted that it retained £3.8 billion of cash. Speth said that restructuring programme has already resulted in £1.25 billion of efficiencies, and made the firm “one of the first companies in its sector to address the multiple headwinds simultaneously sweeping the automotive industry.” He added: “We are taking concerted action to reduce complexity and to transform our business through cost and cash flow improvements. “Jaguar Land Rover is focused on the future as we overcome the structural and cyclical issues that impacted our results in the past financial year. We will go forward as a transformed company that is leaner and fitter, building on the sustained investment of recent years in new products and the autonomous, connected, electric and shared technologies that will drive future demand.” The financial results come in the wake of ongoing rumours that Jaguar Land Rover’s owners, Tata Motors, are considering selling the firm to the PSA Group. More updates to
Origin: Jaguar Land Rover posts heavy annual losses