These days it seems not a weekend goes by without some form of classic, commercial or owners' club car meet taking place. 

Recently I went to one such event, the Rushden Cavalcade, which is a sort of country fair mixed with a steam engine rally.

The real treat, aside from seeing these mammoths of the roads, evoking a sense of nostalgia mixed with oil, was the sheer number of classic cars on display.

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You can see just a few examples of the exhibits in the pictures above, but one which caught my eye was a Ford Model T Speedster, circa 1915. Powered by a 2.9-litre four-cylinder engine with 20bhp, this example was in immaculate condition.

Alongside it stood a 1928 Austin 12/4 Clifton Tourer, which was registered to its first owner in Wales in 1928. Saved from the scrapheap in 1979, the model was bought by its present owner in 2000 and then fully restored. It features a 1861cc engine with just 12.8hp.

A striking black Armstrong Siddeley also proved fascinating. According to the owner's information leaflet it cost just £380 new and was first registered in 1939. Power comes from a 2.0-litre six-cylinder engine with 16hp, and it is one of only 14 such examples still on the road.

The owners of these vehicles were only too happy to talk about their passion for cars. Representing a more modern contingent was the local TVR owners' club, which brought a 420 SEAC race car from 1985.

The one-off special is powered by a 4.2-litre V8 engine with around 385bhp and features a redesigned stainless steel spaceframe chassis with wishbone suspension. Surrounding it were TVRs from all eras, including two models currently under restoration.

On the other side of the show stood the classic commercial trucks and vans, most of which had previously seen service in the military. The example pictured in the gallery above is a Daimler Ferret, a light reconnaisance vehicle built in 1962.

It is powered by a Rolls-Royce 4.5-litre six-cylinder petrol engine. With a weight close to four tonnes, the Ferret's top speed is just 50mph but it does come armed with a Bren gun. Naturally, a few Willys Jeeps completed the picture of Britain in World War 2, accompanied by soldiers in period uniform.

The great thing about steam rallies – aside from the cars, the food, the beer tent and the company, of course – is that for the price of a trip to the cinema you get a fantastic day out.