My name is Leo Zhou, a 23-year-old automotive culture photographer from China, and I’ve been in Australia for a year now, studying advertising and marketing at the University of Queensland. My dream is to be a journalist and photographer who travels to places with the best automotive culture to document the stories of people and their cars, having been inspired by the work of photographers like Mark Riccioni and Larry Chen. My weapon of choice is a Nikon Z6III with three different S-line lenses suited to different types of automotive work: car features, interior shots, and event coverage.

That’s why I was excited to attend my very first Meguiar’s MotorEx, presented by LMCT+. As a Street Machine subscriber, I had already seen plenty of incredible Aussie builds on the page, but I still was not entirely sure what kind of machinery would be waiting for me at the two-day show.

The lighting and presentation across the different halls immediately pulled me in, and I was impressed that the cars were not only spotless above the sills but also underneath, with those parts that usually live out of sight beneath road grime and shadow revealed via carefully placed mirrors. Display boards and booklets helped me understand the build process and specifications for each car so I was able to better grasp the thought behind each build.

More than anything else though, in was the Holdens on display that had me in their grip. Since the brand was never sold in China, my eyes naturally kept drifting toward this unfamiliar nameplate. It felt like a piece of car culture largely sealed off from the rest of the world; outside Oceania, it is rare to see many Holdens gathered in one place. Prior to the show, I had spent weeks learning about the Commodore’s story, and to me, it feels like one of this country’s proudest automotive symbols. I found myself spending a long time in the Meguiar’s Superstars and Street Machine Custom World halls, leisurely taking in these cars that I had only ever previously studied through a screen.

As English is not my first language, I had thought that cultural differences might put a few speed bumps in the way of me fully exploring the Aussie car scene, but it turns out that a shared love for street machines is one of the best icebreakers you can have. Cars make it easier for complete strangers to start a conversation, even when the words are not always perfect.

What surprised me was that many of my car-loving friends had no idea MotorEx was happening. So, from now on, I know exactly what I will tell every car enthusiast I meet: You should come and see Meguiar’s MotorEx, presented by LMCT+, for yourself. You can check out more of my work at leozhouphoto.com.