We popped out for a sandwich in the centre of Canberra this bright blue Thursday to find the civic heart of Your Nation’s Capital crawling with its favourite summer species: the Summernats street machine.

Here are just a few of the gleaming, growling beasts on show along Canberra’s usually demure thoroughfare, Northbourne Avenue, for the first day of the annual show-and-shine-and-burnout festival that is the four-day Summernats.

It’s very pleasing to be able to report that plenty of Mustangs were taken out for a spin.

And, my, what a lovely day for a Pony ride! 

Anyway, enough about mighty Stangs and how pretty darn awesome they look and sound.

Here is a grand old red classic with an engine simply too big for its hood.

We continue from here with an easy-to-follow colour scheme – makes and models  not being our forte, sorry.

Green machines certainly made quite an impression on the cruise.

Vehicles motored about 12 kilometres along on Northbourne Avenue.

Police provided rolling road closures across intersections along the route to allow the hundreds of vehicles to roll through at low speed. 

Like this pair of dinkum Aussie classics in orange and yellow. 

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast severe heatwave conditions for the weekend, when the Summernats festival takes over Canberra’s Exhibition Park.

A possible storm is forecast on Saturday.

We hope this bloke in this flamin’ hot rod has brought a rain hat.

They cruised the capital in royal purple – pumped up, handsomely inked and with elbows out, of course. 

 And right next to purple on the Summernats spectrum is a suitably regal blue.

Summernats32 organisers say about 1900 vehicles are involved this year. 

Some are not registered for road use but were allowed to take part in the cruise or the burnout competitions or horsepower racing.

Many a black beauty galloped and pranced for the street parade.

The utes were beaut too.

“Smokinrat” was mighty loud and proved quite the crowd favourite.

This low-rider with a tall motor and a heavy back end gave quite a growl – even before it took to the burnout pad.

The Canberra Times is reporting that extreme ultra violet light conditions have been forecast for the Summernats weekend.

The ACT Cancer Council has recommended people use sun protection when UV levels are at level three and above. UV levels will be between 13 and 14 for the weekend.

 So, we hope these pretty-in-pink paraders slapped on the sunscreen! 

The ACT Ambulance Service has recommended people avoid drinking alcohol, tea and coffee because they cause dehydration.

The advice is to drink water and not wait until you are thirsty.

Sensible – just like this jaunty little family jalopy.

And, woot-woot that’s the sound of the police.

Bringing up the rear of the cruising kilometres of growling chrome were the obligatory tow-trucks (for any mishaps) and the obligatory constabulary (for any mishaps).

Stay cool and moist in the sun, everyone.

And be sure to drive safely, Summernats fans!