Reunion of racing veterans

Louis Sellyei's 1966 Gurney Weslake V12, one of several Formula One cars from the post-1950s.

Around 23 famous sports and racing cars from Europe, Britain and the United States are expected at next year's Phillip Island Classic, Australia and New Zealand's major historic motorsport meeting,

The February 10-12 event is already on track to eclipse last year's record field of 455 vehicles.

One highlight of the 2006 classic will be a re-match of two of the key protagonists in the famous Monzanapolis challenge between the cream of European Grand Prix cars and their American Indianapolis oval track counterparts staged on the banked Monza circuit in Italy in 1957 and 1958.

From the US comes Stuart Harper's Offenhauser-engined Curtis Special, that finished fourth in 1957 and sixth in 1958 in the event, billed as The Race of the Two Worlds.

The car went on to place sixth in the 1962 Indianapolis 500 at an average of 242km/h (149.5mph).

It has lost none of its speed over the years, and last year with Harper at the wheel won the Hawthorn Trophy Race for racing cars of the era, at Britain's Oulton Park.

From Britain comes one of its key rivals in the 1958 Monzanapolis race, Rod Jolley's unique 3.8 litre single-seater Lister Jaguar. Based on a D-type Jaguar, the Lister was originally built for Ecurie Ecosse as a one-and-a-half seater, but was converted to its current polished aluminium monoposto form for the 1958 Monza race.

Other significant open wheelers coming from overseas include the Maserati 250F Stirling Moss drove to victory in the 1956 Olympic Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

Now owned by racing driver and collector Peter Giddings, the ex-factory Maserati has just completed a major rebuild in New Zealand.

Notable pre-war single seaters include Giddings' famous 1934 Maserati 3011, a pre-war straight-eight supercharged Alfa Romeo 308 and a 1936 Lago Talbot T26C.

Another highlight will be the first appearance at Phillip Island of Martin McGlone's glorious 1957 Aston Martin DB3S. It arrives from Britain and, with an Allard J2R, will among the notable sports cars from the 1950s.

From the modern Grand Prix era, Louis Sellyei is bringing his 1966 V12 Gurney Weslake from the US. There will also be the ex-Alan Jones 1985 Beatrice Lola, an F1 Benetton and the glorious ex-Michele Alboreto 1985 Type 156 Ferrari.

Formula 2 cars from the 1960s include Paul Busby's Lola, an F2 Lola and the 1.5-litre F2 Porsche Type 718/2 that American Dan Gurney drove to third outright in the 1961 Formula One World Championship.

Big-banger sports cars will also be back in droves at the island, with two thundering Lola T70s, a Lola T610, a Porsche 962 from the 1980s battling with a brace of Porsche 935 K3s, a Matich SR3, a GT40 and a McLaren M1A from the 1960s and 1970s.