The 12th Art of Speed (AOS 2023) was a big hit among fans big and small, with record crowd of over 65,000 swarmed the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park, Serdang (MAEPS) complex over two days from July 29-30.
The overwhelming crowd attendance at the Old-Skool & Kustom Kulture event that celebrates art in automotive culture and lifestyle of enthusiasts was believed to be the highest total in history.
The AOS 2023 themed “Raikan Beza Mu” was also the biggest yet, taking over the entire venue which includes 350,000 square feet of indoor space (Hall A, B, C & D) and 8.6 acres of outdoor space.
Among the customized vehicles from abroad showcased included a 1941 Harley-Davidson Chopper Show Bikes from Wild Road Choppers (Japan), a 2020 Harley-Davidson Chopper Show Bike from Cosmic Chopper City (Japan), and a 1959 Volkswagen Type2 Safari van by Side Yakotani also from Japan.
Meanwhile, among the invited international guests included “Sunny” Yano and Hiro “Wildman” Ishii from Mooneyes, Rough Craft from Taiwan, Ya Seat from Thailand, Mow from Australia, Choppajoop and Cherry Bomb Pin-Up Parlour from Singapore, Hisa Artes 66 Paintlab, Indonesia (a collective group of 15 pinstripe artists) and Borneo Kustom Show from Brunei.
At the Hot Wheels booth, a gigantic replica of the winning design of the Hot Wheels x Proton Kids Design Competition was unveiled. The hand-drawn design by Saw Jane Harn, a 9-year-old kid from Penang, incorporated Malaysian elements in it such as Jalur Gemilang, Petronas Twin Towers, National Monument, hibiscus, hornbill, and Malayan tiger.
Mattel will be releasing a special edition of Proton Saga Hot Wheels 1:64 scale model that features blister card designs with the artwork by Saw sometime in 2024.
This year the first-ever official Hot Wheels Collector Convention in South East Asia was held in Hall B, featuring activities such as the Hot Wheels Rare and Collectibles Exhibition, Hot Wheels Skate School, Hot Wheels Swap Buy and Sell, collector-sharing sessions, Hot Wheels Custom Competition and many more.
Hot Wheels fans were able to meet and greet Hot Wheels designer Matt Gabe from America, and several lucky visitors were able to grab the limited-edition Hot Wheels official convention car.
The Hot Wheels Legends Tour Malaysia was presented ‘live’ for the first time at AOS 2023. The panel of local and international judges selected Mohd Shahlan Mohd Nasir with his custom Proton Arena as the winner to represent Malaysia to compete in the international finals.
Also debuting at the show was the first Miss Art Of Speed 2023 hosted by Cherry Bomb Pin-Up Parlour. The crowning champion of Miss Pin-Up Art Of Speed 2023 was awarded to Ms Fathmanny who beat six other ladies in the competition for the first ever pin-up beauty pageant in Malaysia.
Other events that took place included the NoEqual.co’s NEAT Fest in Hall C which showcased a selection of cars from local racing teams, Off The Grid camping and outdoors exhibition also in Hall C, Hail Vintage in Hall D showcased a variety of vintage collectibles, automotive flea market and Kustom & Koffee Talk in Hall A discussed the latest trends in the motorcycle industry.
The Streetware Con in Hall D featured streetwear fashion. Other event-exclusive collaborative merchandise included Hikari Riders, IGL Coatings, Skillo, Thread Division and Mooneyes.
The test ride zone for bikes featured brands such as Royal Enfield, Vespa, Aprilia, Triumph and Harley-Davidson.
There were also food trucks and mobile food vendors who provided a variety of food options for visitors at the Food Park located at the basement floor of Hall D.
The crowd’s favourite SoundCircus music festival hosted by Harley-Davidson and Bro Asia attracted a crowd attendance of over 6,000 on both days. This year’s line-up included Superman Is Dead, No Good, Plague of Happiness, MC16, Skudap Skudip, Dum Dum Tak, Krusty, Restraint, Naratu, and Armpunk Sindicate.
The Harley-Davidson Battle of The Band winner was Chltpdy and will be sponsored by H-D to perform at an overseas festival later this year.
The winners of Best of Show motorcycle and automobile categories won package trips to the Mooneyes 31st Annual Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show that will be held on December 3, 2023.
The lucky draw giveaways for visitors on both days were a Zeus e-bike which was won by Norilah Mohd Norzri from Johor Bahru on Saturday, and a 1979 Toyota Celica that was fully customized by AOSM was won by Rizal Bin Azman from Perak.
