Besides hunting for car bargains last Sunday, the 70,000 visitors which thronged Cats Classified’s Car-nival at Singapore Expo also had an eyeful of race queens competing for their attention.

Car-nival's first-ever race queen pageant saw some 60 svelte ladies put through a rigorous selection process that assessed them on their catwalking and posing skills, knowledge of cars, and not least, their panache and confidence, aptly termed the “Race Queen Factor”.

The coveted title of Car-nival 2009 Race Queen eventually went to 18-year-old Nicola Bennett, who impressed with her alluring Eurasian features, lithe 1.62-metre frame, and clever wit.

For winning the title, Nicola bagged a cash prize of $2,000 and a portfolio session with a professional photography studio.