Toned-down Summernats hits brakes for 2014

"Show us your ... spare parts."

Yes, Summernats has toned down since its infamous days of strip shows, wet T-shirt contests and racy catchcries.

"People consume alcohol and some things get said, but it's not to a degree where it's abusive or offensive," promotional model Rebecca McIntyre said of her work on Sunday, the last day of Australia's largest annual street machine festival in Canberra.

"We just take it as a joke," her colleague, Michelle Jakic, added.

As the four-day event winds down, two people had been taken into protective custody by police as of 1pm (AEDT) on Sunday, with neither man charged.

But it's worth remembering the festival was at risk of folding five years ago, following national coverage for all the wrong reasons.

After some visitors were kicked out during the 2008 event for misbehaving, a mob of about 300 marched around the Exhibition Park venue yelling "Angry mob" and chanting for women to expose their breasts.

A change of ownership since has led to a more family-friendly event, with muscle cars and bands such as the Living End again the primary forms of entertainment.

"You see a lot of kids around with their dads, they have a real family thing going," Ms McIntyre said.

"It's definitely not as rowdy and infamous as people think."

Festival co-owner Andy Lopez said this year's Summernats was on track to equal or beat last year's crowd of 101,486.

"It's been fantastic for crowd behaviour this year," he said.

Organisers announced earlier this week they would take the festival to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for four days in late August.

Good thing the catchcries have toned down.