There was something for everyone at Yarra Glen Racecourse on Sunday, November 10 when the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club of Australia and the Chrysler Restorer’s Club came together to put on a show with a difference.
As the sun shone down on the expansive grounds of the Yarra Glen horse racing club a vast array of classic trucks, cars and buses rolled into place to present an eclectic mix of chrome, metal and machine.
Classic Fords, stunning Chrysler’s, restored ambulances, a fire truck or two, a hearse, trucks and buses from all manner of brands, past and present, filled the grounds, as their owners and spectators mingled to the sounds of classic rock from a live band.
Fresh from a two-week stint driving hay to farmers in need from South Australia, Volwreck director Graeme Troutbeck loaded up his Volvo FH16 with two of his restoration projects, a 1972 Volvo F86 and a Volvo FL10.
For Graeme, who missed last year’s show because of the timing of the annual charity hay run, Yarra Glen is a chance to catch up with friends and support the HCVCA, of which he is a member.
For Dennis Brooks this year’s show presented an opportunity to showcase a rare piece of Australia’s transport history in the shape of his 1936 Scammell Mechanical Horse.
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The three-wheeled green machine evolved out of a decision by the British railways in the 1930s to commission a light truck to replace the horses used to deliver goods and parcels from rail yards and stations.
Heavy truck manufacturer Scammell eventually took on the challenge and developed a 3 and a 6 ton Mechanical Horse that came with three trailers — one being loaded, one in transit and one unloaded.
Dennis says there were around 30,000 Horses built between 1933 and 1948 and 13,000 Scarabs of a similar design built between 1948 and 1967.
His Horse came from Tamworth in NSW and was bought, sight unseen, in October 2000.
“It has a number of interesting features, not readily visible is the double reduction rear axle. The ratio of this one is 9.25:1 which allows a 6 ton combination (with trailer) rating.”
The Horse has a two-litre engine producing 40 BHP.
Dennis attended the show for the first time with his daughter Sue Hargrave, with the pair intent on making the most of the day out and sharing the experience with family around the world who were unable to make it along on the day.
Among the other eclectic finds of the day was Paul Bedford’s 1973 Isuzu Bedford (yep, that was a thing back then).
Paul bought the truck in 2012 with to use and a mobile home and set about teaching himself about restorations, re-fitting the spacious interior to suit his travel needs, while re-painting and updating the exterior to keep the old truck rolling along for a while longer.
He says the time had come to sell the truck to give him more time to spend on restoring a vintage car he’d recently acquired.
For Matteo De Lorenzi, a day out at Yarra Glen offered a chance to dream and to marvel at the commercial vehicles of old.
Still a young fella, Matteo says he hopes he’ll be able to find a way to become involved in the industry and own a truck of his own in the future.
On the business side of things father and son team Sebastian and Karl Murray were along in support of Bayswater Truck Centre, happily sharing a range of Kenworth merchandise with a truck loving public keen to explore what was on offer.
Boxes of rare spares, tools, stickers, posters and diecast vehicles were on show at other stands on the day, providing guests with the chance to update their collections, decorate the shed, or finally fix that annoying electrical problem that had popped up on their latest restoration.
For the car lovers among the crowd, there was a great mix of classic chrome the 1900s onwards, with the Chrysler section proving particularly busy.
All up about 100 trucks were on show, along with 50 buses and close to 100 cars.
Historic Commercial Vehicle Club of Australia vice-president Frank Mercuri took to Facebook to reflect on Sunday’s festivities.
“Thank you to all the people who chose to join the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club and Chrysler Restorers Club combined display day at Yarra Glen Racecourse,” Frank says.
“The weather was perfect, we had a great turnout, but there was plenty of room for more, so keep that in mind for next year.
“The day went off without a hitch and everyone that came along, to display and the general public who joined us to have a look appeared to enjoy the day.
“So, thank you all for making it a great day and we look forward to making it bigger and better next second weekend in November 2025.”
To find out more about the Historic Commercial Vehicle Association go to www.hcvc.com.au
For more photos from the day be sure to check out the December edition of Deals on Wheels, on sale December 16, 2024
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