Show-stoppers – that’s what the 135 vintage vehicles were when they arrived into Trundle on the morning of Saturday, May 5.
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The cars were in the Parkes Shire for the pre-1931 Vintage and Veteran Autumn Tour, held from Friday to Sunday, May 4-6.
These antique beauties caught the eyes of residents when so many were spotted about Parkes’ CBD on the Friday morning, prior to heading to Peak Hill and the Parkes Radio Telescope that afternoon.
“There were nine or 10 coming back together from the Dish, they were the only ones on the road at the time and it just looked so magical,” Parkes Antique Motor Club (PAMC) president Tony Horsington said.
“It looked magnificent.
“They stopped traffic everywhere they went.”
The 135 vehicles included 130 cars, a motorcycle, a 1927 Harley Davidson and a couple of vintage trucks.
Tony said the participants in the only heritage car tour held this year were rapt with the event.
“Everybody was extremely pleased, we’ve had so many good reports about the club and how everything was run,” he said.
“Everybody thought the runs were good, it was a good distance with flat country roads and there’s wasn’t too much traffic.
“Some said it’s the largest number of pre-1931 cars they’ve seen in the one spot in their memory.
“That’s not a bad tick in the right box.”
The tour included a trip out to Trundle on Saturday morning, with motorists aiming to arrive in Trundle’s main street just ahead of the arrival of the ABBA train for the Trundle ABBA Festival.
And what a reception they were given as they arrived, one by one.
Crowds gathered by the side of the road cheering, applauding and snapping photos of the cars that ranged from 110 years old to 87 years old.
The 135 antique vehicles lined Trundle’s main street for almost as far as the eye could see.
Festival goers – and anyone else who was in Trundle at the time – had the opportunity to get up close to the vehicles for a few hours and meet the drivers, of whom some travelled interstate.
The Parkes Racecourse acted as the tour headquarters over the weekend, with the cars and its owners heading home Sunday morning after having breakfast.
PAMC also hosted a tour presentation dinner at the Parkes Services Club on the Saturday night.
The last time Parkes hosted a tour of this kind was during Easter in 2014.
“There’s not many pre-1931 vehicles left in Australia so to get that many pre-1931 vehicles here is pretty big,” Tony said.
“We were hoping for 100 or just over, to get 130 was good.
“At the motel near East Street on the Friday night, every car parked in its car park was a pre-1931 car, it just looked absolutely fantastic.
“We the club, really appreciate those who attended the tour, we had people travel from the north of Brisbane and as far as Melbourne.
“Only 30 cars were trailered, the rest were all driven...It’s a long journey at 80km an hour,” he laughed.
“They all thoroughly enjoyed the rally and said it was the cheapest they’ve been to in a while.”
Tony also wanted to thank the National Trust of Australia (NSW) for its sponsorship of the event, saying how grateful PAMC was for its support.
