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Archive

The VCCA(Q) Archive Group seeks to record club history through print, photo, film and oral histories.

 

The Archive Group comprises:

​

                     Peter Arnold           Mob 0417 615 149    Email parnold4@bigpond.com

                     Greg Hill                  Mob 0412 676 871    Email gregoryrhill@optusnet.com.au

                     Steve Forster          Mob 0487 267 777    Email steveforster330@gmail.com

                     John Day                  Mob 0427 734 350   Email jday3@bigpond.net.au

 

Please help to accurately record our proud history by contacting any of the above if you can contribute in any way.  All approaches will be welcomed.

1953 Genevieve, the movie.  

This 1953 romantic comedy featured Genevieve, a 1904 Darracq and a 1905 Spyker in a “race” from London to Brighton. Apart from being a box office hit, the movie was the catalyst for heightened interest in veteran cars and the formation of Veteran Car Clubs around the world, including here in Queensland.  Genevieve the car is still a regular entrant in London to Brighton Rallies. As at 2023, both cars now live in the Louwman Museum in The Hague, Netherlands.

1959 Golden Fleece Rally

The 6th June 1959 saw the Centenary of Queensland's separation from NSW.

This was commemorated on 15th August 1959, when the Golden Fleece Sponsored Centenary Veteran Car Rally travelled from the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds to the new Lennons Hotel, in the sand hills of Broadbeach.

 

92 veteran vehicles from every State except Western Australia took part.  Golden Fleece sponsorship covered fuel and lubricants, meals and accommodation at Lennons, a level of sponsorship only dreamed of today.

This home movie was taken by Entrant 39, Mr C Wagener who drove his 1916 Studebaker from Adelaide for the event.  In part, it covers the trip to Brisbane, the start at the Exhibition Grounds and lunch at Mt Gravatt Showgrounds. Then on to the finish, showing Broadbeach after rutile sand mining and before subsequent residential development. The early neon signs of Surfers Paradise led Mr Wagener to build Adelaide’s first motel on his return. The Video Title incorrectly shows 1957, instead of 1959.

1964 Boonah Gymkhana

In July 1964, the Veteran Car Club of Queensland and the Vintage Car Club of Queensland held a gymkhana at Black Pinch on Teviot Brook, 4 miles from Boonah. This home movie was shot by Vintage Club member Nev Doherty in his 1923 air cooled 2 cylinder Rover, which naturally features in the film.

1967 The Seekers driving Gilltrap Cars

In 1967 the Australian super group THE SEEKERS, played to over 200,000 fans at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. That year in a TV special, THE SEEKERS took their viewers on a sightseeing musical tour around parts of Australia, including the Gold Coast. This clip from “The Seekers Downunder” shows a cavalcade of cars from Gilltrap’s Auto Museum.  Featured are THE SEEKERS in a 1909 Renault, followed by Genevieve, the 1904 Darracq, a 1911 Hupmobile 20, 1908 Vulcan, 1909 Model T Ford and 1915 Baker Electric.  

1950's - 1970's Nev Dorman Movies

This is a 27 minute collection of Toowoomba member Nev Dorman’s  home movies from the late 1950's to early 1970's of Darling Downs events. Mostly in black and white.  Some great memories of people,  rallies, processions, early Toowoomba swap meets etc.  

1970 International Veteran and Vintage Rally

In 1970, Australia was awash with projects to commemorate 200 years since the arrival on Australia's East Coast of Captain James Cook.  242 Vintage and 209 Veteran cars with 38 motorcycles from every Australian state, United Kingdom, New Zealand, USA, Brazil, and South Africa drove the 1000 mile route from Sydney to Melbourne.  

Queensland National Tour 1976

For decades the various States hosted a National Tour for Veteran and Vintage vehicles. When it was Queensland’s turn again in 1990, we noted that veterans were being left at home in favour of vintage vehicles. We held the first National All Veteran Rally in Warwick. (See the excellent video of this event elsewhere in these archives.) The all-veteran format has been adopted ever since.
 

Here is a home movie, courtesy of Wally and Bev Lanagan, of the 1976 National Tour, held at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast. It attracted 320 entries. Doug Partington was the Rally Organiser, with major sponsorship from local land developer TM Burke (Qld) Pty. Ltd. through its Manager Peter Sharpe. This film is a record of how National events were, before the all-veteran format was adopted.

1978 Internation Rally

This is a home movie by Toowoomba member Nev Dorman, showing veteran and vintage cars and bikes passing through Toowoomba.

1980's Kern Classic Rallies

The Kern Corporation was a major property developer in Queensland in the 1970/80s. Member Phil Fletcher negotiated a deal with Kern to run “Kern Classic Rallies” for veteran, vintage and classic vehicles, annually from 1984 to 1987. This injected $40,000 into our clubroom’s funds. First prize each year, drawn out of the hat of all entrants, was return air fares for two to London and a ride in a London to Brighton Rally. Arguably these are still the greatest rally prizes in the history of the
old car movement in Australia.
Here is a home movie compilation of the 1985 to 1987 Kern Classic Rallies.  Note, the video in these films does flicker a fair bit at times, as a result of the quality of the film when it was digitised.  

1990 Warwick National Rally

Up until 1990, The Veteran Car Club of Australia, through its member State Clubs, hosted a National event for Veteran and Vintage vehicles. It became apparent, that owners were leaving their Veterans at home and bringing Vintage to these events. VCCA(Q) decided to limit entries to Veteran only. With 140 entries, the format was a success and has been followed ever since.

1994 VCCA(Q) Clubhouse

See the construction of our Clubrooms at Carindale and its official opening on 5 March 1994, by Her Excellency Mrs Leneen Forde, Governor of Queensland and Patron of VCCA(Q).  Read the recorded history of the 25 year Clubrooms project here.  

1998 Gympie National Rally

The 1998 Gympie National Veteran Rally attended by entrants from all over Australia.  

2005 National Veteran Rally Toowoomba

Toowoomba was the venue for 144 entries in the RACQ NATIONAL VETERAN CAR TOUR FOR 2005. 

Slideshow of vehicles from the 2005 National Rally.  

2012 VCCA(Q) Ipswich National Tour

The Media Studies students of the Univesity of Southern Queensland produced this official video of the City of Ipswich National Veteran Tour of 2012.  A total of 142 Veteran entries attended.  

2021 London to Brighton Tribute Rally

During the Covid pandemic, our Veteran Club activity was somewhat curtailed. When our Bundaberg members proposed a “London to Brighton Tribute Rally” on the weekend before the actual London to Brighton Rally, we jumped at the opportunity. Around 30 Veterans gathered for a memorable day on the Esplanade at Burnett Heads. 

This is the video of that event, which we produced and then sent to the Royal Automobile Club in London. They liked our initiative and replied with the letter attached here.

Reply from Royal Automobile Club London
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