Strolling the length of Junction Place on Sunday was a time warp, the vintage cars on display taking admirers further back into history with every model.
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The collection of 40 historic automobiles and motorbikes was rolled out for the inaugural RACV Antique Wheels of Yesteryear event.
Antique Car Club Albury-Wodonga events co-ordinator Jim McDougall said the idea was brought together with veteran cars in mind.
“One of our committee members approached RACV and another approached Wodonga Council, and we got it all together,” he said.
“We wanted to promote our car clubs and Junction Place.
“We’ve got cars which are pre-1919, so 100-year-old cars, and then we have vintage cars, lined up in year of manufacture.”
Right at the beginning of the line was Paul Williams of Staghorn Flat with his 1911 Wolsley, the oldest car there.
“It originally came from a school up near Orange – it was an automotive project and the fella who was running it had students working on it,” he said.
“His wife got cancer and he had to leave, so the project got shelved, and I bought it.”
Mr Williams said he had been progressively building on the school’s work over the past five years.
“It’s 20-horsepower, with a nine-foot-eight wheelbase … I’ve had to manufacture a lot of parts myself.
“I haven’t seen another one like it in Australia.
“The kids love tooting the horn – it’s very Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”
The Chevys and Studebakers were also joined by a collection of antique motorbikes, with the 1911 Bradbury the oldest two-wheeler.
Chris Gay of Wodonga was halfway in the line-up with his on-the-market 1928 Rugby Tourer, which he hopes to replace with a newer vintage.
“It was restored probably 15 years ago, and for 10 years of that it didn’t receive much love at all,” he said.
“I got it from Kialla and started to fix it up.
“It’s a Canadian car – it’s got wooden-spoked wheels, four-wheel brakes, and a three-speed gearbox.
“I just love polishing it.”
Mr McDougall said he was pleased with the patronage and hoped to turn back the clock again next year with an even bigger showcase of yesteryear’s wheels.
“Everyone comments on which car they like,” he said.
“We get people remembering their first cars, racing on the speedways – it couldn’t have been better.”