Sale Vintage Tractor Club Rally at Longford 2013

We went to the Sale Vintage Tractor Club Rally at the Longford Recreation Reserve on Sunday, March  3. It was great weather, lots of people to talk to and some interesting vehicles.

Our two trucks - 1974 1418 Benz and the 1976 Volvo - we took the Benz up on the back of the Volvo on the Topstart trailer. Some-one told me they were the shiniest trucks he has ever seen, no credit to me, John does all the truck washing.

Here's a line-up of some of the trucks.

Neat J-model Bedford owned by Keith Seers. 

Leigh Shield's 1945 Studebaker US6.

Bob Needham's 1964 EH Holden.

John Gramlick's 1961 Commer Knocker and 1970 Commer van.

Heather and Graham Cameron's Dodge and it's twin, below, owned by Andrew and Marion Main. According to Graham, their Dodge is a 1965 AT4 460, the Main's Dodge is also an AT4.

This is a 1917 Detroit Electric. It's quiet as a ghost, just glided in. These cars were produced from 1907 and the peak production was from around 1912 to 1920, when over 1,000 units were produced annually.  From the early 1930s they were produced for orders only and the company was finished by 1942. According to my source, The complete encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the present, edited by G.N Georgano (Ebury Press, 1968) the cars were popular with women, who wanted a simple car for urban use. It is an amazing car and is part of the Gippsland Vehicle Collection, based at the Maffra Shed. www.gippslandvehiclecollection.org.au I had no idea they produced an electric car, so many years ago, and it's way more exciting looking than a Prius.  Apparently the top speed is only about 32 kms per hour, so  not a problem if you do the Monash Freeway in peak hour, but may be a bit slow the rest of the time!

This is an Essex, another American car, despite what the name suggests.They were produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company, in Detroit, from 1918 to 1932. In 1929, the Company sold over 300,000 cars, which equated to over six per cent of total car registrations in the United States that year.

Ian Latham's Inter, above and the one, below, belongs to Merv Bennett. Merv's is an AA148 model.

Another set of twins - the 1949 Morris Commercial, above, belongs to John Burley and the one, below, to Neville Jackson.

 We love this REO - Tony and Glenys Hackett, are the owners. It's a 1957 Gold Comet.

This is a Scania - owned by John Ziebell.

A Peter Stoitse Kenworth, now owned by his grandson. Peter Stoitse, the founder of the Company that bears his name, passed away in September 2012.

Coleman's G88 Volvo, and because it's a Volvo, here it is again, below, this time with their traction engine on the back. 

A N12 Volvo - mid 1980s. Fans of Volvos would recognise that this one differs from our N10 Volvo in the following ways - this one has the European set back front axle thus the cabin is larger as has been extended to the rear and the bonnet and mudguard shape has also changed due to the set back axle. The fuel tanks have also changed shape - to round tanks.

This is a White Road Boss, owned by Norm and Barb Cook.