Heritage truck enthusiasts from south-east Queensland and beyond will roll into Beaudesert for the Heritage Truck Association of Australia’s 2022 Annual Show on 15-16 October.
It will be Beaudesert’s first time hosting the event, which has previously been held at Rocklea but is shifting here this year due to flood damage at its usual location.
The event at Beaudesert Showgrounds, will mark 20 years of the association, which was formed in 2002 to encourage the restoration and preservation of old trucks.
Beaudesert’s Mark Plunkett, an association member who has been instrumental in organising the show on home soil, said they were expecting a solid turn-out.
“We’ve got members all over Australia and in the past, we’ve had up to 200 trucks,” he said.
“There’s probably five or six members directly in Beaudesert and some have got multiple trucks. I’ve got two trucks and a tractor. I actually drove my 1975 model 1418 Mercedes Benz all the way from South Australia when I bought it, 1800km in about 40 degree heat with no air conditioning, but it was an adventure.”
Mr Plunkett said there was something special about old automobiles.
“It takes you back to your early days. I grew up in the passenger seat of one of Jim Salisbury’s trucks when I was 14 or 15, then I went and worked for him,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s cars or trucks – you always want to go back to something you had in those early days because it was special to you. You always remember your first car and wish you had one of those again.”
He encouraged locals to come take a look, even if they didn’t have old vehicles themselves, and said it would be a fun and affordable day out for the whole family.
The show will go from 8.30am to 4pm 15 October (official opening 10am) and 8am to 1pm Sunday. Tickets cost $5 for adults and children under 14 get in free.
Exhibitor entry is open to heritage cars, trucks and tractors over 30 years old.
For enquiries phone 0439 222 762 or 0417 644 199 (after hours) or visit https://heritagetruckassociation.com.au/
