To celebrate the centenary of the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC), the organisation lined up a diverse mix of 100 vehicles to represent each year since its inception, presenting a unique panorama of the life of mobility in Australia since the end of the Great War.
The centennial cavalcade, played out on Victorian roads last week, ended with a show ‘n’ shine in Bendigo and family-oriented activities including food fairs and entertainment, and ending in the night with a centennial gala dinner hosted by the VACC.
The VACC was formed in Bendigo on September 20, 1918. The central Victorian city was chosen by the chamber as the site of the celebrations and the location of a commemorative bronze plaque at the original location within the Bendigo Chamber of Commerce.
Highlights of the special vehicles in the 100-vehicle line-up included the 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage used in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; the 1947 Rover P2 Sports Saloon featured in The Dressmaker; the 1932 Chrysler Imperial owned by gangster Legs Diamond; a unique 1939 Hanomag Beetle prototype; and a 1968 Holden HK 327 GTS Monaro with Bathurst history.
Military vehicles included a 1943 Dodge Command Car, a 1944 Mack Truck prime mover capable of carrying a heavy tank and a 1945 Willys Jeep.
Other notable vehicles included a 1923 Single Door Fiat Gentleman’s Roadster, 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1, 1936 DeSoto S1 Airstream Deluxe, 1952 Austin Loadstar motorhome, 1954 Austin-Healey 100S, 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’, 1958 Lancia B24 Aurelia Convertible, a rare 1975 Leyland Force 7, 1986 Ferrari Testarossa, 2016 Toyota Mirai and 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe.
By Neil Dowling
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