Sixteen four cylinder Chevrolets and their owners from around Australia have made a pit stop in Young for the week as part of their 16th Annual Chev Four Tour.
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Every year organisers pick a town and drivers hit the road, taking their vehicles away from the city and into the country.
This year’s lucky year was Young.
The Chevs arrived in town on Monday morning, making their first appearance in the Young Visitor Information Centre car park.
“We have cars that have come from Bundaberg through to Melbourne,” tour coordinator Michael Frew said.
“One’s been driven here from Melbourne! Most of us trailer-it.”
The models range from 1914 – 100 years old this year – to 1928.
Bob Schuhkraft from Thorpdale, Victoria brought along his 1914 Chev Royal Mail model, which is the first of its kind to use the “bow tie”, the Chevrolet logo.
“They brought out the four cylinders to compete against Henry Ford, it’s the first of the four cylinders,” he said.
“It has a lone-type clutch instead of a disc clutch, three forward speeds and one reverse, [and] it’s got acetylene headlights and kerosene side and tail lights.”
Which means Bob can only drive it during the day!
Locals had a chance to marvel in history at the Visitor Centre before the group headed to the Chinese Tribute Gardens for lunch and more public attention and the Lambing Flat Museum that afternoon.
Yesterday they visited Harden, today it’s the Taubman and Webb Trading Post in Murringo and tomorrow they’ll see Iandra Castle.
The cars head home Saturday morning.
The crew is staying at the Cherry Blossom Hotel and invite anyone in town who’d like to chat, show them old photos of their vehicles or to see the 16 Chevs to come down.
“We will be there most afternoons,” fellow tour coordinator Dave Perry said.
Dave said they conduct a tour every year to give themselves the opportunity to drive them and for people to enjoy them.
He said they chose to drive to country areas because they are more user friendly to old cars than the city.
“Country areas are used to tractors driving 20 miles an hour – not that we’re tractors,” he laughed.
“But this time of year it’s beautiful… [and] country towns have more to offer and they’re friendlier.
“They (country people) chat and wave to you, rather than the one finger salute and tell you to get off the road.”