Retired accountant Barry Rose achieved what he’s described as a “dream come true” by winning a bronze medal at the 25th Model A Ford National Meet.
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The former panel shop worker decided in 2008 to purchase a “sad” old 1928 Model A Ford and restore it at his property outside Young on the Kingsvale Road.
Barry restored the vehicle to mint condition and, along with his wife Margaret, in late September drove it from Young to Murray Bridge in South Australia for this year’s bi-annual National Meet.
The trip took three nights, arriving on the fourth day, and involved stints of 350kms per day hitting a top speed of 75km/hr. They did it all again on the way home.
To cap it all off, their vehicle was announced as one of the best “restored to its original” at the National Meet beginning on October 2 and finishing on October 7.
“To pick up that award was unreal. To be in a place with more than 500 people at a presentation dinner and to have your car number read out, it was quite an accolade,” Barry Rose said.
“We averaged about 75km/hr so we had plenty of time to see the country side. There were a lot of B-Doubles and road trains but we never felt endangered. It was really a dream come true.”
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About 200 entrants threw their Model A Fords in the ring for a chance to win a wide range of prizes.
Various models were on show from all Australian states as well as New Zealand and USA.
“I worked in a panel shop as a kid and I guess part of those skills are still there. I’ve had time on my hands, I’ve restored two or three vehicles in the past so I decided to try a Model A Ford.
“The full restoration was from ground up and was completed over a period of five years in 2013. All aspects of the restoration, excluding the motor, were carried out by myself, therefore the journey to Murray Bridge was our way of celebrating 90 years of our Model A Ford 1928 – 2008.”
