Brisbane‘s rare car owners share how they scored their rides
The owners of some of Brisbane and Australia's rarest cars, who joke they treat them better than their children, share the stories behind how they got them and what they’re really worth. SEE THE PHOTOS
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With only a handful or less of them being driven around Australia, the owners of these rare cars share how they got these beauties, with one completely rebuilt from a rusted shell, in honour of a previous owner and friend who passed away just after purchase.
Car enthusiasts tell us there’s just something nostalgic and special about looking after, driving and displaying gorgeous cars from a bygone era.
Coming with high price tags, you can spot these cars and their owners at the upcoming Cooly Rocks On festival, Australia’s largest nostalgia festival, June 7-11 at Coolangatta.
Scroll below to meet the passionate owners and hear their story about these incredible cars.
The Mancave and ‘Chick Corner’
It’s not very often you see a mancave with the husband’s classic car, joined by a designated chick’s corner with another classic car, side-by-side in the shed.
That is the situation for Bryan (65) and Tracey Little (60), with Mr Little’s 1960 Ford Sunliner convertible, ‘Monty’ and Mrs Little’s 1965 army green Westfalia Kombi with a rare ‘turret’ pop-top, named ‘Charlie’.
Monty is only one of six 1960 Ford Sunliner convertibles in Australia and Charlie is only one of seven Westfalia Kombi’s with a rare ‘turret’ pop-top in the country.
The Little’s can recount the detailed ownership history of their cars.
Mr Little purchased Monty seven years ago from the renowned owner of 37 rare cars from Geelong, Robert Stanton.
The 65-year-old flew to Melbourne and went to Geelong, where he funnily went for a test drive with Robert around Geelong, with the convertible’s top down on a brisk 12 degree day.
Mr Little said he is grateful Mr Stanton did a lot of work on Monty for the 15 years he owned it.
“There’s six of these in Australia I know of and only three in Queensland, one at the Sunny Coast and one in Mt Cotton,” Mr Little said.
“A white one was sold in Melbourne eight years and another four years ago, owned by rock and roller Johnny O’Keefe.
“You cruise up the Bruce Highway and its amazing how many motorcyclists sit in your right hand side blind mirror.
“And the amount of people in cars that drive next to us, with the window down and a camera out.
“Down at Cooly’s we watch the crowds of people wanting to have a look inside it.
“The tough tattooed bikies are leaving their wives behind to see it.”
The love of cars and classic cars for Mr Little, originally from New Zealand, started as a kid when his dad spent time working for Rolls Royce.
“I like the simplicity of the old cars,” Mr Little said.
“You‘ve got a steering wheel, none of these modern electronic gadgets and a radio you never turn on because you want to hear the rumble of the engine.
“My car has done two VB Supercar parade laps.
“We got opportunities we never thought we would’ve had and you meet phenomenal people.”
Mrs Little spent two years searching for her Kombi and said she could’ve told you every single Kombi for sale in New Zealand and Australia.
“I went onto a Kombi Facebook page where a guy put a post about a Kombi for sale up,” Mrs Little said.
“I did my homework and maths and at the end of it, flew down to Sydney on a Sunday.
“Went for a drive around Bondi Beach and Coogee Beach before making an offer.
“She’s a little beauty and makes people smile.
“It’s like going for a picnic and the beach in the 60s.
“It provides memories of when people went camping back when they were kids.”
The 60-year-old wasn’t looking for a rare car, just something fun to drive and it was just a bonus when her research revealed how rare Charlie was.
“Charlie was my dad’s name, I didn’t get to hang out with him much so I look at it as I’m hanging out with my dad,” Mrs Little said.
“Mines not an everyday driver.
“She‘s got a b***h of a steer on her, typical Kombi.
“I use her as my company car as a wedding celebrant.
“We know we’re the current custodians of the vehicles and we have to preserve them the best we can for the next owner.”
“Monty was rebuilt in Belmont and the paint colour is Belmont blue,” Mrs Little said.
“I wasn’t allowed to call him Bel so that’s how we got to Monty.
“I’ve got no brothers and sisters, my grandfather was a diesel mechanic and as a kid I’d watch him for hours working on cars and other things.
“She’s (Charlie) treated better than my kids to be honest.
“There off in London and I said if you won’t offer grandkids, I’ll buy a dog and a Kombi.
“Charlie drives like a drunken sailor sometimes.
“If a semi-trailer goes past on the highway, the wind gust will push it a bit.”
The Old Crow
Logan’s Jim Vanarey bought the ‘shell’ of a 1959 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery, only one of three in Australia, off a friend who passed away just three months after the sale.
The ‘59 Chevrolet, ‘The Old Crow’, was purchased by Mr Vanarey’s friend Don in New Mexico, before the Logan man hounded him for three-and-a-half-year's until buying the shell of the sedan for $9,200 in September, 1996.
It took Mr Vanarey 15 years to completely restore the sedan to the stunning form it is in today.
An interested buyer offered to buy it for $135,000 at last year’s Cooly Rocks On.
Don called Mr Vanarey after he purchased the sedan and told him to come and have a look at it.
“I saw the car and I sad how much, he said it's not for sale, well what the hell did you bring me down here for.” Mr Vanarey said.
“It was just to piss me off.
“Long story short, I hounded him for three-and-a-half-year's to sell it to me.
“He rang me and asked if I was interested.
“I went down, bought it and took it back to the workshop.
“Put the cover over it and three months later he passed away
“There were five guys chasing the car.
“Don’s wife told me he said if anyone gets the car, it’s gotta be Jim.
“So I fixed it up as a tribute.”
Mr Vanarey’s Sedan Delivery was number 17 off the General Motors production line in 1959 and the first V8.
Manufactured for only one year, 3,200 were built, with 80-100 left on the road in America.
A spray-painter and panel beater of classic cars for 37 years, Mr Vanarey said it was difficult finding quality parts to restore the Sedan Delivery to it‘s former glory, from the rusted shell he purchased.
“I’ve always like odd-bod stuff,” Mr Vanarey said.
“People will laugh If I tell them my favourite car is a Citroen Goddess.
“They were engineered way before their time.
“I say they’re beautiful and they say it is ugly.
“People said it‘s (The ‘59 Chevrolet) worth hundreds of dollars of scrap but I could see the finished product.”
After suffering a mild stroke last October and at the age of 75, Mr Vanarey said it’s getting harder and harder to maintain and work on The Old Crow.
“I’m getting a bit lazy but I’ve got a younger son whose into cars like I am,” Mr Vanarey said.
“I try to drive it once a fortnight at a car event.
“Up until two years ago, used to take it out three-four times a week.
“I played with cars all my life.
“I love the old cars.
“I drive a 2017 commodore ute and I hate the thing.
“They're all plastic, no style, no pretty lines to the cars these days.
“Now there bringing out these stupid electric Tesla things, I’d like to push one over a cliff.”
Famous Rides
Massive Supernatural and cosplay fans Rachel and Dan Ramsay have created a business out of ownership of a 1967 Chevrolet 4 door hardtop pillarless Impala, restored back to black to replicate ‘Baby’ from the hit got TV series Supernatural.
Baby is paired with ‘Amara’, a 1968 Chevrolet Convertible Impala restored with the classic Chevy white paint and beautiful blue interior.
The ‘67 Impala is only one of 200 right hand drive models which the couple purchased in Newcastle last year for $35,000, before undergoing a $115,000, 10 month restoration, to make it an exact replica of Baby from Supernatural.
Holden produced those 200 right hand models for only two years.
It was sold by the daughter of the previous owner who had passed away, bought the car in the ‘80s and used the Impala as his daily drive.
The day after they picked it up again from the shop when restoration was complete, it was on show at Supernova Brisbane.
“We launched the car at Supernova in April and people were so excited,” Mrs Ramsay said.
“They saw the boot and it was the icing on the cake for people.
“It has all the replica weapons from the show like the demon blade, angle blade and angel tablet.
“We had to source parts from America and now we have contacts over there.”
To compliment Baby for their car hire business Famous Rides, the couple purchased Amara for $45,000 at an Lloyds Auctions last July, with the white and black combo with Baby proving a hit for wedding hire.
Amara needed some bodywork and paint done, valued at $30,000.
“Amara, we had no idea when we bought it that it was a rare car, converted to right hand drive,” Mrs Ramsay said.
“Because somebody’s cut it up and changed it, it’s not a factory original anymore.
“If someone didn’t do that it would be worth a couple of hundred thousand dollars.”
Famous Rides gives customers the opportunity to hire Amara and Baby for weddings, formals, birthdays and other events.
Furthermore, the Ramsay’s offer a comprehensive Supernatural experience with a recreation of the show’s Season 1 Wendigo episode, involving a drive to the Springbrook National Park where customers can use replica weapons and other items from the show.
“I’ve always loved cars since I was a kid,” Mrs Ramsay said.
“I got out of another business earlier last year and needed something to do.
“I thought this would be a great experience to recreate for people.
“We’ve had a lot of book Supernatural cruises after Supernova.
“The whole experience is about the drive and not the destination.
“They get to experience what it was like in the TV show for Sam and Dean.”
Amara and Baby have to be serviced and checked before every job their hired for, with Mrs Ramsay adding the work is never done when it comes to any classic car.
Amara and Baby are poised to be featured at upcoming wedding expos, Supernova, Australian Comic Con and Harrigan’s Hot Rod and Customs Show.
“There’s just something about getting in an old car, smelling the petrol, hearing the engine when you drive along,” Mrs Ramsay said.
“It gives you this feeling of freedom.”
Moving forward with Famous Rides, the Ramsay’s want to add ‘Charge’ from Dukes of Hazzard’s and John Wick’s Mustang.
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