Classic Australian-made V8 takes politics to petrolheads
Roy Butler’s 1979 Ford FC LTD is not your usual politician’s car.
NSW
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Politicians driving around in cars with their names emblazoned on the side is not unusual; after all, it makes for good publicity.
But a pollie slapping vinyl decals displaying a massive map of their electorate onto the bonnet is unique.
That is what Barwon MP Roy Butler has done on his 1979 Ford FC LTD. Packing the 351 (5.8 litre V8) motor, the LTD was a flagship of Australian made luxury 46 years ago.
Butler, a petrol head, picked it up in June last year, and he’s been taking it to car shows in his massive electorate.
Barwon is by far the largest electorate in the state, covering Condobolin to Broken Hill and Gilgandra to Lightning Ridge.
And forget EV range anxiety – he can get to Ivanhoe, 830 kilometres from Parliament House, on two full tanks of petrol.
“It’s the sort of car you can jump in and drive a long distance, as I’ve done to Ivanhoe and back into Sydney – it loves the open road,” he says.
He reckons the vinyl wrap is a conversation starter to engage with voters in regional NSW.
“Taking this old cars to a meet up of enthusiasts lets them know I share their passion, and it makes a discussion much easer,” he says.
Butler picked up the LTD for just shy of $20,000. But as for how many kilometres she has under her belt, that’s a mystery.
“The odometer on that car stopped working at 289,000 so I don’t know how many k’s,” he says.
“The speedo works … the odometer does not.”
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