Photo gallery: Toowoomba’s Reverence Car Meet draws big crowds at showgrounds

A vehicle older than World War I, believed to have been shipped to Toowoomba directly from France, has amazed crowds at a massive car meet. Gallery here.

Len and Rosemary Kennedy’s ownership of their priceless 1910 Renault Type AX, believed to be Toowoomba’s oldest roadworthy car, is a love affair that started more than 40 years ago.

“I found it in 1982 at an auction here in Toowoomba and I was a losing bidder on it – that’s 43 years ago (and) it was in a cardboard box, with a bag of bits,” Mr Kennedy said.

The 115-year-old vehicle, believed to have been shipped from France to Greenmount at the time by its original owner, was the showpiece item at the Reverence Car Meet at the Toowoomba Showgrounds on Saturday.

Toowoomba's Len and Rosemary Kennedy's 1910 Renault Type AX, which is believed to be the city's oldest roadworthy car, was the showpiece vehicle at the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

The two-cylinder, four-stroke car that includes candlelit headlights and a vintage bulb horn stunned audiences inside the Founders Pavilion as it drove up as part of the Concours D’Elegance (competition of elegance) parade.

Ms Kennedy said after allowing the car to slip through the couple’s fingers, they came upon it again many years later under unusual circumstances.

“All these years went by, while we rallied our Ford Model-T (that we bought at the same auction) and eventually we learnt that car got sold out of Toowoomba and went to Sydney for a few years, and then we didn’t know what happened to it,” she said.

“But then eventually we were heading to a rally in Toowoomba that people had come from all over Queensland for, and that car was broken down on the side of the road.”

Toowoomba's Len and Rosemary Kennedy's 1910 Renault Type AX, which is believed to be the city's oldest roadworthy car, was the showpiece vehicle at the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

The Kennedys organised for the Renault to be taken to their tyre shop for repairs, which is where they learnt it was the car they had wanted all those years ago.

“(The owner) said this car used to be in Toowoomba, and I said, ‘that’s our car, we tried to buy that’,” Mr Kennedy said.

“So jokingly over the years I’d say to them, ‘I’m really happy you’re polishing my brass so well and looking after our car so well’.”

Toowoomba's Len and Rosemary Kennedy's 1910 Renault Type AX, which is believed to be the city's oldest roadworthy car, was the showpiece vehicle at the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

Ms Kennedy said after the owner passed away from cancer about a year ago, his wife contacted the couple to offer the car.

“She rang us and said, ‘Tom wanted you to have the car, do you want to buy it – you don’t have to’,” she said.

“I said, ‘oh no I want to, don’t worry’, so we bought it.”

Hundreds of vehicles were on display for the drive-in car meet, which was organised by the Toowoomba Regional INC Car Klub.

Check out photos from the car meet below:

Attending the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds are (from left) Karen Hill and Michelle Washington.

Attending the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds is James Meara with his 1928 Hudson-made Essex Super Six.

Attending the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds are Bettina and Brad Bauser on their Honda mini-bikes.

Tommy Yates checks the old vehicles at the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

Attending the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds are (from left) Rob, Eliza and Georgie Breeze and Shay Scurr.

Attending the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds are (from left), Mark, Tommy, Carly and Annie Yates.

Attending the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds are (from left) Hudson, Caitlin and Daniel Martin, Jack Files, Ryleigh Martin and Georgie Welke.

Attending the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds is Jaiden Dall with her daughter Natalie.

Chris Mulhare showcased his 1970 Holden Torana GTR-XUI at the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

Bob Yalden showed off his 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air at the Reverence Car Show at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.