There were plenty of opportunities to get a close look at the stunning vintage and classic vehicles assembled at NRMA’s Motorfest 2008. Not so for two vehicles which sat side-by-side on the upper stretches of Macquarie Street. This father/son double-act really pulled the crowds.
Crouching low on its haunches as if ready to pounce was Colin Broadbent’s 1970 mid-metallic blue GT500 Shelby Mustang. Beside it sat a meticulously restored 1957 Chevy Bel Air belonging to Colin’s father, Tom. A crowd of admiring spectators bustled around both vehicles, competing for a good vantage point.
Colin has raced his Mustang at club race days so it isn’t just a good-looker. Under the bonnet sits a 428 cubic-inch (equivalent to 7.3 litres) Super Cobra Jet engine. Asked what he thinks is the special appeal of the car, Colin reckons it’s his car’s aggressive styling and the appearance of Mustangs in modern films such as Gone in 60 seconds which have made them objects of motoring lust.
As for Colin himself - a life-long Ford fan and Mustang devotee - the car is quite simply the ultimate ’Stang.
His father, however, is a General Motors man, which sounds like a recipe for intra-family tension if ever there was one.
Tom’s Chevy was almost a wreck when he bought it as a run-around for the family. He had restored many two-door vintage cars before but wanted the practical benefits of having a four-door.
When Tom set out to restore the Bel Air, he grafted a new front end to the car, installed a late-model, computerised 6.0-litre V8 engine, airconditioning and a digital dash. He also adapted the car from left- to right-hand-drive. The resulting restoration was an extraordinary Chevy.
So, is there any father-son rivalry between these two car fanatics?
“We do niggle each other from time to time,” said Tom, “but it’s not like we sit in front of the TV watching Bathurst, one wearing red, the other wearing blue.
“We love our own cars, obviously,” Tom explained, “but we also get a kick out of bringing them to an event where people can admire them both.
“It’s only recently that we’ve been displaying the cars together, so it was exciting to bring them here to Motorfest this year.”
Open Road March/April 2008
Car reviews
