Community & Business
4 May, 2022
Car show draws huge crowd
Car enthusiast Des Pearce was amazed by the number of fellow aficionados and spectators who turned up in Pittsworth on a drizzly Sunday morning.
The reason was his Classics on the Downs car show.
Over $1,500 was raised for Beyond Blue.
Mr Pearce had promoted the event by word of mouth, a Sentinel ad and on social media, but the turnout on the day went well beyond expectations.
“I phoned a few people and asked if their club could bring a few vehicles,” Mr Pearce said.
“We just asked them to chip in $10 a car for Beyond Blue.”
Free entry and the spread-out site made crowd estimates impossible but conservatively there were several hundred people in and around the former soft drink factory.
By 11am there could have been 200 vehicles at the show, including spectators parked along surrounding streets.
Doing the barbecue, Pittsworth Men’s Shed was caught unawares too, selling out of sausages as quickly as they could get them from IGA.
Beyond Blue volunteer fundraiser Audra Pugh thanked Des Pearce and the GTR XU1 Torana Club for organising the event, and the other car clubs for participating.
“The support’s been wonderful,” Ms Pugh said.
“People have come from Toowoomba, Millmerran, Oakey, Crows Nest … all over. Des knows everyone.”
Clubs attending included Toowoomba Regional Inc Car Klub (TRICK), Old School Chrome and the Gore Highway Cruisers.
Des Pearce thanked Graeme Cook for allowing the use of the empty factory and its grounds.
Mr Pearce said he’s been collecting cars and doing them up for 40 years, a passion he still enjoys, adding to the dozens already in his collection.
He said the Torana GTR XU1 Club also wanted to make sure this year they celebrated the 50th anniversary of Peter Brock’s first victory at Bathurst, driving the six-cylinder icon.
King of the Mountain Brock was to repeat the feat another eight times over the next 14 years.
The 1972 Hardie Ferodo 500 was the last time the famous race was held over its original 500 miles.
From 1973, the race became even more gruelling at 1000 kilometres, 160 laps instead of 130.
- Alastair Silcock
