Mandy and Michael Bloomfield with their grand-daughter, Alexi, and their Willys Tourer.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
A rally showcasing some of the best and brightest vintage automobiles will be pulling up in Cobram soon.
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In time for its 45th anniversary, the Willys-Overland Club of Victoria is celebrating all things about the versatile vehicles with a series of events across the district this month.
“It’s very important for the club because it is its 45th birthday,” club co-founder Michael Bloomfield said.
“We formed in 1980, in Melbourne, a group of eight fellas, and it blossomed from there.”
Since then, the club has gone from strength to strength, attracting enthusiasts of the car brand from across Australia.
“The earliest car we’ve got is a 1910 Willys-Overland, all the way up into the 1950s,” Mr Bloomfield said.
Mr Bloomfield’s passion for the American-built cars has burned since he was a boy.
“It all started with my grandfather and my dad. My grandfather had a Willys, and then my dad had a Willys ute, which he used for work for collecting scrap metal,” he said.
“I always grew up with them as a youngster.”
Mr Bloomfield with the upholstered dickie seat of his 1937 Willys Roadster.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
The Willys-Overland Club of Victoria’s 45th Anniversary Rally starts on Sunday, August 24, at the RACV Resort.
It will then go on tour across the district, gracing destinations such as the Silo Trail, the Tocumwal Aerodrome and Cactus Country.
The event will culminate with a display day at Thompsons Beach on Friday, August 29, beside the Beach Cafe.
Everyone is welcome to have a look and take a photo or two.
“If people want to come along and have a look at some of the different cars, that’s where we’ll be,” Mr Bloomfield said.
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