Just like old truckies and their trucks, Heritage Truck Show organisers improvised in the face of bad weather to deliver a record turnout of classic truck enthusiasts.
The Heritage Truck Association Australia’s annual Heritage Truck Show, which ran alongside the Brisbane Truck Show at the nearby Rocklea Showgrounds, was bigger than ever before – despite unfortunate weather conditions.
Since returning to its inaugural home in 2021, the Heritage Truck Show has continued to gain pace as the classic truck scene grows in popularity.
“You just have to look at the heritage truck movement, it’s just getting bigger and bigger and there’s so much interest in it,” HTAA President, Mark Plunkett, says.
Back in 2023 the show saw around 160 trucks and 2,000 visitors, but this year it eclipsed all expectations with 4,500 people rolling in through the doors to see a record 200-plus trucks on display – plus several iconic models on show at South Bank Parklands.
Some 4,500 people rolled through the gates to see a record 200-plus trucks on display, including a large line-up of rare and classic Kenworths and Macks. Images: Alastair Brook and Daniel Neucom
“We had about 4,500 people through the gates, which is considerably up on recent years,” he says.
“I didn’t really think it could get any bigger than 2023, but it definitely did!”
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though, with torrential rain the day before the show presenting a major issue – the trucks couldn’t park up on the oval without getting bogged…even with the diff locks on!
“The trucks started rolling in on the Friday, but we ended up in a bit of a pickle,” Mark says, chuckling.
“The showground itself was too wet to put the trucks onto the grass without them getting stuck.”
The show is about more than just old trucks – it’s about catching up with mates, reliving adventures out on the highway and doing it surrounded by beautiful old bangers. Images: Alastair Brook and Daniel Neucom
Mark and the Heritage Truck Association team have plenty of trucking experience between them, and a bit of mud wasn’t going to sully their spirits. The team put their heads together and decided that if they carefully parked the trucks at a 45-degree angle around the field, they’d just fit.
“We had to come up with another plan very quickly as to how the heck we were going to get 200 trucks into the showground,” he says.
“We backed the trucks into the fence and then around the ring, just off the track – but it was fairly hard. The layout actually ended up being exceptionally good – we learnt a lot about improvisation but also what looks good.”
When the gates opened at 8:30am Saturday, it was still overcast and Mark didn’t have high hopes.
“We were thinking that with the bad weather people might not come,” he says.
2025 Brisbane Truck Show Official Ambassador Casuarina Smith – better known as Trucking with CJ – was a big supporter of the Heritage Truck Show. Images: Alastair Brook and Daniel Neucom
“But the number of people that rolled in at that point really surprised us and it was a record day. Then Sunday turned out to be a glorious day and a lot of young families rolled in, so it was another record day then as well.”
For Mark, the Heritage Truck Show is all about reliving the good ol’ days, harking back to a time when trucks looked cool, sounded tough and went like stink. The truckies, too, were as tough as they come.
“The new ones are a bit bland, to be honest, but these old girls are just so rounded and stylish,” he says.
“Plus, you get to hear the old stories about the road, how they improvised to sort of get themselves out of situations because it was a different era. These days we get a taxi but in those days you got the shovel out!”
And this year’s show showcased a cracking lineup of rare vintage and classic trucks.
Taking centre stage was a beautifully restored 1988 Mack Super-Liner running a E9 V8 engine rated at 500 horsepower – named after cattle king Sir Sidney Kidman. Images: Alastair Brook and Daniel Neucom
Taking centre stage was a beautifully restored 1988 Mack Super-Liner – named after cattle king Sir Sidney Kidman. Originally owned by Fraser’s Livestock Transport, the truck is owned by Dennis Kelly who chose the name after reading the story of Kidman whilst the truck was being restored.
The classic Mack runs a E9 V8 engine rated at 500 horsepower, driving through a 12-speed overdrive Mack box, and 44,000-pound Mack diffs.
Arguably the rarest truck on show was a 1962 Mack H673 ST – better known as a ‘Cherry Picker’ due to its distinctive 2.7m cab height, which is one of only two such models imported into Australia in 1962 for Anthill Ranger & Co, later Mayne Nickless.
Both left-hand drives, they were the first cab-over-engine Macks in Australia; and the first in Australia powered by a turbo-charged Mack Thermodyne diesel engine, the ENDT-673.
In 1966, chassis no.1570 was sold and after changing hands several times was finally scrapped and used for parts. Chassis no.1574, however, is still alive today. In 1966, with 700,000 miles on the clock, it was purchased by Frank Fleming & Sons in Brisbane and converted to right-hand drive for use hauling earthmoving and allied equipment. It was retired in the mid-1980s and underwent a restoration.
Among the rarest trucks on display at the Heritage Truck Show was a beautifully restored 1923 AC Mack. Images: Alastair Brook and Daniel Neucom
The truck was eventually put on display at the Queensland Transport Museum in Gatton before being purchased in 2015 by Rodney and Janette Sims, who are now the owners of this one-of-a kind showpiece!
Also on display was an iconic 1961 B61 Mack known as ‘Mean Machine’ that was first raced at the Surfers Paradise Raceway in the mid 1970’s by owner Bill Gordon. At the time the truck was a road-going interstate highway runner but became a designated drag vehicle and was raced by Bill throughout the late 1970’s and 1980’s. The classic Bulldog was sold to Bernie Tobin in 2020 on the condition that it was restored to its former glory. So started the meticulous, two-year, strip-down-to-chassis-rails restoration of this iconic piece of Australian motorsports history.
The truck is powered by a 8V71 supercharged Detroit, producing over 600 horsepower, with a nitrous oxide kit boosting this by another 350hp, and running through a 13-speed Roadranger overdrive gearbox.
Among the oldest trucks on display was a fully restored 1939 Chevy which is a beautiful example of yesteryear’s work horses. The truck served on the Brisbane City Council for 20 years from 1939 before being retired.
After being moved on to Baker Brothers at Moonie, the 1.5-tonne truck BCC 87 was thought lost until being rediscovered and returned to the Brisbane City Council where it was restored by workshop staff.
Among the oldest trucks on display was a fully restored 1939 Chevy which is a beautiful example of yesteryear’s work horses. The truck served on the Brisbane City Council for 20 years. Images: Alastair Brook and Daniel Neucom
Also on show was an incredibly rare 1982 Leader owned by Peter Zinn. The ex-Brambles heavy hauler has been under restoration for a number of years and was on display for the first time at the show. This classic prime mover runs a 3406 Caterpillar engine through a five-speed Mack gearbox with a four-speed Joey box, 200-ton Berliet hub reduction diffs and a nine-ton front axle.
Built in 1982, the truck is one of four of these special trucks ordered by Brambles for heavy float work. Only three were delivered, with the order for the fourth cancelled before it was manufactured.
Leader was a truck manufacturer based in Toowoomba founded by Cyril Anderson and Western Transport Group. It produced nearly 2,000 trucks (a wide variety from four-ton to 250-ton) between 1972 and 1984.
Following on from the 2023 show’s popular display marking 60 years of Mack Trucks in Australia, the 2025 event also feature special exhibitions celebrating 125 years of the Bulldog brand worldwide and 90 years of Volvo Group Australia stablemate UD Trucks.
The Heritage Truck Show is about more than just the old trucks, Mark reiterates – it’s about catching up with old mates, reliving adventures out on the highway and doing it surrounded by the beautiful old bangers that put food on the table for generations
of truckies.
Over at South Bank were a number of Heritage Truck Show rigs including Turner Transport’s epic 1966 International R200, Gary Davies 1978 Kenworth W925 S2 and Russell Transport’s spanking new 2025 Kenworth K220. Images: Alastair Brook and Daniel Neucom
“The part that really gets me is that people who haven’t seen each other for a long time get together,” he says.
“You know, there was a guy there who told me had people coming up that he hadn’t seen for forty years. He had drivers who worked for him 25 years ago come and sit down for a chin wag – and this guy is 85, mind you.
“That’s what it’s all about and it gives me goosebumps to be honest.”
When asked if he thinks the Heritage Truck Show can go even bigger in two years’ time, Mark simply replied: “Absolutely!”
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