Vintage Sports Car Club of WA: New headquarters open as car enthusiasts build memories and pass on traditions

The Hillarys parcel of land his father traded for a 1927 race car would be worth more today, but Barry Macintosh argues the decades he and his brother spent under the hood were well spent. Now he’s passing the tradition on to grandsons; 6-year-old Henry and 2-year-old Liam. The family’s 1927 Salmson was one of the oldest cars on show on Sunday when the Vintage Sports Car Club of WA officially opened its new headquarters at Whiteman Park. A $50,000 Lotterywest grant helped pay for it, but the club’s members built much of the workshop themselves. “I had a pool of about 20 volunteers and for three years they’ve turned up every Tuesday,” project leader Ross Oxwell said. “It’s kind of a Men’s Shed with a particular focus and the difference is it’s a tangible outcome.” As well as providing a home for memorabilia dating back to the 1920’s, the Club is hoping it will help them recruit younger generations to pass down basic mechanical skills that are in danger of being lost. “We don’t like seeing cars just sitting in museums, gathering dust” Mr Oxwell said. “We think cars are there to use and they last much longer if you use them.” He said his current project, combining a 1932 chassis and a 1937 engine, was proof that what’s old can roar to life again. “The engine is from a Willys 65 which basically is the same motor that went into the American second world war jets,” he said. “It’s ready for the track and, yes it can go.”