As this year's Chryslers on the Murray celebrates Chrysler’s 100th year, Fletch shares a retrospective on the first Chrysler ever made and the mechanical innovations featured in this vehicle, including hydraulic brakes on all four wheels, an oil filter with a pressurised lubricating system, shock absorbers, aluminium pistons, and an air cleaner. Fletch also shares some incredible black-and-white footage of the roads at that time, giving the audience some perspective on the road conditions these vehicles had to endure.
Chryslers on the Murray is a massive three-day event that provides a fantastic opportunity for car enthusiasts to come together and celebrate Chrysler's 100th year in style.
On Friday, the Albury/Wodonga Chrysler Car Club offered participants the opportunity to join a track day at the Logic Centre DECA track in a 'Lap Dash'. Around 40 cars, both modified and stock, took the opportunity to test their vehicles and put their pedal to the metal to post their best lap time. While back at the main site, the big reveal of some eleven exceptional vehicles was the highlight of the day, including the debuts of new builds and established cars.
The event attracted nearly 1,000 cars on Saturday and Sunday, making it the largest annual Chrysler show in the Southern Hemisphere. The spotlight was on the VE, VF & VG Chrysler models for this year and as always, Fletch was amongst the patrons looking for some beautiful examples of these models and other special Chryslers.
Some unique cars that caught Fletch's attention include John's '68 VE Chrysler VIP with a 273 Slant block V8. Originally an embassy car, it has a new paint job and is in spectacular condition. Fletch says it’s "the finest example of a Chrysler VIP he has seen.” - which is a big call.
Another standout is Bill’s '69 VF Chrysler Pacer with a slant six and three-speed transmission. Bill loves his car’s sporty looks and says, "It will sit on a 110 Kph on the highway all day".
The last of this year's spotlighted models is Con’s '71 VG Chrysler with a 318 V8. This was the last of the VG models, and Con says "it has a tough look". It made a statement back then, and he says it still does today.
In the afternoon, around 400 cars left Gateway Lakes for a cruise to the Table Top Hotel, more popularly known as the Ettamogah pub, for the spotlight vehicle photo shoot. The Ettamogah pub, which was made famous through a cartoon series in The Australasian Post, was recreated as a family-themed hotel.
On Sunday, the final day, Fletch sought out other unique cars and their owners for their story.
Jerry was one such owner with his '71 Plymouth with a 318 V8. This vehicle is synonymous with police cars featured in TV series in the '70s. Presented in stock-standard condition, the car presents very well. Jerry says a couple of "character marks", as he calls them, identify it as his car.
Young enthusiast and 'P' Plater Luke attended this year's event with his '80 Mitsubishi Lancer. Fletch comments that there aren't many of these around anymore. With only 28,000 km on the clock, Luke explains that the vehicle spent nine years in a shed before his father bought it from a deceased estate. Today, it’s in really good condition inside and out.
Finally, to wrap up this year's Chrysler on the Murray, there are a couple of big muscle cars, a '70 Plymouth Sport Fury GT 2 door and an iconic '70 Plymouth Road Runner owned by motor vehicle restorer Brian.
The Sport Fury was bought on eBay from Wisconsin, USA, without an engine and a fair bit of rust, but nothing unsurmountable. Today, fully restored, it is a fantastic example and a credit to Brian.
The rare '70 Road Runner, a factory V-Code 6 barrel, 4-speed model, has an interesting story. The car was purchased as a bare shell from a friend in New York, USA. Brian turned this into a running/driving and insured car in just 25 days, then drove it from New York to San Francisco in seven days before transporting it to Australia. It is presented in what Brian says is the “best colour combo” and looks awesome.
Chrysler on the Murray was a massive event in 2024. Make sure you put it in your diary for 2025.
