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The Staff Car.
After making the purchase of my first A I drove it home. It was running very poorly, difficult to drive with front wheel slop. I had paid $2k for this and the farmer who sold it to me thought I was just nuts. He was correct .
When I reached our small town of 2000 I followed a ute (pickup) that had a load of school kids on the tray, all in cricket whites, armed with shin pads and bats and stumps. Everything one uses to play cricket. They were being driven to the sports ground.
Well when they saw me in that car, Jed Clampett’s car couldn’t hold a candle to it, they with outstretched arms gave me the thumbs up. At that very instant, as if it was their signal of command, the car got wheel shimmy. Their outstretched arms and their thumbs up immediately became an outstretched fore finger pointing at me, heads held right back and they were roaring with laughter. I think I still had their approval.
Then into our back yard. Didn’t get wife’s approval. Instead got her abuse. What? What will you do with that? We don’t have much money and you’ve just blown a heap ona pile of rusty tin!
Well marriage remained a bit distant for a while. As I said we had no money.Eventually it was rebuilt and runs well. It is painted desert sand (light) and the marriage improved.
It was used in my business. For a 3 month period we hire and accommodated an additional 2 pilots for the duration of the rice sowing and spraying season. The first two out in the morning each took a vehicle with a closed cabin and last to leave got the A. because it was cool. However the first to return home in the afternoon or evening took the A when it was warm. I call it the “staff car”.
A traditionat the start of every season was to buy new and ridiculous hats. One year Mexican. One particular afternoon we donned these hats and drove 10 miles south to Tocumwal. I well remember, infact would never forget, being overtaken by an expensive Landrover with 3 mature and well dressed ‘Ladies’ on board. As they drew abeam us they all turned and looked left (we drive on the left in Au). At that very instant they broke down with laughter. Difficult to describe the instantaneous and intensity of that very moment but the 3 of us still mention it from time to time. Yes the hats did attract attention. Mainly they were purchased as a new season ritual and perhaps a form of kinship of 3 experienced crop spay pilots.
The three of us will never forget that very short and very funny incident. I don’t believe the 3 ladies in the Landrover will either.
below is a photograph of the Tourer behind the ute and to the right is the "staff car" when I first got it home.