The stories behind Bay to Birdwood

Posted 2 October, 2026 Sasha Oelsner

Polishing their classic cars to a shine worthy of 100,000 spectators, inspecting the tread on skinny tyres and practising the gestures required to signal left and right turns, historic car owners are preparing for this year’s RAA Bay to Birdwood.

From century-old vehicles to pristine 1996 models, every car and driver has a story.

Commemorating Australia’s first vehicle registration, plate ‘SA 1’ attached to Dr William Hargreaves’ Beeston-Humber in 1906, the RAA Bay to Birdwood has been a treasured institution since the first run on South Australian roads in 1980.

Now, thousands of spectators line the 67km route to cheer the passing parade, before following the procession to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood to meet the enthusiastic car owners at the Finish Festival. Among the owners set to delight spectators once again are Sarah, Sean and Allan.

Preserving history

Allan Bennett (pictured at top) has loved classic cars his whole life, buying a Model T Ford, as his very first registered car back in 1964. He’s been collecting cars ever since.

A founding member of the Model T Ford Club of Australia, he remained on the committee for many years and earned life membership for his efforts. Today his collection of seven veteran cars is crowned by his prized 1925 model, Henrietta. Allan bought Henrietta from the Webb family in 2017, becoming the second registered owner, or caretaker as he prefers to describe himself. Rather than restore the car, Allan chose to preserve Henrietta exactly as is, complete with a century-old history log.

“It’s an outstanding vehicle,” he enthuses. “There’s no rust out or anything. The rats and mice had done a number on the upholstery and top, but the rest of it is largely as it came off the farm.”

Dubbed Henrietta after the original owner’s wife, Allan set to work fixing the mechanics, electrics and suspension to make sure she’s roadworthy and safe to drive.

“I know just about everything about the car, except when they cut the back off,” Allan says. “I don’t know when they turned it into a buckboard.”

Many original Model T Fords had their back seats removed and replaced with a wooden tray making them far more practical for farm use – the evolutionary stepping stone towards today’s ute. It’s also the perfect perch for Henry, Allan’s chocolate labrador, who loves riding along in the tray. Last year, Allan was crowned the RAA Bay to Birdwood Pre-1950 Preservation winner, thanks to Henrietta’s meticulous record and Allan’s tireless efforts. Henry helped.

Allan has driven the Bay to Birdwood route seven times in a range of different cars from his collection. His advice for new drivers?

“It would depend on the vehicle they’re driving,” he says. “I mean, you can start with a 1912 Model T Ford and that’s completely different to driving a HQ Holden.”

“But I’d just tell them to give it a go. If you get a gaggle of cars behind you, pull off and let them pass.”

For a car that’s travelled as far north as Maryborough in Queensland, Henrietta has only one condition.

“This old girl, because she’s tired I’ve got to do it at her pace,” Allan says. “She’s never broken down and she’ll go wherever I want her to, but I just gotta let her go at her own pace.”

Restored to its former glory

Sarah Bowshall’s love for vintage cars, especially Model T Fords, is almost woven into her DNA.

“As a kid, I can remember Dad would start his 1922 Model T, jack up the back wheel to kick it over, and just the smell of it, the sound of it brings back really fond memories for me now,” Sarah reminisces.

Now a proud owner of her own 1916 tourer she’s dubbed Erin, Sarah is also president of the Model T Ford Club of Australia, and one of its youngest members. Erin is no ordinary Model T either. The body was built by Adelaide’s own turn-of-the-century coach makers, Duncan and Fraser, and still has an original-style brass radiator. It’s a feature that was phased out after 1916 when all available brass was directed to the World War I effort.

When Sarah bought Erin three years ago, the car was in disrepair, but with some help she worked to make the car road legal while learning to maintain it along the way. Sarah has participated in the Bay to Birdwood countless times, both as a passenger and at the wheel.

“I like the excitement at the start when everyone’s arriving and the sun is coming up, but overall, the best part of any Bay to Birdwood is the drive,” Sarah says. “There’s nothing better as a vintage, veteran or classic car owner than having people appreciate, admire and wave at you because they’re happy to see the car – and you get to toot your horn at them. And the Model T has a very unique sounding horn!”

As the club cohort ages alongside their cars, these vehicles are seen less often on the roads, making the RAA Bay to Birdwood a rare and precious chance to see all these classics out and about. Sarah makes the most of every opportunity.

“Sometimes if I take Erin out on a Sunday morning and there are people with young children looking at the car, I always ask if they’d like to sit in her and have a photo, which most of the time they do – I just want to build that excitement,” Sarah says.

“I love when younger people love these cars, because I love when people see what I see in them.”

Replicating the greats

“I’m a Celica guy,” says auto-electrician Sean Basford, who, when he’s not tinkering on his own collection, specialises in making wiring harnesses for classic cars.

“I’ve always been a Celica guy… I’ve got five, from the very early ’70s right up to 1981.”

Sean’s pride and joy is Willo, his 1980 Toyota Celica which rolled off the factory floor the same year as the first Bay to Birdwood. Painted deep red with realistic sponsorship branding logos, Willo is a faithful re-creation of racing legend Peter “Willo” Williamson’s iconic 1981 Bathurst race car. Sean has even re-created Williamson’s pioneering Racecam, which revolutionised motorsport broadcasting forever. The build is completed with a remarkable piece of Australian motorsport history: the authentic tyres and wheels salvaged from the wrecked original.

Despite Willo’s popularity on weekly drives, it was many years before Sean and his partner Julie got involved with the Bay to Birdwood.

“We’d been watching for about eight years,” Sean says. “We didn’t think our car was old enough or good enough to be in it.

“But a lot of people are really stoked that I’ve got credible stuff from that car – it’s the actual real racing wheels. People just love looking at it, and as I’m driving, there are cameras sticking out car windows looking at me. We’ve now driven [the Bay to Birdwood] three times – we should have done it long ago.”

Getting involved has opened up a whole new community to Sean and he takes every opportunity to have a laugh.

Wishing he’d been part of the Bay to Birdwood sooner, Sean urges other car lovers to not make the same mistake he did.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s got cracks in it – it’s what people want to see,” Sean says. “They want to see something they used to see back in the day.”

History in high gear

At the conclusion of the drive, each vehicle pulls into place on the lawns of the National Motor Museum, some relieved for having made it up the hill, and ready to show off at the Finish Festival.

Here, you’ll be enthralled by even more incredible stories from passionate enthusiasts, as you soak up the atmosphere surrounded by timeless examples of eras long gone.