Interviews
Upcoming Glen Huntly Street Events
We Interview participants, local clubs and community groups involved with upcoming Glen Huntly street events.
Glen Huntly - Classic Car Show - Sunday 4th August
Interview with Steve Ashman from Cadillac LaSalle Car Club, Victoria
Interviewed by Victoria Gallagher
If you are interested in classic and vintage cars then Glen Huntly’s first Vintage Car Show is not to be missed. We sat down with Steve Ashman President of the Victorian Cadillac LaSalle Car Club to talk about all things Cadillac, which will be showing alongside other vintage and classic vehicles, in Glen Huntly on Sunday 4th August.
I asked Steve what kind of Cadillac cars we can expect to see on this day. Steve said that there will be a wide spectrum of Cadillacs from the 50’s-70’s with a huge range of pastels, hues of pink, salmon, driftwood and burgundy. Steve also explained that even though these vehicles were from this late era, a lot of them have been fitted out with technologically advanced mechanisms, such as electric seats (moving up/down and forward/back), electric windows, twin heating systems and automatic dipping headlights.
Also, if you think these cars may have some resemblance to the aeronautical era from the 50s and 60s, then you aren’t wrong, as many of the automotive engineers later moved on to work for Nasa. These engineers had a huge influence on their design, none more so than Harley Earl. The tail lights on a 1959 are influenced by the aeronautical look.
So, where and when did these monster cars derive from? The Cadillac name started in the US on August 22, 1902, Detroit, Michigan and became a pinnacle car and fast attracted the name ‘The Car of the World’. They are still largely manufactured in the US today as left-hand drive vehicles and according to Steve, this doesn’t pose too big a problem driving them on our Australian roads.
Lastly, we asked Steve what three biggest things make a Cadillac different, firstly, Steve said, “their size, they are big cars. They are 6 meters long and are monsters’’. This is also how they got their nickname, land yachts! Secondly, Steve says ‘they are highly detailed with a lot of chrome. We aren’t talking about budget models here’ and lastly Steve comments, ‘their comfort, it’s like sitting in your lounge’.
If you would like to see these land yachts and chat with their very experienced and passionate owners, along with viewing other classic and vintage cars, then get to the Glen Huntly Vintage Car Show on the 4th August 2024.
Reminder – we do remind people who are coming down to the car show not to touch the cars but to look, take photos and ask questions. Steve and other car owners take a lot of pride in their vehicles to keep them in pristine condition and to be able to keep showing them to community groups.
Steve Ashman is the President of the Victoria Cadillac LaSalle Car Club. There are 5 Cadillac LaSalle Car Clubs in Australia, which hold monthly meetings and a national biannual meeting. If you are interested in more information about the Cadillac LaSalle Victoria Car Club, please contact Steve steveashman@bigpond.com or through their website, Cadillacclubasalle.com.au
Glen Huntly – Classic Wheels
Sunday 4th August 2024, 9am-12pm
Glen Huntly Village Strip – cars start from centre Grange/Glen Huntly Rd – Royal Avenue/Manchester Grove
Free to Public
