Stanthorpe, in Queensland, hosted our largest Muster so far in 1999. We celebrated ten years of Musters, the 50th anniversary of the 4CV coming to Australia, and the 40th anniversary of the Floride.
Stanthorpe is situated in the Granite Belt of Southern Queensland, a area of high country well known for its fruit and wine growing industries. It is also noted for its consistency in registering the lowest temperatures in the state.
As usual, cars and their owners started to arrive on Thursday with the ‘official’ start of the event being the barbeque on Friday evening. People from far and wide arrived, with the couple furthest travelled being Rodolphe and Florence Halvick from Switzerland on their tour on the international 4CV census.
A bit special
Local participants came from all our Australia, be that Cairns, Adelaide or Canberra. There were 14 4CVs, two Dauphines and a Floride in attendance.
Saturday passed with the usual display of our pride and joys in Stanthorpe’s main park. Photos were taken and the public admired our beauties. At the railway station, cars were again lined up on the platform for more pictures, before we were heading in convoy to lunch and then to the Ballandean Winery for a relaxing afternoon.
Train anyone?
Wrong Train
The formalities at the dinner were quickly dealt with, so that everybody could enjoy the talk of Rodolphe and Florence about their endeavours to create a 4CV census. It seems that many European enthusiasts, especially in France, feel that 4CVs are sufficiently common that there is no need to be involved in a census. In summary however, as of 23 April 1999, they have details of 1139 cars. 90 are listed in Australia, making us fifth on the world scale after France (566), Switzerland (123), the UK (107) and Sweden (96).
On Sunday, another scenic tour was undertaken to admire the view from a vantage point.
What a view
And then it was all over again until 2001 in Gulgong.
Travelling in style