Wedding cars & hired limousines

I agree with Grant; the white Clipper looks more comfortable too.

Here is a stretched limousine at Arlington, formerly Wattle Park Chalet. It was built by Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board, with a stunning baronial interior and great garden surrounds. It was privatised perhaps 20 years ago. Even on the original scan I can't recognise a logo, and can't read the lettering on the grille or on the scuttle. The numberplate reveals that it is registered as a bus. The Mustang behind isn't a specialist wedding vehicle, just a white-ribbon instant conversion.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

080210Su Wattle Park (Melbourne, Vic.). Wedding cars outside Arlington. R Smith.

Mid '90s Lincoln I believe Rodders.

Grant.

Thanks for that Grant. I may have one in my hearses selection. Here is a closer view of the Mustang. That could be a friend lending a special vehicle, or it could be in a specialist hire fleet now. As I type I remember the request months ago for a 1920s truck to be used as a wedding vehicle.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

080210Su Wattle Park (Melbourne, Vic.). Ford Mustang wedding car at Arlington reception centre. R Smith.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

June 2001. Horse-drawn wedding carriage.

From a suburban newspaper in Melbourne, today.
The website has some good content too.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Warrandyte South engineer finds fun in 1970s chauffeur business Kombi Love:
Tues.3.3.15 Manningham Leader
STEVE Matthys, an engineer during the working week, lets loose on the weekend ferrying loved-up couples to their weddings.
Clad in his super groovy threads, he ferries bridal parties to weddings all over Melbourne in his Kombis

Mk V Jaguar convertible. Melbourne, around 2000. R Smith. I'd have to hunt for the precise date and location. I was a guest, but didn't caption the photo.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

...what's the one food that can give you stomach cramps, extreme pain, loss of sensation, depressive feelings and general malaise with life ??....









......WEDDING CAKE !!!

Here is another major category: party-hire fire trucks (children's parties, school formals, bucks/hens, weddings). I have only just scratched the surface.

Surrey Hills (Melbourne, Vic.). 1942 International fire truck, hired for a community Christmas function. Sat.17.12.94. (Roderick Smith).
This one is still in operation, supplemented with a modern Isuzu.
www.fireengines.com.au/about.html , now with a Modern Isuzu adding to the 1942 International. Good website, with photos and some history.

On a quick googling, I have found several more, there will be many more with a more-thorough search.

Melbourne:
www.firetruckhiremelbourne.com.au 1952 USA (Studebaker?).
www.fireengines.com.au Isuzu.
fireengineadventures.com.au Bedford J3 (and claims to have others available, but possibly by crosshiring).
www.bigredfireenginerides.com.au Austin.
Brisbane: www.thehireengine.com.au . three fire trucks, two of which in use in Melbourne until Apr.06; the third in WA until 2012. They are completely functional and are still able to perform like a normal fire engine. Go to the gallery (mainly of people), but I think that all three are Internationals.
Gold Coast: fire4hire.com.au/about-us . International, Scanias, and the photo album shows an Albion.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Despite the colour, this isn't a hotrod conversion. It is in the wedding-hire market.
The owner was friendly, gave me a lot of detail (which I have forgotten) and showed me an album of photos of its earlier life.
This was ex Australian Army, and the body is as was. It was a conversion from a saloon chassis. The current owner put in a rear seat, and changed the wheels. IIRC the engine is original. I can't recognise the make.

Essendon Fields (ie Essendon Airport, Melbourne Vic.). Mystery ute at a Flxible Clipper rally. Sun.29.3.15. R Smith.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

I'd guess Willys on that last one.
David.