Competition strong at 2024 Rod Run Show ‘n Shine
Competition was tough among the hundreds of rodders at this year’s Rod Run, with a record number of entrants and over 500 cars at Sunday’s Show and Shine.
The competition was made up of old and new entrants with cars of all makes, models and colours competing for five prize categories – Top Rod, Top Kruiser, Top Ride, Young Rodder and Top Kustom.
This year’s winners included Harley Maric, who took home the Top Kruiser; Top Kustom went to Ray Pearman; Top Hot Rod was won by Col Douglas; Top Yooung Rodder was given to Sam Cooley and the Top Ride went to an anonymous late entrant.
The recipients ranged from those who were new to the Narrandera Rod Run to old-timers, but all winners shared a deep love of cars.
Sam Cooley from Razor-back entered a 1933 Ford Tudor in a striking lilac shade, which she purchased just over a year ago from its former owner in Western Australia.
The 21-year-old said a love of hot rods runs in her blood as a third-generation hot rodder.
“My grandfather was a hot rodder, my dad is a hot rodder and now I am as well,” she said.
“I’ve been coming to the Narrandera Rod Run for a few years. I’m not sure exactly how many, but it’s definitely been since I was little… Narrandera is awesome for cruising and this is my first award with this car.”
Among the winners were also some familiar faces to the Narrandera Rod Run scene, such as Col Mangelsdorf, who took out the Top Hot Rod award.
Col’s 1936 Ford DeLuxe Cabriolet was popular at the event not only for its look but also the history behind it as one of the few in Australia, as well as being a former embassy car.
He also has strong ties with the Narrandera Rod Run event as one of the founding members of the Albury Street Rodders who helped promote and build the event in the early years.
Although he hadn’t been back to the Rod Run in a long time, he said he is al-ready looking forward to next year.
“We’ll be back again next year. We’ve got a taste for it again… I reckon it was around 15 years ago since we were last here; we’d attended a few of the Saturday night cruises and then gone back [to Albury], but as far as bringing a car here, it’d probably go back to the 1980s,” he said.
“We came here in 1973, 1975 and 1977 and instigated the event with a couple of other rodders… we came here twice a month for many, many months to help get it going and then after ‘77, they took it over.
“We can see how far it’s gone and how long, and it’s just awesome, it’s just amazing, and the people we’ve met are all still here doing it and they’re all much older. It’s good to see all the young kids and younger generation.”
Although the Top Hot Rod was not his first time win-ning an award, it still came as a surprise to him.
“That’s one hell of a surprise. The car has been on the road for 15 years now, and I manage to take it here, there and everywhere and come home with an award, which you don’t expect,” he said.
This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 4 April 2024.
