The 2025 Heritage Truck Show, organised by Heritage Truck Association of Australia (HTAA), is shaping up to be the biggest yet – with the iconic 1961 B61 Mack known as the ‘Mean Machine’ set to take centre stage.
The Heritage Truck Association Australia’s annual Heritage Truck Show will run alongside the Brisbane Truck Show, held off-site at the Rocklea Showgrounds across the weekend with an incredible array of classics on offer.
After returning to its inaugural home of the Rocklea Showgrounds – just 15 minutes’ drive from the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) – in 2021, the classic display has continued to grow in popularity as punters take a walk down memory lane.
“We got around 160 trucks last time, with around 2,000 people through the gate, which is just huge,” said HTAA President Mark Plunkett.
“It is looking to be even bigger because we got so much positive feedback last time, with visitors coming from all over Australia and overseas.
“They came to the Brisbane Truck Show, but they could jump on a bus to come out and see our show too.”
A huge drawcard at the 2023 show was the Mack display, which celebrated 60 years of the marque Down Under, with iconic (and rare) models from each decade on show in a touching tribute to the ‘Bulldog’.
“That brought a lot of Mack trucks in and the display itself got a lot of interest across the weekend – we’d certainly like to do more like that because it got a lot of attention,” said Mark.
This year, a Mack will also draw crowds, but it’s a little more extreme than the usual offerings.
The ‘Mean Machine’ was famously raced at the Surfers Paradise Raceway in the mid 1970’s by owner Bill Gordon, while still running interstate in its early years. Of course, the Detroit 8V71-powered beast, packing 600hp with an additional 350hp nitrous shot up its sleeve, would go on to become a dedicated drag truck.
Bernie Tobin purchased the iconic racer in 2020, on one condition: It would be restored to its former glory. A nuts-and-bolts restoration was undertaken, stripping the truck to its chassis rails, which took two years and plenty of man hours. You won’t want to miss a chance to see this restored classic in the flesh!
Nostalgia is a major driver for people like Mark, who enjoy reliving their time on the road through old trucks, and it’s a big reason for show’s growing popularity too.
“There’s a lot of nostalgia, like my truck for example – a Mercedes-Benz 2233 – I bought when I had the opportunity because I loved it when I was out on the road,” he said.
“When I hop into that truck, the smell of the interior is exactly what it was like in the one I used to drive – it’s the fabric in the seats or something, but it’s a distinctive smell and I just love it.”
A highlight for Mark is seeing the faces of children light up as they get to see, smell and hear the old trucks fire to life – many of which have never witnessed an air start up close.
“You should see them when you start the trucks up, particularly the old GMs, they make a lot of noise and the kids just love it,” he said.
It’s the camaraderie that makes the HTAA and its annual show a special occasion though, Mark explains, forming a fantastic excuse for old mates to catch up and recount stories from their time on the highway.
“You get a lot of mates who come each year to display their vehicles from down south or up north and you all get to catch up, which is a really good thing,” he said.
“We then get to travel a lot of miles in the bar, where we no longer travel them on the roads! It’s all about catching up with old mates.”
Whether you know a lot or a little about old trucks, Mark says it won’t be hard to find a HTAA member to talk to about a particular make or model.
“Lots of our members bring their vehicles and then hang around to chat about them,” he said.
“If there’s a particular truck somebody wants to look at or chat about, we’ve got people there that can do that. It definitely won’t be hard to find somebody!”
Alongside the incredible show at Rocklea Showgrounds, the HTAA will also have an array of its members’ trucks parked at Stanley Street Plaza as part of a truck festival that will take over Brisbane.
Get on down to see the old-school rigs up close – they may even fire them up for you!
The Heritage Truck Show will take place on May 17 and 18, and entry is just $10 for adults with children under 14 free, with a free shuttle bus running from the Brisbane Truck Show to the Rocklea Showgrounds.
The Brisbane Truck Show will take place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 15-18 May, and Fleet HV News will be there for the event so come and find us for a chat!
