MOPAR MECCA

CHRYSLERS ON THE MURRAY RETURNED TO ALBURY-WODONGA IN MARCH, CELEBRATING THE 30TH RUNNING OF AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST MOPAR SHOW

-  STEVE TITCUMB

SINCE its humble beginnings back in 1992, Chryslers on the Murray has grown into the largest Chrysler show in the southern hemisphere. Featuring all things Chrysler and AMC, the event attracts the Mopar faithful from all over the country, as well as international visitors from as far away as the USA and Canada.

This year's event marked the 30th anniversary of the shindig (delayed a couple of years due to COVID) and attracted a record 953 entrants to the NSW/Victorian border towns of Albury and Wodonga. The vibe around the twin towns was awesome, with cruising aplenty and motels jammed with Chrysler fanatics.

The event kicked off with a bang with a track day at the Motorsports Training Australia facility some at Barnawartha. Once vehicle scrutineering was done, the circuit was opened up for me cruising, followed by a go-to-whoa and then timed sprints around the 1.6km track. The sprints are always hotly contested, with this year's winner being Mick Noller in his Dodge Viper, which ran the only lap under one minute with a time of 58.95 seconds. Simon Trewella's turbo Barra-powered VE Valiant ute took second place with a 1:01.7 lap time. The go-to-whoa was won by Shane Withers in a CJ Chrysler by Chrysler.

Once things were done and dusted out at the track, the throng headed into town to Gateway Lakes, a picturesque spot adjacent to the Murray River, for entrant check-ins and the unveiling of some of the best freshly restored, ultra-rare or newly built modified cars debuting at the event.

Saturday was the first of the two days of the show 'n' shine at Gateway Lakes. Once parked up, entrants were able to walk the rows of cars before heading over to check out the swap meet and traders.

At midday, we cruised out to the Tabletop Hotel (formerly the Ettamogah Pub) for lunch and the photoshoot for AP5, AP6 and VC models that were the spotlight vehicles for this year's event.