WHEN you mail off that envelope, you'll be joining us in creating history." That's what we said as we launched the Street Machine of the Year award in 1988. Cheviot wheels stumped up $10,000, Pioneer threw in a top-rank hi-fi system, and just like today, it was winner takes all.
Alan Cooper romped home with his twin-engined HQ ute, BLOBAK 2, to take that first SMOTY award. Despite what you might think, the ute was regularly street driven, as Alan insisted a street machine should be.
Two more HQs followed Dave Bennett's Monaro and Ron Barclay's near-stock ute before Craig Parker broke the monopoly in '91 with his TUFFXY Fairmont, giving Ford the first of 10 titles. And yes, he later became (and remains) a vital part of the Street Machine team.
Frank Piccolo's bright orange, blown XB GT scored 1992's prize, making it back-to-back SMOTY wins for Aussie Fords, while in 1993, Frank Rejtano's Corvette became the first nonAussie model to win the title.
Some real controversy arrived the following year, when the SM staff decided the winner in-house.
Still, Colin Townsend's FJ was a popular winner, whereas 1995's return to democracy delivered a somewhat less satisfactory outcome - while Howard Astill's XA coupe and Darryl McBeth's FJ were both awesome cars, few readers were content to see them share the title. John Riskas's fetching blue-and-white '55 then got the chocolates in 1996 the second SMOTY win for a Chevrolet.
In a repeat of the early years, a trio of Holdens brought us into the new millennium: Bill Murfin's HT Monaro in '97, Ed Brodie's HJ covering 1998 and '99 (as the timing of the comp shifted), and Alan Lucas's HQ Monaro in 2000.
This story is from the Yearbook 2024 edition of Street Machine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Yearbook 2024 edition of Street Machine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
ANIKA HODGES
THE CAR DROVE INTO OUR SHED AS A CREAM 202CI VC AND DROVE OUT AS A SILVER CAR WITH A 355 V8
STAGE FRIGHT
IT TOOK OWEN SCOTT MORE THAN 20 YEARS TO BUILD A TROPHY-WINING, 600HP EH HOLDEN UTE THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME
THE Ummmal SUSPECT
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT MINI-TRUCKS. THIS SUMMERNATS TOP 60 HILUX IS A PROPER STREET MACHINE
FULLY UTILISED
HARDWOOD ROD & CUSTOM TURNS DARREN ISON'S HAND-ME-DOWN HT INTO A SMOOTH OPERATOR
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
PEOPLE POWER
WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT 36 YEARS OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS - AND MOST DEMOCRATICALLY AWARDED - HONOUR IN OUR SPORT: STREET MACHINE OF THE YEAR
OUT-AND-OUT MAYHEM
STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE IS ALREADY A ROLLICKING GOOD TIME, BUT WHAT CAR EVENT CAN'T BE MADE EVEN BETTER BY ADDING A BURNOUT COMP? INTRODUCING OUR INAUGURAL RODS OUT!
BAD TO THE BONE
THANKS TO HIS SON, ANDY, THE LATE MARIO COLALILLO’S 39 PLYMOUTH COUPE IS BACK ON THE ROAD AND STILL ONE OF THE BADDEST HOT RODS IN THE COUNTRY
THE CHALLENGE IS REAL
FROM TRACK DRAMAS TO SOARING TEMPERATURES, DRAG CHALLENGE 2024 THREW US SOME OF ITS TOUGHEST TESTS YET, BUT IT ALSO BROUGHT SOME OF THE QUICKEST TIMES THE EVENT HAS EVER SEEN
