Renee rocks vintage style
RACQ holds a special place in the heart of this Holden-driving, rockabilly-loving Brisbane girl.
RACQ holds a special place in the heart of this Holden-driving, rockabilly-loving Brisbane girl.
It’s not easy standing out among the throng of people and cars at RACQ MotorFest but Renee Johnston does just that, dressed like an extra from Grease and cruising confidently into the packed arena at the wheel of her classic 1962 EK Holden.
Renee, her father Des, and the well-preserved EK are regular attendees at MotorFest, with Renee primed for the Best Dressed competition in vintage ’50s attire, her curls pinned up in the ‘Victory Rolls’ style popularised by post-World War II starlets and pin-up girls.
Renee Johnston and her father Des.
A fan of rockabilly culture, Renee loves the fashion, fun and dancing that is a cornerstone of the scene and has attended car shows, rock ’n’ roll dances and pin-up competitions throughout South East Queensland.
She has also managed to connect with a group of like-minded female classic car owners.
“I’m part of the Old Girls on the Road community group and we regularly go on ‘Girly Runs’ which involves getting together and cruising somewhere for a lunch or picnic in our pride-and-joys,” Renee said.
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There’s no power steering, so Renee’s EK requires sturdy arms when parking, but with its 186 ‘Red’ motor breathing through a Stromberg carburettor and its handling improved by later-model HR
Holden front suspension, Renee reckons it “goes like a rocket”.
But despite all the care and attention Renee clearly bestows on her beloved Aussie classic, the old Holden occasionally lets her down.
“My EK Holden has been on a few RACQ tilt-tray trucks over the years,” she said.
“I’m so grateful that the boys came and helped me out and got us home safely.”
Roy Johnston behind the wheel of an RACQ Jeep.
Renee’s connection to RACQ runs deeper than roadside assistance callouts and MotorFest, as two of her grandparents met while working for the Club and later married.
“My grandfather Roy Johnston was an RACQ roadside mechanic and was with RACQ for 23 years between 1932 and 1955,” she said.
“He met his wife Annetta Williams, my grandmother, at RACQ where she worked as a driver training instructor.”
The memories Renee cherishes include old black and white photos of her grandmother in front of an Austin A40 Devon driver training car, and others of her grandfather with different RACQ Roadside Assistance vehicles, including a World War II Jeep and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with sidecar.
Annetta Williams met her future husband Roy Johnston while working at RACQ.
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