Ryan Brown and Elias Lanyon in Ryan's 1942 Chevrolet Blitz.
While most visitors to Deniliquin’s Spirit of the Muster festival arrive in polished utes and modern rigs, Ryan Brown and Elias Canyon turned heads with something a little more historic.
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Their 1942 Chev Blitz, rumbled in from Boort, a small town an hour north of Bendigo.
The journey, typically a two-hour drive, took the pair closer to three.
The Blitz, a wartime relic, doesn’t push much past 80km/h, but for Ryan and Elias, the slow pace was part of the charm.
“She rode like a dream,” Ryan said with a grin.
Ryan, 19, bought the truck just a few weeks ago from north of Sydney, and has already put in some serious work, swapping out the cabin and motor, fitting new tyres, and giving the old girl a new lease on life.
Originally built in Canada and assembled in Australia for the war effort, the Chev Blitz was widely used by the Australian Army during World War II to transport troops and supplies.
After the war, these sturdy vehicles found new purpose in bushfire fighting, logging, mining, and other rugged off-road jobs across the country.
“I’m not sure of its full history, but it’s cool to think about where it might’ve been,” Ryan said.
Unlike most exhibitors, Ryan and Elias weren’t in town for the Ute Muster itself. They came for the Spirit of the Muster event.
“We saw it on TikTok,” Ryan said.
“Of course we knew about the Muster, but not this show.”
Elias, 21, chimed in with a laugh, “I just got asked to tag along.”
Despite the brief visit, the pair were impressed.
“It’s been a good day. A great turnout and plenty of great vehicles on show,” Ryan said.
