Family Fiat is Barrie’s best

By Marc McGowan
BUNYIP resident Barrie Cousin has owned plenty of cars in his time, but it’s his 1922 Fiat that takes pride of place.
“I’m into vintage cars. I’m the third person in my family to own it,” he said.
The car was bought brand new by his father’s cousin, before his uncle acquired it in 1965 for a bargain in today’s terms of 50 pounds.
Barrie, who also owns a 1926 Buick, became the latest in the family to own the Fiat when he bought it for $10,000 seven years ago.
“I still have a receipt from when my father bought it. It hasn’t even done 10,000 miles since it was originally bought,” he said.
Cars are in his blood, as evidenced by his 24year association with Warragul Mitsubishi as a sales consultant, but there’s nothing in particular that introduced him to his passion.
“It was my own interest, I just liked them,” he said.
“I’ve done most of the work on them myself.”
The Fiat and Buick are not Barrie’s everyday cars, though, as he prefers to use his Mazda to go toandfrom work.
“I just take them to vintage car shows and show them off,” he said.
His involvement in vintage cars does not stop there. He is a member of the Vintage Car Club in Melbourne, the Dandenong Valley Car Club and the Gippsland Vintage Car Club.
Since his first car purchase a 1949 Ford Prefect utility he estimates that he has owned between 80 and 90 cars.
“My wife (Margaret) used to keep a list of all of them, but I was getting embarrassed (at the number of cars he had owned),” he laughed.
Barrie was keen to dispel a popular belief about car collecting.
“A lot of people think buying cars is an expensive hobby, but most of the people in the Vintage Car Club are senior citizens,” he said.
As much as his passion for vintage cars is personal, he has another reason for acquiring them.
“I just think it’s something our kids will miss out on.”
>>> Have you got a gem in your garage?
It can be a shiny new machine or a muchloved classic. Get your car into ‘Me and My Car’ by phoning 5945 0666 or by contacting Gazette editorstarnewsgroup.com.au on email.