METEORS CELEBRATE 60 YEARS
Based in Canberra, the Meteors Hot Rod Association will celebrate 60 years in July with a dinner at the Spanish Club in Narrabundah, ACT.
The dinner is open to all members, former members, and supporters of hot rodding in Canberra and surrounds. Prices are $60 per single, $90 per couple, and bookings are essential by July 11, 2025. Email rsvp@meteorshra.com.
ABOUT THE METEORS HOT ROD ASSOCIATION. (https://meteorshra.com)
In July 1965, Vince Parish, an electrician from Canberra, invited others interested in hot rodding to form a club through a letter in the Australian Rodding World magazine. Bill Jansen and Jim Lawler responded, leading to the creation of the Meteors Hot Rod Association. Their passion for hot rodding stemmed from model cars and magazines, and soon they began constructing three rods: Vince’s Model A roadster, Jim’s 1934 highboy from Flynn’s Wrecking Yard, and Bill’s 1935 Chevy coupe.
The first rod run to Canberra occurred in 1966, organized with the Romans Hot Rod Club. By 1967, the Meteors held their first rod show, attracting twenty entrants, mostly from interstate. They continued to host the show in subsequent years, igniting interest in hot rodding in the area.
In the early 1970s, the Meteors gained recognition, attending events like the inaugural Nationals in 1973. By 1977, they had eleven cars registered and thirty members. They faced challenges regarding registration for modifications, leading figures like Alan Cooper and Bill Jansen to seek clear requirements from the Canberra Motor Registry. This collaboration resulted in the formation of the ACT Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), enhancing the registration process and ensuring rodders’ needs were met.
By 1978, the Meteors had become the second club in NSW to achieve Charter status in the Australian Street Rod Federation (ASRF). In 1983, Alan Cooper proposed creating the Canberra Hot Rod Association (CHRA) to represent all rodders in the ACT, leading to its establishment in August of that year. The Meteors celebrated their 21st birthday in 1986 with a dinner attended by 136 people.
The popularity of modified vehicles grew during the 1980s, with Canberra hosting the Street Machine Nationals, later known as the Summernats. The Meteors played a critical role in organizing events during this time. In the 1990s, competition between rodders and street machiners diminished, with many embracing street rod ownership. Despite challenges, including the closure of the Canberra drag racing facility, rodding continued to thrive in the 2000s under the CHRA. The local community hosted two ASRF Nationals in 2007 and 2009 and a Combined State Rod Run in 2012.
Bill Jansen, one of the Meteors’ founding members, retired to Nowra but remains represented in the community by his son Mathew. By 2015, the Meteors had 15 ASRF members, boosted by an influx of younger rodders.
