Welcome to our February 2026 Newsletter.
We have re-instated our Newsletter to ensure you and your organisation is up to date with the Foundation’s activities.
The AMHF is a registered charity and we are dedicated to maintaining a comprehensive collection and library of materials about Australia’s motoring heritage for the benefit of all Australians.
Our library and collections are contained within our building at Sydney Motorsport Park. These invaluable historical resources include magazines, books, advertising, documents, art works, brochures, engineering drawings, manuals, media releases, promotional material, race results, race programs, film, audio, photographs, personal histories, automotive artefacts and archives.
The Australian Motor Heritage Foundation is determined to safeguard this irreplaceable heritage and ensure it remains accessible, relevant, and well cared for, thereby strengthening a living legacy that connects Australia’s past with its future.
We encourage use of our collections and library for research.
Visitors to AMFH
Throughout 2025 we welcomed many visitors. Among them were international motoring journalist Mel Nichols, John Connolly (automotive columnist for The Weekend Australian), Marc McInnes (retired General Motors-Holden NSW media relations manager), car designer Peter Davis, former lap timer and race driver Marisha Kelly, motorcycle racer and journalist Jim Scaysbrook OAM, Chris McGee of McGee Cams fame, WA Council of Motor Clubs President and Jaguar book author Terry McGrath, retired Repco-Brabham engine builder and dyno tester Mike Gasking, Dr Hugh McDermott, the NSW State Member of Parliament for Prospect and our local MP, and Dr Daljeet Singh of Singapore. Dr Singh is an avid motoring and racing enthusiast, a frequent visitor and supporter of the AMHF’s ethos.
Honouring Kel Carruthers
One of the highlights of 2025 was the naming our motorcycle publications collection to honour Kel Carruthers, the 1969 250cc World Champion. Organised by our motorcycle specialist, Phil Whitton, Kel said that he “would be proud to have my name associated with this project. As a collector of books, being involved in a motorcycle library is kinda neat.”
Promotion and Events
Behind-the scenes-work has gone into the re-vitalising our social media channels. Our website now boasts a new article almost every week, including stories by Peter Robinson. Here’s a link to our website.
Some of our volunteers were interviewed by AMHF supporter Stephen Wells for his “Motoring Weekly” podcast. Each episode highlighted a different aspect of the collection, including the archives of Graham Howard, Brian Lear and Herbert Thompson. Thompson, pictured below, was the first person to successfully build and drive a self-propelled automobile in Australia. Stephen’s podcast site can be found at this link.
We maintained a strong presence at the 2025 Shannons CMC Sydney Classic event in August 2025 and also participated in the Spring Fair and Wheels & Caffeine events at Sydney Motorsport Park.
The AMHF featured in Old Bike Australasia and Australian Muscle Car magazines, and never-before-seen colour images from our Graham Howard collection were showcased on Shannons Club website. Click this link for the Shannons Club story.
Audio/Visual Collection Expansion
With over 6,000 hours of viewing time, our collection of photographs, slides, DVDs, video tapes, film and digital media (dating from 1928 to the present), is likely the largest archive of Australia’s moving visual motoring history. If you wish to donate automotive-related photos, slides, films, videos, DVDs or digital media, please contact our A/V specialist Peter Tomlinson at [email protected].
Race Results
The collection and sales of race results continue grow. Rod Chivas is our specialist in this area. If you are searching for information about a race meeting or a specific race. Please contact Rod at [email protected].
Becoming a Friend of the Foundation
The Foundation is operated by a volunteer staff. You can support our ongoing work by becoming a Friend of the Foundation, through financial donations, artefact donations, volunteering and financial support.
Financial Donations
The AMHF is a registered charity, with Deductible Gift Recipient status for the library. Gifts to our library over $2 are tax deductible. The funds you donate are used solely by the Foundation for our library, including its preservation and expansion. To find out more about how to donate please click on this link.
Artefact Donations
We received many donations of artefacts in 2025. For example, the National Transport Museum donated a significant number of Volvo-related items. BMC/Leyland Australia items collected by the late Kevin Regan were donated by his family. Donations of magazines, framed pictures and race programs were made by relatives of the late Phillip Coffey. With the assistance of Brian Darby, digitised speedway and road racing photographs taken by Des Lawrence have been donated by his widow, Rita.
In our March 2026 Newsletter, we will make a donation call for specific Australian magazine titles, and provide a list of gaps in our collection that you may be able to help us with.
Volunteer
Our volunteers are involved in a wide variety of projects and activities including content creation for our media channels, research for clients, special projects which promote Australia’s automotive heritage, curating rare automotive artefacts, fundraising, stakeholder engagement and events management. As a volunteer you benefit from the opportunity to discuss all things motoring with like-minded enthusiasts and access to the collections. To join us please use this link to contact us.
Supporter
As a financial supporter your contribution will help with those expenses which are not covered by financial donations. Supporters received a range of benefits and discounts. To find out more, please follow this link.
Automotive Heritage Economic Impact Survey (AHEIS)
Over the next months we will be sending out a series of media releases which highlight the many outcomes of our ground breaking 2024 Automotive Heritage Economic Impact Survey. These will be separate to our Newsletter. The first media release focuses on the $1.4 billion economic impact generated by Australian motoring enthusiasts’ spending on parts and accessories each year.
Our March Newsletter will be circulated in late February.
The team at the Australian Motor Heritage Foundation
