Rusty Iron Rally features antique Velocette motorcycles

FATHERS Day 2026 at the Macksville Showgrounds’ annual Rusty Iron Rally will showcase a twin century of achievement for Velocette motorcycles.

The display will bring together more than 10 decades of achievements by this once well-known British-manufactured motorcycle.

The four 1920s Velocettes on display have been brought from The Isle of Man, Birmingham (UK), and South Australia, and this will be the first time in decades a single display of four Velocettes from the 1920s has been shown to the public.

In 1926 Velocette achieved its first victory when factory rider Alex Bennett won the junior event. A 1926 Velocette will be on display with its own unique racing history also.

Meanwhile in South Australia, a new Velocette Agent for South Australia had just been appointed and the dealer principal, L.A.Borgelt, was competing successfully in Sellicks Beach races.

The Rusty Iron Rally display will show an actual 1926 Velocette Sellicks Beach racer in its original trim.

A Velocette Model U, believed to be only one of 10 surviving in the world, will also be a cornerstone of this unique display.

A real coup will be the 1922 Velocette that came from the Isle of Man and has only had four owners in its 114-year lifespan. The current owners know three of the past four owners, and the history of the first owner.

The second owner, Mr Ivan Rhodes, is known worldwide for his involvement in the manufacture and design of Velocette with a personal collection containing two of their one-only motorcycles, so adding interest that this 1922 “escaped his ownership” – a story well-documented by the current Mid North Coast owners.

The newest Velocette, a 1928, also has a documented history, having been imported when new into Australia then re-exported back to the UK to be used extensively in Velocette and age-related rallies under guardianship of a well-known UK lady before it was repurchased at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham and exported back to Australia.

The four Velocettes, along with some artifacts, will be in the motorcycle display area on the Western side of Macksville showground on both Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, where the current custodians would be happy to talk about these unique motorcycles and answer questions.