First published in the December 2002 issue of Street Machine

The name Joe Camilleri has been synonymous with the Australian music industry for the past 20-odd years in bands such as Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons, The Black Sorrows and The Revelators. The singer/songwriter has penned a number of hits including So Young, Hit & Run, Shape I’m In, Hold on to Me, Harley & Rose and Chained to the Wheel, and with The Revelators has just released a new self-titled album. But when he’s not belting out a beaut tune, he’s cruising in his cool Thunderbird ’cos our Joe loves big-arsed American iron! We caught up with him for a chat.

What have you got there?

“It’s a 1964 Ford Thunderbird. I’m not sure about the car really. The Thunderbirds started coming out in Australia in 1965, this car is an American ’64. I think we must be a year behind in our Thunderbirds. I don’t have the 1965 Thunderbird with the taillights that flicker from right to left and left to right, which is a really lovely feature on the cars – I got the crappy ones.”

So you know about this particular car’s history?

“I know the Smorgan family brought it out in 1965. My number plates are JLL which sort of says ’65 to me. I’ve had people offer to buy the number plates because of the initials that they kinda represent – Jerry Lee Lewis. You know, it’s like, ‘Shove the car up your arse, I want the number plates!’ [laughs]. I saw this car (which was originally white) in Geelong in 1984, but the weird thing was an old girlfriend of mine was also into cars and unknown to me she bought it and ended up owning it for about five years.

“At around the end of that time my manager was working in St Kilda and and scored the car for $11,000. He gave me some parts and paperwork with the car containing enough info, along with stories other people had told me, to make me realise that it was the same car that I’d seen all those years ago!”

Is it a daily driver?

“Yeah, it’s the only car I have. I have that and a Vespa. The really nice thing about the Thunderbird for me is that it has a lovely note, it runs good despite its years, it has no rust, it’s clean, the interior is original which is a little bit shabby, but you expect that. It’s 40 years old and it’s still doing the job. It was all modern technology back then, like, I got it completely rewired because it was shonky as. It was a nightmare! It has power steering, power windows, power everything. It was all incredible stuff for its time, it even had cruise control (although I’ve had that removed). It’s a joy to have and now it’s quite a cool car and it pisses me off to see these young punks who just want to see it jump up and down like a lowrider.”

So what does it have in it?

“A 392cui V8. It’s a cruiser. It loves the freeway, but with the power steering being ‘finger-touch’, being so light even in the streets, as soon as you hit the freeway it’s like a wild bronco! As soon as you hit say, 120 or more it’s kinda like, yeehar! Then there’s the petrol prices! Geez! But my philosophy is that I won’t be going gas. I need that boot space for my golf clubs! [laughs].

“My car hasn’t been running too well and when the Thunderbird is not running well, I don’t wash it. I just get really cross with it and want to change it or get a new Audi or something! But I can never go to a showroom and even look at another car. I just can’t bring myself to buy a new car. Also, I figure the car is old, and I’m old – we belong together! [laughs]

You have any modifications planned for her?

“No, I’m not interested in modifying it at all, really. I’ve lowered the rear a little to give it a better stance, but nothing else. When it runs well, it really runs well, but it doesn’t seem to take much to put it off its lunch.

“To me, cars are art. I like cars like I like guitars. I like how the people make them and how they feel. There’s something about the way old cars smell, there’s something about the way they handle, the space and the luxurious feeling you get sitting inside one of them.”