Bridgewater Lake resident and Bombers legend shows off classic car

Bridgewater Lake resident and Essendon Football Club icon Greg Sewell will display his copper blue 1957 President Classic Studebaker as part of the retirement estate’s famed Craft Market this weekend.

Mr Sewell, who has owned the car for almost four decades, will showcase the car outside the Roxburgh Park retirement estate’s community centre this Saturday, 29 November between 9am and 2pm.

The 92-year-old, who has lived at Bridgewater Lake Retirement Estate since 2008, bought the car in the mid-1980s and drove it everywhere, even lending it to friends to use as a wedding car.

But as the mileage climbed, he chose to taper back its usage. So much so, that over the past 40 years, he’s only added 1,400 miles or 2,253 kilometres since.

During the times he did take it out of the garage, he proudly displayed it at classic car shows, including the annual Australia Day Car Show in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The grandfather-of-four is only the third owner of the classic vehicle, which was initially purchased by a milk bar owner in Malvern.

The former Essendon player, coach, president and AFL Life Member treasures the classic car, particularly as a reminder of the 1938 Studebaker he watched both his grandfather and father drive as a child.

“It’s a beautiful car,” Mr Sewell said. “It was special for me to own a Studebaker after watching my family drive them when I was a kid.”

Mr Sewell played 171 games for the Bombers between 1952 and 1961, representing Victoria in 1957. He coached the club for one game in 1965, serving as assistant coach for the rest of the season, which resulted in a premiership.

He sat on the football club committee for 11 years before serving as president between 1981 and 1987, overseeing Kevin Sheedy’s first years as coach of the club.