ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Emergency crews have spoken today of driving their tinnies down the flood streets of Brisbane and seeing them lined on each side with over-insured VE Commodores from all over the country.
There are Commodores from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland that are up to the roof racks in floodwater in suburbs such as Yeronga, Dutton Park and St Lucia.
Crews have counted nearly 250 in the University of Queensland car parks alone.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” says one SES volunteer.
“I thought there must’ve been some sort of car show or convention on. Every street in St Lucia that’s on the river is full of VE Commodores.”
The phenomenon of VE Commodores accidentally ending up in floodwater is seen around the country and during any flood event, the nation’s insurers have said at least a dozen of the V6 models end up drowned.
This time in Brisbane, many of the vehicles are Series 1 VE Commodores, famous for having the factory option of a stretchy timing chain added as standard.
Nearly every V6 VE Commodore in the country has the engine light on and its constant warning bongs greet the owner as they start the fucking dog of a thing up each morning.
“When you think about it, it’s pretty simple as to why this keeps happening,” said the same SES volunteer.
“You leave your car in the flood on Monday and you’re driving a Toyota by Friday.”
More to come.
