News

Johnny has a case of mini car mania

By Bree Harding

Dec 3, 2025

Johnny Randall has been collecting the models for around seven years. Photo by Megan Fisher

Johnny Randall is a revhead.

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His passion for cars extends as far back as his memory.

While he also loved footy and tenpin bowling when he was growing up, it is cars that have been the mainstay.

He’s owned many full-sized vehicles in his time, including an SL Torana, a Commodore VP wagon and a Nissan Pulsar he inherited from his dad, but these days his ‘garage’ is filled with some 200-plus much smaller collectible classics.

“I started collecting them when I moved in to Ave Maria about seven years ago,” Mr Randall, who lives at the aged care facility, said.

“I lose count (of how many cars there are) every time I try to count them.”

Johnny shows us a Lexus model car. Photo by Megan Fisher

His favourite among the collection, which is made up of mainly 1:18 scale models, is a 1967 Shelby GT500E, which some will know better as ‘Eleanor’ of Gone in 60 Seconds fame.

There are many makes and models of motoring mementos that line the shelves in his room, but Mr Randall says he mostly favours the Holdens, while pointing out the model that started it all: an HQ Monaro.

While he was taking delivery of a new car every fortnight, space restrictions mean he has had to shift gears and look at expanding his collection to include other items, such as tin signs to hang on his walls.

Johnny has run out of room for any more models. Photo by Megan Fisher

He often has outings to car shows around the region, recently visiting Shepparton Airport for a Wings and Wheels event and Numurkah for its annual Show Us Ya Wheels event.

“Every car show or shop I go to, I get a new model car,” Mr Randall said.

“But I’ve got too many, so now I’m on to buying T-shirts at shows.”

Cars are a passion he lived and breathed during his working life, too.

The collection spills out of his custom-built cabinet onto shelves on the walls of his room at Ave Maria. Photo by Megan Fisher

“I used to work at Thompson Motor Group, cleaning up out the front, hosing down the cars and helping detail them,” he said.

When he’s not admiring his colourful collection of shining miniatures with their fine body lines, gleaming chrome accents and phat rubber feet, he’s kicking back reading another kind of mag from his back catalogue of Street Machine magazines or the latest edition of Wheels Magazine that has arrived in his mailbox.