Charlie Dixon on Cars, 4WDs and Life After AFL
It’s hard to believe these days but it took sporting icon Charlie Dixon a while to warm up to Adelaide when he first arrived.
“I felt my first winter and thought ‘what the hell am I doing’ … I ended up falling in love with the place so I guess I’m stuck here now.”
From Port Adelaide Power to Horsepower
Despite that initial reluctance after shifting from the Gold Coast Suns in 2015, Charlie not only saw out his AFL career at Port Adelaide but is staying to forge a new life centred on his motoring passion. At the heart of it, a pet project now six years in the making: the restoration of his grandpa’s 1977 HX Kingswood ute, a car Charlie says he’ll “never sell”.
When he’s not behind the mic for his weekly radio slots and podcast, Drivin’ with Dixon, at FIVEaa in Hindmarsh Square, Charlie can be found on his YouTube channel documenting his work restoring and celebrating his classic car collection. This year alone he’s clocked up more than 12,000km towing his projects to race days and car enthusiast events locally and interstate.
A New Voice for Australian 4WDing
His expertise has now landed him a spot on the commentary team for Tough Tested 2025, an event where caravan manufacturers test their vans over a challenging course at the Loveday 4×4 Adventure Park, a little under three hours from home.
Charlie will be lending his perspective as a dedicated automotive enthusiast.
“I love the car community. The car enthusiast mindset,” Charlie says. “There’s definitely similarities between 4WDers and the resto-mod guys; that common love and the passion for cars, building them, breaking them going a little bit harder then fixing them again.”
“I feel they [the 4WD guys] do a lot of that [breaking stuff]. That’s what I like watching.”
The Ultimate Passion Project: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
An avid dirt-bike fan, Charlie always had a thirst for adventure. “I grew up camping in Cairns and waterskiing so I always thought I’d get into the 4WD space.”
His primary focus now, however, is putting the final touches on that 1977 HX ute, preparing it for the racetrack–a far cry from its former life of chasing cattle and sheep.
From the outside, it looks much like how Charlie remembered it as a child. But under the bonnet, with its Billet RB engine, it’s a different beast altogether built with local love.
“The whole chassis was fabricated, with a full-length 9-inch rear,” he explains.
“Ron Harrop did the diff and four-link setup and [Adelaide-based] Tuff Mounts sourced the RB30 ‘long block’. It’s not a normal out-of-the-box 3.2-litre stroker engine but a high-end turbo–it looks like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“It’s still got a bench seat, the column shift automatic,” Charlie adds.
“Definitely the pride and joy.”
