Mathew Hughes, 28, unveiled his custom-built 1973 TA22 Toyota Celica at Street Machine Summernats 38 after nearly nine years of work. Hughes, a spray painter by trade, constructed the vehicle at home.
Hughes stated, "I just built the car for me, how I'd like it. It was never meant to get out of hand like it did from just building it myself at home." He also noted that his apprenticeship under Simon Bonello influenced his work, particularly in paint and panel finishing.
Hughes commented on the build's difficulty, stating, "Everyone who knows me knows my life has revolved around this car, it's been a constant uphill battle, and it's taken me to the absolute limit of my capabilities." He added that the unveiling made the effort worthwhile.
The Celica features a Toyota 3S-GE four-cylinder engine with ITBs and a six-speed manual transmission. It is equipped with SSR Dori Dori Mesh alloys, Fortune Auto coil-overs, and AE86 Corolla rack-and-pinion steering. Hughes described its style as "a bit of a Japanese style, but more to my taste rather than getting stuck being era specific."
At Summernats 38, the TA22 Celica received third place in the Elite Paint and Top Coupe categories, and was runner-up in Top Engineered, securing a spot in the Elite Top 10. Hughes expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating, "I was infinitely grateful to just make it there and back safely and have the car unveiled for all my friends and family to see. Four awards amongst some of Australia’s best car builders. I’ll do the show circuit for a bit, and then I’m going to drive the wheels off it!"