"Baz Luhrmann is pretty thorough," he said.

Mr Dikeman said he was assured if anything was to happen, it would be covered by insurance.

His 1931 Ford Model A Roadster Deluxe was used in filming for Luhrmann's remake of The Great Gatsby.

"Where they were using it, it was like a chase scene," he said.

While he didn't see the filming of his car, he said "the time we did spend on the film set was really interesting".

Betty Boop was recommended for the part through the Model A Ford Club of NSW, of which Mr Dikeman is a member, because it's a left-hand-drive car.

The first car Mr Dikeman owned was also a Roadster Deluxe, so when he saw one for sale in the US (his country of origin) about three years ago, he decided to buy another.

And while he's added a few things to the car, Mr Dikeman has mostly left it the way it was when he bought it from 80-year-old Betty, the car's namesake: "She was a real livewire."

Betty Boop may be elderly but she still runs smoothly, except for a struggle here and there.

"I've driven it into Penrith a number of times," he said.

"[But] the only way we can get back to Glenbrook is by three very steep hills.

"She doesn't like steep hills."

With a love for all things from the past, Mr Dikeman is also a former antiques dealer — he had a store in Glenbrook for about 30 years.

Before that he was a teacher at Penrith High School in the 1970s.

You can meet Betty Boop in all her glory at the annual Automobile Picnic at Leura Mall on Saturday.

The event is part of the month-long Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon Tourism's Roaring 20s And All That Jazz festival.

Details: roaring20s.com.au.