Robert Irwin re-creates a childhood photo with late father Steve Irwin in dad’s 'special car'

Robert Irwin recently shared a sweet moment he had with his late father, Steve. The 19-year-old conservationist posted a throwback picture on Instagram of himself as a toddler sitting on his dad’s lap and holding the wheel of his father’s car, as per TODAY. "My dad’s ute… it’s a special car," Irwin captioned the post. He also shared that when he was little, his dad "would park and pretend to let me drive."

In the adorable post, Robert shared a picture of driving his dad's vehicle and sitting where his father once did. Steve Irwin’s "ute" is of sentimental value to the family. Both Robert and his sister, Bindi, 24, appeared for their driver’s tests in the car, and the vehicle "still comes on road trips to this day," Robert revealed on Instagram. Their mother, Terri Irwin, also got emotional and shared in a Twitter post about seeing her son learn to drive in her late husband’s vehicle. "Remembering how much Robert loved being with Steve, parked at home pretending to drive," she said in her 2020 tweet. "I know Steve would be incredibly proud."

After passing his driving test, Robert went to see his niece. "I remember my first solo drive in this car after I got my license — it was to the hospital to meet my niece for the first time, right after she was born," he wrote in his recent Instagram post. Bindi Irwin gave birth to her first child, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, with her husband Chandler Powell in March 2021. This "ute" was also used in the memorial service for Steve Irwin. Staff from the Australia Zoo sat closer to the vehicle during the service, and Australian singer John Williamson performed a song as he stood on the truck bed. 

The Irwins have special ways to remember Steve Irwin. On Robert's last birthday, a video showed him accompanied by his mother watching an old video of his dad speaking of the joy he felt on learning Robert was born. In the video, Steve talks about the time Robert was born. He says, "I'm at the hospital, and Terri's pushing and pushing, it's hard as is, and bang pops him out and I've lifted him out and you know he's a little bloke and [I] put him on Terri's chest and we're just stoked. And at that moment, at that very moment, I saw the light." 

He added, "The whole time you're here, you're like, you know, I'm catching Crocs, I'm serving wildlife I'm doing this, I'm doing that. When Bindi was born I had the same sensation. Now with little Bob, the same sensation. It's like, this is why I was put here." Steve goes on to say that he might be dead tomorrow "so I need these blokes to come up as quick as they can. So this little bloke going to have to catch the Crocs with Bindi. When they are ready to run our mission I will gladly step aside." 

After watching the message from his father, Robert had tears in his eyes. He said, "It's impossible to not get emotional. It is just such a privilege personally and as a family, to continue the legacy of dad." The family truly continues the legacy of their late father in the most beautiful ways!