Innholdsfortegnelse for #242 16-09 i Just Cars

While the usual classic Ferraris and Mercedes attracted attention at Gooding & Company’s annual Amelia Island auction, another highlight of their 11th March sale was a group of eighteen cars from the collection of comedian and TV star, Jerry Seinfeld. “The room was electric from the beginning,” stated David Gooding, President of Gooding & Company. “And the crowd’s intensity only grew when Mr. Seinfeld joined [auctioneer] Charlie Ross and me on stage to present his stunning offerings.” Seinfeld’s love of the Porsche marque is well known, so it came as no surprise that all bar two of the vehicles he consigned bore the Porsche badge. Most were road cars, but there were some exceptions, like the ‘Jagdwagen’ off-roader and a number of racers, including one with an Aussie connection. HAMILTON’S…

Hot on the heels of announcing the sixth-generation Camaro ZL1 coupe, Chevrolet presented a convertible version at the New York International Auto Show. Featuring the same drivetrain as the coupe model means the ZL1 convertible is powered by a supercharged LT4 6.2-litre V8 engine, rated at 477kW and 868Nm, making the car more powerful than the previous ZL1, as well as being lighter by more than 90kg (in coupe form). A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but a new paddle-shift 10-speed automatic will be offered as an option; the first Chevrolet application of this new quick-shift transmission which features calibration specific to the ZL1. Track-focussed features include updated Magnetic Ride suspension, custom launch control, performance traction management, drive mode selector and an electronic LSD. The ZL1 design includes a larger…

Artcurial’s Retromobile 2016 sale in Paris in February saw the benchmark for high-priced Ferraris raised, when a restored 1957 335 S sold for more than US$35 million; a figure Artcurial are claiming as a new world record price for a car sold at auction. The two-day sale, held in conjunction with the annual ‘Retromobile Salon’ classic car show, saw 124 classics new and old feature on the first day, while the second day was devoted entirely to Citroën, with 48 examples crossing the block, including one owner’s 40-vehicle collection. The opening day - 5th February – saw the usual Ferraris and Aston Martin classics perform well, but there were good prices achieved for some less-than-blue-chip cars, like Minis, Alfa Romeos and Renaults, as well as unusual vehicles, like a 1956…

Want to really fry your brain? Forget Rubik’s Cubes, cryptic crosswords and Sudoku. Attempting to decipher the cars sold by various manufacturers in Canada, and particularly by Ford, is the ultimate puzzle! Pontiac’s Parisienne and Laurentian (Canadian market versions of the Bonneville and Star Chief/ Catalina, respectively) may be familiar to Aussies, as they were sold here, but Ford of Canada’s ‘Meteor’, ‘Monarch’ and ‘Frontenac’ would be a mystery to most. Understandable really, as these models never officially ventured beyond the Dominion of Canada, so to see one pop up here is worthy of closer investigation. DISTANCE AND DIFFERENCE To start to get your head around the whole Canadian cars thing, first you need to understand that Ford – and other US marques – not only sold, but built cars…

John Brash, the respected Historic Touring Car Association of Victoria (HTCAV) club member, racer, muso and photographer, would have been mighty pleased with the fun event that bore his name at Calder Raceway on Sunday, February 21st. Eighty seven cars of many varieties, from touring cars old and new, open wheelers, Formula Vee to Formula 5000 and contemporary performance cars, enjoyed the excellent weather and the convivial relaxed atmosphere of this ‘Fun Day’ meeting that opens the year for the HTCAV. With a new sponsorship liaison with JUST CARS just announced prior to the day, stickers were on hand to apply to any car with a windscreen, in celebration. The key to this meeting’s success is the ability to take passengers around a racetrack at full race noise and close…

Shannons Sydney Autumn Classic Auction saw a classic early Porsche achieve a new Australian auction record price when it went across the blocks on 14th March. The 1957 356A Speedster was, like most Speedsters, delivered new in the United States, but came to Australia many years later and had already been converted to right hand drive when the vendor purchased it in 2008. Restored from the ground up for the new owner, the Speedster’s paint and panel work was carried out by noted Sydney Porsche repairer Ron Goodman. Finished in period-correct grey with red cloth and tartan trim, the Speedster had been used sparingly since completion of the resto, with the quality of the work seeing the car earn a trophy at the 2014 Porsche Club NSW Concours d’Elegance. As…

In 1957, a fire at Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory destroyed a large stock of completed cars, including nine examples of the XKSS; the roadgoing version of the D-Type racer. Now, almost 60 years later, Jaguar has announced they will build the lost cars as ‘continuation’ models to join the 16 produced originally. In the vein of the continuation Lightweight E-Types that were produced in 2014, the “new” XKSS roadsters will be hand-built by Jaguar Classic to the exact same specs as the originals. Only nine examples will be built, reflecting the total lost in the ’57 fire, thus making the “new” versions almost as desirable as the originals. Tim Hannig, Director Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “The XKSS occupies a unique place in Jaguar’s history and is a car coveted…

At a gala evening held over the weekend of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in March, CAMS, supported by Speedcafe, announced the initial batch of inductees into the first-ever Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame. The first thirty inductees, (in what’s planned as an annual event) covered exceptional Australians – and a couple of non-Aussies – across all motor sport disciplines, from Formula 1 and touring cars to speedway and off-road racing, as well as two-wheel stars. It isn’t just a driver’s award either. Those who have contributed to the sport at the organisational, engineering and administration level are also eligible. The CAMS presentation evening, held at the Melbourne Convention Centre, saw many inductees on hand to collect their Hall of Fame medallions personally, with those of posthumous winners…

In 1959, America’s ‘Chrome Age’ reached its peak. The decade finished with some of Detroit’s wildest ever designs: designs that, for many, are still revered today. Of course, those with even a passing knowledge of four-wheel Americana will be familiar with the ’59 Cadillac. Those sky-high tailfins defined the era like nothing else and have made it a popular choice with individuals and hire companies alike. Equally as memorable are the ‘batwing’ fins on Chevrolet’s 1959 models, while Ford’s 1959 ‘tank’ Fairlane is arguably the most popular of all Blue Oval offerings from the entire 1950s. While the Caddy and Chevy still draw a lot of attention today, it’s fair to say that GM’s other 1959 models aren’t as well-known or popular here. Buick’s sharp tailfin treatment and diagonally canted…

At the New York International Auto Show, Mazda officially revealed the MX-5 RF; a new version of the world’s top-selling convertible sportscar that features a retractable hardtop roof. The RF (‘Retractable Fastback’) variant is seen as a challenger to Toyota’s popular 86 sports coupe, offering a blend of convertible enjoyment and metal hardtop security. The multi-piece power-operated roof can be opened or closed at speeds of up to 10 km/h, taking up no more boot space than the soft-top model. With the roof open, the MX-5 RF is more of a targa than a true convertible, while a large ‘aero board’ prevents air blowing back into the cabin. With the roof up, a sound-absorbing headliner and sound insulation inside the rear wheel housings results in a quiet cabin. Set to…

At March’s New York International Auto Show, Ford announced a new, 50th Anniversary edition of the famous Shelby Hertz “Rent-A-Racer” Mustang GT. Back in 1966, Carroll Shelby secured a deal to provide a limited number of Shelby-modified GT350 fastback Mustangs for Hertz’s rental fleet. Dubbed the GT350-H, the Hertz Mustangs were finished in distinctive black, with gold Le Mans stripes (with a few exceptions), and fitted with Shelby-tuned V8 engines. The formula was repeated in 1967, with the Hertz Mustangs soon becoming a favourite with collectors, leading to high prices for original GT350-H cars and innumerable clones of the distinctive livery. In 2006, Ford, Shelby American and Hertz collaborated again to offer a Hertz Mustang in the same iconic black & gold livery. Now, fifty years after the original, the…

Ryan and Theresa Mischkulnig like a challenge. Why else would they commit to taking a clapped-out car over thousands of kilometres of rough ‘n’ ready Aussie outback roads? More importantly, why would they want to do it three times?!! Ryan and Theresa have twice completed the annual Sh*tbox Rally in support of the Cancer Council and the couple are saddling up for a third start this May. In 2012, they completed their first Sh*tbox Rally in a 1960 Vauxhall Victor that had been lying fallow for two decades. The following year, a weary 1975 Daimler Sovereign was the steed; both adhering to the Sh*tbox Rally rules of being purchased for less than $1,000, then made ready – or as ready as possible! – for a week-long road adventure. If the…

The JUST CARS Historic Touring Cars put on a spectacular display of intense racing over the three days of this year’s Phillip Island Classic. Given the Classic attracts more than 500 cars every year, event organisers, the Victorian Historic Racing Register (VHRR), ask one category to take the “year off” in turn. For 2016, it was the larger capacity (Over 3 litre) Group N machines, including Mustangs and Camaros. That meant the Under 3 litre Historic Tourers would fly the JUST CARS banner for the first time at Phillip Island, with locals joining competitors from Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and even several from Western Australia in an incredible 50+ car field. The fast and flowing Phillip Island layout suits a rotary-powered Mazda, so it was unsurprising when Sydneysiders…