Innholdsfortegnelse for #265 18-08 i Just Cars

Ford used January’s North American International Auto Show to spring a couple of surprises, one of which was the return of the ‘Bullitt’ Mustang. To be released to the North American market later this year (as a 2019 model), the new Bullitt is the third such reincarnation of the name (see breakout) and arrives on the 50th Anniversary of the Hollywood movie of the same name that became famous for its car chase between Detective Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) in a Highland Green 1968 Mustang GT fastback and mafia hitmen in a black ’68 Dodge Charger. That near-10-minute chase through the streets of San Francisco, with McQueen doing much of the driving himself, has been rated as one of the best in cinema history, while McQueen’s no-nonsense portrayal of the…

The modern versions of two classic British car companies have teamed up to bring a new electric vehicle (EV) to market. Morgan Motor Company has confirmed a technical partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems that will bring the batterypowered ‘EV3’ Morgan Three Wheeler to production later this year. Morgan is well-known, thanks to their unbroken history of carmaking dating back to 1910, but Frazer-Nash is more obscure. Starting in the 1920s, Frazer-Nash specialised in sports and competition cars, enjoying its best success in the 1930s. After building its last car in 1960, Frazer-Nash was reborn in 1991 as a research and development company specialising in electric-powered vehicles. Past Frazer-Nash projects have included EV city cars, taxis and a fleet of electric vehicles for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In 2011, Frazer-Nash also…

Shannons major competition for this year is a driving tour for two of the US west coast, the highlight of which will be the Monterey Car Week in August and the world-famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Behind the wheel of a Chevy Camaro SS convertible (subject to availability), the 18-night fully-escorted self-drive tour starts in Los Angeles, taking in classic motoring collections like the Blackhawk Museum, Mullin Collection, Nethercutt Collection and other attractions, as well as California’s Napa Valley wine region, the Redwood highway and more. At Monterey, the winner and their partner will experience classic racing at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, then ‘Club Elegance VIP’ entry to the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. After Monterey, the prizewinner will head back to LA for four nights of…

If you want to see the JUST CARS Historic Touring Cars in action, your first opportunity will be at this March’s Phillip Island Classic. Under 3-Litre and Over 3-Litre runners in Group Nb and Group Nc are already gearing up for the event, which is one of the category’s biggest meets for the year and will feature a smorgasbord of other classes, from Regularity, Group J&K vintage runners and Formula Vee, through to Group Q and R sports and racing machines. Formula 5000 will be the headline act this year, as F5000 racing is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2018. With F5000 in focus, this year’s patrons include Alf Costanzo, Alan Hamilton, Kevin Bartlett, John McCormack and New Zealand’s Ken Smith, all of whom have history with these big and…

The Holden featured here is one of a very elite breed - an original, unrestored early-production 48-215 (FX). And when we say early, we mean VERY early. With body #19, it is the second oldest Holden production-model body still in existence, second only to the #6 body that’s on the 48-215 in Holden’s own collection. But what makes this particular 48-215 even rarer is that it is the oldest Holden to carry the same registration from new. (NOTE: An edited version of this article originally appeared in JUST CARS #168 – February, 2010). STATE OF THE NATION On 29 November, 1948, when the first Holden was presented to Prime Minister Ben Chifley (who uttered the famous ‘She’s a Beauty!’ appraisal of the car), Australia was a very different place from…

To help unveil the MY19 Bullitt Mustang at the 2018 North American International Auto Show, Ford presented a piece of genuine Mustang history in the form of one of the original GTs used in the filming of Bullitt in 1968. Back in 1968, two identical 390 V8-powered Mustang GT fastbacks were purchased by Warner Bros. studios for the Steve McQueen film; one used for stunts and the other ‘hero’ model for close-up work. The stunt car was badly damaged - particularly during the ‘jumps’ on the San Francisco streets in the movie’s iconic car chase - and sent to a wrecking yard, but was recovered and reappeared in 2017. The hero car was sold to a Warner Bros. employee soon after filming wrapped and was thought to have been lost…

After 30 years and a little over 90,000 vehicles, it was the end of an era on 3 January when HSV completed the modification of their last Australian-made Commodore. Fittingly, a “Light My Fire” GTSR W1 -widely regarded as HSV’s best and boldest car ever - was the final Aussie-based machine to be completed. Given its significance in HSV history, GTSR W1 build number 275/275 (Australian allocation) is a vehicle the company intends to retain. Speaking of their last Aussie Commodore build, HSV Managing Director, Tim Jackson, said: “For all at HSV, this is a time for great reflection on what the company has been able to achieve to date. Any success we’ve enjoyed has been directly attributable to our passionate staff, our dedicated dealer-body and of course our loyal…

This March will see the first ever ‘Shannons Survivor Car & Barn Find Show Spectacular’ present an amazing selection of than 100 special survivor cars. From trusty daily drivers and pampered originals to genuine barn finds that haven’t turned a wheel in decades, a highlight of the 2-day show will be the presentation of the ‘Mothball’ XA GT sedan discovered by Survivor Car Australia magazine and featured in JUST CARS #249. The ‘Holy Grail’ of barn finds, Mothball has spent the past 35 years hidden away, but will be unearthed from its tomb especially for the show. Untouched survivors and barn finds like Mothball, still covered in dust and cobwebs in some instances, not only provide a chance to look back at some of the cars we grew up with,…

1 POD PORTABLE LIGHTING SYSTEM Reese reeseprod.com A multi-purpose LED lighting system, the POD from Reese combines a safety torch with a camplight, worklight and warning light. There are nine different light modes, with a wide beam visible for 400 metres, a main light that lasts up to three hours and an emergency beacon that lasts up to 15 hours. A multitude of mounting options include a hook and built-in magnet that allow the POD to be used hands-free or attached to any metal surface. A mounting pad is also included. The compact battery-powered POD is priced at $39.99 for a twin pack from auto accessory and outdoor gear retailers. 2 CARS IN CUBA – YOU SHOULD SEE BEFORE THEY DIE New Holland Publishers newhollandpublishers.com Australian architect and production designer…

How many cars are required for a royal entourage? If the place was Australia and the year was 1952, the answer to that question is 37. When the February 1952 ‘Royal Tour of Australia’ by Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh was in preparation, it was announced that 16 Daimlers and 12 Humbers would be required for royal duty, along with six Holden 48-215s and three others. The car shown here is one of those Holdens and owes its existence to a Royal Tour that ultimately never happened. TWIST OF FATE Any royal visit to this country makes the news (particularly if it’s Harry or William, it seems), but back in the 1950s, a Royal Tour was HUGE news – think ‘Beatlemania’ or ‘Bieber-fever’, but on a much bigger…

In their raft of presentations at the NAIAS in Detroit, one video from Ford caused as much confusion as excitement. The video showed a current generation Mustang and Explorer SUV (a seven-seat model slightly larger than the Everest that’s not currently available in Australia) entering the Detroit building that houses Ford’s ‘Team Edison’ electric car division. After the Mustang and Explorer enter, the building is hit by lightning and the classic ‘Mach 1’ logo appears. This led to a number of theories; one of which was that the Mach 1 nameplate would be reborn on an electrified Mustang. Shortly afterwards, Ford confirmed that the Mach 1’s return will actually be on an all-electric “performance SUV” that will combine the power of the Mustang with the space and size of the…

One of Australian motor sport’s most enduring competitors, John Bowe has been recognised for his achievements across more than four decades of racing with induction into the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame. Along with Mark Webber and 18 others, Bowe will be formally inducted this March. Bowe’s racing career started in 1971 as a 15-year-old, firstly in Formula Vee, where he won the Tasmanian state championship in his first attempt, then the state Formula Ford title a year later. Moving up to the Australian Driver’s Championship in 1978, initially in Formula Ford, then F5000, Bowe won the CAMS Gold Star in 1984, then repeated the feat in 1985 under Formula Mondial regulations. Bowe’s touring car debut was made in 1985, sharing a Volvo 240 Turbo with Robbie Francevic at…

It’s a familiar story, all to do with youth and passion. While Vince Parisi is slowly farewelling the former, he still has bags of the latter. SIMCA STARTER Vince was struck with “the disease” as a small boy. With the family AP5 Valiant and XP Falcon wagon kept for weekends,he became fascinated with a 1956 Simca Elysee - a light, responsive French 1.3 litre saloon - that Vince’s uncle and father drove daily from Fawkner to Footscray. After his uncle’s passing, the Simca passed into Vince’s family. Having waited patiently for his big sister to take her turn, the teenage toolmaker-to-be soon had his hands all over it, tearing the engine down a few times and tearing around the block whenever he could. But young men are always in a…

Restoration projects can be broken down into two parts – ‘passion’ and ‘promise’. The ‘passion’ comes from a devotion to the particular make or model, while the ‘promise’ is all about having the determination to see the project through. That makes it all sound very simple, but as anyone who has undertaken an extensive restoration will tell you, they are rarely simple in practice. As such, the determination to finish the project - to the standards set at the beginning - can wane amongst even the hardiest souls. What can make the resto process easier (but never easy!) is having a good base to start from. In the case of John Crittenden and the FC Standard sedan presented here, that base was as good as anyone could hope for. A…