Innholdsfortegnelse for #247 17-02 i Just Cars

The 2017 model Nissan GT-R has arrived in Australia, billed as the most significantly-updated version of the high-performance coupe since the R35 made its local debut in 2009. Three variants will be offered here, starting with the ‘Premium Edition’ priced at $189,000. A ‘Premium Edition with Luxury Trim’ is priced at $195,000, while the new ‘Track Edition Engineered by NISMO’ lists for $227,000 (all prices exclude ORCs). The Track Edition is a first for Australia, combining styling elements of the discontinued GT-R Black Edition with the chassis, suspension and wider wheel/tyre package from the hardcore GT-R NISMO to create a track-focussed special. Across-the-board changes for the latest GT-R include a significantly reinforced chassis, increased engine power, greater in-cabin luxury and styling changes to the exterior and interior. EXTERIOR At the…

A trio of American classics customised by Justin Hills of the award-winning Hills & Co. Custom Auto Restoration in Taree, NSW, were among the top sellers at Shannons Sydney Winter Classic Auction on 29 August. Of the ’49 Buick Sedanette, ’55 Buick Super sedan and ’50 Cadillac Series 62 convertible consigned by Hills, the Caddy was the star, selling for $141,000 after some spirited bidding pushed the price beyond its pre-auction high estimate. Of course, being a Hills & Co. custom, the Cadillac was exceptionally finished, with super-smooth black paint over laser-straight panels, chrome wire wheels, whitewalls and a cream leather interior. Under the bonnet, the car retains its stock driveline configuration of a 390ci V8 and four-speed Super HydraMatic auto transmission; both of which were fully rebuilt and superbly…

Morgan’s ultimate roadster, the Aero 8, is finally coming to Australia. Having recently passed Australian Design Rule requirements, Morgan Cars Australia P/L are now taking orders for the 270kW V8-engined roadster. With the end of production of the Supersports and Coupe last year, the fifth generation Aero 8 marks a return to soft top motoring and has been described as the most refined Aero to date. More importantly, the latest Aero 8 has been subject to significant changes in the aluminium chassis, suspension and aerodynamics. The chassis now delivers more torsional stiffness, while there’s a revised front end set-up, all new suspension componentry, anti-roll bars and a limited-slip diff. Morgan say these changes result in improved handling without sacrificing comfort. Exterior styling features a dramatic clam shell-style boot lid that…

“The XP can rightly be regarded as a turning point in the Falcon’s Australian history.” In 1966, when this Falcon was rolling down the assembly line, few would have guessed that, fifty years later, the Falcon would be on the verge of becoming a Dodo. While the Falcon’s demise will become a reality in 2016, it could have happened much sooner, as the Falcon’s early years in Australia were far from serene. ROUGH START The Falcon’s early history here in Australia has already been well-documented, as has its troubles in suiting our conditions. While perfectly fine for smooth American highways, Australia’s rough roads, especially in rural and regional areas, played havoc with the car’s fragile front suspension. The automatic transmission was subject to similar teething problems, but by the time…

“A field of 38 historic touring cars greeted the starter for the Sunday afternoon 50km hitout.” This past August’s Winton Festival of Speed was highlighted by a new 50km classic – the JUST CARS Cup – that attracted historic touring cars from across the country. The hot half hour of motor racing entertainment was the highlight of the weekend, and saw spectators lined up three deep to watch almost 40 classics in action, covering everything from a hot Camaro to a VW Beetle! WINNING CHARGE The JUST CARS Cup was the third and final race for the historic touring cars at the Festival of Speed, and came after 8- and 5-lap sprint races earlier in the weekend. A field of 38 historic touring cars rumbled round…

As Ford’s Australian manufacturing operations reach their final days ahead of the 7 October closure of the Broadmeadows and Geelong factories, the final Falcon ute rolled off the Broadmeadows assembly line on 29 July. The last Australian-made Falcon ute, a Windsor White XR6, will be kept by Ford as part of their Heritage Collection. Ford says the final Falcon sedan and Territory, both of which are expected to be built on the 7 October ‘D-Day’ for local manufacture, will also join the company’s heritage fleet. Ford says the last Falcon ute will not be sold or auctioned off, but will be loaned for display at special events and in museums in the future. It’s a sad end for a vehicle which has a particular Ford connection, as the first recognised…

Shannons major competition for 2016 is the “European Supercars Tour”, where the winner will score seat time in some of the best modern supercars in iconic European locations, plus plenty more. In conjunction with Ultimate Driving Tours, the Shannons European Supercars Tour consists of an eight-day guided tour through Switzerland, Italy, France and Monaco, which includes four days of actual driving time in a selection of supercars from McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The tour also takes in the iconic Imola race circuit in Italy, as well as the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums. Luxury hotel, chateau and castle accommodation is part of the package, as is fine dining. As part of the prize, you also get a dinner with four-time F1 World Champion Alain Prost – very cool! If…

As this issue of JUST CARS hits the stands, Motorclassica, the Australian International Concours d’Elegance and Classic Motor Show, is just over a month away. Now in its seventh year, Motorclassica 2016 will take place this 21-23 October, in the halls and grounds of Melbourne’s historic Royal Exhibition Building. A number of motoring milestones will be celebrated at Motorclassica this year, including 110 years of Rolls-Royce, 100 years of BMW, 130 years of Mercedes-Benz and 90 years of Ducati. Also being celebrated under the domed roof of the Exhibition Building this year will be 90 years of Italian carrozzeria Touring Superleggera and 50 years since Mini dominated Bathurst in 1966. On the Thursday evening, prior to the show opening to the public, Mercedes-Benz will launch its newest luxury model, which…

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Two and a half decades of MG stewardship of the historic Rob Roy hillclimb will be celebrated this November. The ‘25th Anniversary Historic and Classic Hillclimb’, scheduled for 20 November, will also serve as the third and final round of this year’s Triple Cup Challenge and is expected to attract a bumper field. The MG Car Club were pivotal in the resurrection of the venue and restarting hillclimb competition at Rob Roy, supported by the wider motorsport community, including the Victorian Historic Racing Register and the Vintage Sports Car Club, who host the first and second rounds of the Triple Cup Challenge at the Victorian venue. The Historic & Classic meeting is the largest annual event conducted by the MG Car Club, with the organisers gearing up to make this…

RM Sotheby’s two-day Monterey sale, held on 19-20 August, saw new auction records set for an American, British and pre-War car. The new record-holders are the first Shelby Cobra roadster, a Le Mans-winning 1955 Jaguar D-Type and 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Touring Spider. The Cobra was significant as it was the first – CSX 2000 – and remained in Carroll Shelby’s possession until his death. Setting the template for both the genuine Cobras and innumerable clones that followed, CSX 2000 is a genuine piece of American motoring history, and that was reflected in the price it achieved at Monterey: US$13.75 million (AU$17 million approx.). The first Cobra was based around the lightweight body of a British-built AC Ace, but in 1962, it was Shelby’s idea to add the…

SAM’S STORY Only 14 years old, Sam Coad decided a little while back that he wanted to do a restoration project – together with his father, Mark. “We had not done one before and had little knowledge of what we were doing,” Sam explained. “We decided on an old Kingswood, as Dad drove an HJ when he was at university in the late 1980s.” Searching for a suitable car, the Coads found a ’79 HZ Kingswood utility in a small town in Gippsland. “It was owned by a young guy called Tom, and had been left to him by his grandfather who had bought the car new.” While he wanted to restore the ute himself, Tom had no time or money to do it, so the Coads bought it with…

Most veteran car enthusiasts will know what cyclecars are, but for those unfamiliar with pre-1919 motoring, this particular style of vehicle is a mystery. Smaller and more sparsely-appointed than conventional cars of the period, the cyclecar was ostensibly created to plug the price gap that existed between motorcycles and automobiles in the early part of the 20th Century. Generally built around a timber chassis, to save weight, and powered by small air-cooled motorcycle engines, cyclecars also usually featured direct belt or chain drive (thus eliminating the weight, complexity and cost of a differential), ran motorcycle-style spoked wheels and were fitted with open, roadster bodies. However, the two distinctive and individual features of this genre of automobile were a narrow track width (36 inches – 91.4cm - in most cases, where…