Innholdsfortegnelse for #286 20-03 i Just Cars

Fifty years after Allan Moffat set Australian touring car racing alight with his Trans Am Boss 302 Mustang, Tickford have created a package paying tribute to that iconic car and driver – the Tickford Trans-Am Mustang. Launched at Sandown Raceway in August – the same track where Moffat debuted his original Trans Am Mustang 50 years ago - the Tickford project takes a customersupplied Mustang GT and adds an ECU upgrade, suspension upgrade, brake upgrade, purpose-built alloy wheels, high performance tyres, exterior cosmetic parts and graphics replicating Moffat’s racing Mustang and customised interior touches. “The Tickford Trans-Am represents not only our tribute to an iconic Mustang, but also our commitment in developing new and exciting engineering-led projects,” said Tickford CEO, Rod Nash. “Building on the success of recent projects, such…

McLaren Automotive has expanded its Australian retail network to four outlets with the opening of McLaren Adelaide. Australia is one of the most successful markets for McLaren in the Asia Pacific region, according to George Biggs (Managing Director, McLaren Automotive Asia Pacific and China), who officially opened McLaren Adelaide on 9 August. “Australia was one of the first international markets McLaren Automotive expanded into and from our very first car, the iconic 12C, the (Australian) response has been phenomenal,” said Biggs. “McLaren ownership in Australia represents an extraordinary experience. Our owners participate in exclusive luxury events, curated driver’s programs and bespoke offerings through McLaren Special Operations division.” A full service facility with sales, aftersales support and servicing, the new showroom is operated by Zagame Automotive, who also run McLaren’s Melbourne…

While auctions of cars and motorcycles connected to Steve McQueen have become commonplace these days, two cars with genuine McQueen connections going to auction next year are sure to grab global attention. The two are the 1968 Ford Mustang GT from Bullitt and the modified Meyers Manx dune buggy from The Thomas Crown Affair. Both are genuine, verified, movieused examples driven by ‘The King of Cool’ himself. The vehicles resurfaced last year as each film was marking its 50th Anniversary. BULLITT It may not be a great movie in its own right, but Bullitt has undoubtedly one of the best car chases of all time. The 1968 movie covers the attempts of Detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) and his colleagues to protect a witness in a high-profile organised crime case. When…

Since the first Motorclassica was held in 2010, the Australian International Concours d’Elegance and classic motor show has grown, evolved and been embraced by the car enthusiast community, not only within Victoria, but throughout Australia and even internationally. Many of you reading this may have attended the first Motorclassica back in October, 2010. And there’s doubtless some of you who have also attended every Motorclassica since. That first event set a precedent and undeniably put Australia on the international concours radar. Each year since, the event has grown to become an established and respected part of the Australian classic automotive scene. More recently, a modern element has brought the latest performance and luxury vehicles from the world’s most prestigious marques to the event; an addition that has dovetailed nicely with…

A car that epitomised British luxury grand touring in the 1950s, Bentley’s R-Type Continental had the performance to match its looks and, in some ways, was a successor to the Speed Six of the pre-war era. Based on Bentley’s R-Type saloon, what set the Continental apart was its curvaceous fastback bodywork. Designed by engineer Ivan Evernden and stylist John Blatchley (both of Rolls-Royce), the bodywork was executed entirely in aluminium; rare for the time and certainly rare for a large sporting saloon. Under that lightweight body, the engine was the same 4.6-litre straight six used in the regular R-Type, but with modified induction, different carburation, a modified exhaust and higher gear ratios for the 4-speed manual transmission. The combination of more power (153hp vs 140hp) and light weight (even the…

Easily one of the most beautiful machines ever to carry the prancing horse emblem, the 250 GT Lusso (Luxury) Berlinetta debuted in 1962. Also known as the 250 GT/L, the Lusso was significant on two levels. Firstly, it marked Ferrari’s first serious approach to road cars, and secondly, it began what would be a long association with designers Pinin Farina (later Pininfarina). Combining racetrack looks with passenger comfort, the Lusso was beautifully proportioned, blending a low-slung nose with a sculpted Kamm tail and slim pillars for an expansive glass area. While designed by Pinin Farina, almost all 250 GT/Ls were built by Scaglietti - in steel with aluminium doors, bonnet and boot lids – and rode on the same 2400mm wheelbase as the 250 GT ‘passo corto’ (short wheelbase) Berlinetta.…

A surprisingly long-lived nameplate in Alfa Romeo history, the 6C was produced from 1927 to 1954. A fast touring car in the Italian style, the 6C was initially powered by a 1.5-litre straight six engine, but ever-larger versions would be added, culminating with a 3.0-litre version after WWII. Offered in SOHC, DOHC, single carb, dual carb and even supercharged form, there was a 6C engine configuration to suit most tastes, but a 4-speed manual transmission was a constant. Like most high-priced cars of the period, the 6C was produced in chassis form only, so an array of body styles could be added, including exotic 2-door tourers and spiders from Italian carrozzeria like Touring and Zagato. The 6C 1750 debuted in 1929 with a 1752cc version of the straight six, which…

When new, Holden’s VN range was significant in a lot of ways. Bigger in all areas than the VL it replaced, the VN also saw the debut of the 3.8 V6, the return of the long-wheelbase models and the first true Holden ute since 1984. Five years in the making, the tale of the VN and how GM-H brought it to fruition could fill an article like this six times over, but we’re not talking about the VN range in general: this story’s about one particular car from the VN generation and one man’s determination to have the ideal car for now and the future. JAPAN TO HOME, VIA USA AND EUROPE Robert Groeneveld has owned a LOT of cars in his 35 years. The total was up to 73…

The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship has announced their calendar for the 2020 season – the 60th Anniversary of the Australian Touring Car Championship. Key changes for 2020 include upgrading The Bend to a 500km enduro as part of the 2020 Pirtek Enduro Cup, as well as the return of racing to Sydney Motorsport Park (one of two night rounds for 2020), but Phillip Island and Queensland Raceway have been dropped from the calendar. With all ‘SuperSprint’ rounds increased in length to 200km each day, there will be more racing and more track time, according to Supercars Australia boss, Sean Seamer: “It was important to us to increase the amount of Supercar racing for the fans at track and at home. “SuperSprint weekends are now full of Supercars racing on both…

In the ongoing celebrations for their centenary year, Bentley recently unveiled a reborn model from their past in the form of the Corniche. A model name rightly associated with Rolls-Royce these days, Corniche actually graced a Bentley first - decades before it appeared on a Rolls. But for the intervention of World War II, it would have likely become a standard model in the Bentley range, too. THE GREEK AND THE FRENCH The impetus for the Corniche came from a one-off Bentley belonging to Greek shipping magnate Andre Embiricos in the late 1930s. Embiricos had commissioned designer Georges Paulin to create a sporting body for a 4 ½-litre Bentley chassis, and French coachbuilders Pourtout to build it. With its streamlined style, the ‘Embiricos Bentley’ drew attention far and wide, including…

The inaugural Motorclassica Australian International Concours d’Elegance Best in Show winner was a British marque with German origins that was sold new in Australia and had spent time in Japan, but came to the show with an American owner! Britain’s oldest marque, Daimler was founded in 1893 as the Daimler Motor Syndicate, originally to produce engines for river launches. Rebranded as The Daimler Motor Company Limited in 1896, the first Daimler automobile for public sale was built in January, 1897. The marque’s royal connections started a year later and, by 1902, Daimler had been warranted as official automobile supplier to the royal household. Daimler’s Model P.1.50, known as the ‘Double-Six’ due to its 7.13-litre V12 engine, first appeared in 1927. An overall length of 6.4m made it the largest British…

First offered in 1906 as the ‘40/50hp’, the car that became the ‘Silver Ghost’ was one of four different models Rolls-Royce produced at the time. Initially powered by a 7-litre straight six engine, the 40/50hp was upgraded to a 7.4-litre version from 1910 and the 3-speed manual transmission upgraded to a 4-speed from 1913. The Silver Ghost name had been applied by Rolls-Royce to a single 40/50hp car prepared for RAC reliability trials in Scotland in 1907 (‘Silver’ for the colour of the Barker touring body and ‘Ghost’ for the smooth, quiet operation of the engine), but would later be applied to all 40/50hp models. Built to a high standard, the Silver Ghost established the Rolls-Royce reputation for excellence; so much so that all other models were abandoned and the…

Australian tribal loyalties mean the original Monaro is either loved or loathed, but even those in the latter camp would grudgingly admit the Monaro has its merits. The Monaro era kicked off in 1968 with the HK; a hardtop coupe offered with a choice of two straight six engines (161ci or 186ci) or two Chevrolet-sourced V8s (307ci, or a 327ci, 250hp/186kW unit for the GTS 327 model). Successful both on the racetrack and the sales charts, the HK Monaro won the 1968 Hardie-Ferodo enduro at Bathurst (Holden’s first) and the Wheels ‘Car of the Year’ award in 1968. Following the HK, the HT Monaro was released in 1969, carrying styling features shared with the rest of the HT family. But more importantly for racers and fans of fast cars, the…

Here’s a question for you: Where does the VP range sit in the HSV canon? It’s fair to say it’s not highly regarded right now, but looking at recent trends in collectable car pricing, the VP may well be the next range to go gangbusters in the market. As such, it makes the opportunity to pick up a good one - while they’re still affordable - more important than ever. SECOND CLUB, STRONGER LEGS Following the VL and VN, HSV’s VP range was released in October, 1991; a month after the Commodore range they were based on. The offerings were pretty much the same as what had been available on the VN, but there were a bunch of oddities with differing levels of HSV stardust sprinkled on them, like the…

1 FORMULA 1 CAR BY CAR 1970-79 Evro Publishing evropublishing.com Part of the decade-by-decade series documenting the history of F1 cars, this volume covers arguably the most interesting decade in the sport, with developments in vehicle aerodynamics, tyres and turbocharging, and when powerhouse teams like McLaren, Ferrari, Renault and Lotus mixed it with March, Tyrell, Shadow, Wolf, Hesketh and BRM, as well as more obscure teams. Over 600 photos, most in colour, show every type of car raced by every team, presenting a comprehensive visual record of every F1 car raced in the 1970s. Detailed text includes specifications and technical essentials for each car. Available from specialty motoring booksellers, priced from $95.00 RRP (approx., depending on stockist). 2 197MERCEDES-BENZ ‘AVANTGARDE’ PRAM Mercedes-Benz/Hartan mercedes-benz.com/fashion, hartan.de Getting the next generation into a…

Shannons Sydney Winter Auction saw a diverse range of consignments offered, with the top seller being a Fiat Dino 2400 Spyder. A rare car today – one of only three in Australia – the Dino 2400 was released in 1969 as the ‘second generation’ of a model that had debuted in 1966. Defined by a V6 engine developed by Ferrari and placed in the Fiats to homologate the engine for Formula 2 racing, the Dino was initially released in 2.0-litre form, with a 2.4-litre version following in 1969. First offered in Spyder (convertible) form with a body by Pininfarina, a coupe version styled and bodied by Bertone followed a few months later. The unit consigned with Shannons was sold new in Rome and came to Australia circa 1980/81. In the…

Sometimes, you just know when you’re onto a good thing. That was certainly the case last year when the crew here at Jimmy’s Chop Shop in Toowoomba turned what was going to be an in-house resto project into a fundraiser for young Aussie athletes. The ‘GET CHOPPED!! Muscle Car Giveaway’ saw us put a restored ’78 XC Fairmont hardtop up for grabs, with the winner given the choice of the car or $100,000 cash. Ahead of the draw on 13 April, the giveaway had got a lot of traction and media coverage, including with JUST CARS. It did a lot of good for young athletes, too; so much so, in fact, that even before the first giveaway was done, we decided to do another one! FORD FIRST As you may…

With Motorclassica being a Melbourne event, the original owner of the 2011 Best in Show winner had a very strong Melbourne connection, too, being the proprietor of The Age newspaper. Oswald J Syme was the youngest son of David Syme, who had bought a half-stake in The Age in 1856 and turned an insolvent publication with a circulation of less than 15,000 to more than 120,000 by the turn of the century. Each of David Syme’s five sons were involved with The Age in various capacities, with Oswald serving as chairman until 1948. The wealth generated by the newspaper allowed Oswald Syme to build palatial homes, purchase property, run farms and indulge in fine automobiles like Bentleys. Syme owned at least one other Bentley before this one: a 1922 3-litre…

The second Aston Martin model to be introduced under David Brown ownership (hence the DB identification), the DB2 debuted in 1950. Compared to the Two Litre Sports model that preceded it (there was no official ‘DB1’), the DB2 featured an engine upgraded from a 2-litre inline four to a 2.6-litre DOHC inline six originally intended for the Lagonda marque that Brown had purchased at the same time as Aston Martin. The DB2 body was redesigned by Frank Feeley, with a coupe added to the alreadyavailable convertible (aka drophead coupe). A total of 410 DB2s would be built in coupe form, with only 98 produced as convertibles. The 2014 Best in Show winner had been sold new to an Ulsterman who was the Aston Martin Owner’s Club rep for all of…

The second Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost to take out the major prize at Motorclassica, the 2017 Best in Show winner is one of just six Silver Ghosts of the same specification remaining in the world. The wordy ‘London-to-Edinburgh’ tag has its roots in a challenge issued by Rolls-Royce rival Napier in 1911 to engage in an RAC-observed test from London to Edinburgh. The Rolls, a near-standard Silver Ghost (aka 40/50hp) was faster and more fuel efficient than the Napier on the run to Scotland and also bettered its rival on a separate speed test held on the Brooklands circuit. The winning Rolls-Royce had been fitted with a larger carburettor and higher compression on its 7.4-litre straight six engine, as well as a torque tube casing for the driveshaft and strengthened rear…

The Citroën display at Motorclassica will also include a ‘5CV’; a car that may seem unremarkable on first viewing, but nevertheless played a significant role in Australia’s automotive history. Introduced in 1922, the 5CV (5 horsepower) was a light car; Citroën’s first in a market segment then dominated domestically by Renault and Peugeot. Also known as the Type C, 5HP and Baby Citroën, the 5CV was also Citroën’s first volume-production model, with more than 80,000 built over a five-year period. Powered by an 856cc inline four engine, mated to a 3-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels, the 5CV was light, durable and reliable, making it popular in Europe and beyond, including Australia, where more than 2,000 were sold. As durable and reliable as the 5CV was, Citroën’s designers and…