Innholdsfortegnelse for #295 20-12 i Just Cars

The friction between Holden dealers and General Motors over compensation packages offered for early termination of dealer franchises looks like it may to go to the courts. After February’s announcement that the Holden brand would be terminated by the end of 2020, dissatisfaction with the compensation offered by GM to Holden dealers was almost immediate – the dealer network united and employed law firm HWL Ebsworth and forensic accountants KPMG in March to negotiate a better package. According to Holden dealers, the GM compensation packages were around four times less than what most dealers were owed-$1,500 per car according to GM-H versus $6,110 per car, according to HWL Ebsworth. The to-and-fro between both parties has been ongoing ever since and saw GM-H issue a statement on 5 May, maintaining that…

A 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 previously belonging to the late Paul Walker is one of the star lots consigned for this year’s Mecum 33rd Original Spring Classic auction in Indianapolis. While Walker was known for his interest in late-model cars (including Japanese imports and BMW E30/E36 coupes), the star of the Fast and Furious films was just as enthusiastic about American cars, with classic Chevy Novas and Chevelles in his collection, as well as Mustangs and other home-grown muscle cars. The example to be auctioned by Mecum is a genuine Boss 429 with low mileage (14,575 miles) and more importantly, its original NASCAR-spec 429 cubic inch (7.0-litre) engine and close-ratio Toploader 4-speed manual transmission. Other standard Boss 429 features on this car include a Traction-Lok diff, “competition type” heavy-duty…

In the same week that Lamborghini returned to production following a two-month-long factory shutdown, they revealed a new model in the form of the Huracan EVO RWD Spyder. The topless companion to the Huracan EVO RWD coupe announced in January, the Spyder features the same 5.2-litre V10 engine producing 449kW and 560Nm, the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the same overall mechanical spec as the coupe, as well as the subtle styling tweaks that separate the RWD models from the AWD Huracan range. “The Huracán EVO Rear-Wheel Drive Spyder doubles the driving fun, delivering raw driving pleasure with the opportunity to celebrate life outside,” says Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “The driver is perfectly in touch with Lamborghini’s engineering heritage, experiencing the feedback and engagement from the…

Hands up who had – or still has-a die-cast Batmobile in their toy car collection? That’s a lot of you. It’s no wonder, really, as for JUST CARS readers of a certain age, the original Batmobile was the coolest car ever and still looks pretty damn awesome today. Of course, everyone knows the original was built by George Barris, Bill Cushenberry and others at Barris Kustom Industries from the Lincoln Futura concept car. And most of you who know that will also know that the original sold for AU$4.4 million at a Barrett-Jackson auction in 2013. But how many of you knew there was a series of Batmobile replicas produced-licensed by Barris-for display at car shows and other events? BIRD-BASED BAT What you’re looking at here is a fairly authentic…

With the United States of America hit hardest by COVID-19 in terms of cases and deaths, Porsche Cars North America decided to hold a one-off auction to support those affected by and combatting the virus in the US. The car to be auctioned off was a special one: the last 991-series Porsche 911 built, which was a limited-edition Speedster variant, completed in December, 2019, and sent to Porsche Cars North America’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. LAST OF THE LINE One of only 1,948 examples of the 991-series Speedster produced (the number honouring the year of Porsche’s post-WWII debut), the auctioned car was fitted with the Heritage Design package of retro-inspired paint and race number decals (‘88’ in this instance) from the factory, as well as other bespoke touches, with a…

Ford are already committed to introducing an electric Mustang in the form of the Mustang Mach-E SUV. Now they’re set to bring an electric Mustang to the dragstrip following the announcement in April of a ‘Mustang Cobra Jet 1400’ factory drag racer with a fully electric powertrain. The first factory Ford electric drag car, the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 is still in the prototype stage and no details on the electric motor or battery system have been released, but Ford Performance have projected the electric drag car will develop 1,400hp (1,044kW) and over 1,100ft/lb (1,491Nm). With those numbers, Ford Performance predict the car will be capable of quarter mile times in the low 8-second bracket and a top speed in excess of 170mph (273km/h). “Ford has always used motorsport to…

Lotus has celebrated Australia’s great Targa tarmac rally series with the release of a special ‘Targa Limited Edition’ Exige Sport 410. Announced by Lotus Cars Australia in April following the forced cancellation of this year’s Targa Tasmania due to the coronavirus, the ‘Exige Sport 410 Targa Limited Edition’ is exclusive to the Australian market and will be limited to just 10 units. “The catalyst for this car was the success the Exige has enjoyed in Targa competition,” said Lotus Cars Australia CEO, Lee Knappett. “Having won the Australian Targa Championship back to back in 2018 and 2019, it seemed fitting to pay tribute with a Limited Edition car. “2019 was an extremely successful year, with Lotus owners winning the Targa championship in all four classes that our cars were eligible-TSD,…

We can blame the shuttering of local manufacturing for HSV’s lack of enhancing models but we can’t blame HSV for not giving enthusiasts V8 muscle cars they still want. The difference in approach is obvious- the steering wheel that sits on the left when the Camaro rolls off the ship from the US must be moved to the right. They also do that with cars like the new Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The job is done at Walkinshaw/HSV’s large new facility in Clayton, Victoria, ensuring there’s still local automotive jobs on the boil. This supercharged American coupe sits at the top of the tree in terms of what you can buy on HSV’s showroom floor, and while a conversion rather than performance modified muscle car like the HSV GTSR W1, it…

It’s somewhat bittersweet now, but the ‘Project Monaro’ competition launched last year – before the announcement of Holden’s termination – has been finalised and the winners drawn. Launched in July, 2019, Project Monaro was a competition open to public and trade, with a VZ Holden Monaro as the major prize. What made the Monaro special was the fact that it had been completely rebuilt mechanically and individualised with a one-off paint job, custom exterior detailing and bespoke interior trim by Holden and its build partners. The base vehicle was a 2004-model VZ Monaro CV8 with 214,000km on the odometer and was clean, but tired in some areas. Under the project’s focus of ‘Go, Stop and Turn’, the aim was to improve the Monaro’s performance, braking and handling, essentially making it…

The last of the “original Mustang crew”, designer Gale Halderman, passed away on 29 April from liver cancer. A designer with Ford for 40 years, Halderman was 87. Born and raised in Ohio, Halderman’s passion for automotive design saw him offered a job at Ford even before he’d graduated from the Dayton Art Institute in 1955. Working in Ford’s Advanced styling studio initially, Halderman would transfer around other design studios within Ford, with some of his earliest work on the 1957 Fords, followed by designs for the Falcon and Thunderbird. By 1962, Halderman was a design manager at the Ford studio led by Joe Oros and was working on the 1964 and ’65 full-sized Fords when the request came to design Ford’s upcoming sporty 2-door model. It’s Mustang folklore now,…

Fiat’s seemingly endless rollout of special edition 500s (more than 30 at last count) continues with the new ‘Dolcevita Special Edition’. Announced in April, the Dolcevita is described as embodying Italian glamour, fashion and design, with a “sophisticated colour palette and refined design accents”. Based on the 500C Club convertible, the Dolcevita Special Edition is only available in Gelato White with an all-around red/white/red body stripe and matching diamond-finished 16-inch white alloy wheels. Chrome mirror caps and a Dolcevita script badge at the rear are other special touches, but the unique feature of this special edition is the soft top, which is finished in blue and white stripes, evoking classic beachside umbrellas and sun lounges. The ‘500’ logo also graces this folding fabric top. Inside, further unique touches include a…

Pininfarina is best known for their longrunning association with Ferrari, but not all the work from this Italian coachbuilding and styling firm has been devoted to the vehicles from Maranello. Past Pininfarina styling creations include production models for Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Fiat and Maserati, to name a few, while oneoffs and concepts were produced for Honda, Bentley, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Opel and Audi, as well as virtually every Italian carmaker. In terms of British cars, the Italian firm’s best-known work was restyling the late-1950s Austin A40, which led to it carrying the unofficial ‘Farina’ tag (reflecting the time before the company was offically renamed ‘Pininfarina’ in 1961). For Jaguar, Pininfarina applied a restyle to the Series 3 version of the XJ6 saloon in 1978, and also produced a one-off ‘XJ…

Dirty or discoloured headlights can ruin the look of your car, as well as make driving at night or in reduced visibility conditions dangerous. Headlight covers can become dirty through driving, via mud or bugs splattering onto them, or through age and general wear and tear. Keeping your car headlights clean and clear is the way to go. Unless your headlight covers have yellowed right through, keeping them clean and clear is pretty simple. And by following a few of our simple DIY hacks, you'll be able to keep your headlight covers bright and shiny without breaking the bank. SO, WHY DO YOU NEED TO CLEAN YOUR HEADLIGHTS? This is just common sense. A dirty or cloudy headlight will reduce and diffuse the amount of light that shines out, no…

UPDATED JULY, 2017* The value listed in this value guide are indicative of prices that cars will sell for the current Australian market. It is the buyer’s responsibility to assess the condition and fair value of the particular car. CONDITION 1 The car is in very good condition throughout. A potential club/show car. Concours Cars As good or better than new. Can increase the ‘Condition 1’ price by 25-40% or more. CONDITION 2 The car is in good/average condition for its age. A potential daily driver. CONDITION 3 The car is in poor condition. A good basis for restoration. Availability: RARE • MODERATE •• COMMON ••• *update notification refers only to selected sections of the Value Guide and not the entire listing.…