Innholdsfortegnelse for #298 21-02 i Just Cars

Morgan ended an era and more than eight decades of tradition when they built their last steel chassis car this past July. Introduced in 1936, the steel ladder frame chassis underpinned the 4-4 initially, and went on to be the base for the 4-4’s successor, the 4/4, as well as the Plus 4, Plus 8 and V6 Roadster over the following 84 years. In that period, only the Aero range and the second-generation Plus 8 didn’t use the traditional steel chassis. “The steel chassis has been fundamental to Morgan’s production for more than eight decades, found beneath the skin of some of the most important and successful models in the company’s history. Its unique driving charm is loved by many and, in fact, demand for steel chassis cars is still…

There’s no denying that classic cars are a great investment, with some of the higher profile makes and models outperforming stocks and the housing market in terms of return. Australian-made muscle, while not reaching the stratospheric heights of post-War Ferraris, Aston Martins and the like, has been attracting six-figure sums at auction and recently hit the magical million-dollar mark, too. So where does that leave the majority of us who want to own and enjoy a classic, but don’t have that sort of money? The answer is that you need to readjust your focus in two key areas – timeframe and model range – to find those affordable classics. Firstly, with prices for cars from that “golden era” of the 1960s and ‘70s beyond reach in most instances, look to…

If you attended Motorclassica in 2017, you may remember this car, as it was the Best in Show winner that year. Fully restored by owner David Berthon over a 15-year period, this 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London-to-Edinburgh Continental is one of 188 built, of which only six are known to survive today. The model took its name from Rolls-Royce’s victory over arch rival Napier in an RACobserved test from London to Edinburgh in 1911. With engine, transmission and running gear changes made to improve performance, what’s notable with these cars is that they were the only Rolls-Royces to officially enter – and win-a grand prix, albeit the 1913 Spanish Grand Prix, which was closer to an observed trial than a grand prix in the accepted sense. This particular car started its…

Thanks to the driver profiles and race reports that have been presented in these pages for the past few years, we know what the majority of the HTCAV field are pedalling at the moment, but where did those competition roots start and what did the grid drive originally? We’ve put the question to various drivers and got some very interesting answers… TINO LEO First Car: Holden 48-215 Current Car: Holden Monaro 350 Tino Leo brings textbook Italian brio to Australian tin top racing. Voluble, volcanic and very fast, he waves his hands – and the tails of his racecars- to express himself. “First time I qualify I put it on pole!” he says of his first race in the ex-Graeme Ritter 48-215 in 1969 at Calder. “I came third, shoulda…

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.…

At their six-day Classic Car Auction this past July, Graysonline auctioned an XA Falcon GT hardtop with a difference. The one-owner car was consigned after more than three decades parked up in a Queensland shed protected by chicken wire, which led to the car being referred to as the ‘Chicken Coupe’. Well known amongst the GT Falcon community, the car was already sought after as an XA GT hardtop, but what made it additionally desirable was the fact it was a genuine RPO83 option. That means it has the performance parts originally intended for Ford’s abandoned XA GT Phase IV project. SECRET PHASE, WELL EQUIPPED Only 250 GT Falcons were built with the RPO83 option, which was publicly known as the ‘Performance Pack’ and consisted of a Holley 780cfm carburettor…

A 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, fitted with authentic KITT features and used to promote the TV show Knight Rider, was one of more than 900 lots auctioned by Julien’s Auctions of Beverly Hills in their ‘Hollywood: Legends & Explorers’ sale on 17-18 July. TV STAR Love it or hate it, you can’t deny the success of Knight Rider. From the catchy synth theme tune to the presence of the show’s star, David Hasselhoff (in his first major role) and its classic good guys vs bad guys storylines, the show made an impact. Following four seasons in the US, Knight Rider went into re-runs and syndication for decades afterward and is still viewable via streaming services to this day. While Hasselhoff was the star of the show (we challenge you to…

This past June, RM Sothebys hosted a “car” auction with a difference. Dubbed the ‘Pedal Power Auction,’ the online-only sale was devoted exclusively to kids’ pedal cars. A total of 53 lots were offered from the collection of Bruce Callis, a native of Illinois and senior executive with the State Farm Insurance organisation in the US. Callis’s pedal car collection was arguably one of the best and biggest in the world. Of that collection, the vast majority had been restored to operation and as-new appearance, too. FROM BIG TO SMALL Callis came to small cars after owning a number of full-size vintage automobiles, although that collection never matched the scale of what he would acquire later! Like most collectors, Callis started his pedal car collection with one; a 1963 “Tee…

Cast your mind back a few months. To the beginning of March, specifically. Back then, all seemed well with the world. The Southern Hemisphere car show season was wrapping up and eyes were turning towards Northern Hemisphere events, Formula 1 and other motorsport competition. Unfortunately, the landscape has changed radically since then. With everyone now under the cloud of COVID-19, it’s important to find some light, and there are few brighter lights for serious car aficionados than a high-quality concours. The 2020 AXA Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance was just such a concours-it definitely brought some light into the lives of those who attended. Held from 5 to 7 March, it avoided the lockdowns that came down soon after; lockdowns that have resulted in the cancellation of just about every major…

Proving that concours cars don’t have to be high-priced or highly-exclusive, this charming little Singer Roadster came from Melbourne to the Sydney Harbour Concours. The car’s 91-year-old owner, Rey Oakes, bought it when he was 21 and has kept it – and kept it in amazing condition-ever since. Compared to the MGs and Triumphs of the early post-War years, Singers weren’t exactly high-profile cars. They were reasonably capable, though, with 1.1-litre four-cylinder engines producing 36hp (27kW) and a top speed in the 105km/h range – not bad for what was still essentially a pre-War design, but not in the league of an MG TC or TD. They were also popular in Australia, as the vast majority of these British-made cars were exported. The addition of coil spring front suspension and an…

Washing your car shouldn’t be a chore. It’s about preserving your investment. More than just being about a bucket a sponge, there are a whole heap of myths around car washing that need busting, like the one about using dishwashing liquid to wash your car… but the tips first. 1. It’s good practice to avoid washing your car in full sun if possible. Growing up in Bathurst, where the summers were/are scorching hot, I would leave my car parked in the shade before washing it in the afternoon, or get up early and wash it. If it was being washed on a hot day I’d hose it down first to cool the surface and loosen any muck that had baked on. More than that, letting car wash (soap) dry onto…

CHOOSE YOUR ADVERT SIZE BASIC FREE WHAT YOU GET SMALL ad size 1 photo in print & 6 online Up to descriptioninprint VALUE $65 WHAT YOU GET MEDIUM ad size 1 photo in print & 12 online Up to descriptioninprint PREMIUM $95 WHAT YOU GET LARGE ad size 3 photos in print plus unlimited online Up to descriptioninprint QUARTER $180 WHAT YOU GET QUARTER PAGE ad size 1 large photo & 3 small photos in print plus unlimited online Up to descriptioninprint NEXT MAGAZINE DEADLINE 21-03 (299) EDITION CLOSES Noon – Monday August 31, 2020 21-03 (299) EDITION ON SALE Thursday September 17, 2020 MAIL Complete the coupon and post with photo(s) to JUST CARS, PO Box 34, Geelong, VIC 3220 EMAIL classifieds@justauto.com.au OR GO ONLINE…

Despite restrictions imposed by COVID-19 in several states, organisers of this year’s Red CentreNats expect hundreds of classic and modified cars, bikes and utes to make their way to Alice Springs this Father’s Day weekend – Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September. Now in its sixth year, the Red CentreNats is one of Australia’s best car culture events, where top street machines join leading extreme motorsport enthusiasts in competitions that include Show ‘n’ Shine, Burnouts, Drags, Motorkhana and Grass Driving. The action takes place at Central Australia’s premium drag facility – Alice Springs Inland Dragway – and Blatherskite Park, with multiple awards and prizes up for grabs. Run by Summernats and the Northern Territory Major Events Company, the Red CentreNats also features the unique experience of driving your highly modified,…

Australian motor racing has lost the second half of the Brabham “dynamic duo” with the passing of Ron Tauranac. The British born, Australian raised racecar designer and engineer died on 17 July. STARTING YOUNG Born in England on 13 January, 1925, Ron Tauranac was only three when his family emigrated to Australia. Leaving school at 14, Ron gained an apprenticeship at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation as a draughtsman before joining the RAAF and training as a fighter pilot. Returning to draughting after the War, Ron was introduced to motorsport soon after, but with no money to buy a race car, he built one instead. With younger brother Austin, Ron designed and built a Norton 500cc-powered open wheeler that was dubbed the RALT 1 (for Ron and Lewis Austin Tauranac) in…

While kids’ cars are, understandably, a commercial venture, the Austin J40 was a little different. The ‘Junior 40’ (later simplified to J40) came about, in part, as the result of a government initiative. During World War II, the British government sought ways to re-employ Welsh coal miners unable to work in the mines due to pneumoconiosis (aka Black Lung Disease) and offered incentives to companies who could employ them. Austin was one to step up. While the demands of actual car manufacture would be too great, Austin’s boss Leonard Lord thought the former miners could be ideal for his pedal car project, which had started in 1946. With government support, a factory was purpose-built in South Wales, the miners were retrained and supported with in-house medical care. Austin would supply…

Few people have heard of a Muntz Jet. Unsurprisingly, really, as less than 400 were built and the car was never sold outside North America. The car wasn’t even a ‘Muntz’ originally, having started life as the ‘Kurtis Sport’ built by Indy and Midget race car guru, Frank Kurtis. After building around 20 copies of what was arguably America’s first sports car, Kurtis sold the design and tooling of his two-seat sports roadster to Earl ‘Mad Man’ Muntz in 1951. Muntz promptly stretched the wheelbase to make it a four-seater and swapped the aluminium body for steel panels, amongst other changes. Having made a fortune selling televisions after World War II, Muntz thought he could profit from America’s post-War demand for cars, too. Alas, a very high price for the…

Taking out the Best in Show this year, as well as the Mambo Italiano class award, William Zuccon’s Lamborghini Miura S was a worthy winner. The renowned Sydney architect fell in love with the Miura as a boy and vowed then that he would own one. The vow was honoured a little over 20 years ago when Zuccon acquired this 1970-built example. A rare RHD and Australiandelivered machine, Zuccon’s car was finished in lime green originally, but its first owner requested a colour change to Miura Blu at the factory, so the blue hue was applied – straight over the green! Being a 1970-built ‘S’ spec car means this Miura is rare. Compared to the original Miura, of which 475 units were built, only 140 S models were produced. The…

MAJOR PARTNER We all know there has been a significant change in 2020 in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, we have seen the community with travel restrictions, lockdown, and international travel cancelled for the foreseeable future. As we slowly work to come out of lockdown and restrictions, everyone is dreaming of travelling and seeing our beautiful country. And there is no better way to do than in the comfort and safety of your own caravan or recreational vehicle (RV). Now you can see all your options in the comfort of your home on line and its so easy to register. Caravan Industry Victoria is proud to announce we are conducting the very first ever industry virtual caravan and camping show the Victorian Caravan & Camping Virtual Show and registrations are…