Innholdsfortegnelse for #309 21-13 i Just Cars

Marking ninety-five years since the first race car to bear the Maserati trident badge made its debut, along with Maserati’s post-war achievements in Formula One with Juan Manuel Fangio, an ‘F Tributo Special Edition’ Ghibli sedan was released in June. Available on the Levante SUV as well as the Ghibli sedan, the F Tributo Special Edition offers what Maserati describes as a “clear homage to the glorious victories of the past”. Those glorious victories started in 1926, when a Maserati Tipo26 won the Targa Florio with Alfieri Maserati at the wheel. After World War II, Maserati re-emerged and established itself as a force in the early years of Formula 1, most notably with Juan Manuel Fangio, to whom the ‘F’ in the F Tributo Special Edition refers to. In 1957,…

The ‘Légende GT’ version of Alpine’s A110 sports coupe has been given a makeover for 2021, combining GT-style luxury with improved performance. Exclusive to European markets and limited to just 300 units, the A110 Légende GT is based on the Légende trim level that’s available in Australia, but the 2021 Légende GT adds the 218kW version of the 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the A110S that we don’t get, as well as that variant’s sports exhaust and high-performance braking package. According to Alpine, this combination creates an entirely new blend of comfort and performance, “underlining its dynamic nature while combining even more refined elements for an unprecedented new model”. Two colour schemes are offered – Mercury Silver and Abyss Blue – which are matched to specific interior trims. Both colour…

Mad Max will return to movie screens in 2023, but possibly without Max or his iconic XB Falcon coupe. The new Mad Max film, titled “Furiosa,” will be a prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road” from 2015, focussing on the younger years of the ‘war captain’ played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road. Back in October, 2020, US entertainment news source, Variety, confirmed that main casting had been finalised after a six-month search for the right female actor to play Furiosa, with 24-year-old Anja Taylor-Joy landing the role. Taylor-Joy, best-known for her role in the Netflix series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, will be joined by Chris Hemsworth (Avengers, Thor, Rush, etc.) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman) as the only other confirmed talent at this stage. While the upcoming movie’s timeline (approximately…

Australians tend to claim the best exports from New Zealand as somehow its own, so perhaps we can call Rodin’s state-of-the-art expansion to produce one of the world’s most powerful engines and fastest supercars ‘local production’. The company, founded by its current CEO David Dicker, is led fastidiously, and from its inaugural FZED based on an F1 car to the upcoming FZERO hypercar, control over all aspects of production is helping Rodin create what will be one of the world’s most unique and fastest track cars. An ambitious project but nothing that technology entrepreneur David Dicker is unfamiliar with, Rodin has begun expansion and production of the FZERO will follow. “You’re only as good as your worst supplier, so we try to do as much as we can from design…

At time of writing, the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo are just around the corner, which means we’ll soon be glued to our TV screens, cheering on our Aussie team and becoming instant experts on sports we know nothing about and only pay attention to every four years. What does all this have to do with a classic Peugeot? Quite a bit, actually, as a much earlier Olympic Games played a part in this car’s history. FRENCH FANCIER French car enthusiasts love their cars and one of the most devoted of those enthusiasts is Colin Chappell, who owns the vehicle featured, a 1956 Peugeot 403. The fact he’s owned this car since 1988 – 33 years – gives you an idea of that devotion. This 403 isn’t the first French…

HARD-COPY PHOTOS AND PRODUCT DETAILS CAN BE POSTED TO: ‘JUST CARS WHAT’S HOT’, LOCKED BAG 34, GEELONG, VIC, 3220. NOTE: PROVIDED INFORMATION MUST INCLUDE RETAIL PRICE, AVAILABILITY/PURCHASE DETAILS, SIZING (WHERE RELEVANT), VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL SUITABILITY (WHERE RELEVANT) AND COMPANY CONTACT DETAILS (FULL BUSINESS NAME, CONTACT PHONE, EMAIL AND WEB ADDRESS). SUBMISSION OF PRODUCT DETAILS DOES NOT GUARANTEE PUBLICATION. 1 RACING CAMAROS Veloce veloce.co.uk Following last year’s ‘Racing Mustangs’ illustrated history of the Mustang in international competition from 1964 to 1986, the spotlight turns to the Camaro for ‘Racing Camaros: An International Photographic History 1966–1984’. Over 176 pages and 292 photos (many of which have never been published), this quality hardcover looks beyond Trans Am racing in North America to include Camaros campaigned in the UK and Europe. Camaros raced locally by the…

Ahead of its arrival in Australia and New Zealand later this year, Chevrolet’s Corvette has made its public debut down under and was put through its paces at The Bend in SA. Craig Lowndes was behind the wheel for the new, eighth-generation (aka C8) Corvette’s dynamic debut in Australia, piloting a left-hand drive example on a demonstration run in front of thousands of fans who were at The Bend on 8-9 May for the Supercars round. The three-time Australian Touring Car Champion and seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner described the mid-engined 6.2-litre V8 sports coupe as “stunning”. “I know that what I did was a “demonstration run”, but I gave it a workout. I think it was a bit over 240km into turn one, and coupled with the paddle shift, the…

After years of wondering if an Australian-made car would ever sell for $1million at auction, we’ve had a rush of them in the past few years, with a 1985 HDT VK Commodore SS Group A ‘Blue Meanie’ the latest Australian-made car to make $1 million, achieved at a special Grays auction. While VK SS Group A cars have always been desirable, they’ve usually been in the low- to mid-six figure range in terms of value. What made this one worth substantially more was the fact it was originally owned and used by Peter Brock. Build #005 of the 500 VK SS Group A cars built was driven by Brock as his ‘company car’ in the lead up to and after the HDT VK range’s release in 1985. As with all…

The latest project from McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the in-house bespoke and customisation arm of McLaren Automotive, is a 720S finished in Gulf Oil livery. Made famous by Ford at Le Mans in the late 1960s, then subsequently appearing on Porsche, Aston Martin and McLaren race cars, the distinctive powder blue and orange racing colours of Gulf Oil International have graced countless tribute road and race cars since. As well as a demonstration of the personalisation possibilities available on McLaren’s supercars, this livery’s application to a new McLaren 720S is part of the renewed relationship between McLaren and Gulf, announced last year, following the latter’s return as an official strategic partner. Presented by McLaren on 17 May, the special 720S is described as the culmination of a joint project between…

Burns & Co. Auctions are enjoying a very busy period, with some exceptional results achieved at recent auctions. Their Mother’s Day Classic Car Auction, headlined by the ex-Pete Geoghegan Mustang and ex-Bob Jane Monaro, resulted in a $4 million clearance that included six-figure prices for several lots and a whopping, record-breaking price of $324,205 for a 1972 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1. These results underline the strength of the Australian car market at present, with buyers sourcing Australian-made vehicles with excellent provenance and treating each one as a unique investment opportunity. Given the low interest rates on cash deposits, the high cost involved to get into the real estate market and the uncertainty of the corporate world, many of these classic and collectable vehicles are now being purchased purely as…

It’s great to have a garage full of well organised tools that let you strip down and put your car back together, but there’s certainly some tools you’ll want to have on the road. Keep in mind that while you can grab what you’ve already put in the shed, you might actually be better dropping past your local Burson Auto Parts or Autobarn and grabbing a second set that you take with you, leave in the car when it’s parked at a mates, or even lend out to those who aren’t as forward thinking. 1. DUCT TAPE The sticky tool that can fix just about anything, ‘to a degree’. Duct tape is brilliant and a multifaceted talent: it will pack together broken body panels in a pinch, keep a bumper…

A decade after it was launched, production of Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta has ended, but there’s still a few units available, with the final handful released for the Australian market offered in ‘Edizione Finale’ (Final Edition) specification. “A fitting tribute for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the Edizione Finale celebrates the true Italian flair the Giulietta is renowned for, with sporty special edition updates that will make this a unique collector’s item for Alfa Romeo enthusiasts or those searching for a distinctive, rare vehicle,” said Tom Noble, Director, Marketing Communications for Alfa Romeo. Announced on 5 May, the Edizione Finale features mainly cosmetic modifications over the Giulietta Veloce variant that it’s based on, but the limited-edition does add a Magneti Marelli ‘Elaborazioni 1919’ sports exhaust system. Cosmetic additions start with yellow-painted brake…

On 16 May, 2021, 100 years to the day since Bentley achieved its first race win, two dozen historic Bentley 3-Litre models gathered to mark the centenary, led by the car that achieved that victory. The gathering was at the Brooklands race circuit in Surrey, England, where that first ictory was achieved on 16 May, 1921. Bentley’s debut competition win was at the Whitsun Junior Sprint Handicap, with Frank Clement behind the wheel of Bentley ‘EXP2’ which was only the second car built by W.O. Bentley after founding the Bentley brand in 1919. That 1921 victory at Brooklands was the first of many for Bentley’s 3-Litre model, including wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924 and 1927. The 3-Litre also set several world endurance records. The centenary…

After being discontinued six years ago, Mitsubishi’s Ralliart sub-brand is set to be re-launched, with Mitsubishi to return to racing in a factory capacity, too. Mitsubishi CEO, Takao Kato, confirmed Ralliart’s return as part of a presentation announcing the carmaker’s EOFY earnings. “We have decided to relaunch the Ralliart brand for customers in Mitsubishi Motors brand who want to add to Mitsubishi Motors-ness even more,” said Kato. “For customers who wish to experience our Mitsubishi-ness, we will launch custom-made accessories for our model line-up as well as re-entering motorsport events around the world.” Exactly what “Mitsubishi Motors-ness” is is unclear, but it appears to be aimed at performance, recapturing some of Mitsubishi’s glory days in competition. Before it was shuttered, Ralliart enjoyed a long and successful history with Mitsubishi, being…

The Burns & Co Mother’s Day Classic Car Auction was an outstanding success with over 900 bidder registrations and around 170,000 online catalogue views. Total sales on the day exceeded $4 million, with highlights led by Ian “Pete” Geoghegan’s 1967 Ford Mustang GTA - the ATCC-winning car in 1967, 1968 and 1969 - which sold for $708,855 (incl. buyer’s premium), and the 1972 Holden HQ Monaro GTS 350 “Bob Jane Car,” which was passed in at $1,025,000, but sold immediately after the auction for a significantly higher amount, putting it up there with the most expensive Australian-built cars ever sold at auction. Both the Mustang and Monaro sold from the floor of the National Motor Racing Museum, Bathurst. At this stage, both will remain on display there for all Australians…

The company can trace its roots all the way back to 1928, when Century Storage Battery Co. Ltd. opened their manufacturing facility in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria. From humble beginnings, Century produced both battery components and finished batteries for the Sydney market. The very first Century Batteries were designed and built in Australia specifically to suit Australian conditions – and this is something they are still doing almost a century later. By the 1960’s, Century expanded their operations into Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. Not only were Century supplying original equipment (OE) batteries to Chrysler, but they were also the first company in Australia to manufacture batteries with polypropylene plastic battery cases. Up until that point, battery cases were made from vulcanised rubber! By the late 70’s and…

One of the world’s oldest Historic race meetings burst back into life for the first time in two years at Winton on the weekend of 22-23 May, just beating Victoria’s fourth COVID lockdown. The weather for the 44th running of the historic meeting at the country circuit was magnificent, the crowd enthused and the racing tight at the top. Even the dunnies looked good with perhaps their first coats of paint. Ever. A WELCOME RETURN Historic Winton had fallen off the HTCAV’s championship list in recent years when the promoters decreed only older and smaller cars need apply. That rule was relaxed this year, but not in time to attract a big HTC contingent. Nonetheless, a dozen Group N cars entered and the racing amongst them was mighty. Former Club…