Innholdsfortegnelse for #315 22-06 i Just Cars

For this year’s SEMA aftermarket industry show in Las Vegas, Mopar produced a fleet of seven custom vehicles, including a Dodge Challenger in a unique colour, with throwback interior trim. In what has become tradition for Stellantis (nee FCA, nee Chrysler), their Mopar parts division has unleashed their creativity to bring attention to the brand at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) trade show in Las Vegas. “With its dedicated enthusiast audience, SEMA is the best place to showcase our full catalogue of quality-tested, factory-backed performance parts and accessories,’’ said Mark Bosanac, North America vice president, Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care. “[And these] new custom vehicles demonstrate the passion, creativity and innovation of the Mopar team.” While Jeep-and RAM-based concepts made up the bulk of the Mopar team’s creations…

Holden’s former proving ground at Lang Lang in southeastern Victoria went back on the market in late October, less than a year after Vietnamese carmaker VinFast purchased the site. VinFast paid $36.3 million for the 877-hectare facility in late 2020, having earlier established an engineering and technical centre in Port Melbourne, employing many former Holden staff. That facility was closed this past May, due to complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to speculation in August that VinFast would divest itself of Lang Lang, too, which became a reality in October. Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE), the real estate agents handling the sale for VinFast, announced on 25 October that Expressions of Interest were open, closing on 18 November. “The Lang Lang proving ground is one of the most-advanced…

Is it a car? Is it a plane? Well, it’s both – kind of. What you’re looking at could be described as an oversized drone, but its creators, Alauda Aeronautics, are calling it an electric flying racing car, or more specifically, an electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL). After the first units of these ‘Airspeeder’ flying cars were revealed earlier this year, the first race between them was held recently in the deserts of South Australia, previewing a future electric flying car race series. To backtrack a little, Alauda Aeronautics first presented the concept of the Airspeeder back in 2019. The result of three years’ research, the flying EV is powered by eight 50kW electric motors, driving four sets of propellers that can propel the vehicle to a claimed…

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, restoration of the famous 1973 Ford XA Falcon GT hardtop dubbed the ‘Chicken Coupe’ has been progressing well in recent months, with Finch Restorations completing stripping of the car down to its shell and commencing panel repair and mechanical refurbishment. Australia’s oldest car restoration business, Finch Restorations was entrusted with the restoration of the GT hardtop by its new owner, who purchased it at a Grays auction in 2020 for just over $300,000. As previously reported by JUST CARS, after the Chicken Coupe arrived at Finch Restorations’ Adelaide Hills premises, the first phase of the restoration, under the guidance of project manager Molly Spalding, involved checking VIN and ID info as part of a forensic examination. After that, the Chicken Coupe was given a thorough clean inside…

A 1957 Chevrolet 2-door sedan with a long history as a development mule for US car magazine Hot Rod has taken the next stage in its evolution with the addition of a battery-electric drivetrain. Known as ‘Project X,’ the ’57 2-door was originally purchased by Popular Hot Rodding magazine staff back in 1965 for US$250 and has been used to evaluate new products, technologies and trends in the automotive industry. Over the decades, the car has run six-cylinder and V8 engines, with carburettor, fuel injection and even supercharged induction at various stages. So much has been put into Project X over the years that Hot Rod magazine (who took over the project when Popular Hot Rodding folded) calls it the “million-dollar Chevy”. Most recently running a supercharged LSX V8, the…

Will Brown is the newest race winner in the Repco Supercars Championship, taking his first victory in the category at the bp Ultimate Sydney SuperSprint round at Sydney Motorsport Park. The 23-year-old Queenslander, who made his full-time Supercars debut this year with Erebus Motorsport, had come close to a race win on two occasions in the month-long round of races at Sydney Motorsport Park, but pit stop failures had robbed him of victory both times. The breakthrough finally came on 14 November at Race 28, where Brown, after qualifying in fourth place, held off a late charge from the Red Bull Ampol Racing duo of Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen. “I was sort of shi**ing myself a little bit when they were catching me,” Brown said. “I thought if…

Like the ’57 Bel Air, ’65 Mustang fastback and ’68 Dodge Charger, the ’69 Camaro is an icon of American automobile styling. Little wonder then that it’s the most popular amongst first-generation Camaro aficionados. Sure, ’67 and ’68 Camaros have their appeal, but there’s something undeniably attractive about a ’69 Camaro. If it’s a genuine Z28 version, like the car featured, that’s even better. MADE TO RACE Ford created the Pony Car category with the Mustang, and while Chevrolet didn’t offer a rival until more than two years later, they did throw the first punch in producing an homologation special – the Z28 – for the Trans American Sedan Championship racing series. Trans Am racing only awarded manufacturer points initially, and Chevrolet’s Vince Piggins was one of the few auto…

With the return to a “normal” life post-COVID seemingly closer now than at any point in the past year, there’s lots to look forward to in 2022. And that includes car shows. Whether it’s a marque showcase like the All Ford Day, Autobella or Chryslers on the Murray, a hot rod event like the Vic Hot Rod Show, historic motorsport like the Phillip Island Classic, or even events like Motorclassica that feature a bit of everything, the coming year looks like it’ll be a time where we can once again get to events and spend time with mates - enjoying cars. Until then, here’s a reminder of what we used to have and will hopefully have again soon. PROMOTE YOUR EVENT WITH JUST CARS If you’re looking at hosting a…

CHOOSE YOUR ADVERT SIZE BASIC FREE WHAT YOU GET SMALLadsize 1 photo in print & 6 online Up to descriptioninprint VALUE $65 WHAT YOU GET MEDIUMadsize 1 photo in print & 12 online Up to descriptioninprint PREMIUM $95 WHAT YOU GET LARGEadsize 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 22-07 (316) EDITION CLOSES Noon – Tuesday December 14, 2021 22-07 (316) EDITION ON SALE Thursday January 6, 2022 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 @ www.justcars.com.au JOIN…

While some of the attention around the Chicken Coupe, especially immediately before and after it was auctioned, was media hype, the car does warrant a lot of the attention it’s received. As a classic Falcon GT hardtop, with that model’s standard 351 Cleveland V8, Toploader four-speed manual gearbox and 9-inch diff, the Chicken Coupe was already desirable, but it’s this car’s unique combination of features and long-term single ownership that have added to its appeal. From the factory, the car was RPO 83 equipped, which meant it carried performance parts originally intended for Ford’s abandoned GT-HO Phase IV programme, like extractors and a 780cfm Holley carburettor. This car was heavily optioned, too, with electric windows, power steering, intermittent wipers and tinted windows all fitted at the factory, while mag wheels,…

The 2021 edition of the global Hot Wheels Legends Tour has been completed, with an entry from the UK victorious in a competition that sees the winning car recreated as a 1:64 Hot Wheels toy. Amongst thousands of entries submitted for this year’s fourth annual Hot Wheels competition, the panel of judges that consisted of Hot Wheels designers, automotive experts and celebrity car aficionados judged Lee Johnstone’s 1969 Volvo P1800 gasser the winner. Johnstone acquired the Volvo as a rusty rolling shell that was too far gone to restore, so instead, he treated the car to a comprehensive, competition-focussed rebuild. After installing a 454 Chev Big Block V8 with dual four-barrel carburettors and a GMC 6-71 supercharger, the Volvo now produces 600hp (447kW). Dubbed “Ain’t No Saint,” the Volvo has…

Oscar Piastri looks set to be the next Australian driver in Formula 1 after landing the role of Reserve Driver with the Alpine F1 Team for 2022. The 20-year-old has been on the ascent in recent years, winning the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019, then the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2020 before joining the FIA Formula 2 Championship (nee GP2) this year, the last stepping-stone before F1. Driving for Prema Racing in F3, Piastri remained with the Italian squad when he moved up to F2, replacing 2020 F2 Champion Mick Schumacher, who graduated to Formula 1 with the Haas F1 Team this year. At time of writing, after six of eight rounds, Piastri had taken three wins, seven podiums and was leading the F2 championship. The path to Alpine,…

After a year away due to COVID-19, the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) automotive aftermarket trade show was back as an inperson event for 2021. Held from 2 to 5 November, attendance of over 100,000 sounds good, but was down compared to previous years. There was still plenty of aftermarket products on show, though. And plenty of automotive eyecandy, too! Recent SEMA Shows have been heavy with customised and accessorised versions of popular new models, like the Jeep Gladiator, Toyota Supra and Ford Mustang. This year, while there were a lot of new Broncos to be seen at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, SEMA was all about electric. EVs were in abundance, not just in the dedicated ‘SEMA Electrified’ area, but throughout the floor space. There was plenty of variety…