Innholdsfortegnelse for #344 24-09 i Just Cars

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As part of a broader announcement detailing expansion of their range for 2024 and beyond, General Motors Special Vehicles (GMSV) has confirmed that the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will be coming to Australia. “GMSV has made a real impression in the local market and, thanks to this success, we’ve been able to make a strong business case for additional models,” said Greg Rowe, Director of GMSV. “The popularity of GMSV and the vehicles we sell through our network has grown substantially in a few short years and this success was what inspired us to investigate the possibility of adding an allnew model to the line-up.” The first all-wheel drive Corvette, as well as the first-ever hybrid to wear the famous nameplate, the E-Ray will be built in righthand drive in the…

Go to any large-scale Ford, Holden or Chrysler show and it’s almost inevitable you’ll find “cars that never were”. I’m talking about vehicles created by enthusiasts that were never offered by the factory in period. From Falcon GT panel vans to Holden Statesman one tonners and Valiant Charger R/T utes, such bespoke vehicles always turn heads. The custom Dodge ute featured here is no exception. First thing to clarify with this ute is that, yes, it is a Dodge and not a Valiant. Mopar fans will know this, but those outside that circle may not be aware that both Dodgeand Valiant-badged utilities were sold alongside each other by Chrysler Australia throughout the 1960s and ’70s. Go back to the 1950s and Dodge, DeSoto and Plymouth utes were sold here. In…

Two years after the Chrysler 300 was withdrawn from the Australian market, the big sedan has exited the North American market, too, with the final units built in December. The last example of the limited-edition, Hemi V8-engined 2023 Chrysler 300C was bult on 8 December, with the final V6 300 rolling off the line on 20 December. In the same month that Stellantis closed the book on the Chrysler 300, production of the Dodge Challenger and Charger also wrapped up. The Charger nameplate will return on an EV (and possibly a turbo six-cylinder car) in the near future, with a Challenger return likely, but there appears to be no plans to reinvent the 300 in any form. The Brampton, Ontario, plant where all three models were built will be retooled…

After thirty years of operation, the National Holden Motor Museum in the Victorian border town of Echuca will close its doors this April. The owners and directors of the museum, Tony Galea and Mark Galea, made the announcement via social media on 18 January. “It’s with sadness and regret that we announce the impending closure of the National Holden Motor Museum on 14th April, 2024,” the statement read. “The Holden museum has been part of Echuca since 1993 and it has been the longest continuously running single-make museum in Australia.” With Tony and Mark approaching retirement, they began looking for a new owner to take over the profitable and successful business some time ago, with the hope to keep it in Echuca, too. “Unfortunately, no serious buyers came forward, so…

When the Victorian chapter of the Mustang Owners’ Club of Australia (MOCA VIC) put on an event, they go big. When it’s their first major show in four years, it’s even bigger. Such was the case for the 2023 Mustang Round Up, which was the first to be held since 2019. The Round Up, which is primarily for MOCA VIC members, but welcomes all Mustang owners, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, while torrential rain in 2022 led to the event being called for the third year in a row. As such, Mustang owners were champing at the bit (no pun intended) for the Round Up’s return in 2023, which was held on 29 October at the Dandenong Showgrounds; a familiar venue for past Round Ups. For…

After a delay of more than four years due to COVID and other issues, the Victorian Hot Rod Show is set to make a return, with the Victorian Hot Rod Association (VHRA) confirming that an all-new show will take place in 2024. A number of major changes have been enacted for the first Vic Hot Rod Show since 2020. Firstly, the show will be held in August, instead of its usual slot around the Australia Day weekend in January. Secondly, the show is moving from its traditional home at the Royal Exhibition Building to the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds in Ascot Vale. The show will remain undercover, with the fully enclosed Exhibition Pavilion at the showgrounds to be the hub for the display vehicles and trade stands. Finally, the show will…