Classic car show, Canberra ACT

[nota]

Held today (Sunday) in very warm conditions, and a similar event to this one I covered in > 2007 <

There seemed to be 200 or more cars on display, with many exhibits making a repeat appearance from the (above) 2007 show.

To tell the truth I was in a bit of a rush so I decided to not cover everything, or risk duplicating previous depictions.
Instead I concentrated only on what I thought interesting and caught my eye.
_______________________

With that intro out of the way .. hope you like 'em and here we go!

#1: Austin Princess limousine from the 1950s, a big machine.

#2 & 3: In contrast this tiny FIAT with lovely headlights. Is that an OHC engine I spy under this neat alloy cover?

#4: Oldsmobile from about the mid 1930s shows its distinctive die-cast grille (Holden body).

#5 & 6: A very rare unit in Oz, this Ford Capri GT appeared to be in excellent cond, with what looked like factory-fit extra Sport Gauges in a panel under the dashboard. I can't remember, are these Capris known as the 'Consul' or the 'Classic'

[IBrake4Rainbows]

WHAT?!?!!!

WTF mate, I had no idea this was on. Gutted.

Ah well, I'll have to make it up at Auto Italia (April 5th, just so you know)

[nota]

#1 & 2 & 3: Diminutive 1969 Mazda R100 in fabulous original (!) condition
A lifetime ago I witnessed the Australian racing debut of these (literal) fire breathers at the '69 Sandown 250 production race

#4: Chevrolet 1934 I think (probably Holden bodied, and note those rare-for-era vented rims) with period-reproduction caravan in tow. These stylish little bondwood vans are now being built and sold here. I love the era-specific pastel decor. The inside is replete with vintage-look cupboards and fittings, and full-size double bed of course. The back folds upwards to reveal a spacious 'galley' with stovetop and sink etc

#5: The I think appealingly styled EH-model Holden Special sedan from 1963-64, again playing towmaster to vintage accomodation.
These EHs battled against the rapid Jaguar MkII on aussie racetracks, before the Mustang domination

#6: Great example of the EH Holden Ute (non-stock Torana wheels).
I would welcome one of these cuties in my garage - what a practical little carry-all

[nota]

#1 & 2: Continuing with older Australiana if I may, this 1956-57 'FE' Holden Special, again presented in original colours. I accidentally sliced off the front view in the first pic, so here's a full-frontal to compensate

#3: FE Special displays the rear view, wearing more modern yet still quite tasteful paintwork. A bloke I once knew had an FE he'd fitted with a Ford 292 Y-block V8 out of a wrecked Ford Customline, a fast car but as you can imagine it was a lead-tipped arrow

#4: The following model facelift, Holden's FC Special of 1958~59, in no so good condition. My Dad owned one of these for 11 years, unfortunately it was the bare-bones Standard in battleship grey with rubber floormats and no heater. On his birthday in 1967 and with the entire family aboard (including me) he rolled it on a dirt highway at around 50 mph

#5 & 6: The redoubtable Wolseley 24/80 from BMC Australia, this one a MkII. A likeable car and quite a good seller from the early 1960s. The central grille badge used to light up with the headlights, an appealing gizmo. These Wolseleys were unique to Oz in featuring a larger 6cyl engine (the UK version was 4cyl) as did its similar although less luxurious Oz sister-ship, the Austin Freeway.

[nota]

Right about now I'm imagining that viewers are rapidly losing interest after these quaint 'Golden Olden Holdens' so here we go with some later local Ford muscle from the '60s and '70s

#1 & 2: 1971 'XY' Ford Fairmont with optional GS pack. This example also specified with the locally manufactured 351 V8 (this one a Cleveland 2V) and 4-speed Toploader gearbox and 9" LSD, in other words a still fast, sneakily optioned 'insurance cheater' as opposed to the full-on GT model which attracted those high insurance premiums

#3 & 4: The real deal, this lineup of circa 1969-70 'XW' Falcon 351 GT and GT-HO (race specials). Love those grouse looking factory-equip styled steel wheels and redlines, especially the famous '12 Slot' items on the green GT in pic #4, in comparison to the boring modern alloys and tyres with no sidewall

#5: Tidy rear styling of XY Falcon GT

#6: For comparison, a more sedate XY Fairmont (302 Cleveland) keeping company with a Holden FJ from 1953~55. As seen worn by many of the cars I've pictured, those external sunvisors were once a very common option, and very practical too. Its a pity the design of newer cars precludes their fitment

[Ferrer]

#5 & 6: A very rare unit in Oz, this Ford Capri GT appeared to be in excellent cond, with what looked like factory-fit extra Sport Gauges in a panel under the dashboard. I can't remember, are these Capris known as the 'Consul' or the 'Classic'

IIRC it's Consul.

A lot of interesting machinery, by the way.

[willysjeep]

Aye , aye those Fairmonts still makes my heart beating faster and faster Especially those without the shaker.........

[nota]

WHAT?!?!!!

WTF mate, I had no idea this was on. Gutted.

Ah well, I'll have to make it up at Auto Italia (April 5th, just so you know)

Funny story how I found out it was on...

Went for a haircut on Saturday and tried a new barber, an elderly gent in Mawson who's shop happened to be adorned with lots of model cars and automotive pics. We got talking (as you do with your barber) and he told me about his Corvette .. as did I .. and he mentioned of exhibiting it at the show

While we were chatting I noticed an almost empty bottle of upper cylinder lubricant on the counter amid the models. It was this well known brand



So I joking asked if he was going to hit me with that gunk as an eu de cologne. His reply was that he used it to lubricate his electric shears (the ones he was currently using .. on me!) and that it was the best stuff he'd used in 43 years of cutting hair

It was about then I noticed a new and slimy countenance to my just-washed hair and neck coupled to a definitive oily pong

So be forewarned mate if you ever want to get your hair cut in Mawson!

(thanks for the Auto Italia tip and maybe I'll see you there)

[NSXType-R]

Wow, that is not cool. That's not lubrication, that's just plain drowning the shears in oil then.

[nota]

More pics


#1 & 2: 1974 'LH' Holden Torana SL/R 5000, this particular beastie wears the rare L34 option which included a Repco developed heavy-duty evolution of the regular 308 cid Holden V8. In other words this translates into this Torana being a genuine ex-factory Bathurst 'homologation' Special, one of only 263 built. This example sports widened steel wheels of original L34 style, similar to Pontiac Ralley II

In addition a factory-sourced "High Output" (or "HO") kit was available for the L34, aimed towards competition use by privateer racers on limited budgets. After race preparation this kit boosted power from 240~260 hp to around 350~360 hp using the supplied Holley 780cfm, although more power came via twin Webers as used by top race teams. The L34 was also rallied by factory & private teams, but to less success than the earlier, dominant, Torana XU-1. Despite its all-iron engine etc, the 101" wb Torana L34 sedan weighed a mere 1183 kg

#3 > 6: Oooh yeah its the sinister looking 1972-73 'XA' Ford Falcon GT Hardtop aka Tudor (Bathurst winner in '73 and 1974) and resplendent in the groovy seventies colour of Wild Violet metallic and OE type Globe 'Daytona' mags (no-cost factory retrofit to GTHO) that were later dubbed Globe 'Bathurst'

XA GTs also got a higher-performing homologation evolution variant, the RPO83. I'm not sure if the pictured car is one of those

For trivia I included pic #6 to depict the period-authentic 'Jack Brabham Ford' dealer sticker on its rear window, historically a neat little touch on what is a very nice car. On his return from England in about 1971, Jack had spent up big on buying out a big Ford dealership in Sydney. The business expanded into operating its own - and quite successful - Falcon GT racing team, directed by Austin Tauranac (brother of Ron). In between race meetings the team also produced various new performance-modified 'Jack Brabham Enhanced' Ford V8s which were then retailed through his dealership. They were essentally 'insurance cheaters' like the previously described XY Fairmont GS

Anyway it seems Jack quickly tired of the stress, not to mention the outgoings, and bailed out of the business by about 1974 I think. Which, all told in 2009, makes that quite a rare little sticker

Btw I have an original 1972 road test of a JBE XA Fairmont 351 sedan and can scan it if anyone is interested

And here's an online road test of Ford's 135 mph XA GT Hardtop from 1972
1972 XAGT FALCON COUPE

[nota]

#1: Ford Zephyr MkII station wagon, a uniquely Oz factory variant. Oddly New Zealand had its own, again unique, Zephyr wagon with a more primitively constructed stepped roofline. Btw I once owned MKII sedan

#2: This early model Humber Vogue presented well. My grandmother bought one of these new in 1963, later passed on to my mother.
It was a 1.2 litre automatic with the hefty Rootes Group 'double skinned' bodywork, I remember it as being a beautifully appointed and finished motor car, a quality piece, but really slow

#3: Pretty GM Oakland of unknown vintage (early '30s?)

#4 & 5: Very tidy Sunbeam Le Mans coupe by Harrington (based on the Alpine)

[nota]

What better way to close than with this magnificent Vauxhall phaeton. Wow it looked good. Not sure but I guess its their famous 30/98

Check out those superbly mated alloy panels in pic #2 and I couldn't resist a pic of its funky little fuel gauge
(look closely and you can just make out its position in pic #3)

A local summary of this model
Vauxhall 30/98

"All 30/98s were equipped with lightweight bodies and were guaranteed to reach 100 mph."

[henk4]

Yum Yum.....(sorry for the low intellectual content of my post).

[willysjeep]

Beautifull !!!!!

[2ndclasscitizen]

#1 & 2: 1974 'LH' Holden Torana SL/R 5000, this particular beastie wears the rare L34 option which included a Repco developed heavy-duty evolution of the regular 308 cid Holden V8. In other words this translates into this Torana being a genuine ex-factory Bathurst 'homologation' Special, one of only 263 built. This example sports widened steel wheels of original L34 style, similar to Pontiac Ralley II

In addition a factory-sourced "High Output" (or "HO") kit was available for the L34, aimed towards competition use by privateer racers on limited budgets. After race preparation this kit boosted power from 240~260 hp to around 350~360 hp using the supplied Holley 780cfm, although more power came via twin Webers as used by top race teams. The L34 was also rallied by factory & private teams, but to less success than the earlier, dominant, Torana XU-1. Despite its all-iron engine etc, the 101" wb Torana L34 sedan weighed a mere 1183 kg

All kinds of awesome