The cars of Wheels (Canberra)
I took these pictures in March this year when I attended Wheels at Mitchell in Canberra. There was a fantastic turnout of cars from across the Territory, southern NSW and other states and the highlight was the attendance of more than 50 ``Pagoda'' Mercedes sportscars to honour the 50th anniversary of the launch of the eternally youthful 230SL (which was followed by the 250 and the 280 variants). More expensive than an E-type but significantly less powerful, the SLs sold on their style, attention to detail, flawless reliability and bulletproof build quality. None of these characteristics were included in the price tags of Jaguars, Alfas and Corvettes at the time. Cars such as the Porsche 356 and 911 and 912 series were reliable but a tad hard core for the jet set. The same could be said of the big Healeys and Triumph TRs which offered more performance than the Mercedes and more reliability than the Jaguar (thanks to a simpler design philosophy) but far less comfort than either.
Jensens and Bristols were arguably more desirable but their bespoke specification and handbuilt quality meant they made the Mercedes seem quite affordable by comparison.
I mention these marques for the simple reason almost all were represented on the day.
A particular highlight was being able to see four Lagondas, including one of the Aston Martin four-door wedges from the 1970s, side by side. The others were tourers and coupes. I would have liked to have seen one of the 1960s Rapides but that was not to be.
Japanese marques are growing in appeal and it was good to see a very nicely done restoration of the original 1600cc Celica from the 1970s, a styling classic that deserves to stand alongside the Mazda 1500, the Datsun 2000, the original 240Z and the Toyota 2000GT as proof the Japanese could make beautiful cars 40 odd years ago.
American iron, thanks to the influx of recent LHD imports made possible by the strong dollar and the relaxation of registration regulations, was out in force. While I appreciate there are many people who think it is great they can finally get their hands on a genuine US classic, my concern is that we have diluted the value of our RHD Americana and the unique creations marketed here (usually through their Canadian operations) by Ford (Mainline, Customline, Tank Fairlane, Fairlane 500), GMH (Chevy Impala, Pontiac Parisienne), Chrysler (Dodge Phoenix) and AMC (Rambler 660, Ambassador, Matador and Hornet) down the years.
On the plus side, it is interesting to see that the behemoths built and sold in the US offered little more usable space and, I suspect, not much more performance than our Holdens, Falcons and Valiants despite their extra length and cubic inches.
(Note: Click on thumbnails to magnify and to see captions)
Jensens and Bristols were arguably more desirable but their bespoke specification and handbuilt quality meant they made the Mercedes seem quite affordable by comparison.
I mention these marques for the simple reason almost all were represented on the day.
A particular highlight was being able to see four Lagondas, including one of the Aston Martin four-door wedges from the 1970s, side by side. The others were tourers and coupes. I would have liked to have seen one of the 1960s Rapides but that was not to be.
Japanese marques are growing in appeal and it was good to see a very nicely done restoration of the original 1600cc Celica from the 1970s, a styling classic that deserves to stand alongside the Mazda 1500, the Datsun 2000, the original 240Z and the Toyota 2000GT as proof the Japanese could make beautiful cars 40 odd years ago.
American iron, thanks to the influx of recent LHD imports made possible by the strong dollar and the relaxation of registration regulations, was out in force. While I appreciate there are many people who think it is great they can finally get their hands on a genuine US classic, my concern is that we have diluted the value of our RHD Americana and the unique creations marketed here (usually through their Canadian operations) by Ford (Mainline, Customline, Tank Fairlane, Fairlane 500), GMH (Chevy Impala, Pontiac Parisienne), Chrysler (Dodge Phoenix) and AMC (Rambler 660, Ambassador, Matador and Hornet) down the years.
On the plus side, it is interesting to see that the behemoths built and sold in the US offered little more usable space and, I suspect, not much more performance than our Holdens, Falcons and Valiants despite their extra length and cubic inches.
(Note: Click on thumbnails to magnify and to see captions)
There was a lot to be said for the VG Valiant, Chrysler Australia's answer to the challenge thrown down by the XW/XY Falcon range (and, to a lesser extent, the HG/HT Holdens. Big and brassy, it introduced square headlights to a locally built car for the first time and was most notable for its replacement of the 225 slant six (a good engine that soldiered on overseas for another decade) with the Australian designed and built hemi six in 215 and 245 (3.5 and 4 litre) capacities. I had a hardtop way back before they become fashionable. Mine had been rolled, was full of bog and still kept soldiering on. A well spent $800 bucks. This pristine wagon is the same length as the hardtop and came with the 318 cubic inch V8. This was a torquier unit than the 273 it replaced but was, if anything, even less inclined to rev. 318s were great tow engines but didn't have the get up and go of a well tuned 302 or 308. The VH was a step backwards after this car and almost outdid the P76 in the styling that only a mother could love department. The introduction of the 265 Hemi (4.3 litre) and the Charger short wheelbase coupe were the range's only redeeming features.