Myrniong Historic Car Sprint

Myrniong on the Western Highway, about an hour west of Melbourne was, for many years famous for the steaks served at its large, traditional bluestone pub. However, over the last decade, Myrniong has secured a place in the Classic Car world with its annual sprints. The 2013 Myrniong Historic Car Sprint was held in brilliant sunshine on April 7.

The event is small and blessed with a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The track is a closed public road. It runs for 850 metres with a climb of 60metres over that distance.

If you are not competing, the trick with Myrniong is to take a classic car and park in the “display car” parking area. This is cheaper than the ordinary public area and affords an excellent view of most of the track – including the start line and the timer display.

Once in the display area, you can spend the day sitting beside your vehicle watching the action, or wander over to view the cars that are there to sprint.

We took the MG TD. Consequently, we were ushered directly into the display area. There we found about twenty cars, including some Abingdon siblings in the form of a TC, an MGA, and MGF and many MGBs. The highlight of the non-competing cars was a Jaguar XK120 that has been in the same ownership since 1951 – when the current owner purchased it from his uncle.

The sprinting cars ranged from Vintage Vauxhalls to Monaros. The loudest car was a supercharged Austin Healey replica high speed car. The lowest was a replica Lotus Eleven. One of the rarest (at least in Australia) was an early Renault Alpine.  The most common cars were Clubman replicas and MGBs. There were quite a few specials, some powered by Ford V8s, others based on Austin Sevens.

There was no problem wandering around and talking to people. It is the sort of event where a driver might ask you to give an ancient sportscar a push. Somehow, Myrniong, which has only being going for twelve years, has the feeling of an event that has run for decades. It is like an old-fashioned country race meeting, but with classic petrol-burners in place of the hay-burners.

 

 

 

Turin Car Museum

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MUSEO NAZIONALE DELL’AUTOMOBILE DI TORINO

The quality of Turin’s National Automobile Museum is quite unexpected, even keeping in mind the City’s long history of car production. The collection is deeply impressive and the cars are displayed in a range of innovative ways. No classic car enthusiast should miss an opportunity to view this museum. It is not clear to us here at The Classic Motorist as to why this superb collection does not receive more attention from people outside Italy.

Broadly speaking, the display is in chronological order and commences with a remarkable 1854 twin cylinder steam-engined version of a stage-coach style of horse-drawn landau. This is a genuine “horseless carriage” and was built by Virginio Bordino at Turin’s Military Arsenal. The rear-mounted steam engine drives the crank shaped rear axle through conrods connected to a crankshaft-shaped rear axle. The vehicle had a top speed of nearly 8 km/h.

The next room contains no less than seventeen cars from 1903 or earlier. These include a Peugeot Tipo 3 from 1892, a Benz Victoria from 1893, a 1903 De Dion & Bouton and a 9.5 hp Darracq built in 1902.

Jumping forward to 1907, I was struck by the Italia in which Prince Scipione Borghese won the Peking to Paris race in 60 days. The car arrived a full twenty days ahead of the second car to finish the 16,000 kilometre race. The Itaila was subsequently known as the “Peking-to-Paris” type. More than a century later, Italy remains justifiably proud of this car’s resounding win.

As well as cars built for performance, the Museo’s collection includes some exceedingly luxurious models from before the Great War. These include a 1909 Isotta Fraschini AN 20-30 hp, an Italia 35/45 hp and a manificent Delage AB-8 and Rolls Royce 40-50 hp “Silver Ghost”.

While the chronological ordering collection shows the steady development of the motor car, there are all sorts of mechanical oddities to remind the visitor that the world’s car designers explored a few dead-ends on their journey to the modern car. These included a runabout in which just the driver sat behind the sole passenger. Built between 1911 and 1914 by Bourbeau and Devaux, this extraordinary 210 kg car had a two-speed gearbox and bilateral chain drive, but no clutch nor reverse gear. To change gears, the driver has to shift the entire rear axle forward with a lever so that the slackened chains could pass from one gear to another. The car was reputed to reach 60 km/h.

The Turin collection remains strong in its coverage of the 1920s, mainly with Italian cars. There are two Isotta Fraschinis, one from 1920 and one from 1929 as well as a Spa 23S and a Diatto 30, for example, along with a Citroen C3-5CV from France.

The 1930s were a highlight with everything from an Austin Seven and Fiat 500 to a Packard Super-Eight 1501. Most spectacular of all was a Mercedes Benz 500K. Famously powered by a straight-eight engine supercharged through a positive-displacement blower which could be engaged or disengaged from the driver’s seat. This magnificent car was an unexpected delight.

The immediate post-war period was represented by a lovely 1948 Lancia Aprillia which underlined just how important this Italian car maker has been to the development of the modern motor car. The museum also has a Cisitalia 202 SMM Spider Nuvolari. Its streamlined shape pointed the way for many sportscars that followed. Even more influential (and, I suspect the pride of the collection) is the Pininfarina-styled Cisitalia 202 coupe. There is one of these cars in the Museum of Modern Art in New York where it is described as “one of the world’s six most beautiful cars”. With its low-set bonnet, nestled between higher-set front guards with built-in headlights, this car clearly influenced everything from Lancias to Aston Martins, Ferraris and even Bentleys of the next two decades. With the Cisitalia, Pininfarina drew on aerodynamic thinking to create a unified design that ensured that the car flowed together as a single unit, rather than being broken down into separate blocks to house the engine, passengers and luggage. All the car’s features, including door handles and headlights, were incorporated into the lovely shape, rather than appearing as separate units. Like a Frank Lloyd Wright house, it is easy at first sight to think the Cisitalia is merely a well-executed example of something decades younger. It is only when you realise how old it is that the revolutionary nature of the design is clear.

However, as in earlier decades, not all post-war technical advances laid pathways for the future. Much like Rover’s similar (but less beautifully styled) effort in Britain, the gas turbine powered 1954 Fiat Turbino on display never made it beyond prototype testing.

The Citroen DS19 of just a year later has proved more influential in the long term. Presented at the 1955 Paris Show as a successor to the famous “Traction Avant”, the Citroën DS 19 is one of the most important cars of the post-war years. Hugely advanced with its hydro-pneumatic suspension, gear change, steering and brakes, nearly one and a half million of them were produced up to 1975. The Torino museum holds the car displayed at the 1957 Milan Triennale Exhibition. As an aside the museum also had a small display downstairs with comments from a large collection of the world’s living car designers. The vast majority of these designers, which included Chris Bangle and others from the modern era, cite Citroen’s Goddess as the greatest influence on their thinking.

From the 1960s, the museum has on display small cars such as the Mini and the Fiat 500 as well as an E-Type Jaguar. From that decade, but looking so much more modern was the NSU Ro80. Famously powered by an under-developed version of Wankel’s rotary engine (a design kept alive today by Mazda who have pretty much solved the problem of sealing the rotor tips), this car was a commercial flop but pointed the way to the future in terms of its low-drag, large glass area styling and other features. The car had pretty much the best of everything in the late 1960s, including a semi-automatic transmission (with a vacuum operated clutch arrangement), as well as four wheel disc brakes (inboard on the front to reduce unsprung weight), rack and pinion power steering.

The Turin Museum also has a spectacular, and inevitably very red, collection of racing cars, excellent displays of motors and a strong focus on social history. Furthermore, in addition to the normal collection, the Museo also hosts visiting exhibitions. When The Classic Motorist visited, we saw a fabulous Bertone exhibition including everything from a Lancia Stratos and Alfa Montreal to Nuccio Bertone’s personal Lamborghini Miura (pictured above).

The depth and quality of Turin’s National Automobile Museum means that it really takes at least a full day to enjoy it. For a genuine enthusiast, a delightful two days savouring the collection certainly would not be out of the question. If you are in northern Italy and you do not make the effort to visit this museum, you have done yourself an injustice.

MotorClassica – Melbourne, Australia

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The MotorClassica event in Melbourne continues to impress with the quality of the hundred or so cars it displays each year. In order to ensure that the crowds keep coming back, the organisers insist on displaying a different range of cars every year. Despite the fear that this might see a reduction in quality, the standard of the cars on display in 2012 was extremely high. Since it began in 2010, most of the cars at MotorClassica have been sourced from local Victorian owners, but the success of the event is increasingly drawing cars from elsewhere in Australia.

Despite this local focus, MotorClassica is an event of international standing. Indeed, the first MotorClassica Concourse, in October 2010, was won by a 1928 Daimler  P.1.50 Double Six shipped from America especially for the show. After being restored by owner Bob Lorkowski, this large limousine won a European Classic Closed class award at Pebble Beach in 2009. First registered (as NSW 1) in Sydney, this 7.1 litre twelve cylinder leviathan, still features its factory-built Royal Limousine coachwork.

Skipping ahead a year, my favourite of the 2011 event was a 1929 Ballot 2L Sports that has been owned (and fully registered) by the one Victorian family for 85 years. This well-worn, and well-loved car stood out among the glistening restored cars as the car that I spent the most time staring wistfully at. It is one of only five survivors in the world.

At the 2012 MotorClassica, perhaps the most extraordinary car on display was a largely complete, but totally dilapidated Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing. The car was covered in a layer of rust and dirt as though it had just been dragged from a shed. Enormously valuable, it was remarkable to see such a car in need of total restoration. I expect that the expensive and painstaking job has now commenced.

The thing about MotorClassica is that the quality of the cars on display is so high that it takes something truly extraordinary (like a rusty Gullwing) to stand out. It is the sort of event where it can be easy to overlook something superb as your attention is grabbed by a bright blue 1952 R Type Bentley Continental, a genuine Sebring MGA, a Miura, a 1936 Delage D6-70 Competition Coupe or a 1935 Bentley 3 and half litre drophead. Surrounded by more than $100m of spectacular vehicles, even the most beautiful of cars – such as an Aston Martin DB5 or Lancia Aurelia – can struggle to catch your eye.

For those who have never attended MotorClassica, it is important to note that you can get very close to the valuable and spectacular cars on display. The only thing protecting them is likely to be a sign asking you not to touch the car. Attendees are, therefore, free to wander around cars to admire and photograph the styling, peer at the dashboard to work out the functions of the switchgear and to marvel at the range of mechanical ingenuity on display.

Furthermore, a growing feature of  MotorClassica is the free display of cars outside the event itself. Organised by a range of car clubs, these provide a taster for the main event inside the wonderful Melbourne Exhibition Building.

In short, Melbourne’s MotorClassica has cemented its place in the classic car scene. There is nothing that comes close in the southern hemisphere.

 

 

 

Seen For Sale

Here are the cars we have found on the market that, if we had the money and space, we would be very tempted to buy.  

 

NO LONGER FOR SALE

1924 Bentley  3 Litre Le Mans Replica (Vic) Seen on Just Cars

At $275,000, this handsome Bentley is not a cheap car. However, over a long period, good Bentleys have proved to be worthwhile investments. For many wealthy enthusiasts, the ownership of a Vintage Bentley, particularly with a La Mans replica body is the aspiration of a lifetime. There is always demand for these cars and they are a commodity that is readily traded internationally.

These cars have been celebrated since the 3 Litre won at Le Mans in 1924 and 1927. Famously, Ettore Bugatti (whose cars were much more lithe) described the 3 Litre Bentley “the fastest lorry in the world”.

In the images accompanying its advertisement, this car looks typically spectacular. We assume that the body is not original, but this is not necessarily a great sin with these Bentleys as in many cases, the original bodies (often saloons or tourers) have rotted away – aided by a chassis flex. Replacement with Le Mans Replicas is very common.

Given the rarity of vintage Bentleys, each car’s history is usually known by marque experts. In a car of this cost, provenance and determining the degree of orginality is important in making sure that you get value. If you do not know exactly what you are doing, consult with experts.

WHY WE LIKE IT: In the minds of many people, a green Le Mans replica Bentley is the ultimate classic car. We are some of those people.

WORRIES: A big purchase, so make sure that the car’s history, orginality and restoration quality justifies the price.

CONCLUSION: The stuff dreams are made of.

As an aside, if you are looking for very original 3-Litre, Fiskens in the UK  has for sale a very original Le Mans car. This is the famous “Number 9” that was built for Tommy “Scrap” Thistlethwayte and co-piloted by “Bentley Boy” Captain Clive Gallop.

 

1959 MGA Twin Cam (NSW) Seen on Carsales

The best and rarest version of the lovely MGA is the Twin Cam. Just over 2,ooo Twin Cams were produced (out of a total of 1000,000 MGAs). This was the first twin cam engine to be fitted to MGs since the racing cars of the 1920s and 1930s. When released in 1958, the engine suffered from a range of problems variously blamed on having too high a compression ratio (9,9:1), poor tuning (especially ignition timing), clumsy drivers revving the motor to extremes and poor servicing due to many service items being hard to access in the tight engine bay. In the end, a reduction in the compression ratio to 8.3:1 improved things enormously, but by then the damage to the car’s reputation was done and the Twin Cam was dead soon after. The factory reverted to the sole use of the common pushrod engines for the cars that used up the last of the twin cam trim and four wheel disc brakes. In truth, a well developed, highly tuned pushrod engine can almost match the heavier Twin Cam for output, particularly a low compression Twin Cam. Furthermore, the pushrod engined cars are lighter in the front end and have slightly better steering geometry. On the other hand, the Twin Cam engine looks fabulous, is technically interesting, very rare and lifts the MG closer to thoroughbred territory.

This particular car does not have its original, matching numbers, engine (which still exists but is owned by another enthusiast). However, it appears to be a tidy enough example of a very pretty car. It was advertised for some months before disappearing, only to reappear on the market last week.

WHY WE LIKE IT: It is the cheapest Twin Cam MGA we have seen and it is the more desirable roadster version. Other than the rare Twin Cam engine parts, MGA spares supply is reliable and parts are often cheap.

WORRIES: It is a shame it is not a matching numbers car. MGAs rust, but all parts are readily available (try Kilmartin Automotive Sheetmetal in Ballarat, Victoria – theirs are the best panel and chassis repair pieces available). This car needs work to bring it up the to standard it should be.

CONCLUSION: We have a pushrod MGA and adore it. The Twin Cam is the ultimate MGA but we think we’ll hold out for a perfect, matching numbers car (and the money to pay for it) before we upgrade. If we didn’t yet have an MGA, at and advertised price of $42,000 this is probably the one we would buy.

1972 Aston Martin DBS – (VIC)  Seen on Carsales

At $45,000 this is almost certainly the cheapest Aston for sale in Australia. The good news goes on: in British Racing Green, with light tan interior, the car has a great colour scheme. However, there are some drawbacks: the car is the six cylinder rather than the more powerful V8. Also, this Aston is an automatic (3 speed Chrysler Torqueflite) which further reduces the performance offered by this heavy car. Having seen this particular car in the past (it has been on the market for a long time, but the price is now lower ), we can report that the car has some slightly worrying indications of rust here and there. It looks as though the car has been resprayed  – and the job was not brilliant. The trim looks a bit orange too and there is no air-conditioning. (The car was imported from Britain in the early 1970s – if we recall correctly). On the other hand, these cars, designed by William Towns, are beginning to be appreciated as stylish and handsome. We think they are better looking than the later V8s.

WHY WE LIKE IT: It is an Aston Martin. It is in British Racing Green. It is $45,000.

WORRIES: It is auto. It lacks air-conditioning. In some ways, this is the least desirable Aston model and specification. Also, is it just a bit of superficial rust here and there or is there something frightening lurking in the sills, for example?

CONCLUSION: If this Aston was a manual with air-con, we would have bought it ourselves. If it was V8 too, we would have been crushed in the stampede.

1976 Daimler Sovereign XJC (NSW) Seen on Carsales

The rarest of the XJ body styles, the two-door coupe was marketed as a “corporate sports car” by Jaguar. Critics pointed to the car’s weight and called it a “corpulent sports car”. More elegant than the sportier XJS (which shares the same floorpan), the XJC was was very closely based on the Series 2 XJ Jaguars. Even rarer than the Jaguar version is the more upmarket Daimler version. The main difference between the Jag and the Daimler is that the latter sports a crinkly radiator grille (a vestige of old heat dissipating radiator tanks of vintage Daimlers). Generally, after Jaguar bought Daimler, the famous old badge was used merely to denote more upmarket versions of Jaguars. The Classic Motorist knows that there is at least one Double Six (ie V12) Daimler coupe of this era in Australia. It was privately imported from England, along with its rust. In contrast, the advertised Daimler is a 4.2 litre version- using the famous XK twin-cam straight six motor launched in 1948. This particular car was privately imported from New Zealand. The ad suggests significant money has been spent on restoring and maintaining the vehicle. The main risk with these cars is rust. In addition to the usual places, such as guards and door bottoms, these Jaguars rust around the based of the windscreen and rear window. The seals were poor and, some say, actually corrosive. This particular Daimler, finished in a sandy yellow call “Greensand”, has been on the market for a long time – perhaps a year or more. At $13,500, it seems a cheap, charming touring car. It has leather and air-con – both necessities in our view.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Probably the most desirable XJ body style made rarer by being a Daimler. The 4.2 may lack the glamour of the 5.3 litre V12, but it is easier to maintain. Anyway, we know of only one Daimler Double Six (ie V12) in coupe Australia. Even if there are more, you will spend a long time looking.

WORRIES: These cars rust. We have seen some terminal cases. Full rust repair may not be economic.

CONCLUSION: Sensibly specified, period colour (though not entirely to our taste), this is an example of a charming and interesting car. At $13,500 this example has been on the market for a long, long time. Perhaps a serious offer would secure it. However, be sure to check carefully for tinworm.

1959 Sunbeam Alpine Convertible  (Vic) Seen on Carsales

These Sunbeams were produced by the Rootes group (who took over the Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq combine after it went into receivership in 1935). The once great Sunbeam and Talbot names were reduced to being used for upmarket (fully rebodied) versions of Rootes vehicles. The Alpine, derived from the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 was the best of these Rootes vehicles of the 1950s. They looked pretty and, in the 1953 Alpine Rally, four Sunbeam Alpines won the Coupe des Alpes. Stirling Moss drove the car that came sixth in that race. The Alpine for sale in Victoria at the moment is an uprated replica of the Moss vehicle. Expensively restored and extensively uprated with boosted front discs, Toyota 5 speed box, power steering, air-conditioning and much else besides, this is an appealing car for fast touring. Asking price: $79,990.

WHY WE LIKE IT: A fairly rare, well-loved vehicle that has enough modern features – including air-conditioning – to enable extensive touring in considerable comfort. It would cost a lot of money to bring another car up to this standard.

WORRIES: This car may have been too heavily modified to suit serious enthusiasts or collectors, particularly in the future.

CONCLUSION: While we see the attraction and can understand the pleasures of well-chosen modern features, we could not justify spending $79,990 on this car. There are XK120 Jags around for that kind of money. If you are Sunbeam fan, it would be hard to beat though. As an aside, later tail-finned “series” Sunbeams are available for a lot less and are lots of fun.

1923 Minerva AB Tourer – (Qld) Seen on Just Cars and Pre-War Cars

Produced by the high-quality Belgian producer, this handsome and large tourer has one big problem: its Knight sleeve-valved engine is unusually quiet (even for a sleeve-valve) because it is seized. The car’s interior (which has never been restored) is in a real mess too. According to the vendor, the body was restored fifty years ago. The photos suggest that the body might be acceptable as it is, but more likely it is due for some restoration too. Asking price is $28,000.

WHY WE LIKE IT: A high-quality car in its day. Sleeve valve engines are interesting and very, very quiet. This is a three litre, six cylinder engine too, so – once on the road again – the car should perform well.

WORRIES: Seat trim (at least) is beyond saving. Engine is seized; can it be  returned to service cost-effectively?

CONCLUSION: An interesting car, but it needs courage to take it on.

 

1926 Bayliss-Thomas Tourer – (NSW) Seen on Just Cars

A small to medium-sized vintage tourer, this car has its original wiring and trim. It was repainted about ten years ago. The Bayliss-Thomas was produced by British company Excelsior (maker of motorbikes).  These are very, very rare cars. The advertised tourer has the 1.5 litre alloy, overhead valve engine. Asking price is $25,000 ONO.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Rare, sensibly sized and, according to the ad, very original.

WORRIES: Hard to get parts, not very fast, needs a tidy up.

CONCLUSION: Very tempting but we know that only the highest performance vintage cars keep up with modern conditions. Hence this car is probably nicer to show than it is to drive.

 

 

Austin Healey 4000 – an exceedingly rare car

One of the highlights of the Melbourne 2012 MotorClassica event was the chance to view the exceedingly rare “Austin Healey 4000”. Many people are completely unaware of the development of any Austin Healey beyond the 3000 Mk111. This is not surprising as a mere three examples of the Rolls Royce-engined “4000” model Healey vehicles were produced. The car on display at MotorClassica is particularly special as it was Donald Healey’s personal car and is the only 4000 with a manual overdrive transmission. One car had an automatic transmission and the other was completed with a Jaguar manual gearbox by its first owner.

The origin of the famous Austin Healey line of cars is well-known: following Donald Healey’s display of a sports car based on Austin mechanicals at the Earl’s Court motor show, a successful joint venture between Donald Healey and the British Motor Corporation (BMC) began in 1952. Despite many subsequent upgrades throughout its production life (going from four to six cylinders and three speeds to four, for example), the Big Healey was starting to look outdated by the late 1960s. This is not surprising, given that the post-war history of the British car industry has always been one of long periods of lack of development as once-great models age. The E-type, XJ6, Mini and Range Rover are all sad examples of this trait.

Adding urgency to the problem of what to do with the Austin Healey 3000 in 1968, the aged C-series Austin engine that powered Healey cars was ending production. Equally serious, in the United States – where the vast majority of Big Healeys had been sold – proposed safety standards threatened the future of the unusually narrow (by American standards) Austin Healey.

Because of these factors, Donald Healey and his partners, BMC, were faced with a dilemma: should the Austin Healey 3000 be replaced, updated or withdrawn? With the mergers that took place in the late 1960s, Jaguar founder, Sir William Lyons, now had a seat on the Board of BMC and was keen to project his E-type from internal competition. In addition, the perennial lack of funds stifled the possibility of a genuinely new Big Healey for the foreseeable future.  Thus, full replacement was not really a viable option and an updated car seemed the best way forward.

Seeking a more powerful motor, BMC turned to Rolls Royce and their alloy FB60 engine as a possible power source for a new, bigger version of the Austin Healey. Developed out of the cast iron blocked B-series engine that had originally been designed for military purposes, it “featured” – if that is the right term for such an old-fashioned arrangement – an inlet over exhaust arrangement, often known as an F-head. This set-up limited compression and therefore performance potential, but it made for a simple, reliable motor. Certainly, the original iron B-series was a versatile design. It was used in four cylinder (2.8 litre) form in the Austin Champ. A straight eight 5.6 litre version of the engine powered the Alvis Saladin armoured car and Alvis Saracen armoured personnel carrier. Between these four and eight cylinder versions was the six cylinder B60 that saw service in The Daimler Ferret Scout Car and Dennis fire engines.

The FB60 was an alloy-block development of the B60, with a different bore and stroke among its revisions. The motor was used in the late 1950s in the “Java” prototype of a proposed monocoque mid-sized Bentley. As things turned out, the idea of a smaller Bentley was shelved (until another failed attempt thirty years later with a lovely 1994 prototype mid-sized Bentley which revived the Java name). Seeking more power, in 1962, Rolls Royce introduced its long lasting V8 engine in the large S3 Cloud and its Bentley equivalent. The same V8 engine was then installed in the smaller, monocoque car (which had its origins in the aborted original “Java” project and later “Burma” design prototypes) that was launched as the Silver Shadow and Bentley T-type in 1965. Consequently, the FB60 was never used in a production Rolls Royce or Bentley passenger car.

Nonetheless, by the time it was being considered for the Healey, the engine was already used by BMC in their Austin Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R. This car had not sold well as it lacked the prestige of well-established marques such Rolls Royce and Daimler. Despite signing a contract with Rolls Royce years earlier to fit more than five thousand FB60 engines in their large cars each year, BMC had failed to install the motor in any products other than the commercially challenged Princess. Consequently, and embarrassingly, BMC had a contract to take thousands more of these engines each year and it seemed likely that Rolls Royce had plenty of capacity to produce more of these motors if they were fitted to the next version of the Austin Healey. Adding to their allure, being alloy, the FB60 engines were lighter, as well as more powerful, than other motors that might have been available for a new Healey. The FB60 delivered 175 bhp at 4800 rpm, whereas the BMC C-Series engine that powered the Austin Healey 3000 MKIII provided a lesser 148 bhp at a much higher 5250 rpm. A full 45 kg ligher than the C-Series engine, the Rolls Royce engine really trumped the BMC mill for torque. The smaller C-series provided 165 ft lbs (224 nm) at 3500 rpm, compared to the Rolls Royce FB60 that would muster an impressive 218 ft lb (296 nm) at 3000 rpm. It is these torque figures, in particular, that show the probable tourer market for the 4000 and explain why the model was seen as a potential means of shifting BMC’s stock of automatic transmissions, especially in cars destined for the United States.

To test the idea of an updated model, Donald Healey’s team took an Austin Healey 3000 and widened it by six inches. This was achieved by adding a section of that width to the middle of the car for its entire length. Into this prototype, they installed the engine, automatic transmission and back axle from an Austin Princess 4 Litre R. The team then added better seats and safety features such as a padded dash and collapsible steering column. The lighter, more powerful engine added both refinement and performance to the broader-beamed Healey. The wider body and improved weight distribution enhanced handling as well as meeting US safety requirements. Along with Donald Healey, BMC were pleased with the prototype and there were plans to put the car into production in 1968.

However, the British motor industry was already heading towards the Leyland era and the twin evils of financial constraint and political infighting were working against the car going into commercial production. Exacerbating these problems, it seems that Rolls Royce, fed up with waiting for BMC to buy more FB60 engines, had started selling off the tooling needed to build the engines.

All this meant that the Healey 4000 never went into production. Nonetheless, being particularly impressed with the car, Donald Healey and his very close colleague, Roger Menadue, built two more cars at Donald Healey’s Cornish home. One of these was fitted with a manual overdrive gearbox and the car became Donald Healey’s personal vehicle until it was sold in 1970.

This unique Healey 4000 car was imported Australia in 1974 and was displayed at MotorClassica 2012 by The Healey Factory. Recently, I took the opportunity to visit The Healey Factory at their relatively new facility at Mitcham in Melbourne’s outer east. Although I have never been there before, I have long known that this firm bought and sold interesting classic cars. I also knew that they imported Austin Healeys from the United States and sold them to local enthusiasts for restoration.

When I visited, Russell (who is manager of car sales at The Healey Factory) was kind enough to give me a tour of the whole of their operation. Starting with the car showroom, The Healey Factory, as you would expect, stocks a lot of Healeys. In addition, they currently have on the showroom floor a wide range of other marques. To give you some idea of the range, these included a Porsche 911, a couple of superbly restored Mustangs, a beautiful Bristol 400, an Mk2 Jaguar, an MGA twin cam coupe, a handful of Triumphs and a spectacular AC Greyhound.

At the rear of the showroom, the knowledgeable Geoff and Howard sell spares for a range of vehicles. The Healey Factory can sell you everything from a replacement Healey chassis to small parts such as gauges. The Healey Factory is also the Australian agent for Dayton wire wheels. These American-made wheels are the best quality fitment for many marques.

Behind the Healey Factory showroom is a separate building devoted to servicing, repairing and restoring classic cars. This large facility includes a sophisticated low-bake spray booth as well as dedicated areas for chassis and body repair. The workshop includes all the equipment and staff needed to undertake everything from regular servicing through to complete restoration of the worst wreck that has been dragged from under a tree.

I was surprised to find that The Healey Factory undertakes activities as diverse as accident repairs, upgrades, servicing and restorations. As a great example of their restoration prowess, it was Rob and his team at The Healey Factory who completely restored the unique, and very special, Healey 4000 seen at MotorClassica.

The high standard of their restoration work is clear. In particular, the extraordinary quality of the craftsmanship on display in the unique Healey 4000 displayed at MotorClassica is a testament to their dedication to producing the highest-quality restorations. This special Healey is well worth keeping an eye out for at classic car events. You will never, ever, see another one like it.

 

 

The Stelvio Pass

Vai! Vai! (Go! Go!) yelled Tonino, my navigator, in his native Italian. I snatched third gear as the car climbed towards the next hairpin. Backing off late, I touched the brakes and dropped the car back into second, a little worried the engine might bog down on the tight turn. I needn’t have been concerned: the hairpin complete, the road straightened briefly, and the engine began to rev out again as the next tight turn approached. Up and up snaked the narrow road, with our torquey motor spinning gamely between each gear change.

Driving the Stelvio Pass had sat high on my bucket list for two decades before I found myself, in superb autumn weather, pushing hard on what some people say is the best driving road in the world.

We had started the morning in Bormio, Tonino’s home town at the base of the pass. The sun was shining and the temperature a very pleasant 20 degrees on the valley floor. Having worked for many years as a customs guard at the border post near the top of the pass, my Italian girlfriend’s cousin, Tonino, was a perfect driving companion for the Stelvio. For decades, he had driven this famous road each day. Often snowed in – with the road closed and people simply unable to cross the border post – the guards would shut up the customs post near the top of the pass and play cards, fortified by the local drop, Braulio. Of course, like so many Italian alcoholic beverages, Braulio is consumed in order only to take advantage of its many purported medicinal qualities. When supplies ran low, the unfortunate customs officers would be forced to drink their supply of excellent Italian wines.

The road from Bormio up to the west side of the Stelvio tracks a steep valley floor before a series of very tight hairpins on the south side of the valley wall. There is then a run of more hairpins on the west face immediately below the old coach house and customs checkpoint near the Swiss border. The photo opportunities from here are spectacular. From the customs house, the road rises comparatively gently (by Stelvio standards) to the top of the pass where there is a church, some souvenir shops and very limited parking. On the way, within walking distance of the top of the pass, there is a large restaurant with some of the world’s most spectacular mountain views. It was here that we had lunch. Suitably fortified, we looked down over the eastern side of the pass at the ribbon of bitumen that curls back and forth down the other side of the Stelvio. Nearby, a pristine, current model black Porsche 911 Turbo coupe sat nearby while its owners savoured the view. A German-registered, blue-coloured E-Type roadster purred by, elegantly topping, in pose value at least, the much more powerful Porsche. At 8 degrees, the temperature at the top of the pass was just warm enough for the E-Type’s cloth roof to stay folded.

As I looked down the other side of the pass, I could see that the road is even more tightly wound on the eastern slope. The road glistened in the clear mountain air. We were at much too high an altitude for trees to grow, so the road could easily be seen beneath us like a discarded ribbon strewn down the mountain. It started surrounded by dark rocks cut and deposited by ancient glaciers but I could see that, further below, the grass started, hesitantly at first, clinging to the steep mountain side. As my gaze followed the road, on its twisty way down, I could see that, as the altitude fell, the plants gained confidence until they surrounded the road in a riot of green taking advantage of the clear sunlight that bathed the whole scene.

I was very much looking forward to getting back in the car and heading down the eastern side of the mountains and so we returned to the vehicle and began the descent. Back and forth the road went as hairpin after hairpin led us down the mountain side. I was careful to use engine braking when I could – in order to spare the brakes, but the cool mountain air kept the anchors available when needed. Of course, this was every few seconds as the tight turns were tackled in rapid succession.

All too quickly the hairpins ran out and the road began to open out for some long, comparatively straight runs down the valley floor. By any normal standards, this was still a great road but, as we levelled out, it was clear that the best of the Stelvio was now behind us. A twenty-year dream had been realised and I began to accept that I would probably never drive such a good road again.

At that stage, I had no idea that the best driving of the day was yet to come and that the Stelvio, while undoubtedly spectacular, was only a warm-up.

The western climb of the Stelvio Pass skirts the border between Italy and Switzerland. However, the eastern side of pass is like a trip to Austria. Although the people speak Italian, the Austrian influence on the architecture, for example, is marked. One of the benefits of this influence is that the Forst Brewery, and its adjacent beer garden, is available in the valley at the eastern side of the Stelvio road. Stopping and being suitably refreshed, we returned to the car and set off on our long “grand circle” route back to Bormio via Ponte di Legno.

The roads were superb as we drove for miles up the valley of the Torrente Noce passing through little towns and climbing back westwards into the mountains.

As dusk fell, we started to encounter the real mountain roads again. The Passo del Tonale was a delight. With a fraction of the traffic of the Stelvio, it was much safer to push along with real enthusiasm, even in the fading light. The Tonale is a better driving road than the Stelvio because it strings together everything from sweepers to hairpins and the occasional straight. I was in motoring heaven.

By the time we reached the turn off for the road that led us back north towards Bormio, through the Stelvio National Park, I was tired, but feeling well atuned to the car and the Italian alpine roads.

We turned right at Ponte di Legno and headed north towards Sant’Apollonia and Santa Caterina over the Passo di Gavia. It was here that  the mountains began to reveal their secret. The road, in addition to being empty, was superb. With the lights on high beam, the moonlight shining and Tonino encouraging me to push things to the limit, we began the climb. This glorious, remote and narrow road has everything: curves, drops, straights, climbs and wonderful views. Just after Sant’Apollonia I hit the brakes as half a dozen deer leapt down on the road from the hill above and disappeared off down the other side leaving only an added sense of the road’s wildness. The thread of bitumen then wound its way between Lago Nero and Lago Bianco, with the moonlight reflecting off these remote little lakes down below and reminding us of just how far we would fall if I misjudged a corner. It seemed that, if we went over the edge, there would be enough time to text loved ones before we hit the bottom. Helping things along, satellite navigation gave an excellent indication of the unseen road ahead. This was useful, not just because of the darkness, but because one of the great benefits of this glorious Italian road is that it is not blighted by the countless advisory signs that litter beautiful roads in other countries.

For most of its length this wonderful road was too narrow for cars to pass each other. However, driving in the dark meant that there was some hope of seeing the glow of the headlights of an oncoming car before it was too late. I was, at least by Tonino’s standards, a little tentative at times – having nearly collided with a fast charging Italian army short-wheelbase Land Rover on a hairpin on the nearby Passo di Foppa the evening before. However, on the great journey back to Bormio, we did not see a single car for the whole trip over the Gavia Pass.

My conclusion from this glorious day of motoring is that the Stelvio Pass is well worth travelling to see and, especially, to drive. It is spectacular. The tight run of hairpins is a motoring challenge and the photo opportunities are first class. However, the real driving treasures of Northern Italy are much less well-known. I have never heard anyone speak of the Passo di Gavia, for example. Maybe people do talk about this wonderful road but it is too hard to hear them because of their hushed tones.

 

Delage D8S Grand Sport

Recently, we travelled into nearby Woodend to do some shopping. The sun was shining, so we were in the the MGTD. With it is pre-war styling and simple  one and quarter litre XPAG engine (that always, always starts), coupled with rack and pinion steering, it is a lovely little car for trips to nearby towns on quiet country roads.  It has plenty of easily accessible space behind the seat for shopping too.

On arrival in the town, it was clear that the Vintage Sports Car Club had chosen to stop for lunch at Woodend’s Keatings Hotel. Scattered around the town were about a dozen magnificent vintage cars. We parked the little red MG in front of a glorious green Lagonda and started to wander around to see what treasures we could find.

Parked outside the pub was a spectacular Delage Series 8 with a beautiful open touring body. I believe that this was a Grand Sport model. I thought it was a body by Letourneur et Marchand. However, my doctor – who knows the Delage in question well – tells me that the body was made in Melbourne in recent years. Cleverly designed as both a two or four seater, this is simply one of the most beautiful cars ever built. The pictures above do not do it justice. At the front there are voluptuous front wings enveloping front wheels that sit well forward on the chassis. The large and vertical grille is flanked by simply enormous headlights. Behind the confident grille (which sits back so far that it is in line with with front axle) a long bonnet stretches back to a delicately-framed windscreen. The cockpit is well trimmed and the dashboard is studded with instruments. Behind the short cockpit, the rear of the car sweeps back, incorporating a concealed rear cockpit before dropping off to streamlined drooping tail that also tapers in from the sides with just a hint of boat-tail about it. The car’s styling certainly does not ignore streamlining, but it never sacrifices a sense of confidence and occasion to the task of reducing wind resistance. Instead, the Grand Sport presents a balanced approach, combining some of the arrogance of a car such as a Daimler Double Six Corsica Drophead or a pre-war Lagonda, with the sleekness and stylish curves of a post-war sports car. To put it another way, the car has neither the traditional vintage upright styling that was common to what might be termed “the perpendicular” school of design, nor the low-slung, wind-cheating curves that came to dominate after the war when speeds rose to the point where wind resistance was a serious issue. Instead, the Delage Series 8 Grand Sport combines the stateliness of an upmarket pre-war tourer with the curves and beauty of a post-war sports car. “Grand Sport” is an unusually apt name for this Delage.

The Series D8 was produced from 1930 until 1935. They were powered by a straight eight engine that had a cast iron block and a cast alloy five-bearing crankcase. This engine, initially coming in at a fraction over four litres in capacity produced about 120bhp in standard form and 145bhp in the uprated D8SS form. Later versions of the engine were expanded to 4.7 litres.

The brakes (shaft and cable operated) were assisted by a vacuum servo mounted to the gearbox.

The Grand Sport that I saw in Woodend would not quite reach 100MPH due to its large and upright radiator causing significant drag at speed. However, in the 1930s, a special bodied, works prepared Delage D8S Grand Sport ran at nearly 110 mph for 24 hours at Montlhery.

Its creator, Louis Delage, started work at Peugeot before setting out on his own to make cars at the age of 30 in 1905. In 1913 a Delage won the French Grand Prix and by the time the Great War broke out, his racing cars had brakes on all four wheels and double overhead camshafts. In 1924, a 12 cylinder Delage set a world speed record of 230 km/h. The company’s complex V12 two litre racing engines of that era were producing 195 bhp when supercharged. In 1926, a Delage won the British GP at Brooklands. By 1927, with twin supercharges, 1.5 litre (actually 1.488 litre) Delage engines were putting out 170 bhp. That is well over 100 bhp per litre – a truly extraordinary output for the time.

Building on the racing successes of the 1920s, and the experience gained from the excellent Series D1 tourers, Delage set about creating a large glamorous car for the 1930s. The wisdom of offering a large eight cylinder car and expensive chassis to the market after the stockmarket crash of 1929 could be questioned. The Great Depression claimed Invicta and many others as well as sending Bentley into the arms of Rolls Royce. Perhaps inevitably, Delage fell to rival Delahaye in 1935.

However, before the company’s demise came the great Series D8. It is this model that was, I assume in the mind of Peter Ustinov, who  – noting that Delages seemed only to appear in the company of beautiful women – is said to have claimed that “One drives, of course, an Alfa Romeo, one is driven in a Rolls, but one gives only a Delage to one’s favourite mistress”.

AOMC National Motoring Heritage Day – Cavalcade of Transport – Yarra Glen

 

On Sunday 20 May 2012, the RACV and the Association of Motoring Clubs (Victoria) hosted the Cavalcade of Transport at Yarra Glen, about an hour north-east of central Melbourne.

The event was smaller and more relaxed than the Classic Showcase at Flemington a month earlier. The cars were not carefully sorted, but most owners did tend to park in informal marque-based groups. There was a huge variety of vehicles, ranging from a large collection of vintage cars through to a modern Elfin. There was even an extraordinary eight cylinder rear-engined Tatra. Less unusually, there was a fine collection of Jaguars and a nice collection of Porsche 356s including a charming unrestored car in faded red.

Favourites included a spectacular, indeed perfect, silver Gullwing Mercedes Benz 300SL owned by a nice man called Patrick. Other rarities include a Daimler Limousine formerly owned by the Governor of Tasmania. This large car managed to transport a fair sized picnic party to the event. Meanwhile, a very nice pre-war Alvis with cycle guards looked just the part in green. There was a splendid pale blue XK120 Jaguar that took its owners 20 years to restore. Other gems included a pre-war Bentley, some very nice pre-war Lancias and even a Borgward Isabella.

The MG Club had an event at Rob Roy on the same day, so my 1961 MGA 1600 roadster was the only “A” at Yarra Glen. It was joined by a handful of MGBs and an MGTC “cream cracker” replica racer.

At the end of a long and enjoyable day looking at the cars and talking to owners, we headed towards Melbourne in the MGA. The car was running nicely enough and a quick trip was anticipated. The roof was down and the extractor-led exhaust pipe was emitting a healthy burble. Then, on a straight and level section of road, the car suddenly coughed and stalled. I coasted to the verge and popped the bonnet. Such a dramatic failure to proceed would have to be something simple, probably the coil lead having fallen off – or so I thought. At this moment, the magnificent Gullwing Mercedes Benz I had seen at the event in Yarra Glen pulled up on the verge behind me. Its kindly owner, Patrick was generously offering a hand. Acutely aware that his very precious car was barely off the road with traffic whizzing by, I assured him that the problem with the MG had to be simple and that he should continue on his way.

Needless to say, after Patrick left, I could not find the problem. The MGA would barely start and when it would splutter to life, it would run only if revved very hard. It was firing on three cylinders at best. It had enough zap in the ignition leads to give me a shock when I touched them and the amount of unburnt petrol coming out the exhaust strongly indicated that the engine was getting fuel. However, the car was still undriveable. Getting desperate, I decided to remove the electronic ignition distributor that I had recently installed and replace it with the old points distributor that I had thrown into the boot before setting off. Even with the return to old-fashioned points, there was no improvement.

Then a pair of very nicely presented early Minis pulled up and the MGA was promptly surrounded by a team of helpful people who knew all about these simple English engines. I think the group came from the All British Classics Car Club and I am very grateful for their help. However, even these experts could not get the MG going. By now, the spark plugs were certainly dripping with fuel and, stupidly, I had no plug spanner to remove them.

Defeated, I organised a tow through RACV Total Care. Consequently, as darkness arrived, so did Ben Wohlgehagen from Yarra Junction Towing. With good humour and all possible care for the MG and its tired passengers, Ben winched the little car on to his flatbed and we set out for home, 100 km away. Ben was terrific; when we arrived home, he took the time to position his tow truck carefully so that I could roll the stricken MGA straight off the truck and into the shed without so much as pushing it. Little things like that make a big difference when you are tired and cold.

When I got time to work on the car a few days later, it became clear that it was running enormously rich, but that the electricals were fine. The rear two plugs were black and soaked in fuel. As I began to remove the carburettors, the source of the problem finally became clear. One of the bolts holding the rear “pancake” air filter (the MGA runs a pair of SU carbies) had dropped out. Consequently, the filter had pivoted slightly on the remaining bolt and blocked the small air intake holes next to the carby throat. Unrestricted airflow through these holes is required if an SU carby is to operate. The rear cylinders were getting fuel, but almost no air. The carbies are a bit hard to get to on an MGA, the car’s tightly packed aerodynamic body pretty much hides the air cleaners. However, had I been more careful and spotted the problem when broken down on the roadside, the car would have happily driven home without a filter. The MGA can not be fairly blamed for the break down. I had fitted the offending air cleaner myself a few months earlier and I should have spotted the problem when the car stopped on the side of the road, gasping for air.

With the filter in the right place and the bolts tightened, the car ran pretty well. Nonetheless, I decided that the MG needed a proper tune using a dwell meter (the MGA is back to points for now) to get the points gap right. I also used a Gunson Carbalancer (cheaper and easier to use than my much better made Uni-Syn) to balance the twin carbs. (The Uni-Syn is harder to read when used on partly obscured carbies, but is fine for cars such as the MGTD, where carbies are perfectly accessible.) Finally, I adjusted the mixture on the MGA using a pair of colortune plugs (which I reckon is the best tuning device ever invented). I set the timing on my cars by ear and with the help of nearby hills to check for pinging. The MGA flies up the hills now.

Overall, the AOMC event at Yarra Glen was a very good event with a wide variety of interesting cars. I would certainly go again. There really is something for everyone, whether they be into heavy American cars, veterans, vintage or stylish Europeans. In addition, it was terrific that people stopped to help when we broke down. Finally our tow truck driver, Ben Wohlgehagen was a very good natured rescuer.

Another MG adventure ends well.

John Needham – Old Car Gearboxes

On Sunday’s Classic Car event at Yarra Glen, about 70 km from Melbourne, hosted by the Association of Motoring Clubs, I met John Needham. John’s marvelous little Austin 7 stood out as being a car that is used, not pampered. John has had his Austin for 50 years and is the car’s third owner. His car’s slightly battered appearance is just my thing. I like to see classics that are driven properly and enjoyed on the road. John is a member of Feral Sports Car Club and, like his fellow members of that club, is a very firm believer that old cars should be used, not just polished. He would much rather see owners out driving their cars to interesting places.

When we met, John was kind enough to invite me to visit his business Old Car Gearboxes in Moorabbin, a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne.

Today, I took him up on that offer. On arrival, I found John working away in his tightly packed workshop. The space is filled with tools, gearbox housings and gears – lots and lots of gears. As I arrived, John was putting the finishing touches on a Moss Box for a Jaguar XK120 (see the photo above). Further back on the bench sat an Austin 7 engine that John is rebuilding for a bloke. There were lots of interesting old car bits stacked on shelves and elsewhere around the workspace.

It is, however, the rebuilding of gearboxes that John is famous for. John makes his own gears and has been doing so for decades. As he talks, the conversation moves rapidly across time. We talk about everything from the peculiarities of various pre-war cars to a customer who came into the workshop twenty years ago to show John an MG gear that he brought back in his luggage from an MG specialist in England. Somewhat surprised to the see this particular gear had been privately imported from England into Australia, John pointed to a box of identical gears on his shelf. “Ahh” said the customer, “you buy yours from the same place”. “No”, said John, “the English specialists buy them from me”.

John’s pet hate appears to be people who press in bronze bushings in gearboxes where roller bearings should go. John was able to show me various shafts and gears that had been ruined by the use of bronze bushings. My favourite was one where a bronze bush had seized and the shaft had to be cut to remove it. If the adjacent bush had seized instead, removal would have been next to impossible, even with the shaft cut.

John has an encyclopeadic knowledge of old car gearboxes. He has years of experience with the minor differences between models and was able to quickly show me how things changed over the years.  For example, in the midst of our conversation, John reached for a layshaft out of an MGTC (engine size 1250 cc). It was quite sizeable. He then invited me to compare it to the same part from an MGTD (also 1250 cc). The latter was about two thirds the size of the TC equivalent and about the size I would have expected. John then compared the TD shaft and gears with the same part from a 1250 cc Mini Cooper. It was significantly smaller again. It was interesting to see how much more compact, and probably less robust, the gearboxes became over time. The weight of the cars had remained fairly consistent, the engine output had grown modestly, but the gears of these three cars had become much smaller with each generation.

John knows from decades of experience the weaknesses of various gearbox designs. He likes to create his own improvements, such as the close ratio gearboxes for which he is well known. In addition, John has developed clever solutions to a wide range of difficult gearbox problems. For example, he makes his own reverse lock out springs that are much stronger than those used by others. This is important in boxes that have reverse located on the gate close to another gear, such as first. Demonstrating on the Moss box he was finishing off, John showed me how a weak horizontal detent spring can not only allow accidental selection of reverse, it can also cause a car to get stuck in reverse. This seemed counter intuitive until he showed me that, to ensure that a Moss box can be shifted from reverse, the horizontal spring must work in concert with the vertical detent spring that I did not even know existed.

Even more impressively, John has developed gears that use the driving force to lock into each other, only allowing movement for disengagement when the load is released by the throwing of the clutch.

John is one of those people who enjoys a challenge and is passionate about old cars. He works for a clientele who value his skill and his passion. John Needham can be contacted at Old Car Gearboxes on  +61 3 9553 3203.

 

 

An MGTD breaks down but a Jaguar XJ6 impresses

We set out in my 1953 MGTD roadster to travel the hour or more across central Victoria to the town of Daylesford. It turned out to be an adventurous day.

The early winter sun was weak and the wind chill in an open car (with no heater) meant we had to be rugged up.

The MGTD was running beautifully. It sounds busy over 90 km/h, but at anything up to that speed it was running perfectly today. There is a slight exhaust leak as I have not yet fitted the correct gasket between the manifold and the exhaust pipe, but the car was as smooth and powerful as one could hope from a one and quarter litre four cylinder engine that was designed before the war.

As we approached Daylesford the smell of glycol became stronger and stronger. I tried to convince myself that it was merely overflow as the coolant expanded. Nonetheless, I kept an eye on the coolant temperature gauge in case a sudden downward shift in the needle indicated a lack of coolant. Just as the needle moved and I started to get very suspicious that the level might have been too low to operate the gauge, the MG started to cough and splutter.

Once pulled up on the verge, steam began to drift ominously from the vents on the sides of the bonnet. On lifting the bonnet, it became clear that the whole engine was dripping with bright green glycol and the steam was caused by the water evaporating off the exhaust manifold and anything else that was hot.

A check of the water pump strongly suggested that the gasket between the pump and the block had blown out. A repair was going to involve better spanners than I had on board and some silastic or a new gasket to replace the old gasket that was now in pieces in the engine bay. I had unloaded my water bottle just prior to departure so there was not even enough water to top up the car and continue into the town. As we considered knocking on the door of a nearby farmhouse, a lovely sable (i.e. brown) 1971 Jaguar XJ6 pulled up to help.

The driver, an extremely charming American named Jim, drove me into Daylesford to get water for the MG’s cooling system. Jim’s XJ6 was with its previous keeper for more than 20 years before Jim managed to persuade the proud owner to let his wife allow the car to be sold. Unusually, the car is a manual overdrive. With its pure Series 1 styling, short wheelbase and manual gearbox, Jim’s is the connoisseur’s choice of XJ6.

From the time of its release, there were a few complaints about the shortage of rear legroom and poor access to the back seat in these early XJ6 models. This led to the introduction of a four inch longer wheelbase in 1972 and the phasing out of the short wheelbase in 1974. The long wheel base was more suitable for the chauffeur driven and those seeking a luxury sedan. However, the shorter car – like Jim’s – is much the better sports saloon.

From 1973, however, the XJ Jaguars started being “federalized” to meet American safety standards, with the raising of the bumpers, shrinking of the main grille and so on for the Series II model. Although still very pretty, the purity of the original design was lost.

During my short ride in Jim’s car, I was struck, in particular, by the remarkable refinement of this 40 year old Jaguar. There was a slight wind rustle from the front pillars and the famous throaty burble from the exhausts, but it was certainly easy to see why the XJ was probably the best car in the world in 1971. At that time, the Jaguar was more refined than a Rolls Royce and a better handling car than an E-type. The latter was, of course almost a ten year old design by the time the XJ was released. Those early 4.2 litre XJ6 Jaguars are very, very good cars. With a manual transmission, they are capable of 200 km/h (124 mph) in standard 240 bhp form. 0-100 km/h comes up in about 9 seconds. They were Sir William Lyons’ last masterpiece. Certainly, Jim’s XJ6 was a very impressive vehicle.

From the outside, Jim’s car is straight, very tidy and quite charming in its sable paint. Having been in it, I can say it was very impressive inside too. The timber was good, the headlining perfect. Only the seats showed the charming patina of 40 years of careful use.

Our rescuer was good enough to drive me back to the dripping MGTD where the recently obtained water was poured into the radiator and we set off for somewhere to buy silastic and, with luck, a set of ring spanners. It was a stressful drive as I was conscious of the fact that the water was draining away rapidly. The car’s ignition electricals were soaked as the fan sprayed the pouring water back over the motor. All this meant that the car was running badly.

Nonetheless, because of Jim’s help, we were able to limp with a blown water pump gasket to the Howe Automotive Engine Centre in East St, Daylesford.

We went to Howe Auto because Google indicated that I might be able to buy some silastic and so on there. This would allow me to stop the water leak – if I could get the water pump off.

When we explained the problem, Albert, the proprietor invited me to drive up to the workshop door. He lent me some excellent tools and I pulled off the water pump while he rebuilt a five litre Holden motor (with a flat plane crank) inside his very tidy workshop.

I had to remove the fan and engine stabiliser to get the pump off, all of which took longer than it should. It is possible to unbolt the water pump with the fan still connected to it, but I couldn’t get the whole assembly out of the engine bay. The engine stabiliser is a horizontal, adjustable strut that bolts to a bracket on the water pump and stops the very tall engine from rocking too much on its mounts.

After a couple of hours, I had the pump back on and, after an interesting chat to Albert the kindly mechanic, we headed off. Albert refused payment for his tools, silastic, advice and cheery conversation.

Not only is he friendly and generous, but Albert is also clearly a very, very experienced mechanic. He works on everything from my own doctor’s supercharged 1926 Talbot GP to modern race cars. Howe Automotive is well-equipped, tidy and obviously very well run. The place reeks of common sense and good practice. The number is (03) 5348 3801.

In short, in a single brief trip to Daylesford, I met two people. The first was kind enough to drive me in and out of town to get water for my dripping MGTD in his very desirable XJ6. The second helped me repair the MG with his excellent tools and advice. Neither accepted payment, both were generous, charming and knowledgeable about classic cars.

The poor old MGTD got us home just as dusk started to demonstrate how much better modern headlights are than Joseph Lucas’ finest were in 1953. The MG might not have behaved perfectly today, but its blown water pump gasket ensured a good day out.

AOMC Classic Showcase at Flemington

On Sunday 29 April 2012, the RACV and the Association of Motoring Clubs (Victoria) hosted the Classic Showcase at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse.

This event included the Victorian MG, Austin Healey and Merecedes Benz concourse events.

Because Melbourne had experienced pretty much a week of (otherwise welcome) rain beforehand, there was a fear that Flemington would provide attendees with a wet track. Instead, the weather on the day turned out to be perfect.

I took my 1961 MGA 1600 roadster on the basis that it runs better than my 1953 MGTD. My father took his 1986 BMW 635 Csi which attracted attention for being one of the more original BMWs there. However, it was really a day for convertible cars.

The MG Car Club was out in force. Many members were recently returned from a tour of Tasmania following the national MG meet in Hobart. The club has 1700 members, so it can always put on a good show.

The Healey club did themselves proud with an excellent display, particularly of Big Healeys. However, the Mercedes Benz club had the most extraordinary club display of the day, with what seemed like hundreds of cars.

Despite being concourse events for the Healeys, the MGs and the Mercedes Benz clubs, there were lots of treasures from many other marques on display. There was everything from a Hartnett (a small car produced in Australia from 1951 to 1955, with just 120 ever completed) to a 1912 Talbot Doctor’s Coupe. The mood was fun, the cars interesting and the pretty site was ideal. In the midst of a Melbourne autumn, the sun shone, but it was never too hot. Convertible roofs were down and, in the gentle sun, paintwork and chrome glistened.

My favourite car was a spectacular 1962 Aston Martin DB4 (pictured at the top of this article). The car was in superb condition. Parked beside the DB4 was its much younger sister, a DB7 from the late 1990s. The styling influence of the fifty year old DB4 was clear.

The whole site was filled with the sort of cars that any car enthusiast would cross the road to admire. My friend Jason brought his smart-looking (and slightly warmed) Porsche 356 which stood out given a surprising shortages of Porsches at the event. A nice silver early 911 added its distinctive profile to the adjacent pair of Karman Ghias. There was also a remarkably well-restored example of a Karman Ghia in the “Best in Show” enclosure with every conceivable period extra.

However, my favourite from the half dozen cars in the “Best in Show” area was a simply superb Lancia Aurelia. The quality of the engineering under the bonnet shows just how well laid out and well-engineered an engine bay can be. Another very beautiful Lancia was a Touring designed (and built) aluminum bodied Flamina GT coupé. Boasting superleggera construction (which Touring licenced to Aston Martin for their DB4 and DB5), this Italian beauty sat by herself, confident that at more than 50 years old, age had not tarnished her beauty.

Spread out across the large collection of cars were pre-war rarities such as a superb Bentley,  a Singer Nine and an early 1930s Wolseley Hornet. In some cases, the treasures were grouped together. The Rolls Royce Owners Club put on a mouthwatering display. In other cases, the fun was in finding the dispersed gems among so many really good cars. Favourites included a pre-war Aston Martin (that the owner tells me may be for sale) and a wonderfully unrestored and extremely well-used Slough-built Citroen. There was a lovely group of Bristols basking in the sun and, nearby a tough looking gang of Jensen Interceptors showed off their long bonnets and serious Chrysler-derived muscle.

A much more delicate alternative was a recently imported pre-war MGTA airline coupe, still with its English number plates. As further evidence of the strong Australian dollar’s impact on the affordability of importing interesting cars, the event at Flemington had three Deloreans. One was even fitted with a flux capacitor and all the associated wiring, gauges and switchgear.

Whether it be the Daimlers (a lovely Majestic Major and a well-used DB18 Consort were my favourites), the many, many Jaguars (including a very nice XK120 and a very handsome cycle-guarded and supercharged SS100) or the wonderful brace of Bentleys (such as the gorgeous Continental pictured above), it was the depth of quality and the breadth of range that made this event a superb day for Melbourne’s classic motorists.

Range Rover two door – a “classic” in every sense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original Range Rover (retrospectively dubbed the Classic, after the name was given by Land Rover to the fully-loaded run-out edition of the original shape) was from the first seen as a design classic. It is now seen as a classic car. The height of modernist car design, and exhibited in the Louvre on this basis, the Range Rover created a whole new class of car. The Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5 and plenty of other, lesser, rivals owe their existence to the Range Rover  and the market it created. The Range Rover also brought constant four-wheel drive, coil spring suspension and four-wheel disc brakes to the four-wheel drive market that had, until then, had to put up with part-time four-wheel drive, leaf springs, dire brakes in the dry and no brakes at all once you had forded a river.

To those of us raised on traditional Land Rovers and the tough as nails Land Cruisers, the Range Rover was an absolute revelation. Here was a car that looked aristocratic, was more comfortable than most cars on the road and was a world beater off-road. With its 3.5 litre alloy V8 and aluminium body, the early two door Range Rover had good on-road performance, particularly by off-roader standards. On fast, moderately grippy gravel, the Range Rover was simply extraordinary. In such conditions, even the toughest Toyota had to be in two-wheel drive to prevent damaging the transmission through “wind-up” as the front wheels travelled through a wider arc than the rear. The Range Rover, with its centre differential allowing constant four-wheel drive, conquered gravel with a speed and comfort that was unimaginable to Nissan and Toyota drivers. Such was the speed, grip and ride that a Range Rover could coast over the top of corrugations that would have a Toyota driver visiting their physiotherapist as well as their mechanic.

As they fell in value, the remarkable four-wheel drive capability of two door Range Rovers meant that they fell into hands of people (like myself) who valued their capability for towing (they were rated to pull four tons), their capacity to clamber over obstacles and their ability to avoid the rust that ate out the competition. This focus on the Range Rover’s utility meant that they were often modified. Dual batteries were common. Electronic ignition and LPG conversions became typical. Old Range Rovers were picked up cheaply by four-wheel drivers, tradesmen and farmers. I knew of one Range Rover that was used to plow. The farmer explained that it was far more comfortable than his tractor as the Rangie had air-conditioning and a radio for listening to the horse racing.

This sort of treatment took its toll on the soft aluminium bodies and, in particular, the fragile trim. Because the cars remained so little changed from 1970 to 1995, the installation of later model features to improve, or repair, older cars was very common. For example, I once bought a 1985 four door that had been fitted (at significant cost to the previous owner) with a short-shift LT77 manual transmission and and a viscous coupling transfer case out of a 1989 or later model.

Gradually, people moved out of the two doors and into the more convenient four door Range Rovers. The former were discarded.

More recently, the two door Range Rover has begun to be appreciated and values have begun to rise. The challenge is to find early, unmolested cars. The most desirable models (up to about 1973), lack the black vinyl rear pillar that has long been a Rover (and Range Rover) signature. The early cars also had body-coloured front and centre pillars. It was only in the mid 1970s that the Range Rover went to its “floating roof” look that has been a styling feature since. The early cars lacked a rear wiper and the tiny “coffin lids” that covered the corners of the flimsy and extremely rust-prone upper tailgate at the rear. It is these cars that are now rapidly appreciating. The run of the mill four door classic remains in the price range where they are being used by tradesmen and others, but are not normally collectible. There are a couple of exceptions. The special edition “Sherwood”, which came in a non-metallic green and with its own collectible limited edition print, is certainly a special car. Also the final version of the original shape, with twin front SRS airbags, chrome bumpers and “Classic” badging is certainly one to keep. They were only available in a bright royal blue and epsom green. I had one of the latter until last year when it was written off by two drivers colliding while overtaking. It was a great car. It was a thoroughly useable classic that could pull up with equal credibility at a business meeting or a farm clearing sale. It was a car that was at home cruising at 110 km/h as it was towing hay up a muddy hillside. I miss it.

My advice is to keep an eye out for any good classic Range Rover. There are definitely bargains to be had as the car makes its transition from ageing and complex car with famously high running costs to bona fide classic.

Let me make a plug here. If you are in Victoria, the most affordable source of Range Rover repairs, maintenance and expertise sits with Ray, Daniel and James at Romsey Land Rover  Service Centre (Ph. 5429 5021). They have sourced parts that allow you to run a Range Rover for a remarkably low price. They sell new brake discs for under $20, for example.

 

Porsche Boxster – hard to beat

The Boxster was released late in 1996 as an entry level Porsche, sitting below the famous 911 in the Porsche pecking order. The introduction of a more affordable Porsche had most recently been tried about two decades earlier with the front-engined 924 and 944.  The latter matured into a very worthy car. However, the market was resistant to these four cylinder, front-engined Porsches. Consequently, the Boxster was mid-engined and blessed with six cylinders. It was designed from the outset to be a roadster.  Initially, the car was fitted with a 201 bhp (150 kw) 2.5 litre engine. At the turn of the century, the Boxster S version was introduced with a larger 249 bhp (186 kw) litre engine and the base model was given a 217 bhp (162 kw) 2.7 litre engine to replace the 2.5 which was seen as merely adequate at the time.

In order to reduce costs (and knowing that the iconic status of the 911 was well established), the Boxster shared the same bonnet, headlights and front guards as the 911. At the time, Porsche was feeling significant financial strain, so the shared componentry made economic sense. The 911 has always been rear-engined, allowing two small rear seats to fit into the cabin. The Boxster was of quite a different architecture with its engine sitting in front of the back axle, and precluding the installation of a rear seat. (As an aside, the unloved Ferrari Mondial was a four seater mid-engined sports car – it can be done)

Despite the lack of a rear seat, the mid-mounted engine blessed the Boxster with safe natural handling poise that had eluded the Porsche 911 – particularly on the limit.

These early Boxsters, with the “runny egg” headlights, are now 15 years old and kick around for the price of a Korean hatchback. The mileages may be high, but Porsche is legendary for its build quality. These cars are now seriously tempting. They look good,  go well and are almost certainly the best, modern, all-round sportscars available for the money.

Used prices across the range are likely to fall further with the release of the spectacular-looking new Boxster this year. Those without the courage to pick up an early 986 Boxster might consider the improved 987 version which brought greater power and refinements. This update was released in 2005.

Engine output was further increased in 2007 and, again, in 2009. For those who prefer a coupe to a convertible, the Porsche Cayman was effectively a hardtopped Boxster and was released in 2006.

Personally, I think the Boxster, with its convertible roof is a more desirable (and cheaper) machine than the Cayman. Also, I would ignore the 911 diehards who (quite rightly) focus on the extraordinary heritage of their favourite Porsche. If I had the means and the space in the garage, I would pick up as late a Boxster as I could afford. Mind you, it is worth noting that the earliest versions of most cars eventually turn out to be the most collectible. On that basis a very early Boxster must now be approaching the bottom of its depreciation curve.

Buy a good one while you can.

Is there a better sports car buy than the Porsche Boxster?

Send me your views:

(photo above by Max Earey / Shutterstock.com)