Category: Classic Cars

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GORGEOUS JAG GOES TO AUCTION AFTER 77 YEARS

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Gotta love an old Jag. Kevin Taylor must have really liked his because he hung on to it for 55 years and it has been in the same family for 77 years. The gorgeous 1935 Swallow (Jaguar) SS1 ‘Airline’ Coupe is thought to be one of just a handful in Australia. Kevin passed away a few years ago, but it must stand as something of a record. To put the car in perspective, the company was originally named the Swallow Sidecar Company and built sidecars for motorcycles. It was founded… Read more

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HUDSON ITALIA

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It seemed that in the early 1950s whenever American car manufacturers felt that their sales were slipping away they turned to Italy for some fresh ideas. In 1954, not only did Chrysler look to Ghia for some fresh design ideas with their GS 1 Ghia Coupe but Hudson’s chief stylist Frank Spring also used the Italian coachbuilder, Carrozzeria Touring, for a short run of special cars. The Italia was really identical to the 1953 Hudson Jet in its mechanicals but had its own unique body and interior fit-out. It has… Read more

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MG Y-TYPE

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This sports saloon version of the MG, first released in 1947, was known affectionately as the ‘Y’ by MG afficionados. The model YA stayed in production until 1951 and 6158 cars were produced and then it was replaced by the YB in 1952. The YB was only produced for a couple of years and it was discontinued in 1953 with a production run of 1201 cars. Little external changes were made to the YB but it did get twin leading-shoe brakes and hypoid rear axles. The Y-type was powered by… Read more

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ALFA ROMEO P3

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Vittorio Jano designed a number of classic Grand Prix cars for Alfa and produced the dual- purpose sports and Grand Prix 2.3-litre Tipo 8C in 1931. In its sportscar form this car was particularly successful winning four Le Mans 24-hour races over the period 1931-1934. Following the 8C, a version with higher supercharger boost was produced which initially was to be named Monza after its first Grand Prix victory at that circuit in May 1931. However, Maserati and Bugatti had cars which proved they were capable of beating the Alfa… Read more

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CHRYSLER VALIANT VH

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With the VH series, released in June 1971, Chrysler at last gave Valiant buyers a uniquely Australian design. The new model was wider than the previous (VG) model and with its extended wheelbase it looked enormous, despite the fact that, at 4900 mm, it was only a fraction longer than before. The VH Valiant’s cleaner and more rounded lines were enhanced by a reduction in body decoration. The front parking lights and turning indicator lights were moulded to fit flushly above a curved front bumper bar. A hatch-type bonnet was… Read more

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LANCIA STRATOS

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At the age of seventeen, Vincenzo Lancia of Turin, Italy switched from being an accountancy clerk with Ceirano Motor Works to being a mechanic. The year was 1898. Shortly afterwards, Ceirano merged with Fiat and the directors of the company very quickly learned of the extraordinary technical skill of young Lancia. He became their chief tester and later, when a worldwide racing program got under way, he became their chief racing driver. When only 25 Lancia was appointed technical advisor to the Fiat Board of Directors. In 1906 he left… Read more

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BMW 303

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BMW – the Bayerische Motoren Werke – launched their first ‘300 Series car’ in 1933. The company’s start as a manufacturer of motor vehicles goes back to 1928 when they acquired the Dixi marque produced at Eisenach. Prior to its entry into car manufacture BMW produced aero engines and motorcycles but in 1928 they entered the motor vehicle business where their main competition came from DKW, Hanomag and Opel. The first car to carry the BMW badge was the 3/15 model introduced in 1929. This was a slightly modified version… Read more

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HISPANO-SUIZA TYPE 68

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Hispano-Suiza cars followed designs developed over a long period and intended for a specific performance and purpose. They were not built to a price in the conventional way and were representative of the very best in automobile design and construction. As such they could best be compared with Bugatti’s cars which were hand-built using very labour- intensive methods. The Hispano-Suiza was marketed around the same period as the Bugatti Royale. However, whilst the Royale had a very limited production believed to be around six or maybe seven cars, Hispano-Suiza built… Read more

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PLYMOUTH VOLARE

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  In the USA the Plymouth’s Volare replaced the Valiant in 1976. Introduced in 1960, the Valiant had had a very long model run proving to be such reliable transport that it was kept in production for 16 years as good sales continued to be sustained. The slightly sportier Dodge version was initially named the Lancer, then later the Dart. The key to its success was the performance of the OHV Slant-Six engine which was available as either a 2.7-litre version developing 85kW or a more powerful 3.6-litre version. The… Read more

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AMC JAVELIN

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The AMC Javelin was released in the American autumn of 1967 and was intended to finally give AMC a car to counter the Mustang. It was born from the marriage of Nash, Rambler and Hudson and followed a series of cars released after the Mustang first appeared in 1965, none of which were any match for it either in looks or performance. In its SST form the Javelin had a 5.62-litre 209kW V8 motor which placed it in between Mustang’s highest and lowest output and closely aligned it with its… Read more