Club Motori Italia / Australian Lancia Register / TR Register Australia 2017 Parliament House Display

Sometimes, just every so often, the planets really do align to create something truly special! In this case, it was the coming together of Club Motori Italia's annual display on the lawns of Parliament House, Hobart, plus the Australian Lancia Register and TR Register Australia's concurrent Tasmanian tours, combined with a particularly pleasant spring day. How could anyone not love that?!

The locals ...

There was a strong showing from the locals, including a good-sized display of Fiat X1/9s, an 850 Sports, Phil Blake's awesome 850 Abarth replica, a 128 and a 131 coupe, as well as some Alfas, plus a Dino and one or two other Ferraris. They're not all featured in this post. However, just about all of them can be found elsewhere on this 'blog (just use the search field in the top right of the screen).

The Lancia Contingent ...

A fair-sized chunk of the Lancia tour was made up of Fulvias, including a local Zagato coupe (one of two known to be in Tasmania). However, there were also many much earlier examples, as well as some Aurelias and Flaminas, and a couple of fairly uncommon 1970s Beta cabriolets. They had come to experience Tasmania from all over Australia, and each and every one of them was fabulous!

The sheer quality and quantity of beautiful classics on display precludes singling out each and every one. However, at the risk of offending anyone whose car doesn't get a mention (just about everyone!), there were some that were just too special not to mention individually. Take, for example, this svelte plum-coloured mid-50s Lancia Aurelia coupe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Aurelia); the paint, panels and chrome were absolutely perfect, as was the interior. The engine bay - resplendent with its longitudinal air cleaner, twin down-draught carbies and small capacity V6 - was a work of sculptural art. Even the car's undercarriage was captivating!

Also too fabulous to escape individual plaudits was this elegant Lancia GT 2800 Superleggera coupe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Flaminia). What style! What beauty! What's else is there to say?

The Triumphant Tourers ...

The vast majority of the Brits - which, like the Lancias, had come from all parts of Australia to enjoy Tasmania in all its splendour - were TR2s and 3s. There were, however, a few other standout models, including this 1954 Swallow Doretti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallow_Doretti), which earned its place amongst the Triumphs by virtue of it sharing its engine, gearbox and running gear with the TR2.

According to the very helpful fact sheet accompanying the car, it has an aluminium and steel body atop a chrome-molybdenum box chassis and was designed by Frank Rainbow. There were approximately 275 built, of which 138 are known to still exist - 14 of them in Australia. The aluminium hardtop is one of only three believed to have ever been produced.

If UMPH is not mistaken, this is a TR4 works rally car (https://stevemckelvie.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/the-triumph-trs-the-triumph-tr4/) or has been modified in that style. It was outstanding!

So if you - or your entire car club, for that matter - are looking for the ideal place to tour, why not consider Tasmania? The Bugatti Club Australia and Aston Martin Owners' Club have both toured recently and loved the experience (please see earlier posts on this 'blog for details), as have our friends from the Lancia and TR fraternities.

Spectacular scenery, magnificent roads, amazing food and wine, plus friendly locals. What's stopping you?

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

EJ or EH Holden? (Up-dated December, 2022)

EJ or the later EH? Several years ago, I posed the question: Can somebody please explain the difference between an EJ and an EH Holden ute or van? The response at the time wasn't overwhelming, so I did a bit of Googling and ferreting through my photos and came up with my own rough guide to EJ and EH identification. Sedans and wagons are easy to tell apart ; the EH's vertical rectangular tail lights are a dead give-away. However, the workhorse versions of both models share the rear-end treatment of the earlier EJ, making it harder to identify one from the other. No super obvious hints here. Or here ... . It turns out that the main clues are in the placement of the front H O L D E N lettering and GMH lion emblems, the style of the radiator grille and the width of the vents in front of the windscreen, with all EJs - sedans, wagons, utes and vans - having one combination and the EH line-up having their own . So what exactly are those diffe

Vick Auto Prima Fiat X1/9 Brakes: An Owner’s Assessment

At the end of 2022, I fitted a set of Vick Autosport Prima front brakes to my mildly worked 1.5 litre Series 1 Fiat X1/9 . I was fortunate, having picked them up at a very, very reasonable price, brand new but surplus to the needs of a fellow X1/9 Australia member who had imported them from the US. The kit included: New single pot callipers , new vented rotors (standard X1/9 front rotors are smaller, non-vented items), DOT approved stainless steel brake hoses, and all the necessary mounting hardware. They are a value proposition, being particularly well priced compared to other manufacturers’ packages - even at RRP - with everyone I’ve spoken to saying they’re made to a high standard, too. Here's a link to a piece that I wrote about them at that time, including some costings: https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-x19-gets-prima-brake-upgrade.html . Initial Assessment: I was a little underwhelmed by the brakes' performance, finding that although they had a tiny

Random # 301: Nanna-Spec KE36 Corolla

Once upon a time - six or seven years ago, actually - there was a lovely pale yellow GC Galant station wagon getting around Hobart. It was totally nanna-spec; its paint was umarked, the chrome work and hubcaps were immaculate, and its very original interior was pristine. Then someone stuck feathers in its dashboard. Next, the windows were adorned with Tibetan prayer flags. And a hubcap went missing. And the the rear bumper was pushed in, mangling the bodywork behind it. And a mudguard got dented. And rust set in. I fear for this sweet, innocent KE36 Corolla. Somebody please save it before it's too late. Nanna needs you to do it. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by GlamRock.

Upper Middle Petrol Head:

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