Skip to main content

Classics by the Beach: February, 2020

 

Has this spaceship cum oceanliner cum embodiment of 1950s American excess been given lead position in this month's Classics by The Beach edition of U M P H as some sort of cynical attempt attract readers?  You betcha it has!  If you're going to use 'clickbait,' as I believe this sort of thing's called, you'd be hard pressed to find better.   












You might wonder why there's not just one, but two, Series I Audi TT Quattros featured today.  First, I reckon they're amongst the German marque's most iconic designs and that, as attractive as the subsequent TT models may be, the first series stands as a defining point in Audi's transition to the uber-stylish brand that it has become. 


There's also the fact that the Series I TT has become an endangered species, having fallen victim to the dodgy Takata airbags saga that's affected other similar era models from the German manufacturer and many, many other car brands worldwide (https://www.caradvice.com.au/814735/audi-australia-takata-buyback/).  However, unlike other car makers, Audi won't be recalling the cars to have replacement airbags fitted; they've arbitrarily determined that it's cheaper to buy them all back - whether that's what their owners want or not - and will be sending them to the crusher.  


As well as being a waste of perfectly good cars - these two examples, in particular, being in really good nick - it's also a slap in the face for owners, who apparently have zero choice in the matter.  It's rumoured that Audi intend approaching governments around the globe to have the cars deemed unroadworthy, en masse, which will see them subject to a statutory write off, rendering them unregiserable in all markets in which they've been sold.







Fortunately, Morris Minors are properly low-tech and are likely to be on our roads as long as there's fuel - be that petrol, ethanol or bovine flatulence - to power their venerable internal combustion engines.  And failing that, I'm sure there will be some enterprising types out there willing to retrofit them with electric motors if needs be.  Come to think of it, this probably applies to all the cars shown today that aren't Audis!  











Whatever this fabulous old car is - a De Soto, perhaps (?) - it won't be falling foul of any tech glitches, either!  It is the very essence of robust simplicity and I think it's all the lovelier for it!








So commiserations to all Series I TT owners and those of other affected Audi models.  It's a sad day when a manufacturer can override the rights of the purchasers of their products, long after they were sold, even if it's supposedly in the name of safety.  (The safety of Audi's bottom line, more like!)  

And it's un-Australian, too!  I think this sums it up best:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gls09kO-8DE .





U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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
9 comments
Read more

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
Post a Comment
Read more

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.
Post a Comment
Read more