Upper Middle Petrol Head:

The subject of today's post - an early 1980s Mercedes 500 SL - hails from the ancestral home of the UMPH mother-in-law.  Despite this unfortunate association, UMPH really loves the big, bold Teutonic style of this magnificent beast with its 5 litre V8 motor and imposing road presence. As an example of the marque, this particular car could hardly be faulted.  If it hasn't recently undergone a fairly comprehensive restoration, it has clearly been kept in first-rate condition ;  everything from its mohair roof through to its paint, chrome and interior were in near perfect condition. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

UMPH was born in the year of the EH Holden and grew up in the 1970s when, like so many cars of that time, they had become affordable for younger drivers.   The 70s were no different to today  when it comes to youths and their vehicles, in that cars often became the focus for personal expression and identity through modification. This absolutely immaculate EH Special , photographed in North Hobart,   therefore epitomises the late 60s and early 70s' 'hotted-up' look that is, for UMPH and others of his era, exactly what an early Holden of Ford Falcon should look like (only better).   Why better? , you ask.  Not only was the car bang-on for period features (Aunger mags, a wooden three spoke sports steering wheel, a dash-top tacho and a great exhaust note), its emerald green duco, glittering chrome and perfect interior would easily exceed the quality of any young yobbo's ride back in the day! UMPH was able to grab a few quick words with the proud owner, det

This extremely tidy Mazda RX3 was spotted recently in Launceston in Tasmania's north.  Unfortunately, rotary Mazdas seem to have all but disappeared from the state's roads, popping up only very rarely, whereas RX2s, RX3s and RX4s were once common.  UMPH can't even think when he last saw an R100 or an RX5 and even Series I & II RX7s have dropped off the radar a bit. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au). Image courtesy of Andy Beard.        

This is a third generation, or A70 in official Toyota terms, Supra.  It was therefore manufactured somewhere between 1986 and 1993, and marks the first time that the model diverged from the Celica on which the earlier two versions were based.  When the two lines split, the Celica changed to front-wheel drive while the Supra, which had always been fitted with a larger six-cylinder motor, retained the front engine, rear-wheel drive configuration previously common to both. The car featured here, seen in Tasmania's capital city of Hobart, was in great condition and was nicely modified, too.  It was fitted with a very tasteful set of five-spoke alloy wheels, slotted brake rotors, Brembo calipers and what appeared to be an after-market exhaust system.   Supras were considered to be sports / GT vehicles and this one, fitted with a turbo-charged 3.0 litre engine, would easily fit that category.  Although there were European vehicles in that class available in Australia during

This HZ Holden Premier , photographed in inner-city Hobart on a gorgeous summer's day, was absolutely original, with no signs of modification, repaired crash damage, rust or anything but the lightest wear and tear.  The only deficit was the passengers' side rear door was missing the plastic strip that prevents door-to-door damage when parked beside other vehicles.   Being a Premier , the car featured up-market extras like quad quartz-halogen headlights, front and rear bumper over-riders, fancier hubcaps and extra badging.  Inside, there were velour-trimmed bucket front seats, a T-bar auto shifter and a full console, as well as a higher-spec radio / cassette player. The HZ was the last of a series of large six cylinder and V8 vehicles that included 1971 - 74's HQ, the HJ of 1974 - '76 and the HX, with a production run that spanned 1976 - 77.  The manufacture of HZs ended in 1980.   All models from the HQ to the HZ shared the same basic body and range of

Classics by the Beach :  when too many magnificent classic, exotic and historic cars are barely enough!  And this month's installment, held on a mild, sunny summer's day, was no exception. UMPH tries very, very hard not to have favourites.  But, if he did, either of Philip Blake's awesome rear-engined Fiat Abarth replicas would be right up there amongst them!   It was a toss-up as to whose car would lead this post but, when it came down to it, the striking yellow livery of the Fiat won out.  There are, however, a trio of other cars - a lovely Mercedes coupe, a Ford GT40 replica and a  genuine E30 M Series BMW   - that will feature quite heavily, too (it's reasonable to say that these vehicles are actually better for not  being bright yellow, as you will see!). The car shown here is Phil's Targa class- and Platinum Trophy-winning 600 that, as can be seen above, was campaigned in Tasmania's - if not Australia's and arguably the southern he