Upper Middle Petrol Head:

The crew of this fabulous 48-215 Holden sedan were down from Victoria to race at this weekend's Baskerville Historics meeting ( www.motorsportstas.com.au/event/baskerville-historics ) .  According to the owner, they were part of a large contingent of early model Holdens that would be battling it out on the track this weekend. The Historics is an annual event put on by the Hobart Sporting Car Club at the home of southern Tasmanian motorsport, the Baskerville Raceway, at Old Beach, approximately twenty minutes' drive north-east of the capital city of Hobart.  This year's meeting is being held from Friday the 22nd to Sunday the 24th of September.  It's a massive get together of some of the best historic race cars from Tasmania and around Australia, featuring examples from manufacturers from all around the world. Best of luck to all competitors and thanks to the crew of the magnificent beast featured here.  Happy racing! U ...

Burgers are not necessarily better than sushi or pastries or chocolates or pies.  However, in order to be as good as, better than or the best - or able to be ranked, even - eateries need to be open in the first place.  This rather ruled out Masaaki's Sushi at 20B Church Street, Geeveston (Ph: 0408 712 340) who, for the second time when UMPH has tried to visit, was closed.  Computer (aka Trip Advisor) said yes but hand-written note pinned to front door said no!     Happily for the Huon, all is not lost if one venue is closed.  The Huon Valley, comprising the main centre of Huonville and several satellite towns -  Cygnet,  Geeveston, Franklin and Ranelagh amongst them - are all within twenty or so minutes' drive and the roads and scenery are terrific, making for a fun drive in the country if you're so inclined. Arguably, Huonville's best cafe is the Cat's Tongue  at Shop 3, 11-13 Wilmot Road (0428 411 455;  www.thecatstongue.c...

Hobart has at least four really nice 1970s Valiant utes similar to this one.  There are two red ones and a mustard-coloured version with a metal canopy.  For some reason, there don't seem to be any that aren't in particularly good nick ; all four are straight, rust free and tidy, featuring largely unmarked paint and bright-work.  That's not a bad effort for a working vehicle that's now over forty years old.  That must say something about their inherent quality and the regard that their owners hold them in, too.  U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

This stately Rover looked the goods with its vertically stacked twin-headlights, Rostyle wheels, double exhausts and 3.5 litre badging.  Very tweed indeed!  Frightfully British, ol' chap! As cool as it is, there's a sexier version of essentially the same car: the four-door P5 coupe, featuring a lowered, rearwards-sloping roof-line.  Somehow the whole effect is, if you'll excuse the vulgarity, almost gangster (please see below).  It makes the car look less boxy and, in profile, almost reminiscent of an Alfa 105.    Internet image.    Of course, none of this coupe-worship should detract from the P5 sedan featured here.  It was, after all, quite lovely in its own right and looked a treat.  But that coupe roof-line ... .  Mmm, nice!    But enough distractions ... .  The paint, panel and chrome on our featured P5 were all first rate, as was the interior.  The car was on full registration,...

Too bad this exquisite Triumph Herald was parked in a private driveway, as UMPH does draw the line at trespass in his quest for Tasmania's best classic cars.  So what you see is what could reasonably be photographed from the footpath outside where the car was parked. The car was a delight.  Every single aspect of its restoration (no original could be so perfect!) was spot-on, from the two-tone paint job, with contrasting rich-red roof, through to the chrome. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

Willow Court, New Norfolk, has become a bit of an antiques mecca over the last few years.  Also scattered about its elegant grounds are dozens of sad but beautiful classic cars, trucks and buses, as well as tractors and other agricultural machinery, quietly rusting away while they wait for someone to buy and restore them. Some are clearly too far gone for anybody but the most skilled to even attempt a restoration and others will almost certainly never be rescued, destined to become spare parts, at best, or perhaps just part of the backdrop to the rest of Willow Court.  However, subsequent visits to the site have shown movements, with several vehicles having been taken away and others now in their places.   May the un-salvageable rust in peace ... .           U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)