Upper Middle Petrol Head:

The Canberra UMPH Bureau staff have come up with this ripper GC Galant, equipped with some very tasty 13" gold-spoked mags, period correct Cibie Type 45 - or Airport -  driving lights and FoMoCo exterior mirrors.  Its front bucket seats don't appear to be standard-issue, it's missing its 'eyebrows' - a common problem, given their scarcity - and has a bit of primer on the driver's side, suggesting that it's under active restoration.  It's otherwise in excellent condition and I, for one, love it! U M P H (upperemiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by CACT.

The Correspondent for the Australian Capital Territory has been staking-out subterranean carparks again and has captured this elegant Falcon coupe.   Generally, Australia's "Big Three" car manufacturers - Ford, GMH and Chrysler - used to go model for model, so that each offered an equivalent of the cars within the others' lineups.   This was certainly so by the 1970s, with all three having a range of Aussie-built six and eight cylinder sedans, wagons, utes and vans, and a coupe - Ford's Falcon hardtop, GMH's Monaro and Chrysler's Charger - being examples of the latter. However, it was Ford who first introduced a two door as part of their 1964 XM range, beating the others by several years. The XM hardtop was followed-up by the XP but then, inexplicably, Ford dropped two door Falcons for the entire XR to XY series (1966 - 72), even though there were equivalents available in the US-market Falcon lineup of the time. Perhaps ...

Some people - including, I suspect, the contrarian who took today's photos - reckon the 240Z's a nicer looking vehicle than the 260Z 2+2 version.  Maybe the 240Z is the purer of the two; it might also be that they're better performers, given the small weight advantage they've got over the four-seater 260Z, notwithstanding the slight boost to the latter's engine capacity. However, I can't help but feel that the 260Z 2+2's rear window line is one of the best looking I've ever seen.  Actually, the entire car's design is about as perfect as it gets and, while we're on the subject of perfection, the example shown here is absolutely magnificent!  I'd happily have either model but, given the choice, I'd be hard pressed to go past a beauty like today's featured car! U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Smart phone images by GMB.

There are lots and lots of Ford F100s on this site but very, very few of their Chev equivalents, probably because the former were available in Australia in big numbers (possibly made here?), whereas the latter weren't commonly marketed in this country.  This one's originally from a left hand drive country - the US, most likely - which I always think makes for an interesting history.  Who bought it new, how many owners has it had and how did it end up Down Under?  And could anyone in its country of origin ever imagine that it'd end up on a small island on the other side of the world?     Who gets the joke?  100 wee-in-a-wet-suit points for anyone that does. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) iPhone images.

As original and perfect as you might ever hope to see!  CACT photographed this pristine pony car in Canberra and was taken by its originality and authenticity, right down to the faux spinners on its flawless hubcaps.  Sometimes - just occasionally - a car manufacturer gets it right the first time and no amount of 'enhancements' can ever top that initial design. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) iPhone images.

For me, this Sunday's CMI Supersprint series was, well, super-sprinty, as I crammed in a very brief attendance between the Shannons  Take Your Tops Off car show on the lawns of Hobart's Parliament House and Dear Mother-in-Law's 80-something-quite-a-lot-th birthday celebrations later in the arvo.  Those of you that follow the southern Tasmanian car scene might notice that The Shannons event was actually on Saturday and conclude, as I did not, that I was a full 24 hours late for the former.  Oh well.  And my faecal timing didn't end there, as my very brief interlude at Baskerville coincided with three fast and furious laps by the Triumph Dolomite Sprint, MkIIA Austin Healey Sprite and Phil's Fiat Abarth OT-1600 replica photographed above and below, perhaps another one or two three-lappers featuring some different cars, and the event's official pizza lunch!  I'd like to think I might try to be better organised next time but fear that even attempt...