Upper Middle Petrol Head:

By my dodgy reckoning, there hasn't been a Classics by the Beach since February this year, thanks to the dreaded Covid-19 virus.  That equals three months' worth of catching up to do! Fortunately, there was a down-scaled, socially-distanced version of southern Tasmania's best regular get-together of classic car fans - complete with elbow-bumping in lieu of handshakes - to make up for the forced hiatus.  And, even better, the quality of the vehicles on display didn't disappoint! The first car to take my eye was Mike H's magnificent MG TC Special.  For anyone that might be wondering where the car came from, it used to belong to the godfather of woodfired pizza and mushroom-man extraodinaire, John Clare, although it's certainly come a long way from its former light yellow livery.   Mike's dab hand at car restorations, owning one of Hobart's better fleets not to include a Galant hardtop or a Fiat X1/9, and is responsible for the ...

Not much of a post, really.  Covid-19 restrictions meant that Tasmanians weren't allowed to drive anywhere, couldn't go to cafes or restaurants, or even hang out together.  Thankfully, that's largely in the past.    This is what a bunch of us did almost as soon as the C-19 restrictions were relaxed:  we booked a table at the Bangor Oyster Shed, Dunalley, jumped in our various cars and did lunch  (appropriately socially-distanced, of course!) .  It was good.  Really, really good!  So please get amongst it!  Head out.  Spend money.  Eat and drink.  Do your bit for the local economy ; support those businesses - cafes, restaurants, bars, local shops and servos - that have taken a hit.   But please do so responsibly.  The C-19 threat isn't over.  Understand that if there's a second wave, all bets are off ; the recent restrictions will look tame by comparison with what will ensue, and...

As far as I know, the 4C is Alfa's only ever mid-engined road car and, sadly, looks like being the company's last ever sports model (gasp!), with an announcement from Turin that future manufacturing will focus SUVs and - wait for it - electric cars (groan!). That makes the 4C a contemporary classic, given that there isn't even a glimmer of a hope that it'll be replaced or even updated, spelling the end of one of the world's most revered sports car lineups.   That said, what a way to exit the scene! The 4C is classically Alfa with a signature heart-shaped grille that's particularly reminiscent of those of the 1950s Giulietta , bold five-hole wheels and all round Italian flair, although in terms of concept, it's more akin to Fiat's X1/9. Inspiration from the 1950s The cars not just sexy Italian-styling, though ; it's built around a carbon fibre monocoque chassis that keeps its weight down to a bee's penis plus or minus 1...