Upper Middle Petrol Head:

According to Google Lens, this is an Iso Rivolta Lele.  Further Googling revealed that early versions were powered by a 327 cubic inch Chevrolet V8, which was a very Iso formula shared by the Grifo and the larger Fidia.  Everybody's favourite font of knowledge further explained that the Lele was named in honour of the founder's son's wife - Rachelle - it was produced between 1969 and 1974 and that it was styled by Gandini - he of X1/9 fame - who was working for Bertone at the time. Spot the Fiat 124 AC taillights?  The CC did! The red car below is also a Lele , although I'm not sure if it's an earlier or later version compared to the example above.  If it is a later edition, it's likely to be Ford Windsor V8-powered, as Iso cracked the sads with GM when they started demanding up-front payment for their engines, resulting in a switch to Blue Oval donks.   The GM versus Ford engine thing is also a nice segue to introduce the striking  Pantera parked alo...

Sadly, not my car!  Sort of the same colour, though. While the eponymous Jeff, of Home Built by Jeff , shoe-horns a Ferrari V8 into an Alfa 105 coupe, and fellow  YouTube  maestro of metal  Elin, of Elin Yakob's Rusty Beauties , resurrects various classic Triumph sports cars from little more than munted iron-oxide, here at Upper Middle Petrol Head I've repainted a mirror!  But not just any old mirror!  It is, afterall, a Cromodora Astro, as fitted to no less than the [Ferrari] Dino 208, 308 and GT4! Yes, folks!  That's 841 Euro Dollars.  Let's not tell the Ferrari people what we pay for ours! It also was standard equipment for the Fiat X1/9, 127, 128 3P and early 131.  But let's keep that to ourselves, shall we, seeing that  € 841 converts to a whopping $1,230 Australian!  Research suggests that there are three variations to the Astro - the I, II and III - although what the differences are eludes me.  There's an all-chrome...

  Author Philip Blake I used to think myself lucky to have met Philip Blake and indeed I was.  However, having read his autobiography, S**t, That Was Close!  A Life in Near Misses , I now know that it was Phil who was lucky to have survived long enough to have met anyone at all, let alone to have led the life of adventures that he has! Take a ride, quite literally, with Phil through his seemingly death-wish infancy and youth, to his motorcycling, rock climbing and ongoing motor-racing careers as he cheats a premature demise and manages not to take any of his co-adventurers out with him.  From his birthplace in Ireland to Tasmania, Australia, this is one hairy tale told with the typical wit and charm that those who know Phil have come to enjoy so much. Published by Forty South,  S**t, That Was Close!  A Life in Near Misses , is available at any good bookshop or newsagent throughout Tasmania, at Shannon's Insurance in Murray Street, Hobart, or, if you're real...

Local motorsports identity Phil Blake has taken possession of a number of rare and / or older windscreens that he's hoping to sell, including:      Late Bellette, x 2      Renault 8/10      Renault unspecified      XA/XB  Falcon (presumably fits XC, too?)      Valiant      Alfa?      Corolla 1000?      Renault 16, x 2      Peugeot 403      Mazda 1200/1300      Datsun1600      HQ Holden (probably also fits HJ - WB?)      Mitsubishi Colt      310/312 Datsun Bluebird in plastic, or not, x 4 (one is 312/314)      Toyota Crown RS 50.      Some unknown. Bring a template. If you, or anyone that you know, is looking for any of the above, please give Phil a call on 0409 803 316 .  The Falcon, HQ and Datsun 1600 'screens are likely to sell fast. ...

  Here's a quickie but an ultra-goodie from 2022's instalment of Auto Italia, Australia's biggest and arguably best Italian car show.  According to the Canberra Correspondent - who has provided exclusive coverage of this year's event - the car is a genuine 128 Rallye and has been owned by the one family since it arrived in Australia.   As the photos show, it's immaculate.  Also of interest is that the family member who presented it at the show says it was the very last Rallye of the four officially brought into this country. Further photos from 2022's Auto Italia will follow.  In the meantime, why not check out the rest of the Upper Middle Petrol Head site?  There are loads and loads of classic, sports and performance cars from all the best manufacturers around the world. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) iPhone images by the Canberra Correspondent.

April 2022's Classics by the Beach features, as far as I can tell, an entirely new fleet of cars, with none having to my knowledge appeared on uppermiddlepetrolhead before.  This is likely due to an influx of mainland vehicles - like this striking 1930s’ Ford - touring the state and dropping in for the monthly get-together at Sandy Bay, before attending a hotrod festival later in the month.    AJ sticking his head out of a nonexistent sunroof! There were also a heap of local cars, many of which I'd not seen before.  The 109" Landy, featured immediately below, a lovely Bug Eye Sprite and a nifty but quirkily French Citroen station wagon were particularly interesting, as were a couple more cars and a motorcycle you'll see further down the page. Here's the Citroen I mentioned before.  As best as I can tell, it's a GS hailing from the 1970s and was more commonly seen in hatchback style.  Its owner tells me that it's powered by a small air-cooled flat-...