Upper Middle Petrol Head:

A two door station wagon probably wasn't the cleverest idea ever.  However, the Gemini wagon was a really, really good looking car with nice proportions, uncluttered lines and a light-filled interior, courtesy of plenty of glass. Today's example - courtesy of GlamRock - was in pretty good nick.  Not only that, it came up a treat in these broody night time photos. It's a pity that Geminis are such a rarity these days, having once been unbelievably popular.  They were a fun car to drive, easy to modify and maintain, as well as being economical and - rear seat access for the wagons aside - very practical.  They were also available as four door sedans, vans (essentially a wagon without the rear seats and side windows) and gorgeous two door coupes, the latter having been raced with some success at the Bathurst 1000. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

Plain.  Simple.  Exactly how a ute should be!   U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blospot.com.au.) Photos by the Canberra Correspondent.

  The similarities are plain to see.  However, this BMW 2000 "New Class" sedan - captured in the ACT by the Canberra Correspondent - isn't nearly as pretty as its smaller 2002 sibling. According to Wikipedia, the New Class had a fifteen year production run, beginning in 1962, and was the lineup that saved BMW from going broke after the company experienced financial problems during the preceding decade.  That same source identifies that the "O2" Series - including the 2002 coupe and cabriolet - was based on a shortened New Class sedan platform.    The example shown here today is in great nick, right down to its four original hubcaps.  It is kind of boxy but the expansive glass of the cabin is likely to make it a pleasant place to be in with good visibility and a light, airy feel. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photo by the CC.

  Will the Alfisti put a horse's head in my bed if I dare to describe this Alfa Giulietta - photographed at 2022's Auto Italia -   as cute?  It's a wonderful car, for sure.  Just not as svelte as some of its more celebrated siblings.     This 105, on the other hand, is as beautiful as anything that's ever come from Alfa!  And those Momo Vegas !  Bellisimo!! U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by the canberra Correspondent.

Looking to replace your 128 radiator hoses but can't find any listed?  If you live in Australia - very likely New Zealand, too -  the answer's as close as your local Supercheap Auto (SCA) dealers.   Alternatives: top left - water pump; centre -  bottom tank; right - top tank. Two of the three hoses that I found to be suitable - for the top and bottom radiator tanks - were VT Holden Commodore parts.  The 90 degree hose from the water pump was a Holden Torana item. Top tank:  Calibre brand to suit 3.8 litre VT Commodore Bottom tank:  Also Calibre brand to suit 3.8 litre VT Commodore Water tank:  Mackay Silentruba brand to suit 1967 - 75 six cylinder Torana (the original copped some damage during removal!) There is a bit of cutting to be done, as the photos show.  However, each of the hoses sourced from SCA were of the correct internal diameter and matched the radii of the originals' bends closely enough that they could be fitted without ki...

  The Upper Middle Petrol Head team do love an MGB.  However, we tend not to feature them all that often, as they're still quite a common sight on our roads, which, given that around 500,000 of them were made over an 18 year production run, isn't surprising.   It's still possible to buy effectively brand new, highly restomodded MGBs - utilising fresh panels stamped from the original British Motor Heritage pressings and Mazda MX5 running gear - from British firm Frontline Developments ( https://frontlinedevelopments.com/vehicle/mg-le50/  &  https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=6503 ).  Frontline is in many ways what Singer is to the Porsche 911 and an equivalent to Alfaholics who work their magic on Alfa 105 series cars.  Another  British company, RBW, also does an electric version of the MGB roadster ( https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/roadster/first-drive-0 ).    So why the change in editorial policy?  Today's car - resplenden...

Sadly, 2022's Targa Tasmania saw another fatality - the fourth in two years - resulting in the downgrading of the entire event from competition to touring only.  It looks like finishing the Tour was still a bridge too far for some participants, with a number turning up at Classics by the Beach on Sunday morning, well ahead of the scheduled close of Targa-related activities for this year.  Had it not been for the smattering of Targa Tour entrants who showed up at Classics, it would've been one of the more dismal turnouts in recent years.  However, that didn't diminish the quality of cars that did attend; there were still quite a few beautiful vehicles on display, with the Alvis shown below being particularly interesting. Whilst it won't shock anyone that it's an early model car, it might still surprise a few people just how old it actually is, hailing, as it does, from 1928!  It's also likely that one or two will be taken aback by its advanced technology, in...