Upper Middle Petrol Head:

The 1963 C2 Corvette Stingray was an absolute stylistic tour de force - equal parts Batmobile and Darth Vader on wheels - but, sadly, the model became progressively blander with each iteration up until the C6 of 2005.  Whilst 2014's C7 and the mid-engined C8 of 2020 did step up the aesthetics significantly, there has never been a 'Vette that has quite captured the same level of showy menace that is so evident in the C2. As luck would have it, my YouTube feed recently offered up a video from Classic Motorsports featuring an interview with the designer of the prototype C2 - known as the Q Corvette -  Peter Brock.  This Peter Brock is obviously not Australia's own legendary racing car driver of the same name but there's an interesting symmetry that we'll get to in a minute. I n the video ( https://youtu.be/bZ6cJjNiTh4 ),  American Mr Brock reveals that the C2's design was hugely influenced by that of the original Alfa Disco Volante ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...

Todd would have you believe that his very, very nearly perfect Alfa GTV isn't finished quite yet.  To be fair, I could see what he was talking about ...    but only when   I  put my specs on and looked really closely!   I won't disclose the hideous blemishes that blight the car's otherwise near-showroom quality restoration.  What I will say, however, is that it's not the panels or duco, it isn't the super-fresh chrome, the grille with recently sourced "whiskers", the glittering NOS headlights, the mirrors or tail lights, nor is it the genuine magnesium alloy Campagnolo wheels, either!  It would be hard to find anything wrong with the lovely interior ; the steering wheel, seats and carpet are also in great nick.  There's barely a detail on the car that's not pristine.      But apparently there is.  Just ask Todd! You can rest assured that these abominations will soon be banished, because that's the level of detail that...

It's confession time!  There's a possibility - slim, admittedly - that my tastes are maturing.   Broadening, at least.   My preference has always been for Japanese hardtops, coupes and other sporty variants from the 1970s, along with Italian marques from the late 1950s to the mid-'80s.  I also like modded cars; engine upgrades, rortier exhausts, tightened suspension and aftermarket wheels all do it for me.   This is unlikely to change substantially. So why do I find this circa 1966 Nissan Cedric Custom Six so damned appealing?  It's certainly not down to the model's name!  Cedric, FFS!  (Apologies to Uncle Ced!)  What other monikers were they considering?  The  Nigel ?  The Algernon ??     It's unlikely to be because of the car's performance, either; an archaic 2.0 litre six coupled to a sludge-box is not going to set the world on fire.  Handling probably isn't up to much, nor can I imagine that its braking ...