Upper Middle Petrol Head:

  Today's car - a 1978 Triumph TR7 photographed in southern Tasmania and bought to us by the Egg Man - looks rather striking with its dark grey duco and colour-matched wheels. The TR7 and its brutish twin brother, the V8-powered TR8, were the first of the Triumph TR series to adopt monocoque construction, with all previous iterations being of body-on-frame construction.  According to Wikpedia, they were also the first TRs to not be launched as a drop-head coupe (a "convertible" in American speak), being available only in fixed-head coupe guise until 1979 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_TR7 , accessed 15 SEP 25) . Did you enjoy this post? If so, how about checking out these recent pieces from UMPH? https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2025/09/from-our-man-in-tuscany-early-70s-fiat.html ; & https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2025/09/from-our-man-in-tuscany-renault-4.html . U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) iPhone images.

Hi, Jeannie! OMiT has done it again!  This time, it's another legendary European car - French, in this case - in the form of an immaculate Renault 4. Like the Fiat 124 OMiT wired us just last week ( https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2025/09/from-our-man-in-tuscany-early-70s-fiat.html ) , the Renault 4 had a genuinely astounding production run, beginning in 1961 and ending in 1994, racking up an extremely impressive 8,000,000 units.   Now, astounding as that may be, it isn't quite up there with the 124's total of well in excess of 15,000,000 examples made in Italy and a further eight countries.  However, this little Frenchie tops our Italian when it comes to lands in which they were built, coming in with a very creditable 20, including Australia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_4 ) . I can't help wondering if the world wouldn't be a better or at least less-polluted place if all car manufacturers had built more no-frills, frugal, long-lasting vehicles ...

  Bellissimo!  From what we at UMPH can gather, this to-die-for Fiat 124 Berlina - photographed by OMiT - hails from somewhere between 1971 and 1974, based on its double-stacked rear taillight / indicator assemblies.  (Earlier versions' rears had single horizontal bar-style lights.) We've further gleaned that "our" example is not a 124  S or a Special T , as those variants have quad-headlight front ends.  Not that this one isn't special in its own right, mind you; it's a stunning example with perfect duco - Fiat's "Brilliant Green," possibly - gleaming, straight-as-a-die chrome, and a lovely interior.  Not even Wikipedia could provide production numbers for the 124 Berlina and the unasked-for AI summary gagged at providing one, too.  What can be said, however, is that there were lots   of them built by Fiat in Italy between 1966 and 1974, with production continuing in eight other countries  well into the new millennium, and  Russia produ...

Circa 1980 RA42 Celicas are rare enough.  Lift-backs, like this one - photographed at a chilly and wet Classics by The Beach at Hobart's Sandy Bay - are even thinner on the ground.   Making this one even a bit more spesh is the straight-six engine lurking beneath its bonnet.  I'm not sure what it is - a Toyota 1JZ or 2JZ, possibly - but it was a very tidy, properly engineered installation (it has the plaque to prove it), turning the car into a resto-mod equivalent of the original six-pot Celica XX / Supra, but gruntier.   And while we're on the subject of modified Toyotas, this is Edward's extremely cool KE 30 (?) Corolla van.  In this case, the mods are a bit more old school:  a 1600 Celica donk with a Weber carbie and matched five-speed 'box, a set of tasty alloys, a slick paint job and a very tidy interior.  It even has an under-stated rear roof spoiler that someone's cleverly made of light gauge steel. Stately Jags don't come much better ...

  This WB Holden Statesman Magnum  is a  bit like Daniel Craig's portrayal of James Bond, sitting somewhere between that of  a  well-toned gentleman who's more than capable of taking care of himself  and a thug in a well-cut suit.  Sort of elegant and slightly menacing all at once.      According to Unique Cars Magazine, the Magnum was Aussie motor racing legend Peter Brock's “take on a high performance luxo-tourer.”  They also reckon that when it came to go-faster options, would-be owners had free range to choose pretty much anything that the Holden Dealer Team had at their disposal, including some serious engine and suspension upgrades ( https://www.tradeuniquecars.com.au/1984-hdt-magnum-buyers-guide/ , accessed 03 AUG25).    This means that almost no two Magnums are the same, which at an educated guess is what this car’s rego plates allude to. This included mods to the standard 5.0 litre V8 to Group 3 spec, boosting pow...