Upper Middle Petrol Head:

You could be forgiven for thinking that UMPH is a Volksie-nutter, given the number of recent posts devoted to the marque.  He'd think that was a bit harsh ; in his opinion, a 'fan' would be a fairer assessment. In this case, he happily admits to being a van-fan.  Let's face it - who wouldn't love this classic early Kombi with its glossy paint job and attention to detail?  It's a credit to whoever restored it and its owner.   U M P H. (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au .) (All iPhone images.)

Sometimes restored cars seem to actually be that bit nicer than they probably were when new.  This immaculate 60s Mustang, spotted on Hobart's eastern shore in Bellerive, is a case in point.   It appears that no expense has been spared in terms of its finish and the tasteful accessories with which it's been fitted.  It's hard to imagine that so much attention to detail would have been lavished onto a car straight from the production line.     U M P H ( uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au .) All iPhone images.

Clean, simple lines.  What a ute should be. The B -reg on this Datsun 1200 ute suggests that it's around 35 or 36 years old.  However, its condition says otherwise, with great paint, straight panels and unmarked chrome.  The interior, spartan as it is, is also very tidy.  Other than the wheels, it looks totally stock.  Nice! Tasteful alloys. No need to complicate this design. Hobart's original Datsun (now Nissan) dealers. U M P H ( uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au .) iPhone images.

UMPH believes that the term  classic  can be applied to a whole range of cars - from agricultural  to awesome, from prosaic to performance - and that price and prestige don't have to be part of the definition.  However, to borrow from Orwell, some cars are more classic than others. Take this extremely beautiful 1956 Beetle, for instance.    It would be hard to imagine a better example of the marque ; from its flawless paint, to the tasteful era-appropriate accessories, every single part of this car screams German classic!    Oval-window Beetles aren't common in Tasmania (they're probably not that common anywhere these days!).  Adding to this particular ones uniqueness are its one-piece front door windows which, according to the proud owner, weren't actually standard for 1956 but were fitted because he liked them. And he's not the only person that likes the car, giving rise to its nickname - The Slut - given by the owner's partner, who wr

Pretty much anything that UMPH could say about the mighty Mini Cooper S has  already  been said, and by people much more knowledgeable than he is, so he'll let these photos of this very fine example seen in Hobart do the talking. U M P H. ( uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au .)

Horizontal styling elements and slightly flared mudguards give the Sprint a wide, squat stance. For true Alfisti, there's probably no such thing as an ugly Alfa Romeo.  UMPH isn't so sure ; he can think of one or two that have styling that's questionable, to say the least, but he won't dare elaborate for fear of alienating anyone. What is undoubtedly true is that when Alfa do get their styling right - which to be fair is way more often than not - it usually results in cars that are sublimely beautiful.  Whether or not a small hatch-back is the pinnacle of Alfa beauty is debatable.  However, it's probably fair to say that the Giugiaro designed Veloce Sprint is one of the prettiest of that general class ever made.   The wedge-shape is not dissimilar to Fiat's 128 3P, released a year earlier (1975), but is arguably better proportioned with a long bonnet, what was a fairly rakish windscreen for the era, a lowish roof-line, a 'fast-back' ha

The blogger doth protest too much, hethinks.  There are great looking classic VWs all about Hobart, so how could he not photograph and upload them to his blog?  He therefore maintains that he is not a Volksie-nutter.  Really. U M P H ( uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au .) All iPhone images.