Upper Middle Petrol Head:

Sadly, there aren't as many Datsun  240Z s - and 260Z s, like the one shown above - getting around anymore.  And those that are about are attracting big bucks on the rare occasions that they come up for sale.    There are now only a few  240Zs  in Targa Tasmania when once there were heaps of them.  However, those that are entered tend to do extremely well, with a 1970 edition driven by Jon and Gina Siddins having taken out an amazing ninth place overall in the 2017 event, beating a huge field of newer, more technically advanced vehicles from some of the world's greatest car makers (please see http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/targa-tasmania-2017-nichols-rivulet.html  for details). The 260Z shown here, photographed in Hobart, was in very nice original condition and was wearing Special Interest rego plates.  It featured standard alloy wheels, and a period nudge bar and front spoiler.  Only the exterior rear view mirrors weren't really of the er

This ball-tearer Alfa photo comes from Scott Kregor and was taken on Nichols Rivulet stage of Targa Tasmania, 2017. For more images from that event, please go to http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/targa-tasmania-2017-nichols-rivulet.html . U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au) 

Hey, Charger!   This late model Valiant Charger -  photographed in New Norfolk in Tasmania's Derwent Valley, some 45 minutes north west of Hobart - was magnificent. The panels, paint and chrome were all ostensibly original and in excellent nick, as were the vinyl accents below the side windows and on the  C  pillar.  However, someone has taken a little artistic licence with the car's decals ;  the  HEMI 6 PACK  logos near the rear corners are from an earlier edition Charger and UMPH isn't so sure about the stripes running down its sides, a small badge on the boot and a sticker proclaiming the the features of the engine, either. None of that doesn't really matters, though.  Who wouldn't want to celebrate the Charger name and history in all its glory?  None of the embellishments detract from the car and, in the case of the after-market five-spoke alloy wheels, actually enhance it.    Even the car's rego plate

UMPH thought he had a rough idea about Humber Super Snipes .  Turns out he was wrong ; for a start, he didn't realise they were first manufactured way back in 1938 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_Super_Snipe ). The version shown here - possibly a Series II or III - was photographed in historic Oatlands, a sandstone village approximately one hour's drive north of Hobart, Tasmania, on the Midlands Highway.  It's more in keeping with the cars that UMPH remembers bearing the Super Snipe badge. Late 1950s / early 1960s Super Snipes were still popular when UMPH was a boy living in Tasmania's second city of Launceston, in the north of the state, in the 1960s and early 1970s.  They were considered to be a luxury car back then but they were  probably more likely to belong to a bank manager or a school headmaster than anyone particularly cool. This particular example was in pretty good condition for its age (57 years, according to its helpful rego p

The uppermiddlepetrolhead site abounds with classic Holdens of all sorts, with a fair share of utes in the mix. This particular example - an HG , as suggested by the grille - was photographed in West Hobart on a magnificent summer's morning. It's a Belmont , making it the base model of the Holden range. Judging from the freshness of its duco, it has only been restored fairly recently and looked a treat. It was totally straight and rust-free, and featured good quality chrome and all its original features, right down it its unmarked hubcaps. Every last feature appeared to be authentic, including its red vinyl bench seat. The white-walled tyres, seen below, were a nice period touch. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

This striking red Lotus Elise , photographed in North Hobart, looked a treat.  According to its owner, it gets a run about once a week.  However, it's not one that UMPH has seen before, even though there are a reasonable number of Elises in and around Hobart. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

This absolutely fabulous 1970 Datsun 240Z , crewed by Jon and Gina Siddins, is a giant-killer in every sense of the word, having not only taken out first place in the Classic GT class of Targa Tasmania 2017 but also an awesome ninth place overall!  And that's awesome in the real sense of the word - inspiring genuine awe - and not the throw away line of a teenager who's been momentarily distracted by a Snap-chat pic. To put the Siddins' achievement into perspective, they have driven their forty-seven year old, six-cylinder, two-wheel drive Datsun in one of the world's toughest and best tarmac rallies and beaten a massive field of vehicles from some of the greatest manufacturers ever - including exotics like Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, Audi, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin - as well as coming out well ahead of an impressive fleet of contemporary V8s, turbo-charged all-wheel-drives and other high-tech, super-performance entries.  The overall winners - Jason and