Upper Middle Petrol Head:

This striking red BMW 635 CSi , spotted in New Town, Tasmania, appeared to be in fabulous original condition.   Everything was straight, clean and tidy, with only the nose-cone 'spinning propeller' BMW badge being missing (possibly stolen - who knows?). The interior was just as nice, although the large rear parcel shelf speakers and their square plastic grilles were missing. However, the way that the speaker cables were protruding from the recesses under the missing grilles suggests they may have only recently been removed for refurbishment.  The car exuded elegance, grace and a suggestion of performance, all in equal measure - a true GT. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.

This elegant Italian-styled, British-built Stag was photographed in New Town, Tasmania, one lovely summer's day. Stags' reputations took a battering early on, with complaints about the reliability of their small V8 engines - which were prone to overheating - souring the public's perception of the car.  They were also said to be prone to rust and other build-quality issues, many of which were attributed to British Leyland and the troubled relationship they had with their work-force. Many owners opted to fit their Stags with 3.5 litre Rover V8s - the same type fitted to Range Rovers, Land Rovers and MGB GTs - to name a few cars to share that engine. However, investigations undertaken during Philip Glenister's TV show For The Love of Cars proved that the original V8 - effectively two existing Triumph four cylinder engines joined together - was a more than adequate performer and that the initial cooling problems that blighted the car were dow...

Calling the 2017 Aston Martin tour of Tasmania installment of Upper Middle Petrol Head  a 'Mega-Random' wasn't without risk  ( http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/mega-random-1-2017-aston-martin.html ).  What would happen, for example, if UMPH didn't randomly come across another massed gathering of classic cars?  Would Mega-Random # 1 remain an only child, lonely and anomalous ? Fortunately, UMPH did happen upon a sibling for Mega-Random # 1 in the form of a Post Vintage Car Club ( http://www.postvintage.org.au /) rally, staged between Hobart and Dunalley on Saturday the 14th of January, 2017.  The PVCC are well known for the annual Picnic at Ross ( http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/2015-picnic-at-ross.html and  http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/2015-picnic-at-ross.html )  but their other events don't seem to attract the same level of attention. The first hint that there may have...