Classics by the Beach: October, 2018

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Spring, the start of daylight savings, and Classics by the Beach, all on one mild and sunny morning!  It just doesn't get better than that! 

It must have been a wrench for a good many car enthusiasts, though, with the lure of the Bathurst 1000 versus Hobart's best free car show to choose between.  Of course, the smart thing would be to enjoy a morning outing to Sandy Bay to check out the cars, then adjourn home to catch the second half of The Great Race and to have a few beers around the telly.


It's an absolute certainty that the vehicles on display - be they Porsches or Beetles, Ferraris or FB Holdens, muscle cars or vintage offerings - will always be fabulous.  What's less of a sure thing, however, is exactly what might turn up on the day.

October's event seemed to have a slightly French feel to it, with a number of Renaults - a Dauphine and a couple of Caravelles - amongst the assembled fleet.  There was also a larger than usual number of American muscle cars on display, with a pair of Mustangs and the very nice Mercury Cougar XR7 seen above and below, as well as some 1950s' Chevs and a 1973 Buick converible of Titanic dimensions.

Aussie-car fans wouldn't have been disappointed, either, with both Holdens and Valiants well represented.  Unusually, though, there wasn't much from Ford Australia there on the day.

Beyond that, there was the usual offering of classic - and often truly exotic - Italian, German, British, and Japanese marques to feast your eyes on.  There's always something to enjoy, no matter what your tastes!  

















This awesome Valiant Hemi-Pacer really took my eye with its stunning red paint job and sleek coupe body.  It was nicely complemented by an earlier four-door Valiant - an AP6, I think - with a wild triple-Weber set-up, very sexy extractors, four wheel discs and any number of go-faster mods.  There are a few photos of this second Mopar monster a little later on but, if the car interests you, it features quite extensively in earlier UMPH Classics posts (just use the magnifying glass icon in the top right of screen).



















































This absolutely perfect EH Holden sedan was also running a triple-sidedraft Weber set-up on its 179 cubic inch red motor, as well as extractors a a full suite of quick bits.  The roll cage suggests it's an ex-race car, as do the display plates bearing the moniker Retired Racer (the car or the owner?) but I reckon it's too nice - and valuable, as well - to risk in competition. 







As always, thanks go to the owners of all the great cars on display.  Another great day indeed! 






U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

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