Classics by the Beach: Sunday the 5th of May, 2019

I'm not sure if the owners of these two Lotuses - an Exige that had only the day before completed the 2019 Targa Tasmania tarmac rally, and an Elan - parked together on purpose, but their proximity to each other did make for a rather good photo.  To my mind, Lotus epitomises the purest form of the sports car and always has; from the original clubman through to today's Elises, Exiges and Evoras, they have stayed true to founder Colin Chapman's maxim "simplify, then add lightness."  It's a lesson that some of Lotus' more corpulent competitors would do well to heed as they get weighed down with more and more superfluous features! 

Robin's stately Daimler 104 - named for its top speed of 104 miles per hour - is an entirely different beast.  However, it's also a vehicle that demonstrates a continuity of purpose throughout the lifespan of the marque, exhibiting as it does all of the hallmark luxury and refinement expected of vehicles bearing the Daimler nameplate. 

The 104 was manufactured in the late 1950s, before the then German company was subsumed by Jaguar, and is fitted with a 3.5 litre straight six, fed by twin SU (Skinner's Union) carburettors, and coupled to an auto-box.  The interior is lavishly appointed and features a striking tiger-patterned wooden dash and trim.   

The car used to belong to the managing director a of large Victorian-based retail outlet that, sadly, I've forgotten the name of.  From the way Robin explained it, it sounds like the Myer of its day.  Quite amazingly, the owner attended the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, and chose to have this very car shipped there from Australia for his personal use during the visit.  The car still bears an Olympics parking permit from that time on its windscreen, which is quite the period accessory!

Robin's example is in lovely condition, being complete and original in every respect.  It even has its factory-supplied tool kit, lined in what looks like pool table worsted cloth, the case of which has been shaped to fit neatly into a recess of the passenger side of the luggage compartment.

This is Paul's circa 1960 Fiat Millecento (Italian for 1100), although, being a slightly later version, it's actually fitted with a 1200 cc motor.  Paul tells me that although he's had it extensively mechanically refurbished, it's more of a survivor car than a restoration.  The body is, however, looking pretty good and is original, other than some minor rust remediation. 

Paul's car originally belonged to an older Polish man whose family kept it for many years, unregistered and unused, after his death.  Paul says there's some suggestion that the original owner used to tow a small, possibly home-made, caravan with the car, but isn't able to confirm this.

The only non-period parts fitted to the car are some LED bulbs but they're incorporated into the original headlights, with the only evidence of that having occurred being some additional wiring and the relay visible in the image above.  There have only been a few issues obtaining parts, the most problematic being the king pin bearings, but that was resolved by meeting the seller's extortionate prices (I'll leave it to readers to ask Paul who that unscrupulous Italian car parts supplier was but will tell you he's not a local).

This is one of the last of the Humber Super Snipes, bearing the Chrysler pentastar low on the trailing edge of the front mudguards.  Some might say that Chrysler Australia got their just deserts for taking over, and then killing, the Rootes Group line when Mitsubishi Australia did the same to them!  But look what happened to Mitsubishi Australia; they also went the way of the dodo, along with all car manufacturing in this country.  Sad.  Very sad indeed.

1980s Subarus may not immediately spring to mind as desirable of collectors' cars.  However, the near perfect condition of this Leone puts it into a class of its own.  Take a look at the final photo in this series and try to tell me that the driver's seat isn't radiant!  I challenge anyone to find a better example of the marque than this!

And on that note, I'll sign off.  Thanks, as usual, to all the cars' owners and especially to Robin, Paul and Super Snipe Man for showcasing their vehicles, telling me about their histories and letting me photograph them.

U M P H

(uppermiddleptrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)