Upper Middle Petrol Head:

Has this magic Mopar got you Chrysler types all hot and bothered?  Think it's a sexy beast, eh? It sure does look good.  Really good!  It's big 'n' mean, if you know what I mean.  A big Val in all its glory. Yep, this is one helluva car.  So, what sort of donk do you reckon it's packing?  A 265 hemi with triple Webers?  How about a 318 or a 340 V8??    Bigger?  A 5.7 litre hemi V8 from a 300C?  Not a 6.1 hemi V8, surely?! I'm not convinced I want to be the one to break this to you, people!  It might be a bit like a night out in Thailand and finding out that sultry babe you got down 'n' dirty with was ... A small block General Motors LS1!  Don't be fooled by the Chrysler motif ;  it's just make up, false lashes or a pair of over-sized stilettos when it's all said and done!  It may be 5.7 litres of V8 grunt but it sure ain't what got you all sweaty and panting with anticipation, now was it?!   Having said th

I'd like American readers to understand that we Aussies invented the ute (ute being short for utility, by the way).  And, while we're at it, I think that it would be useful for them to understand that they're pronouncing the name of our beloved automotive icon all wrong.  We say the word as if it were spelled yoot and it rhymed with root, boot and bandicoot, but most definitely not pick-up , which is how the yanks erroneously believe it's pronounced!     Anyway, I digress.  The Austin ute shown here in a late 1960s' version and, as the more astute of you may know, the company that made it is actually British.  However, such is our love of the ute that when the Poms didn't offer one as part of the range, we made our own right here in the Land Down Under.  According to Wikipedia (which would be spelled Wikipaedia if our Stateside friends could spell!), we manufactured more than 2,000 of them and some cab-chassis versions, too.  (Please see  https://en.wiki

Here was me thinking that the Ford Ranger line was a fairly recent one, based on the shared Ford / Mazda platform that's built in Thailand.  Wrong!  It would appear that the Ranger has been part of the F100 line-up since at least 1968 in the USA and maybe other markets, too. The one shown here, proudly sporting New South Wales rego that handily gives the year of manufacture and the model, is apparently an ex-US  (or other LHD market)  version that's still in left-hand drive configuration.  It really was a great looking truck and in all round perfect condition.  I reckon someone's pretty proud of his or her old gal!  U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.