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Readers' Photos # 97: Bayside Vehicle Restorers' Australia Day Rally


Today's excellent selection of cars was captured by Peter R, a former Tasmanian forensic photographer who's now a resident of south east Queensland.  He says that they're just a few of the confirmed 772 vehicles on display at the Bayside Vehicle Restorers' 2021 Australia Day Rally at the Ormiston State School.


Extending the Tasmanian link is the fact that the first three cars - each of them quite rare and desirable - have had doppelgangers entered in Targa Tasmania.  For example, a version of the car shown above and below - A circa 1963 Jensen CV8 - participated in the 2009, 2010 and 2014 events, taking out first- and podium-places, as well as being similarly successful in the Targa High Country (Victoria) and Classic Adelaide tarmac rallies.




Similarly, a "Kermit Green" example of this Renault 4CV participated in Targa Tasmania in the early 2000s, piloted by Colin Rose with Iain Watson doing duty as co-driver.  It might be the perfect example of the "driving a slow car fast" school of motoring but I know that both men enjoyed themselves enormously.






Colin & Iain's Targa version, " Kermit."




Had it not been for a silver Studebaker Avanti having made multiple Targa Tas appearances, I wouldn't have had a clue what this car was.  This one's only the second Avanti I've ever seen, although I imagine they'd be more common in the USA.  They're an oddish looking beast - downright homely from some angles (kind of both bug- and square eyed all at once) yet almost svelte when viewed from the rear.




The next two fascinating cars to have attracted Peter's attention - a Messerschmitt trike and a BMW Isetta 300, also forgoing a fourth wheel - have probably never entered a Targa-like motorsports event and very likely never will, either.  They do, however, both at least match, if not exceed, the Studebaker for bug-eyed-ness and add extra touches of weirdly insect-inspired styling!  Seriously!   If a locust were to design a car, the Messerschmitt would be it and the Beemer would have had to have been penned by a member of the Coleoptera family!  Cool?   Absolutely!  Pretty?  Maybe not so much!








Peter’s last featured car, a classic Corvette, is possibly as iconic a design as has ever come from the USA, arguably rivalling the beloved Mustang, the Pontiac GTO, Dodge Charger, the Camaro or any of the 1950s’ Caddies. They are, quite simply, timelessly beautiful!









Thanks for the photos, Peter!  Very nice indeed!   




U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.com.au.)

Photos by the our newly Shanghaied Queensland correspondent.  













 

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