Classics by the Beach: September, 2021

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It's a well known fact that Fathers' Day* marks the official opening of the classic car season in Tasmania, in the same way that yachties launch their social and competition sailing calendars.  However, it has been noted that the salty set have somewhat crashed the recreational motorists' party of late, the former having moved their traditional October season opener to September.  

One trusts that Her Excellency the Governor's diary is able to accommodate both events next year, as the sail- and drive-bys are highlights of each group's respective seasons!  It would be a shame if HE were again unavailable, the tooting of the klaxons and the appearance of the Vice-Regal Daimler having become quite the ocassion!


The opening of the Hobart-based CCS festivities traditionally culminates in a car show at Sandy Bay beach, approximately ten minutes' drive from the capital city's central business district.  This year, the car park adjacent to the beach was quite the locus of Lotuses, with several examples of the marque present.  As lovely as they were, though, it was decided to open coverage of the event with this magnificent, and relatively rare, TVR Griffith 500.


For the uninitiated, TVR - a clumsy contraction of Trevcar Motors - is a British manufacturer of upmarket sports cars featuring powerful engines in lightweight bodies, at one time being the world's third largest company specialising in that particular market segment.  They've been at since 1946 and, according to Wikipedia, were founded in the delightful seaside amusement park - aka the vomit-in-a-hat-style stag and hens' party capital of the UK - that is Blackpool.  


Further reference to Wikipedia reveals this example - a Griffith 500 - to be of tubular steel and fibreglass construction, fitted with a 5.0 litre Rover V8 mated to either a Rover or Tremec five speed manual 'box.  That same source indicates that there were only 2,351 Griffiths made during a production run spanning 1991 to 2002 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVR_Griffith).  There are, however, no data to indicate how many of the total were 500s, nor which of the two transmissions was fitted to that variant (the Tremec, quite likely, seeing the 500 had the largest capacity, highest output engine of all the Griffiths).



Please enjoy the rest of this article.  The aforementioned Lotuses are sprinkled througout the remainder of the coverage, there's a pair of early model super-charged MGs, a lovely Lamborghini Espada, a very cool Volvo wagon, Ces' BSA scrambler, Tristan's Fiat 850, a big ol' T-Bird, plus the usual assortment of random car and people photos. 

A RWD Elan +2


























Nameplate revived:  a later FWD Elan




































Are you a fan of classic, sports and performance vehicles?  Do you enjoy car shows and motorsports, especially when there's a bit of Tasmanian scenery thrown in for good measure?  Then how about looking about the rest of the Upper Middle Petrol Head site, sharing or subscribing?  I'd really, really like to build the readership and promote Tasmania's classic car culture to the rest of the world!  




U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

*Despite what the traditional and social media believe, Fathers' day = a day for fathers, plural.  Father's day, if it existed, would be a day for a father, singular.  









 

Comments

  1. Unknown7 September 2021 at 11:26

    I remember seeing an Espada getting around Sandy Bay in my teens. Wouldn't be surprised if that's the one. Would be worth a fortune!

    Concur re Fathers' Day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alastair Watson7 September 2021 at 13:39

    Thanks, unknown! I have the slighest recollection of a silver Espada, too. Or I'm imagining it! Great car, either way.

    Cheers,

    Alastair

    ReplyDelete

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