Upper Middle Petrol Head:

According to Google's very, very clever image search facility, this is a Mercedes W111, meaning that it was built between 1959 and 1971, although I suggest this one's from towards the beginning of that period.  Wikipedia informs me that its German nickname was the Heckflosse , which is a reference to its tail-fins that took their influence from contemporary American cars. Car geek that I am, and as interesting as those snippets are, that's not what's got me hooked.  I surmise - and that's all that this is, an educated guess, at best - that it's possibly an ex-Rhodesian / Zimbabwean embassy or consulate car, or possibly belonged to a diplomatic official from that country serving in Australia.   Why?  1.  Rhodesia became Zimbawe in 1965, half way through the W111's production run;  2.  There's a sticker on the rear window advertising John ...'s Auto Exhausts (the print is slightly damaged), with branches in both the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, and the ...

Today's car comes from Martin, whose doubly blighted childhood includes a sibling property dispute involving an item of Skippy memorabilia - crockery, I believe - and a father who owned not one but two Leyland P76s!  The first was " a really attractive beige ... V8 and then a bright yellow gutless 6 cylinder that was prone to losing door handles or anything manufactured to be useful," he says. The Upper Middle Petrol Head editorial team salutes you, Martin! Like D K Schnitzer, you, too, have experienced a unique slice of Australia's auto manufacturing history. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photo supplied.  

Regular readers will no doubt remember Joseph's Alfetta Sportiva tributo, which appeared in this blog as Readers' Photos # 93, along with his Lancia Fulvia Zagato Sport and super-beautiful Alfa Montreal (Readers' Photos #s 94 and 95, respectively).  If so, they'd likely recall that the Canberra Correspondent ascertained that the tributo would soon be making way for a genuine Sportiva and be as pleased as me to see that the real deal has now arrived! It's another lovely example of the marque and seems to have retained all its  Sportiva accoutrements, i ncluding the original decals and stripes, a Momo steering wheel and four what are possibly  Campagnolo  alloy wheels (?).  I am, however, a bit confused as to what series it is, as the rectangular headlights suggest a second generation car but I've seen others on the internet, also described thus, but with the quad round light front ends.    Whatever series it is, it's a very, very handsome car and will ...