Upper Middle Petrol Head:

As an XK, this car represents the first of a long, long line of Aussie-built Ford Falcons but it is, essentially, a right-hand-drive version a North American vehicle.  The second iteration - the XK - was again manufactured in Australia but was still based on a US-design with US-specs, leading to criticism at the time that Falcons' build quality wasn't up to our more gruelling conditions.     This is very likely true, as it mirrors problems that beset the UK-made Ford Cortinas of the early 1960s that also floundered on rougher roads Down Under.  In the case of the Cortina, this was remedied by adding extra bracing in the boot, running along the rear quarters.   According to Wikipedia , some Australian dealerships attempted to mitigate the the XK Falcon's weaknesses by offering heavier-duty rear suspension and wider tyres, while Fairlane suspension components were added to the XL, ex-factory, in a further attempt to ruggedise them.  However, it wasn...

The Alfa 105 coupe must be one of the very, very most attractive Italian cars ever.  This one - a GT 1600 Junior , captured in its home country by our man-at-large - is an absolute beauty and features one headlight per side, but not the scalino or "step front" that adorns the earlier versions of the car in either 1300 or 1600 cc form. It's hardly possible for any of the 105 coupe variants to look anything but gorgeous, almost no matter what colour they are painted.  However, today's example - in lustrous silver - manages to elevate itself above its siblings, combining Giugiaro's sleek, sporting design with and understated level of class worthy of only the finest classic vehicles.  Bellissimo! U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by the Italian Correspondente.