Upper Middle Petrol Head:

This ute from Mazda is from the time, long, long ago, before they teamed up with Ford.  It's hard top tell just how old it is, given that Transport Tasmania no longer provide handy rego labels carrying that sort of info.  However, a highly uneducated guess would be very late 70s to early 80s, although UMPH would be happy to be corrected. The E -reg suggests that this particular vehicle is new to the state.  The old-school sign writing on the passengers side door points to it being from Mildura in Victoria's North-West, on the banks of the Murray River, close to South Australia. The car is in excellent condition for its age, with only the slightest signs of paint damage and no evident of crash damage or rust.  The interior was very tidy, too. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au .) All iPhone images.

There wasn't any badging on this large, imposing Chrysler to say what exactly it was.  The body is clearly 1970s Valiant and shared many panels with some of the other variants from that stable, such as the Ranger , Regal and Charger lines, as well as the Dodge vans and utes.   However, the front-end treatment differs from those perhaps more prosaic editions, in that it has a one-piece bumper that encapsulates the entire front grill  (please see https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7165367970551834236#editor/target=post;postID=1969780205997527625;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=58;src=postname  or  https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7165367970551834236#editor/target=post;postID=8478791405898886794;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=29;src=postname  for examples of the less elaborate version).  It also appears to have a more substantial C pillar and has a very unusual port hole built in...

There are at least two of these American made, circa 1970 SS Chevelles gracing the streets of Darwin, the capital city of Australia's tropical Northern Territory.  The other, a black one seen at a local car show, is featured in https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7165367970551834236#editor/target=post;postID=7418489317289811992;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=123;src=postname .   The Territory, as Aussies call it, is a great place to own a big V8, with a highway speed limit of 130 kph (that's 81 miles per hour in the old money) and certain sections where no restrictions apply at all.  Just the place to open the throttles and satisfy your need for speed! U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au .) iPhone images.

UMPH could bang-on about the sheer beauty of this FJ Holden sedan, spotted in Moonah on Hobart's northern fringe.  Or he could suggest that you check out this nostalgic Aussie youtube video from Bob Hudson instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yXinPYK-Jk . Enjoy! U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com .) All iPhone images.

There was a nano-second or so when UMPH thought it might be fun to survey readers to see which one of all the Fiats on this blog was the most popular.  But then he decided that there was probably no contest, because the magnificent 2300 S  coupe featured here would almost certainly win.   It's not that the others - including several X1/9s, two or three classic 500s, a couple of 850s (Phil Blake's excellent Abarth replica included),  a 125 and a 127 - aren't fabul ous.  It's just that the Ghia-styled 2300 S has so much early 60s style, such abundant appeal, that UMPH can't imagine why anybody wouldn't be totally captivated by it.  He is!   Anybody who's interested in the history of the model could do worse that take a look at the attached wiki-link:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_2300 .  If anyone can shed any light on the history of this particular car, that would be hugely appreciated, too. U M ...

Queensland's Noosa has a surprisingly vibrant classic car scene, with many really nice vehicles in regular use.  The 1960s seem to be particularly well represented ;  UMPH spotted quite a few cars from that decade, including VWs, Valiants, an early Ford F-truck and several Holdens.  This very clean and tidy EH was parked towards the swankier end of the strip on a road running parallel to Hastings Street. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com .) All iPhone images.

UMPH was very pleased to make a return to Sandy Bay's Classics by the Beach after an extended mainland break.  Adding to his enjoyment was this, Daniel's lovely GC Galant hardtop, which has only been in Tasmania for a few weeks. According to Daniel, who also has a four-door GC Sport-Pack  and has owned other Galants, the car is a genuine two-owner affair that he bought, sight unseen, from New South Wales.  All he's done to it so far is to give it a bit of a spruce-up, had new brake reservoirs installed and fitted the cool white-walled tyres seen in the photos above and below.  The car's first owner - a classic 'little old lady,' apparently - only sold it about six years ago to a bloke that had intended doing it up.  However, it ended up sitting in a shed, unused, so he on-sold it to our lucky Tasmanian. And what a buy it was!  UMPH is a bit of a Galant-nerd himself, having owned his 1975 hardtop since 1981, so he can spot a strai...