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Readers' Photos # 103: Shannons' 2021 Japanese Day / National Automobile Museum of Tasmania

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  Today's photos come from Galant fanatic Daniel, who braved the poxy, half-arsed excuse for a road that is the Midlands Highway and attended Shannons' Japanese car show at Launceston's National Automobile Museum of Tasmania*.  According to Daniel, it was a great day and so successful that it's going to become an annual event.  And while he was there, he did what any sane petrol head would do and checked out the rest of the NAMT's excellent display!   ______________________________________________________ * 84 Lindsay Street, Invermay, 7248 / https://namt.com.au . U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by Daniel.

Readers' Photos # 102: Lancia Fulvia HF

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  The Upper Middle Petrol Head correspondents have really been earning their big bucks packages of late, especially when it comes to bringing us some truly beautiful Italian cars.  The Canberra office has come through with some rippers, including a Lancia Fulvia Sport , not one but two Alfetta Sportivos , and a magnificent Alfa Montreal !  Not to be outdone, Tasmania's East Coast branch of the UMPH publishing conglomerate has shone, filing copy of four lovely Fiat Dino Spyders captured in the seaside town of Swansea. The Canberra Bureau has hit back with today's submission, a stunning Fulvia HF !  Some quick Wiki-taxonomy suggests that it's probably a circa 1970 Series 2  (Tipo 818.740/741) , as its headlights are evenly sized - meaning it's not a  Fanalone or "big lights" version with the accompanying double entendre mammalian protuberance allusions - and it has slightly flared mudguards, rather than the earlier plastic bolt-ons (which also isn't a re...

Readers' Photos # 101: Fiat Dino Tour of Tasmania

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One Fiat Dino!  Ah ah aah!  Oh, I how love to count! Two Fiat Dinos!!  Ah ah aah!   But wait!  Three Fiat Dinos!!!  Ah ah aah!  Can you guess ... ?    Yes, four Fiat Dinos, all in a row!!!!  Ah ah aah! This magnificent collection - three left-hookers and a right-hand-drive, all from Victoria - was photographed by the East Coast Correspondent as it passed through Swansea, Tasmania, after overnighting in Coles Bay.  Sources tell me that one of them experienced some mechanical issues and had to visit Hobart-based Italian car specialists Fogarty Automotive, where it was put right, before returning to Coles Bay to rejoin the tour. Happy touring!  I hope the rest of your Tasmania sojourn remains problem free! U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Images courtesy of the ECC.

Club Motori Italia Supersprints: March, 2021 (Midday Session)

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  Club Motori Italia's March 2021 Supersprints were held at the Baskerville Raceway, north of Hobart, Tasmania, on a very pleasant early autumn day.  29 drivers competed in a field of predominantly Japanese marques - leading to some conjecture that the M of CMI might stand for Mazda (😀) - plus a good showing of Italian cars or vehicles belonging to host club members, as well as a sprinkling of German, British, Korean and Aussie makes.   The midday session saw some quite spirited driving, with a couple of close tussles playing out between Michael Watt in his Mazda 3 MPS and Richie Thrimm and Chris Haugland, alternately sharing another Mazda 3; Phil Blake behind the wheel of his OT1600 versus Grant Woolnough in his Cortina; and Ian Bridge taking on James Quinn, with the former in an RX2 and the latter in an MX5.  Thanks for the show!      Allan Van Dullemen was driving his Starion like he'd stolen it, only to withdraw with mechanical issues a...