Upper Middle Petrol Head:

I had imagined - naively, it seems - that October, 2021's, faecal weather was unlikely to be rivalled.  But then November followed up with even more cold, wet conditions, none of which were ideal for P3P and its dilapidated, leaky door seals and other vulnerabilities.   However, the many unseasonable downpours and sub-teen temperatures that Tasmania has endured so far this so-called spring has at least provided the opportunity - as unwelcome as it might be - to showcase some of the car's resilience and dogged refusal to behave in a stereotypically Italian automotive fashion.  Exhibit 1:  the fully functional rear demister!   Yes, readers, that beacon-like glow beneath the choke (left) and hand-throttle (right) indicates that the rear screen's defogger has been switched on and, forty five years after my now scabrous 128 emerged shiny and new from its birthplace in Rivalta, Italy, the defrost function still works!  I'd call that ...

It wasn't my intention to make a feature of Ford hardtops and coupes but, somehow - perhaps subconsciously -  that's what I seem to have done at November 2021's installment of Classics by the Beach.  First I succumbed to this Queensland registered Galaxy's gravitational pull, and soon found myself similarly drawn into two magnificent classic Capris' orbits, too.  After that, it was an easy segue to a very, very imposing Mustang that rounded out the theme.   It wasn't just Ford's two door offerings that had me in their thrall, though; save a couple of Jags - an  S -Type and a Mk I, I've been reliably informed - and an HZ Holden, I seem to have continued to focus almost exclusively on two door cars, be they coupes, roadsters or utes.  Again, probably a subconscious thing that's also reflected in the makeup of the combined UMPH collection, with only one of our five vehicles featuring direct rear passenger access. This Fiat 124 BC was particularl...

This stunning EH has all the fruit and more:  awesome duco, sparkling chrome, nifty bonnet louvres, a floor-change 'box, fabulous wheels, and disc brakes all round, as well as all the niceties that accrue from being a top of the line Premier .  Its owner has  contacted me since this was first published and says that its powered by a supercharged 3.8.  It's probably fair to say that it is immaculate and exactly the style of car that special interest registration was intended for, although the owner says he’d describe it as “a neat and tidy cruiser.”  So is it immaculate?   What, exactly, does immaculate  mean?     According to everyone's best friends at Google, the term immaculate is described as "perfectly clean, neat or tidy."  That makes sense, doesn't it? Not if you're administering the special interest provisions of Section 85 of the Vehicle and Traffic (Driver Licensing and Vehicle Registration) Regulations 2021, it seems.  Th...