Upper Middle Petrol Head:

A sunny morning sandwiched between a faecal Saturday and the threat of an even worse Sunday afternoon saw a few hardy souls venture to Sandy Bay for August's Classics by The Beach.  It may not have been the event's biggest ever turn-out but, as usual, that didn't diminish the quality of the cars on display.  Best of British to you! Michael's Austin Healey 300 and a Mk II Jag  No wonder the Mazda MX-5 was an instant classic: pretty from every angle, paying homage to earlier classics - especially the Lotus Elan - with exquisite handling and lively performance to boot. This one's in top nick and is a real credit to its owner.  There's a fairly strong school of thought that the first model, like the one featured here, was the purest and best looking of all the MX-5s but UMPH isn't going to enter into that debate. There's something wonderfully evocative about the magnificent 1968 Ferrari 365 GT shown below.  It somehow combines the s

July's Classics was particularly well attended, especially given that it wasn't the nicest of days, with a sharpish breeze off the River Derwent and not a lot of sun.  It struck UMPH that there was a bit of an Anglo-bent to the assembled cars, although it was far from an all-British affair. The first two cars to take UMPH's eye were these great looking Sprites.  The quality of the restoration of the one on the left - a II or a II/A - was superb, with deep, glossy red paint and excellent attention to detail.  The green III/A on the right was fabulously straight and rust-free.  Its owner, John, told UMPH that he drove it regularly and that it was a reliable, fun car to own. This MGA was also in beautiful condition, with gleaming paint and a very tidy interior. UMPH doesn't know anything about the car, having never seen it before, but he does hope to see more of it around Hobart.  The 3.5 litre Jag featured above was a thing of rare presence an