Upper Middle Petrol Head:

Wayne G's monthly car enthusiasts' drives are a permanent fixture on the Hobart classic car calendar.  The format's pretty simple:  Wayne sends out an email advising of the date of the intended drive, which always begins around 11:00 am on a Wednesday and leaves from the C3 church in Anglesea Street, South Hobart (UMPH's pretty sure the event's totally secular, though!).   On the day, participants meet, coffee is consumed (sometimes cake, too) and a route guide and map is provided.  Thereafter, an orderly convoy leaves the church, en route to a pre-arranged lunch venue, usually within 45 minutes' drive of Hobart. This month's drive culminated in a very pleasant lunch at the Lauderdale Tavern, having wound its way over the Tasman Bridge, onto the East Derwent Highway, along the famed Grass Tree Hill Road (a favourite Targa stage), into Richmond Road, and through Seven Mile Beach and Acton.  The cars - Porsches, MGs, MX5s, an Austin Healey,  a Fia

Imagine living in 1950s America when cars like this imposing Cadillac, with its hugely exaggerated tail-fins and rocket-style taillights, ruled that country's roads and highways like some sort of automotive mega-fauna!  Its sheer bulk puts UMPH in mind of a pterodactyls compared to today's more modest-sized vehicles, especially now that exquisite, big-statement styling as gone the way of the ... , mmm, dinosaur! This particular example, affectionately known as Margie , has been a fairly common sight on Hobart's roads for the better part of a decade or so.  It's a lefty, so it's clearly been imported from the USA or possibly some other cack-handed country that deliberately chooses to drive on the incorrect side of the road. There's absolutely no point banging on about the car's perfect duco, acres of glittering chrome and sumptuous interior, or its grace, charm and presence.  It's perfect.  The photos prove it.  Enough said!  

This classic early 70s LC Torana is definitely more survivor car than pampered restoration but that's at least half of its charm.  There was a bit of crazed paint and a hint of bog here and there.  However, it was straight, rust free and complete, with nice chrome and a tidy interior.  Its only ostensible modification - a set of fat steels wheel with chrome caps and rings - were bang-on for the period.  Nice!  There's also a nice LJ Torana in an earlier UMPH post (http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/random-137-lj-torana-s.html), as well as several other examples of the marque scattered through the 'blog.  Just use the search facility (magnifying glass icon) in the top right hand corner of the UMPH banner to find them.    U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) All iPhone images.