Upper Middle Petrol Head:

And now for something completely different!  Today's Readers' Photos offering comes from some-time UMPH correspondent Michael, who spotted this magnificent Hongqi limousine whilst on a recent trip to China. According to a plaque that proud Chinese officials helpfully placed near the Hongqi, the marque was established in China by the FAW group in 1958 and was the first car to be entirely designed and produced in that country.  They are apparently "regarded as world-class cars," or so the nationalistic plaque-writer would have us believe!   I'm not sure just how world-class Hongqi cars really are.  However, I would hazard to guess they're probably very robustly built and that, as a symbol of Chinese aspiration, the CA7560 limousine is hugely likely to be beautifully  finished,  too. Of course, a limousine is not the sort of vehicle your average bicycle-riding Chinese peasant is ever going to own.  Again quoting the plaque, the CA7560 was a "

When the Italian Correspondente isn't overseas seeing the world's best cars, they come to him, right here in Tasmania!  This immaculate, very original Mini Cooper S is a case in point and would appear to have been captured whilst Team GTV have been putting in the hard yards on his lovely Alfa (if you haven't already, please see  https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-work-in-progress-2-italian.html?q=alfa and  https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-work-in-progress-21-italian.html?q=dodge ) . I'm not in the habit of consuming my meals from anything but well-washed crockery or, at a pinch, a sterile takeaway container.  However, I've now got a better handle on the whole so clean you could eat your dinner off it thing, as the MIni's engine bay really does convey a genuine sense of catering-grade cleanliness.  The rest of the car's similarly beautifully presented.   Do you have car photos you'd like to s

Team GTV put another big weekend into the Italian Correspondente's Alfa, having excised more small areas of rust, welded in new metal, and ground, filled, sanded and primed affected panels.  There's still a lot of work to be done.  However, the restoration's been going well, with no major surprises, so - fingers crossed - the car might be back on the road within the next few months.  The fact that it was a straight, solid base vehicle to start with helps, too ; there's nothing irretrievably broken, worn out or missing to derail the operation.         Above and below:  passgenger-side sill repairs. Further pre- and in-progress restoration photos of this car are available elsewhere on uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.  Simply use the search facility - the magnifying glass icon - in the top right corner of the main page and type in Alfa GTV or The Italian Correspondente to locate them or, if you're so inclined, check out the rest of

Regular UMPH readers might remember that I'm not kindly disposed to newer Toyotas, having described them - unflatteringly but not unreasonably, I'd suggest - as appliances.  Here's why:  This late 70s' Celica is a car of rare beauty, featuring  sweeping Coke bottle styling comprised of  a gorgeous long bonnet, a raked windscreen, a perfect low roof line and bobbed tail.  It's as iconic now as it was fifty-odd years ago when it set a new benchmark, not only for Japanese design, but for coupes from all corners of the globe.  It's everything that newer offerings from Toyota aren't and never will be!   The car shown here, captured by local architect and semi-regular UMPH correspondent Mark Drury, was a lovely example of the model.  It certainly doesn't need after-market alloys or any other ostensible mods to make it stand out ; its glossy blue paint, standard wheels, spotless chrome and timeless, elegant design are all that's required.  Way nicer

This LC GTR XU-1 Torana is a real head-turner, featuring deep, lustrous blue duco, glittering chrome and a pristine interior.  It was set off perfectly by a set of Globe Sprintmaster wheels and some era-correct bullet style racing mirrors. What the "208" of the personalised rego plates stands for, I'm not sure.  LC XU-1s were fitted with 186 cu straight six-cylinder motors, with the subsequent LJs having received a larger 202 donk.  Perhaps this car has a bored-out or stroked 202?  (please feel free to enlighten me if you know what the deal is.)   U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

This is what happens every time I think I've cured myself of my classic Land Rover fetish.  Well, maybe a mate doesn't necessarily send me some sexy pics of a Defender he's spotted in Hong Kong but somehow, somewhere, a Landie crops up and reminds me that I really do need to own one.   Why does a slab-sided, basic as a backyard dunny off-roader that's barely changed in sixty years excite me so much?  Maybe that's just it ; perhaps it's because Landies have been such a constant that they've come to epitomise what a proper four-wheel-drive is. It's also quite likely because they're one of the few truly customisable rides left in a world of generic plastic crap!.  A classic Landie is a blokey thing, just begging to have accessories bolted to it, like this example's ancillary lights, bull bar, winch, jerrycan-themed snorkel, big wheels, flares (on flares!), and side-steps.  These are things that men can install themselves using satisfyingl

Progress has continued apace with Operation Alfa having progressed to some rust remediation.  As you can see from the following photos, rotten metal has been completely excised from the trailing edge of the front passenger side guard, with a new section being welded into place, ground back and then sanded smooth.  The rear passenger side guard looks less rot-affected ; it appears that it's been taken back to bare metal but there hasn't been any penetration there.   U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos supplied.