Upper Middle Petrol Head:

  The Canberra correspondent filed these images of an immaculate Mini Moke from Bermagui on the New South Wales south coast, suggesting that the idyllic seaside town was that state's own version of Tasmania's Bicheno.  I certainly can't disagree with that, both towns being very, very picturesque.     Places like Bermagui and Bicheno are also the natural environment of the Moke, which was once popular up and down Australia's entire eastern seaboard, with especially large concentrations of them in Queensland where they were popular as hire vehicles.  However, it's unlikely that they'll ever make much of a comeback as rentals - even to a niche market - given their lack of anything even approaching the safety features required of today's cars.   Mamby-pamby safety issues aside, I'd love to have a Moke in my stable!  There's very little to break on them.  How can you beat a car so basic that it doesn't even have doors? And speaking of doors, I'm n

October 2020's Classics by the Beach featured lots of precipitation but not very many cars.  However, the quality of those few vehicles that did attend was actually pretty good, as shown by this fabulous Alfa 33 Quattro. Hobart being the country town that it is, I have known about the car for a while now but hadn't yet clapped eyes on it.  My understanding is that its current owner sold it several years ago, then found it languishing, neglected, in a paddock , so he bought it back and restored it with his father. The quality of the duco is first rate, as is the car's general presentation.  The white teledial wheels and yellow of the fog lights contrast beautifully with the rosso corse colour scheme, while the front is nicely complemented by what might (?) be a Zenda-style* front bumper / spoiler.  I'd hazard a guess that the rear bumper is an aftermarket item, too. The interior looks to be standard Alfa of the era, although it does have a nice Momo Corse steering wheel

If Queen Liz thought 1992 was an annus horibillus , I'd like to know how she refers to 2020!  Annus bloody terribillus doesn't seem quite adequate and I'm not sure Her Majesty's vocabulary extends far enough into expletive territory to do the year's total faecality proper justice.  Let's pretend that I'm not a potty-mouthed lout, predisposed to gratuitous use of the F-word, and go with thoroughly egregious ! One of the most thoroughly egregious things about this very, very egregious year - for me and my fellow motoring fans, at least - has been the cancellation of all our favourite events.  Targa Tasmania and Targa Wrest Point both fell victim to the C-word, as did the Baskerville Historics.  The Picnic at Ross didn't eventuate, either.        Possibly even worse for southern Tasmanian motorsports fans was that Club Motori Italia's Lufra Hillclimb, which regular readers might remember is one of my all time favourite outings, also got knocked on the h