Posts

Showing posts from May, 2017

1973 Leyland P76

Image
Leyland P76s are very rarely seen anymore, but this one is actually the second one I've seen in the past month or so. Spotted in St. Kilda, Melbourne, this one sports New South Wales plates, and a very ugly front bull bar. The condition is remarkable for a 44-year-old car - it was probably restored at one point. 18,000 of these were sold in total in Australia - who knows how many remain in existence today?  

1985 Rover Quintet

Image
A rebadged Honda, the Rover Quintet was only sold in Australia from 1983-1985, making it very rare. This particular car spotted in the wealthy suburb of Toorak, Melbourne, was in very good condition despite being 31 years old. The car still has the original front plate, but the rear one is a replacement (due to the missing "Garden State" slogan from the bottom). You can see that the front bumper was replaced at some point, as it's a much darker colour than the rear bumper and side trim. Update: today (May 30), I was browsing Google Maps street view, and found another Rover Quintet in the small town of Hamilton, Victoria! (see photo below). This image was taken in 2010, however, so who knows if the car still exists today? Quite a remarkable coincidence, that I happen to spot one in real life one day, and then the very next day, I find another online on Google Maps!  

1981 VC Holden Commodore

Image
While late 80s Commodores (VL/VN) are still seen quite often on the roads in Australia, the early 80s models are becoming extremely rare. Unlike the Kingswoods of the 1970s, the VB/VC Commodores are not considered particularly interesting/valuable. As such, when you see one, such as this one spotted in the wealthy suburb of Armadale, Melbourne, it's usually completely unrestored. Aside from the faded paint (a fault of Holden build quality of the era, not the owner), the car itself is in quite good condition considering it's 36 years old (built the same year I was born!). There are no dents or scratches to be seen. This is the mid-range "SL" model, and automatic, as most were.