Old cars in Australia, revived

Exactly one week after spotting a 1980 Mazda 626 in a front yard in Caulfield, I spotted yet another 1979 model, in, you guessed it, Caulfield! Could this suburb be the official home of Melbourne's oldest cars? Pulling into a supermarket car park, I thought that this must surely be the same car I saw last week, but looking at the plate, I realised it wasn't. Though not quite in as good condition as the other 1980 model, it still isn't bad considering it's age. The location here also allowed me to get a good photo of the rear.

The Camry was first introduced in Australia in 1983, and only offered as a hatchback (a sedan was offered overseas). It was fully imported from Japan, unlike most cars at the time which were made in Australia. As a result, it was quite expensive and never sold well. Toyota offered the locally-built Corona in the mid-size segment, which was available as a sedan or wagon and was much, much more popular. The Camry, on the other hand, was positioned as a more upmarket premium offering, with advanced features (for the time) such as fuel injection and front-wheel-drive. It wasn't offered as a sedan so as not to compete with the Corona, rather, it was introduced to prepare Australians for the upcoming second generation model in 1987, which would be built in Australia and replace the Corona. First generation models are quite rare (unlike the 1987 onwards models, which are still everywhere) but there are some still floating around, such as this early '87 model photographed in Caulfield.

Spotted in the western suburbs of Melbourne - this pristine condition, Australian-built 1982 Corolla sedan. Unfortunately, this is an "in car" shot, as I was in a rush to be somewhere at the time and didn't get a chance to take more photos. It truly is hard to believe the condition of this 35-year-old car - it looks almost new. The plate, however, is not original, but a replacement (it seems that Victoria is no longer re-issuing the A-series plates in the original green on white colours). Unlike the 1985 onwards front-wheel-drive Corollas, which are still fairly common, these pre-85 rear-wheel-drive models are almost never seen on the roads anymore. All 1982 model sedans were fitted with 1.3 litre engines. Interestingly, at this time, Corollas were only available as a sedan or wagon in Australia. The first hatchback Corolla wouldn't go on sale until 1985. Corollas were built in Australia for over 30 years - from 1967 until 1999.

Spotted on a lovely sunny winter's day in Caulfield was this beautiful 37-year-old 1980 Mazda 626. These first generation 626s (which, unlike later models, were only available as a sedan) went on sale in Australia in November 1978, and are very rarely seen anymore. Unlike the majority of cars in Australia at that time, which were built locally, Mazdas have always been fully imported. Maybe the Japanese build quality is the reason why it's held up so well over the years. The yellow paint seems to be in pretty good condition, with some fading on the bonnet and roof, but still looking good as new on the side panels (see reflection in the paint!). Also features dual side mirrors, and original "Garden State" plate, which means there's a chance this could be a 1 owner vehicle. Sadly, registration expired 4 weeks prior - hopefully not for good! Note: exactly one week after spotting this car, I saw another 1979 model in the same colour, also in Caulfield! (see my other

In my final "time warp" series, I present this 1975 HJ Statesman, photographed on January 18, 2009 at the Coles supermarket car park on Glenferrie Road, Malvern. While 1970s Holdens are not particular rare, most of the ones you see today are restored and driven by enthusiasts, and tend to be Kingswoods or Premiers, rather than the long-wheelbase models. This 34-year-old car looks to be in original condition, with vinyl roof, obligatory tow bar, and front sun visor. Even the pre-1978 black and white plates on the car are original (cars with these plates are rarely seen anymore). It sure does look very out of place amongst the newer cars in this trendy area.

On August 21, 2008, I was absolutely stunned to see this Rambler Matador wagon parked on Alma Road, St. Kilda East. These Ramblers were assembled in Australia up until 1978, in relatively small numbers. Seeing one of the road today is literally a once in a lifetime event - this is probably the only Rambler I've ever seen in person in Australia, that I can remember. Sadly, being 32 years old at the time, it's condition is quite average - looking very worn and tired. I expect it would have only lasted a few more years after I took this photo before being scrapped or left to rust somewhere.

Photographed on August 10, 2008 in Caulfield, Melbourne, was this circa-1976 Datsun 120Y coupe, known in the USA as the "B210". I don't have much to say about this one, as my knowledge on 1970s Datsuns is not great. Current registration status is unknown...but I suspect it has gone to car heaven.

Photographed on August 21, 2008, on Alma Road, St Kilda East, Melbourne: this exceptionally rare, then 34-year-old 1974 Datsun 260C! I am assuming it's a 1974 model, as that's when the plate "LXE" was issued, however, registration on this car has long expired, as you would expect. These models were fully imported, not built in Australia as most cars were at the time. This might be the reason why it held up so well over the years? The 260C was the successor to the 240C, and was itself replaced with the 280C, and in 1984, finally, the 300C. A truly unique find - I doubt I will ever come across another one again. Incidentally, this car was parked right near a 1976 Rambler Matador wagon (see my other post) - so someone on that street had a love of old cars!

Back in 2008, I got the idea of photographing old cars, long before starting this blog of mine. Back then, there are many more 1970s cars on the roads than there are today, so I will share some of the interesting ones I photographed. In the days before smart phones and super cheap cameras, I was only able to take limited photos, as I didn't always have a camera with me. I also tended to take photos from within my car, using zoom, rather than actually getting out and photographing the cars from multiple angles. Anyway, enjoy the next few posts from last decade!

Spotted on the Nepean Highway, Elwood was this 1981 Mitsubishi Colt with manual transmission. These Colts were built in Australia between 1981 and 1989; seeing one of them still on the roads today is rare, let alone an early '81 model! Like most old cars I've spotted recently, the condition is excellent - no visible dents or scratches, or fading/peeling of the paint. This car has dual side mirrors - quite uncommon in small cars at the time. All 1981 models were GLX grade, equipped with 1.4L engines, with either a 4-speed manual or 3-speed auto. The initial "RA" model featured rectangular sealed-beam headlights - these didn't last long, being replaced with larger composite lights in the late '82 "RB" model update, along with extra model grades. Update: several weeks later, this same car was spotted again during the day parked on Park Street, South Melbourne, about 8km away.