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 m...

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 Caulfiel...

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.