There is also a very famous institution here in Adelaide called Vili's Cafe de Wheels, where you can buy (and consume) really great meat pies and other food. This morning I went out for a coffee at Vili's with my buddy Steve, and co-incidentally just after I arrived people started turning up in the very first model Holdens, the 48-215 (or FX) and it's successor, the FJ. I had my DLSR in the car, so took advantage and some pictures, a few of which I have here for you today!
First to arrive was this very original (apart from the paint, I think) 48-215. I had a quick chat with the owners, and the engine is the original 132cubic inch (about 2 litre) in-line 6. They called these a "Grey Motor" You guess why![imgur id=1YNNBDf.jpg]
The most obvious difference between this 48-215s and an FJ is the Grill. Chromework is very nice on this car![imgur id=3pwTFS0.jpg]
Just in front of the Green 48-215 was this very shiny Black FJ. Black and Chrome always looks great![imgur id=uCz8KFK.jpg]
Closer inspection showed that this is probably an older restoration, but it still looked fantastic, and was beautifully prepared, like all of the cars.[imgur id=upxttEu.jpg]
While I was taking some photos of the black car, this lovely yellow FJ rolled up and parked. Lowered, and smaller wheels give this car a great stance. Very nice![imgur id=2h324o3.jpg]
See the difference in the Grill? I think the FJ looks a bit more modern, but both versions suit the car pretty well I think.[imgur id=9pIWpJR.jpg]
In our great Car Museum at Birdwood there is a video that runs through the testing that was done for these cars, including sending examples to the U.S. where Chev were so impressed that they considered replacing their locally built cars with them.[imgur id=ppJ69lr.jpg]
The next car to arrive was this Grey 48-215. Really straight car. The colour was an original one I believe, there used to be lots around painted like this.[imgur id=BF37SE1.jpg]
It doesn't look very happy from this angle, does it? A wee bit sad?[imgur id=o0P6IVr.jpg]
They're arriving faster than I can photograph them! I really liked this 56 FJ.[imgur id=3eaK4vY.jpg]
These interiors were functional, but boy, they look plain nowadays, don't they?[imgur id=gKrOhQc.jpg]
The old-school Chromies look fantastic, and really suit the car I think.[imgur id=6jZLQFG.jpg]
Parked on the other side of the road was this cool blue FJ![imgur id=6UFer91.jpg]
Super, super clean car - apart from a little bit of rust on the headlight cowels..[imgur id=4GchcU2.jpg]
This FJ had every accessory known to man - including fluffy dice!! Loved it![imgur id=UnKbY8w.jpg]
I hope you enjoyed a look at all the Old Holdens! You really don't see many on the roads these days, so kudos to the owners who spent hours and hours polishing them and bringing them out! I'm sure you all enjoyed your breakfast in Vili's!
There are more pictures HERE
The Tour was set up with a Start/Finish Line for the leisurely drive around the picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula. No breakdowns were reported.[imgur id=kzibYKM.jpg]
And when the Tour finished the cars were parked on the Victor Harbour Oval for display. This is when I arrived, to take some pictures![imgur id=eVEYZtW.jpg]
First up were some stylish Mark 2 Jaaaaaaaaaags, like this one. The colour really suited it, I thought.[imgur id=hP3nZJ9.jpg]
And White always looks great, of course. This is another Mark2 Jag.[imgur id=SB6z0Y4.jpg]
Moving right along, here is a very nice XJ6. These never seem to look old. do they? Timeless styling.[imgur id=bhS94BK.jpg]
Not QUITE so sure how I feel about this one.. Different?? 🙂 Very well presented though.[imgur id=bTOAFsg.jpg]
A very nice XJ-R.. I really like these, the ultimate XJ...[imgur id=DfDQxYa.jpg]
And a gorgeous XK-R.. Love the stainless grill.. So much sleek![imgur id=XY2v5tv.jpg]
An XJ-S rounds out the "modern" Jags. These are pretty cheap to buy still, but they'll go up..[imgur id=jgNKAhJ.jpg]
There were a few XK120/140's on show, including this spectacular 120. What a machine![imgur id=H2c970d.jpg]
This AMAZING Mark 4 Jaguar has had a whole bunch of work done to it, it really looked fantastic.[imgur id=NuJLPcg.jpg]
[aesop_content color="#ffffff" background="#333333" columns="1" position="none" imgrepeat="no-repeat" disable_bgshading="off" floaterposition="left" floaterdirection="up" revealfx="off" overlay_revealfx="off"]There are some SPECTACULAR E-Types, but I'm going to save them for last.. Keep reading![/aesop_content]
Here's something you don't see too often - lovely Jensen Interceptors! They were fitted with big-block Chrysler engines from the US, and were pretty amazing in their day. Definitely wouldn't mind one of these in the shed![imgur id=0GRE3Lx.jpg]
Bond? James Bond? This Lotus Esprit was in beautiful condition, Bond would have been proud..[imgur id=phQfQzk.jpg]
This 1933 Crossley was very pretty too. Extremely stately![imgur id=5gn4GQm.jpg]
Here's a very bright and cheery Austin 7! Very cool little car, just 7hp ![imgur id=MWjcUwR.jpg]
One of several VERY lovely Austin-Healey 3000's.. These are bringing really good money now, and they really epitomise the British Sports Car to me.[imgur id=ExYtS8F.jpg]
There were quite a few Triumph Stags too. SOME SAY that they can be a tad unreliable. They sure look great though![imgur id=TvRW6VC.jpg]
Lots and lots of cracking Mini's (the REAL ones!) including this very neat Ute. Too cool for school![imgur id=5wHESAR.jpg]
Opposite the Minis was a whole row of brilliant looking MG's, including this TD, which just REEKS British Sports Car! This would have been built in the early 1930's.[imgur id=8nLpgT9.jpg]
Here's a very nice old Singer.. these had a really good reputation way back.. Not too many around these days, I shouldn't think.[imgur id=u5RU6Lv.jpg]
There were probably more MGBs here than anything else. Not complaining, just saying! This one looked fantastic![imgur id=XT9MoaS.jpg]
And no British show would be complete without a Roller or two! I loved the number plate on this Silver Shadow. The owners seemed to be enjoying their lunch too, no doubt using the picnic set which came with the car.[imgur id=F7lFzu2.jpg]
You don't see many Morgans around either.. This was nice. If you look closely at the badges on the bumper the one on the passenger side depicts the famous three-wheeler from the same maker.[imgur id=rpwjltz.jpg]
There were Rovers too! I don't mind the old Rovers... here's a 75![imgur id=DJlSdAa.jpg]
[aesop_content color="#ffffff" background="#333333" columns="1" position="none" imgrepeat="no-repeat" disable_bgshading="off" floaterposition="left" floaterdirection="up" revealfx="off" overlay_revealfx="off"]I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR THE E-TYPES, AND YOU KNOW I LOVE TO PLEASE.. SO HERE YOU GO![/aesop_content]
I don't think I've ever seen one in this powder blue colour - just stunning![imgur id=trX7c23.jpg]
Despite the number plate, this is a Series 2. This cost $7,600 new. Not a bad investment if you only knew![imgur id=Evc6lkB.jpg]
My favourite E-Type![imgur id=sZlz6By.jpg]
The beautiful, stunning, spectacular Series 3 V-12 E-Type! This was the last update of the E-type. It's very hard to find an angle that doesn't look amazing[imgur id=eVDy11g.jpg]
Here's the white 6 Cylinder (4.2l) entering the display area.[imgur id=jE2lC1i.jpg]
One more![imgur id=zX6YB91.jpg]
Stunning in white, this is a 6-cylinder Series 3. Some say that they were better balanced, even though not nearly as powerful as the V-12.[imgur id=kOFkOtu.jpg]
And that's all folks.[imgur id=UtMGd8M.jpg]
I hope you've enjoyed our visit to the British Classic Tour. If you're in the vicinity I suggest you check it out yourself next year!
If you wish to look through the rest of the pictures I took (LOTS more cars!) Then Click Here!
The Geraldine Motor Museum didn't look like too much from the outside, but we had a couple of hours to spare, and the entry fee was very reasonable....so.. in we go!
[imgur id=c1R3rG0.jpg]
[aesop_content color="#030000" background="#ffffff" columns="1" position="none" imgrepeat="no-repeat" disable_bgshading="off" floaterposition="left" floaterdirection="up" revealfx="off" overlay_revealfx="off"]A bit of a chat with the lovely chap on the door (everyone in New Zealand was VERY nice to us!) and it turns out that the museum belongs to the local Car Club, and the members own all the vehicles. What a great idea, somewhere to store your cars AND have them on display for people to look at.[/aesop_content]
First impressions : The museum is crowded, and definitely built and run on a budget. But there are some nice old cars here, and there are no pretensions or salesmanship at all. This 1912 Overland looks very nice in Yellow.[imgur id=S3LFF7g.jpg]
This 1910 Bianchi must have have been quite the thing when it was new. Lot's of Horse Carriage influence here still.[imgur id=crFq120.jpg]
And look at the lovely polished chest on the back! And the gold-plated door handles. I bet this cost a small fortune back in 1910.[imgur id=ctxekOL.jpg]
This Rolls-Royce really took my fancy, to the point I tried to buy it. Sadly, the owner wouldn't part with it - he'd only just bought it a few months earlier. What a beautiful machine![imgur id=hZlayn7.jpg]
Typical of many of the cars here, this 1907 De Dion Bouton was in original unrestored condition. I find it so easy to look at a piece of history like this and imagine what it must have been like when it was new, and simply amazing to everyone.[imgur id=2CnnGQW.jpg]
New Zealand was always closely tied to England and this is reflected in their motoring heritage, like this Humber Bicycle. Humber went on to make some really beautiful cars. Check out the Headlight, which I assume was gas-powered.[imgur id=0uq5nIe.jpg]
This 1913 Morris Oxford had been beautifully restored to running condition. It is an extremely early example, being the 322nd car built by Morris.[imgur id=Sf7oiBP.jpg]
Another lovely old Morris, 1925 "Bullnose" model.[imgur id=ON4ZNqU.jpg]
And here's a 1929 Ford "New Beauty". I'm guessing that's a NZ thing, I've never heard of it before (not a big Ford fan though).[imgur id=B62dJRt.jpg]
There is LOADS of other stuff here too, like this bi-plane. Have a search for the plane rego : ZK-ABZ - rather interesting history (a bit morbid maybe). It's a 1929 Simmons Spartan, believed to be the only one left IN THE WORLD.[imgur id=CHSevmh.jpg]
We have vintage Racecars too! This is a 1929 Triumph Gloria, much modified, evidently.[imgur id=nbYeAJ0.jpg]
Plenty of old Trucks here too, many of them having been in Geraldine since they were new, and boasting lots of history. If only they could talk![imgur id=X6a8l3g.jpg]
Gee, this 1921 Delage is very nice! I really have to get something like this in my garage again.[imgur id=rAGMZYg.jpg]
Dozens of lovely die-cast models around the place too. These are VERY collectible these days.[imgur id=vKoUpTf.jpg]
There are quite a few sheds here. The next one I wandered into was full of Tractors, most of them restored, and looking ready to get back to work at a moments notice![imgur id=ANC3Pwy.jpg]
Next shed - lots of Motorcycles, including some VERY quirky stuff that was certainly new to me. I love the Hearse at the left of this picture![imgur id=vLzFmu2.jpg]
Motorhome anyone? This Gypsy Wagon was built in 1929, and based on an International chassis. How cool is this?[imgur id=gtbBCvA.jpg]
And a couple of very original looking Model T Fords. Driven here straight from the farm, I suspect :)[imgur id=NVAPJYB.jpg]
Getting to the newer stuff now, like this 1950 Daimler, which boasted a straight eight cylinder engine and was used by Royalty on a visit to New Zealand.[imgur id=2jl6sSK.jpg]
Aussies will like this, probably. A 1968 Holden Monaro GTS. This is a special edition, quite rare. Worth about as much as a new Ferrari, probably.[imgur id=P9eWnxp.jpg]
They could have used this when the Museum burned down years ago! Too soon? Sorry...[imgur id=j1ZcLCw.jpg]
Another hall, some really nice 60's British cars like this Vauxhall Cresta. These were pretty flash in the day, and were about as American as a British car got, I think.[imgur id=m83gr7H.jpg]
And of course, we have Jaaaaaaaaaaaags! This beautiful E-Type Roadster can park in my garage any day it likes![imgur id=v46jh7K.jpg]
Here's another Jaaaaaag, an XK150s which is just stunning. The 150 was the last of this body style before the E-Types arrived.[imgur id=DGvmON4.jpg]
[aesop_content color="#030000" background="#ffffff" columns="1" position="none" imgrepeat="no-repeat" disable_bgshading="off" floaterposition="left" floaterdirection="up" revealfx="off" overlay_revealfx="off"]As usual, I have only shown a very small sample of what is on offer here at Geraldine. I found the Museum a breath of fresh air - no airs and graces, just loads and loads of great cars in a humble setting. I really loved that the cars are owned and cared for by locals and they chose to make them accessible to the public. If you're ever driving around New Zealand (A holiday I HIGHLY recommend, btw) then I would suggest you schedule a couple of hours to pop into Geraldine and wander around the Museum - It's Brilliant![/aesop_content]
In my quest to visit and photograph every Car Museum IN THE WORLD I thought I'd better find out where they all are. In my over-achieving style I have starting building a database of museums, sorted by country/region. Early days yet, I've hardly touched the USA for instance, but you can find the list at This Spot. If you know of any I've missed, please let me know as I'd love to keep building the list.
[aesop_content color="#ffffff" background="#333333" columns="1" position="none" imgrepeat="no-repeat" disable_bgshading="off" floaterposition="left" floaterdirection="up" revealfx="off" overlay_revealfx="off"]Everything about my visit to Lakeland was good, starting with it being easy to find, and plenty of free parking available right across the private road from the entrance.[/aesop_content]
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[aesop_content color="#ffffff" background="#333333" columns="1" position="none" imgrepeat="no-repeat" disable_bgshading="off" floaterposition="left" floaterdirection="up" revealfx="off" overlay_revealfx="off"]This time we're going into the Grand Prix Collection at Donington Raceway!
To be perfectly honest, I didn't have high expectations of this excursion. I expected a nice little collection of F1 cars and paraphernalia, maybe a couple of videos. Boy, was I wrong!! Come join me as my horizons are expanded.
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Located in beautiful Derbyshire, the Museum sits within the confines of the Grand Prix complex. As I was driving in and out there were numerous Astons, Jags, Ferraris and Porsches moving around - it would be an interesting place to do some serious car-spotting I think. Anyway, let's go in!
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In that article, I mentioned that I'd taken pictures in the Engine Hall. I kept them out of that piece because I figured most people wouldn't be overly impressed by an engine sitting on a stand. For those brave few who ARE interested, here we go! The other article is HERE if you haven't seen it already.
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A couple of months ago I started spending a bit of time on Drivetribe.com, which is the website owned by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May - formerly of Top Gear fame, and the hosts of The Grand Tour.
As well as finding the moderators and (most) users extremely welcoming and hospitable I have really been enjoying my interaction with the site, to the point I have started writing some articles based on my visits to car museums and local (South Australian) events.
I'll most likely start to reproduce and expand upon the theme here, but if you'd like to view my work, go join up to Drivetribe. It is a very different site from what you are used to, as it is very social media like, but without the inane and mindless drivel that is the norm on other sites. It takes a bit of getting used to, and finding your way around, but there is a LOT of stuff on there that will please anyone interested in cars and everything associated with them.
I recently took advantage of one of the newest additions to the museum, and so got some pictures of the AMAZING Bugatti Veyron.
I added a new photo album - a bit special, this one really, Mark's Hondas.
It also made me realise that the is the first time I've taken any photos of cars/bikes this. Must try harder!
I've added quite a few new Webcams to the Cameras Page.
There are some amazing wildlife ones on the African countries, best viewed when it is night-time there as the animals come out to eat and drink after dark!
On the Menu Bar to the right of Blog you will see an Icon.
That Icon toggles between Light and Dark Modes.
Enjoy!
Dave
Welcome to the New Site!
There is lots of stuff to explore here, I'll highlight parts every now and again!
Come back soon!
Dave