Yes, it is Motorclassica time again, and as always the event starts with a parade of some of the display cars through the centre of Melbourne on their way to the Royal Exhibition Building. This year I was able to catch some of the cars on their way from the starting point at the Docklands, including this Amphicar; possibly the first example to drive through Melbourne!
After a pair of Jaguar XK150s and an E-Type, we have a Jaguar 420G acting as an escort to a trio of Bugatti Type 23s. One of the features at the show this year was the 50th anniversary of the Bugatti Owner’s Club of Australia.
I don’t think I could leave out a shot with one of Melbourne’s famous trams alongside this 1921 Ballot 2LS. The history of the car is pretty extraordinary, as it has been in one family ownership since 1927, it has racing history at Brooklands and still retains its original paint. There is some crazing, which is understandable on a 94-year old car!
Incidentally if you want to ride on one of these W-class trams, you don’t need to leave North America; they can be found in Memphis, Dallas, Savannah, San Jose and San Francisco as seen above. Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world, with 250 km (155 mi) of tram lines, nearly 500 trams in service and over 180 million fares per year.
The Ballot 2LS is also the first commercially-available car with DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder, with over 100 built. Other racig cars such as Peugeot and Miller pre-dated it but were not built in quantity. The 2-litre engine produces 75 bhp, enough for a top speed of 95 mph; quite impressive for 1921.
Here is a 1937 SS 100 sports car passing the 1856 State Library of Victoria. The car sat for 53 years, before being exhumed and restored in the last 10 years. The library on the other hand has been in continuous use!
Another really interesting car is this 1953 Alvis TA21 with a body by Hermann Graber of Switzerland. The car was delivered to Graber’s on New Years Day in 1954 and was shown at the 1954 and 1955 Geneva Motor Shows, the second time in the configuration seen today. In between it was traded back to Graber’s in the 1960’s and after Graber’s death it spent time in Wales and Saudi Arabia before coming to Australia.
Again the beautiful Library forms a backdrop for a 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 limousine. This car has an interesting story in that it was originally built with a Hooper cabriolet body, which was replaced with a sedan body when it was imported to Australia in 1934. Actually this would not be so unusual, because I expect what was originally an indulgent car (cabrio) that would have been a low-mileage, valuable used car was often converted to something more practical by a subsequent owner. It is only in more recent years when the cars became classics that it became common for body swaps to go the other way.
We are now in Rathdowne St, Carlton, where there were some more Rolls Royces, including a 1928 Phantom I tourer, 1938 Phantom III Sedanca de Ville and 1939 Wraith.
A 1954 Chevrolet Corvette heads north up Rathdowne St.
Now we have a 1932 Dodge Brothers DL sedan leading a 1925 Hudson Super Six. The Dodge is an unrestored 20,000 mile car that was last registered in Pennsylvania in 1946, while the Hudson has been fully restored and featured in some period TV dramas.
The 1939 Rolls Royce Wraith turns into the Royal Exhibition Building entry, followed by a Morgan Aeromax and a 1934 MG NA Magnette.
A Maserati Mexico approaches the Royal Exhibition Building.
Not all the cars were exotics, such as this 1962 Chevrolet Impala. This is an original RHD car sold new in Melbourne that spent most of its life in a small country town, has had two owners and has been fully restored.
One of the most popular classic Ferraris was represented with this 1963 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta, the fact that the great designer Battista Pininfarina had one as his personal car says volumes.
This fantastic 1934 Bentley 3-1/2 Litre drophead coupe (Park Ward body) followed a coachbuilt Series 3 Continental sedan.
Another stunning car on the tour was this 1935 Cord 812. It is part of a fantastic collection that was recently featured on the local TV show “Man and Machine”
On the south side of the building we have diverse group with a Citroen 2CV, 1955 Austin Healey 100 and 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS, one of the actual cars used in the Magnum PI TV show.
A 1974 Lancia Stratos prepares to enter the REB, with a 1970 Fiat Dino Spyder in the background. Both cars were part of the 50 years of Dino display, being powered by the Dino V6 engine.
A fantastic array of cars took part in the Tour, and while you might find it strange that in some cases priceless cars were driven through a major city centre, between the dense traffic and the 40 km/h (25 mph) speed limit even the oldest cars (1920s) weren’t out of their depth, and the short 4 kilometre (2.5 mi) route was not too taxing even for the diminutive Fiat 126 tasked with towing the promotional trailer. We’ll get into the show and unofficial CC meet-up next time…
I recognize a lot of the streetscapes, some nice quite rare cars there too Ballots and Bugattis dont get seen everyday in traffic, That Graber Alvis is unusual, Graber built Alvis open top cars mostly rather than sedans, nice I look forward to whats inside.
What an eclectic assortment of cars! I find myself oddly drawn to the Alvis.
One has to wonder what the survival rate is on Amphicars. I have read they were world-class rusters with many falling victim to it, but it doesn’t seem too difficult to find one. Just a few weeks ago I encountered one for sale in St. Louis.
Someday I’m going to buy a home in a nice, English speaking country in the Souther Hemisphere and have a perpetual summer. Despite all the urban, these shots of Melbourne are showing me a very beautiful city.
I had many of my university exams in the Exhibition Building — mixed feelings seeing it again. But nice to see Melbourne featured here.
I know the feeling! For me, the beauty of the surroundings overcame the horrors lurking on the exam papers. But that was 40 years ago.
That was so nice, a treat. Exotic locale and cool cars all in one article.
Thanks for putting that together, you should be on the City of Melbourne payroll! Cars, by their nature I guess, always look so much better in dynamic shots than as static/embalmed displays. The big Rolls Royce cars are the prime example, standing beside them (dwarfed by them, actually) you just don’t have a sense of how appear in their natural habitat.
The green and white tram with the gold coloured roof I saw in one picture looks very much like what we have here in Seattle. They run up and down the Seattle waterfront.
That is interesting, I read the line had been removed from service to make way for a tunnel construction. Do you know if they are back in action?
I haven’t visited the Seattle waterfront in a while, so I couldn’t tell you. I hope it hasn’t been removed from service.
CC effect strikes again, been watching The Legacy (AKA The Legacy of Maggie Walsh) with Sam Elliott & Katharine Ross and pretty sure a 39 Rolls Royce is in it.
The Cord and Alvis are stunning looking cars. Thanks for a great read.
That photo array was sheer heaven. A vintage car show with lots of real classics (three Bugatti’s in a row?) and not one stinking muscle or pony car. And nothing street rodded. Amen!!!!! Thank you.
All very nice cars and photos .
For us Yanks , a right hand drive 1962 Impala Hard Top Sedan -is- very exotic =8-) .
-Nate
Wait until you see the mid-70’s Chevy C/K trucks, most of them with the 8-lug hubs. The local wipers arrangement is different than the US ones.
Wonderful and evocative. Great how those rolls-royces look like they belong there.
I’m drawn to the Cord, through lack if familiarity perhaps.
And good to know you can tow with a Fiat 126 – might be useful one day 😉
If it has 4 wheels and an engine, someone will use it for towing here. I’ve seen Festivas with little trailers in the back.
I didn’t take a photo of a trio of scooters that went past towing little advertising trailers! I expect it was the same company that used to do the same with 3 Smart cars.
Perfect angle on the 420G. And the Lusso. Drool.
Really nice assortment of cars and pictures of them. My favorites are the Amphicar and the Lancia Stratosphere. I also learned something new – that big, B-body Chevies had been made in RHD!
Holden did CKD assembly of Chevrolets and Pontiacs from Canada (because they were also part of the Commonwealth) until 1968.
I love the Rolls with the Library building in the background.
Another wonderful background is the RMIT building that is in the corner of Russell and LaTrobe St. I know it is not a classic (yet), but I wish I had popped the camera to picture a WM that was doing a hook turn there. Classy.
Wonderful pictures. I loved the DOHC engine.
What a great assortment of vehicles! Must have been quite an experience to see them in motion and on the roads. And how often does one see sights like three vintage Bugattis? The story of that Ballot sounds amazing too; one family ownership since 1927 and original paint! Wow.