After a brief hike in the scenic Glass House Mountains, my brother suggested we go to nearby Kilcoy to get some delicious sausage rolls and pies from their bakery. Upon arriving in this bucolic town, we happened across a sign that read “Car Show at Showgrounds.” I wasn’t expecting to see a world-class array of vehicles, thinking that it would be dominated by hot rods and maybe a few Monaros. Although it wasn’t a massive car show and it was starting to wrap up as we got there, I was very pleasantly surprised by the diversity of vehicles. This picture says it all, really: a 1962 Buick LeSabre, a 1979-82 Holden TE Gemini panel van, and a Datsun 280ZX.
I didn’t want to keep my brother and his partner too long as they aren’t automotive enthusiasts. Our short visit, though, did still allow me to take over a hundred photos on my iPhone. I’m surprised that a small regional show had such a good mix of vehicles, so I’m going to have to check out more local shows in future with my hybrid SLR camera in tow. The very first vehicle I saw at this show was this Rambler Rebel parked by the entrance. The Rambler name stuck around longer here, with a few AMC vehicles being assembled from completely-knocked down kits at Australian Motor Industries. This meant you could buy a Rambler Matador and a Rambler Javelin.
This pristine Holden VC Commodore immediately captured my attention and my brother’s. Growing up, my parents had a 1978 VB Commodore 3.3 automatic in chocolate brown until it was stolen. It was replaced by a canary yellow VH Commodore with the smaller 2.8 six but a five-speed stick. Let this picture serve as a teaser for a future article on these handsome early Commodores. This particular example was in base L trim, with the 3.3 six and a three-speed automatic.
MGBs seem to be one of the more common classic cars that I see on the roads, so I don’t really stop to give them a second look. This MG RV8 stood out, though. A whopping 1579 of the 2000 RV8s produced were exported to Japan, due to the Japanese people’s affinity for British vehicles. They were not officially sold in Australia, but obviously some have made their way here. The venerable aluminum 3.9 Rover V8 reappeared in the last of the MGBs, but so did the rear leaf springs and rear drum brakes.
Speaking of MGs that weren’t sold here, I was extremely surprised to see this MG 6. Produced by the Chinese-owned MG Motor, this C-segment compact hatchback is manufactured in Thailand, China and the UK, and exported to various global markets. MG is planning to launch here, which likely explains all the promotional material in the back. The styling of these is fortunately not a tacky retro throwback, but they don’t have a massive amount of presence. Still, these MG 6s – the Magnette name is used for sedans – show promise and apparently handle quite well. They actually share their front subframe with the defunct Rover 75.
There was just one 75 at the show. These 75s were a decent effort but didn’t save the company. They always left me cold, thanks to droopy, ostentatiously retro styling much like the Jaguar S-Type. Like the S-Type, though, the styling improved with facelifts and the addition of performance models. These definitely warrant a detailed article as well, so stay tuned.
One more shot of the 75 is needed though to truly communicate how tacky these looked. I love wood trim in cars and I love pale leather seating surfaces, but this curvy jellybean styling jars terribly.
This classic Rover 3.5 Litre Coupe was more my style. I guess you could call these P5 Rovers ahead of their time, labelling a four-door sedan a “coupe” a good thirty years before Mercedes launched the CLS.
While these are a lot more upright than today’s four-door coupes, that C-pillar is pretty racy. Did Rover get a lot of scorn for daring to call a four-door a coupe?
I was surprised by the number of Buicks at the show. There was this beautiful Wildcat…
…another Wildcat, surprisingly well-suited to its banana cream yellow…
…as well as this 1970-72 GS Stage 1. I much preferred the Cutlass of these years, or the 68-69 Skylark/GS with the bold sweepspear. After 1970, these looked far too bland for Buick: compare and contrast with the Wildcat and its neat detailing. In my opinion, the 1973 Colonnades were a huge improvement stylistically (particularly the short-lived Century GS).
The square gauges were a classy touch, though.
The most elegant Buick on show was this 1965 Riviera. Silver suits the achingly gorgeous lines well. A lot of cars these days are silver with a black interior, but this Riviera shows how that color combination should be done!
The interior was absolutely exquisite. Such a bold design and yet so elegant at the same time.
This 1959 DeSoto Firesweep had some peculiar red trim beneath the door handles, and on the front bumper.
Also note the amber turn signals at the rear.
There were a row of Ford GT40s at the entrance.
There were just as many Pontiac Firebirds as there were Australian cars combined. Interestingly, I saw only one Camaro – a first-generation model – and it was leaving as I was arriving. Obviously, American Curbsiders are probably quite used to seeing Firebirds at auto shows but this was a new experience for me.
Here I am talking about cars that are a dime a dozen in North America, though. So how about something truly Aussie, like this mint-condition Holden Kingswood wagon?
Perhaps a Valiant Toyota Crown ute in period orange is more your style?
I should appreciate these more, but these 1960s Holdens (the maroon wagon and mint green sedan on the right) are just so common in Australia still that I struggle to gather any interest in them. The last of the Torana/Sunbird series would catch my eye on the street, and maybe one of the rarer HZ Holdens of 1977-80. But these? Sorry, I didn’t take too many pictures.
These 1970s Falcons were one of the rare instances where a coupe model was actually produced. Sadly, there were none of the coupes at the show, but there was this XB Falcon GT sedan. It sure must feel weird for you American Curbsiders to see a performance trim on a sedan of this era, and it must also leave you flummoxed to see styling so clearly reminiscent of the contemporary Torino.
A full article is needed on these Leyland P76s to truly do them justice. A family friend is actually a card-carrying member of the P76 Club, so I definitely have access to a lot of historical information. This is a stock paint color, amusingly called Am-I-Blu. While as a kid I didn’t find these too exciting, I now appreciate them for their period styling and their obscurity. Nice cars.
This WB Statesman de Ville was depressing. It was missing trim and had this godawful aftermarket bullbar. I love these WB Statesmans and once contemplated buying one but unfortunately, anything Aussie and halfway interesting from the 1980s and earlier holds its value extremely well.
Japanese cars were not very well-represented – I counted two – but this 1978 Toyota Corona Mk II Grande coupe sure was an interesting sight to behold.
It looks like the Japanese knew how to be Broughmantic, just by looking at that formal grille…
…and these incredibly tacky velour seats. What, no coach lamps?
The French were better represented, with this Renault R8…
…and this Citroen DS ID with incredibly peculiar wheels. I love goddesses but these wheels are hideous.
Finally, as it is Thunderbird week, let us end on this “Bullet Bird”. I’ve always been impressed by the looks of these, but this one just didn’t have much presence in the metal. I blame the red paint job, because bright red is rarely a good colour for cars in my opinion. I also didn’t ogle this for long because right next to it was that 1965 Riviera. It’s funny: GM may have been beaten to the personal luxury punch by Ford, but when they arrived they really brought it.
Um, the orange ute’s a Toyota Crown not a Valiant.
I am a big fan of the 59 DeSoto. A surprising selection of cars at your local show. Thanks for putting this together.
59 DeSoto fan here JP,CC effect strikes again,watching a Buffy the vampire Slayer DVD with Spike driving a 59 DeSoto and Giles a DS.Those Holdens definitely have a Vauxhall/Opel look about them.I’m getting to be quite a fan of Aussie cars,we had a 66 Australian Valiant 4 door 6 when I was a kid.
Thanks for a great article William,I look forward to reading about the P76.
P76 talk on CC is the highway to the dangerzone. Get to the comments and read in amazement as Bryce takes on the acolytes.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/australias-edsel-the-1973-1974-leyland-p76-the-car-that-killed-leyland-australia/
(For the record, I too like the P76)
Has there ever been a CC about an American car that has generated as much heat in the comments? They almost make me ashamed to be Australian.
I think I got the Lincoln fans mad with my comments on the 58 Mk III
I’ve always like the P76 too. I tend to love automotive underdogs though. I was reading through some of my old Wheels mags a few days ago, and I stumbled across early test articles on the P76. Wheels staff thought highly of it, in V8 form at least.
It was the Force 7 coupe that I didn’t care for. The roofline proportions were too odd, similar to how the Rambler Marlin looked.
FWIW, I rather do too, now 🙂 I really didn’t know much about it at all when I wrote that rather hurried piece, but between the comments and from other sources, I’ve come to appreciate what Leyland did with it. Obviously, it did have flaws too, but a rather remarkable effort, considering the circumstance.
It’s funny, but for me the notion of a Thunderbird conjures more excitement than the reality. I like the two seaters, of course, and I like the Bullet Birds until I actually encounter one. For some reason, the styling doesn’t work unless it’s wrapped in a dark color. A black one is lovely, but red or white Bullets don’t grab me. You’re right, the silver Riviera puts the poor ‘Bird in a cage. But the car I’d take home? Give me that Rover P5B, please, although I really would prefer a saloon in Arden Green.
“A full article is needed on these Leyland P76s to truly do them justice.”
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/australias-edsel-the-1973-1974-leyland-p76-the-car-that-killed-leyland-australia/
Aside from the green MG 75 (was the wagon bodystyle sold in Australia? How about the RWD V8 powered model) the car that caught my attention was the beige 2 door Toyota. Those were sold here in the U.S. (I think) although the 4 door variant was vastly more popular than the 2 door and all have pretty much disappeared. Maybe there are still 1 or 2 on the west coast?
BTW, from what I have seen over the years, it looks like Ford in Australia couldn’t decide where to go with styling on the 70s Falcon. “Do we stay with the Falcon look? Go with a Torino look? How about a dash of Mustang to stir up interest?”
The wagon was offered here, but I’ve never seen one. Likewise the V8. Wheels loved the one they tested, but you just knew it wasn’t going to last. There was the same air of hopeful despondency that marked the days of the P76 – “Now we’ve got the product, but will they trust us?”
Regarding the Falcon styling, with the XB model Ford threw an early seventies Barracuda grille into the mix!
Valiant ute? its actually a Toyota Crown, nice selection of cars I like the old VC I had a VH SLX with 3.3 and auto LSD yada yada they were the first Aussie cars that steered properly. Those HD Holdens and EHs were getting thin on the ground in the 90s in Sydney when I rebuilt my EH, HDs rusted out so fast its only in the reallty dry areas they lasted at all Fisher designed bodies with virtually no venting of structures they really didnt like damp or tropical climates uglyness wasnt the only thing that prompted the hasty HR restyle, P76s its nice to see the odd survivor unpopular when new and poorly assembled they didnt stand a chance, Nice Cressida coup’e its not a Corona that was the previous model I know I owned two a coup’e and a sedan.
Bryce that coupe was a JDM import. It was badged a Mark II Grande (and the owner put up a sign saying as such).
I apologise, I saw one the same recently wearing Cressida badging I didnt realise Toyota swapped models around like that.
I was perplexed when I saw it too; I thought Corona was only ever used on the next size down (so Corolla, Corona, Cressida, Crown). One of those weird JDM quirks, the Cressida was related to the Chaser and the Mark II but for many years, they all looked pretty much the same. Part of the whole different dealerships scheme that Mazda also did with Autozam-Efini-Eunos.
Seen only in the background, two different 1950’s Buick 4-door hardtops, the black/light gray/white 55 and the red and white 56 Roadmaster.
I liked that DeSoto sedan a lot too; back in my WPC Club days most of the 59’s I saw were 2-door hardtops in white or another light color with red or orange on the top and between the trim strips.
Great selection. I enjoyed seeing that P76; since I live in the US, I can see all kinds of exotic metal, but I suspect I’ll never get to see one of those in person.
On the Rover 75: I think it’s a rather elegant design, except for the headlight/hood area. Oh, and the terribly bland gearshift surround. Perhaps the bigger issue is that Rovers aren’t supposed to look retro… When I think of big Rovers, I think of the P6, SD1, and 825 (Sterling). They’re supposed to be avant-garde, almost French. (Even that P5 coupe is rather jaunty.)
That silver ’65 Riviera is in a class by itself isn’t it? Makes me proud to be an American car guy.
Rover 75, P5 Coupe, MGB RV8, Leyland P76 – the empire strikes back?
I ahve 75 and P5 CCs in the dark corners of my personal part of the CC skunk works
Can’t wait for the P5 Roger.
Me too. I got a ride in one as a kid – spoiled me for anything else!
I read years ago that Christopher Bailey the fashion designer had a P5 Coupe built over a Range Rover platform. Can’t find any mention of it online, though.
My BIL was parts manager at a Rover shop during the 75 era nice cars then suddenly worthless when the dealers evaporated saw on recently parked next to the crown I posted in a comment rare cars now
Cool selections, that show was a very worthwhile find. Thanks for the article.
The DS is an ID with the single fixing wheels. Early, now rare and very to my taste.
This Sunday there’s an All French Day nearby…trying to entice wife plus visiting sister in law to to go, or at least plan things so I can. Fingers crossed…
Kilcoy? Only an hour away from me. ( 2 in a Camry!) Wish I’d known it was on, I ‘d have taken our Buick along.
Thanks for the story & pics.
Nitpicking here, but the ‘mint condition Holden wagon” looks like a mixture of 2 models.
Paint is Persian Sand, more common on the HJ- HX ( 1974-77) models rather than the HZ (1977-79) that the grill & badges make it out to be. I doubt the colour was available in the HZ range.
The HZ Kingswood SL had full wheel trims as standard, this one has dog dish caps,
and from a HQ Holden (1971-74).
Side moulding is none standard too.
End of rant from semi retiree with too much time on his hands!
Chris, that Kingswood is actually a Kingswood SL. All the SLs I’ve seen have that side strip. The base Kingswood taxis didn’t.
I’m with you on the hubcaps though; they’re definitely the much-easier-to-find HQ caps.
Correction: the Kingswood SL strip was thicker, to visually reduce the effect of the old “eyebrow” side shaping. I’d forgotten about that – old age strikes again! That’ s either an HJ/HX side moulding or something aftermarket. As you said, non-standard.
I reckon aftermarket. The HJ I flipped back in the ’90s had thin side protection mouldings.
Factory, because they had the steel studs in the panels to retain them.
Kingswood SL as you say did have a thicker moulding than the HJ/X models. But not the pictured moulding
Here’s a HZ pic showing the original mouldings & wheel trims.
Which I think are ex Chev Nova of the same era.
‘L’ stripper-spec Commodore is a rare sight these days. And a Gemini van! Welcome back to Australia William. Great selection of cars.
And whitewalls on a Commodore at that – never seen that before! The whitewall era was well and truly over in Australia by the time the Commodore came on the scene.
White walls here used to signify auto trans on GM cars, kinda wore thin on the HQs when you had to specify manual.
Thanks Don! I need to check out more of these shows. I was not expecting to see such an amazing lineup of cars in a small town so close to home. I have to find some kind of calendar so I can check out other events in my neck of the woods.
I’m not surprised to see the bullbar on the Statesman in that area, as they wer the original ‘big’ Holdens in 1984 a lot of people hung onto them for a long time.
Howard they did sell the V8 MG version and the wagon but they probably had more cars in stock than what they had sold when Rover went bust. There was a big sale to get rid of the leftovers, which were cheap but perhaps not enough to make up for no warranty, support or resale. The V8 was one of the more bizarre products ever really.
The zip out rear window in the Crown ute is unusual.
The track width looks awfully narrow on the white Trans Am, I know the snowflakes were used on quite a few Pontiacs in the late 70s so I’m thinking the wheels might be substituted from an H or even a B body, which might have different backspacing. One of the best and totally un-70s like aspects of the F bodies back then was the wheels and tires were to be true to the wide track tradition, pulled right out to the edges, this example reminds me of the early 60s Canadian Pontiacs with the narrow Chevy underpinnings.
It seems there is always a car in the background that piques interest and so with this one: the sixth picture down; there is a car in the left background that I don’t recognize and is neat looking; do you know what that is?
tmt the maroon car is a Bristol 400, not something you would expect to see at a small country town but then they have to live somewhere.