March 3, 2013 - Swadeology

Classics By The Beach Car Show – March 2013

So many times I’ve wandered the automotive internets, seen those Cars n Coffee gatherings and thought to myself “why can’t we have a casual car show here in Hobart?” It turns out we DO have such a gathering and it’s called Classics By The Beach, held on the first Sunday of every month.

This morning I took the Alfa for a quick wash and headed on down to Lower Sandy Bay for the show. I was told to be there for a 10am start but despite pulling in at 9:30, there wasn’t a vacant spot in sight. It was a beautiful day in Hobart today so all the classic owners got their cars out nice and early – and what a feast for the eyes it was, too.

Ask your average Aussie what a classic car show looks like and they’ll tell you Ford Falcons and Holden Monaros. None of that local stuff here (well, not much). This was a collection of absolutely amazing cars with the vast majority of them coming from Europe. There were several Jaguars, Rolls Royces, Minis, even a Lamborghini, a Maserati, a very special 1958 Alfa Romeo and a Porsche Spyder.

The calibre of vehicles that are tucked away in such a small city as Hobart never ceases to amaze me. Car culture is alive and well in Tasmania, indeed.

Check out the gallery below. Click to enlarge.

Chevrolet Corvette at Classics by the Beach, Hobart

Classics by the Beach, Hobart

Triumph TR4 at Classics by the Beach, Hobart

Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Just in case you were wondering “where’s the beach?”

Ford Falcon GTA at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Jaguar XJS at Classics by the beach, Hobart

Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Porsche 550 Spyder at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Jensen Interceptor at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Maserati Ghibli SS at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Maserati Ghibli SS at Classics By The Beach Hobart

Alfa Romeo 1750 at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Rolls Royce at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Rolls Royce Gearshift

Rolls Royce Dashboard 1

Rolls Royce Dashboard 2

Rolls Royce Throttle Controls

Rolls Royce at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Bristol 2000 at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

MG TF at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Jaguar E-Type at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

The big and small of British Motoring

Alfa Romeo Giulietta at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

Lamborghini Urraco at Classics By The Beach, Hobart

—

Some special notes:

I believe the Porsche Spyder and the Alfa Giulietta were both just recently acquired by their owners. Most of the guys attending this event come regularly (frequently alternating their cars as most have collections rather than just one), but both of these cars were new to the show.

The dark green Rolls Royce was the star of the show, for me. The condition and the detailing on the car were just amazing. I wish I’d talked to the owner and got some more details. Next time….

Life doesn’t get more 1970’s than an orange Jensen, does it?

The Maserati sounded as good as it looked, though I have to admit the SS badge on the back did remind me of a certain episode of Top Gear 🙂 – this is the real deal, though.

There were no Saabs on display, sadly. I’m going to have to talk to my mate Drew and see if he might be interested in getting his V4 Saab 95 down there. I reckon it’d be a star attraction.

—

Spyker B6 Venator – New at Geneva

Spyker missed the Geneva Motor Show in 2012 due to upheaval caused by the Saab bankruptcy. Spyker chief Victor Muller was busy enough trying to keep the company afloat, let along preparing for a motor show. This year, Spyker are back. They’ve got something new to show, too – the Spyker B6 Venator concept car.

Spyker have so far just teased the press with a few abstract images showing the upper shape and the tail lights of the car. Victor Muller spoke with the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, however, and let a few more clues out – along with a full color image of the car (my guess is it’s a decent CGI).

The Venator (latin for “hunter”) will be about the size of a Porsche Boxster. It will combine both aluminium and carbonfibre construction so as to tip the scales at just under 1,400kg (3080 lbs). Power will be provided by a mid-position 375hp V6 engine of unknown origin run through a six-speed automatic transmission. The usual Spyker interior appointments will make an appearance with plenty of leather, aluminium and of course Spyker’s signature exposed gear linkage.

News outlets have been talking about this car for a few weeks, calling it a rival for the Porsche 911. I asked Victor about that a few weeks ago and he denied it straight-up. He mentions it to the Wall St Journal, too.

“….anybody who says [we’re] going to build a Porsche killer is crazy,” Mr. Muller emphasized.

That’s pretty consistent with Spyker’s brand positioning. They’ve never tried to take on the established supercars in performance terms. They cars are intended more as a high-speed luxury lounge. A well appointed gentleman’s cruiser. BYO smoking jacket for when you exit the car.

Full details about the Spyker B6 Venator will come later this week as the press corp wanders through the halls at Geneva.

——

Infographic: A century of car safety

Volvo have just released the V40 with what is essentially an external pedestrian airbag. Who’d have thought that would come 20 years ago? The same could be said for most advances in automotive safety – engineers had dreams of doing things but didn’t have the tools to make them a reality.

This infographic shows some of the advances in automotive safety technology over the last 100 years. It’s basic, but it’s interesting reading nonetheless.

Click to enlarge.

Have a great Sunday.

—

A century of car safety infographic

——