Archive for October, 2013
A Jealous Englishman: What the World Needs to Learn from Australia
Good day fair readers!
I do very much believe some introductions are in order. My name is Lewis and I am coming to you from the distant shores of the United Kingdom. If I am to be totally honest, my aims are very simple. All I would like to do is to bring a little happiness into your lives through my automotive ramblings. My love for the motoring world runs deep into my family history; motor sport has been the unifying factor that has pumped passionately through the genetics of my family. As long as I know I am spreading some of the happiness that cars have brought me, I am a happy man.
Every generation has a legend. Every journey has a first step. Every saga has a beginning
…Just a little something for you Star Wars fans out there.
As you are reading this, you will come to realise just how special you are. Your eyes now have the privilege of seeing my first blog post, here on the online majesty that is Private Fleet. Finding THE article to start with is always going to be tricky. After much searching, it came to me. And as I write this, there could never have been any other option. As a Brit with a love for motor sport, I have been possessed by the green eyed monster. Australia has everything that I am looking for. Many of my favourite things come from Australia; Jack Brabham, nice weather and Tim Minchin to name but a few.
Tim Minchin – Dark Side (2009)
But most of all, you raging beauties hold the answer. You hold the answer to one of the largest problems that has befallen the modern world. When you mention ‘motor sport’ to any average person on the street, chances are their reply will have something to do with Formula One. Formula One was a once great sport that has now fallen into crisis. Hard, adrenaline fuelled racing has now been replaced by tyre choices and pit strategy. And APPARENTLY, one or two overtakes in a race marks them out as proof of amazing driving talent. But that is another story.
Similarly, British motor sport was once spearheaded by the British Touring Car Championship. But with the onset of the 00s and the decline of the ‘Super Tourers’ the sport became unpopular, and the great racing descended into thuggish behaviour and unfair driving. the BTCC during the 90s included some of the greatest racing I think I have ever seen, and to say that i grew up with it makes me so very happy.
The Greatest Few Laps of Any Race Ever – BTCC 1992 Season Finale!
Although I must say that the BTCC is back on the rise again in the UK, it is still to reach the meteoric levels of the 90s. And well, the less said about Formula One the better really. I have spent many an hour pondering over how motor sport can be improved. And then I realised that I have known the answer all along. The V8 Supercar championship is the beacon of hope in an ever darkening world.
Everything about the sport is exactly how I wish motor sport could be. The cars look phenomenal, they sound like the bellow of some holy deity and the racing is pure and unfiltered. If I could ask for anything, it would be for the drivers of the V8s to head on over to the paddocks of the Formula One and BTCC grids and give them a lesson in how racing should be. This sport alone proves just how amazing Australia is and, even though it may be geographically many thousands of miles from where I am, I feel a better connection with the sport than I do with many on my own shores.
And not just the sports themselves, but the arenas for these automotive showdowns are rivalled by very few others across the world. I mean, is there a more exciting, heart pounding experience possible than a full throttle lap at Bathurst? I would like to see a Formula One car deal with a track like that. The Bathurst 1000 is an incredible event that makes me realise just how great some of these racing drivers truly are. There have even been occasions when my heros from the BTCC such as John Cleland and Matt Neal have attempted the Bathurst 1000 and proved that it really is no piece of cake.
So, as I bring my love fuelled rant to a close, I would like to leave you with one final message:
Dear Australia,
Whatever happens, please do not go changing. You are the beacon by which the rest of the world should follow. Whether we are talking comedy or motor sport, there is no place like Australia. I can only wish I had the chance of heading on over and sampling this majesty for myself.
Thank you for the motor sport!
All the best,
Me!
Until next time my lovely readers.
Keep Driving!
Peace and Love!
Top 5 Australian Cars of the 20th Cenury
Although Australian cars are the world over known for certain characteristics, it goes without saying that often people don’t sit down to think about the specific cars that have helped shaped the nation for generations. In this blog post, we look at the top 5 Australian cars of the 20th Century, and give our reasons as to why, despite flashier or smarter options available, these workhorses have kept the country turning.
The Ford Falcon
One half of the Ford/Holden rivalry that continues to this day, the Ford Falcon was in many ways seen as being bested by the General Motors variant. The Ford itself however was, and still is, a perfectly capable family sized powerhorse. It’s inclusion on this list is indisputable – Ford is planning on stopping Falcon production in 2016 as the sales of larger, gas guzzling cars begins to dwindle.
Holden Commodore VT
The Commodores as a line of cars themselves are of course perfectly able – but the VT model of 1997 is especially important, as it marked the beginning of Holden’s recognition in global spheres. It still is the best selling Commodore to date – and with a more European inspired design (such as the rear suspension from the Vauxhall Omega) parts were fairly easy to come by.
Toyota Avalon
The Toyota Avalon didn’t sell well, but it is important in the car market in Australia, if only because it inspired the enormously popular Toyota Aurion. Introduced as a 1995 year car, it may look boring, but was one of only a few in its field offering front wheel drive in a largely rear wheel drive market. As you can expect, attaching a 3.0 V6 and an automatic gearbox to a front wheel drive car didn’t provide the world’s best handling.
Toyota Camry
Originating in approximately 1980, and following the same lines as the Toyoto Celica Coupe, the Camry continues to this day to be North America’s best selling car and incredibly popular in Australia and Asia. At the time, it was considered well equipped and well designed – it also followed the trend at the time for Australia’s cars to be more economic, cheaper and lighter.
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A
You might think that all the cars we’ve featured so far have been pretty bland – and to some extent you’d be true – but you wait for this one…
The Holden VL Commodore SS was the first car produced by the Holden Dealer Team – an official partner organisation to Holden who boosts the performance of stock cars to eye watering levels of speed and power. The Holden VL Commodore SS Group A spawned a generation of Holden Special Vehicles and helped promote the V8 Racing Scene to the hugely popular levels it enjoys today.
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