Cars and bikes I’ve come across in my travels

I thought it was called a P76, its selling point was fixes for all the long-standing faults always mentioned in Magasne tests of our Aussie Cars. What they couldn't fix was longstanding labour disputes in the manufacturing plants and The Oil crises. Laytland Oz was the first car manufacturer to fall in Oz. During WW2 it Dawned on the Oz Government that any disruption to world supply channels had us in Australia swinging in the breeze so with government support we developed Car manufacturing to fill that strategic need. All 4 big car builders got Government money for the next 40 years till about 2 decades back Globalisation became the new buzzword and changed all that, subsites dried up and now our car industry and most manufacturing have disappeared in Oz. When Covid hit and supply chains dried up just like WW2 the shit has hit the fan AGAIN. No long-term lessons ever get learned. Economics seems to run in cycles and trends, hold onto your hats as TARRIFS seem to be the new buzz word and carnage will follow soon enough.
 
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, it broke in qualifying.IMG_2808.jpegIMG_2809.jpeg

It was in second place though. The owner said it has been in his family for three generations, but I’m not sure if it was a racer the whole time.
 
It was nicknamed P38 because it was half the car it was supposed to be.
Link gives and insight to the almost unbelievable list of problems the thing was up against. Definite parallels to some from the two wheeled industry.
www.streetmachine.com.au

Leyland P76 turns 50! Here's the real story:

Released in 1973 and packed with advanced features for its time, the Leyland P76 should have taken the Aussie car market by storm. Instead, it became an automotive punchline. We find out why
www.streetmachine.com.au www.streetmachine.com.au
 
My primary school principal in the mid 70s had an olive green P76. Even as a 10 year old I “knew” they were a knobheads car. Being a knobhead now myself, I’d love one. The Targa Florios go for big money and I wish the Force 7 coupes went into production.
 
Thre Rover V8 was Buick based not Oldsmobile. In the UK they were mainly 3.5 litre, but later versions got a bit bigger, but (oddly) not the same displacement as the bigger versions from Aus, I tried to get an Aussie 5 litre Rover V8 back in the day but failed., all ancient history now, a 2 litre Nissan can knock the socks off any Rover V8.
CLEM
 
I remember someone driving a P76 to the Black Duck Rally (a Ducati/BMW Clubs event) at Lake Dumbleyung in South West Australia, must have been about 1977/78 The said P76 spent hours upon hours being thoroughly thrashed through the bush, down hell-hole sand trails, jumping over embankments, interrupting those trials only to be dispatched to the nearest Pub post-haste for more beer and meat.
For reasons I cannot remember my 3c was off the road so a mate loaned me his Ducati 860 GTS Bevel, I rather enjoyed it, a gentlemanly ride.

Interesting P76 article
club.shannons.com.au

Leyland P76: A World Class Rally Car? - Shannons Club

The Evan Green/John Bryson P76 in action during the 1974 World Cup Rally, as featured in Evan Green’s World of Motor Sport. Although rivals and spectators...
club.shannons.com.au
 
At the local watering hole today, Captain America turned up, along with a stunning McLaren, a Porsche GT3 and classic MG.
 

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rowdypat said:
My primary school principal in the mid 70s had an olive green P76. Even as a 10 year old I “knew” they were a knobheads car. Being a knobhead now myself, I’d love one. The Targa Florios go for big money and I wish the Force 7 coupes went into production.
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FWIW, as an external apprentice, tour of the factory, Leyland at Zetland (*). In the massive yard and factory, smattering of usual P76, and the Florios and for all to see, the secret Force 7, various guises. Back in the factory, novel test of new engines, start 'em and and redline them. Long time ago now, a very different era to compare to today. Also CKD's in the incoming yard, goodness knows what was in the crates.

( * ) where they got the many hundreds of workers for the Zetland site will always be a puzzle, given the site was only a matter of a mile and a bit from the centre of Sydney. My work place had 2800 workers on 8 acres on the silverwater river Meadowbank. Plus a few hundred at Belfield site.

Oh and we did an apprentice tour of Qantas jet base Mascot, that was a revelation on work skill and standards. Lot for a 16/17 year old to absorb. j.
 
The only way to travel Dave.
Noom is hanging with her family.
So just us 4 smelly bikers.
2 up is hard on mid size bikes, why I sold my VFR400R. Can't hoon like I am 2 up either
 
Just re read your post Dave, that went over my head, but you should know that I don't do sidecars!!
Probably will do this again later or early next year. Have another mate in Perth is keen, maybe talk Clearface into it as well, he'd be up for a sidecar, carry all our shit. You should think about it. Late Oct to mid Marxh is the prime time weather wise.
 
Dont get to addicted. If it's a TV show most are done by Velosity production company now sold to Discovery and they have axed just about all the Auto shows on TV.
 
These shows will live on on YouTube, I think. MotorTrend TV was the production company and they have shut down all of that genre. I’m a huge fan of the dynometer show Engine Masters as well as the related Roadkill Garage and Vice Grip Garage. The creators will be continuing to make new content for their personal channels on YouTube from what I’ve read.
 
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