Articles by David Burrell

The newly sworn-in President of the USA and war hero, Dwight Eisenhower, stood on the back seat the white convertible as he celebrated his inauguration parade through the streets of Washington DC. The car in which he stood was General Motors (GM) new range topper, the Cadillac Eldorado.Never has a car had such a powerful introduction and global endorsement. When Cadillac was truly the ‘standard of the world’ the Eldorado stood above and beyond all else.It was the lowest, sleekest American automobile of its era. The styling derived directly from GM's 1951 La Sabre and 1952 Cadillac show cars. The convertible top was hidden below a smooth metal cover that fitted flush with the rear deck.Nothing interrupted the flowing lines of this aspiration on wheels. It was the first production car to have a wrap around windscreen which set a style trend for the next decade. It was the dream car you could buy in your local Cadillac dealership.Every luxury option in the known universe was standard on this baby. GM made just 533 Eldorados in 1953. They priced it three times higher than a normal Cadillac and sold every one of them. While the 1953 example is the star of the lineage, the 1957/58 four door hardtop Eldorado Brougham and the front drive 1967 Eldorado are similarly lusted after.The 1957 Brougham is one mother of a car. They made only 700 of these sleek hardtops with their brushed stainless steel roofs and ‘suicide’ rear doors. Prices started at a jaw dropping $13,500, which could have bought you two houses in a good Los Angeles suburb at the time. A new Rolls Royce was only $9000.Then there's the ‘67 Eldorado. Styled by David North and based on the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, (also penned by North), the ‘67 is often seen as the pinnacle of GM design in the 20th century. Big and low, vast and fast, it carried a 7.7 litre V8 under its long bonnet. Its flanks are sheer and clean of chrome and it demands your absolute attention.At the recent RMs Auction of the Don Davis collection, his white ‘53 Eldorado went for $231,000 and the ‘57 pink Brougham was snapped up for $253,000.David Burrell is the editor of Retroautos.com.au 

That's the car, not the big road in Texas, and its plusher sibling, the Wolseley 24/80. And before you ask, 24/80 means 2.4 litres and 80 BHP (that's 59kw in today's currency).The six cylinder Freeway/Wolseley combination was developed because in 1962 the British Motor Company (BMC) was losing the sales battle against Holden, Falcon and Valiant with their UK inspired and decidedly underpowered 1.6 litre four cylinder Austin A60s, Morris Oxford, and Wolseley 15/60. This trio had remained almost unchanged since their release in 1959.Lacking cash to develop a new engine, local BMC engineers simply added two cylinders to the existing four cylinder motor, boosting power by 35%.The marketing folk called this 2.4 litre engine the “blue streak” and the advertising slogan shouted out to customers to “make way for the Freeway”.What potential customers actually did was to make their way directly to a Holden, Ford or Chrysler dealership and BMC's dreams of a sales bonanza fell short. After only selling 27,000 units production was terminated in 1965. By comparison, Holden sold 154,000 of the EJ model in just 18 months.The problem for the Freeway was that by 1962 its shape was outdated. Italian styling guru Batista Pininfarina had penned the original design in the mid 1950s. He gave the BMC cars a slightly wrapped windscreen and modest tail fins. Trouble was by 1962 the Freeway was too tall , too narrow and just too much of 1959 when compared to the longer, lower, wider , more stylish and more powerful competitors.Mind you, Pinnifarina made lucrative use of the BMC design. He used the same styling template for the Peugeot 404, the 1957 Lancia Flaminia and the Ferrari 250GT Pininfarina. If you do not believe me, take a look at a Peugeot 404 and a Freeway. Both come from the same cookie cutter. Alternatively, you can Google it. There are websites devoted to this very subject!Freeway enthusiasts refer to the cars as the ‘BMC Farinas’ and you'd be surprised at the strength of their following and legion of devotees. Go to any “All British” car club show and I guarantee you the most prolific marque on display, with the most enthusiastic supporters, will be Farina styled BMCs.David Burrell is the editor of www.retroautos.com.au 

Once the object of jokes, the P76 is now looked upon with fond nostalgia. Owners are fiercely protective of its reputation and are always eager to extol the car's virtues.The P76 offered features which were quite advanced for Australia at the time, including rack and pinion steering, power-assisted disc brakes, McPherson strut front suspension, front hinged bonnet, glued-in windscreen and concealed windscreen wipers.Safety equipment was ahead of impending Australian Design Rules, with recessed door handles and full-length side intrusion reinforcements. The engines were a 2.6 litre six and a 4.4 litre aluminium alloy V8.So with all of this advanced technology Leyland had high hopes of big sales and ran an advertising campaign touting the P76 as “anything but average”. A local car magazine added to the glitter when it bestowed its annual car of the year award on the automobile.So what went wrong? Well, three things stood in the way of success for Leyland-styling, fuel and money.Let's face it; the P76 was not an overly attractive car. The guy who penned it was Italian Giovanni Michelotti. His brief was to style a big car for a big country and make sure the boot could hold a 44 gallon drum. And he did. But he forgot one thing---make it look good! The P76 side view was ok with its aggressive wedge shape, but the front and rear ends looked plain and unfinished compared to its rivals.Then the Arab oil crisis hit and big cars were out of favour as buyers looked for smaller alternatives. Finally, Leyland Australia was not financially strong. Same goes for its UK parent. Development and marketing funds were in short supply. They did not have the financial grunt to compete with the Holden , Chrysler and Ford nor with their strong dealer networks and deep pockets. Inevitably, sales slowed.By the end of 1974 the writing was on the wall. The local CEO had exited and the British sent out their fix-it man, 31 year old David Abell. He wasted no time and closed the whole show down. About 16,000 P 76s were made in total. Over 5000 people lost their jobs when Leyland closed its Sydney plant.David Burrell is the editor of Retroautos.com.au 

...because I'm invariably asked "and what car do you own?"Right now I have a 1988 Pontiac Formula Firebird. Until recently I also had a 1961 Pontiac Laurentian and a 1964 Pontiac Parisienne. They have now gone to other owners who will enjoy the excitement of negotiating suburban streets in those drum braked, two by six metre land yachts.The Formula Firebird was the cheap version of the Trans Am, and I can tell you the emphasis was very much on cheap and not on the Trans. This is a poverty pack vehicle all the way-manual windows, manual seat adjustment, a simple AM/FM radio/cassette and the base level 5.0-litre V8 with the throttle body "injection "(a smart name for what is really a carburettor).The motor pumps out a miserable 127kW and despite the lack of horsepower the fuel consumption is epic. A good day gets me 15 litres/100km on premium unleaded.  So why a Firebird? It's all about the styling!The sleek, low slung shape is classic 'pony car': an ultra long hood and short rear deck. It makes for drop dead looks. The car stands a mere 1.2 metres off the ground and the windscreen is raked back at an aggressive 62 degrees.You do not open the door and get into a Firebird. Rather, you lower yourself down into the velour seat. It is a practised art. The back "seat "is two small cushions with the transmission tunnel serving as the arm rest. I said this car is low!Being 24 years and 160,000km old it does need attention every so often. There's no rust and the lack of power accessories cuts down on potential electrical and mechanical problems, but it's the small things, like switches and interior trim pieces, which are fiddly to replace.I have it serviced every three to four months if only as insurance against a major mechanical failure.I drive it like it almost every day. It goes out in the rain and to supermarket cars parks. GM made nearly one million of Firebird/Comaros in 10 years, so spares are not a problem.What's it worth? Not much really, but who cares? It is bright red and a lot of fun. And those drop dead looks!David Burrell is the editor of www.retroautos.com.au 

Thinking about having your classic car restored by a professional? It can be very daunting the first time you commence such a project, not the least of which is selecting a restorer. Recently we spoke to Rob Ephgrave, owner of Adelaide Hills Panel Works, about the priority issues you ought to consider before you select a professional restorer. CONCOURSE OR DAILY DRIVER? One of the most critical things to get right is to decide what you want done and to what level of quality. It seems simple enough but when someone says `I want my car restored', Rob asks what they mean by `restoration', because everyone has their own definition of `restoration'. For example: is it to be restored to concourse condition or as a daily driver? A lot of Rob's time is spent agreeing what the end product will look like. He suggests that this is where many restorations go wrong. If the client and the restorer have different perceptions about what the end result will be, then it can only end in tears. RESEARCH, RESEARCH , RESEARCH! Speak with current and former clients about the quality of work done by a restorer. When considering any restorer, insist you see photos of cars being restored and question the techniques used during the restoration. Ask about the problems which were encountered and how they were resolved. All of this ought to be willingly provided by any restorer who is proud of their work. HAVE A PLAN Have a plan which breaks the restoration down into its major components and decide the cost limits on each major aspect of the restoration. For example: decide how much you will spend on the interior versus rust elimination. In this way, you can manage it more effectively. LIMITS OF AUTHORITY Set the limits of authority , and stick to them. Rob says it is very critical to know what can and cannot decided without referring to the client. This ensures everyone involved has clarity about what they are doing and minimises confusion. GET INVOLVED. Decide how much you will be involved in the restoration. Will you do any of the work? If so, what? Will the restorer allow you into their workshop? Make sure you get this sorted. Rob encourages involvement by the client in his restorations. "It helps with problem solving and decision making when the client in actively involved in the work" he says.  

If you've been wondering why you have been seeing Morris cars out and about these past couple of months it is because their owners are celebrating the 100 year anniversary of William Morris producing his first car in Oxford in April 2013. The Morris Oxford was quickly given the name the"Bullnose" because of its rounded radiator. From these small beginnings the business grew rapidly and became a global conglomerate within 20 years. Like so many of the early automobile makers, Morris was raised on a farm and moved off the land to find work. He started work in a bike shop, then established one of his own. In 1900 Morris decided to go into motorcycle manufacturing. By 1910 he'd established a taxis and hire car business. He called it Morris Garages. Like Henry Ford, William Morris had an ambition to produce a car priced so all could afford it. In 1912 with the financial backing of the Earl of Macclesfield, Morris formed a company to manufacture the Morris Oxford. Morris was also a student of Henry Ford's manufacturing techniques, and introduced the production line and quickly gained economies of scale. Morris also followed the Ford sales technique of continually reducing prices, which crippled his competitors and allowed Morris to win ever increasing sales. By 1925 he had 40% of the UK market. Morris constantly expanded his range of cars. The MG (Morris Garages) was initially a “high performance” Oxford. Increasing demand led to it being standalone design by 1930. He also bought the Riley and Wolseley brands. Morris the man was a strong, opinionated character. Once the money started rolling in he began to take long ocean voyages, but insisted on making all important business and product decisions in person. During his long periods of absence decision making tended to grind to a halt and many talented managers resigned in frustration. In 1948 saw the release of the Sir Alex Issigonis designed Morris Minor. The now aging Morris did not like the car, tried to block its production and refused to be seen with it. In 1952, financial issues caused Morris to merge with arch rival Austin, establishing the British Motor Corporation (BMC), the fourth largest car company in the world at that time. Despite its industry leading designs, such as the Mini and Morris 1100, BMC never really did recapture the sales success once enjoyed by Morris and Austin when they were standalone companies. By the late 1980s, Leyland, as it was then known, was underwater. Morris died in 1963. By our estimates there are about 80 Bullnose Morris cars running in Australia today. David Burrell is the editor of retroautos.com.au  

Back in the 1950s, General Motors (GM) decided to demonstrate to its rivals and consumers an unparalleled display of its technical, styling and financial wealth. From 1950 through to 1961 GM staged eight extravagant car shows. They called them 'Motoramas' and they were one of the top public attractions in the USA during that decade. It was at the Motoramas that GM revealed its 'dream cars', one for each division-Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Chevrolet-and positioned them alongside upcoming production models. The 1955 GM Motorama was no different. It was crammed full of the company's latest two and four door hardtops, long and low V8 powered automobiles boasting wrap around windscreens and loads of bright chrome. Sleek and gleaming, they showcased GM technological and styling innovations. But wait!? What is that familiar, hump backed shape in the middle of the photo. Could it be an FJ Holden. Yes, it is!  What's it doing there? Actually, no one seems to know. We've spoken to a number of early Holden experts and none can shed any light on their presence at GM's premier global event. But as these recently discovered images show, a 1954 FJ Holden was right in the middle of the auditorium. This was no ordinary FJ that ordinary Australians would buy. No,sir. For the Motorama the Holden was fitted with white wall tyres, pink paint, stainless steel mudguard protectors, a two tone leather interior and a white steering wheel. Sort of an early version of the Holden Premier. As far we can ascertain the FJ was part of GM's Overseas divisions showing their wares to the American public. On the far right is an olive green Vauxhall. An Opel was also part of the show. How old fashioned these cars look, when ranged alongside new Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile  hardtops. We believe only three official images of the FJ at the 1955 Motoramas were taken. A colour picture was snapped at the Boston version of the big show, while two black and white ones were taken while the Motorama toured American cities. All images copyright GM Corp 2013. Used with permission. GM Media Archives. David Burrell is the editor of retroautos.com.au  

The second world was over and four years of pent-up consumer desire was unleashed across America. Detroit had only pre-war designs to sell in 1947, but that did not matter to car buyers.  They wanted new cars, even if the designs were almost ten years old. John Slater's 1947 Chrysler Windsor two door coupe is a fabulous example of what a “middle class” family would have bought. John explains the heritage of this two owner Newport Blue Chrysler. “It was purchased by a doctor in Cheyenne Wyoming on 29th December 1947 and owned by his family until 2012,” he says. “It was ordered with the rare and very desirable Highlander tartan cloth interior and a number of other options including a push button radio and heater,” he adds. The radio and heater are in perfect working condition. They were high dollar options in 1947 being almost 10% of the car's purchase price of $2306.45, according to the original sales invoice which came with the car. The good doctor ticked many more of the option boxes on the order form. The big car also sports wheel trims, a pair of swan neck mirrors and fog lights. John explains that the car has never been restored. “It has been lovingly maintained in original form. Some of its paint is original, the bumpers have been re-chromed, the front seat trim, carpet and headlining have been replaced. The car shows no signs of rust repairs.” John bought it sight unseen off the internet, and was surprised at its pristine condition when it arrived in Australia. “I always expected something not to be as described”, he admits. “But it was near perfect.” The speedo says 106,000 miles and the 4.1 litre six cylinder engine has been rebuilt. On the road the big car tracks straight. The dashboard is a mixture maroon plastic and Bakelite, and the clear knobs and buttons have a beautiful art deco feel to them. The transmission is a device call Fluid Drive, which was Chrysler's early attempt at a semi automatic transmission. The fluid drive system allowed the driver to stop at a traffic light or in traffic and remain in gear without depressing the clutch. The original owner's manual and a mint condition workshop manual all came with the car. David Burrell is the editor of retroautos.com.au  

Conceived in the mid fifties in the USA by Ford, it was supposed to be a medium priced car with high price features and memorable styling. Roy Brown, who died aged 95 a couple of months ago, was the guy who drew the Edsel. Brown's career started at General Motors where he penned the dashboard of the 1939 Cadillac range. He moved to Ford and in 1953 headed the design of the 1955 Lincoln Futura, a show car later transformed into TV's Batmobile by Californian customiser George Barris The Edsel that Brown designed certainly proclaimed its difference. When the covers were pulled off the full size mock-ups at Ford's styling centre Henry Ford II (“Hank the Duce” they called him) and his Board stood and applauded its uniqueness. Launch date was set at 4th September 1957-Ford called it E-Day! Pre-release adverting was intense. The public's expectations were driven to extraordinary heights. This was to be a revolutionary automobile, the Ford marketing masterminds told everyone. Press speculation even touted nuclear power. Come E-Day one million Americans invaded Edsel dealers. And what did potential buyers see? Well, they saw a car with curvaceous side sculpting, jewel-like rear lights and eye-popping two tone colours. The interior boasted a push button automatic transmission selector - get this - in the steer wheel hub and a rolling drum speedo. And then there was the grille, with its bold vertical design. Brown had originally envisioned a narrow vertical chrome strip for a grille, much like the nose on the 1964 Pontiac, but engineers kept widening and lengthening the central void to ensure engine cooling. So what went wrong? Simple. Buyers expected something revolutionary. What they got was a Ford with a new name and higher price. “Wadda ya mean, I lined up for two hours to see a Ford?” was a common response. “What does that grille remind you of, Mabel?” was another observation. First year sales were half what had been projected and it went downhill from there. The Edsel was discontinued in November 1959, after today's equivalent of $3 billion had been spent. Roy Brown was sent to the UK, where he styled the first Cortina, a car that was a success all around the world. He was recalled to the USA in 1966 and designed the Econoline van which made a ton of money for Ford. Later he was boss of the Lincoln-Mercury design studio. Roy drove an Edsel well into his eighties and said in 2007, “I call it Ford's most successful failure.” David Burrell is the editor of retroautos.com.au  

In early 1963 the struggling Willys/Jeep company in the USA released the first luxury 4X4 onto the market. They called it the Wagoneer. And it created one of the automobile industry's most profitable market segments which has grown exponentially across the world for the past 50 years. The Wagoneer was different. At a time when four wheel drives were agricultural in purpose and sales, here was one loaded with power steering, air-conditioning, automatic transmission, power windows and lots of chrome. The interior was car like. In fact, all the elements of the 21st century SUV can be found in the 1963 Wagoneer. And the Range Rover was still seven years into the future. Initial sales were strong in rural areas, but slowly the city folk, with aspirations of getting away, in comfort, started to buy the car. In early 1970 the American Motors Corporation (AMC) acquired JEEP and set about giving it an engineering, equipment and marketing overhaul. It worked. Sales climbed and climbed. By 1980 they were selling almost 100,000 a year, most optioned to the hilt and at a price premium with no discounts, to urban customers. Despite JEEP's success AMC was going under and after a brief flirtation with Renault, Lee Iacocca, then Chairman of Chrysler saw an opportunity to put himself into the history books as a three time winner. Wiley old Lee was a master at picking trends. At Ford he'd birthed the Mustang and created the pony car era. At Chrysler he foresaw the need for the minivan. It saved the company from bankruptcy and delivered a mode of transport to a generation of children and their parents. Now he had one last revelation. What he saw were urbanised baby boomers who yearned for freedom once more. He saw they wanted a "getaway "car: if not in reality, then certainly in the mind. What he also saw was a profit of over $10,000 per unit. So he bought AMC, just for JEEP. And the rest of the story you know. Into showrooms came the Jeep Cherokee and its luxury sibling, the Grand Cherokee. Success was immediate. They went straight from the production lines into driveways. Ford and GM saw what was happening and by 1992 the great SUV wars had begun. And then everyone joined in, including Porsche with its Cayenne. They gave them names which shouted outed out the promise of adventure: Explorer, Expedition, Territory, Escape, Blazer, Outback, Escalade, Navigator, Freelander, X-Trail, Forester and Highlander. Car and wilderness had merged into one big aspirational market. You can see the impact of the 1963 Jeep Wagoneer anytime you go to a supermarket car park. There before you are rows and rows of high riding SUVs and to misquote singer Jackson Browne, you can see all their hopes and dreams begin and end there. David Burrell is the editor of retroautos.com.au