Articles by David Burrell

Long gone are the days when young boys would pester their fathers to take them to see the new Holden or Ford and then pester them some more with the phrase "when are you going to buy one". These days it is more likely that Gen Zers are lined up outside an Apple store waiting for the release of a new iPhone or iPad. But back in July 1956, when the `new look' FE Holden was introduced, the situation was very different. Crowds flocked to dealers to see the Alf Payze designed car. It was a BIG event, particularly in provincial cities and country towns where the Holden dealer was a central part of community life and its prosperity. Some capital city newspapers devoted the entire front page to the event. Apart from a major re-style, the FE was considerably different to it FJ Holden predecessor. It was sleeker and cleaner in design, doing away with the rounded bulbous look of the FJ. In fact the FE was cast in the image of the 1955 Chevrolet, but without the dogleg front pillars and wrap around windscreen. To give the car a lower, wider look, Holden reduced the wheels from 38cm to 33cm in diameter and straighten out the rear mudguards. The wide, horizontal grille was laden with chrome. It gave the car real presence! The interior was given a "luxury" look, with new two tone patterns on the seats. But it all could have looked VERY different as these previously secret pictures of two FE prototypes clearly show. They highlight the styling themes being considered in the early 1950s for what would become the FE. Both cars look similar but are different in many respects, including the shape of the mudguards, rear doors, roof lines and rear windows. What both share is a heavy, pondering appearance when compared to the production model. Would either of these prototypes have been as successful as the production FE and its successor, the FC? Our guess is YES! Just being new and different when compared to the FJ would have been enough for the buying public to desire it. retroautos.com.au  

The story of the F100 and its many versions goes back to 1948 Ford when Ford in the USA released a new range of trucks. They were Ford's first all-new post World War II vehicle designs. The different carrying capacities were clearly spelt out for buyers: F-1 for the half ton model right up to F8 for the bigger three ton rigs. 'F' meant nothing more than 'Ford' but the system made it very easy for buyers and users to quickly chose a truck for their needs. Ford's objective was to beat Chevrolet, who was the then industry leader in light and medium duty trucks and make some much needed money for the financially impaired company. Buyers got their first look at the 'F' trucks in January 1948. Sales brochure said the trucks had a 'million dollar cab', referencing the money Ford spent on making the cab a more hospitable place for the driver. It was significantly wider than previous models, allowing room for the driver and two passengers. Interior appointments included full interior trim, sun visors and an ashtray. It does not seem a big deal now but in 1948 this was truck-luxury! Ford found that it had a real success on its hand and pushed hard for every sale. By the time 1953 rolled around Ford was well on the way to besting Chevrolet with a redesign that set a benchmark. These trucks looked like trucks, yet were handsome and even more car-like inside. The sales blurb called it "driverized". The concept of the multi-purpose "pick-up" was well and truly emerging. Ford also labelled the models F100, F250, F350 etc, and thereby led an industry naming trend. The 1953s debuted with the old flat head V8, but in 1954 the trucks got the latest OHV engines producing 130 hp. Later versions of the V8 were even more powerful with up to 175hp in the offing. The fifty-fours came with a hugh chrome V8 badge right in the centre of the white painted grille. No mistaking that it sported a new motor! The 1953 to 1956 Ford trucks are the most coveted by collectors and the 1956 model, in particular, with its wrap around window, is the one everyone aims for. By the mid 1970s Ford's 'F' range was the sales leader and immensely profitable for the company. And it still is in 2012. retroautos.com.au  

No, not the late eighties version Ford foisted on the public. That was a badge engineered Nissan Pintara and is something which ought to be forgotten. I'm talking about the real deal from 1963. When it was released in the UK the original Corsair was positioned in the market above the new Cortina Mark 1 and below the existing Zephyr/Zodiac range. Ford enticed Formula one champion Jim Clarke to front advertisements for the Corsair, particularly the two door "GT" version. The Corsair styling was clearly inspired by the 1961 Ford Thunderbird, especially the tapered front end. The side view reflects the T'Bird's distinctive bullet shape. Although the Corsair shared many of its inner structure and mechanical parts with the Cortina its wheelbase is about 8cm longer. The extra space meant more rear leg room. The range was initially offered with the 60 bhp, single carburettor, 1.5 litre four cylinder Kent engine. In 1965 the range adopted the new 1.7 litre V4 engine. A 2.0 litre version was offered in 1966 as an option. Over 300,000 Corsairs were built during its production run. There was also a convertible version built by Crayford. These are quite rare and sought after today. The Corsair survived through until 1970 when it was replaced by the enlarged Cortina Mk III.  Corsairs were never officially sold in Australia, so those that are here are private imports. It's estimated there are less than twenty in this country and Newcastle's David Fotheringham owns one of them. He's also President of the Hunter Valley British Ford Group. "I heard about it from a club member just as it was due to be taken to the crusher, so I bought it. It is drivable and goes well", he says. It's a 2 litre V4 automatic and went down the production line in 1966. "The body is sound and the mechanicals are OK, so I will use it as a fun car for club outings. The point I want to make is that you do not have to spend thousands of dollars restoring a car. I want to use the Corsair, not be continually working on it." David Burrell is the editor of Retroautos

...and he's just acquired a 1976 Cadillac convertible in the USA. The '76ers are the last of the land yacht `rag tops' made by General Motors. When Denis' car arrives at the docks it will be easy to identify. It'll be the white one. I mean, it's all white: white body, white top and white interior. Only in America. While he waits for the Caddy, Denis makes do with his daily driver, a 1969 Ford Mustang Deluxe. It is not the fast back model but a much rarer `notch' back. Only 52010 deluxes were built for the 1969 model year and Denis' was one of the first down the production line in Dearborn, Detroit in December 1968. The Mustang was sold new in Los Angeles in January 1969 and then imported into Australia in 1986. Work was started on its conversion to right hand drive but for some reason lost in time the electrics were never completed and it was put away in storage behind a truck dealer's yard in Sydney. Denis found it there in 1997. "I went out to buy some fencing that the dealer had for sale and I came back with the fencing and the Ford. It was too hard to resist" he says. When he got it to his workshop Denis had the electrical wiring connected, a new battery installed and the fuel tank refilled. The engine started first time and registration was a breeze. Later a new coat of paint was applied and the old vinyl top stripped off and replaced. "We also did some work on the interior and installed an additional electric radiator fan to help with the cooling", Denis tells us. Mustangs were never big cars and standing beside it I'm reminded how low to the ground cars in the 1960s and 1970s really were. This is a car you fold yourself down into. Then Denis says the magic words "let's go for a drive". Out on the road we roll all the windows down and enjoy the wide open panorama that only a pillarless hardtop can deliver. Upfront the 351 cubic inch Windsor V8 (that's 5.7 litres for the young folk) delivers effortless power and the power steering-about fives turns lock to lock-makes driving easy. And, of course, it attracts attention. Mustangs are one of the few cars which still appeal to all demographics. We should all be so lucky to have such a daily driver. www.retroautos.com.au  

Rather than advertise, he decided to build an attention getting car, which would show off his skills.In America the Plymouth Barracuda had just been released. They were a two door version of the Plymouth Barracuda, with a huge and distinctive back window which wrapped over the rear half of the car.Tony figured that importing a Barracuda and converting it to right hand drive was too costly for his budget. But good old Aussie inventiveness won the day. Tony decided to build a 4 door Barracuda, using a local Valiant as a base.A 1964 Valiant, with rear end damage , was bought from a wrecker for only $900. "I employed a friend of mine, Graham Hurst, to do the body work. The mangled rear panels behind the rear doors were removed and the sub frame was straightened. Graham hand crafted new rear mudguards from 20 gauge steel", Tony told us."The boot lid and fastback roof panels were also hand fabricated then welded in place and the seams lead wiped for a flush finish". "We then finished it all off with ten coats of Tartan Red paint, the same colour used on the MGB."The tinted rear window was the most complex part of the process. It was made from perspex. To get the right shape, Tony had moulds made in fibreglass .These were used to shape the perspex. This was done by G&S Motor Bodies in Carlton NSW at a cost of $120.The interior was the show piece for Tony's business. The front boasted fully adjustable bucket seats from a Porsche. The rear seat cushion was redesigned so that it would fold flush to the floor, like a station wagon. All the door trims and seats were covered in black doe hide.The headlining and sun visors were black perforated vinyl .Black plush carpet was used throughout. Tony says the Valiant GT Fastback was often mistaken for a Plymouth Barracuda. The car was an absolute stunner and featured in local car magazines, including Australian Hot Rodding. So, just where is this car now? Well, Tony does not know. He sold it and it has passed into the mists of time. Maybe it is still out there, somewhere? Mind you, Tony does know where another car he built went. In 1970 he was one of the first to insert a V8 in the then new Ford Capri. A guy named Jack Brabham bought that one. 

His 1973 6 cylinder XLE Ford Cortina cost him less than $1000. Since buying it a couple of years ago he's refreshed the paint, replaced the vinyl roof, fixed some rust, rebuilt the engine and automatic transmission and given it a new interior. But that's it. He reckons he's not got a nice daily driver for well under $4000.And he's right. It is one sharp automobile. "I used to have one back in the day. It was a three speed manual, with the `small' 3.3 litre six cylinder motor. It was my first car. I bought it new," he says.Greg's Mark III Cortina is rare car for three reasons. The first is that it's a top of the range XLE, and few were sold to begin with. Second, not many of the mid-sized car have made it through to the 21st century. The third is that it is the only Australian built Cortina to be featured in Russell Hayes new book `Ford Cortina: The Complete Story.'Haynes' tome has just been released to celebrate 50 years of Ford Cortina and is a must have for fans of the British marque .It is crammed with facts, figures ,images and behind the scenes stories about the development of all five of the Cortina series and its lesser know German "cousin" the Taunus.Some of the best images are of the various styling proposals which Hayes has sourced from, Ford's archives.Greg's Cortina is featured as a perfect example of Australian ingenuity. While South African Cortinas were offered with a choice of 2.5 and 3 litre V6 engines, Ford Australia opted for the straight sixes out of the Falcon.Needless to say, the insertion of such a large and long lump of metal into an area intended for a four cylinder motor was not without its impact on the handling and steering characteristics.But Ford Australia needed a quick and inexpensive offering to counteract Holden's range of four, six and eight cylinder Toranas, which were selling up a storm. So, the Falcon engines were given the assignment.Greg endeavours to drive the Cortina at least once a week." "The joy is in driving it. It is not a trailer queen and I drive it in all weather".Retroautos.com.au 

That was until the world discovered the delights of big, wide, high, petrol guzzling SUVs. In the 60s and early 70s every second family seemed to own a wagon. The choice was mostly limited to Holden, Ford or Valiant. Some adventurous types tried a Vanguard Spacemaster or Austin Freeway. But the BBQ taunts of their neighbours meant they soon returned to one of the holy trinity. One of my aunts bought HD Holden wagon off the showroom floor the week they were released in February 1965. It was a Special with a white exterior and bright red interior. The steering wheel was coloured coded to the interior. In 1965 this was uber cool. She drove it around to our place and parked it beside our grey EH sedan. Neighbours poured out of their houses to ogle its long, low look and blade front mudguards. Man, that EH looked so out of date, so 1963. Wagons are not big sellers these days. Ford doesn't even make them anymore. Those that do sell are the sports wagons style. But, on the classic car scene, wagons are starting to attract buyer attention, particularly in the USA, and to a lesser extent here. The hot items in the US are the four door pillarless hardtop wagons made by Chrysler, Mercury, Buick and Oldsmobile from 1957 through to 1964. Always priced at the top of the range and loaded with luxury accessories, these automobiles shouted out to your neighbours that you could afford elegant style and suburban practicality in one package. These were the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7s of their day. In Australia the most popular wagon for collectors and restorers is the EH Holden and the rarest, the Falcon Squire. The Falcon Squire is in a class of its own. Who can forget them, what with all that fake wood glued to the sides, in an attempt to replicate the "woodies" from the late 1940s. They were the top of the range Falcons boasting deep pile carpet and a power tailgate but buyers did not like the overt American styling gimicks and stayed away in droves. However, as is the way with so many cars which were unloved when new, they now command prices beyond $30,000. I've even heard of some folk building Squire tribute wagons. Now, that's a bridge too far, even for me. Retroautos.com.au

But I suspect you will not hear much about it. In 1912 Cadillac fitted the first starter motor as standard equipment on its Model 30. This deceptively simple device made it possible for anyone , no matter what their strength, to turn over a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine without fear of sustaining injury by the hand crank when the engine backfired or the cranked kicked back. Indeed, until Charles Kettering invented the electric starter you could die starting a car. In early 1908, a woman stalled her Cadillac in Detroit, Michigan. She did not have enough strength to crank the engine to restart it. A passing motorist offered to help. His name was Byron Carter and he just happened to be a friend of Cadillac founder Henry Leland. So Carter cranked the Cadillac's motor. It backfired .The crank hit him in the face breaking his jaw. Carter was admitted to hospital but infection and gangrene set in and in those days without antibiotics he died. Carter's death led Leland to vow that Cadillac would rid its cars of the hand starter crank. And so he called on Charles Kettering, who owned Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company. You and I know it better by its acronym: DELCO. Kettering was an inventor/businessman, in the Thomas Edison mould. Born on a farm, he held a series of jobs until landing at the National Cash Register Company (NCR) where he invented the electric motor for cash registers. Then he set up DELCO. The company quickly built the electric starter device. It was tested in 1911 and introduced in Cadillac's 1912 models. The impact on the automobile industry was immediate. Within five years self starters would come standard on nearly every new automobile. By making cars easier and safer to operate, especially for women, the self-starting engine caused a huge jump in sales. The American car industry never looked back. DELCO was bought by General Motors (GM) in 1919 and Kettering became GM's head of technology. During his time at GM he oversaw the development of leaded petrol, the fast drying duco paint, light weight diesel engines for trains and trucks and GM's first OHV V8-the Oldsmobile rocket 88. When he died in 1958 held 140 patents in his own name., which is why he is widely quoted as saying :" If you want to kill any idea in the world, get a committee working on it." Retroautos.com.au  

Dorts were built by the Dort Motor Car Company (DMCC) of Flint, Michigan , USA, beginning in 1915. Like Ford, Josiah Dallas Dort , the guy who owned the company , insisted his name be on the car. Dort was an American automotive pioneer. He was a founding Director and Vice President of Chevrolet , selling out in 1912 before it was taken over by General Motors. The Dort car company was never in robust financial health, so when Dort died in 1923 and the capital and cash dwindled it limped into 1924 and went into liquidation. Ralph's car is amongst one of the last Dorts ever made, number 105,676. "It was shipped to Adelaide in late 1924 where Murray Aunger of Franklin Street constructed the coach work of the five seater Sports tourer body and registered in March 1925 " he says. "When I first saw the car I was impressed that it was all there except for one door handle. Though having said that, quite a few bits and pieces were worse for wear, what with rust, and general deterioration over those years." "I was determined to involve myself as much as possible in all aspects of the restoration and I reckon I've done 80% of it myself under the guidance of some great experts" he says. "I stripped the body off the chassis and I had the motor gearbox and differential completely over hauled by a friend at Para Hills who is an excellent motor mechanic on older engines." "Some of the timber work required a tidy up and I was very fortunate in having oak wood donated to me by Ray Mossip from the Adelaide Hills Motor Restorers Club. I used this to replace the frame at the back of the tub, make two front door pillars and shape new base timbers for the engine cowl." "For rust repairs my cousin Rod Drabsch , who owns 'Rods and Relics' at Keith in SA, helped me out. Rob Ephgrave at Adelaide Hills Panel Works agreed to let me to work with them painting the car. He understood my desire to work on my car as much as possible." The result is simply stunning and Ralph is rightly proud of the restoration. Ralph's was one of four or five Dorts imported to South Australia. The others were used by government departments for surveying the desert and by the South Australian Railway. Retroautos.com.au

It was Britain bestselling car from 1972 through 1982, when it was replaced by the Serria. All up, Ford sold over four million Cortinas worldwide. That concept of the Cortina was for a simple, basic car that was easy to maintain and cheap to build. On this platform they built two and four doors sedans and wagons, in various guises, from poverty pack through to a sports /luxury "GT" model. When the boys at Lotus got a hold of the GT they turned it into a legendary winning race car. Even the Formula One jocks such as Jim Clark strapped into Lotus Cortinas for a bit of Sunday afternoon hi jinx against the Mustang of yet another Formula One star, Sir Jack Brabham. A Lotus Cortina was used as a getaway car in the 1963 Great Train Robbery. The exact car used by Ronnie Biggs and others in the famous heist is now owned by a car collector in Exeter, UK. In Australia, the Cortina was Ford's entry into the "mid-sized" market, sitting below the Falcon in size and price. Locally, Ford followed the British market strategy, with inexpensive two door price leaders enticing the buyers to dealerships and the top of the range "GT" as the eye candy. Harry Firth was given the task of making the GT a race winner and the car dominated the (then) Bathurst 500 in 1963 and 1964. For the 1965 race Firth and Ford developed the GT500, essentially a local Lotus, and it won again. The Cortina went through four more series in Europe and in Australia. But there the similarities end. In the UK and Europe Ford stuck with four cylinder power, while in Australia, the success of the Torana 6 and V8s motivated Ford Australia to shoehorn in its 3.3 and 4.1 litre sixes into the tight confines of the engine bay, in addition to the four cylinder engines. The result was plenty of power and torque. The handling characteristics were what most motoring writers focused on. As with so many classic cars, the six cylinder Cortinas might not have been widely popular when new, but they are sought after now.  Ford Australia finally pensioned off the Cortina in 1982 when they cloned the Mazda 626 and labelled it Telstar. In July this year, to mark the 50th anniversary, the first Cortina Nationals will be held in Albury. We expect a big roll up. Retroautos