Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

The 42-year-old Arana Hills car parts salesman has a yard full of the old Japanese cars and a history of owning them that goes back to his teens."I suppose I first got started on Nissans and Datsuns when I was a teenager and didn't really know much about cars," he says. "I saw an MG that I liked but it turned out to be a Datsun Fairlady. Back then you could get them cheap and dad was nice enough to loan me the money, so I bought it." Bent still has the 1966 Datsun Fairlady he bought in 1986 for $2000."I restored it with my father and it was ready to go by the time I got my licence," he says. "The odometer only has 99,000 miles (159,000km) on it and I've watched it click over six times, so it's done 600,000 miles which is almost a million kilometres. It's pretty well buggered now. I've taken it off the road and it's just sitting in the back yard with a cover over it, but maybe I'll make it into a historic race car as a sort of midlife crisis thing."Meanwhile, he has bought several other Fairlady models from 1964 to '67 and still has four of them, including one model with a third seat turned sideways. Most have had the 1600cc engine replaced by a 97kW stroked-out two-litre engine from 1970s Urvans. While the Fairlady is a pretty car, Bent also has a soft spot for the Nissan Cedric, a very plain vehicle and one of the more unfortunately named cars."I got into Cedrics when I was looking for parts for the Fairlady at a Clontarf wrecking yard," he says. "I was inside a Cedric when a big storm hit and I was stuck in it for about half an hour. I hadn't really payed a lot of attention to it. I was a teen and I had more interest in sports cars, but I fell in love with it in a wrecking yard of all places."A few years later he bought an eight-seater 1964 Cedric Wagon which was his daily driver for several years. He bought it for $500 from a 91-year-old man who owned it since new and sold it because he lost his licence. Bent grudgingly sold it a few years ago when he divorced. But he didn't stay cedric-less for long."When I met my wife (Ruth) she was driving an old Ford Taurus and we looked at a Cedric to replace it," he says.Two years ago they managed to score a 1965 Nissan Cedric for free."I had started a Planet Cedric website devoted totally to Nissan Cedrics," he says. "I was just cruising the net and found this in Victoria. The owner didn't have time to restore it and was going to sell it. He instantly recognised my name from the website and just wanted to give it a good home so he gave it to me for free. I tried to give him money but he just wasn't interested."Bent and his wife have "nothing in the way of qualifications" but do most of the vehicle restoration work under their house. They have spent about $2000 on the Cedric restoration plus $2500 for upholstery and now have it insured for $6000."You have to be a nut case like me to appreciate any value in them," he says. "But I'm not interested in selling it. I'll be hanging on to it. This is just what I wanted. I needed a big family car because both of us have two children from previous marriages and this is a six seater."He's hardly sold any of his cars and now boasts four Fairladys, the Cedric, a '62 Bluebird station wagon and a '62 Datsun 320 ute which Bent believes is the oldest Japanese car on the road in Queensland. "It's my main drive-to-work vehicle," he says. "They're all keepers. It's just something I'm passionate about."Bent has been president of the Datsun Fairlady Club of Queensland for several years and started his www.earlydatsun.com website in 1997."There was nothing on the internet at that stage about old Datsuns," he says. "There is no hit counter on it and I'm not sure how many members I have because there's no forum, but I get about three or four emails a day, predominantly not from Australia. You meet some interesting people. A couple of years back a Cedric owner from Canada came over and stayed with us."

Michael Vaughan has created the world's biggest ‘artballing’ painting by hitting and throwing paint-covered cricket balls against a 4.8m x 1.5m image of a Chevrolet Cruze more than 5000 times.Vaughan, 35, who led England to a historic Ashes victory in 2005, has been compared to artists Jackson Pollack and Damien Hirst due to the way he creates his art.  "A few of the other players initially took the mickey, but they are now artballing fans -- and have had a go themselves," he said.An original artballing painting can fetch as much as $33,000 at art auctions with pop star Lily Allen counting herself among his fans. Chevrolet commissioned Vaughan to create his biggest work yet.  The painting of the Cruze, sold as a Holden in Australia, took eight hours to create with Vaughan calling on his cricketing expertise to accurately recreate the bodywork, tyres and alloys on canvas using five different coloured cricket balls and more than 20 litres of paint."Creating art with cricket balls is completely different, modern and new," he said.  "It changes the rules of art because it's instinctive and raw."

Driving an electric vehicle is very similar to driving a conventional automatic vehicle. I have driven several electric vehicles around the world and while some may appear futuristic on the outside, none has looked dramatically different on the inside. There is still a steering wheel, the usual controls for wipers and indicators and two pedals on the floor to make it go and stop.Mitsubishi Motors Australia corporate affairs vice-president Paul Stevenson says it is important that EVs appear like conventional cars."We want people to feel like they're not getting into something from the Jetsons," he says. "The controls are all fairly similar to petrol cars. Apart from it being quiet, it should be just like driving a normal car."DrivingThe test loop for the i-MiEV at the inaugural briefing of media in Brisbane this week included 20 minutes of CBD stop-start traffic. Switch on the i-MiEV and there is no engine noise, just lights in the instrument vehicle that acknowledge the car is ready to go. Push the throttle pedal and the vehicle takes off.Because electric vehicles have instant maximum torque, some EVs tend to lunge off the mark. The i-MiEV doesn't jerk. Its throttle is well attenuated for smooth take-offs. In 'D' for drive mode, it accelerates about as fast as any hot hatch around up to about 60km/h.You can shift to 'ECO' for economy mode or 'B' for braking mode on the fly. Going back to ECO is like shifting up a gear without accelerating, and going back to D is similar to dropping a gear and accelerating. B mode provides more retardation when you lift off the throttle, as if you've dropped a gear and applied a little brake. It would be good for downhills as well as the benefits of the kinetic energy recharging the battery.Some electric cars, such as the Mini-E, have so much retardation it will bring the vehicle to a compete stop. The i-MiEV requires manual braking input. Although the vehicle weighs only 1050kg, it feels heavy. The steering is weighty and ponderous, not lively as you would expect.On the run, the i-MiEV is exceptionally quiet with only wind and tyre noise, plus the airconditioning fan. The airconditioning doesn't run off a separate 12V battery, so it doesn't drain the power - although it required a fair amount of fan to cool the small cabin in the 30 degree heat of lunchtime Brisbane.As expected, the small cabin is a tight fit for four adult males, but the seats are big enough and comfortable. After just a short CBD spin, it is evident the i-MiEV is perfectly satisfactory as a city car at city speeds.Mitsubishi i-MiEVBODY: 4-seater miniMOTOR: AC electricOUTPUT: 47kW of power, 180Nm of torqueVOLTAGE: 330VTOP SPEED: 130 km/hRANGE: up to 160kmKERB WEIGHT: 1080kgDRIVE: rear wheel, Drive, Eco and Brake modesCHARGE: 7 hours from 240V supply

They convey a sense of mystery, sophistication and seduction, says a university researcher.  And the colour of the car you buy says a lot about what type of person you are, adds marketing postgraduate research student Andrew Golledge of the Queensland University of Technology.Golledge, who has 10 years' experience in the motor industry working mainly with accidents and breakdowns, admits he recently bought a black Mitsubishi Lancer.  "Every man has to have a black car once in his life,'' says Golledge who is researching consumer motivations and behaviour and has based his assessments on several published research documents."Black cars talk about mystery, sophistication and seduction. It's the idea that the colour represents.  Black silk sheets on a bed, black lingerie. These are sensual things.''However, the most popular colour choice across the industry is silver which Golledge says reflects prestige.  "So does champagne gold and, to a lesser extent, beige. These are the colours of jewellery and they exude professionalism and prestige,'' he says."Is it any wonder Audi uses silver in all of its promotions?''  Silver is also considered a practical and safe colour."There was some research done in New Zealand a number of years ago which indicated silver is the safest colour to drive,'' he says.  They are involved in fewer accidents and less-serious accidents compared with the next safest which is white."Green, brown and black are involved in the most accidents, so visibility obviously has an impact.  We humans have a problem perceiving differences of speed in green cars, maybe because of grassy backgrounds, I'm not sure."Black is a more obvious thing - when it's dark you just don't see a black car as easily.''  Golledge says men and women perceive car colours differently."We have stereotyping in our western society and generally it is the man who cleans the car and I might get into trouble for saying that, but it is one of the criteria they consider when buying a car.  Men and women tend to buy different colour cars. You won't see too many men driving a pink car.""Women are more attracted to the more belonging colours such as blue which appeals to our sense of reliability and belonging, or yellow which appeals to warmth and happiness. There's also a lot of orange cars on the road at the moment and that's all about playfulness.''Golledge says white cars are the most practical as they fade less in the sun and are cooler.  You are not appealing to any emotion when you buy a white car. It is a very neutral colour and you are not expressing your personality,'' he says."Often you find that white is the only free colour these days and you have to pay extra for metallic and other colours,'' he says.  They are also perceived as being easier to clean, but that is maybe false."But the main advantage of a white car is that it is perceived to hold its value better.  It's like if you are selling a house you don't paint it all sorts of personal colours, you paint it white or something neutral.''Golledge also believes more white cars will have been sold in the past 18 months of the global financial crisis, mainly by businesses cashing in on the government's tax incentive package.  Holden external communications director Emily Perry says the most popular Holden colours continue to be black (Phantom), white (Heron) and silver (Nitrate), but white is growing in popularity."It is a pragmatic choice for many buyers,'' she says. ``It is easy to keep clean, offers good visibility and good for resale value.  Interestingly though, there is also a growing trend among luxury and performance enthusiasts to order white vehicles, a trend we see among European marques as well."In many cases white is becoming the new black.  In terms of the more 'out-there' or 'hero' colours, Holden limits these to the sport performance range - SV6, SS, SSV across Ute, Sedan and Sportwagon."Some of our more popular hero colours at the moment are Atomic (bright green) and Poison Ivy (bright bottle green).''  Golledge says buying a car starts as a practical decision, backed by research and shopping around.However, when it comes to the crunch time of buying, it can become an emotional issue.  And then colour becomes important,'' he says."Then it comes down to practicality or emotion. It's a very individual thing.''  He also says partners and family members have a role in the decision making."So the male half of the relationship may want a black car but his partner may decide on a colour more appealing to them and will influence them accordingly,'' he says.  "This situation can of course work in reverse.''Car Colours And You(according to Golledge)RED: Mostly bought by men. It stands for passion, speed, performance and strength. It's also a danger colour, but realistically when you are talking about cars, it is performance. In the UK, red cars are the most commonly pulled over for speeding.BLACK: Mostly bought by single men aged 18-35. It says they are looking to establish their sense of mystery and interested in expressing themselves and their ambitions.WHITE: Bought by male and female professionals and tradespeople. It says you are practical.SILVER/BEIGE/CHAMPAGNE GOLD: Bought by professionals. Some people believe those who buy silver cars may be very practical, but it is also associated with jewellery and prestige.YELLOW/ORANGE: They appeal more to women and people who buy fun cars. They stand for warmth, playfulness and happiness. However, there is now also a stronger orange colour which is quite aggressive and powerful and may appeal more to young men.BLUE: Bought by both men and women and usually found on family cars. It stands for reliability. Those who choose blue are looking at a more social or belonging aspect. Some also think blue is cool, as in temperature.GREEN: Bought equally by men and women. There has been an upsurge in green cars lately which could challenge the traditional notion of green being related to wealth. These days green is more about the environment. It is no coincidence that Ford is promoting its Econetic Fiesta with a green car.

Auckland auctioner Dunbar Sloane Snr expects the car to fetch up to $500,000 and that an Australian could be the successful bidder. "The last few cars I've sold have been bought by Aussies," he says. "They come across and buy them because of the value of your dollar, so an Aussie will probably end up buying this." Sloane says they have also received interest from England and India for the 1936 Maharaja Lanchester Drophead Coupe, the only convertible ever made by the Lanchester Motor Company of Birmingham. His Highness the Maharajah Ranjitsinhji, the Jamsaheb of Nawanagar, gave it to his great nephew Maharaj Durgapratapsinh on his 18th birthday in 1964. Maharaj Durgapratapsinh moved to New Zealand in 1993 at the invitation of Sir Edmund Hilary, but when his wife died about two years ago, he decided to return to India. "To take it (the car) back with him would be a nightmare because the Indian Government would want huge taxes and duties, so he's selling it," says Sloane. Maharaj Durgapratapsinh says the car has been "a member of my family for over 70 years so it is always difficult to part with something that close". "But I guess the last nine years it's been in museums in America, so it's time for it to find a new owner who can enjoy it as well. "I don't mind who buys it so long as they have a love for the car and look after it and maybe let me visit it some time." Ranji fell in love with the Lanchester marque when he went to play cricket in India in the early 1900s, during the days of the British Raj. He befriended Lanchester brothers Frederick and George, who were the first to manufacture an all-British car in 1896. He bought his first Lanchester, a 9kW two-cylinder model, in 1904, and since then, whenever a new model was made, at least one was shipped to India to add to his collection. Lanchester stopped making the Straight-Eight in the 1930s, but new owners Daimler made six more when they received a request from King George IV for four and from Ranji for a coupe and a soft-top convertible. The soft top is the only one ever built. When Ranji presented it to his grand nephew in 1946, the car had clocked 4800km and needed only cosmetic restoration. "I know that car inside out because I restored it myself," Maharaj Durgapratapsinh says. "I know every single nut and bolt." He competed in several rallies with this Lanchester in India, won the Indian Concours d'Elegance from 1966 to 1970 and scored a second in its class at Pebble Beach Concours in 2000 when he was invited to show it at the event's 50th anniversary. "It drives extremely well; very smooth ride and powerful," Maharaj says. "It's only done 10,000 miles (16,000km) from new." The auction will be held on April 20 at 6pm with international bids accepted by phone. 1936 Lanchester Straight-eight convertible ORIGIN: United KingdomENGINE: 4.5-litre straight 8POWER: 24kWTOP SPEED: 160km/hCOACH: Vanden Plas Coach BuildersTRANSMISSION: pre-select gear box with fluid flywheel

Was it "Big Bopper" - the '79 XB Falcon from Mad Max, or Steve McQueen's '68 Mustang GT in Bullitt. Or could it be the '64 Aston Martin DB5 driven by Bond in Goldfinger. How about the Mini Coopers of 1969 in the Italian Job? Or, does the '77 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and The Bandit top your list?Take our poll below to tell us what you think, or leave a comment if your top pick is not listed.But if the Oscars gave out awards to cars instead of stars, Audi would probably get the most nominations. During the past few years, Audis have featured in all the Transporter movies, Ronin, I Robot, Mission Impossible 2, About a Boy, Legally Blonde 2, Hitman, The Matrix 2, Iron Man and now its sequel.In the first Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr plays Tony Stark (a.k.a 'Iron Man'). His workshop houses a 1932 Ford Flathead roadster, a 1967 Shelby Cobra, a Saleen S7, a prototype Tesla Roadster and a 2008 Audi R8.Supporting roles were played by the S5 sports sedan driven by American secret service agents and a Q7 SUV which is literally held up by Iron Man, who saves the family inside from the enemy. For the Australian premiere, Downey Jr arrived in a silver R8. In Iron Man 2 he drives an Audi R8 Spyder and his secretary, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), drives an A8 TDI.Audi Australia corporate communications general manager Anna Burgdorf could not confirm whether any payment was made for the placement. However, she could confirm that the super-sport R8 V10 Spyder will arrive here towards the end of the year.The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro features a lightweight-cloth top that opens automatically in about 19 seconds. Its V10 engine produces 386kW of power and launches the open-top two-seater to 100km/h in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313km/h.Product placement of cars is not new to the sliver screen. Most critics believe it started with Bond films, notably the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger, in 1964. Aston returned in 1965 for Thunderball and was replaced by the DBS for 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service.Other companies then got into the act of pushing their vehicles on to the Bond screen with the highlights being the amphibious Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me and the launch of the BMW Z3 Roadster in GoldenEye. Even a pre-production Aston Martin DBS scored a role in Casino Royale, and scored a Guinness record for "the most cannon rolls in a car at the same time" - seven - for its very brief appearance.Iron Man 2 begins screening in Australia on April 29.

Soon you will be able to insert a conventional 3G SIM card into a slot somewhere in the dashboard that will take turn your vehicle into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.  Chris Ryan, boss of Strike which imports mainly Bluetooth vehicle technology, says Australian motorists will become familiar with internet-connected vehicles in the next few years, just as they did when in-car entertainment and air-conditioning became standard.He says internet devices were a highlight of the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and that motorists ‘will benefit immensely from the new technology’.  Internet-empowered cars at the congress featured the SIM card slot positioned below the in-car display.Ryan says it will allow passengers to plug into the internet ‘as if they were at an internet cafe and they can log in to all social networking sites at the click of a button’.  "Passengers will be able to Skype, watch movies and email, etc," he says.At the Mobile World Congress, Audi used a 3G-enabled A5 to show off navigation applications and streaming entertainment features.  Audi plans to include 3G connectivity in select overseas A8 models later this year, according to Audi Australia corporate communications general manager Anna Burgdorf.Ryan says the feature will open up a world of information and services."From the comfort of the motorist's seat, they can make simultaneous voice and data connections," he says.  "Passengers will be able to use in-built navigation systems, which are compatible with Google Earth and similar GPS systems. They will provide high-resolution, 3D satellite and aerial imagery as well as live traffic updates which will be extremely useful for motorists."Meanwhile, Intel and Google are developing interactive dashboards with large screens showing 3D maps, web pages and videos.  They will be capable of providing restaurant reviews and venue information online while vehicles are moving.Ryan says Strike will import "in-car accessories, which will complement the new technology and that will see consumers have access to the convenience of the internet at their fingertips, no matter where there are".  However, not everyone is as excited about the introduction of internet to vehicles.National Fatality Free Friday road safety initiative founder Russell White says giving drivers the ability to surf the net while driving is "too big a temptation".  RACQ traffic and safety executive manager John Wikman says most satellite navigation units provided essential driver information, but internet systems are more entertainment-oriented and could be a distraction."I don't see how you can input data and be concentrating on driving the car at the same time," he said.  RACQ technical services officer Steve Spalding says the overriding factor must be safety."It is important that vehicle manufacturers and regulators balance the introduction of in-car communications technology with the risk of driver distraction," he says.  "Interactive technologies such as this can distract the driver even though it might be in use by the passengers."Current regulations prohibit visual display units being visible to the driver while the vehicle is moving unless it is a driving aid such as a sat nav.  "I think there would be a real temptation for the driver to look across at a laptop screen or similar being held by a passenger," Spalding says.

Not one Caterham was sold last year and only one in 2008. "Yep, last year was the first year I had no deliveries at all, so I am not a rich man," says Caterham Cars Australia spokesman Chris van Wyk. He says they have two problems. "The price is too high and most Clubman buyers want a kit car, something that we do not offer," he says. "In my experience with this market, most buyers want to build a $40,000 kit car, or they may pay up to around $60,000 for a built-up car. Very few have the ability to pay more. So even now, we are really still too expensive for the market, but as the Caterham uses quality components, we cannot compete with other clubman cars directly on price. Some of these competitors used some second-hand or reconditioned components in the past, which we do not do. We have Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs for example. "This means we are really looking at buyers who can afford a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster, but for most of those our car is too focussed and basic. The cost of ADR homologation is also horrendous and this hits the smaller manufacturers disproportionately hard, as we have to amortise those costs over a small volume of cars. "So, whichever way you cut it, we will always have a very small customer base." Yet he is confident of at least a 100 per cent sales increase this year with the base model two-litre model costing $82,950 which is $26,050 less than outgoing $107,700 SVR 200. Van Wyk says the price drop was due to "the more favourable currency exchange rate, the reduced duty and a revised, less expensive engine". And rather than just offering one model, Caterham now has its largest range of Sevens on offer. The Roadsport SV 175, Superlight SV R300 and CSR 175 are all powered by a two-litre engine developed with Ford in the UK. The new Euro 4 four-cylinder engine produces 129kW of power and replaces the previous "very nice, but also very expensive" hand built Cosworth 2.3 litre with 147kW. "The engine is a jewel, handmade in the F1 engine factory, but it is about $50 000 just for the engine," van Wyk says. There is also the base model $64,900 Seven Roadsport SV 120, which replaces the SVR 120 and is powered by a 1.6 Ford Sigma. "Our Roadsport SV 120 model also dodges the dreaded luxury car tax, because it posts fuel consumption at under seven litres per 100km," van Wyk says. "So if someone is looking for a fun sports car for the road, we now have much more affordable models from which to choose." The Seven Roadsport SV 175, which is based on the outgoing SVR 200, is intended for road use and has weather protection, but no airconditioning. It features a short-throw manual five-speed gearbox, unassisted direct steering, unassisted brakes and owners will still be able to see the front suspension and steering at work from the driver's seat. There is also a specification decrease on the Roadsport SV 175 against the SVR 200. It now comes with 14-inch wheels and a five-speed gearbox rather than 15-inch wheels and bespoke Avon CR500 tyres, with the six-speed Caterham designed gearbox, which is now a $6795 option. The 175 also has with De Dion rear suspension, electrically heated windscreen, heater, padded armrests, cloth seat trim and carbonfibre fascia, sills and rear guard protectors. The track-oriented Seven Superlight SV R300 has jettisoned all but the bare essentials to keep the weight down, so there is no heater, windscreen or weather protection, although they can be fitted as options. However, it does come with a bespoke six-speed close-ratio gearbox, adjustable suspension, 15-inch alloy wheels and carbonfibre wind deflector and front guards, and costs $92,530. Top of the Caterham Seven range is the $95,530 CSR 175 with inboard front suspension, independent rear suspension and adjustable dampers and front anti-roll bar. The CSR shares the 254mm ventilated front disc brakes with the SV 175 and the SV R300, but has larger 254mm solid rear discs and wider rear tyres offered as an option. At the budget end is the Seven Roadsport SV 120 with its 1.6 litre Ford Sigma engine, five-speed manual gearbox, De Dior rear suspension and 14-inch wheels. It still comes with such niceties as full weather protection, electrically heated windscreen and cloth trim. Caterham Seven sports cars are based on the 1957 Colin Chapman-designed Lotus 7. Caterham Australia also orders in complete or kit-form racing cars with prices dependent on customer specifications. "But to date I have not received any orders. There is not really a suitable racing series for them in Australia," van Wyk says. Caterham models Seven CSR 175, 2.0 Caterham-Ford, $95,530 Seven Superlight SV R300, 2.0 Caterham-Ford, $92,530 Seven Roadsport SV 175, 2.0 Caterham-Ford $82,950 Seven Roadsport SV 120, 1.6 Ford Sigma, $64,900

So far, in fact, that the traditional Holden versus Ford tribal war doesn't mean much to Irish butcher Paul Lawless, born in Tiperrary, even though he has lived in Australia for more than 30 years."I don't have a preference for Holden or Ford," says the 2002 Australian sausage champion who runs a butchery in Annerley, south Brisbane, and now owns two pristine examples of '60s Australian automobilia. His 1961 EK Holden and 1966 XP Falcon ute look like they have just rolled off the factory floor."I've been interested in Australian cars since the 1960s when I first arrived in Sydney," he says in his strong Irish accent. "I used to go to the auctions and I bought and sold a lot of cars, mainly Holdens and Fords because I grew up with the culture."There's not really a lot of money to be made (buying and selling at auctions); we just wanted to have different cars all the time." He says he onced owned a 1968 Monaro he bought for $1350. "I only had it for 12 months and sold it for $1500. I wished I'd kept it. In the '60s I went more for Holdens and in the 1970s I veered off into Fords and then I followed Dick Johnson, so I was into Fords. "At Bathurst time my allegiance all depends on what car I have at the time."So come that special Sunday in October this year and he will be in a real quandry as he now owns one of each, although the odds are in favour of Holden as his third car is a 1972 Kingswood he bought six years ago for $2500.Lawless says that despite his past buying and selling habits, he would never sell his XP or EK. "I can't see the point," he says. "I just want to keep them and hand them on to my sons."He bought the XP ute recently for $10,000. Lawless says it had a "clean body" with the rust cut out and had 43,000 miles (69,201km) on the odometer. The only modifications he has done is to reupholster the seats, install a new tonneau cover and replace the steering wheel with a "pearl" model. "That was fairly popular in the 1960s," he says. He has also had the original AM radio restored by John Carr of Yass."I bought hubcaps on the internet from America for $450. They are the only non-original part. Everything else is completely original," he says. It's his daily driver, while the EK only comes out for Sunday drives and car shows."I bought it about 12 months ago for $5000 from a woman who only used it to drive to the shops," he says. "No one has sat in the back since the 1960s. It's absolutely lovely. It is completely original. It was just always kept under cover. You will never get another car like that." He turns over the 170 cubic inch six-cylinder and it purrs into life. "Listen to that. You wouldn't even know it was running," he says.An EK cost 2500 in 1962 and for an extra 180 you could get a Diamond Dot radio which this one has. "That's the only thing I've had to fix on this one," he says.

He should know. He has at least five of a lot of things, including speed cars, motorcycles, saws, meat grinders, caps, tea pots, American number plates, electric jugs. You name it, he has it stored away in an old shop he owns in Brisbane. In prime position in his jumbled collection is Australia's oldest motorcycle, a 1897 De Dion three-wheeler in a glass case "to keep people's fingermarks off it". Morgan, 69, is a retired businessman, collector and former racer on two and four wheels. His racing career started in 1959 as a speedcar driver, becoming the 1970 national champion and the 1972 Australasian champion. Consequently his collection features several speed cars he is in the throes of restoring. They include a 1947 Kurtis-Kraft speed car he raced in the '60s. It is powered by an Offenhauser two-litre four-cylinder DOHC fuel-injected engine. "It used to have 200hp (149kW) in its day which was good enough to win races, but you have to have at least 400hp to win these days," he says. He sold it in 1970 to a West Australian racer and bought it back in 1988 as a dismantled wreck. Morgan also has a 1938 Model A Ford speed car with a three-litre, side-valve, four-cylinder engine, "resurrected" from a swap meet about 10 years ago for $1000; a 1940 Plymouth Special raced in Sydney by Ray Revell in 1941; and a 1938 Midget speed car with an FJ Holden six-cylinder engine. Unlike many racers who go from two wheels to four, Morgan did it the other way around, moving to enduro and trials motorcycle events in the 1970s. "People usually go from two to four wheels, but I went the other way because I was offered an opportunity to go racing enduros and I had to take it," he says. "I'm a dirt man myself. I'm more at ease in the dirt. It's more fun when it's controlled sliding." He continued his dirt infatuation when he competed in around Australia rallies in 1995 and 1998 in a 1965 Ford Compact Fairlane. He can't remember where they finished. "We finished and that is the main thing," he says. He also performed in the Holden Precision driving team mainly in Asia throughout the 1970s. Now, in his retirement he has a formidable collection of vehicles, including a 1966 Ford Thunderbird with a 257kW, seven-litre V8 he bought for $15,000. "I haven't had to do anything to it but polish it, drive it and have fun in it," he says. His speed car restorations are more demanding and in varying stages of completion. He even has a 1935 International truck which he'll restore "if I live long enough". "It's not the cost but the time. It's an enormous amount of time to restore a vehicle. You couldn't afford to pay for the time. "I've seen people spend $100,000 on a car and it's worth $50,000. I just do it as a hobby." His bike collection is extensive and includes a 1960 Jawa Californian and 1968 speedway bike, 1954 Ariel Square 4, 1947 Ariel 600, 1947 BSA500, 1960 BSA Gold Star, 1942 Royal Enfield RE125, 1969 Trident 750, 1956 Triumph Speed Twin, 1974 Triton 650, 1956 Norton 350, 1938 Norton SV16H 500, 1960 Adler 250, 1983 Montessa Crono 350, Yamaha Tenere 660 that competed in an Australian Safari and a 1970s Hercules with a Wankle 2000 rotary engine. But it's the perfectly restored polished brass and burnished leather De Dion which stands out. It is powered by a 200cc single-cylinder engine which has the first mass-produced engine with an enclosed flywheel (which Harley-Davidson used in their first bikes). The bike also has a one candlepower headlight. Morgan doesn't know what it is worth, but says that other examples of the French motorcycle have fetched several million dollars. However, he says he has no interest in selling any of his collection or lending it to a museum. "If someone offered me to buy the lot that is fine, but people want to pick the eyes out of it and leave me with the rest and I'm not interested in that," he says.