The best unsung heroes of Australian cars
Australian car aficionados and nostalgia buffs will tell you that the local automotive industry peaked in the 1970s. They love the Falcon GTHO Phase 3, Torana XU1, Valiant Charger E49 and even the Leyland P76. What rubbish.
Today's Fords and Holdens are the best cars we've ever driven or built, and even humble toyota camry much better for everyday driving than some shiny Bathurst GTHO.
Australian auto industry may be in its death throes, FROM Holden and Ford to close their plants for three years и Toyota also closes local retreatbut there are many more reasons to rejoice.
I now realize that I lived through the glory days of the Australian automotive industry and had the privilege of driving, evaluating and reporting everything from the original 1978 VB Commodore to latest super-nice HSV GTS.
And what about Volkswagen Beetle и Volvo 240 which were collected in Australia? What about the Nissan Pintara Superhatch? In fact, I'm just kidding these three because none of them can be considered the best Australian. But there is a group of cars that were really great in their time, although many people have probably never heard of them.
My personal number one Mini Mok. It may have originated in Britain, but it is unique and has qualities, including the touch of larrikin that we celebrate every year on Australia Day. So here he is, along with the other nine that I think we should honor.
1. Holden J.B. Camira - 1982
The original Camira was so ahead of the curve that most people only have bad memories. Yes, the quality was…questionable, and the original 1.6-litre engine was asthmatic. But it was a compact car, built in Australia, it was included in General Motors' global program called J-Car, and its basic ideas and layout were good. It also drove very well. But by the time the bugs were sorted out, his time had passed.
2. Nissan Skyline R31 GTS 2 - 1989
No, not Godzilla. There was a time when road rocket GT-R landed here and was tuned by the Special Vehicles division at Nissan Australia, but this car was a fun rear wheel drive bus developed from a locally built Skyline. There were actually two models, one white and the other red, and it is the second car that really deserves attention. It was a really good ride thanks to the work of the team that included Mark Scaife and Nissan stalwart Paul Beranger.
3. Toyota TRD Hilux - 2008
When Toyota Australia decided it needed a hot rod unit, there were many doubters and they ended up killing her before she had a chance to shoot. The supercharged TRD - some people suggested the name was missing a vowel - the Aurion version was just fine, but the supercharged HiLux was ripe for improvement and the job was done well. As the boom in Australia continues to grow, TRD Hilux with local modifications of the suspension and body, probably the star of 2014.
4. Ford Territory Diesel - 2011
Without territory, Ford Falcon would already be dead. It's been a decade since the all-Australian SUV was given the green light, and it's still one of the best big seven-seaters for the money. The Territory program was led by the late and great Jeff Polites, who also wanted the diesel engine to appeal to tug owners from the start. It arrived too, too late, but is still a winner and far more popular than the turbocharged petrol engine choice.
5. Nissan N13 Pulsar / Holden LD Astra - 1987
Born at the height of the badge engineering era - there was a time when Nissan patrol became Ford and falcon was Nissan - the N13 was a sturdy, sensible, and quality compact car. It got the basics from Japan, but local customization made it a really cool little car that Holden also grabbed before he turned to Toyota, Opel and Daewoo for his showroom kids.
6. Elfin MS8 Streamliner — 2004 г.
I still remember the day Holden style guru Mike Simcoe showed me a photo of his Elfin Clubman retro design. I was stunned. The Streamliner shared a Clubman and HSV V8 chassis at the bow, but was wrapped in a radical, forward-looking body. It was never fully sorted as a road car and business never really took off, but it's still my personal favorite and I have a Streamliner Biante on my desk.
7. Holden V2 Monaro - 2001
No, not a sixties Bathurst car. The car that started life as another Simcoe dream car in the late 1990s became a reality in the days when Holden couldn't do anything wrong. It looked good, drove well and was impressive enough to win an export ticket to the US. My favorite is the V2 model, surpassed only by the BMW M5, at more than twice the price, on my personal road test cycle in the Queensland hinterland.
8. Ford Ranger - 2013
How can the Australian auto industry die if it is capable of making cars as good as the new Ranger, also sold as the Mazda BT50? That's because the engineering is brilliant, but it's cheaper to make the Ranger in Thailand and bring it to Australia under a free trade agreement. The Ranger is the first car to drive essentially like a car, have five-star safety and can work and play at the top of its class.
9. HSV GTS - 2013
The ultimate proof that modern cars are superior to anything found in the history books. It's not cheap, but it's fast and furious when you want it, and luxuriously composed when you don't want it. It has the famous rear-wheel-drive V8 monster combo, but benefits greatly from the upgrade work - especially the electronics - in Commodore VF. This is by far the most accomplished Holden of all time and would be my Bucket List pick for an all Australian collectible car, but it still doesn't get the recognition it deserves.
10: Leyland Mock - since 1966
The original idea for the Moke may have appealed to the British military, but the Moke struck a chord in Australia during the Roaring Sixties. It was just right for the Aquarian age, without rules and with great pleasure. It was insanely unsafe - my friend Jim got spat out on a corner once - but it got some decent driving improvements over the basics of the Mini. Many of them survive today by renting them out in the Queensland sunbelt and are a huge hit with international tourists.
This reporter on Twitter: @paulwardgover
