2000 Ford Tickford TL50 + 1979 Leyland Moke + 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SL - Phil's Picks 406 Part 1

By: Phil Walker, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 08.10.2017

Phil’s loves two things in this world: Cars… and searching the classifieds for more cars. So, if he didn’t already have an overflowing garage, these are the wheels that’d well and truly be on his radar.

2000 Ford Tickford TL50 - $17,000

When was the last time you saw one of these? I’m guessing for most the answer is never. What you’re looking at here started life as a top-of-the-range Ford Fairlane that was then sent to Tickford Vehicle Engineering. The boys at Tickford then set about fettling and beefing up the luxo-cruiser, turning the knob up to eleven and, in doing so, transforming the Fairlane into a luxo-bruiser! They called it the TL50 and just 58 were built, making this a very rare car indeed. Slotted under the bonnet is the venerable 4.9lt Windsor donk, which pushes out a meaty 200kW and 420Nm of torque. I reckon this thing would be perfect for interstate cruiser duties; plenty of luxury, plenty of shove and a package rare enough to justify the price tag to the missus. 

1979 Leyland Moke - $24,888

If a Porsche 911 is the definitive sports car for the track, and a Rolls Royce is the absolute benchmark of luxury, what’s the perfect car for driving to and from the beach in? I reckon it has to be this ace looking Moke. According to the seller, its got a fresh 1375cc four-pot engine with a performance cam and sports exhaust. It’s also had new suspension fitted, so you’d probably be able to annoy some pretty fast cars on the back streets of the Gold Coast, the natural stomping ground of any topless Moke.

1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SL - $55,000

Boy do these old Benz still look great. To my eyes I reckon they’ve aged better than just about any other car on the planet, the older they get, the more I want one. This 450SL looks like an absolute pearler and it ticks all the boxes a discerning collector (car tragic) would be looking for: Australian delivered, full service history from new and full documentation and books. What’s more, judging from the photos this SL appears to be in great condition both inside and out, and they’ve surely got to be a sound investment for the future.

1982 Chevrolet Corvette - $32,990

Look, I know, it’s not everyone’s favourite Corvette… Actually for some it’s the worst one Chevy ever built. But the C3 is a good car, and they’ve aged well, and they’re still floating around for prices that that seem vaguely reasonable. This one really looks the part and it should because, according to the seller, it’s just had a full respray. It’s also got the three-speed auto, power brakes, leather interior, air conditioning and power mirrors, which all equate to a car conducive for doing nothing but cruising, and I’m more than okay with that.

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