The UC team were asked to share their favourite feature stories from our vast catalogue of content.
SHAUN TANNER
Brocktober – Issue #409
This one was special, travelling up to Bathurst for the 30th anniversary of Peter Brock’s final Mount Panorama triumph. A large contingent of over 80 HDT owners descended upon the iconic mountain. The ultimate highlight of this gathering however was shooting 11 or so HDT Group A VL Commodores in a group shot out the front of Bathurst Town Hall. The street was blocked off for the photo opportunity, and special guest Peter McLeod posed with a complete nut-and-bolt replica of the 87 winning race car to top it off. Additionally, photographing stunning examples of HDTs from skyline atop Mount Panorama circuit was very special.
Shelby Cobra – Issue #473
It can be a challenge distinguishing between genuine Shelby Cobras and kit cars. It’s often best to assume they are replicas. When given the opportunity to photograph one, I initially didn’t realise it was a genuine Shelby Cobra, and more specifically, one of only three Slalom Specials. Learning of its rarity and value, I felt a mix of awe and apprehension about interacting and touching it. I’d never been near a real one before. However, when Uncle Phil started the car, the unforgettable sound combined with the history surrounding it left a lasting impression, making the experience of seeing, touching, and hearing the Cobra a rare privilege.
ROB BLACKBOURN
LC Torana XU-1 – Issue #441
The XU-1 Torana resto article in issue #441 is a standout for me. I’ve always loved the LC XU-1 because it was the first factory hot rod on the local scene. Who doesn’t love the idea of stuffing a big engine under the bonnet of a car that started out with four-banger power? I felt a bit smug when I moved from GM-H in 1969 to work at Ford Head Office because, unlike my new Ford colleagues, I knew that the Torana option-list would soon include Holden-six power. What I didn’t know was that GM-H would ultimately surprise everyone, including me, with the launch of the stove-hot XU-1!
Bill Bourke’s XW GT Falcon – Issue #246
When Bill Bourke’s 428 Cobra Jet powered XW GT Falcon featured in issue #246 the memories came flooding back. Before I worked for Ford it was never the boss who drove the hottest car – it was one of your showy workmates. Bosses were ‘Mr Sensible’ or ‘Mr Restraint’. Bourke was different. He was a real car guy. A real enthusiast. A bold and inspirational leader. His XW GT was all muscle from its ‘428 Cobra Jet’ badges to its ‘shaker’ hood scoop and its American Racing alloy wheels. And he drove it accordingly – visitors fresh from a quick dash up the Hume reported seeing 140mph (225km/h) on the clock…
DAVE MORLEY
Bill Skyrn VF Pacer – Issue #472
I really like old Valiants and I really, really like early Pacers. Bill Skyrn’s VF four-door Pacer (my preference over the two-door, too) was a ripper car that was just so authentic you couldn’t help but fall in love with it. There’s huge originality encapsulated in Bill’s car, and he’s smart enough to know that sort of thing needs preserving and protecting. The VF is also proof that an old car can still be a viable means of transport and Bill does the odd long-distance trip with the leaning tower of power burbling away through a slightly bigger zorst and good times looming up in the windscreen.
Chris Britten Mini Twini – Issue #400
What’s better than a hot brick with a zesty little A-Series motor flinging it along? The same car with two zesty little A-Series donks, of course. Pardon? Yep, you hear it right; this dark green, beautifully restored Mini Cooper has a pair of engines, making it an eight-cylinder, all-wheel drive Cooper S. Chris wasn’t the first bloke to build a twin-engined Mini, but I reckon he was the first to turn the rear engine around to fit stealthily in the boot (and not the back seat) a move that required the engine to spin backwards. In turn, that meant a one-off reverse-ground camshaft and a wild gear-linkage. But you know what? It all works magnificently and the looks on faces at servos when you start the front engine, then flip the key and crank the second A-Series in to life is worth every one of the hundreds of hours Chris invested getting the thing right.
CLIFF CHAMBERS
Car of the Century – Issue DECEMBER 1999
What a privilege. What an extraordinary and utterly ‘unique’ experience. In late 1999, with fears of the Millennial Bug staring us in the face, to be standing on a windswept and wet Holden Proving Ground surrounded by some of the country’s most erudite motoring experts and ten of the world’s most significant automotive designs, with not a microprocessor or crank position sensor between them. After six hours of inspection, driving and negotiating it was the car that none of the judging team wanted to drive home – Ford’s Model T – that emerged inarguably as the winner. Standouts for me included power-sliding a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost on tyres that would be too narrow for your wheelbarrow and the immense feeling of security delivered on a wet road at 130km/h by Citroen’s under-rated ID.
Ford Escort RS200 – Issue #229
Other people may have travelled faster in cars they have been asked to review but unless someone has had their bum in an F1, you won’t have reached maximum velocity any faster. Ford’s RS200 was one of the final new designs of the Group B rally era, when cars became so fast and difficult to drive the category was banned. The one into which I crawled at Qld Raceway in late 2003 had never been seriously rallied but was one of the final RS versions which with the right gearing could hit 270km/h. On the day I was there we hit the cut-out at 219km/h less than halfway down the QIR front straight. However, the odd-looking little RS did manage 100km/h from rest in 2.2 seconds and that – literally – was breathtakingly memorable.
MARK HIGGINS
Lou Scapin Moffat Tribute – Issue #453
Lou is a wonderful bloke and it wasn’t just the fabulous job he’d done in creating a superb tribute of Allan Moffat’s Mustang, it was his passion and idolisation for Moffat and his steed that struck me. Lou said, “Being Italian everyone around us drove Valiants and Holdens. We didn’t know anyone with a Ford. I was watching the Touring Car Championship race from Calder and this glorious fastback Trans-Am Mustang driven by Allan Moffat won. I had no idea what a Trans-Am Mustang was, but I quickly became obsessed by it and for me Allan Moffat and his Mustang were the ultimate, end of story.”
Ford Falcon GT-HO Phase IV – Issue #435
I was at Eastern Creek for the original Rolling 30 event graced by not one, but two genuine XA Phase IV GT-HO Falcons. From memory it was the first time the pair had been together since their build at Lot 6. One in Brambles Red was stickered with Moffat and Ford racing logos and the other, in Calypso Green was almost overshadowed by the red racer. The significance of this gathering was a moment I’ll never forget. I didn’t drive or even sit in either car. But as the photographer clicked away capturing the pair for the mag, I chatted to their owners; both named Paul. The setting, their welcoming, passion and knowledge and seeing these two cars together made it an exceptional day.
ANG LOUPETIS
Tucker 48 – Issue #411
When it comes to rare cars we have seen our fair share through working at this fine publication. I was genuinely thrilled when we finally had the opportunity to photograph the only Tucker on this side of the globe! Over the years I have kept track of Tucker movements on the auction front. To know that one calls Australia home is satisfying in my mind. I always regret missing out on attending the Tucker photoshoot due to circumstances beyond my control, the same goes for missing out in a ride and feature story on a Mercedes-Benz 540K.
1959 Fantastic Fins – Issue #395 & 396
I’m a huge fan of late ’50s and early ’60s Americana, so when the opportunity came to get eight rare 1959 American winged monsters together I was excited. With two photographers on-hand for the day, we snapped and catalogued a ’59 DeSoto, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge and Pontiac. Over two issues, we ran a mega-fins-fest feature dedicated to when chrome and fins ruled the automotive world. What great memories and a fun day for all the owners and staff involved.
PHIL WALKER
Classic Speed Giveaway Mustang – Issue #358
Giveaway cars were a major subscription drawcard for Unique Cars Magazine, and I was lucky enough to be the man in-charge of sourcing and building these cars. From genuine XU-1s, ’57 Chevs to rotisserie restored XYs we did them all and gave them away to a lucky subscriber. One of my highlights was buying a ’64 Mustang Coupe in LA, shipping it to the Philippines and overseeing the entire restoration process through Classic Speed. The car was eventually shipped to Melbourne and given away in Perth! What a prize, and my most memorable days at UC.
Target 300 in the NT – Issue #369
We all know that famous image of the XY Falcon GT-HO off the clock and down the Hume. Back in 2014, I worked on the most ambitious Unique Cars project ever … With the help of Robbie Herrod we took a concours-winning and real Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III, and the last-ever FPV a GT-F, to the Northern Territory to see just how fast these cars could really go – under controlled conditions, of course. With two of Australia’s motor-sport legends behind the wheel, they pushed the Falcons to the limit, it was bigger than Ben-Hur!
MARK BEAN
1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz – Issue #256
One of the coolest cars ever created is the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz! Having the chance to photograph Paul and Michelle Zanetti’s for Unique Cars was a dream job. I’ve known Paul from the Cadillac Club for ages and had seen the magnificent transformation of the car throughout the restoration back to its original Persian Sand. This shoot was so much fun. We decided to shoot the Caddy at Paul and Michelle’s mid-century-style home, Michelle parked her Thunderbird in the background as a stunning prop. What I wasn’t expecting was that Paul and Michelle had organised their friends to come along and to dress up in period outfits, with martini glasses in hand, it truly was a surreal, like stepping back in time.
Buckle Sports Coupe – Issue #342
One side of photographing for Unique Cars you may not realise has actually nothing to do with cars … it’s about the people. I’ve met lifelong friends from photographing their cars for Unique, sometimes meeting the owners is my favourite part. Bill Buckle was one of the nicest people I have ever met, legendary Unique Cars journalist David Berthon and I rolled up to the warmest welcome. We went out and filmed the cars (which are quite amazing, especially for the time). Learning how Bill got the whole thing running was really interesting, then we ended up staying for hours chatting. Just one of those days that really sticks in my mind.
GUY ALLEN
1962 Ford Falcon XL resto mod – Issue #410
As much as we admire a factory-correct restoration, there are times when you trip over a build that’s truly creative and produces enviable results. That’s where Craig and Emma Mansfield’s Falcon wagon comes in. The project began with a cheap and cheerful host shell that needed a complete build, including driveline and a heap of missing panels. Rather than settle for another inline-six, they got creative and bought an EB Ford V8 four-speed auto that had been written off with a severely bent snout. Getting it all together took some serious engineering and creativity. The end result was truly stunning.
1970 Bond Bug – Issue #440
There are some cars out there which brighten up your day the moment they roll in to view, so when you clap eyes on this Bond Bug you just can’t help breaking out a silly grin. This gem was owned by Brit ex-pat Bill Hancock, who remembered seeing them when they were launched at Earl’s Court back in 1970. Both he and his then new wife were deeply impressed and wanted one, but were disappointed to learn it was out of their modest price range. Decades later, Bill decided to revisit the whole idea, now on the other side of the planet, in Queensland. Tom Karen of Ogle Design penned the wild body, while chassis designer John Crossthwaite had previously worked for Lotus and Cooper, and in this case powered the car with a 700cc Reliant engine. The result? Happiness on wheels.
DAVE CAREY
1946 Holden 48/215 prototype – May 2000
I’m obsessed with the rare versions of common cars, and Unique Cars has featured a heap over the last 500 issues. The Ford Surferoo ute from August 2001 was a standout, and as was the Hawaiian-delivered, LHD HR-series Holden from September 2011, but nothing beats the Detroit-built 1946 Holden prototype on the cover of the May 2000 issue. The article covered the history of the first Holden and its meticulous restoration by Gavin and Graham Strongman, plus the thing was beautifully shot; a fitting tribute to a hugely significant car that was almost lost to time.
1976 Mazda RA13s-series Roadpacer AP – Issue #489
The Roadpacer is a weird unicorn; part Holden, part Mazda, with a gestation and production process as mysterious as it is hilarious. I dedicated myself wholly to researching this piece, translating dozens of Japanese articles, and even speaking with former GM-H export manager Tony Connolly in the hope of clearing some vagaries, only for him to reveal the Roadpacer project was handled above him, directly through Detroit, a fact intriguing in itself. Despite some gaps, it likely stands as the most objective and accurate account of the Roadpacer’s existence, in English at least, and I’m honoured it was run in such a legendary magazine. Happy 500th issue!
CHRIS BEATTIE
NASCAR & the tails of a GTO Monaro – 2017
My own equal favourite features in UC were my NASCAR drive in Las Vegas and a story that never made it past the UC censors, involving me sneaking my HSV GTO Coupé into the USA for six months of fun ‘n’ games as part of the Harley Homecoming Tour to Harley-Davidson’s 100th birthday party in 2003. On one occasion during the tour I happened to be driving through Monterey in California on the day of the Pebble Beach Concours Entrants Day and somehow wound up in the entrants’ queue. Some fast talking with a heavy Aus accent got the GTO and my hungover mate Matt and I past security, and we ended up spending a few hours sampling the best champagne and admiring some of the world’s greatest classic cars. The Monaro/GTO was a big hit too, and drew a lot of curious looks when I told them that it was actually a top-secret Pontiac right hand-drive prototype, as the USA was due to switch to the right-hand side of the road in 2005.
