by Peter Robinson This is a coincidence that stretches beyond the imagination. In late 1950 and early 1952, General Motors and Ford – sworn rivals as the world’s two biggest car makers – launched totally new four- and six-cylinder engines with identical bore and stroke measurements and, therefore, precisely the same capacity. A fluke of […]
Sketch to Street: David Bentley and the Austin Tasman/Kimberley – Part 5
by David Burrell This is final instalment of the Australian Motor Heritage Foundation’s (AMHF) series which showcases the automotive design work of David Bentley when he worked in the styling studios of BMC Australia (BMCA) and BMC in the UK during the 1960s. He has generously given the AMHF access to his private collection of […]
GM: Thinking for Design
by Peter Robinson Thinking time: that vital period when a CEO or senior manager is free to reflect, to contemplate the future, and hopefully come up with strategies that drive a company forward. Sadly, too many leaders ignore the importance of thinking time. They fill their entire weekly schedule with endless meetings, answering questions, solving […]
Ford L’Avion: Could have been a small 1950s Mercury?
Retro Stories by David Burrell The startlingly shaped L’Avion could have been Ford’s first compact sized car in the USA, two years before the Falcon. It was championed by Lewis Crusoe, who was vice president in charge of all of Ford’s car and truck divisions. In 1955 he commissioned the L’Avion as a small Mercury. […]
Sketch to Street: David Bentley and the Austin Tasman/Kimberley – Part 4
by David Burrell This is part four of the five-part series from the Australian Motor Heritage Foundation (AMHF) which celebrates the automotive design work of David Bentley, and his close involvement in shaping the Austin Tasman and Kimberley. This instalment focuses on the never built station wagon. The sketches and drawings you see here are […]
XA Falcon coupe. Design to Driveway
Retro Stories by David Burrell Australian automotive folklore says that the shape of the 1972 XA Falcon coupe, with its bulging rear fenders, was first drawn by Ford Australia’s design manager, the late Brian Rossi, in late 1968, on a napkin while he was having dinner at a Melbourne restaurant with his boss, design director, […]
‘Valentine’s Superfine Colors for Automobile Coach and Car’
Library Acquisitions Paint colours – Manufacturer’s guide for Veteran & Vintage body paint Donated by Hugh King, 2023 This pristine hard-bound book measures 22×11.5cm. Thin A4 size, 83 pages with glued cloth binding and a ‘floating’ cardboard reference sheet to assist viewing across open pages. Publisher is Valentine & Company ‘Established 1832’ in New York, […]
Sketch to Street: David Bentley and the Austin Tasman/Kimberley – Part 3
by David Burrell In this five-part series the Australian Motor Heritage Foundation (AMHF) is featuring the automotive design work of David Bentley, and his involvement in shaping the X6 Austin Tasman and Kimberley. David worked in the styling studios of BMC Australia (BMCA) and BMC in the UK during the 1960s. This third instalment covers […]
EJ Holden: Pivotal role in Holden’s Future
Retro Stories by David Burrell The EJ Holden was released in July 1962, thirteen months before its more celebrated successor, the EH. Since then, it has been in the EH’s shadow. And yet, the EJ had a more pivotal role in the history of General Motors’-Holden (GMH) than the EH. This crucial influence is revealed […]
