On learning that 88-year-old Nino Vaccarella died on September 23, I smiled quietly to myself. No, I’m not callous. I smiled because I was instantly transported back to that March […]
Robbo's Archives
The Ford Ghia Focus
Directly opposite my desk, sitting atop my model cabinet, is a voluptuous one-tenth scale clay model of an open sports car. It’s a daily reminder of a unique concept car […]
Just who did style the Hurricane?
The question of who designed the Hurricane supercar has been mired in controversy. Until 2011. Weird as it may have seemed for a car styled just 44-years ago, nobody was […]
The Holden Hurricane
This story begins on Tuesday, March 4, 1969 in Holden’s Technical Centre, Fishermen’s Bend. And finishes almost 43-years later at Holden’s Lang Lang proving ground. As one of 31 press […]
Sydney to Perth (3 Times!)
Google maps tells me the distance by road from London to Moscow is 2890km. Drive a further 1130km east and you’re almost to the Ural Mountains. Or the same 4020km […]
50 YEARS AGO
History tells us Mel Nichol’s great HO Down the Hume story is a Wheels’ magazine original. Not quite. In fact, Mel’s still evocative words first appeared in the October 1975 […]
Life with Ferrari
When in September 1982, on a private visit to Italy, I first visited Ferrari, Il Commendatore Enzo Ferrari was still very much the autocrat, at least of the racing department. […]
My First Grand Prix
‘The circuit is now open for Formula One practice.’ You’ve come halfway round the world to hear those nine magic words boom out across the pits. But now you wonder […]
Takaharu ‘Koby’ Kobayakawa
Takaharu ‘Koby’ Kobayakawa It is impossible to imagine how Mazda’s image in 1976 could have been more disastrous. Boat loads of rotary-powered RX-2, RX-3 and RX-4s were turned back across […]
