Cliff Chambers
At age 14, surrounded by stacks of motoring magazines from the local junk shop, Cliff Chambers was warned by a concerned mother that he would ‘Never get anywhere knowing a lot about old cars.’ Seventeen years later when his definitive book, Making Money From Collectable Cars was published, she was proud to be proven wrong.
That was in 1987, but Cliff’s life was already revolving around all things automotive. From working part time in a panel shop while at university, he moved to motor industry consultancy roles and managing a Championship winning rally team.
During the 1990s he joined the classic vehicle insurance industry, at the same time becoming a prolific writer for magazines and motoring websites. Then came his ongoing contribution as one of the country’s leading vehicle valuers.
Away from work, automotive events and objects remain prominent in Cliff’s world. He has owned more than 40 cars now considered ‘classic’ and within his collection of motor-related items there remain some of those magazines acquired as a fact hungry teen.
Cliff brings to Retro Rides a blend of unique industry skills and a love of vehicles that will become more obvious with every contribution he makes to the site.
Latest articles
Top Tips for Buying a Used Mazda MX-5 (1989-99)
Born in 1989 and with cumulative sales in late 2023 totaling more than 1.2 million, the Mazda MX-5 is the world’s most successful sports car. Today, the fourth-generation ND model remains true to the original NA’s ethos of being a lightweight, fun and affordable sports car, ensuring a MX-5 of any era should be on every driving enthusiast’s 'must have' list.
Top Tips for Buying a Used Volkswagen Superbug (1971-76)
Germany’s ‘People’s Car’ the Volkswagen Beetle appeared on the Australian landscape during the 1950s, where it battled the British designed and engineered Morris Minor for recognition as Australia’s most popular small car.
How To: Tell if your Car is a Classic
What makes a piece of art a masterpiece, a song a hit or a performance memorable? All of these require widespread awareness and shared opinion, factors that can also see your special vehicle deemed a ‘classic.’
How To: Essential Mechanical Tips for Buying a Used Classic
Nobody is going to become expert in detecting mechanical faults just by reading a book or 'How To' article. What we can do here is provide readers with sufficient clues to identify an engine that's soon going to need major work.
Top Tips for Buying a Used BMW E24 Series 635CSi Coupe (1986-89)
In 1986, when BMW finally launched its 3.5-litre coupe onto the Australian market, the delay had sent the price of automatic versions past $110,000 and into territory owned by Mercedes-Benz with its 380SEC.
Top Tips for Buying a Used Porsche 911SC (1978-83)
Porsche’s 901 model was publicly shown in 1963 at the Frankfurt Motor Show to instant acclaim and legal threats. Peugeot had for decades produced cars with a zero in their designations (203, 402 etc) and was giving no ground to a German interloper.
Top Tips for Buying a Used Holden VL Commodore/Calais
It’s a sad irony that the model about which Holden was most fearful is today viewed as one of the brand's best products. With unleaded fuel due to be introduced in 1986, Holden’s own six-cylinder engine couldn’t be effectively modified to handle ULP and the V6 which would power the VN Commodore was still three years away. For the first time in its corporate life, Holden needed to 'buy in' an engi…
Top Tips for Buying a Used Pontiac GTO (1966-67)
The Pontiac GTO is was an accidental hero in every sense. Devised initially as an advertising gimmick to improve sales of Pontiac’s unloved Le Mans model, the ‘GTO Option’ appeared as part of the 1964 Pontiac range.
Top Tips for Buying a Used Holden One-Tonne Ute
For 30 years after its 1972 introduction, Holden’s One-Tonne utility was king of Australia’s commercial vehicle world. That market today has morphed into the booming 4x4 dual cab ute segment that’s dominated by the likes of Ford and Toyota, with surviving Holden ‘tonners’ being transformed into flashy show ponies at extreme prices.
Broken Dreams: The Ilinga
A series on cars that had promise but were doomed to fail. Cliff Chambers looks back on his interview with competition car designer Tony Farrell and his ambitious attempt to build a luxury GT car in suburban Melbourne.