Latest from Retro Rides Originals
Rear View: 1961 Lincoln Continental
With its trademark suicide doors and elegant slab-side body work, the 1961 Lincoln Continental was the pinnacle of the US automotive industry when released. Boasting a feast of luxury innovations, a mighty 7.0-litre V8 and an equally mighty 2300kg kerb weight, it set a benchmark for design elegance and innovation.
A Brief History of the Morris Minor
The humble Morris Minor built an unlikely Aussie fan base, with the Traveller wagon finding a particular audience in rural Australia.
How To Check Out and Buy a Classic Car, Sight Unseen
If you’ve ever looked at a classic car advertised on the other side of the country but baulked at the idea of how to get it to you, then Retro Rides’ market analyst Cliff Chambers has some helpful advice.
Extraordinary Engines: Holden's Iron Lion V8
The Iron Lion! How this mighty Australian-made V8 powered generations of high-performance Commodores and Statesmans. HOLDEN’S MID-1999 introduction of the alloy LS1/Gen III 5.7-litre V8 into the Commodore meant bye-byes for the Australian-made Holden V8. Dating back to 1969, the Holden V8 was available as a 253ci (4.2-litre) and 308ci (5.0-litre) and used thin-wall casting tech for relatively l…
Top 10: Cheap Cars That No Longer Are
Here’s 10 collectable cars that once ranked among the cheapest in the market but now cost more than high-performance or prestige models. Retro Rides Market Analyst Cliff Chambers looks at the stellar gains made by these 10 rudimentary models and explores the reasons behind their rise.
Design: How two tiny ‘winglets’ fitted to the 1948 Cadillac sparked a global styling revolution.
Our devotee of automotive history, Cliff Chambers, explains how a fighter plane inspired GM’s greatest designer to add fins to the 1948 Cadillac, sparking a design trend that captured the automotive world.
Unicorn: 1969 Holden Hurricane
The Holden Hurricane, unveiled at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show, was a futuristic concept car that pushed the boundaries of innovation and design. The Hurricane was a true masterpiece of Australian ingenuity, designed and built entirely in-house by a team of dedicated engineers and designers led by Phil Zmood.
Retro Rides Presents - Holden Commodore VT V8
Welcome to Retro Ride's showcase of the Holden VT Commodore, the first in our regular series of Australian and international classics and classics in waiting. The VT Commodore arrived with a bang in August 1997, setting the sales charts alight and carrying on the momentum established by its predecessor to retain the title of Australia’s best-selling car that year. The VT also secured the prestigi…
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.
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.
Top 10: Collector Holdens
Here’s 10 investment grade Holdens that Retro Rides valuation guru reckons are well worth sinking your hard-earned into.
Commodore VT-VX Feature: Why Holden’s 1997 VT was a future classic in the making.
Why Holden’s 1997 VT Commodore was a future classic in the making. Holden’s VT Commodore and Calais sedan arrived with a bang in August 1997, immediately setting the sales charts alight and carrying on the momentum established by its predecessor the VN Commodore to retain the title of Australia’s best-selling car that year.
