Out-bloody-standing Arrin....well done

Yeah....Toyota boxes are more well known...but....yeah...Dattos Rule (from a former 1970 brand-new 1600 owner)

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"

dont forget the holden cruze1 suzuki redesigned by the corvette team(no realy)
lift the bonnet and thay havent even changed the branding on the engine

_________________
ook!
69 mini k
'Kids don't recognise a Saab from a Volvo but they always recognise a Mini,'

here's a theory from my mechanic mate - he had a triumph 2500 (which he eventually gave to me as a parts car for my mums) that he reckoned a VS holden independent rear end would bolt up to exactly - the VS was a copy of the datsun 1600 back end, and the datsun 1600 backend was a copy of the Triumph one.... sounds OK, but I'm sure people will refute it

I said purvis eureka cos they were an australian owned company - weren't they? I didn't know it was designed OS...

_________________
did I tell you that I won a trophy?

After WW2 a lot of motor manufacturers saw the opportunity to build cars in Japan. A lot of alliances were formed between local companies and foreign companies to produce cars. Foreign ownership laws made it that no company in Japan could be foreign owned.
Nissan built Austins (before BMC) under licence.
Izuzu and Hillman.
Prince and ?
Hino and Renault.

Take a look at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/3823/pre.html (sorry about the popups)

Don't forget New Zealand's home made vehicle, the Skoda-engined Trekka:


and the completely delicious Britten motorbike:


Other than that, there's bugger all...

All Hail....brilliant motorcycle technology

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"

Umm, I think you slightly missed the point. Hyundai and Nissan never pretended to be Australian car manufacturers. They are Korean and Japanese respectively. Holden does. Anyone seen those ads with Dave Hughes?? Holden means a great deal to Australia. Well apparently Holden means a great deal to Germans too. And Americans. And Koreans. The new range of Holden small cars are rebadged Daewoos. Go tell your mate that, next time he wants to talk about local content.

_________________
"I'm sorry, but a lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part!"

Opel Omegas were always significantly narrower than the equivalent Commodore and always used a different engine/gearbox package. so there is a significant local design and engineering content, even if the basis for the design is German. How do you think you get so much car for so little money in the first place? What do you think a Holden Torana is - a Vauxhall Viva FFS!

Also Holden 253 and 308 engines were based on GM/Chev small block V8, but the right hand bank is set in front of the left hand in the Holden engines to make room in the engine bay for steering boxes and brake boosters. this entailed a new crankshaft design, new heads and manifolds, new camshaft basically a whole new engine design.

Most engineering looks at what exists, takes the good points and evolves it for the current application or need. It is much rarer to have something completely revolutionary like the Mini. so there.

_________________
the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

Buick is American Built car and has been for many years. VB-VK Commodore's all used the Aussie built 6cyl motors from the red,blue,black and fuel injected motors (only VK). VL used the RB30 engine from Nissan, while VNseries 1 all the way thought to the VYseries 2 all used the buick motor. The V6ecotec was introduced in the VSseries used up to the VYseries 2 also another buick motor.

regardless of the amount of content, if Holden closed down, a lot of people in Australia would be out of jobs. same goes for Mitsu or Ford. so while the parts might not be Australian made or designed, there's still a lot of good old Aussie manpower that goes in to making them.

Half Adelaide gets very stressed when Holden or Mitsubishi sneezes

_________________
---
Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

One of the few "all Aussie made" cars was the Leyland P76. The body was unique, the V8 engine - although based on the 3.5 Rover V8 - was in fact bigger, using a locally made long stroke crank to give 4.4 litres. The block was taller and wider at the top and used a different rocker gear set up and induction.

The engine from which the 4.4 P76 was derived had been acquired by Rover from Buick in 1967. It had statred out in 1961 as the Buick/ Olsmobile/ Pontiac 215ci small displacement alloy V8. The Buick V6 that went into the Commodore had its origins in this engine (Rover and V6 Commodore front timing covers are interchangeable for instance).

_________________
Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)

I know of one completley aussie designed and built car....

2 door sports coupe, made in stanmore. never made it into full scale
production though! sits in my garage and looks pretty!

Well ? Don't leave us in suspenders ..... I mean suspense , what is it ?

_________________

Don't forget the Zeta, made in Adelaide in 1963 - 66 by the Harold Lightburn whitegoods appliance company if I remember rightly. All fibreglass two door monocoque body, powered by a 494cc two cylinder 20 bhp engine (or was it a washing machine motor?).

At one stage it was seriously touted as a competitor for the Mini. The guy next door bought one and drove around in it for a whole six months before it all fell apart.

I think they even made a sports car version without a roof in 1964. Probably worth a small fortune now...

_________________
Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)