The KBG (Kars and Bikes Group) hosted a run to the Motor Museum at Whiteman Park on Sunday 21st March 2021. It was a rather hot day but it was good to have a long run.
I took the Tatra as it needed a good, long run. It's about an hour's freeway driving from my house to the Swan Valley. It was good to blow out the cobwebs.
The star of the day was Justin's Simca Aronde, which debuted today. Justin has owned this car for almost a decade, slowly restoring it to road-worthiness. When we spoke about the car recently he was lamenting it would be several more months of work before the car was ready.
Another Francophile - Greg's Renault Dauphine
Steve's Chevrolet 1000
Paul's Rolls-Royce
No, nothing was wrong. We all asked to look at the engine (as you do).
We stopped for coffee at Mondo Nougat https://mondonougat.com.au/
Ready to roll - Justin gives the thumbs up
After coffee we drove from the Swan Valley to the Museum at Whiteman Park. The Corvette Club was having a meeting in the picnic grounds.
Ford Escort club display
The main hall
Certainly the most interesting car in the collection - 1954 Kaiser Manhattan
Henry J Kaiser was an industrialist who made his fortune during the Second World War. He was the driving force behind the Liberty Ship concept. His shipyards were able to pump out fully completed ships in less than 50 days through the use of prefabrication and welding, as opposed to rivets. After the war Kaiser decided to enter the motorcar business, partnering with Joseph Frazer to create the Kaiser-Frazer company. They acquired the defunct Graham-Paige company and a former Ford aircraft manufacturing plan. They produced very interesting cars which sadly are not well known.
The Kaiser has elaborate styling with molded lights and lots of chrome trim.
Another of my favourite cars - the 1934 Airflow Desoto
The Airflow introduced the US to the streamlining movement. From the side it bears a resemblance to the contemporary Peugeot 302 or 202.
It's good to see they are still using the write up I did for the 2020 Classic Car Show 'Cars of the Future' display.
1963 Standard Vanguard
1920 Excelsior motorcycle
Honda C90 Dream. One of the game changing Japanese motorcycles of the late 1960s.
Lambretta Li150
Lambretta 150
Very rare British motorscooter, the Velocette Viceroy.
1938 DKW NZ250
1898 Star from the Percy Markham Collection
1899 Oldsmobile Curved Dash
Two Percy Markham Collection cars - the 1905 De Dion Bouton and 1914 Detroit Electric.
Photograph of the oldest car in Western Australia, the 1897 Benz Victoria. The car was on display for many years at the Motor Museum but is now at the York Motor Museum.
Morris Cowley Bullnose
Model T Ford in St John's Ambulance spec
1914 Ford Model T
Electric luggage trolley
1929 Packard
Indian Scout motorcycle
1923 Stanley Steamer from the Percy Markham Collection. It would be good to see this car restored and roadworthy
1951 Mercedes-Benz 170. Consider this car is a year younger than my 1952 Tatraplan (which came out in 1948).
Two more new cars on display - 1927 Morris Cowley and 1928 Riley 9 Monaco
I've always found the Riley's quite an appealing car.
Interesting canvas bodywork.
Austin Seven
1925 Rolls-Royce 20 from the Percy Markham Collection
1924 Bentley
1924 Vauxhall OE
Ford Anglia Tourer
1958 Lloyd Hartnett Alexander. These budget German cars were imported to Australia by Sir Lawrence Hartnett in Complete Knock Down kits. After being ousted from GM Holden, Hartnett attempted to build a true budget car for Australian conditions. He would be disappointed several times before he began importing Japanese Datsuns in the 1960s. It was an important foot in the door and the start of the boom for Japanese cars.
Like a wheel within a wheel
Volkswagens Type 2 and Type 1
Smith's Special racer
An attempted Australian supercar - the Giacattolo. Only 15 were made.
The ever popular Delorean
The main drawcard of the museum is Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull Formula One.
It's good to see that the museum is changing its displays regularly to maintain interest. https://www.motormuseumwa.com.au/
For more information about the KBG - https://kbgaustralia.org/