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Anything But Average!
Wheels Magazine said in their July 1973 edition "...the
P76 is the most important car in the company's history. It has cost $21 million
and taken 500,000 miles of development and five years to get it into the showrooms" In
a road test in the following month's magazine, Wheels said "...if Leyland Australia
can't sell the new P76 in profitable quantities, then there is something wrong
with the average car buyer", adding that "once the assembly problems are overcome,
the P76 is going to be a very good car". In January 1974 the P76 V8 was
named the 1973 Wheels "Car of the Year".
Ten years later (1983) the Leyland P76 Owners Club
of Victoria was formed. Now with over 55 members, the
club is always looking for more keen P76 enthusiasts
or those who wish to own one of these great Australian
cars. The club conducts a yearly concours and a number
other events, membership is very reasonably priced
and the club is fully insured.
Best of all, the club is able to advise members
on technical matters, and contrary to what many people
may think, engine, drive train and other usable parts
are readily available for the P76 and what cant be
bought off the shelf is often re-manufactured by the
state clubs. The Leyland P76 remains cheap to run,
enjoyable and safe to drive and a true aussie family
car way ahead of its time in its engineering development.
So why not join the Victorian Leyland P-76 Owners Club,
and help keep motoring history on the road!
For more details about the club please
contact:
Leyland P76 Owners Club of Victoria
10 Jassa Street
Bentleigh East
Vic 3165
Ph: 0409 675 648
Leyland
P76 Concours 2006
When driving out to see the 2006 Leyland
P76 Owners Club concours, I asked the wife what her
favourite memory of the car is. As a then teenage girl
with a healthy interest in boys rather than cars, it
seems a shame that all she can remember is throwing
up in the back seat of her fathers metallic green P76.
For me, it has always been the attraction of a boot
that can hold a 44 gallon drum, few cars can make such
a claim to fame. And on attending the 2006 concours,
it became evident that most owners are indeed very
proud of their "boot", most open to reveal
the cavernous space.
But could it really hold a 44
gallon drum? Then we came across a wonderful example,
of course with boot open, and inside a 44 gallon drum.
I should never have doubted it, and on closer inspection
I reckon there was in fact still room for a couple
of sets of golf clubs!
Click
here to check out our
photo shoot taken at the concours. |
