Ford versus Ferrari - a legend of motorsport now on the big screen

#FordvFerrari | This story is one of the true legends of motorsport, portrayed by two of Hollywood's most accomplished actors. Anyone with even a passing interest in motorsport will want to see this movie.

First Ride: Harley-Davidson Low Rider S

Web Spin: Harley-Davidson MY20 Low Rider S

Low Rider S in Barracuda Silver (Nigel Paterson)

It’s big news every time Harley-Davidson rolls out a new model and there was certainly plenty of anticipation surrounding the release of the Low Rider S Softail.

To quickly recap the evolution of this model, the Low Rider first appeared in 1977 as a factory experimental (FXS) derived from the 1974 FX Super Glide. It was something of a hybrid, using Sportster forks on a big V-Twin chassis and it was an instant hit.

Touring the Blue Mountains in a 90 year old Cadillac

Flora and owner, Donald, pictured outside the 100-year-old Palais Royale Hotel in Katoomba (Roderick Eime)

Flora is 90 years old and still runs around the block like she’s a teenager.

She loves to make new friends, go to weddings, visit parks and gardens and be with her sisters, Ava and Ella.

No, Flora is not some miraculous nonagenarian. You see, she is simply an example of what can be achieved with love and careful, regular maintenance.

'The very essence of  beauty, chic, smartness and luxury'
- 1929 advertising tag line

Flora has, however, a proper pedigree. She is a 1929 Cadillac-LaSalle 4-seat Phaeton, a revolutionary car for its time with such modern wonders as the world’s first synchro-mesh manual gearbox, meaning you could change gears in one motion and not crunch between changes. LaSalle was a General Motors brand and known as a “companion marque”, a half-notch below Cadillac in the luxury range.

click to enlarge

A ‘phaeton’ was a term inherited from a type of sporty horse-drawn carriage designed to be lighter and more nimble than the larger ‘sedans’ or ‘limousines’.

LaSalle was only produced from 1927 to 1940, and like so many prestige brands, was affected by the depression but persisted until the war whereupon it was decided to bring LaSalle back under the Cadillac brand entirely.

“When most regular cars could be bought for around $500 in 1929,” owner Donald Millar tells me, “this LaSalle would have been more than $2500, so it was quite a luxury item.”

The 1929 LaSalle was similar to the 1928 model 303. Power was from a 90-degree 328 cubic inch V8 engine. There was a selective transmission with synchro-mesh and 15-inch drum brakes on all four corners.

Donald’s father saw Flora languishing in a Parramatta Road used car lot in 1954 and vowed to liberate her then and there. She’s been in the family longer than Donald.

Ava and Ella have similar stories although Ava, a 1928 LaSalle 5-passenger Coupe, was found in a very poor state sharing a paddock with two donkeys in much better condition.

Today Flora can be hired for special occasions from Blue Mountains Vintage Cadillacs who operate the three rare vehicles. Even a simple tour around the beautiful leafy streets of Katoomba, Leura and Wentworth Falls will allow anyone to get a feeling of what this exclusive enclave would have been like during the ‘Roaring Twenties’.

She’ll love you for it.

Contact: Within Australia 0455 352 976 International +61 455 352 976
or email info@bluemountainslimo.com.au

Website: www.bluemountainsvintagecadillacs.com.au

A Million Miles on a Harley-Davidson

#webuildriders

Just like cars, you can expect a long service life from your Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The new Milwaukee Eight engines haven’t been around long enough for any real high mileage tests, but owners of older models have racked up some impressive numbers on their faithful Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Scanning the forums, it’s easy to find owners who have great reports of their ownership experience.

HDTimeLine member, flh canuck says: “As a professional mechanic who worked for years in the automotive trade, I find the Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be an absolute joy to work on and maintain compared to previous Japanese bikes I have owned. I have since owned four different Harley Davidsons since 1998, all purchased new, and each one absolutely trouble-free. A properly maintained modern Harley-Davidson is every bit as well made, if not better, than any other motorcycle on the market but the difference is, it will still be going down the road long after many modern Japanese bikes have been recycled back into Tupperware or Fisher-Price toys.”

Another member, Rob Gray says: “I've got a Road Glide with 94,000 miles on it”

Over on harley-davidsonforums.com, member Thunder~Struck reports: “Had a 100K on my 83 80" Shovel with no rebuild. Just a top end for the unleaded conversion.”

Clearly, with regular scheduled servicing, a new Harley-Davidson should deliver as many miles/kilometres as most cars.

Dave Zien put a world record one million miles on his 1991 Harley Davidson FXR Super Glide

Some people, of course, like to go to extremes and in a feat that took nearly 20 years to complete, former Wisconsin senator and US Marine Corp veteran, Dave Zien put a world record one million miles on his 1991 Harley Davidson FXR Super Glide. Zien began the journey in 1991 hitting the million mark on April 4, 2009. The effort earned him a place in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Not every Harley-Davidson owner is going to run up this kind of mileage, but nevertheless, your Harley-Heaven dealer offers extended warranty and peace of mind for up to three years in addition to the 24-month factory warranty. Choose 12, 24 or 36-month warranty terms, with unlimited kilometres for each term.

The benefits of HARLEY | EXTENDED WARRANTY™ include:

• Available at point of sale only for Harley-Davidson® motorcycles up to 24 months old which have travelled less than 50,000 km
• Provides peace of mind riding for up to 3 years in addition to the 24-month factory warranty
• Choose 12, 24 or 36-month warranty terms, with unlimited kilometres for each term
• Genuine Harley-Davidson® Motor Parts means genuine peace of mind
• Repairs carried out by factory-trained technicians
• Covers parts and labour costs

If you sell your motorcycle privately, the remainder of the warranty period can be transferred to the new owner (note that it is not transferable if the bike is sold to a motor dealer or motor trader)

Click to find new or used Harley-Davidson motorcycles

World's Fastest Harley-Davidsons

#webuildriders

Some Harley-Davidson motorcycles are born fast. Others have reached incredible speeds with a bit of tinkering. We’ve scoured the record books and come up with these stand-out superquick Hogs.

Harley-Davidson VRSCR (V Rod)

During its 16-year production lifetime, the 1,247 cc (76.1 cu in) water-cooled 60° V-twin was The Motor Company’s fastest production motorcycle. The venerable US motorcycle publication, Cycle World, timed the V-Rod from 0-60mph at 3.5sec. Compare this to most current 114ci Softails which run mid-4sec times in standard trim. But hold onto your hats, because the new electric LiveWire is going to wipe that slate clean with 0-60mph times as low a 3secs dead. (Think Porsche GT3 or BMW M5)