Last Thursday I jumped on to a midnight flight with twelve other Leyland P76 (W.A.) club members and flew to Sydney.
Upon arrival, we caught taxis to the house of a NSW member who kindly offered to look after us (Thanks Troy). When we got there he and his wife, Julie, had cooked us a magnificent breakfast and then allowed a bunch of scruffy West Aussies to pile into various cars for the two and a half to three hour drive to Canberra.
Personally, I was lucky enough to jag the only P76 station wagon in the world as transport. What an honour.
The P76 station wagon was developed to prototype stage but died when Leyland closed its Australian operations. Only one wagon survived and Troy owns it. Wow, did it turn some heads!
Troy and his lovely wife drove down in their green modified P76 ute which he has done a magnificent job on and others in our group joined Troy's dad, Joe, in his orange Force 7 coupe, one of only ten in the world.
What a fantastic convoy. It was just sensational.
In Canberra we all stayed at the Lakeside Ridges Hotel which was the venue for the official P76 launch forty years ago.
Friday evening saw us at the Ainslie Football Club for a P76 informal dinner - good food and wine.
Saturday it was a recreation of the original press drive forty years ago up through the Canberra hills and to a NSW country town called Gundaroo for lunch. There we met well-known motoring journalist Will Hagon who was driving a new Holden Commodore VF SS. Will was a former Leyland employee many years ago.
Saturday evening saw us attend a formal dinner at Lakeside Ridges for a three course meal served whilst entertained by the guest speakers.
Sunday was concours day on the front lawns of the Old Parliament House in Canberra.
Whilst it was wet and cold in Sydney, Canberra, although wet to begin with, turned on the good weather for us and Sunday was terrific, cool and sunny.
I've been to Canberra many times as my youngest daughter used to compete in the women's gymnastics nationals every year which were held there and this time was the warmest I've ever known Canberra to be. To the point where I left the hotel balcony door open all night. Usually, it is white outside in the morning in winter from frost and ice.
I took over 200 photos of cars whilst there and obviously can't post all of those but here are about 10% of them for your enjoyment.
As you all know, I love the Leyland P76 and it was absolutely P76 heaven for the entire weekend. This car is really enjoying a resurgence in popularity and deservedly so.
Leyland P76 Station Wagon - the only one
Leyland P76 Station Wagon - the only one
Leyland Force 7 - one of only ten in existence
Leyland Force 7 - one of only ten in existence
Beautiful Spanish Olive Executive (like mine) with the Force 7 & a "Peel Me A Grape" P76 in the background
Troy's modified P76 ute
Troy's ute at the Canberra concours
"Bold As Brass" Force 7
Two "Home On Th'Range" P76s
A beautiful "Corinthian Blue" Super six cylinder from Queensland
A "Bitter Apricot" Executive from Queensland
"Aspen Green" Targa Florio
A stretched P76
"Plum Loco" P76
Highly modified Leyland P76
"Plum Loco" P76 at the concours display in Canberra
"Hairy Lime" P76
"Crystal White" & "Spanish Olive" P76s (the same as my two)
"Bitter Apricot," "Home On Th'Range" & "Crystal White" P76s
"Home On Th'Range" Leyland Marina six cylinder coupe
