The Forgotten Ones 24 September 2014 12:57 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareThere are many Aussie cars that fill the spotlight. Iconic cars that are on t-shirts, in sheds and museums and close to the hearts of motoring enthusiasts. However on the flip side, there are Aussie cars that have been forgotten through age, lack of popularity, changing trends and the odd total flop. The Leyland P76 was designed by Michelotti in Italy and introduced to the Australian market in 1973, against Holden, Ford and Chrysler. Despite winning ‘Wheels Car of the Year’ in 1974, the car quickly died out in Australia with fewer than 18,000 produced. Many put the failure down to strange marketing, quality control issues and the loyalty Australian consumers had toward the existing Holden and Fords models on the market. Even being names the 1976 'Wheels Car of the Year didn't save the Leyland P76. Despite the Torana having a sacred name in Australian motoring, not every Torana was a success. The TA model was a short lived four cylinder variant based on the LJ platform. Australian’s at the time still wanted the larger six cylinder and V8 engines so it never took off or retained the longevity some of the more famous models have shown. Perhaps Holden’s most infamous sales flop was their attempt at a 1980’s sports coupe, known as the Piazza. Buoyed by the success of the Japanese giants selling sports cars in the 80’s Holden brought in the Piazza from Japan which was produced by Isuzu. Despite a powerful 2 litre turbocharged engine, the Australian motoring media were extremely critical of the Piazza which hurt sales prospects from the start. The criticism was in the most part warranted and the car had a horrible chassis and as a result, dangerous handling. The Star Wars style instrumentation and the technology employed was a step too far for a majority of the Australian market at that time. The car was quickly phased out by Holden who had certainly missed the mark on the Piazza. The Holden Piazza was not Holden's finest moment and never succeeded in Australia. The Ford Zephyr is quite a well-known model and examples are still being restored, however the Ford Consul is a much lesser known 4 cylinder variant that never really gained popularity as the Zephyr did classic, perhaps due to its smaller engine. Another angle to consider is the forgotten style of cars. Panel Vans were a symbol of the Australian way of life through the 60’s and 70’s but by the late 80’s the market had changed and eventually panel vans phased out of existence. These models do however retain classic status and many are restored to their former glory. Another dropped style is the 1 tonner. Popular for tradesman and those in farming, the first generation of 1 tonner’s were built by Holden from 1971 to 1984. A second generation was released as part of the VY and VZ range before being phased out again. With the demise of Australian vehicle manufacturing our questions now turn to which vehicles will become future classics and which models will be all but forgotten? Only time will tell.
Monaro Club of Victoria Loyalty Redemptions/Rare Spares Bayswater VIP Night 19 September 2014 08:20 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareRare Spares has awarded the Monaro Club of Victoria with a raft of club rewards for their continued loyalty to Rare Spares. Presented at the Bayswater VIP night on Wednesday 20th August to club President Daniel Flemming, the rewards included product vouchers, branded eskies, a tool kit and a marquee. The Bayswater VIP Night was an exclusive event for the Monaro Club of Victoria and the Victorian Torana Club at Bayswater Rare Spares. The Victorian Torana Club is another club that has previously received a number of rewards for being part of the loyalty program. The night was a great excuse for like minded enthusiasts to pull out their pride and joy from the shed and head out for a drive. Hot Pizza for dinner helped everyone warm up and those in attendance were able to receive special store discounts and the chance to win some of the lucky door prizes on offer. The night was a fantastic success and Vice President Steve Kane from the Monaro Club of Victoria enjoyed the opportunity. “It was great for the club to receive some benefits back from our loyal members and thanks to Rare Spares for presenting us the nice rewards” said Kane. “It was a fun night and also well worth attending to see the huge product range Rare Spares have in store.” For your chance to earn rewards for your club click here. Some of the rewards the Monaro Club of Victoria received. Some fantastic cars were on display at Rare spares Bayswater.
Rare Spares Awards Distributor of the Year 04 September 2014 12:37 Rare Spares (0) ShareOn Saturday 23rd August 2014, Rare Spares held its Annual General Meeting(AGM), which is attended by Rare Spares Distributors from both Australia and New Zealand. As part of the AGM, Rare Spares recognises the efforts of their network with the awarding of the Distributor of the Year (DOTY). This is presented to a deserving Rare Spares Distributor and recognises dedication, support, improvement and the desire to strive for excellence. The winner of the 13/14 DOTY was awarded to Rare Spares Brisbane South and the award was presented to Store Owner Bruce Waldie. The store was honoured with a framed plaque and as a reward the Brisbane South store will be featured in a national full page advertisement in Street Machine magazine. “We are very proud to receive the Rare Spares Distributor of the Year. It’s absolutely fantastic and recognises the hard work we have put in” said Waldie. “We have been close before, winning the runner up prize on a previous occasion but it’s great to finally get the award this year.” “It was a close call this year to determine the winner, but Rare Spares Brisbane South ticked all the boxes and exemplified dedication and improvement and they are always striving for excellence” said Melissa McVeigh, Marketing Manager/Director of Rare Spares. Rare Spares Gold Coast received the runner up award at the AGM however store Co-Director Reg Vine was unfortunately unable to attend the event, with the award being accepted by Bruce Waldie on behalf of Reg Vine. “We were blown away with receiving the runner up prize and we certainly weren’t expecting it” said Vine. Rare Spares actively works with Distributors to ensure they have the support they need to run a successful business. “Rare Spares feels more like a family than a company and I like to think we all look after each other. They are very supportive and are always just a phone call away” said Vine. Rare Spares are proud of their Distributor network and want to congratulate Rare Spares Brisbane South and Rare Spares Gold Coast for their outstanding performances over the past year.
Shiny New Banner For 48-78 Holden Car Club Hunter Valley 27 August 2014 12:08 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareRare Spares recently presented a large club banner to the 48-78 Holden Car Club Hunter Valley for their continued loyalty. The 48-78 Holden Car Club Hunter Valley was formed in the early seventies and through passionate members has survived nicely, with the club now in its fourth decade of existence. As a member of the club you receive stickers for your car and a newsletter every month. You will be able to spend time with a great bunch of like minded people with an interest in early Holden’s. There is also a wealth of technical information and parts advice available shared between members. Furthermore membership provides access to the RTA Historical registration scheme. The club has a social scene and have a club based outing at least once a month. The club meets once a month on the second Monday upstairs at the Hexham Bowling Club at 7pm. If you would like to know more, simply attend a meeting. New members are more than welcome. For more information on the 48 to 78 78 Holden Car Club Hunter Valley Inc head to http://www.48to78holden.com/ Rare Spares offers great rewards to car clubs simply by being members of the Rare Spares Loyalty Club. Clubs receive exclusive invites to Project Partner nights, special access to promotions and access to Rare Spares sponsored events. Also benefiting clubs is the ability for members to earn rewards for their club simply by shopping at Rare Spares. Every dollar spent at Rare Spares by club members becomes one point earned by your club. This can then be traded in for items such as Banners, Esky’s and club flags. For more information click here.
Rare Spares Project Partner Night at Brisbane South 20 August 2014 06:08 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareRare Spares Brisbane South was thrilled to hold a fantastic Project Partner night recently. With V8 Supercar driver Jason Bright in attendance and a host of prizes on offer including tickets to the Ipswich 400, product vouchers and lucky door prizes, not to mention 20% off store wide, it was a huge night! Over 50 great cars turned up for the evening and there was a good crowd of local car club members and of course some Jason Bright fans in attendance. “The event was scheduled to run from 6pm -8pm however we didn’t close the doors until 9.30pm!” said store manager Bruce Waldie. To feed the masses, the great team from the East Coast Muscle Car Club Inc worked their culinary skills on the BBQ. Jason Bright was certainly a crowd favourite with many lining up for autographs and photo with the V8 Supercar driver. Many attendees walked away happy with prizes and also some great new parts for their cars thanks to the 20% discount on offer during the evening. For your chance to be part of a Rare Spares Project Partner night all you have to do is become a member of the Rare Spares Loyalty Club and stay tuned for Rare Spares announcements on an upcoming Project Partner night near you. JOIN HERE
Rare Drive Hot Laps With Jason Bright 14 August 2014 05:38 Rare Spares (0) ShareRare Spares recently held a special promotion known as Rare Drive, which gave participants the chance to ride shotgun with Jason Bright and team BOC in his V8 Supercar which is a very rare opportunity indeed. You simply had to enter at www.raredrive.com.au and tell Rare Spares in 25 words or less your most memorable moment in Motorsport. The two lucky winners will now be strapped in their harness tight and fly around a racetrack near them with Jason Bright, for a once in a lifetime thrill ride. For the best chance at winning upcoming Rare Spares promotions and competitions make sure you join Rare Spares as a Loyalty Club member to receive all the latest information hot off the press as well as being able to contribute to your local car club. For those that missed out on the Rare Drive competition with Jason Bright, Rare Spares are still offering another chance to win another ride. All you have to do is head to our next Project Partner event in Melbourne or Sydney to enter. Rare Spares Sydney Saturday 16th August 2/22 Rowood Rd, Prospect NSW 9:00am -4:00pm Rare Spares Roxburgh Park Thursday 11th September Shop 6, 195 Somerton Rd, Roxburgh Park VIC 6:00pm -8:30pm
HD-HR Holden Club of NSW All Set With New Banner 30 July 2014 07:00 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareRare Spares Sydney recently presented the HD-HR Holden Club of NSW a new club banner for use at their social gatherings and public events, just for being part of the Rare Spares Loyalty Club. The HD-HR Holden Club of NSW started in 2001 with only 10 members, but more than a decade later, member numbers are now around 60. This is due to the club’s aim of being a friendly environment for people to share their interest in the HD-HR Holden and spend time with their families and friends at the same time. “We are an active club, with members of all ages” said John Steward, Club Treasurer. The club is involved in automotive shows and social events, with the club making appearances at events such as MotorFest, the All Holden Day, MotorEx, as well as their own club cruises and the annual show and shine/swap meet. “We even have a coffee run every month” said Steward. 2015 will be the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the HD Holden and this will be celebrated at the 2015 HD-HR Nationals at Warwick. In 2016 our club will play host to the Nationals and we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the HR Holden as part of our event. “We are happy to be associated with Rare Spares and the sign has really come up great.” It pays to be part of the Rare Spares Loyalty Club and you can join easily HERE.
GT Forever 25 July 2014 12:20 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareEarlier this year, Ford, Holden and Toyota all announced their withdrawal from Australian Manufacturing over the next 3-4 years. This was a deep cut to Australia’s proud heritage of producing world class vehicles and an industry we were proud of. With this realisation, Ford announced it would also retire the ‘GT’ designation, signalling an end to a famous badge that portrays performance and an incredible motorsport heritage for Ford lovers. What are your first thoughts when you hear someone say “Falcon GT”. Racing pedigree, XY GHTO Phase 3, Allan Moffat and Bathurst are just some of the terms that come to mind and it is sad to hear that this iconic Australian title will soon be no more. GT’s have been part of Ford Australia’s Heritage since 1967 when GT became the badge given to the performance variants of the Falcon range. Starting with the XR Falcon, the GT designation continued with the XT, the XW, XY, XA and XB model’s. The XW and XY model’s also saw the ‘HO’ designation added, which stood for 'Handling Options' and is synonymous with the XY GTHO Falcon’s that are so commonly mentioned when discussion turns to famous Ford’s. The GT badge was rested for 16 years before being revived for a 25th anniversary edition, used with the 1992 EB Falcon. In 1997 the 30th anniversary edition was offered for the EL Falcon. As of 2003 Ford Performance Vehicles inherited the badge and have used the GT designation throughout the BA, BF and FG model ranges. The last Ford Falcon to carry the GT badge will be the 2014 Ford Falcon GT-F, which pays homage to its famous forebears and will carry the famous 351 badge signifying the engine’s power output of 351kw’s. The GT-F will also be the most powerful Falcon ever produced at Broadmeadows. The ‘F’ designation will represent ‘Final’ version of the GT. 500 vehicles will be sold total, with 500 allocated for Australia and the other 50 heading to New Zealand. “This is a celebration of the best of the best,” said President and CEO of Ford Motor Company Australia Bob Graziano. All 500 of the GT-F’s have been ‘accounted for’ due to the interest of the Ford Faithful and will all be sold at recommended retail pricing according to one Ford dealer, as the interest in obtaining one of these vehicles is so high. Although sad that GT is no longer, we are sure the memories and the success around GT will live on forever with the Ford Faithful."
FB-EK Nationals 25th Anniversary Celebrated in Style 05 July 2014 01:18 Rare Spares (0) ShareRare Spares are proud to have been a major sponsor of the FB EK Holden Nationals held on 7th and 8th June. This year was a very special one for the FB-EK Nationals, as it was the 25th Anniversary of the event. The Nationals (also affectionately known as the "Nats") is the yearly gathering of all FB-EK enthusiasts from around Australia. The Nats is the highlight for FB-EK fans across the country and the largest gathering of these vehicles in one place at one time. This year, the event was hosted by the New South Wales FB-EK Holden Car Club and was held at Bryant Park, Cowra. With 105 Entrants and perfect weather all weekend, the event was always going to be a fantastic celebration of these revered older vehicles and the crowds reflected that. “It was great to bring our event to Cowra and support the town as they could not do enough to help make our weekend successful” Said Tim Brook, President of the New South Wales FB-EK Holden Car Club. Rare Spares Sydney attended the the "Show ‘n Shine" event on the Sunday. The Rare Spares marquee stood out amongst the beautiful collection of cars and the Sydney team showcased products and shared information with a huge number of restorers about their cars in the beautiful park. The event catered to every style of FB-EK. From rusty originals to restored showstoppers, and one-owner preserved originals to the highly modified in attendance, Rare Spares thoroughly enjoyed attending and seeing the variety and passionate enthusiasts. “It was great to have Rare Spares on board as sponsor for the event. They're help and assistance was greatly appreciated in helping our 25th Nationals run smoothly. Without Rare Spares there would be a lot of classic cars out there, just like ours, that just wouldn't be on the road today” The 26th FB-EK Nationals will be hosted by the FB-EK Holden Car Club of Queensland. The location will be Hervey Bay and will take place over the Queen's Birthday long weekend, 6th and 7th June 2015.
The FE-HR Owners Club ACT INC. Cooler With Eskies 25 June 2014 02:41 Rare Spares General, Rare Spares (0) ShareThe FE-HR Owners Club ACT INC. have once again redeemed their Rare Spares Loyalty Club points and been rewarded with two Eskies, sure to come in handy in the summer months and for future club activities. The FE-HR Holden Owners Club ACT was originally created to cater for Holden enthusiasts that prefer the 1956-67 models. Membership is now open to anyone that has an interest in Holden’s. The club hosts monthly club member activities and participates in local and interstate runs and displays with many of the Holden Car Clubs of Australia. Pist ‘n’ Broke is the name of the club’s regular magazine offered to members and over 250 issues have been produced since the club formed in 1987. Rewards are what you get by being a part of the Rare Spares Loyalty Club! Registered car clubs receive exclusive discounts and points which can be redeemed for great rewards like marquees, flags and other promotional items, as well as product information specific to the vehicle being represented. If you are a member of a car club or you would like your car club to be a part of the Rare Spares Loyalty Club, please visit http://www.rarespares.net.au/loyalty