ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,117
Club RR Member Number: 134
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What is this?ToolsnTrack
@overdrive
Club Retro Rides Member 134
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Jan 24, 2010 21:02:13 GMT
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I'm sure I'm not the only one to have seen a car in one of the picture threads and wanted a bit more info on it. So my question is: What is this? I see a Leyland badge but i have never seen it before
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Steve
Posted a lot
Making progress in small, easy to handle chunks of awesome
Posts: 2,028
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Jan 24, 2010 21:04:00 GMT
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Is that a BL(british leyland) badge on the front? if so is it a P76? Steve edit: duh, didnt see that you already saw the badge
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Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010 21:07:09 GMT by Steve
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What is this?BenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Jan 24, 2010 21:04:27 GMT
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P76! Very cool car, I have a strange attraction to them.
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Steve
Posted a lot
Making progress in small, easy to handle chunks of awesome
Posts: 2,028
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Jan 24, 2010 21:16:01 GMT
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They were never sold over here, built for the aussie/american market with a variation of the buick/rover v8 in a 4.4 flavour............nice!
Steve
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Jan 24, 2010 21:17:50 GMT
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Very cool cars,shame it production stopped before they were sold in GB. Did any find their way over here in a round about way?
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Jan 24, 2010 21:54:32 GMT
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Yea - there was a red (satin?) one on eBay a year or two ago - presumably there's a few others drifting about somewhere
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ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,117
Club RR Member Number: 134
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What is this?ToolsnTrack
@overdrive
Club Retro Rides Member 134
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Jan 24, 2010 22:04:02 GMT
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That explains why i never say it! American market only. It looks a bit Gran Torino-like, with some hints of Early Skyline in the mix...
So why did Leyland try and break the big american car market?
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What is this?BenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Jan 24, 2010 22:09:26 GMT
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As I understand it, the P76 was an all-Australian venture designed and developed by BL's Aussie division.
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Jan 24, 2010 22:10:00 GMT
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it was an oz only model.
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Jan 24, 2010 22:20:37 GMT
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Ah, the fabled P76. It's key features included the all-alloy V8 engine and a boot which was designed to take a 44-gallon drum. Won Wheels Car of the Year in 1973, but was so badly made that the buyers were scared away by the build quality and they were a disastrous sales flop. These cars are now openly mocked by all Australians except the very committed and vocal Leyland P76 Owners Club, who are mad keen on them. Apparently once you've taken it apart and reassembled it yourself better than the factory did, they are a very good car. The Targa Florio and Coupe versions are especially prized.
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Jan 24, 2010 22:28:32 GMT
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Theres at least one in the UK, it makes occasional appearances at Wheels Day ;D
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Jan 24, 2010 23:31:49 GMT
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If I remember correctly (I spoke to the owner at Wheels Day a few years ago - he was amazed that I knew what it was!) that red one is apparently P76 Number 001. It was brought from Oz to the UK for evaluation purposes.
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Jan 24, 2010 23:35:16 GMT
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That was probably the one that one of the magazines (Motor?) road tested at the time then?
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Jan 24, 2010 23:39:43 GMT
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It was actually quite cheap to bring a car over from Oz last time i checked, a whole container was 500 quid for shipping, i know there would be tax and stuff on that, but you could get maybe three cars in it.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Jan 24, 2010 23:58:31 GMT
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...was so badly made that the buyers were scared away by the build quality... Apparently once you've taken it apart and reassembled it yourself better than the factory did, they are a very good car. Sounds a lot like other BL products of the era, notably the SD1. Great ideas, well-thought out and well-designed, but horrendously badly executed. For example the paint fell off early SD1s in large quantities, and someone in the owner's club doing a full resto found the wiring loom and several hoses supported by OEM-spec string.
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