Upper Middle Petrol Head:

Below are two fine examples of Aussie muscle cars from the 1970s.  The first is a Ford Falcon XB GT, built sometime between 1973 and 1976, powered by a 351 cubic inch V8.  They were fitted with either four-speed floor-change manuals or three-speed T bar autos.  With their twin 'nostrils' built into the bonnet, they shared styling cues with their American cousin, the Mach I Mustang, especially in two-door hardtop form.  Holden GTS Monaros, like the one shown here, were General Motors' answer to Ford's performance Falcons.  This particular car is a 1972 HQ series, which had a production run from 1971 to 1974.  Like the Falcons, the GTS HQs were V8s mated to four-speed floor-shifts or three-speed T bars ( Trimatics in GM marketing parlance).  However, their engines were usually smaller at 308 cubic inches, although there were some 350 cu versions.  Like the Fords, they were also available in coupe form.  All the above are iPhone images U M P H.

Cygnet, home of the Lotus Eater and Red Velvet Lounge eateries ( https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7165367970551834236#editor/target=post;postID=1789515365344557423;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=42;src=postname ; &  https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7165367970551834236#editor/target=post;postID=1667150042274094703;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=24;src=postname ), is a favourite UMPH destination.  The town takes its name from the title originally bestowed upon it by French explorer Bruni D'entrecasteaux - Port des Cygnes Noirs - which Google wants to translate as 'wearing black swans.'  UMPH knows that French is a funny language but he's not convinced that's quite correct ; it's therefore enough to know that Cygnes was Anglicised to Cygnet and the rest, as they say, is history. Le Weekend is Cygnet's festival of all things French - a pondering of what might have been if D'entrecasteaux and his con