Motoring fans may be interested to know that 40 years ago Canberra was the place chosen to launch the Leyland P76 sedan. It was launched at the Lakeside Hotel, where several cars were lifted through first floor windows and shown to the media. Motoring journalists then drove a small fleet of Leyland P76’s on roads in the region, out to Honeysuckle creek and then to Gundaroo, showing off the handling and dynamics of the car.
This Sunday 30 June there will be a display on the East Lawns of Old Parliament House from 10AM to 3PM of around 75 Leyland P76’s, Force 7 coupes and the sole factory built P76 Station Wagon – which has just been restored.
All are welcome to attend.
The Canberra Times has this article about a Canberra owners P76 Targa Florio.
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LSWCHP said :
That’s because it was the first australian built car with side protrusion bars in the doors back then the only cars to have that were expensive euro trash
poetix said :
Concours de la Grand Derriere. At least in one sense of “Bootiness”. 🙂
m00nee said :
What’s the French word for rendezvous? Oh, hang on…
poetix said :
Concours d’Uglegance?
damien haas said :
What’s French for Concourse of Big Bootiness?
Just a reminder for carlovers to come along to the Leyland P76 Concours tomorrow (Sunday) on the West Lawns of Old Parliament House!
Leyland really didn’t know what they were doing. On one hand they were making the huge, gas guzzling P76 then they started making the very small Moke Californian, originally an Army vehicle which was modified for public sale.
Pity really. By all accounts it was a good design, let down (as all Leyland products were by then) by hopeless assembly and non-existent quality control. Ugly as the proverbial hatfull, too.
I owe my life to the strength of the P76, and I won’t hear a bad word said against this magnificent vehicle.
I was a passenger in a mate’s V8 P76 when he pulled across in front of an oncoming 4WD equipped with a big bullbar. We were t-boned on the passenger side door at high speed, but the P76 held together under the tremendous impact, and we both survived, just.
I’m absolutely certain that I would be dead if I’d been in a less stoutly constructed vehicle.
That boot sure was butt-ugly though. 🙂
Holden Caulfield said :
I meant 200L and buggered up on all accounts…
neanderthalsis said :
More likely the Arabs realising what we were using their oil for and deciding that going too far.
neanderthalsis said :
44 gallons anyway.
davo101 said :
The oil crisis that began by irresponsible P76 drivers putting 100 gallon drums of oil in their boot?
Spotto on the production line!
I would quite like a yellow P76.
That would mean the 40th anniversary of the first oil crisis must be coming up later in the year. P76 the poster child of bad timing 🙁
Ah yes, the P76. The car designed by someone who must have said “Bugger it, only five minutes to knock off, that’ll do for the shape of the boot.”
I drove a 4.6 one not that long ago and to its credit drove much better then I ever expected actually a lot better then the better maintained hz that I also had in the shop that day how ever the six cylinder p76 will always be a pos
Hopefully the doors wont fall off them……