I don't know about Australia, but they certainly built Mitsubishis in New Zealand from the '70s until 1998, when used cars imported from Japan swamped the market. Same deal with Toyota.

Yes! I had an '84 SD1 when I lived in New Zealand. Sure, the electrics were somewhat iffy, the 3-speed slushbox had seen better days, and it had a serious case of the tin worm, but it was a fantastic car. For all its futuristic looks, it wasn't terribly technologically advanced, and actually a retrograde step from…

The Peugeot-Citroën XU9J4 – 1.9 litres of screaming all-alloy 16-valve goodness. Designed for the fantastically insane Peugeot 205 T16 Group-B rally car, it found its way into the Peugeot 405 MI16 and Citroën BX 16v, turning what were, in both cases, competent but relatively mundane family cars into…

That photo that you have there is a B-series, its larger (1.5-1.8 litre) cousin, in what looks to be an MGA engine bay. Still, it's a similar story. Simple, tough, and somewhat crude, it went into everything from light trucks to sports cars. I recently pulled an MGA equipped with a 1.6 B-series from a barn after 30…

Heh, that's the exact same stalk that my old Citroen Xantia had. I loved the twist controls for the lights! Still, I liked the 'pods' that the older Citroens had. Never had the chance to use one, but everybody says that they're great once you're used to them, and I can see how that would work.

I agree - my Citroen Xanta was great in that respect - all of the lighting controls (including headlights and foglights) were on the indicator stalk, as well as the horn.

So long as you have a modicum of mechanical skill (or are willing to learn), go for it! As far as the height thing goes, they do tend to be pretty cramped (especially with the roof up), but my 6'5" father-in-law can fit in the MGA, with only minor gymnastics required - the MGB, at least, is much more roomy.

Oh, that is utterly gorgeous. I have an MGA in similar project-car state (although much, much scruffier). Mine is recently back on the road after 30 years languishing in a barn, and my basic philosophy is, after attending to all the pressing issues (brakes, fluids, etc.), I'll just fix things as they break. So far,…

... And the Mk1 Triumph 2000/2.5.

They sure are funny-looking. A Gandini design, I believe.

This. My MGA's lowly four-speed with non-synchro first has one of the most beautiful shift actions that I have ever experienced. None of this buttery-smooth nonsense – it is that rifle-bolt feel that you speak of: precise, perfectly-spaced, and the balance is spot-on. Driving any FWD manual car (and even some very…

I like the aptitude that the French have for making fast, comfortable cars. I spent quite some time behind the wheel of a Citroën BX 16v (a contemporary of the 205 GTI), which, at least by '80s standards, is unreasonably quick, yet can transport four adults plus luggage in a very civilised manner.

Damn right. I'm a New Zealander living in the US, and although other airlines do the US-NZ route cheaper, there's no way I'm flying them. Even in economy class, the food is remarkably good, the seats are clean and comfortable, and the cabin crew are top-notch – even in the cheap seats, they make you feel like someone…

Exactly. I recently resurrected a 1956 MGA that had been stored in a shed for 30 years. Admittedly, that's a far simpler car than the Volvo, but the process of getting it running after that long was incredibly easy – all it took was belts, hoses, fluids and a brake rebuild. After all that – just a week or two of work,…

The problem is, US regulations don't mandate headlight cleaners or auto-leveling for HIDs (or any kind of headlight leveling at all). Not even from the factory.

Citroën really were incredibly inventive – their hydropneumatic system was certainly the jewel of their crown, but they were very inventive in so many other ways, too. The DS's drivetrain layout had already been used in its predecessor, the very successful Traction Avant model (French for front-wheel-drive) of 1934,…

They used the later GS for their Wankel experiments, but I'm sure that, had it been successful, it would have made it across the range.

Not to mention that the original DS DID have IRS (in the form of trailing arms, with double wishbone at the front)

Additionally, the eBay photos pretty obviously show a coil-sprung live axle at the back. Sad face :(

Oh, God. That's just criminal! I bet it's something similarly 'normal'