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It is amazing to think that the Leyland P76 turns 40 this year. Right now, most of you are probably wondering what is a P76. I blogged about this a few years ago on CarDomain. However, here's a bit of a recap if you missed it.
The Leyland P76 is probably Australia’s biggest "what if?" in motoring history. Released at the height of the oil crisis in 1973, it was British owned BMC-Leyland’s attempt to break into the Australian full-size car market. Some claim that the P76 was Australia’s Edsel, while others argue that it was simply bad timing that killed off what could have been a great motoring dynasty.
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Buyers had the option of an automatic or a stick shift, with either a six cylinder OHC 2.6 L or an all-alloy 4.4 L V8 to power the slab-sided sedan. Unfortunately, the six cylinder was prone to overheating, but the V8 was years ahead of its time, and although it didn’t produce quite as much power as Leyland’s competitors it was more than sufficient for the relatively light P76.
Nonetheless, plagued by quality control problems, bad press, and parts supply issues, Leyland ceased production of the P76 in ’74 and closed its Australian operations. One of the quirks of the P76′s story is that the names Leyland used for its paint colors mirrored those used by Mopar in the US: Home On The Orange, Hairy Lime, Peel Me a Grape, and Bold as Brass.
Addendum; Earlier this year (2013) I attended a car show that had a number of P76 owners attending with their cars. I learned that these cars were actually well ahead of their time with a number of safety features. Amongst these was the hood that was designed to fold up in an accident so it did not go through the windscreen. The motor was mounted in such a way that it would go under the car in the event of a head on collision. While the steering column was designed to move to side of the driver in an accident. It is such a pity that they didn't keep making these as I am sure that the P76 would have kept providing new advances in automotive technology.
Come up with a caption for the picture below by 12PM PST next Thursday, June 13th. Whoever submits the funniest caption wins. Three entries per person max.
Good luck!
Have you ever wanted to 'bond' with your kids? Well, family projects are usually a step in the right direction. Working together can really help a family unite. If this sounds like something that you might like to do, then Toyota have got just the project for you. It is called the Camatte57. It is an electric car that any family can build and then teach their children to drive. Sure beats the pedal car that I had when I was a kid. Get the full story at the Age.
