Cars That Made Australia

Oh la la... what can we say about French cars? They were baguettes on wheels, a rolling slice of European flair that somehow found their way into Australia’s heart.

Whether it was the chic Citroën DS or the oddball Renault 4CV, these cars had something special — sophistication with a side of quirk. Sure, they were unpredictable and a bit unreliable, but that’s what made them memorable.

In this episode, we explore how these eccentric Frenchies not only survived Aussie roads but also found their tribe of equally strange and cool drivers — academics, architects, maths teachers, comedians, rock stars, and anyone who doesn’t just watch movies, but films.

Special thanks to:

Thanks to eBay. Shop on eBay. Where you can find parts for every project car, from sellers you can trust.
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The Mini Moke wasn't just a car, it was an oddball on wheels, automotive fun in its simplest form.

Originally designed as an army runabout, it never quite made the cut... but somehow found its place in beach towns, resorts, a few Bond films, and even Bass Strait.

With no doors, no roof, and barely even an engine, somehow it defied the odds and became a cult classic, perfect for sun-soaked adventures in places like Magnetic Island and the Gold Coast.

The Moke was a ride of cheap thrills, a sense of adventure, and a cheeky personality in a comically small package.

In this episode, discover how a car that wasn’t very good at anything somehow became kind of perfect for everything — if you didn’t mind a bit of sunburn along the way.

Special thanks to:

Thanks to eBay. Shop on eBay. Where you can find parts for every project car, from sellers you can trust.

Disclaimer:  eBay is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the brands discussed in this podcast episode. 

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It’s funny what becomes a cult classic.

The Subaru Brumby wasn’t built to turn heads, but it became an icon anyway. In a market dominated by Fords and Holdens, this little workhorse quietly carved out its own niche by doing what it did best — working hard and going pretty much anywhere. Some might even say it’s the greatest ute ever made.
Compact, all-wheel drive, and tough as old saddles, the Brumby wasn’t just a farm favourite — it became a rural legend, bashing through paddocks and earning its stripes kilometre after kilometre.

In this episode, hear how the Brumby surprised us all to earn its cult status, and in an era of oversized pickup trucks, why people keep begging for Subaru to end the Brumby’s spell and bring it back into the stable.

Special thanks to:

Thanks to eBay. Shop on eBay. Where you can find parts for every project car, from sellers you can trust.

Disclaimer:  eBay is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the brands discussed in this podcast episode. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many of us, our journey with a car starts in a showroom. But for some individuals, it starts in a shed.

The fibreglass build-it-yourself kit cars of the 70s offered a chance to swap the rule book for some brand new parts and plans. Outlandish original designs, luxury replicas and sporty looks were all on the table for a fraction of the price - provided you didn’t mind spending hundreds of hours working for it…

In this episode, hear from those who don’t mind thinking ‘out of the box’ when it comes to what they want from a car, and from the entrepreneur who made his name building the Australian kit car that would go down in history - the Purvis Eureka.

Special thanks to:

Thanks to eBay. Shop on eBay. Where you can find parts for every project car, from sellers you can trust.

Disclaimer:  eBay is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the brands discussed in this podcast episode. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nissan Skyline GTR is no ordinary car, it’s a Japanese engineering masterpiece that redefined the supercar genre. From dominating Bathurst to becoming a digital icon on PlayStation screens, the GTR earned its legendary status.

With its twin turbos, all-wheel drive andall-wheel steering, the Skyline GTR was a car that bridged worlds — from the real to the virtual, from Japan’s streets to Hollywood stardom. It was the dream machine for a new generation, a car that felt both unreachable and yet somehow still within grasp.

In this episode, hear how the Skyline GTR earned its fearsome nickname, Godzilla, and became a global phenomenon that left a permanent mark on car culture worldwide.

Special thanks to:

Thanks toeBay. Shop oneBay. Where you can find parts for every project car, from sellers you can trust.

Disclaimer:  eBay is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the brands discussed in this podcast episode. The spokesperson featured in this episode, Paul Maric, is not an employee and is sponsored by eBay specifically for the purposes of this episode.

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The panel van wasn’t just a vehicle — it was an oh-so-70s symbol of youth, freedom, and surf. Born as a humble workhorse, it transformed into something legendary, thanks to the van clubs that sprouted across Australia.

Loud, colourful, and endlessly customisable, they had room for everything — a surfboard, a bed, a quadraphonic sound system, and maybe even a bar. Dealer’s choice.

They were also as much about the party (and what happened in the back…) as they were about the road. “If this van’s a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’…” became part of its more complex legacy.

Cars are freedom on four wheels, but panel vans? They took that freedom to a whole new level.

Special thanks to:

Thanks to eBay. Shop on eBay. Where you can find parts for every project car, from sellers you can trust.

Disclaimer: eBay is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any of the brands discussed in this podcast episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday. The '70s was a tale of two decades for Ford. Its early track triumphs faded into the rearview mirror as the '80s loomed. Fed up with pouring cash into racing for dwindling returns, Ford did the unthinkable... and might have gotten away with it were it not for a band of die-hard Ford employees.

Working in secret, they risked it all to ensure the Blue Oval would still face off against Holden on the track, sparking what may be the greatest underdog story in Australian sporting history.

Special thanks to:

Thanks to eBay. Shop on eBay. Where you can find parts for every project car, from sellers you can trust.

Disclaimer: eBay is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any of the brands discussed in this podcast episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ford Falcon wasn't just a car — it was an Australian icon, a symbol of homegrown muscle, pride, and family friendliness that thundered down our roads, dominated our racetracks, put the "falc" in falcodore, and — let's face it — made for one hell of a taxi. 

In this episode, discover how the Falcon evolved from its 'trim, taut, terrific' beginnings into the ultimate supercar - the highly revered GTHO Phase III. Hear how it burned its image into Aussie folklore through a legendary drive and the most iconic photo of our muscle car era.

Special thanks to:

Thanks to eBay. Shop on eBay. Where you can find parts for every project car, from sellers you can trust.

Disclaimer: eBay is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the brands discussed in this podcast episode. The spokesperson featured in this episode, Paul Maric, is not an employee and is sponsored by eBay specifically for the purposes of this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think about it - every car you see on the road is like a chapter in Australia's big book of stories. Our cars aren't just ways to get from A to B - they're time capsules on wheels, each one telling a story about who we are and where we've been.

In season 2 of Cars That Made Australia, Tim 'Rosso' Ross jumps behind the wheel once again to tell the stories of the people who drove them and the people who rode in them.

New episodes drop weekly, starting Thursday, September 5th, 2024.

Thanks to eBay: Shop on eBay.com.au where you can find parts for every project car from sellers you can trust.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm built for the bends at Burthst and the Aussie bogan looking to burn some rubber - what am I? If you answered "Holden Torana", you'd be bang on.

From humble beginnings, the Torana grew to become one of the most collectible Australian cars of all time - largely thanks to Brockie's legendary exploits at Bathurst.

The Torana is more than just a compact classic, it's a working-class hero that stands as an emblem of Australia's proud automotive history, a golden era of Australian motoring on the road and on the racetrack.

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The Magna was the other other Australian-made family favourite from the late 1980s, a car that says "I have kids, a job, a dog, and I value practicality over performance". It was good but not iconic, sophisticated but never cool, forever in the shadow of Falcons and Commodores.

It was, however, the thinking person's alternative, popular with those who happily cut against the grain. And while it was clearly third of The Big Three, that's still a podium finish... so should we remember the Magna more magnanimously?

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The 1970s, often dubbed the "decade that style forgot", when Australia's automotive and suburban landscapes shared similar levels of austerity. Our locally made gas-guzzlers were overshadowed by the growing popularity of cheap, reliable, fuel-efficient imports from Japan.

The cars were as boring as they were brown... but we lapped them up. The Datsun 180B was an unpretentious suburban stalwart and lays claim to being the 'best of the boring'. Hear how the Datto came to define the decade and laugh at the time Merrick & Rosso tried to buy one from a questionable character...

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It was the stylish and sporty Australian-made, Italian-designed soft-top set to conquer the world - what could possibly go wrong? A lot, it turns out, and the Ford Capri's bold ambitions were dealt one bruising reality check after another.

There was poor timing, poor build quality, and worst of all, poor comparisons to its direct rival: the Mazda MX5. The Capri revved up for the ultimate showdown but in the end, it was a case of a Legend vs a Lemon. And yet, in typical Aussie fashion, plenty of fans still barrack for the underdog...

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When Australia said "Hi to Hyundai", we welcomed a car that changed the game. While others were affordable, the Excel was cheap, giving more people the chance to buy a brand-new set of wheels than ever before.

In this episode, hear from the colourful businessmen who took a punt that paid off as Aussies everyone snapped up a new car from a new country at a new low price, drive away, no more to pay... 

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A famous TV ad had us screaming out "Hey, Charger!" for decades but the enduring appeal of this classic 70s muscle car runs deeper than a memorable hand sign and a catchy slogan.

Hear about the "Hey, Charger!" on-set hijinks from the Hollywood director who cut his teeth on this iconic ad campaign, find out why rock stars prefer to take a ride in a charger over a limo, and learn why - after all these years - we still lust after classic muscle cars...

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It's the colossal, designed-and-made-in-Australia family sedan with a boot big enough to hold a 44-gallon drum. Revolutionary in design, it won the coveted Wheels Car Of The Year award in 1973.

It's also Australia's most infamous lemon, a badly built butt of many jokes, a victim of bad timing on top of its own ambition.

Despite its status as one of the most maligned cars we've ever made, there are scores of loyal fans who defend the Leyland P76 and its legacy, warts and all. 

In this episode, hear how the P76 came to life, came apart, and came to be endearingly remembered as a loveable lemon, a car that lives up to its claim of being anything but average...

And hey, if it really was as bad as they said it was, why did Merrick and Rosso buy two of them? 

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Emerging out of the fuel crisis of the 70s as a more economical replacement for the famed Kingswood, the Holden Commodore is an undeniable icon - making and breaking records on and off the race track and in production for almost 40 years before the last locally made model rolled off the production line in 2017.

In this episode, you'll hear the story of these beloved Aussies as well as the people who drove, owned and loved them, including the last one ever made...   

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