Sunday, July 13, 2008




In 2006 it was time to replace the Beemer so we traded it in against a brand new 320i. The options were white or red so we decided on a red one.



I was a great car but I wasn't able to deliver equipment to any of our building sites, so I bought a Falcon Longreach Ute to get around the sites.



The grey Beemer had a sports pack with rear spoiler a really great car


The Volvo was getting on a bit so I traded it in against my first 3-Series BMW. It had 12,000km on the clock and it was a superb vehicle



Three years later I traded it in against a Volvo850, one of the best cars I ever owned.

When I started my own business I bought a new Commodore Station Wagon



I changed companies and was given a brand new Mitsubishi Magna SE



It didn't last long before the company reverted back to us using private vehicles again so I bought another Fairlane 500



The company I worked for decided to buy a fleet of Holden Geminis for the Sales Team and we were all given a brand new Holden Gemini. A small car and not very robust.



When the Morris gave up the ghost, we bought an old Fairlane 500 that was going cheap.



The children were born and we lived on a single-income which meant finances were tight. When the car needed replacing, we bought an old Morris Minor.



We traveled in the Capri through England and Europe and shipped it back to Australia because the 2l model was not available in Australia and was therefore quite valuable. However upon arrival in Sydney we traded it in on another Ford Falcon,

When we decided to leave Papua New Guinea, we traded the MG in for a brand new Ford Capri to be picked up in London upon our arrival there.

When I met and married Diane, we decided to trade the Falcon and her Triumph Spitfire in on a brand new MG B GT just arrived in New Guinea.





I kept this car until I left Switzerland for Australia in 1967. Upon arrival in Brisbane, I bought my first Ford Falcon. When the company sent me to Papua New Guinea, the car came with me. During a torrential downpour in Port Moresby, the car was washed away into a creek and was mechanically badly damaged.



Unable to pay for the expensive repair of the gearbox, I sold it to a mechanic who in return sold me a little Nash Metropolitan two-seater. It was going cheap and I was able to afford it.




After I lost the MGA, I was desperate for a new car. I saw this Ford Fairlaine Galaxy for sale on the side of the road so I bought it. It was a very large car and I had a lot of trouble parking it in our small street. my dad was furious when he saw what I had bought. I again drove down to the French Riviera and later with another mate up to Denmark and Sweden. Coming back from Denmark through Germany, the gearbox ceased up and we had to ship the car back to Switzerland from Hamburg by train. A very expensive episode.





My first real car, a red MGA, my dad bought me when I completed my apprenticeship in 1952. It was a great car and took me from Switzerland to the French Riviera and back. Unfortunately I lost control one day coming down the mountains in Switzerland and crashed the car.

The first car I bought with a mate, even before we had our driving licenses. We planned to drive to the top of Norway, but that never happened.

7 comments:

diane b said...

A great history of Bohlen transport.

Dee said...

Oh Bill, I think you must have the worst luck with old cars of anyone I know. I'm glad your later cars were good to you.

And I'm glad to see you have been enjoying the benefits of German engineering.

diane b said...

Isn't this blog upside down. I feel I want to read it from the first car you had down the page until we get to today's car?

Bruce Caspersonn said...

Interesting photos. I wish I had photos of all my cars. I am now on #22.

Bruce Caspersonn said...

I just enjoyed your blog, yet again. I still find it fascinating. What a checked career with cars you have had.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brittanie Holderness said...

I'm also wondering like Diane. The story seems to start at the bottom and move all the way to the top. The BMW 320i is your current car, am I right? Anyway, it's a good story, though. It seems like you really loved every car that you owned. Hopefully, the 320i would be your best and final car. :)

Brittanie Holderness