4/1/06
Cars in Melbourne I
Instead of going to the Grand Prix on Saturday, I decided to meet some
Ferrari owners and see some shops in the area. I met Garry Nervo, a
Melbourne dentist for breakfast and set out for a colleague's house in
the suburbs.
Garry and I met George Luk in front of his garage displaying his varied
taste in cars. George started the Ferrari club in Australia, and his
history with owning these cars spans from a PF coupe to a Daytona.
Today, he keeps a Mondial Cabriolet for more sedate driving duties.
When George offered a ride in any of his cars, I actually asked for a
spin in his Mini Cooper S. Having never ridden in an original Mini, let
alone a Cooper S, I figured this was a rare opportunity I couldn't pass
up. Unfortunately, as the fuel pump began to pressurize the carbs, a
leak developed by the left rear wheel. I told George to cut off the
ignition before we set his whole collection on fire! Luckily the
Ferrari started without a problem, and we were on our way for a tour of
the neighborhood.
After my ride, the three of us set off for a Rolls Royce Shop on the
west side of Melbourne called McDermott's Workshop. I met Robert
McDermott working on a Silver Ghost, surrounded by the most Rolls Royce
and Bentley cars I've ever seen in one place. McDermott's specialty in
these cars is known throughout the world, supplying parts and service
all over.
I was amazed at the volume of parts and cars scattered in a shop that
was at least 10,000 square feet in size, and there was supposed to be
more in McDermott's private collection!
In a warehouse full of Rollers and Bentleys, it was only a matter of
time before I stumbled across a Merlin V-12 engine. When I asked Robert
what he was planning on doing with this famous engine, he really didn't
know. "I've always wanted one," was his reply.
We left McDermott's shop, and dropped George off at his home. Garry and
I then headed back to his house to see his Ferrari, a silver 400A.
She fired up without a problem, and settled into a nice idle ready to
take us on to our next Melbourne shop.
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