Ilinga - elegant, but forgotten
09/15/2024
Like many others before and after them, Tony Farrel, a racing driver and engineer, and Daryl Davies, an industrialist with a car accessories business, had the idea of building their own sports car.
They called their car "Ilinga", which means "far away" in the language of the Australian aborigines.
The elegant coupé was presented at the 40th Melbourne Motor Show in 1975 and was clearly positioned in the luxury segment. The aluminum V8 engine, which had previously been used in Buick and Rover, was chosen to power the car. With around 200 hp, a top speed of 200 to 220 km/h was targeted.
The two-door coupé was equipped with air conditioning, electric windows, leather upholstery, a radio tape recorder and an umbrella to protect the crew in the event of sudden rain showers.
The plan was for 38 specialists to build two cars per week, which would then be sold for AUS$ 15,750 to a lucky owner. There was actually talk of 30 firm orders after the motor show and no problem selling 100 cars a year.
But things turned out differently: after early production problems, the project was stopped after just two cars had been built. The company had been working for just under a year and then the lights went out because of problems with the Borg-Warner gearboxes. The four-door model that was also planned never materialized.
Incidentally, both completed examples are said to have survived, one in a museum, the other in private ownership and awaiting restoration.
P.S. Want to bet you wouldn't have recognized the car if we had put it forward in a quiz?
