Seen in Adelaide

[RobSA]

P76 Sports Wagon on North East Road Modbury

Never knew they existed is this a made up one or is it real ??????

Cheers
Rob

[claws]

Have seen that one a couple of times in highbury area. Dont know if ther was a wagon made but if its the same one I saw it was not an originally a wagon.

[mrflibbles]

didnt they make a couple of prototype wagons? im sure i have seen pictures of one.

[OzLuvTrucker]

I have a lead on a p76 sedan located in Berri S.A if any one is interested.

[PR91]

they sure did build a couple of prototypes. they were hand built wagon versions of the P76 and were done around the same time as the Force7 coupe. just like the Force7, when Leyland went broke, the were all supposed the be crushed but a couple escaped out the door... i know only 9 or 10 Force7's were left and i know the wagons were much less, maybe 3, but i can't remember the exact number. this comes from being around a mate of my 'Wal's' who has a big collection of Leyland stuff, including a Targa Florio P76, a Force7V and a wagon. they got to know each other years ago coz when Wal rebuilt his Mk7 Bolwell he put a P76 V8 in it.

[dave]

Hey guys,

If it's this wagon:

Leyland P76 wagon home-made job.jpg (61.92 KiB) Viewed 16658 times

Leyland P76 wagon home-made job - 02.jpg (25.9 KiB) Viewed 16658 times

....it's a bit of an abomination. It was made using a Ford Falcon (XD-XF) rear roof section and was grafted on.

I have read they built both two or three prototype wagons. I read on http://www.leylandp76.com , that one somehow ended up with Ford, where it was tested against their own cars, while another ended up in private hands, while another site said that two were destroyed and one was sold. Apparently the two that were destroyed were mocked up in fibreglass, while the genuine factory item was steel.

The factory item was used as a parts getter around the Zetland plant, then sold to one of the lucky chumps who bought a Leyland Force 7V. Interestingly, the plan was to use a one-piece clamshell tail gate, something that would not be seen in rival Ford or Holden units until 1978-1979, however the prototype had a then-traditional two-piece tailgate, interestingly with the lower tail gate adapted from a HG Holden item! It is still in private hands and looks like this:

Leyland P76 wagon - factory prototype - used adapted HG Holden tailgate.jpg (55.6 KiB) Viewed 16658 times

There was another that was designed to be a replica of the prototype. This also used a Falcon rear roof section, albeit from a more contemporary (to the P76) XY Ford Fairmont wagon. This one was a lot more successful in looking good (for a P76) -

Leyland P76 wagon home-made job - XY Fairmont tailgate.jpg (9.89 KiB) Viewed 16658 times

There have apparently been a few different wagon replicas, but they all use a standard sedan rear door window profile, while the factory car had a more upright rear door window. Conversely, the factory wagon has a very sleek back window line which however made it useless against the more upright and therefore space-efficient wagons from Ford or Holden... so maybe it's for the best that the replica-builders used Ford stuff!!!

Cheers,

DaVe

[RobSA]

yeah Dave it looks like the home-made job at the top of your post, though in somewhat better condition ... well at least from afar.

I'd love a P76 OzLuvTrucker, unfortunately no room for one

Cheers
Rob

[GTtoo]

Hey Rob. My older sister had a P76, twin systems on the V8, auto, all on gas and phatt wire wheels. And guess what . It was almost identical paint scheme as BELLA .No kidding dude, had the stripe, dark bonnet and same amount of wear to give it the rat look.

She had it many years and loved it to bits. Can still remember the awesome sound of her flooring it every time she left home. Something like this : GRRRaaaaaaoooooowwwww

B.

[GTtoo]

Oh, forgot. Thanks for the info Dave. Again, light on a part of motoring history most of us have very little idea of. Like , no idea P76's came in s/wagons. Yep, does look abominable. It destroys the familiar Leyland shape of the sedan we are used to associating with the P76.

Cheers, B.