Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

We don’t expect this edition’s Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing cover story to appeal to hairy-chested show-offs. It’s a yarn for folk who like their cars fast but not necessarily flashy. We’ve chosen five Australian-built cars of the last five decades that blended into everyday traffic but went like the clappers. It’s the automotive equivalent of Hollywood’s – or the San Fernando Valley’s! – stereotypical plain-Jane with glasses perched on her nose and hair in a bun. But when she lets her hair down, look out!

So what makes a wolf in AMC’s eyes? We set some basic criteria. Firstly, our wolves in wool had to be: built in Australia, factory-spec, able to be purchased by the public; and have been built in sufficient numbers to be widely available in their day. Above all else, they needed to be faster than their looks suggested.

So no special-order cars for company insiders or those ‘in the know’ – and no one-offs (or even three-offs). In simplest terms, we’re showcasing some ordinary-looking cars that could post surprisingly quick 0-100km/h times. Our inconspicuous performers didn’t necessarily need to have Falcon GT-like performance – although the faster the better, obviously – to qualify, they just needed to be quicker than they look. Handling and braking performance were not important. Anyway, strap yourself in and enjoy. And drop us a line via amceditorial@chevron.com.au with your memories of these and other wolves. Warning: some readers may need to broaden their minds...