Team Unique Cars and the intrepid HG Premier hit the road inWednesday’s first stage of the Targa Tasmania Tour. Designed to allow people to gain a feel for the Targa experience without having to actually run at competition pace, the Tour offered the perfect environment to run the Project HG through its paces. Click here for the UC Team profile Greg Leech and Phillip Walker

Using the actual stages that the hard core Targa Tassie entrants use (but leaving around an hour before the competition cars) Tour entrants get the opportunity to drive some of Tasmania’s finest roads, knowing nothing is coming the other way.

Unique Cars editor in chief Leech reports the HG is holding up well.

“The car has been pushed fairly hard by Phil Walker and myself and it is just lapping it up. It has loosened substantially and is happy to pull right off the bottom. The 192 built by Keith Davidson is an absolute plum,” he said after Wednesday’s first stages.

Using the Targa Tour as a shakedown run has shown up some shortcomings however.

“We have decided that the car is screaming out for a four-speed box and that will be ordered as soon as we get off the boat back inVictoria. The demanding nature of Tassie’s roads sees second gear often too low a gear and third too high. The car is very stable and handles surprisingly well, but the four speed is a must”, said Leech.

Project HG has caused a stir everywhere it has travelled inTasmania over the last week, with much fancier marques getting short shrift when it comes to public adulation. It seems everyone knew someone that had one, owned one, or is looking to get involved in a similar restoration.

“The response to the car has been phenomenal”, says co-driver Walker. “Readers know the car, pore over it and want to talk about it. We knew the HG would have some appeal, but couldn’t have dreamed how many people are aware of it via the magazine and website”.

The Targa Tour continues until Sunday. Use this link for news updates, in addition to keeping track of the UC Project HG team as they wend their way around Tassie’s back roads, via regular story and video instalments.