Jean Beatson’s shot of John Barber posing in a Lancia Lambda in 1927. He was the winner of the ten-day 1520-mile RACV Great Alpine Trial held mainly in the high country of Victoria and New South Wales starting on March 10, 1926.
39 cars started the event, which took in Melbourne, Wangaratta, Mount Hotham, Omeo, Tallangatta, Tumut, Mount Kosziusko, Canberra, Eden, Lakes Entrance, and Mornington. Barber won from RJ ‘Herb’ Beith’s Chrysler, WA Terdich’s DFP, AW Bernadou’s Austin and JCB Hutton’s Alvis Sports.
Initially I thought it was a shot of the winning car, but Rob Alsop set me straight; #26 is the 1926 winner, whereas #31 above is a LWB machine. If any Lancia Fanciers can tell me which event is depicted above, I’d love to hear from you.
Albert Valentine Turner, AV to his mates, won the first Australian Alpine Trial aboard an Itala T51 Tourer in 1921, that event, more or less continually held since, pre-dates the first, Australian Grand Prix held at Goulburn in January 1927 so its an important event in this part of the world. See here for more about AV:https://primotipo.com/2022/11/08/av-turner-itala-1924-sydney-melbourne-record/
John Barber in his Lambda First Series (B Jamieson)
The Sun News Pictorial Melbourne covered the ‘26 Alpine this way in its Friday, March 26, issue.
‘MR. J. BARBER, of Coliban Park, Elphinstone, winner of the Alpine motor trial, said yesterday that his Lancia Lambda was the first sold in Victoria, and had travelled 21,000 miles before the trial.’
‘He attended personally to the adjustment of the car before the race, and did not have it specially overhauled in any way. He has always driven it himself. Vacuum Oil Co products – Plume petrol and lubricants – were used on the trip. His electrical equipment included Bosch plugs, starter and magneto, and gave no trouble whatever.’
Nine Punctures
‘His tool kit was never opened during the trial. He had to use the jack, however. “I had nine punctures,” he said, “thanks to the extraordinary roads. Many others fared worse.”
‘Far too much, in his opinion, had been made of his hill-climbing exploit on the summit of Mt. Talbingo, when he passed the leading car at the bend with his off wheels practically over a precipice. “I had plenty of room to pass,” said Mr Barber. “There was really nothing in the incident, and when I cut the bend it looked far more dangerous to those at the finishIng point than it actually was.”
‘There are three Laucia cars at the Coliban Park merino sheep station. Barber’s sister has a Lambda saloon, while his elder brother favours a 35 Kappa. They also possess a Ford and a Fordson tractor.’
‘The secretary of the Royal Automobile Club (Mr C. J. Hodges) advises that the statement published yesterday, to the effect that the Oakland car would have won the test had it not been disqualified, was incorrect. Even if the Oakland car had not been disqualified, it would not have been the outright winner of the contest. In fairness to the car that won the context. He pointed out that it could not have been displaced from it position by any of the cars which were disqualified.’
(EAdamson-SLV)(The Argus, March 29, 1926)
‘Spark Plug’ commented on the results and made some post event observations in The Leader (Orange, NSW) on April 2, 1926. His comments are interesting, a century on, about where the automobile was at back then in the minds of Joe Public.
Salient is that, ‘Beyond question, the first matter that will excite comments from a layman is that the reliability of modern reputable makes has been vindicated.’ (35 of the 39 starters finished). There has been a most remarkable absence of major mechanical defects throughout the tests.’
‘True, there have been one or two electrical faults, which have embarrassed the driver, and in some cases, springs have broken, but as for vital defects of mechanism, these have been conspicuous by their absence. 1500 miles is in itself a sufficiently long tour to make offhand, but when the itinerary is laid out to cover the worst of gradients, and some of the roughest roads in the Commonwealth, then indeed we may describe it as an acid test.’
‘Whilst paying a tribute to all the cars that came through with flying colours, it is justifiable, in view of the prejudices which exist in some quarters, to make special allusion to the light British and Continental models.’
‘For instance, the outright winner on aggregate points was the Lancia Lambda, a comparatively light Italian product. The success of this vehicle is very interesting, by reason of the fact that it is equipped with an unusual type of front springing, consisting of individual hydraulic cylinders and coil springs fitted to each front wheel.’
‘Then too, one must not lose sight of the fast times achieved in the hill climbs, which demonstrate clearly that both American and Continental manufacturers, as well as paying attention to top gear performance, also realise that cars require from time to time, to maintain good speed in second gear, and plan their designs accordingly.’
Bill Jamieson wrote of Barber’s achievements, ‘In distant Australa, without any encouragement or even awareness from Lancia & C., the Lambda was also making its presence felt. John Barber, a Victorian grazier and motoring enthusiast, acquired one of the earliest First Series Lambdas to reach that country, and campaigned it with great success.’
‘In March, 1926, the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria held an Alpine Trial over eight days, involving hill-climbs, speed, and acceleration tests on some of the roughest and most remote roads in the country. In a large field, Barber won first in formula and fastest time in every section, finishing with a virtually clean sheet. His success was used to good effect by Shields Motor Co., the local Lancia agents, in promoting the sale of the Lambda.’
Oodnadatta, South Australia 1927 (JBeatson-SLV)
Jean Beatson, the snapper who took the first shot, was a driver and mechanic of considerable repute, here she is fettling her Lambda.
(Barber Family Archive)(Barber Family Archive)(Barber Family Archive)
Amazing stuff from the Barber Family Archive via Tim Barber, with thanks to Rob Alsop.
Credits…
Jean Beatson-State Library of Victoria, Edwin Adamson-State Library of Victoria, Capolavoro: The Design, Development and Production of the Lancia Lambda’ by Bill Jamieson and Barber Family Collection via Tim Barber by courtesy of Rob Alsop, The Argus
Why not start an article about Warwick Farm with a couple of pics of Leo Geoghegan at Oran Park aboard his Lotus 39 Repco circa-1968? Who is Leo speaking to in the shot below?
(B Henderson)(B Henderson)
The bulk of this batch of shots, published by Sydney photographer, Bryan Henderson, on Bob Williamson’s Australian Motor Racing Photographs Facebook page, were taken during the 1968 and 1969 Warwick Farm 100 Tasman rounds I’ve well ventilated before. But why not go again?
Frank Gardner aboard Alec Mildren’s Mildren Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 2.5 V8 – aka The Yellow Submarine – during practice for the 1969 Warwick Farm 100, won in shocking wet conditions by Jochen Rindt’s works Lotus 49B Ford DFW, the Austrian demonstrating his mesmeric wet-weather skills throughout. Rindt, ’69 Tasman:https://primotipo.com/2018/01/19/rindt-tasman-random/
FG was third behind Rindt and Derek Bell, Ferrari Dino 246T, and sixth in the series won by Chris Amon’s 246T. DNF’s at Pukekohe, Wigram and Lakeside cost Gardner while the car was unwinged/under-winged for half the series, which cost him a bit, arguably, in ultimate pace.
(B Henderson)(B Henderson)
Bob Jane and FG chew the fat during practice. I guess Bob ran his Shelby-built Mustang Trans-Am in the touring car supports.
On Tasman point, John Harvey returned to racing after his huge ’68 Easter Bathurst accident at Sandown the following week. Harves ran Jane’s Brabham BT23E Repco 830, the same machine he crashed after the breakage of a rear upright at Mount Panorama. More on the BT23E here:https://primotipo.com/2015/12/22/jack-brabham-brabham-bt23e-oran-park-1968/
(B Henderson)
Graeme Lawrence, McLaren M4A-14 Ford FVA, eighth at the Farm and equal ninth in the series with Niel Allen, McLaren M10B Chev.
While the FVAs lacked the mumbo to be competitive in dry ’69 Tasman Cup 2.5 events, Graeme won the 1969 Singapore and Selangor Grands Prix in this car while knitting together a Big Deal.
The Lawrence family, with great support from Shell, bought Amon’s Tasman-winning Dino 246T/69-0008 from Ferrari and splendidly won the 1970 Tasman series from some very quick F5000 and 2-litre machines. More on the Dino here:https://primotipo.com/2022/02/01/ferrari-dino-166-246t-take-4/
The talented Roly Levis, Brabham BT23 Ford FVA 1.6 was at Warwick Farm and in the Tasman Cup
Kiwi Gold Star Champion in 1969, ‘69 was the only year in which Levis did the whole Tasman tour; it was a seven-race, two-month commitment that year, a biggie for a privateer; he was 12th in BT23C-7, the ex-Frank Williams car raced by Piers Courage in the 1968 Euro F2 Championship.
(B Henderson)(B Henderson)
The last few shots were taken during the February 18, 1968, Warwick Farm 100 race day.
Bib Stillwell and a mechanic roll Jack Brabham’s Brabham BT23E Repco-Brabham 740 2.5 V8 onto the grid – the car Bob Jane bought for John Harvey at the end of its ’68 Tasman campaign.
Jack was seventh in the race won by Jim Clark’s Lotus 49 Ford DFW.
Frank Matich tests his new, very late to the party, Matich SR4 Repco, Bruce McLaren Style, sans bodywork – and six-point harness – at Warwick Farm on a date I’d love you to assist me with.
Sitting very close behind FM’s shoulders is RBE E41, a 4.8-litre 760 four-cam V8 being dyno-tested by its builder, John Mepstead, in Repco Brabham Engines’ test cell at Maidstone in the photograph below.
(JMepsteadColl)(RWolfe/JBondini)
‘Meppa’, much admired, respected and liked by his Repco peers, died this week on Monday, June 1. May I offer my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. He was very kind to me when I met with him and was enormously helpful with this article about the SR4, as well as with another published by Auto Action. See here:https://primotipo.com/2016/07/15/matich-sr4-repco-by-nigel-tait-and-mark-bisset/ RIP John Mepstead.
Funeral details from Rod Wolfe, ‘John Mepstead funeral details, Friday 12th June at 2.30 at Bunurong Memorial Park in the Stratus Reflection Space, live streamed. Celebration of John’s life afterwards at the Sandown Park Hotel.’
Matich, SR4, Catalina Park below, perhaps in early 1970, by which time the car/driver combo was the Australian Sports Car Champion.
(JMepsteadColl)(PHouston-MBisset-Copilot)
Peter Houston’s shot of Kevin Bartlett and Niel Allen is a fantastic Warwick Farm battle between KB’s Alec Mildren Racing Mildren Waggott TC-4V and Niel’s Peter Molly prepped 5-litre McLaren M10B Chev.
I thought the shot was a David vs. Goliath contest during the February 15, 1970, Warwick Farm 100 Tasman Cup round, but Lynton Hemer has set me straight.
‘The photo with KB and Niel Allen was taken at the July 1970 AJC Trophy Warwick Farm meeting during the 15-lap Racing Car support race. Niel knocked the wingtab awry during his dice with Bartlett early on.’
‘This was the race when Niel’s harmonic balancer came adrift, cutting a brake line and sending him into the back of Frank Matich later in the race. Garry Rush and KB came together at Homestead as the Mildren attempted to lap the Formula Ford. It was Bartlett’s last ride in the Submarine.’
‘At the (1970) Tasman round, Max Stewart was never more than a few car lengths back from Bartlett as they took the race for Mildren with a one/two cleansweep.’
These two shots show the car, fitted with Merv Waggott’s 2-litre TC-4V engine, were taken during KB’s victorious February 1970 Tasman round.
The bathtub monocoque designed by Len Bailey and built by Alan Mann Racing is shown below. I’ve written about one of my favourite racing cars often, here is a starting point:https://primotipo.com/2017/11/14/missed-it-by-that-much/
(PHouston-MBisset-Wordpress)(unattributed)
Two shots of Bob Jane’s Elfin 400 Repco-Brabham 620 4.4-litre V8 with the man himself at the wheel at Sandown circa-1967 and with Bevan Gibson up on that fateful day during the Bathurst Easter meeting in 1969. More here:https://primotipo.com/2018/04/06/belle-of-the-ball/
(unattributed)
Dressed like that, Frank Williams must have just arrived from Essendon Airport, his suitcase full of start and prize money amassed by Piers Courage during a very successful 1969 Tasman Cup campaign, during which he finished third overall and won the Teretonga round aboard Williams’ unique Brabham BT24 Ford DFW 2.5 V8.
There is no shortage of spectators in the Sandown Park Cup paddock on February 16. It was Amon, Rindt and Brabham in the race. Piers broke a driveshaft on lap three, so he was a DNF, but he had shown great speed and intent that Australasian summer, which was delivered in spades aboard Frank’s Brabham BT26 Ford Cosworth DFV in the ensuing Grand Prix season.
Colin Bond during the Thursday, November 9-Saturday, November 18, 1972, Dulux Rally. Photographer, James Semple, is NSW-based, so I guess it’s somewhere – a hillclimb? – up there, thoughts folks?
The reigning Dulux Champions, Bondy and George Shepheard, won in the Holden Dealer Team Holden Torana GTR XU-1, from teammates Peter Brock/Frank Kilfoyle, and Stewart McLead/Adrian Mortimer in another XU-1. More about the Dulux here:https://primotipo.com/2015/04/09/australias-cologne-capris/
(PHouston-MBisset-Wordpress)
Peter Houston has captured a very rare car/driver combination in what must have been one of Gary Campbell’s last drives? A couple of LJ XU-1s or GTRs are clearly favoured by the flaggies too!
Here the popular, generous Sydney car dealer – a big supporter of Larry Perkins before and after he got to Europe – is drowning aboard his new Lola T330 Chev HU4 during practice for the 1973 Warwick Farm 100 Tasman round on February 11 and won by Steve Thompson’s Chevron B24 Chev.
Ulf Norinder from Max Stewart and Leo Geoghegan during the early laps of the February 22, 1970 Sandown Park Cup Tasman round: Lola T190 Chev, Mildren Waggott TC-4V 2-litre and Lotus 39 Repco 830 V8 2.5.
The cars are on the blast from Dandenong Road towards the fast right-left combo of the Causeway and Dunlop Bridge. Niel Allen, McLaren M10B Chev won from Graeme Lawrence, Ferrari 246T and Norinder. Lawrence won the Tasman in the same chassis, 246T/69-0008, in which Chris Amon triumphed the year before.
And one of the Formula Vee support races below, I’ll take your advice as to competitors.
(Orange Photography)
Jeremy Browne’s rally Cooper S opposite locking its way around Collingrove in 1972 and gets no shortage of admiring glances from the punters in the process!
(Unatt-MBisset-Wordpress)
John Harvey in Bob Jane’s Bowin P8 Repco-Holden at Warwick Farm during the September 3, 1972 weekend in which he contested the two-heat Motor Show Trophy.
He was fifth in the first heat from the back of the grid, and collided with Kevin Bartlett’s Lola T300 Chev at the start of the second so didn’t finish. Matich won overall with victories in both heats, with John McCormack second and Warwick Brown third: Matich A50 Repco-Holden, Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden and McLaren M10B Chev.
Shots of P8-118-72 in its original form are rare; this photo resurrection exercise was reasonably successful. Such a small, handsome and innovative car, John Joyce!.
Harves spoke favourably about the P8 Repco-Holden to Tony McGirr for his ‘Gentleman John Harvey’ book.
‘Then the Formula 5000 car arrived. It was a Bowin car. We actually took a bit of a gamble on that. If Bob (Jane) couldn’t get what he wanted overseas, he was always happy enough to try an Australian-made product. If – always ‘if’ – he thought they were good enough. Bob was one of Garrie Cooper’s staunchest supporters. He had in the past bought a few cars from Garrie. But, Bob always wanted to win. If he thought Australian-built cars were not up to scratch, he bought whatever it took to win.’
‘The Formula 5000 car – built in Sydney – had a revolutionary suspension system. Around the traps, in racing circles, people were saying it won’t work – it can’t work. At that time, the designers of race cars were getting into technical areas that had not been explored before. Even in the Formula One McLarens, they were still experimenting with this rising-rate suspension and the variable spring rates.’
‘They had this system-or a similar system-on the front of the McLaren (M19), and it was working fairly well. Bowin – I should say John Joyce – built this Formula 5000 with these variable suspensions on both front and rear. Everyone said it was all too revolutionary and couldn’t work. Actually, it was all quite simple, and it worked extremely well, particularly off the start line. You could get really good traction with it.’
Warwick Farm September 3, 1972 meeting. Repco-Holden F5000 V8, Hewland DG300 5-speed transaxle, and look closely and you can see some of the variable rate suspension linkages (TGlenn)
‘The reason the whole deal did not work out was that Bob lost interest. We also had a crash with the car at Warwick Farm. I got a ‘ripper’ of a start. I forget the exact details of what happened to cause the accident. Somebody spun, and I got a front wheel knocked off the car. 1 slid off the track, and that was the end of my race. Essentially, that was also the end of that adventure.’
‘We did do a couple of more races with it, and we were still developing the car. The car was showing a lot of promise, but Bob lost interest. It was just as simple as that. “Forget the Formula 5000. Park it over there”. Castrol don’t want to know about it. So, we parked the Formula 5000 and got on with Touring cars.’
‘My whole open-wheeler career came to a halt, there and then. But, I must add, I wasn’t all that impressed with the Formula 5000 category. By comparison to the original Formula cars I had driven (Tasman 2.5 Brabhams), the Formula 5000s were just ‘trucks’. So, the decision was made to concentrate on Touring cars, and that is how the remainder of my career was spent.’
(KRankine/BColechin)
Start of the March 18, 1956, 48-lap, 150-mile Argus Trophy held at Albert Park during Melbourne’s annual Moomba Festival. Bryan Colechin’s images captured from Kenneth Rankine’s film show all the fun of the fair to great effect!
The three red cars are the victor, Reg Hunt’s Maserati 250F at left, second-placed Lex Davison, Ferrari 500/625 3-litre at right, and third-placed Kevin Neal, Maserati A6GCM 2.5-litre, partially obscured in between the two.
The white central seat sports-bodied car is the ex-Brabham, Cooper T40 Bristol, raced by Reg Smith, while the red car in front of Smith is the ex-Brabham Cooper T23 – then Repco-Holden powered – raced to fourth place by Tom Hawkes.
1969 JAF Japanese Grand Prix action with Aussie Glyn Scott, Bowin P3 Ford FVA having a look at Sohei Kato’s Mitsubishi Colt F2C 1.6 during the May 3 race.
It’s a battle for third place resolved in favour of the Japanese twin-cam, four-valve, fuel-injected powered Brabham/Brabham copy chassis. The race was won by Leo Geoghegan’s Lotus 39 Repco 830 2.5 V8 from Roly Levis’ Brabham BT23C Ford FVA.
Scotty’s Bowin was powered by the dominant 1.6-litre F2 engine of the era, the Ford Cosworth FVA as below in this circa-1969 trailer shot. Equally ubiquitous is the Hewland FT200 five-speed transaxle.
Allan Moffat’s two big victories in the US were in the March 21, 1975, Sebring 12 Hour classic aboard a factory BMW CSL 3.5 Batmobile shared with Brian Redman, and then later in the race, Hans Stuck and Sam Posey jumped into the car after their own failed.
Moff’s other big triumph was in the Bryar 250 Trans-Am round held at Bryar Motorsport Park on July 10, 1966. He raced that 250-mile race event solo aboard a Ford Lotus Cortina prepared by his team; that must have been icing on a big cake?
Frank Gardner on the way to winning the December 3 Hordern Trophy, the final round of the 1967 Gold Star, on debut of the Alec Mildren Racing Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo 2.5 V8, and below, Kevin Bartlett racing it to victory in the first round of the 1968 Gold Star at Bathurst on April 15, 1968; luvverly symmetry in that lot. KB won the Gold Star too. More here:https://primotipo.com/2021/07/25/hordern-trophy/
(PHouston-MBisset-Wordpress)
Credits…
Peter Houston, Neil Johannsen, Orange Photography, Autoweek, James Semple, John Mepstead, Bryar Motorsport Park, Kenneth Rankine’s film with individual frames made by Bryan Colechin, Tony Glenn, ‘Gentleman John Harvey’ Tony McGirr, Rodway Wolfe, Jay Bondini
It’s not often a ‘chemical name’ has an addictive ring to it, but this is one of them. I’m old enough to remember the advertising mantra of the day too…
Methylbenzene – yes, it seems Shell used a bit of poetic licence – (commonly called toluene) is a clear, colourless, water-insoluble liquid aromatic hydrocarbon that does lots of cool things, but in an automotive sense, was/is added to petrol to improve octane ratings and performance.
(Chevron-MBisset-Wordpress)
Shell sponsored Spencer Martin has the inside line at Murray’s, or is it Hell corner, from BP-sponsored Kevin Bartlett in one of the memorable Brabham BT11A Climax battles between the Bob Jane and Alec Mildren cars throughout the 1967 Easter meeting at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, during which KB was the first to break the 100mph lap average; Spencer achieved it too, only shortly/minutes later. See here:https://primotipo.com/2018/04/27/kbs-first-bathurst-100mph-lap/
(MBisset-Wordpress)
Spencer Martin’s boss, Bob Jane, had a pretty good Bathurst meeting as well. In only his second meeting with his brand-new Ford Mustang 390 GT, he bagged two race wins and one second place in the improved touring car races. The WordPress AI tool shot a load with excitement here; this looks more like it below…More here:https://primotipo.com/2020/01/03/jano/
A large crowd awaits the start of the 1955 Valentino Grand Prix in Turin…
It’s a colourised shot, the better for it in this case I think, Front and Centre are the Ferrari 625s of Alfonso de Portago and Harry Schell.
The race was the first non-championship F1 event of 1955 and was run over 90 2.609-mile laps of a road circuit laid out around the Parco del Valentino, Turin, on March 27, 1955.
The victorious Alberto Ascari with his Lancia crew (Italfoto)The Ferrari 625s of Harry Schell and Giuseppe Farina (Italfoto)
The race had a field of some depth, including three Scuderia Lancia D50As in their home race driven by Alberto Ascari (above), Gigi Villoresi and Eugenio Castellotti. Four Officine Maserati 250Fs were entered for Jean Behra, Luigi Musso, Roberto Mieres and Sergio Mantovani, while Ferrari arrived without Froilán Gonzalez, who stayed in Argentina to undergo a hospital operation. They entered three Tipo 625s for Giuseppe Farina, Maurice Trintignant and guest driver Harry Schell; a new Tipo 555 ‘Super Squalo’ car was also brought along.
The balance of the grid was made up of privateers: Maserati 250Fs of B. Bira and Louis Rosier, Alfonso de Portago in a Ferrari 625, Swiss privateer Ottorino Volonterio’s ex-Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati A6GCM, while local Lorenzo Girard had a Ferrari 500 bought from Ecurie Espadon and Berardo Taraschi made up the field aboard an ancient 2-litre Ferrari 166.
Jean Behra, Maserati 250F (Italfoto)Bira’s 250F is attended to in practice (Italfoto)
Practice…
The meeting got off to an appalling start when Sergio Mantovani left the circuit and crashed his 250F heavily towards the end of Saturday morning’s unofficial session; his leg was so badly injured that it had to be amputated. In the best tradition of the show going on, his car was handed to Cesare Perdisa, a wealthy 22-year-old Italian who had impressed in Maserati sports cars.
Ascari was quickest in the afternoon from Behra and Musso. Farina tried the new Ferrari 555, but the machine developed an oil leak and was put back in the transporter. The Italian set the fourth fastest time in a 625.
Mieres, Villoresi, Trintignant, Castelotti, Schell, Perdisa, de Portago, Rosier, Bira (troubled by his car’s suspension on the bumpy circuit), Taraschi and Girard completed the grid.
Ascari, Behra, and Musso before the off: Lancia D50, Maserati 250F times two (Italfoto)
Race…
The Maserati 250Fs of Behra and Musso put their power down beautifully at the start; the pair squeezed Ascari and his Lancia D50A to one side of the track and Farina, Ferrari 625, to the other, allowing Mieres’ other works-Maser to get past both. Musso led from Behra, Mieres, with Ascari all over him, Farina and the rest quickly dropping back.
It took Ascari six laps to pass Mieres, and he then faced a similar challenge from Behra as Musso. Farina’s old-world Ferrari was being harried by Castellotti’s D50A, then Trintignant and Villoresi, then Castellotti spun, boofed a kerb, then pitted to assess the damage. Schell and Perdisa were next up.
Perdisa, 250F Q10 and DNF suspension (Italfoto)
Maserati looked in command until Behra and Perdisa suffered suspension failures on lap 13, easing Ascari’s chase of Musso. He caught the young Italian in eight laps, piling on the pressure. A lap later, he spun on his own oil, leaving Ascari with a ten-second lead over Mieres. Ascari pressed on, increasing his margin to thirty seconds. Mieres had a comfortable margin from Villoresi’s third-placed Lancia, Farina having stopped with gearbox trouble.
Trintignant was then fourth, a recovering Castellotti fifth and the disappointing Schell sixth. Behind him, De Portago led fellow privateers Bira, Rosier, Girard and Taraschi until he stopped on the circuit with sump trouble.
Villoresi from Schell: Lancia D50A and Ferrari 625, third and fifth (Italfoto)
When Ascari came up to lap Castellotti, he fell in behind his young team-mate, urging him on until the pair caught and then passed Trintignant. The two Lancias then continued until they caught up with Villoresi, and the full team circulated in a form-finish, clinching the Lancia D50’s first win in style. Trintignant had retired with engine trouble, leaving fifth to Schell ahead of Rosier and Taraschi, with Bira bringing up the rear after several stops for attention to the brakes of his 250F.
Ascari or Peter Jones comments, Castellotti? (Italfoto)Farina, Ferrari 625 Q4 and DNF gearbox (Italfoto)
Etcetera…
(Italfoto)
Villoresi’s D50, Schell’s Ferrari 625 below.
(Italfoto)(Italfoto)
Harry, Q9 and fifth, trying to get comfy in his Ferrari above, while Alberto looks quietly confident below.
(Italfoto)(Italfoto)
Maurice Trintignant, Ferrari 625, Q7 and DNF rear axle, and Bira, 250F below. Q13 and eighth.
(Italfoto)Bira (Italfoto)
Credits…
Italfoto…simply superb shots
Tailpiece…
(Italfoto)
Roberto Mieres qualified his works, Maserati 250F, fifth and finished a terrific second behind Ascari and in front of Villoresi.
The Amilcar driven by S.G Hyslop accompanied by S.O Chapman on its way to a Melbourne-Sydney light car record of 14 hours 52 minutes on the ‘Hume Highway’, 13 February 1924…
Amilcar enthusiast Andrew Whittington posted this hitherto unseen photograph on social media proving yet again the power of the medium to share very interesting information of historic significance.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the trip on 14 February 1924.
‘Yesterday…an Amilcar of only six horsepower, driven by Mr SG Hyslop, accompanied by Mr SO Chapman, achieved the remarkable feat of travelling from Melbourne to Sydney, nominally 565 1/2 miles, in 14 hours 52 minutes, thereby reducing the light car record between the capitals by 28 minutes.’
‘Even this remarkable time would have been still further materially reduced but for two involuntary stoppages through water getting into the magneto at Paddy’s River and the creek at the foot of Razorback Mountain near Picton.’
(A Whittington)
‘The tiny car left Melbourne at 4.20 am yesterday and was making good time on a dark morning, when, near Campbellfield, it ran into a dense fog, which lasted for many miles until near the top of Pretty Sally Hill. Between Albury and Holbrook there is a stretch of road usually regarded as among the fastest on the whole course, but on this occasion long stretches of it were found to be under repair, and the speed average was effected.’
‘Sydney GPO was reached at 7.12pm, the actual time being 14 hours 52 minutes. The time of departure was certified by Mr HW Harrison, representing the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, and that at the finish by Mr L Stuart, of the Royal Automobile Club of Australia.’
‘The car itself is an absolutely standard 6 hp Amilcar chassis, with special body and a strengthened stay for the radiator.’
(A Whittington)
The photograph above is as Andrew Whittington posted it on Facebook, whereas the opening shot used is after pushing a couple of magic ChatGPT buttons; take your pick as to preference.
Andrew records the cars four cylinder capacity of 1004cc and that it ‘was bulldozed into a hole with a lot of other cars after the war’. Very sadly!
John Youl, Cooper T55 Climax jumps from grid slot four as well as Jack Brabham, Brabham BT7A Climax from pole at the start of the 1964 Lady Wigram Trophy Tasman Cup round on January 18, a superb panoramic, colour shot with the Southern Alps behind! McLaren and Hulme comprise the rest of the front row.
Geoff Smedley on changes to the rear suspension of John Youl’s Cooper T55 in 1965, ‘I modified the rear of the chassis frame by making a diaphragm to allow roll-centre adjustment and trailing arms for greater stability, which made a great improvement on the car’s handling abilities at that time.’
Colin Bond, Porsche 924 GTR, reminds Calder patrons of his rallying credentials – thrice Australian Rally Champion in 1971-72 and 1974 – with an assault on Rusty French’s Porsche 935 during the Calder Park round of the 1982 Australian GT Championship on August 1.
Pete Geoghegan, Lotus 23 Lotus-Ford, gets the jump at Warwick Farm in December 1962, from Greg Cusack’s Lola Mk1 Climax and Charlie Smith’s Lotus 11 Climax.
Brian Foley, Lotus Elite and John Schroeder, Nota on row two, and the Marden Nota, Arnold Ahrenfeld Lotus 7, and Jack Bono, Porsche 356 on row three. Many thanks, Peter Houston.
Larry Perkins copping an absolute drenching aboard Paul England’s Chevron B39 Ford BDA during the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe on January 13, 1980.
Larry was eighth in the championship won by Dave McMillan’s Ralt RT1 Ford BDA from Steve Millen’s similar car. Perkins was 12th and DNF in the two Pukekohe rounds from Q6.
Larry’s bests were a second placing in one of the Pukekohe February 2 rounds and third in one of the Manfield rounds, but generally, Paul England’s Chevron B39/B45 #39-77-02 ex-Tony Martin in South Africa was a bit off the pace despite Larry’s talents behind its wheel.
(CAN)
‘Just a fabulous looking racing car — the 250LM,’ can’t argue with Allan Dick.
‘The Ferrari was here (New Zealand) for two seasons, first with Australia’s Scuderia Veloce and Spencer Martin and then with Andy Buchanan. I think this will be the second season – 1967 – with Andy Buchanan, and it looks like Teretonga.’ More about this iconic Australian racer here:https://primotipo.com/2014/07/03/pete-geoghegan-ferrari-250lm-6321-bathurst-easter-68/
(TRS)
Allan Moffat poses with his brand new Chev Monza at Bay Park (?), New Zealand in late December 1975, how’d he do folks?
And below, Moffat in DeKon Monza chassis #1005, on debut at the IMSA Daytona final round on November 30, 1975. He qualified third but was a DNF after with engine problems.
The car was first raced in Australia on March 7, 1976, at Amaroo Park, winning both rounds of the Australian Sports Sedan Championship. More about the diverse ramge of cars Moffat raced here:https://primotipo.com/2024/09/30/allan-moffat-random/
Pete Geoghegan from Norm Beechey, Ford Mustang 302 and Holden Monaro GTS 350 during the July 26 Lakeside round of the 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship.
Beautiful pan of Tony Gaze’s 2-litre supercharged HWM Alta enroute to second place in the February 6, 1954 Lady Wigram Trophy.
Peter Whitehead was 31 seconds up the road in the Ferrari 125 he was soon to sell to Australian Dick Cobden who was to have a frustrating period of ownership with the recalcitrant 2-litre, supercharged V12! More on Tony’s 1954 summer with the car here:https://primotipo.com/2019/12/14/tony-gaze-hwm-alta-new-zealand-1954/
(W Pearson)
Beautiful colour shot – what a shit colour!? – of Bob Muir’s Bob and Marj Brown-owned, Thermax-sponsored – the Brown’s specialist glass making business – Birrana 273 Ford BDA Formula Atlantic machine during the 1975 British Formula Atlantic season, albeit I’m not sure where and when. More here:https://primotipo.com/2023/02/13/bob-muir-r-i-p/
The car(s) (273-009 and 273-006) have grown a BDA, forward-facing roll-bar support, brake ducts, single-post rear wing support and non-Birrana wheels since leaving Adelaide for ye-olde-dart.
(unattributed)
A gaggle of sports cars during the March 7, 1960 Australian Tourist Trophy at Longford: Tom Sulman, Aston Martin DB3S, Doug Whiteford, Maserati 300S and Alan Jack, Cooper T39 Climax. I’m not so sure about the red car and blue coupe coming off Long Bridge.
I’ve managed to lose the photographer’s details for these two magic panoramas, I’ll take your advice on the bikes and riders below.
(unattributed)(J Smith Archive)
John Wright’s Lola T400 Chev, trying to get away from the pursuing Formula Pacifics of Andrew Miedecke, March 763/76B Ford BDA and John Smith, Ralt RT1 Ford BDA at Oran Park, perhaps during the July 29, 1979 Gold Star round.
John Bowe won in a works-Elfin MR8 Chev from Wright, John Walker, Lola T332 Chev, then Smithy.
Master mechanic Wright won the 1978 TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series in an ancient, self-prepared Bowin P4A, then stepped straight into the ex-John Leffler Lola T400 and made command of this 500bhp recalcitrant missile look easy-peasy.
It’s sad that he didn’t race on into the Formula Pacific era, doubtless dollars were the problem. What became of him?
(unattributed)
You gotta love Frank Gardner’s ability to jump between different types of cars throughout his career with equal measures of success throughout.
Above aboard the Ford Escort FVA in which he won the 1968 British Saloon Car Championship (circuit folks?), and below copping the chequered flag in a works Lola T192 Chev at the end of the Warwick Farm 100 Tasman Cup round on February 14, 1971. See here:https://primotipo.com/2025/06/15/warwick-farm-100-1971/
(primotipo archivio)
Later the same year he did the shakedown testing of Jackie Stewart’s works/Carl Haas Lola T260 Can-Am machine, here at Silverstone in May.
I don’t know what FG’s Lola business card said, but his roles included works-racer, chief test and development driver and one who contributed to the design of some of the cars. More here:https://primotipo.com/2022/03/21/lola-t260-chev-take-2/
(MotorSport)(autopics.com.au)
Jack Brabham being pushed onto the Sandown International grid on March 12, 1962, Cooper T55 Climax 2.7 FPF
He won the 100-mile race – the first international race meeting on the new track – from John Surtees’ Cooper T53 Climax and Bruce McLaren’s Cooper T53 Climax.
If it looks a bit odd, it’s because the car is being pushed up the Main Straightaway, to channel Mike Raymond, against the usual direction of travel, to be gridded up in front of the grandstand. That’s the paddock inside ‘Shell’ corner, behind.
(The Examiner)
The 2021-22 Australian Gold Star Champion, Joey Mawson, poses for the Launceston Examiner photographer in 2023 before going out to defend his title at Symmons Plains on February 25/26.
Mawson won the three rounds held that weekend and took the fastest lap in two of them. More about these stunning cars here:https://primotipo.com/2021/07/27/tasman-cup-2021/ Any international buyers in need of a spectacular one-make single-seater series should give Barry Rodgers at Garry Rogers Motorsport a call.
(ARG)
Another shot of Mawson and his Ligier S5000 F3 Ford at Symmons, this time on the way to winning the first race in 2022, while the shot below is during practice at Bathurst in November 2021.
(S5000)(A Howard)
The Bathurst 6-Hour winning Daimler SP250 raced by the Brothers Geoghegan – Leo and Ian/Pete blasts across the top of Mount Panorama on September 30, 1962
Ian Smith, Blanden Collection, Ross Cammick, Bob Atkin, Ron Lambert, Bob Moffett, AMR-Australian Motor Racing, Murray Beatson, Bob Harborow Collection, Darrin Field, Bob Homewood, Autosports Ltd via Michael Keyser, Wayne Pearson, John Smith Archive, Dick Simpson, Alan Howard, Classic Auto News-Allan Dick, Launceston The Examiner, Australian Racing Group, S5000 Group
Yes, yes, yes, I know I’ve done Longford to death, but there’s no such thing as too much of the good thing.
This time the catalyst is a bunch of colour photographs taken by longtime racer Noel Barnes on a trip to help look after Ron Ward’s MGA Twin-Cam #14 below, to the 1960 Longford weekend, March 5-7. The feature events were the Formula Libre Longford Trophy and Australian Tourist Trophy, in which the MGA was entered.
(N Barnes)
#12 is Gerald Tattersall’s Buchanan MG, #18 is G Watt’s MG Holden, #101 is a Triumph TR and the T-Type are unidentified.
The first shot shows the gridding of the Australian Tourist Trophy with J Wright’s Aston Martin DB3S alongside Doug Whiteford’s Maserati 300S, Harry Cape’s MGA Twin-Cam is #17.
(N Barnes)
Ray Gibbs aboard his Cooper T39 Climax, #25 is a Healey and #11 I’m not sure. Do give me a yell if you can assist.
(N Barnes-MBisset-Wordpress)
The shot above shows the start of the ATT with that unidentified TR at the rear, #12 is the MG Holden G Watt. The 24 lap, 108 mile race was won by Derek Jolly’s Lotus 15 Climax 2-litre FPF from Whiteford’s Maserati and Frank Matich’s Jaguar D-Type. See here:https://primotipo.com/2018/05/17/1960-australian-tourist-trophy/
(N Barnes)
The next shots are of our Jack’s Cooper T51 Climax. Yes, he’s necking a cuppa, and the older gent with the braces is Brabham’s Dad, Cyril Thomas Brabham- Tom.
Interesting pit panorama framed by a pair of Rice trailers, much vaunted then and now.
#92 is David Finch’s Jaguar D-Type – sixth in the ATT – the T-Type, the unidentified car referenced above. Bib Stillwell’s Cooper T51 carries his usual #6 while #31 is the Lou Abrahams/Ted Gray Tornado 2 Chev, Australia’s fastest racing car in 1957-58.
The big, booming fuel-injected Chev 283-powered weapon was an also-ran by 1960. It didn’t start the trophy race, but I’m sure it frightened the hell out of the seagulls on The Flying Mile during practice.
Gray won the 1958 Gold Star round at Longford in Tornado 2 Chev. The last occasion on which she garnered Gold Star points appears to be on October 4, 1959, when Ted placed second to Stillwell’s Cooper T51 2.2 in the NSW Road Race Championship at Bathurst, a circuit to which the brawny-legged missile was eminently suited. More on the ’58 Longford Trophy here:https://primotipo.com/2018/10/11/1958-longford-trophy/
(N Barnes)
Glyn Scott, a long way from Brisbane, lines up his Cooper T43 Climax 1.7 (sixth) while the flash of red at right is Arnold Glass’s Maserati 250F (fourth). The Cooper #19 behind Glyn isn’t listed in my material, but will be either Lynn Archer’s or Jon Leighton’s, my money is on Jon’s T45 2-litre FPF.
(N Barnes-MBisset-Wordpress)
Glass’s 250F again at left, #9 is Bill Patterson’s Cooper T51 with Scott alongside #20, while red-13 is Ern Tadgell’s Lotus 12 Climax 1.5 FPF aka Sabakat.
This shot was way out of focus. I used the built-in WordPress photo enhancement tool to make it of usable quality, but some of the numbers on the cars are now wrong/unintelligible via the process: #26, Austin Miller’s Cooper is correctly, #60 and the two Coopers in front of Scott’s #20 now have wonky-looking #13s on them. The lesson here is not to enhance out-of-focus shots of cars with numbers that are too difficult for the bot’s scanner to read. It’s such a good feel-the-vibe shot, I’ve chosen to run it anyway.
(N Barnes)
‘#3 is the Manx Norton of Eric Hinton being pushed by his father with Eric in the white helmet and back to the camera (and below). Probably a Manx 500’, wrote Peter Jones.
(N Barnes)(N Barnes)
Peter Jones, ‘Going by the megaphone on #57 Manx Norton, it’s a 350. #22, I believe is a BSA.’
(N Barnes)
Great colour of the David McKay and Ron Hodgson Jaguar 3.4s approaching the starter. Who won these encounters folks?
Credits…
Noel Barnes, photographer via his son, John Barnes, Peter Jones
Tailpiece…
(N Barnes-MBisset-Wordpress)
The Longford Trophy is underway, from little things did big Longford things grow…
Kevin Bartlett awaiting suspension tweaks to his Haas/Hall Lola T330 Chev in the Laguna Seca pitlane, May 6, 1973…
He is ‘minding the shop’ in a one-off drive of Brian Redman’s F5000 ride. Brian was otherwise engaged as a member of Scuderia Ferrari’s sports car squad at Spa that weekend, and Carl Haas suggested KB as a safe, quick pair of hands to Jim Hall.
Brian Redman, Ferrari 312PB, Spa 1973 (unattributed)
Bartlett and Hall swap notes during the weekend, KB’s mount was Lola T330 HU8, one of the fastest and best prepared F5000 cars on the planet.
This chassis was subsequently raced with great success by Ken Smith in Australasia. See the full history of the car here:https://www.oldracingcars.com/lola/t330/
The lead group in Heat 2 are Jody Scheckter, Trojan T101 Chev, Peter Gethin, Chevron B24 and Bartlett, who is approaching back marker, Michael Brockman’s Lola T300 Chev
Scheckter won the first heat, Gethin the second and Scheckter the championship race.
(Bob Moffett-MBisset-Wordpress)Look mum, one hand! KB opposite locks his T330 out of Laguna’s turn 9 (unattributed)
KB ‘blotted his copybook, ‘…I ran out of talent as I exited the corkscrew. The damage was confined to the tub only, strangely little to the mechanical or bodywork. Enough to put an end to the effort. Not proud of bending Brian Redman’s favourite car!’
F5000 was a global category that allowed Australia’s best to compete on equal terms with the top international F5000 drivers/teams that contested the Tasman Cup.
Equally, they could take their cars to the UK/Europe or the US and take on the best there. In 1973, Frank Matich, John Walker, Max Stewart and Bob Muir also contested the US L&M F5000 Championship. None completed the championship, with Max Stewart finishing the title chase in 12th. Bob Muir impressed on occasion with a blinding qualifying pace (Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen).
(C Parker Collection-MBisset-Wordpress)
Bob Muir awaiting the off on the right of his Chuck Jones/Jerry Eisert Lola T330 Chev HU4 (see the T330 chassis list referenced above) with engine builder/driver-whisperer/engineer Peter Molloy at left in the striped white top; Q12/fifth/DNF.
Frank Matich, Matich A51-005 Repco-Holden, being chased by Derek Kneller above and below, chasing later F1 driver, Brett Lunger’s Hogan Racing Lola T330 Chev. DNF (Matich) and sixth in the feature race.
JW leans on the roll bar, while disco-dacks susses the babes down the road.
John Walker, Matich A50-004 Repco-Holden did Riverside (Q17/5th/accident), Michigan (Q15/7th/8th), Mid-Ohio (Q9/8th/11th), Watkins Glen (Q17/DNF/8th) and then came home with a new Lola T330 to which he fitted his Repco-Holdens and showed us all just how much he had matured as a driver stateside; Tasman Cup round victories, an AGP win and Gold Star aboard Martin Sampson’s Lola T332 Chev in 1979 capped a marvellous career.
Kiwi Graham McRae’s McRae GM1 Chev is the featured car
Etcetera…
(unattributed)
Brian Redman trundles down the Spa pitlane in the Ferrari 312PB he shared with Jacky Ickx over the May 6 1000 km enduro weekend.
DNF gearbox oil cooler after completing 37 of the race winners Derek Bell/Mike Hailwood’s 71 laps- Gulf Research Mirage M6 Ford, wasn’t so good. #47 is the Fitzpatrick/Keller Porsche 911 RSR, DNF engine without completing a lap.
Ferrari had it all their own way during the 1972 World Championship for Makes but Matra made great strides with their cars, the MS670Bs being the star-cars of the ’73 season, winning five of the ten championship rounds, and the title, 124 points to 115. The Ickx/Redman combo won the Monza and Nurburgring 1000 km classics.
Matich A51-006 in the Laguna paddock, his ‘T-car’, Frank raced A51-005: Q11/DNF/DNF. Didn’t the Lola T330 make everything else look so passe…not that the subsequent T330-inspired A52 and A53 Matichs lacked pace.
(Bob Moffett-MBisset-Wordpress)
John Gimbel, Matich A50-003 Boss Ford, during practice, DNS, no time.
This is the chassis Carroll Smith helped build for George Follmer’s use in the 1972 L&M over the Australian 1972-73 Summer. Smith sold a deal to Roy Woods Racing comprising the Matich chassis and Repco-Holden engines, but Follmer liked the Boss Fords in his Lotus 70 and Mustangs, and therefore A50-003 was so powered.
Follmer qualified third in the first, Laguna, round in 1972, then finished fifth in the first heat and DNF in the second. He was Q9 at Watkins Glen, then retired in the first heat after crashing it. Follmer then bagged the plum Penske/Porsche 917/10 Can-Am ride after Mark Donohue’s practice crash, doing the balance of the L&M rounds in a Lotus 70, not a particularly well-loved F5000 car but one with which George had won races.
KB did two rounds of the 1973 L&M, Laguna Seca and here at Watkins Glen, where he raced great mate, Max Stewart’s Lola T330 Chev, HU1, the very first of the breed.
Max is here exhorting his driver to go faster! I don’t recall how the Big Fella broke his arm; perhaps one of you can enlighten us? It wasn’t a great weekend: Q14, DNF heat 2 and 15th in the final. Up front, it was Scheckter from Redman and Lunger.
(C Parker Coll-MBisset-Copilot)
Credits…
Bob Moffett photographs via The Roaring Season, Ron Miller, Chris Parker Collection
In 1928, the press of the day described the 1481cc, SOHC, two-valve, Roots-supercharged Alvis FWD chassis # 6992 as the first standard front wheel drive car to reach Australia.
‘This Alvis was shipped from the Coventry works on September 3, 1928, for delivery to Harry Taylor of Advanx Tyres, Sydney, wrote later owner, Rob Gunnell, in notes he prepared about the car for John Blanden, who included the machine in his superb, ‘Historic Racing Cars in Australia’.
‘Harry’s brother, Russell, was also involved with Bugatti cars and sponsored the Advanx Tyre and Rubber Bugatti (T37-37104) driven at Maroubra Speedway by Charlie East.’ By late November, the Sydney press reported that the Alvis was on display in the Hay Street showroom of Biden &Roberts. More about #37104 here:https://primotipo.com/2019/04/25/alexandra-sprints-and-bugatti-t37-37104/
Shortly after Taylor’s car hit the water, another was shipped to Melbourne via Regent Motors for Albert Edwards, who competed in it, including some of the early Road Races/Australian Grands Prix at Phillip Island (1929 DNF magneto rocker arm, ‘while fighting a great duel with the ultimate winner,’ Arthur Terdich, Bugatti T37A, 1930 DNF roll, 1932 DNF).
Harry Taylor’s Alvis #6992 shortly after arrival in Sydney (Blanden Collection)
The motoring writer of Melbourne’s The Herald was fairly impressed with Edward’s car; he wrote about it in the October 29, 1928, issue. ‘The first of its type to reach Australia, and also the first front wheel driven British car to be produced as a standard model, the main advantages are ultra-low build and seating, phenomenal acceleration, the elimination of skidding and the super comfort derived from independently sprung wheels.’
‘The Alvis, however, does not appear unorthodox. The surprisingly strong chassis carries the engine well back from the radiator, and reversed so that the clutch and gearbox are close to the radiator. Bolted to the gearbox is the differential with powerful brakes close to the casing, and from this open axles go to the clever universal joints dividing the front wheels. Each of these wheels is independently sprung and is supported by four short quarter elliptic springs placed in pairs and in parallel with novel spring elip-type rebound dampers.’
‘The design of the chassis gives a very long bonnet line. Controls are of standard type and placing, though the gear lever reveals the novelty of a gate placed under its ball joint. Features are:—A four-cylinder engine of 1496 c.c. capacity (14 h.p.), a Roots-type supercharger, and a four-speed gearbox. Individual steering to each front wheel, and lever springing of the rear wheels. The maximum speed is more than 100 m.p.h.’
Back to chassis # 6992, Paul Gunnell wrote, ‘Its enormous technical innovation, excellent performance and striking appearance must have made this Alvis one of the more interesting imports of 1928. These FWD cars had already placed sixth and ninth outright at Le Mans and won the 1.5-litre class.’
‘Taylor ran the car successfully in RAC road/speed events, but as far as can be ascertained, never actually raced it- there was little opportunity in New South Wales, as Maroubra Speedway had closed and there were no road circuits in use in NSW. He used it to promote Advanx where possible and took it to New Zealand in 1930 and to his homeland, Canada, in 1932.’
‘In the mid 1930s, it was sold to Paul Burton, who competed in hillclimbs, at Penrith Speedway, and finally in the 1938 Australian Grand Prix at Bathurst, where it just failed to finish in the allotted time in 15th place (the Wiki results have him as a DNF).’
‘Burton sold the car soon after the AGP, and during the war, it passed through a number of hands, including John Crouch and Jack Jeffrey. In 1947, Clive Adams acquired it from Alec Mildren and entered it in the 1948 NSW GP at Bathurst. Unfortunately, three conrods let go on the first lap of a preliminary race after being timed at 96mph down Conrod.’
(Blanden Collection-MBisset-CoPilot)
‘The car was stripped with a view to reversing the chassis and fitting a Jeep engine; had the plan been executed, the machine would have been the first Prad Special. Instead, Clive and Jack Prior put a Ford V8-60 engine in a Bugatti chassis to make the first Prad (is this correct?.’
‘Adams sold the Alvis chassis to Bill Clark, of Chatswood, Sydney, where it remained in bits until purchased by Rob Gunnell in 1965.’ Rob wrote in the mid-1980s that he hoped the car would reappear at Bathurst to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first AGP at Bathurst in 1988.
Nathan Tasca advises that ‘Rob Alcock has owned the car for many years and is dead keen to be a part of the Australian Grand Prix centenary celebrations in 2028’, or 2027 depending upon your religion.
Albert Edwards early in the 1932 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, and below the forlorn rolled car and tragic scene of an injured photographer having his leg stump bandaged after a trackside amputation in a wet, muddy operating theatre…
(VSCC Vic Archive)
Horrie Morgan, then owner of #FP583, described the accident in the March 2007 issue of the Alvis Club of Victoria’s Newsletter.
‘The car was eventually made ready for the 1932 A.G.P. but again misfortune struck, this time more disastrously than ever.’
Carl Junkers’ Bugatti T39, off a handicap of four minutes – the AGP was for decades a handicap event – was flagged away. ‘Junker’s start was the first phase of a terrible accident,’ The Referee reported.
‘As he pulled out from the pits, and moved towards Heaven – the corner, not the celestial region – Edwards roared up. In attempting to pass the slowly-moving machine, the Alvis went into a vicious skid, bounced off the road, crashed into a spectator, tearing his leg off – it necessitated a roadside amputation – spun over, and overthrowing driver and mechanic clear, then plunged upside down into a pool of water.’
‘It may seem strange to say of a person so terribly injured that he was lucky, but this certainly is true, insofar as it refers to the speediness with which medical attention was available. Edwards sustained a broken rib, and his mechanic, three broken ribs and a concussion.‘
Bill Thompson won the race in his Bugatti T37A.
Morgan wrote that ‘Edwards, not surprisingly, decided to give up racing, but retained the FWD for general motoring and it was re-registered in 1933 with a fixed-head coupe body.’
Advanx 1943 calendar (Powerhouse Museum)
More on the Advanx Tyre and Rubber Co Pty Ltd, established by Canadian tyre salesman/entrepreneur, Russell Taylor, and Australian Olympian, Francis ‘Frank’ Beaurepaire in 1921 here:https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/6210
(Mudgee Guardian October 27,1927)
Credits…
John Blanden Collection, Rob Gunnell’s short history of chassis 6992, The Herald October 29, 1928, Powerhouse Museum, The Mudgee Guardian October, 27, 1927, The Referee March 16, 1932, Vintage Sports Car Club of Victoria Archive via Ash Tracey
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