Bill Pitt aboard the Geordie Anderson owned Jaguar D Type, perhaps during the March 1956 Strathpine, Queensland meeting.
‘XKD526’ is new. It arrived in Australia in December 1955 initially doing quarter-mile sprints at Strathpine in January 1956 and sprints at Leyburn in February on both occasions driven by Anderson. She did better than 120mph and 132.5mph respectively, the latter a state record.
Pitt took the car over from this Strathpine meeting, it was very kind to him over the next few years. Quite why he is contesting a race together with a little ‘Gunterwagen’ is a mystery one of you with the requisite Australian Motor Sports can perhaps solve!?
Charlie Whatmore, Lotus 11 Climax ahead of Glyn Scott, Holden Special circa 1958 (MBRL)
Queensland’s Strathpine venue was 25km from Brisbane’s CBD, in the 1930s the area comprised farms and a new wartime airstrip as fears of Japanese invasion grew.
The Queensland Motor Sporting Club used its runways for a sprint meeting in 1938 but the place ‘blossomed’ post-war into a race circuit after local ‘Lawnton Garage’ proprietor and racer Snow Sefton saw its potential.
Local legend has it that after his garage closed for the day Snow ‘borrowed’ the Pine Rivers Shire Council’s road-making equipment to convert the airstrip into a dragstrip. ‘Councillors back then all lived out of town and were completely oblivious to Snow and his mates nicking their machinery and the racket they made turning the dusty airstrip into a bona-fide racetrack.’
Snow Sefton, Strathpine Ford V8 Spl out front of his local garage (unattributed)
Initial up-and-back events around 44-gallon drums evolved into a small 1.4 mile circuit when the ‘Southern Loop’ was added in 1953 and a chicane in 1955. It was still pretty basic, haybales marked the turns in addition to the forty-fours in a nod to safety…
Only ever a club circuit because of its size and difficulty of racing on Sundays, 1960 was its last season. Lakeside’s construction close-by at Kurwongbah carried the torch forward.
We will come back to something about the place in future which is a bit more fulsome.
(L Manton)
John Aldis’ ex-Peter Whitehead/Stan Jones Cooper T38 Jaguar amongst the Strathpine grass and trees during May 1956. I’m not sure how he went.
This 1955 Le Mans veteran’s most successful Australian phase was when it was raced by Ron Phillips and prepared by Ern Seeliger. Highlight of that period was victory in the June 1959 Australian Tourist Trophy at Lowood, another Queensland airfield circuit.
Hope Bartlett and Harry Odewahn, in the practice of the day at Harold Park in the mid-twenties…
Bartlett ran a bus service in Nowra, it must have been a ripper business to fund an impressive fleet of racing cars including a pair of Bugatti Brescias, he used them on dirt speedways, concrete saucer at Maroubra as well as a GP Sunbeam and others.
‘Hope Bartlett had an exceptional racing career from the early twenties to post war years when he raced the Dixon Riley’ was Bob King’s caption when he posted these shots. Time to do a feature on Hope I think.
Hope and Harold Bernard Odewahn, his riding mechanic in Bugatti Type 13 chassis ‘1399’ probably, given the marking on the car Maroubra (B King)
Frank Gardner on the way to winning the 1972 New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe in his works Lola T300 Chev- one of ‘the’ great Formula 5000 cars and first in a dominant model range comprising T300-332-332C-400-430.
Gerard Richards posted this and wrote ‘Photo here by Jack Inwood graced the cover of Kiwi Motor Racing Magazine ‘Motorman’ in January 1973. Aussies had a good run in the NZGP from 1970-1973 but Kiwis ultimately won the Tasman Series for those years…’
For the record, the Tasman Cup winners in those years are easy- Graeme Lawrence aboard a Ferrari 246T in 1970 and Graham McRae from 1971-1973 in McLaren M10B, Leda GM1 and McRae GM1, all Chevrolet powered respectively.
Winners of the NZ GP at Pukekohe are more varied- Frank Matich in 1970, McLaren M10A Chev, McRae the following year in an M10B Chev, then FG in his T300, John McCormack in his somewhat long in the tooth but still quick Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden, and again the following year at Wigram and finally Warwick Brown in 1975 racing his Lola T332 Chev, ‘HU27’ the very first T332.
FG on the Warwick Farm 100 Tasman grid in 1972 and looking as ‘snug as a bug in a rug’.
Many of will realise there is a connection between the first two images in that Hope Bartlett was Frank Gardner’s uncle.
He brought FG up after the death of his parents- whilst keeping it in the family there is a more distant familial link between the next photograph of Kevin Bartlett and Hope Bartlett. Hope was KB’s grandfather’s cousin.
(B Thomas)
KB being chased hard by the equally evergreen Bob Holden at Lakeside’s Shell Corner in May 1966
The Alfa Romeo GTA is ‘LHD’ the first of the two Mildren GTAs, the second was ‘RHD’ which appeared not too long after this, Bob’s car is an immortal Morris Cooper S, one of THE competition cars of the sixties and top five for bang for buck and most versatile? Bartlett and the Mildren GTAs here; https://primotipo.com/2014/11/27/the-master-of-opposite-lock-kevin-bartlett-alfa-romeo-gta/
(P Weaver Motorsports Photography)
Alfredo Costanzo in his Tiga FA81 Ford BDA at Torana Corner, during the September 1982 Sandown Gold Star round.
Costanzo failed to finish the race but prevailed over John Bowe and a shedload of other Ralt RT4’s in that seasons Gold Star, Alf won three races, JB two with the placegetters, Alf 41 points from Bowe on 38 and Andrew Miedecke, 25 points.
In Australia we pretty much missed the peak years of Formula Atlantic in terms of multiple competitive chassis, by the time we finally parted with F5000 the class was pretty much Formula Ralt RT4, wonderful gizmos as they are. We should be thankful to Alan Hamilton, Alfie and Jim Hardman for persevering with their Tigas by providing something different to look at.
The mighty little driver was going away from the field in the 1983 AGP only to have the crown wheel pinion shit itself in the Hewland Mk9 gearbox, I did shed a quiet tear that day.
(T Johns Collection)
Quite an historic occasion, the first timed run up Rob Roy Hillclimb, 1 February 1937- the Austin 7 driven by either Mr O’Neill or Morphet.
Rare shot from the Terdich Family Collection via an article written by Bob King in the VSCC ‘Racers and Rascals’. ‘The Austin looks like a sports body built on standard chassis. No Ulsters here’ Tony Johns observed.
He continued ‘It is a good photo as it shows the track surface and also that the Austin was not travelling fast enough to to extinguish the cigarette’ to which Bob King responded, ‘It must have been a quick climb for an A7 or there would have been longer ash.’ LOL etc.
An important piece of Australian hillclimb history my friends.
Peter Geoghegan up front of the Rothmans in Laurie O’Neil’s Porsche 935 at Oran Park in 1978, Rothmans F5000 round.
From memory the first 935 in the country, I did see the big fella race it at Phillip Island, but the car wasn’t raced that much from memory, is it still in Australia?
Graham McRae’s McRae GM3 Chev is front and centre amongst the black 911SCs with Warwick Brown hidden also on the front row. Warwick Brown won the Oran Park 100 from Bruce Allison and Graham- Lola T332, Chevron B37 and the GM3. A bit about McRae’s cars here; https://primotipo.com/2018/09/06/amons-talon-mcraes-gm2/
(unattributed)
Aussies Abroad.
Its all too easy after all these years to forget about gruff, tough and oh-so-fast Paul Hawkins.
I bracket him with Frank Gardner as an engineer/mechanic/driver entrepreneur who parlayed his talent as a works driver for Ford, Lola and here Porsche but who also ran his own team, racing cars for start and prizemoney.
Here he is winning the 1967 Targa Florio in a works Porsche 910 he shared with Rolf Stommelen. Paul is an intensely interesting character, click here for a short piece https://primotipo.com/2020/09/25/hawkeye/
(unattributed)(unattributed)
This pair of photographs is all about the snapper, whose details I have managed to lose in the Facebook vortex- do get in touch if you can help me credit the man.
Its Oran Park, circa 1967- Fred Gibson in the Lotus Elan 26R whilst the smart sports-racer is I think Ted Proctor’s Manx, wonderful shots of a different time and place aren’t they?
BRM used the 1968 Tasman Cup as an opportunity to win the prestigious series and failing that test its P126/133 V12 machines.
The Bourne outfit raced these Len Terry designed cars in F1 in 1968 and gave them a Tasman run with 2.5 litre variants of the new V12 in addition to 2.1 litre V8 engined versions of the ‘old faithful’ P261s. Click here for a feature on these machines; https://primotipo.com/2018/01/25/richard-attwood-brm-p126-longford-1968/
(J Lemm)
Barry Randall, Rennmax Repco 830 V8 from Bill O’Gorman, Matich SR5 Waggott TC-4V during the 1974 Australian Sportscar Championship round at Adelaide International
The cars initially caught my attention but the magic in the shot is in some ways the backdrop- the spectators doing different versions of Oz ‘chillin.
Randall again below in a car now loved to death by Jay Bondini, a favourite car of mine since it’s Gibson family days.
(J Lemm)(N Stratton)
Graham McRae on a day for the ducks- the Warwick Farm 100 Tasman round in 1973.
The car is his self-built McRae GM1 Chev- one of THE F5000s of 1972 with Graham himself winning the Tasman Cup
And below hs is togging up before the off with plenty of his own tweaks to the setup of his Bell Star to give some semblance of vision in the race won by Steve Thompson’s Chevron B24 Chev- GM was a distant third behind Thompson and Frank Matich.
(autopics.com)
Michael Robinson (thanks Dick Willis) in the ex-Whiteford/Bailey/Collerson Talbot-Lago T26C in 1969
Love this Bakers Beach, Tasmania run in the early fifties.
Lesley Morgan said of the shot ‘Mum filling in for Geoff Quon, Dads normal passenger with me present as a very small foetus’ ! ‘The 7R AJS outfit clocked 89.1mph even with an inexperienced woman passenger.’
Rally Australia 2016
Aerobatics of the Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 WRC on the first day of the event at Coffs Harbour, New South Wales on 18 November.
The due finished third in the testing event won by the Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger VW Polo R WRC and the similar car of Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia.
Aussies Abroad
I think we should claim Selwyn Francis Edge even if he was really only born here- the pioneering motorist’s career was entirely in the UK, but let’s claim him all the same.
A topic for another time.
(N Stratton)
John Walker from Chris Amon and John Goss during the 1975 Oran Park Tasman Cup International
Lola T332 Repco Holden, Talon MR1 Chev and Matich A53 Repco Holden- they finished third, fourth and DNF that day, the race won by Warwick Brown, Lola T332 Chev from Graeme Lawrence’s similar T332.
Brown, Walker and Lawrence on the front row of the grid at Surfers in 1975- Lola T332 times three. Walker won from Ken Smith and John Goss that weekend (N Laracy)(Getty)
Donald Campbell, Bluebird Proteous CN7, Lake Eyre 10 May 1963
The shot below is Bluebird K7 on its way to a water LSR setting run at Lake Dumbleyung, Western Australia in December 1964. Details of the NSW registered Commer? truck folks?
(F Bathgate)
Daniel Ricciardo leads the chasing Oulton Park F3 pack in 2009.
His weapon of war is a Carlin Motorsport run Dallara F309 Volkswagen- it is the first round of the British F3 Championship on Easter Monday 13 April.
Ricciardo won both races/rounds that weekend and 6 of the competitions 20 races. He took the title with two races to spare from Walter Grubmuller and Renger van der Zande both aboard Hitech Racing Dallara F309 Merecedes.
He progressed to Formula Renault 3.5 in 2010, finishing second in that title in a race to the wire in the final round with Mikhail Aleshin by 2 points. Into F1 with Hispania Racing in 2011.
It’s loose champ! And worn.
Jack Brabham ponders the Trokart allocated him for some type of curtain/fund raiser- Innes Ireland by the look at that helmet is behind him which promises mayhem at the first corner!
Jack’s lid makes me think it’s 1960 but i’m happy for a definitive date and place if any of you have it?
(oldracephotos.com)
Garrie Cooper, Elfin MR9 Chev from Bruno Giacomelli, Alfa Romeo 179 at Calder during the ‘F Libre’ 1980 Australian Grand Prix.
They were seventh and second in the race won by Alan Jones’ Williams FW07B Ford. GC had a shocker of a debut weekend in the worlds only bespoke ground-effects F5000 car, battling structural shortcomings induced by the grip caused.
A story in itself, we never saw this car fully developed and at its best, here Garrie is at Calder again, this time in March 1982 not long before the great Australian’s untimely death by heart failure. Bob Minogue’s ex-Brown/Costanzo Lola T430 Chev is under brakes on the back straight behind.
I’ve lost track of the ownership of this car and it’s proximity to a race some day?
(oldracephotos.com/NHammond)(unattributed)
Lex Davison and Bib Stillwell contested the Le Mans 24 Hour classic in 1961 in John Ogier’s Essex Wire Racing Aston Martin DB4 Zagato, ‘2VEV’ car #3 here.
1VEV was raced by Jack Fairman and Bernard Consten, but both cars were out early due to incorrectly tensioned head studs which caused popped head gaskets. A bumma.
I wouldn’t mind betting the gent in the blazer and cap almost at far right is Lex Davison talking to the punters, perhaps one of the Davos can set me straight?
Tony Parkinson quotes AMS April 1956 in his wonderful auslinhealey100s.com.au. ‘Came the patter of running feet, the whirring of starter motors, the roar as the motor burst into life, an occasional crunch as the over eager hurriedly select first gear: the cars surged forward into now what seemed to be a never ending melee as they sorted themselves out and streamed off towards Melbourne Corner.’
The shots are not of the front of the grid, where some more potent Jaguar engined machines resided, note Bib Stillwell’s new #44 D Type- Tony Gaze won in his HWM Jag from Stillwell’s D Type and then Ron Phillip’s Austin Healey 100S third. Hard luck story of the race was Stan Jones run in his new ex-Whitehead Cooper T38 Jaguar. He built a commanding lead having started well behind the field when the big-six failed to fire on command, but the machine over-heated with a radiator inlet clogged with Albert Park leaves.
(H Dennison)(A Patterson Collection)
Marvellous shot of Nina Jones (below) aboard her Alfa Romeo 6C1750 Zagato at Bondi in June 1930, wonder who her co-pilot was?
About as good a ‘customer’ racing Alfa as there was, this car raced on in Australia continuously into the sixties in Ford V8 engined form before restoration for another lady racer, Diana Gaze in the eighties.
Jones did FTD of 18 2/5 seconds on the tricky, wet, slippery-concrete flat but slightly curved Bondi main-drag. Obstacles included an errant dog on one run, Jones thankfully missed the dog and crowd in avoidance. 10,000 spectators were estimated to have attended the winter gig.
64 cars entered, they raced in pairs over a quarter-mile course in a knock-out series of contests, ‘the first time races of this sort had been held in Australia’ the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Bill Thompson’s 1930 AGP winning Bugatti T37A was second quickest in 19 1/5 seconds. See here for a feature on this car; https://primotipo.com/2018/02/15/mrs-jas-jones-alfa-6c-1750-ss-zagato/
(A Patterson Collection)
Credits…
Bob King Collection, Jack Inwood, Brier Thomas, Peter Weaver Motorsports Photography, Neil Stratton, Vittorio Del Basso, Terdich Family Collection via Tony Johns, Lesley Morgan, Neil Stratton, Neil Laracy, Adrian Patterson Collection, Sydney Morning Herald 30 June 1930, austinhealey100s.com.au, Tony Johns
Tailpiece…
(A Patterson Collection)
Stunning 1926 Maroubra shot which captures the atmosphere of the place in a way most photographs of the challenging concrete saucer rarely do.
Hope Bartlett’s GP Sunbeam is the scratch car, car ‘B’ is Don Harkness in ‘Whitey 2’ an Overland. Tony Johns tells us the smokey starter is the NA Palmer, V Spurgeon entered Gordon England ‘Brooklands’ model Austin 7, the meeting date June 19, 1926.
The only things missing are the chief and three screaming kiddy-wids in the back seat.
Love this fantastic shot of John Colvin’s Haitch-Arrr Holden Station Wagon X2 during a club meeting at Teretonga, New Zealand in 1967.
The HR X2 option on the new ‘186’ three-litre OHV six gave only 145bhp, 5bhp more then the similar twin-Stromberg carb equipped ‘179’ X2 of the fugly predecessor HD.
Me dad had turd brown HD and blinding white HR wagons but ole’ Pete never developed slip-angles like this on the Great Ocean Road.
Ian Mountain and his mates with his self-built, very clever IKM Peugeot Special on the AGP grid at Southport on Queensland’s Gold Coast, November 7, 1954.
Ian gives the photographer a big grin, it’s none other than champion racer Reg Hunt, who is sharing his previously unpublished shots with us via his friend and confidant, Melbourne enthusiast/historian David Zeunert.
The young Montclair Avenue, Gardenvale (now Brighton) engineer first came to prominence racing the MYF (Mountain Young Ford) Special he built together with fellow Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology civil engineering student, Bruce Young.
In the finest traditions of the day, this Ford 4.2 litre V8 two-seater provided day to day transport and a multi-purpose racer including a mount for the 1952 AGP at Mount Panorama. Up front Doug Whiteford won in his Talbot-Lago T26C, while Ian retired after 24 of the 38 laps.
Ian awaits the off in the MYF Ford Spl at Rob Roy circa 1952 (L Hatch)
IKM Spl. Chassis, engine and suspension detail as per text (AMS)
Despite his training, Ian was up to his armpits in all things automotive. He was employed as a Peugeot salesman by Canada Cycle and Motor Co in Latrobe Street, Melbourne. It was to them he turned for components for his next car, the IKM (Ian Keith Mountain) Peugeot Special.
The machine’s chassis was of typical ladder frame type, longerons were of 16 gauge 2 3/4 inches diameter steel tube with four cross members – one at the front, one behind the engine then two at the back, in front of and behind the final drive unit.
Front suspension used Peugeot 203 transverse front springs and stub axles with fabricated top wishbones and telescopic shocks. Steering was 203 rack and pinion, as was the steering wheel.
Rear suspension was de Dion. The bowed tube picked up the hub-carriers and a 1946 Ford V8 diff housing mounted on the frame. This had specially cast side-plates with Dodge pot-type universal joints at each end of the driveshafts. Semi-elliptic springs, radius rods and telescopic shocks completed the package.
The hydraulic brakes use MG TC backplates and shoes with Alfin drums. The wheels were Holden FJ ‘laced’ onto ‘TC hubs- 5 inches x15 in front and 5.5 x 15 at the back, whilst the heart of the matter was a modified 203 crossflow engine.
IKM engine and front suspension. Peugeot suspension and steering components with fabricated top wishbones, MG TC/Alfin brakes. Peugeot engine 1490cc- 80.5mm bore and 73mm stroke, big Wade blower and SU carb (AMS)
IKM ally fuel tank and rear suspension detail- de Dion tube, radius rod and shock mount (AMS)
The standard Peugeot four-cylinder OHV 1290cc unit was bored to 1490cc using custom made Rolloy pistons and sleeves. A big Wade R020 blower fed by a 55mm SU carb giving about 6 pounds of boost was mounted on a frame ahead of the front suspension and chain-driven from the front of the crank. Extractors were fabricated, a Scintilla Vertex magneto gave the sparks, Peugeot provided a competition fuel pump and exhaust valves. Inlets and valve springs were standard but the valve gear was lightened and polished as were the rods and crankshaft before balancing. The compression ratio was 6:1.
The engine was mounted to the left in the frame to allow a driveline left of centre and therefore a nice, low seating position. An MG TC gearbox mated to the bellhousing easily, 22 gallons of fuel were carried in a rear mounted tank.
Neil Coleman’s ‘shop in North Melbourne built the light aluminium body with the light, low purposeful car beautifully built and finished. IKM weighed 9cwt, had a wheelbase of 7′ 6″, front track of 4′ 2″ and a rear track of 4’, ‘so the car is not really a small one, belying its looks’ AMS reported.
After testing in the quiet(!) of the Geelong Road Ian ran the machine at the Beveridge and Templestowe Hillclimbs in chassis form, and then at Fisherman’s Bend with its body fitted. He finished two races despite fuel feed problems caused by shortcomings in the manifold design.
Ian married Laurel Duguid in the Scotch College Chapel at Hawthorn on November 2, 1954 then the couple set off for Southport and the 1954 AGP, what a honeymoon! Lex Davison won in his HWM Jaguar with the IKM retiring after 11 laps. Ian’s radiator drain tap was opened slightly by vibration of the body panels which allowed the water to escape, the travails of new cars.
Peugeot 203 and IKM Spl ready for the long Melbourne-Gold Coast November 1954 AGP trip, Gardenvale to Southport is 1,725km each way (L Hatch)
Ian looking around for his crew at Gnoo Blas, long, low lines of the innovative IKM Pug clear (K Devine)
After a relaxing Port Phillip Bay Christmas/New Year the newlyweds set off from Melbourne for the South Pacific Trophy at Gnoo Blas, Orange, New South Wales over the January 31, 1955 weekend.
Australia’s first FIA listed international meeting featured the Ferrari 500/625s of Peter Whitehead and Tony Gaze, Jack Brabham’s Cooper T23 Bristol, Dick Cobden’s Ferrari 125 and Bira’s Maserati 250F and Osca V12 amongst others.
Two cars in Connaghan’s Corner after the right-hand Mrs Mutton’s Corner and then the downhill The Dip. Ian has lost adhesion and left the circuit on the outside, his crashed car is visible with officials well away on the left as, perhaps, the South Pacific Trophy takes place. Superb, rare angle of this section of this road circuit whilst noting the sad scene Reg Hunt reveals
Sadly, oil which spewed from Bira’s Osca V12 probably led to the awful accident which cost 25 year old Ian and a young spectator in a prohibited area their lives on the fast, downhill run out of Connaghan’s Corner, see here for a feature on this meeting; https://primotipo.com/2020/04/09/1955-south-pacific-championship-gnoo-blas/
Reg Hunt’s Maserati A6GCM 2.5 litre was entered for the meeting but necessary spares were late arriving from Italy so he prowled the circuit with his camera instead.
Laurel remarried in 1960, the IKM remains passed to Ian’s brother Ken who later sold them to Harry Firth. Ian Tate, who admired the car in the day, later acquired it and is in the gradual process of restoration.
Path of the car clear through the fence from the previous shot from up the hill towards Connaghan’s Corner.
Whilst components off the crashed machine have been placed on the wreck and in the cockpit the barbed wire fence, wrapped around IKM Spl, which provided some of Ian’s fatal wounds is clear. When the worst happened on those tracks in those days, lady luck either was, or was not present. Unseen by Ian that day sadly
Stunning, most significant photographs, many thanks Reg, David.
Credits…
Australian Motor Sports, December 1954, ‘Ian Mountain: Potential Unfulfilled’ Paul Watson, Reg Hunt photographs via David Zeunert Archive, Ken Devine Collection, Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club
Jack Phillips and Ted Parsons looking happy with themselves aboard their Ford V8 Special having won the Interstate Grand Prix at Wirlinga, Albury on 19 March 1938.
These two mates were business partners in a motor dealership in Wangaratta which distributed Ford and other brands. I wonder if one of the admiring, capped kids is Jack’s son Ron Phillips who was a star in an Austin Healey 100S and Cooper T38 Jaguar in the mid-fifties to early sixties?
It’s pretty boring writing about familiar stuff, the journey of discovery is far more engaging. I think a lot about racing in the context of the times, how people lived, what they did with their leisure hours but it’s not necessarily easy to find the right photographs.
Not so this time, John J ‘Jack’ Dallinger ran a photography business, which still exists in Albury. Along the way, he and his staff recorded the daily lives of the citizens of the border city and surrounds, I’ve chosen some images of typical life justaposed with racing shots. All of the photographs were taken by Dallinger and his team in Albury in the thirties, unless attributed otherwise.
Locomotive’3623’ leaves Albury Station during the thirties. Obviously some sort of special occasion for the train to be decorated as it is
Albury Show wood-chopping competition, takes me back to watching the O’Toole brothers on Channel 7’s Sunday ‘World of Sport’ in the sixties
Motorcycle racing blazed the trail for cars in just about every sphere of competition in Australia, speedways included.
This is Aub Boyton aboard a Douglas, perhaps a 500cc DT5 or DT6- Douglas being one of the most popular and successful speedway bikes of the era.
Jim Boughton, Morgan at Wirlinga in 1938.
A year later this car had morphed into a single-seater in time for the Australian Grand Prix at Lobethal the following January, he failed to finish the race won by Allan Tomlinson’s MG TA Spl s/c. Better still, the Morgan remains extant.
Boating on Lake Hume, 1940s
Out and about in an Austin 7, this one is fitted with a James Flood built two seater sports body.
Of all steel and ash construction, the machine used a factory supplied radiator cowling forward of which was a fairing covering dummy dumb irons onto which was painted the registration number. The running gear comprised a production Austin chassis and mechanicals with a raked steering column.
Large flowing wings kept the elements from the occupants. ‘As was fashionable with many Australian models of this period, fixed split front windscreens were mounted on the scuttle with no provision of any weather protection’, many thanks to Tony Johns on this little Austin.
Keen spectators taking a look at competitors in the Wirlinga paddock prior to the 1938 Interstate Grand Prix.
Car #3 is Tim Joshua’s Frazer Nash, not too far from being restored, alongside is former Maroubra ace Hope Bartlett’s MG Q Type and then car #6, the winning Ford V8 Spl of Phillips/Parsons.
Cricket match near Tallangatta
Billycart race in Pemberton Street, Albury 1940s.
Too much roll stiffness? is that right front taking some air. I wonder if either of these two young tyros progressed to motorised competition?
I’m sure one of you will be able to help with the Dodge Ute model year, 1930s, i’m also intrigued to know the address of Albury Motors Pty. Ltd.
The CA Williamson Chrysler ahead of G Winton, AC and L Evans Vauxhall, Wirlinga 1938.
Bill Boddy, in MotorSport, wrote that after an exhibition tour of Australia the car returned to England, that line is written in such a way which implies the car made the trip here after setting the Land Speed Record at Daytona at 231.446 mph on 13 March 1929. So, its later in 1929, the machine was owned by the Wakefield Company, clearly a lot of Castrol lubricants were sold here at the time.
Sir Henry Segrave was later killed aboard ‘Miss England II’ on 13 June 1930 after raising the Water Speed Record to 98.76 mph at Lake Windemere.
Tony John’s sent in a snippet from the April Fools Day edition of the 1931 ‘Bulletin’. “Drag” wrote ‘It is not often that one finds a car that has travelled 43,000 miles without an overhaul, and a racing car at that…the late Segrave’s Golden Arrow…left England on February 6 for the Buenos Aires exhibition after having made a tour of the Dominions. All its journeying has been done on board a ship, with the result that it has covered, by this means, over 1,000 times the distance it has done under its own power.’
Albury Gift finish 1939
‘NBN man’ on the road- make, model and year folks?
Credits…
John J Dallinger, Tony Johns Collection, Terdich Collection-VSCC scanned by Graham Miller and shared by his son David via Tony Johns
Etcetera…
(Terdich Collection via VSCC and Graeme and David Miller)
After upload our friend Tony Johns got in touch with these photos, ‘Having read your post i now understand the origin of these two photos in the Arthur Terdich Collection (winner of 1929 AGP @ Phillip Island). I was not aware the Golden Arrow ever came to Australia’ nor was I.
Some quick work on Trove reveals the car did a comprehensive tour of Australia in April-May 1930 taking in the west, and eastern seaboard, with over 70,000 people reported as seeing the car in Sydney’s showgrounds.
23.9 litre Napier Lion VIIA W-12 engine produced 930bhp @ 3,400rpm. Designed by John Samuel Irving and built at Kenelm Lee Guinness’ Robinhood Engineering Works Ltd, at Putney Vale, in 1928. First run in January 1929, LSR of 231.362mph at Daytona on March 11, 1929.
Terdich was a Melburnian so the above photograph was probably taken at the Royal Exhibition Buildings in the first week of May, ‘Motorclassica’ is held there these days, car shows continue at the marvellous old venue.
Checkout the rare, period cockpit shot of Bluebird below, it is not clear if Bluebird was touring at the same time as Golden Arrow.
‘Not sure that a current F1 driver would have time to read all the instruments’ Tony wryly observes. There are ten gauges to take in whilst travelling over 200mph- tach, petrol, blower (pressure or temps?) , one obscured, a clock!, then to the left are a car club and St Christopher badges?, then an adjustable knob on the chassis rail itself. On the right are axle temp, water, another temp gauge with another two at the bottom, plus Malcolm Campbell Ltd and Blue Bird brass plates.
(Terdich Collection via VSCC and Graeme and David Miller)
Peter Macrow, McLaren M4A Ford FVA leads Kevin Bartlett, Mildren Alfa Romeo 1.6 four-valve, Glynn Scott, Bowin P3 Ford FVA and Brian Page, Brabham BT2 Ford twin-cam, across The Causeway at Warwick Farm on 8 September 1968.
24,000 people were at the ‘farm that Sunday, Pete Geoghegan delivered to expectations by winning the one race, 34 lap, 76 miles Australian Touring Car Championship from Darrel King’s Cooper S and Alan Hamilton’s just ‘orf the boat Porsche 911S/T. Peter Wherrett’s ‘Racing Car News’ race report reveals one of the best tussles of the day was the 15 lapper for racing cars.
The Four Valve Assemblage was not quite complete, the fourth member of the growing group of 1.6 litre Euro F2 cars in Australia, Niel Allen, didn’t race his ex-Piers Courage McLaren M4A FVA. A bumma, because that would have added to the show.
KB settles himself into the Mildren Alfa, note spoilers, ‘new.uw’ is local 2UW radio station (B Henderson)
Lovely portrait of Glynn Scott, Niel Allen is telling Glynn how much more expensive the FVA is to maintain compared with the 5 litre Chev in his Elfin 400…(B Henderson)
Macrow was the ‘newbie’ to the front rank having shown great form in Tony Osborne’s Argo Chev sportscar since taking over its wheel early in the year after Ian Cook accepted Bob Jane’s offer to drive his Elfin 400 Repco and crossed town from Brunswick to East Malvern.
Osborne realised that the limits of the Cooper T53 based Argo had been reached, and acquired Kiwi, Jim Palmer’s McLaren M4A after Allen beat him to the punch to buy Courage’s quick 1968 Tasman mount. Palmer’s car was Bruce McLaren’s own machine, chassis ‘M4A-1’, the first of the breed raced by the chief throughout the 1967 European F2 Championship. Piers was ‘well represented’ on this grid, Glynn Scott’s motor was Courage’ Tasman Cup spare.
Kevin Bartlett was the ace present, but the Mildren Alfa, built on Bob Britton/Rennmax Engineering’s Brabham BT23 jig, was ‘spankers and unsorted. Mildrens dynoed the Alfa Romeo 1.6 litre, four-valve, Spica/Lucas injected engine at 197 bhp @ 8,500 rpm, whereas about 210/215 bhp was claimed for a decent FVA, so it promised to be a good race with Bartlett on pole from Macrow and Scott.
Mildren Alfa, KB. Copy Brabham BT23 spaceframe, Hewland FT200 5-speed transaxle. Alfa Romeo 1598 cc four-valve, alloy block, injected Euro F2 engine. At 280 pounds the Italian engine is lighter than a Lotus-Ford twin-cam? It sits taller in the frame? (B Henderson)
Bartlett at the end of Pit Straight turning into Paddock (B Henderson)
(B Henderson)
Peter got the jump, which was impressive in Bartlett’s backyard, from KB and Glynn and then a gap to to the 1.5 litre cars led by Brian Page, Brabham BT2 Ford, Clive Millis, Elfin Mono Ford, Maurie Quincey, Elfin 600B Ford, Ray Cary, Elfin Ford and the rest.
On lap 2 KB had a crack at Macrow going into Creek but spun on oil on the inside of the track, KB recovered and chased Peter and Glynn in the spectacular tail-out style which was his hallmark. By lap 8 he was up Glynn’s clacker and passed him but further progress was impeded by the chassis undertray coming loose, Scott took back second place.
Scott chased Macrow hard but the Victorian held on to take the biggest win of his career to that point from Scott and Bartlett, Tony Osbornes’s Argo Racing Equipe delighted with a well earned victory.
Credits…
Bryan Henderson took all the wonderful photographs. ‘Racing Car News’ October 1968
Tailpiece…
(B Henderson)
Nice portrait of 28 years old Kevin Bartlett getting his head sorted on the Warwick Farm dummy grid before the off. It was a great year for the Sydneysider, he won his first Gold Star at the wheel of Mildren’s Brabham BT23D Alfa Tipo 33 2.5 V8.
This chassis did not use the Alfa engine for long, Max Stewart raced it from 1969 fitted with Waggott TC-4V 1600 cc, 1760 cc and 2 litre motors with great success.
Brabham’s Cooper T23 Bristol was billed as the fastest car of its type in the world as a Jack’s ongoing development of it with Frank Ashby’s advice and mentoring off to the side.
These images from the Brabham Family Collection were taken at Mount Panorama during the Easter 1954 meeting, the start of the A-Grade scratch race.
Jack’s T23 being tended by Keith Holland in the white overalls and Arthur Gray of Belshaw Foundry in the blazer (Brabham Family)
I’ve been lovin’ these S5000 retro F5000 digital imaging of the Ligier JS-F3 S5000 Ford chassis, its been a great way to keep S5000 in the public eye whilst we package up the Covid 19 Dim Sims and send them back to those Wet Market pricks in Choina so we get back to normality.
Finally, they’ve got to Bruce Allison, and what do they dish up? Not the worlds best rip-off of JPS black, but the poofhouse baby-blue hue applied to his Bill Patterson supported Chevron B37 Chev in the summer of ’78. W.T.F. dudes!?
Allison, Chevron B37 Chev, Surfers Paradise 1978, started from the front row but out after 40 laps with lost oil pressure. Brown won in a Lola T333/332 (S5000)
Satanic, sinfully sexy black ‘n gold pin-striped Lola T332 Chev @ ‘Torana’ Sandown circa 1976 (I Smith)
My tongue practically stuck to the grass, sick unit that i am, when i spotted Bruce’s favourite (sic) car, the ANF2 Bowin P6 Ford-Hart in the Surfers Paradise paddock so equipped in September 1973. His subsequent Birrana 274, Lola T332 and Ralt RT4 all got a squirt from the same paint can, gold stripes and all, and didn’t they look grouse! Maybe its comin’…
Anyway, its been a while since i had a Brucie Google and some good stuff popped up, shots of the 1978 Aurora British F1 Championship, he initially ran a RAM Racing March 751 Ford but copped a much better March 781 chassis mid-season and achieved some good results including a win at Mallory Park in July, holding out eventual champion, Tony Trimmer, in the process.
This one is rare as rocking horse shite, Allison in Mario Deliotti’s Ensign N175 Ford in practice, he didn’t start the Evening News Trophy at Brands on 27 March which is a pity as he qualified third behind Trimmer and Lees.
Tony Trimmer’s McLaren M23 won from Geoff Lees, Ensign N175 and Emilio Villota’s McLaren M25 Ford.
Oulton Park F1 Trophy, held on June 24, March 751 Ford, he qualified fourth and finished second behind Guy Edwards’ March 781 Ford.
These two are at Donington during the May 21 ‘Formula 1 Trophy’.
Practice shots, DNF without completing a lap, March 751 Ford, Giancarlo Martini won in a Ensign N175 Ford from Edwards’ March 781 and Bob Evans’ Surtees TS19 Ford.
At Mallory on 30 July Bruce put his new March to good use with Trimmer’s McLaren up his chuff for much of the 75 lap race, he finished ahead of Tony and teammate Guy Edwards in the other RAM 781.
Looks like the photographers all share a beer together at the hairpin, Allison from Trimmer.
The Brands Hatch Trophy was on August 28, the tenth round, Stephen South stirred things up by popping his March 782 Ford on pole, five cars failed to finish the first lap- South, Teddy Pilette’s BRM P207 (poor bastard), Adrian Russell’s March 762 Ford, Brett Riley’s similar car and Bruce, what happened folks?
The shot below is Bruce and Edwards’ 781s in practice.
The Budweiser Trophy at Snetterton on September 24 was the last round of the season, Emilio de Villota McLaren M23 was on pole from Bruce, David Kennedy won in the Theodore Racing Wolf WR3 Ford we saw him race in Australia, from Trimmer and Allison.
The shot below is Allison from Trimmer and one of the Hesketh 308Es.
The title was Trimmers, 50 points ahead of Bob Evans, De Villota, Edwards, Lees and Allison.
Etcetera…
(J Payne)
The first and last of the Allison black beauties.
At Amaroo Park in August 1973 in the ANF2 Bowin P6 Ford-Hart, the rising-rate suspension beauty was not his favourite car, out of the points that weekend, Bruce did far better with a Birrana 274 in 1974.
Having retired too young Allison did a Nellie Melba and contested the first season of Formula Pacific in this Ralt RT4 Ford BDA, winning the 1981 National Panasonic Series, this shot is at Calder in August, he was second and fifth in the two races.
(P Weaver)
Credits…
S5000, autopassion.net, MotorSport, Rich Harman, Ian Smith, Scuderia57, J Payne, Peter Weaver
Tailpiece…
(I Smith)
Love this shot, Bruce tipping the B37 into Shell at Sandown during the 1978 Rothmans round. Grid 5 but DNS with timing chain failure, Warwick Brown’s Lola T333/332 took both the round and the series.
The car did look great in this livery but nowhere near as good as it would have in Allison/JPS black ‘n gold!
primotipo... 