Archive for June, 2024

Pirelli and Alfa Romeo…

Posted: June 26, 2024 in F1, Features, Sports Racers, Touring Cars
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

One thing leads to another. I was researching Giuseppe Luraghi, a longtime CEO of Alfa Romeo. Apart from mega talent as a corporate leader he was somewhat of a renaissance man, a gifted writer and poet. He initiated the Pirelli magazine way back in 1948 when he headed up Linoleum, a Pirelli Group subsidiary.

Pirelli, “Addressed it to the general public, it was a way of reaching out to the consumer with much more than a simple advertising message. Above all it was a way of conveying business culture.”

So, then yer go digging on that internet thingy and find Pirelli’s archives, these shots are the amazing result. I’ve mixed them up, they aren’t placed in chronological order so I’ve visually separated them by choosing Pirelli magazine covers or impactful or clever advertisements so you know when we are onto another subject. I’ve kept the words to a minimum, let the pics do the talkin’…

Gastone Brilli-Peri, by winning the Italian Grand Prix, gave Alfa Romeo the four-round 1925 Manufacturers World Championship in an Alfa Romeo P2.

Pete DePaolo won the Indy 500 in a Duesenberg 122, Albert Divo the French Grand Prix in a Delage 2LCV, while Alfa’s P2 won at Monza and at Spa, where Antonio Ascari drove the winning machine in the Belgian Grand Prix.

Brilli Peri, enroute to his Italian GP win and Campari below, in another P2 in the pits. Brilli Peri won from Giuseppe Campari/Minozzi/Sozzi with Meo Costantini third in a Bugatti T39.

Poster 1977

Antonio Brivio after winning the 1935 Targa Florio in a Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo Tipo B.

Sticking with the P3 theme, Luigi Fagioli stands beside his car during the September 1933 Spanish Grand Prix weekend. The race was won by Louis Chiron’s Alfa P3 from Fagioli, and held on the Laserte road circuit near San Sebastián.

Mock up for a 1952 ad by Pavel Engelmann

Piero Taruffi and navigator Isidoro Ceroli with Alfa Romeo 6C2500 Sport during the first Carrera Panamericana from May 5-10 1950.

They finished fourth behind three American crews driving an Oldsmobile and two Cadillacs.

Piero Taruffi, again, but a little earlier, here with a shock of dark hair! and his Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo 8C2300 Monza after finishing second in the April 1932 Rome Grand Prix.

The race, held on the 4km Circuito del Littorio, was won by Luigi Fagioli’s works-Maserati V5 5-litre V16.

Pirelli White Star, sketch for an exhibition stand in 1931

Pirelli wrote that of all the motor racing films, “there was only one racing driver who was called upon time and again to play himself in front of the camera – the Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio.”

“It was in 1950: in the photos now in the Pirelli Historical Archive, the film is referred to with its provisional title Perdizone. It was actually released the following year as Ultimo incontro (last meeting).”

“We are on the Monza racetrack, with the protagonists Amedeo Nazzari, Alida Valli and Jean-Pierre Aumont. It is a sombre tale of betrayal and blackmail in the world of motor sport, in which the driver Fangio plays…the driver Fangio.”

“That year the Argentine was racing with the mighty Alfa Romeo team along with legends of speed such as Nino Farina, who went on to win the (1950) world title.”

“The long P-logo of Pirelli, which supplied the read Alfa Romeo cars with Stella Bianca tyres, is embroidered on their overalls, underneath the cloverleaf symbol.”

“In Perdizone/Ultimo incontro, Fangio was already on his way to becoming a legend, but his serious, watchful look is that of a true actor. The driver from Balcarce stopped racing in the late 1950s, with five world championships under his belt.”

“During his career his name appeared a number of times next to that of Pirelli: it happened again in 1965, and once again there was a camera there to record it. This was a spot produced for Carosello TV commercials with reportage by Ugo Mulas.”

“The driver once again played himself, the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio now clocking up the laps in his Alfa Giulia GTC.”

“When he gets out, he looks into the camera and recalls: ‘I used to race with the Stelvio, but now this Cinturato is really different from the rest. Extraordinario!’ And in his magnificent Italian-Argentine manner, Fangio goes on to tell the audience on the television screen about his endless string of successes.”

75th anniversary poster

Benito Mussolini and pet pussy aboard an Alfa Romeo in 1923. What model is it I wonder?

Meanwhile poor old Tazio is tasked with amusing Ill Duce’s sons in his P3, Bruno in the driving seat and Vittorio behind.

Mussolini with Nuvolari again, and the director-general of Alfa Romeo Prospero Gianferrari (both in the centre). “The P3 is probably the car with which Nuvolari won the August 14, 1932 Coppa Acerbo.”

1971

Antonio Ascari in the P2, with designers Luigi Bazzi in the light coloured overalls at left, Vittorio Jano and Giorgio Rimini during the 1924 Italian Grand Prix weekend.

Before the start of the race: Antonio Ascari’s Alfa P2 #1 Christian Werner’s Mercedes M72 #2 and Jules Goux’ Rolland-Pilain Schmid #3.

Alfa Romeo won in a rout taking the first four placings: Ascari, Louis Wagner, Campari and Bruno Presenti, and Fernando Minoia.

Scuderia Alfa Romeo: unidentified in the overcoat, mechanic Giulio Ramponi, drivers Minoia and Campari, the engineer and entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, and driver Antonio Ascari.

Ascari and Ramponi go for a greet-the-punters wander.

Giuseppe Campari and P2.

(Federico Patellani)

Gigi Villoresi, Nino Farina and Alberto Ascari in 1950, this photo was published on the cover of the January-February issue of the Pirelli magazine. Nice portrait of Gigi in a Ferrari below.

(Ferrucio Testi)

Scuderia Ferrari shot of Luigi Arcangeli, Tazio Nuvolari and Enzo Ferrari sitting on an Alfa Romeo P2 during the European Hillclimb Championship in June 29, 1930

The Pirellis are Stella Bianca’s, the venue is Cuneo-Colle della Maddalena. While Pirelli wrote that Tazio was first and Luigi third, Rudy Caracciola won the day on a Mercedes.

And below walking to the start alongside an Alfa – a modified P2 of the type Achille Varzi used to win the Targa Florio in 1930 Bob King reckons, a quick look at Hull & Slater confirms this – circa 1930. Does anybody recognise the venue?

Antonio Ascari and a mechanic aboard, “probably an Alfa Romeo P1”, venue unknown.

I’m not so sure about the P1 theory…Giuseppe Merosi’s Fiat 804 copy wasn’t much chop. His engine had most of the same features as Fiat’s Type 404: DOHC, 65x100mm bore/stroke 1991cc six so the power output was about the same but the Gran Premio Romeo was longer and heavier. Its aero was inferior too, the epochal Fiat had a staggered mechanics seat which slimmed down its profile, the Alfa did not.

While P1s were entered for the 1923 Italian Grand Prix – for Ugo Sivocci, Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe Compari – after Sivocci crashed to his death in practice the team withdrew from the meeting as a mark of respect, the P1s never raced.

The car shown above carries #18, the Monza P1s used numbers, 6, 12 and 17, so the shot wasn’t taken on or about that weekend.

Is the car shown a P2, an early one? The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing is my reference site for the results of the major races in this era, I cannot see an Alfa P2 number 18 entered in any of the races the site covers in either 1924 or 1925. A mystery…

Pirelli sponge ad 1922 by A Franchi

Oscar Galvez fettles the engine of his 3-litre supercharged straight-eight Alfa Romeo 308 in January 1949, can’t quite read the chassis number…

He was third in the Buenos Aires Grand Prix behind the Maserati 4CLT’s raced by Alberto Ascari and Gigi Villerosi.

Achille Varzi’s Mille Miglia winning Alfa Romeo 8C2600 Monza Spider Brianza on the Carozzeria Brianza Stand in 1934.

The first four cars home were (2654cc) 8C2600 Monzas: Varzi/Bignami, Nuvolari/Siena, Chiron/Rosa and Battglia/Bianchi.

Fangio plugs Cinturato’s in 1965

Classic shot of Nino Farina on the way to winning the July 1950 British Grand Prix in an Alfa 158.

A month later the circus is on the grid at Pescara for the August 19 Grand Prix on the road circuit of the same name.

From the left is Fangio’s #34 Alfa 158, then the similar machine of Luigi Fagioli’s, with Louis Rosier’s Talbot-Lago T26C on the right. The race was won by Fangio from Rosier and Fagioli.

(F Patellani)

Paddock scenes at Monza during the September 1950 Italian GP weekend.

The Consalvo Sanesi 158, and Giuseppe Farina #10 Alfa Romeo 159 above, and Fagioli’s 158 below. Farina won the race from Alberto Ascari’s Ferrari 375, then Fagioli.

(F Patellani)

Below mechanics attend to the engine of Fagioli’s 158.

1959
(Publifoto)

Prince Raimondo Lanza di Trabia inspects his left-front Pirelli, Alfa Romeo 1900 TI during pre-event scrutineering in Milan before the start of the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally.

He was 72nd in the event won by Sydney Allard/Guy Warburton Allard P1, the best of the Alfa’s was the 17th placed Andersson/Lumme 1900TI.

Pirelli Stelvio tyre ad 1956
(L Bonzi)

Count Leonardo Bonzi alongside his Alfa Romeo in Bicocca, Milan before the start of the Mato Gross Rally in 1952.

Pirelli Coria soles resist the passage of time Ezio Bonini 1953
(INCOM)

Mille Miglia 1955 start with the Santo Ciocca Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint on the ramp DNF. The race was of course won by the Stirling Moss/Denis Jenkinson Mercedes Benz 300SLR.

View of the pits during a soggy August 1949 Pescara Grand Prix weekend. Franco Rol won in his Alfa Romeo 6C2500 SS from Robert Vallone’s Ferrari 166S. Car 10 is Henri Louveau’s third placed Delage D6, #4 Louis Rosier’s Talbot Spéciale (DNS) and car #50, Bormioli’s ?

Asmara December 1938, site of the first Coppa di Natale. Behind the Pirelli sign is the Beata Vergine del Rosario church

Credits…

All images are from the Pirelli Foundation archives. Leonardo Bonzi, Publifoto, Federico Patellani. ‘Alfa Romeo A History’ Peter Hull and Roy Slater

Tailpiece…

Finito…

Citroen Special…

Posted: June 22, 2024 in Features, Obscurities
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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(Auto Action Archive)

Don Wright with his eyes riveted on the apex of a corner at Sydney’s Mount Druitt circuit aboard his Citroen Special in 1956.

Racer/engineer/restorer/historian Dick Willis in his fabulous book, Optimism, describes the Citroen Light Fifteen (Light 15) based monoposto as “Probably Australia’s only front wheel drive racing car of the fifties…it had a successful career especially in the late 1950s and early 1960s when it raced as a Division 2 car in NSW having many memorable dices with the Nota Major.”

At the 1951 Easter Bathurst meeting, Bill Buckle, a member of the noted motor dealer family – then the holder of the Sydney Citroen franchise amongst other marques – raced a Light 15 to second place in the Production Closed Car Handicap.

Suitably impressed by the competition potential of his product, he cast around for a crash damaged car and commenced construction of a monoposto racer to accept the road cars core mechanicals.

Working with his close school friend, and fellow auto apprentice, Charlie Buck, they built a simple twin-tube ladder chassis to which was mated the Citroën front subframe, steering, 2-litre OHV engine and gearbox, and rear beam axle.

Before the car was finished Buckle decided to visit France and sold the project to Don Wright to help fund his trip.

Wright and Buck then set to work in Wright’s Castle Hills workshop to finish it including fabrication of a stainless steel fuel tank and a slinky body made together with Stan Barrett. The 1911cc Light Fifteen engine was fitted with special valves, a pair of 1 1/2 inch SU carbs fed by an aircraft fuel pump and 17 inch stub exhausts. Those radical looking wheels were options Citroen offered in Europe but not here: light Michelin made ‘Pilote’ shod with the French tyre manufacturers new X-radial tyres

Don Wright, King Edward Park, Newcastle hillclimb circa 1953. Bob Winley, “In this shot the Citroen Special is very new with its original beam axle rear suspension and short nose.”

After several drives the cars shortcomings were laid bare and addressed. The duo modified the gearbox by eliminating reverse gear and machining and fitting a fourth forward gear in the space so released.

Unhappy with the rear suspension, Wright replaced the Citroen beam axle and transverse torsion bars with Morris Minor longitudinal (front) bars and bottom arms. “Uprights and top wishbones were fabricated to suit, the original rear stub axles having that convenient eight-bolt attachment,” Bob Winley, a later owner, and ultimately the car’s restorer, wrote

The car soon became a common sight on the hills and circuits of NSW including Foleys Hill, King Edward Park, Mount Druitt, Gnoo Blas, and then Bathurst in 1955. That year Don won the NSW Hillclimb championship at King Edward Park, Newcastle; quite a triumph for the sweet handling machine.

King Edward Park, Newcastle 1954. Winley, “The Citroen Special early on but after it was fitted with IRS: parallel wishbones and longitudinal Morris Minor torsion bars. Note the 17-inch stub exhausts. It seems to have grown an oil cooler too. I haven’t seen the ‘Mickey Mouse ears’ before. The front wheels could certainly throw rocks and water at the driver on any but clean tracks.” (J Moxham Collection)
Wheels‘ caption, “Don Wright’s FWD Citroen Special was one of three cars which broke 60 seconds at the 1955 NSW Hillclimb Championship. It is seen in our picture rounding the hairpin at Newcastle where the climb was held.” Covering the same meeting Modern Motor observed that “Speed, roadholding and showroom finish have made Don Wright’s Citroen Special a favourite with racing fans.”
Photographer Bruce Moxon wrote, “The Citroen Special at Castlereagh Airstrip on August 21, 1960 with girlfriend, Pauline at the wheel. It was owned by Geoff Thorne, with whom I worked at GE Cranes in Glebe, Sydney. Geoff was a toolmaker, but also a professional ice skater and musician.”

Later, Don sold the car to dentist lan Steele who raced at Bathurst circa 1957, the car passed it to Geoff Thorne, a genius ice-skating clown amongst his other talents. He raced it extensively and then Don James did well on new tracks such as Oran Park and Catalina Park from circa 1963. By then the machine was fitted with a crossflow DS cylinder head, extractors in lieu of the stack-exhausts, and Big Six front brakes. He did well in the Division 2/Formula Libre races common at the time.

Ray Bell wrote, “In November 1968 Bob Winley bought it and started racing it but couldn’t wear his red shirt because CAMS required fireproof overalls and underwear from then on! Bob ran in ‘modern’ races and the newly created Historic Car races and club events, winning money and trophies and being accused of doing ‘rain dances’ before race days, such are the car’s abilities in the wet. Bob fitted extractors and a muffler.”

Lynton Hemer’s shots of Bob Winley racing the Citroen at Oran Park – sporting its crossflow DS engine – on June 27, 1970, and below, exiting Forrest’s Elbow at Bathurst during practice for the Easter 1970 meeting (L Hemer)
(L Hemer)

After six years John Moxham, a Citroen fancier, bought the car and re-fitted an original type of cylinder head. The car sat unused, then John moved interstate, selling the car to another Citroen collector, John Vanechop. The car languished until Don Wright’s friends bought it in pieces and Don began its restoration. With Bob Winley’s help the car is now ready to re-join the Historic Racing scene with proud owner Perry Long at the wheel, Dick Willis wrote.

“It was on display at Eastern Creek in 2006 and underwent some testing by John Bowe at Wakefield Park (pic below in 2017) but hasn’t been seen since although its return to competition is believed to be imminent and we look forward to it with great anticipation as the Citroen Special is a really interesting and unique Australian Special.”

Etcetera…

(G Mackie)

Not a great photo of Don Wright but better than nothing! Greg Mackie observed of the man, “Citroen Special and Lancia Fancier.” Ray Bell spoke to Wright circa 2001, at that stage he was still operating an automotive repair business in West Pennant Hills, “his major pursuit these days is making replacement blocks for Lancia Lambdas, which he carves out of billets of aluminium! No castings…”

Citroen Special in its original form, a nice shot of the Michelin Pilote wheels and immaculate line of the car even in its original short-nose guise.

Don Wright coming down the mountain at Bathurst in 1955, he carried #20 in both the Easter and October meetings.

Bob Winley commented in an exchange on Facebook with Australian Gold Star Champion, Spencer Martin, about Spencer’s observation of the Citroen Special’s understeer, “Near the driver’s left hand is a slight bulge in the body for the gear lever and fuel filler for the stainless steel tank between the chassis rails, keeping the centre of gravity well forward. Spencer Martin I steered it ‘on the throttle’ in BP Corner at Oran Park. I found it a delight to drive (and I don’t enjoy understeer).”

Don Wright chasing Tom Sulman’s Maserati at Gnoo Blas or Mount Druitt, thoughts on venue folks?

(D Willis)

A couple of fabulous in-period colour shots by Dick Willis. The one above is the front row of the grid, perhaps the November 1956 meeting at Mount Druitt.

From the left, perhaps Greg Hunt in the ex-Tomlinson/Bartlett/Brydon MG TA Spl, Jim Johnson in the Cigar MG, probably Ian Steele in the light blue Citroen Special – with gleaming Pilote wheels – and on the right in the low-slung, mid-engined Stewart MG with Gordon Stewart at the wheel.

Below is a superb paddock scene at Silverdale, perhaps the June 1960 meeting.

Gordon Stewart in the Stewart MG at left, #47 is our Citroen with Geoff Thorne up, #3 is Jack Myers WM-Cooper Waggott-Holden, #42 Don Swanson’s Lotus 11 Climax – up from Melbourne or had it changed hands by then? – while the Sprite at the far left was run by Leigh Whitely.

(D Willis)
(D Simpson)

Bob Winley in the Huntley Hills Esses during the December 1968 meeting. He recalls, “I found something out that day. I did my practice run without seatbelts and nearly got thrown out of the car towards the end of the run. Lesson learn’t!”

(J Moxham Collection)

A page from John Moxham’s photo album now in the custody of John Barass.

Credits…

The main image, the catalyst for this particular research journey, is courtesy of the Auto Action Archive.

The information was gleaned from Dick Willis wonderful book, ‘Optimism’ about Australian Specials, and demonstrates the potency of some Facebook groups. I carefully mined the comments of a whole lot of people on Bob Williamson’s Old Australian Motor Racing Photographs, and Greg Smith’s Pre-1960 Historic Racing in Australasia Facebook pages. Those photos and information are attributed to Ray Bell in one of Bob Winley’s posts, the Rick Marks, and Don Coe Collections, Nurk Daddo, John Moxham Collection via John Barass, Australian Motor Heritage Foundation via Brian Caldersmith, Bruce Moxon, Greg Mackie, Dick Simpson, Tim Shellshear, Bob Williamson and multiple, wonderfully informative posts by Bob Winley.

Wonderful teamwork! Let me know if I’ve cocked anything up on mark@bisset.com.au.

Finito…

1960 Armstrong 500, Phillip Island…

Posted: June 19, 2024 in Touring Cars
Tags: , , , , , , ,
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The Light Car Club of Australia ran the ‘Worlds Richest Production Saloon Car race’ – the Armstrong 500 – at Phillip Island on 20 November 1960…

The race soon morphed into the Bathurst 500 – I’m going to ignore sponsors names henceforth – but let’s give credit where it is due to the first commercial supporter of this iconic Australian classic.

Eligibility criteria extended to unmodified production cars manufactured or assembled in Australia. That may sound quite restrictive but in those days, with a nice tall tariff wall to protect the local industry, there was a broad entry of machines across capacity based classes, all chasing a total purse of £11,000.

(M Gallagher)

Whilst officially there was no outright victor, class placings were recognised only, as time has gone on, and as part of the ‘Great Race Bathurst Pantheon’ the first car/crew across the line in the early Philip Island events is recognised in the history books. That honour fell to Frank Coad and John Roxburgh in a Vauxhall Cresta in 1960.

Class A, up to 750cc, was won by Doug Whiteford and Lex Davison in an NSU Prinz, other cars entered included Fiat 600 and Renault 750. Class B, up to 1300cc, was won by the Murray Galt and Bill Murray Sinca Aronde, there was plenty of variety in that mix including Ford Anglia, Renault Dauphine, Triumph Herald and VW Beetle.

Class C, for under 2-litre cars included Austin Lancer, Hillman Minx, Morris Major and Singer Gazelle, and was won by the Geoff Russell/David Anderson/Tony Loxton, Peugeot 203. Many people to this day believe that car won outright.  It’s claimed the trio finished the race in a quicker time than the feted Vauxhall crew, the argument arises due to the starting procedure which released each class at 30 second intervals, click here for the arguments: http://www.pccv.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1stArmstrong500.pdf

The Coad/Roxburgh Vauxhall took the under 3.5-litre Class D ‘family car class’ which included the likes of the new Ford Falcon, Humber Super Snipe, MercedesBenz 220SE and Vanguard. Ray Gibbs and Murray Carter took Class E for over 3.5-litre cars in a big Ford Customline, no other vehicles ran in the big car class.

The Russell/Anderson/Loxton Peugeot 203 on the cover of the ‘61 programme
(M Gallagher)
(M Gallagher)

There was plenty of driver talent in the mix including Australian Grand Prix winners Lex Davison, Doug Whiteford and Bill Murray, and other well credentialed open wheeler racers Jim Gullan, Ern Seeliger, Arthur and Ken Wylie, Paul England, David McKay, Austin Miller and Bruce Walton.

Sportscar topliners included Bill Pitt, Ron Phillips, Murray Carter, Lou Molina and Bob Jane whilst established touring car racers were Harry Firth, Leo Geoghegan and Des West, prominent rally drivers Firth, Jack Murray, Eddie Perkins and Graham Hoinville.

There were a staggering number of up-and comers or future champions including Frank Kilfoyle, Greg Cusack, Peter Manton, Bob Holden, Brian Muir, Jim Smith, John Raeburn, Brian Foley, Norm Beechey, John French, Gavin and John Youl. Quite a list and almost all were in ‘works entries’ such was the level of industry support.

Lap scorers settle in for a long day (M Gallagher)
The Bob Jane/Lou Molina – looks like Lou at the helm – Ford Falcon ahead of one of the Peugeot 403s (unattributed)
The works Morris Major raced by Rod Murphy/John Callaway, sixth in C-class (M Gallagher)

The Phillip Island years ran from 1960 to 1962: Harry Firth and Bob Jane won in 1961 and 1962 aboard a Mercedes 220SE and Ford Falcon XL respectively. The ’62 race did irreparable damage to the road surface which could not cost-effectively be made good due to an inability to get the right road-making machine across the then narrow bridge between San Remo in ‘Australia’ and Newhaven on the ‘Peoples Republik of Phillip Island’..

For 1963 the first of the Bathurst 500s were held at Mount Panorama, a tradition which of course continues to this day as a 1000 km event of global interest.

(M Gallagher)

Eighth in Class B – 15 starters – the Bill Calder/John Ampt Ford Anglia.

Etcetera…

(F Fleming Collection)

Noted Austin 7 builder/racer, the late John Fleming’s certificate of participation. Wonderful stuff thanks Tony Johns.

(M Gallagher)

The Youl Bros, Gavin and John, Smith Street Motors entered Mercedes Benz 220SE. DNF after 67 laps.

(M Gallagher)

View towards The Copse.

 Etcetera…

Some comments from my old Formula Ford mate, Bob Morrow.

“I was at the 1960 Armstrong 500 and it was a great event. There was no outright winner but everyone knew who it was , however there was heaps of interest in the classes.

Interesting facts

1 Why no Holdens?

There was lots of private practice before the event and it was found that after 2 laps the Holden’ big ends were shot due to horrific oil surge. Apart from Armstrong shockers [obviously] and straight out exhausts so at least they sounded like racing cars, cars had to be absolutely bog-standard

2. If you had to work on the car in the first 100 miles you could only use the tools that came with the car when new.

Those were the days…”

Credits…

Martin Gallagher, Fiona Fleming Collection

Tailpiece…

One helluva garland for Frank Coad and John Roxburgh.

Finito…

Mercedes Benz W196S/300SLR…

Posted: June 16, 2024 in Features, Sports Racers
Tags: , , , , , ,
2
(Klemantaski)

The somewhat other-worldly sight of two Mercedes Benz W196S/300SLR’s with air-brakes deployed as they approach the Esses at Le Mans in 1955…

When you consider the engineering of this clever response to the braking power of the Jaguar D-Type’s Dunlop brakes one can’t but wonder about the development of a German equivalent?!

The Benz was the champion sportscar of 1955 winning most of the blue-riband events: Targa Florio, the Mille Miglia and the Tourist Trophy, the exception being Le Mans of course.

Mercedes withdrew whilst in the lead due to the accident in which Pierre Levegh was an innocent party, which took his life and that of about 84 spectators, not to forget the 180 folks who were injured.

Built by Mercedes test department, this one-off 3-litre 192bhp 300SL powered 105mph race transporter, in Mercedes words “Was predestined to demoralise the opposition. If the racing car transported was that fast, even worse could be expected of the Silver Arrow on its platform.”(Mercedes Benz)
Le Mans 1955. Hawthorn, Jaguar D-Type from Fangio early in the race, Dunlop Curves, note that Fangio’s air-brake is still deployed (unattributed)
Le Mans 1955. Castellotti, Hawthorn, Fangio: Ferrari 121 LM DNF, Jag XKD first, Benz 300SLR entry withdrawn (Getty)

Design and construction…

In essence the W196S, as the factory model number suggests, “is basically a Type W196R Formula One racing car with a two-seater sports car body,” Mercedes Benz (mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com) wrote. The W196R won back to back drivers titles for Juan Manuel Fangio and Mercedes in 1954-55.

“The main technical difference is to found in the engine: the racing sports car, not being bound by the Formula One regulations, limiting the engines displacement (to 2.5-litres), is powered by a 3-litre version of the eight-cylinder in-line engine and features cylinder blocks made, not from steel, but from light alloy. Apart from this, the 300SLR was not powered by special methanol-based racing fuel but by premium petrol.”

W196S cutaway with the multi-tubular spaceframe chassis and the disposition of major components: 3-litre straight-eight fuel injected engine, rear mounted transaxle and inboard drum brakes front and rear are clear (Autocar)
(Mercedes Benz)

Key design elements of the car start with a multi-tubular steel spaceframe chassis. Suspension is by upper and lower wishbones at the front, torsion bars and dampers. At the rear are swing-axles, torsion bars with again telescopic dampers or shocks. Massive inboard drum brakes are used at both ends to stop the 701kg car in ready to race trim.

Le Mans 1955. The engine view is dominated by the Bosch direct-injection high pressure pump and inlets (Getty)

At the heart of the matter is the superbly built Mercedes straight-eight cylinder engine. Cast in two blocks of four-cylinders it runs on a pre-war style roller bearing crankshaft. Bosch provided the fuel injection, the two valves per cylinder of desmodromic actuation. The 3-litre engine produced circa 310 bhp @ 7400 rpm on ‘pump’ fuel as against the more exotic brew which fed its GP brother.

The full technical specifications of this car are at the end of the article.

A very famous photo I first saw in Automobile Year, Moss and Jenkinson, Mille Miglia 1955 (unattributed)

Race programme…

Mercedes didn’t attend the 23 January Buenos Aires 1000 Km first round of the Manufacturers Championship which was won by the Ferrari 375 Plus raced by Valiente/Ibanez. The Sebring 12 Hour was won by the Briggs Cunningham entered Jaguar XKD crewed by Mike Hawthorn and Phil Waters, again Mercedes missed the event held on 13 March.

The 300SLRs arrived with a bang in Italy with the Stirling Moss/Denis Jenkinson combination winning the Mille Miglia in front of Fangio driving solo in a sister car.

This win and all-time-record speed of 157.65km/h has been eulogised down the decades and needs no further comment from me. Seek out Denis Jenkinson’s account of the race in MotorSport, it is one of the great pieces of automotive race journalism.

Le Mans followed in June with the works Jag-Ds of Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb completing the largest number of laps to cross the line in first position, after Mercedes Benz respectful withdrawal from the event whilst in the lead.

Moss, 300SLR, Dundrod 1955 with the unmistakable slender frame of Herr Neubauer at right
Moss, SLR winner of the TT at Dundrod 1955, the following cars folks? (unattributed)

Dundrod’s wild road circuit hosted the Tourist Trophy in mid September. The race started in warm weather which deteriorated to rain later in an event became an 300SLR rout: the Moss/John Fitch car won from the Fangio/Kling machine with the Von Trips/Simon/Kling machine third. The best placed Jag was the Hawthorn/Desmond Titterington car in fourth, albeit it wasn’t running at the finish.

Targa Florio 1955, the Titterington/Fitch SLR gets s tickle before the off, typical Sicilian backdrop. The winner was the Moss/Peter Collins 300SLR (unattributed)
Targa Florio 1955, again Titterinton/Fitch fourth placed SLR from the third place Ferrari Monza 860 of Castellotti/Robert Manzon (unattributed)

The Germans again beat the Italians on home turf, taking the Targa Florio with a one-two from Ferrari on 16 October. The Moss/Peter Collins car finished ahead of Fangio/Kling with the best placed Ferrari the 860 Monza raced by Eugenio Castellotti and Robert Manzon.

Despite missing several events, Mercedes won the constructors championship by one point from Ferrari: 24 points to 23 with Jaguar in third on 16. The W196S won every single race it entered and finished…

At this point, Mercedes withdrew from the elite levels of the sport until returning with Peter Sauber’s sports-prototype cars in the mid-1980s. Click here for my W196R article; https://primotipo.com/2015/10/09/mercedes-benz-w196-french-gp-1954/

(Mercedes Benz)

Technical Specifications…

The chassis is a light-weight multi-tubular spaceframe, front suspension comprised upper and lower wishbones, torsion bar springs and telescopic shocks. Those huge, light alloy finned drum brakes are mounted inboard and 300mm in diameter. Steering is worm-and-sector, the front tyres 6.00 x 16, the radiator is huge! The alloy oil tank is behind the right-front wheel, while the fuel tank sits high at the back, its capacity not specified by Mercedes.

The 234kg engine – type M196S – is eight-cylinders in line and inclined 53 degrees to the right in the chassis. The silumin head is cast in one piece: DOHC, two plugs per cylinder, two inclined valves per cylinder with desmodromic valve gear, compression ratio 9:1. Bosch 8-plunger injection pump,

Block – two Silumin blocks of four-cylinders each with chrome plated aluminium liners. Bore/stroke 78 x 78 mm, capacity 2982 cc. Crankshaft 10-bearing (roller bearings) Hirth-type crank with central power take off. Dry sump lubrication via a gear pump. Electricals are by Bosch: starter, generator and twin-magneto ignition.

Power, 310bhp @ 7400rpm, 276bhp @ 7000 rpm, and torque 31.7mkg @ 5950 rpm

(Mercedes Benz)

The rear suspension comprises alloy uprights, a single-joint lower swing axle and top links, longitudinal torsion bar springs and telescopic shocks. The 275mm diameter brakes are inboard duplex light-alloy drums and air-cooled.

The transaxle is five-speed, a gate shift was used with a locking system

(Mercedes Benz)

The wheelbase is 2370mm, front track 1330mm, rear track 1380mm, the cars length 4300mm, its width 1740mm and height 1100mm and the “weight of the car in ready for operation status” is/was 901kg.

While the five gear ratios were fixed, the final drive was to choice with top sipped quoted as “over 300km/h.”

(Mercedes Benz)

Etcetera…

(Mercedes Benz)

You should take a trip to mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com some time, the quality of the racing content is unbelievable. I’ve added in some shots but these are just the tip of the iceberg, have a look for yourself.

(Mercedes Benz)
(Mercedes Benz)
(Mercedes Benz)

Credits…

M@RS-mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com, Getty Images, Autocar

Tailpiece…

(Mercedes Benz)

Top shot! Isn’t that machine such a cohesive, great looking, purposeful racing car…

JM Fangio on the way to winning the 209km Swedish GP held at Kristianstad on August 7, 1955. He won from Stirling Moss’ 300SLR and Eugenio Castellotti’s works-Ferrari 121 LM in 1 hr 18m 13.7sec.

Finito…

Bathurst 6-Hour Classic 1962…

Posted: June 12, 2024 in Sports Racers, Touring Cars
Tags: , , , ,
0
(B Richards)

The grid gets way at the start of the September 30, 1962 Bathurst 6-Hour Classic. The entry comprised a mix of production sports and touring cars divided into price based classes. The front row comprises the three MGA Twin-Cams of Matt Daddo/Bill Stanley, N Claydon/Fred Gibson and Clarke/Lazich, with the C Lansdowne/Dianne Walker Triumph TR4 on the inside.

The Bathurst promoters, the Australian Racing Drivers Club, perhaps ran the event off the back of the success of the Phillip Island 500-milers (Armstrong 500) first run in 1960, which would soon after become the ARDC’s after the debacle of the Phillip Island October 1962 event in which the track surface famously, in essence, fell to bits.

(B Richards)

A total of £3,000 in prize money was split evenly among the classes or divisions: A-production touring cars up to £900, B-production touring cars £901-£1050, C-production touring cars £1051-£1250, D-production touring cars £1251-£1700, E-production sportscars up to £1500, F-production sportscars £1501-£2000.

While there was officially no outright winner, the interest of the punters was amongst the top-guns which included the V8s: Studebaker Larks, the brothers Geoghegan’s Daimler SP250 and potentially the best of the little-cars, the Bruce McPhee/Barry Mulholland Morris Cooper.

What strikes me now is that the entry list was a who’s-who of (mainly) New South Wales stars of the day and of the immediate future with a swag of Gold Star, Australian Touring Car and Sportscar Championship, and Bathurst winners in the mix.

It appears that the sportscars had to start with their tops up, so this is practice or the first stint for Leo and Pete Geoghegan’s winning Geoghegan Sports Cars entered and prepared Daimler SP250 (B Wells)

Morris 850s dominated Division A – 14 cars, of which all but one finished – where the winners were Frank Kleinigs senior and junior. Kleinig Snr was an Australian great pre-and post-war and always polls well in lists of Greatest Australian Drivers Never to Win an AGP. Junior was no slouch either as a racer and constructor of Formula Vees. There was no shortage of notables in this class including Des West, Bill Pitt, Arnold Glass, John French and Paul Bolton, while Tom Sulman would have run Kleinig Snr close in a contest for who started racing first.

Seven cars contested Division B, the victors were John Martin and C Hodges in a Skoda Felicia of all things. This group included cars raced by Ron Hodgson, Digby Cooke, Alan Heasman, Peter Wherrett, Doug Stewart and Alan Stanfield.

Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland went on to win the Bathurst 500 outright aboard an HK Holden Monaro GTS327 in 1968, they prevailed in Division C where Bob Jane and Harry Firth were much fancied in a works-Ford Falcon XK.

The Jane/Firth C Division Ford Falcon XK from the ‘E’ MGA 1600 driven by K John/Peter Caldecoat (B Wells)
Lap 39, Firth is ok and out of the Falcon via the back window but she needs a turret! Bob Williamson recalled, “They towed the Falcon up the escape-road on its roof with a tractor. You should have heard the noise, roof on a gravel road.” (B Richards)

Ford planned to race their new Falcon XL in the Armstrong 500 at the Island on 21 October, in addition they decided, wisely, to contest the Bathurst Six Hour Classic to be held only three weeks before. The catch was that Ford didn’t want to race the XL at Mount Panorama so Firth set about preparing an XK Falcon for the race.

Firth takes up the story in his typically self-serving way, “Having not been to Bathurst for some years, I had to rely on hearsay information like, “no, it is not hard on brakes and the circuit has not changed. I did all the usual things such as a valve grind, compression check, set the camshaft properly, gave the pistons plenty of clearance, deck-heighted the head and put the engine on the dyno.”

“I fitted a set of heavy Armstrong shockers and some well-worn springs. I made up some Ferodo brake shoes but ended up leaving them at home, thinking they wouldn’t be needed. I drove the car to Bathurst myself. Practice proved two things: the car was the fastest sedan and the brakes were not good enough.”

The Jim Clarke/A Lazich MGA Twin-Cam receives some attention, DNF (B Richards)

The two wily Melbourne racers – who went on to win three of these Phillip Island and Bathurst 500s together – led their class early, but the brakes were progressively showing signs of stress as the pedal crept inexorably closer to the floor.

Harry took over from Bob after a scheduled stop and then on lap 39 “As he braked for Hell Corner, the fronts suddenly over-energised and locked on, the nose dug in and the car rolled.” The roof was crushed with Harry extremely lucky he wasn’t badly hurt, the car had no roll bar or cage of course. He exited via the rear window as fuel spilt over the tarmac, but did not ignite.

The Division D winning Studebaker Lark raced by Algie/Hibbard. I’m old enough to remember when these beasts were popular cop-cars in Australia (B Wells)

Division D’s 10 car entry included three Studebaker Larks, with the Don Algie/Kingsley Hubbard entry the winner on 99 laps, then the well credentialed David McKay/Greg Cusack duo in a Fiat 1500 from Peter Williamson and K Whiteley third in another Fiat 1500. Other notables in that class were Bill Buckle, Brian Foley and George Murray.

Only four cars contested Division E, with the Tony Reynolds/Les Howard Morgan Plus 4 ahead of the Bill Reynolds/Kevin Bartlett Austin Healey Sprite Mk1.

The Geoghegans won Division F for the more expensive sportscars from the G Lansdowne/Holt Bonnie Triumph TR4. The Top-Three outright were the Geoghegan Daimler on 104 laps, then the Lansdowne/Binnie TR4 on 100 and the Algie/Hibbard Studebaker with 99 completed laps.

The entries for this race are staggering in their diversity, here the fourth in Division D Scuderia Veloce Citroen ID19 driven by Bill Buckle and Brian Foley (B Wells)

Credits…

Bill Richards, Bruce Wells, Shannons Falcon XK article by Mark Oastler, SS Auto Memorabilia

Tailpiece…

(SS Auto Memorabilia)

Leo Geohegan at the wheel of the winning Daimler SP250. With a 2.5-litre V8 and light fibreglass body it proved a quick car but the duo had some challenges, most notably the drivers door opening on a regular basis as the body flexed, and the loss of first gear on the start-line.

Finito…

Australian Racing Random 15…

Posted: June 6, 2024 in Features, Fotos
Tags: , , ,
7
(Peter D’Abbs)

I imagine the colour of the underwear of the photographer was changing at this moment, protected only by a layer of Armco as he was. Still, if the worst happened he could decamp into the dam behind…Shots from this spot at Sandown, outside Peters/Torana Corner are rare after about this time as the spot was made Verboten!

Norm Beechey, Holden Monaro HT GTS 350 from the Pete Geoghegan (left) and Bob Jane Mustang 302s, with a smidge of Jim McKeown’s Porsche 911S behind Pete, and then most of Brian Foley’s, and the rest. 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship, round three, April 19.

While Allan Moffat started from pole (where is he in this shot!?), Stormin’ Norm had a great day at the office, leading from start to finish and setting a lap record. He took his second 1970 ATCC round win of the season, victorious from Geoghegan and Moffat (Mustang Trans-Am 302) on the way to an immensely popular series win in his big, booming, Shell-yellow Monaro GTS 350; the first time an Oz built car had won the title.

(G Feltham)

These two shots are of man and machine at Symmons Plains circa-1970, not sure of the meeting date, the number doesn’t work for the ATCC round.

(G Feltham)

Ray Barfield races his ex-works/David McKay Aston Martin DB3S, chassis 9, at Caversham in 1959, meeting date folks?

The second placed car at Le Mans in 1956 (Stirling Moss/Peter Collins) was initially raced in Australia by McKay with success, before passing briefly through Stan Jones’ hands and into Barfield’s, where, I believe, it remains. More about the car in this article: https://primotipo.com/2017/09/28/david-mckays-aston-martin-db3ss/

(G Russell-Brown)

Gary Russell-Brown very kindly sent in these shots of the Barfield/DB3S combination at Caversham during the June 6, 1960 Six Hour Le Mans. Ray was a DNF after completing 60 laps, the winner, Jack Ayres/Lionel Beattie did 178.

(G Russell-Brown)
(unattributed)

John Harvey under brakes on the entry to Creek Corner, Warwick Farm 1972. His mount is the brilliant – small, variable rate suspension, side-radiator, edgy-wedge – work of John Joyce, the Bob Jane owned Bowin P8 Repco-Holden F5000

P8-118-72 was completed at Bowin’s, Brookvale, Sydney factory in August 1972 to Bob Jane’s order, fitted with a Repco Holden V8 for John Harvey.

It practiced at the Surfers Aug 27 Gold Star round but didn’t start with fuel problems. Harvey then raced in a non-championship event at Warwick Farm a week later (above), where he was fifth in the first heat but collided with Kevin Bartlett at the start of second.

At that point, major team sponsor, Castrol, directed Jane to put most of the team’s energies into racing their touring cars: the Camaro, Monaro and Torana’s, while the Bowin and McLaren M6B Repco V8 sportscar were largely set aside.

In mid-1974 the car, less engine and gearbox, was sold to John Leffler to replace his damaged ANF2 Bowin P8 Hart-Ford #P8-136-74. Leffler pranged his new Bowin on its debut at Amaroo Park.

Converted to ANF2 specification – fitted with a Hart-Ford 416B 1.6-litre engine, Hewland FT200 gearbox etc – he raced P8-118-72 in the Australian F2 Championship and in Gold Star events. Once sorted, the car was a jet, winning the Phillip Island F2 round late in the year.

Sue Ransom leased and raced it at Calder and Wanneroo Park in 1975. The car remained in Western Australia, perhaps owned by Rod Housego and Ian Wookey, before reappearing at Wanneroo in Rob Richards hands between 1980-82 in Formula Pacific – Ford BDA engined – specification.

Perth Bowin fan Matthew Lloyd did a superb job restoring the car to ANF2 spec, but he died in 2008 just as it was being finished. Bought by Dean Saunders in 2009, I believe it is being slowly re-restored to Repco-Holden F5000 spec, do get in touch if you have more recent information. .

I just like this pair of posters to promote brand new Surfers Paradise International Raceway in 1966.

While it was a fabulous circuit, and at the time built in the-sticks, the incredible growth of the Gold Coast made it irresistible to developers, which was its fate circa August 1987.

See here for a bit about one of these early meetings: https://primotipo.com/2015/02/13/jackie-stewart-at-surfers-paradise-speed-week-1966-brabham-bt11a-climax-and-ferrari-250lm/

(J Alexander)

John Harvey’s Brabham BT23E Repco 740 in the foreground, while Niel Allen jumps aboard his McLaren M10B Chev at Bathurst during the Easter 1970 weekend.

He set the longtime – 32 years – lap record of 2:09.7 sec at that meeting, see here: https://primotipo.com/2018/11/26/bathurst-lap-record/

In the shot below Niel jumps off the line, it’s Leo Geoghegan’s Lotus 39 Repco on the far side.

Ain’t she sweet…John Harvey’s Bob Jane Racing Jane Repco 830 2.5 V8 at rest in the Warwick Farm paddock during the Gold Star round on September 6.

Harves was out with fuel pump failure, Leo Geoghegan won the race, and ultimately the title aboard his Lotus 59B Waggott TC-4V 2-litre.

This car was built on Bob Britton’s (Rennmax Engineering) Brabham BT23 jig to replace Jane’s ageing BT23E with many mods but notably changes in suspension geometry to suit the latest generation of ever-widening tyres. It exists in a West Australian museum.

See here for a piece on the 1970 Gold Star: https://primotipo.com/2019/07/05/oran-park-diamond-trophy-gold-star-1970/

(L Ruting)

Wal Donnelly racing his Turner Mk2 Ford at Warwick Farm in 1965. He did well with it, leaving for Europe not long after for some F3 racing.

This car had a very successful record in the hands of Donnelly, Paul Hamilton and others, see more here: http://www.turnersportscars.co.uk/articles/racing_car_news_aug_1971/racing_car_news_aug_1971.html

I love Graham Ruckert’s superb shot of John French on the limit in Pete Geoghegan’s recalcitrant but very powerful Ford Super Falcon in front of Brian Foley’s superb in every respect Alfa Romeo GTAm at Lakeside on July 25, 1971.

It was Lakeside’s Australian Touring Car Championship round that weekend. Pete gave the car a gallop in a support race but elected to race his trusty Mustang in the championship event, having French – a Ford factory racer – drive the Big Henry.

Frenchie stood in, similarly, in Moffat’s car at Surfers Pardise, making him the only man to race both these somewhat maligned Group C/Improved Touring Ford Falcon GTHO 351 racers. See here for more about the car: https://primotipo.com/2015/10/15/greatest-ever-australian-touring-car-championship-race-bathurst-easter-1972/

(G Ruckert)
(D Blanch-autopics.com.au)

It seems right to show you furriners what a standard Ford Falcon GTHO looks like…here it’s Allan Moffat easing his beast – an XW Phase 1 GTHO – out of Peters Corner at Sandown during his victorious Sandown 3-Hour win on September 14, 1969.

Moffat/John French won from two other similar cars crewed by Tom Roddy/Murray Carter and Fred Gibson/Barry Seton.

Jim Clark, Lotus 49 Ford DFW ahead of Chris Amon, Ferrari Dino 246T at Dandenong Road, Sandown during their epic dice for the lead of the 1968 Australian Grand Prix in February 1968.

See here for more about that race: https://primotipo.com/2021/03/06/1968-australian-gp-sandown-2/

Geoff Brabham – 1975 Australian F2 Champion – raced his Birrana 274 Hart-Ford 416-B 1.6 ANF2 car twice at Calder in May and August 1975.

While Brian Sampson’s Cheetah Mk5 Toyota ANF3 car behind makes sense the Alan Gissing Holden sporty does not, so I guess it’s a practice session. Geoff won three of the seven rounds, and the ’75 title, with Alf Costanzo second and Andrew Miedecke third. See here: https://primotipo.com/2018/09/20/brabs-gets-the-jump/

Then he was off to Europe, racing an F3 Ralt RT1 Toyota in 1976, fame and fortune followed for the elder of the Brabham sons: https://primotipo.com/2015/03/31/geoff-and-jack-brabham-monza-1966/

(Repco)

Leo Geoghegan’s Lotus 39 Repco V8 is pushed onto the grid of the Mallala Gold Star round on October 13, 1969, not sure who that is alongside.

If the car looks a bit odd it’s coz it’s pregnant. Geoghegan contested the JAF Grand Prix (Japanese GP), on May 3 and won it, but he needed bigger tanks than the ones fitted designed for 100 mike Tasman races, see here: https://primotipo.com/2015/03/02/leo-geoghegan-australian-driving-champion-rip/

Garrie Cooper won that day at Mallala – GC’s only Gold Star victory – in his superb Elfin 600C Repco 830 V8 from Geoghegan and Max Stewart’s Mildren Waggott TC-4V 1.6.

Kevin Bartlett won the Gold Star that year aboard the Mildren Yellow Submarine which was powered by Alfa Romeo T33 2.5 V8s until the final round when he won the Hordern Trophy at Warwick Farm armed with the first of Merv Waggott’s 2-litre TC-4Vs.

(MotorSport)

Paul Radisich (above and below) tips his Holden Special Vehicles Commodore VE into Shell Corner during the Sandown 500, the ninth round of the 2007 Australian V8 Supercar Championship on September 14-16.

He shared the car with Rick Kelly to second place, the following machine is the Will Davison/Steve Johnson Ford Falcon BF. The race was won by Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes’ Triple Eight Falcon BF.

Garth Tander (HSV Commodore VE) won the 2007 drivers title – by two points from Whincup – and HSV the team championship.

(MotorSport)
(E Solomon)

All antipodean front row at the start of the 1969 Selangor Grand Prix. Roly Levis’ Brabham BT23C Ford on pole, then Graeme Lawrence’s McLaren M4A Ford FVA in the middle, and Garrie Cooper’s Elfin 600C Repco 830 V8 2.5 on the right.

Lawrence, surely with John McDonald the ‘winningest’ of drivers in South East Asia in the period, won the race from Levis and Australian, Tony Maw, Elfin 600 Ford.

Ron Marks and Graham Gillies aboard Marks’ Lancia Stratos HF in the Samford Forest on the press day before the start of the 1976 Lutwyche Village Warana Rally, the final round of six in the Australian Rally Championship that year.

The pair finished fourth, first was Murray Coote and Brian Marsden in a Datsun 1600. The ARC was won by Ross Dunkerton and Jeff Beaumont aboard a Datsun 240Z; four wins and one second placing.

Ex-water-skiing champion, Marks’ other rally credits included starts in the 1976 Holden Dealers, SEV Marchal and Southern Cross, and 1978 Southern Cross and the Castrol International rallies.

(G Ruckert)

The shot above shows the car out front of the Annand & Thompson Lancia and Fiat dealership in Newstead, Brisbane, before the ’76 Warana Rally.

Graham Ruckert, “I was selling Fiat/Lancia cars for the dealership at the time, they provided some sponsorship for the event and we got to display the car during the week before the event…I had a short run in the passenger seat with Ron Marks on the Press Day at Samford which was pretty memorable!”

(B Keys)

And above demonstrating the style for which the Stratos was famous during the October 1976 Holden Dealers International Rally held in the forests around Moe and Traralgon. Those large chimneys in the background belong to one of the coal fired power stations in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.

(T Parkinson Collection)

MG TC Specials to the fore at the start of the Lobethal 50, a support race for the 1948 South Australian 100, held at Lobethal on New Years Day, January 1. #32 is Ron Edgerton, #29 is Harold Clisby, #31 is WJ Mentz, while car #34 further back is raced by AK Eadie.

The 100 mile, 12 lap, handicap feature race was run in front of 10,000 spectators in cool conditions and was won by Jim Gullan’s Ballot Oldsmobile from Granton Harrison in the Phillips Ford V8 Special, then Edgerton’s TC.

(K Drage)

Speaking of the great Harold Clisby, here he is a few years later at left with the equally talented Phil Irving at Sandown on March 2, 1962.

Harold would have been up to his armpits designing his F1 Clisby 1.5-litre engine, while Phil’s Repco Brabham RB620 2.5/3-litre is still a couple of years away…Mind you, Jack Brabham took more than a passing glance of the aluminium 3.9-litre Buick V8 fitted in the back of Chuck Daigh’s Scarab RE only yards away.

The F85 Oldsmobile V8 that Jack pitched successfully to the Repco Board as the basis of his new Tasman 2.5 litre engine was the Buick’s brother, different only in the number of head retention studs. See here: https://primotipo.com/2016/01/27/chucks-t-bird/

See here: https://primotipo.com/2018/10/18/clisby-douglas-spl-and-clisby-f1-1-5-litre-v6/ and here: https://primotipo.com/2014/08/07/rb620-v8-building-the-1966-world-championship-winning-engine-rodways-repco-recollections-episode-2/

(D Kneller)

Derek Kneller has just finished assembling Bob Muir’s – Bob and Marj Brown owned – Chevron B35 Ford BDX 2-litre F2 car in Chevron’s Bolton factory in early 1977.

Muir gave the cream of the factory F2 crop something to think about that year, especially at Mugello, see here: https://primotipo.com/2023/02/13/bob-muir-r-i-p/

(unattributed)

Barry Randall’s Ex-Doug MacArthur Rennmax Repco 2.5 V8 blasting out of MG Corner at Phillip Island as a car in the background makes the downhill plunge into it.

Car then raced for many years in Victoria by the Gibson family out of Benalla, and for many years owned by Jay Bondini.

(AFerraro/LAT)

Mark Webber on his way to winning the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix in his Red Bull RB6 Renault. That’s Seb Vettel and Robert Kubica behind. See here for more: https://primotipo.com/2014/08/28/mark-webber-red-bull-rb6-renault-singapore-grand-prix-2010/ The nuances of the RB6 rear diffuser are shown during the 2010 Hungarian GP weekend below.

(MotorSport)

Battle of the ‘1.6-litre Four Valvers’ during the May 3, 1969 J.A.F. Grand Prix aka the Japanese GP.

Sohei Kato’s third-placed Mitsubishi Colt F2C R39B ahead of Glyn Scott’s fourth placed Bowin P3 Waggott TC-4V at Fuji International. Up the front, Leo Geoghegan won in his venerable ex-Jim Clark Lotus 39 Repco 830 2.5 V8 from Roly Levis’ Brabham BT23C Ford FVA. More here: https://primotipo.com/2015/03/02/leo-geoghegan-australian-driving-champion-rip/

(B Dickson)

A random internet find, a decent drawing of the Alec Mildren Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo T33 2.5 V8 raced throughout 1968-69 by Frank Gardner and Kevin Bartlett.

KB is shown below in grand style by Dick Simpson at Bathurst during Easter 1968. Kevin was the quickest man on the mountain that weekend but was ousted with a broken rear upright, Phil West won his only Gold Star round aboard the Scuderia Veloce Brabham BT23A Repco V8. See here for more: https://primotipo.com/2021/07/06/mellow-yellow/

(Dick Simpson-oldracephotos.com)

Credits…

Peter D’Abbs, Greg Feltham, Gary Russell-Brown, Jock Alexander, Lance Ruting, Graham Ruckert, David Blanch-autopics.com.au, Repco, MotorSport Images, Eli Solomon Archive, Bruce Keys, Tony Parkinson Collection, Derek Kneller, Kevin Drage, Graham Ruckert, Bob Dickson, Dick Simpson-oldracephotos.com

Tailpiece…

(G Ruckert)

Marks and Gillies again in the Warana Rally.

Does anyone know the history of this car before it came to Australia? My Stratos owning friend, Phil Allen tells me he thinks there are only two Stratos resident in Australia at present and this isn’t the other one…

Finito…

Dave Walker Obituary…

Posted: June 1, 2024 in F1
Tags: , , , , ,
2
Lotus 72D 1972 (MotorSport)

Sydney born, ‘Dave’ Walker died aged 82 last week in Queensland (June 10, 1941-May 24, 2024).

The very gifted Walker raced two revolutionary Grand Prix Lotuses in 1971-72: the four-wheel-drive, gas-turbine powered Lotus 56B Pratt & Whitney and epochal, edgy-wedge, side radiator, torsion-bar sprung Lotus 72 Ford.

He cut his competition teeth in club competition aboard an MGA Twin-cam, soon progressing to a Brabham BT2 Ford with support from David McKay’s Scuderia Veloce. Walker had an Australian Grand Prix (Sandown 1964) and Bathurst 500s (1963-65) under his belt before jumping on a ship at Circular Quay to take on the world’s best in Europe.

Armed with a Merlyn Mk10 Ford he became a Formula 3 Gypsy, racing across Europe for start and prizemoney throughout 1967, winning the Adriatic GP at Opatija, Yugoslavia in June.

He then figured he needed to go backwards to go forwards so did a deal to race a Russell-Alexis Formula Ford in 1968, doing well enough to bag a quasi-works Jim Russell Race Drivers School Lotus 61 FF ride in 1969. 

Heathrow, February 27, 1971 with his trophy for winning one of the four F3 Torneio Brasiliero rounds aboard his works Lotus 59A Ford-Holbay
Walker awaits the start of the Monaco F3 GP from pole in 1971, he won. Lotus 69 Ford-Novamotor (R Schlegelmilch)

He won the Les Leston Championship with it and was then picked up by Gold Leaf Team Lotus to race their F3 Lotus 59 and Lotus 69 Fords throughout 1970-71. In 1971, a year of unparalleled dominance, Walker won 25 of 32 F3 race starts including the prestigious Monaco and British GP rounds and two of the three British titles.

Lotus boss, Colin Chapman rewarded him with his first F1 drives that year, Walker having had his first big-car experience in some F5000 races in the UK and a quick trip home to Sydney in November 1970 to contest the AGP at Warwick Farm in an uncompetitive F5000 Lotus 70 Ford.

Walker during dry practice, 1971 Dutch GP, Zandvoort. Q22, he was looking good for a points finish early in the wet race, but with limited experience of the unusual car Dave ran off into the dunes on lap six, as did many others. Lotus 56B Pratt & Whitney (MotorSport)
Walker, Lotus 72D Ford at Brands during the 1972 British GP weekend. Q15 and DNF suspension (MotorSport)

In 1972 Dave was Emerson Fittipaldi’s #2. Like Fittipaldi in 1971, Walker struggled with a car that took some learning, unfamiliar circuits and not a lot-of-love from the team. Emmo won the title and Dave got the flick in favour of Ronnie Peterson at the seasons end with seven DNFs from 10 starts, all due to mechanical failure. 

It wasn’t quite as bad as many would have you believe though, he was fifth in the non-championship Brazilian Grand Prix and in the running for points in South Africa, Monaco and Spain.

Canadian Formula Atlantic. Walker on the left, Lola T360, with Gilles Villeneuve, March 75B alongside at Halifax on July 7, 1975. Tom Klausler, T360 and Tom Bagley, Chevron B27 following. Bill Brack won from Klauser, Howdy Holmes and Walker (D Munroe)

In the following years Walker had sporadic F2, F5000, F Atlantic and sportscar drives but two road car crashes in 1973 – he broke a leg in one and almost severed his left arm in the other – sealed his competition fate, a few Canadian Formula Atlantic drives in 1975 were his last – the GP de Trois-Rivieres on August 31 perhaps the very last – before hanging up his helmet.

Walker worked in Canada for a while, getting involved in a boat chartering business. He and his wife Jan returned to Australia and have parlayed those skills in a successful business on the Whitsunday Coast since.

I had several phone calls with the beautifully spoken and sharp-as Dave in 2021-22, keep an eye out for a primotipo or Auto Action feature on Walker soon.

Etcetera…

(R Donaldson-SLNSW)

1964 Bathurst 500, with the Walker/Brian Hilton VW1200 – seventh place – ahead of the Bolton/Schroeder Hillman Imp and Weldon/Needham Studebaker Lark.

(L Mason Collection)

Reader, Laurie Mason owns “the 1968 Vauxhall Ventora that David drove in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon. He was an engaging and welcoming man and we had many discussions about the car and their eventful journey across the world in 1968. I spoke with David only last month so this news is very sad.”

(L Mason Collection)

A Grand Prix racing car of the finest type: bold, innovative, on the edge. The exact opposite of highly regulated, restricted modern F1, let’s not call it Grand Prix Racing because there is nothing Grand about it. Lotus 56B Pratt & Whitney, Zandvoort, 1971.

Credits…

MotorSport Images, Dick Simpson-oldracephotos.com, Rainer Schlegelmilch, J Wilds-Getty, R Donaldson-State Library of New South Wales, Dave Munroe

Tailpiece…

(D Simpson/oldracephotos.com)

Superb shot of Dave attacking the Warwick Farm Esses aboard the Lotus Components Lotus 70 Ford during the November 1970 AGP. It was no M10B McLaren, with which Frank Matich won the race. Walker was Q7 and fifth. The brave snapper is Lance Ruting, one of the stars of the era.

Finito…