In this case the meaning is an unfortunate set of circumstances that are set in train that end up badly for the initiator and well for the recipient.
Young British up-and-comer Stephen South was looking good for 1980, he had a strong season in the 1979 European F2 Championship – sixth with one win at Hockenheim – and had been signed up as one of two Team Toleman drivers together with Derek Warwick to pilot a pair of Rory Byrne designed Toleman TG280 2-litre Hart 420Rs in the 1980 championship.
He’d done the early testing at Goodwood in early February above – see the Autosport article at the end of this piece – and it was all looking good until South was offered Alain Prost’s McLaren seat for the March 30 Long Beach Grand Prix. The little Frenchie had crashed and broken his wrist during practice for the preceding South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. It wasn’t a great call by South as McLaren were on a roll of building dog after dog Ground Effect cars: the M28/M29/M30, but the F1 siren-call was ever strong.
South, Project Four March 792 BMW during the July 29, 1979 Enna GP. Third behind Eje Elgh and Derek Daly, both also in March 792s (Autosport)
The communication between South and Toleman is unclear but it seems that Stephen tested the McLaren without first clearing it with Toleman, such consent was unlikely given the first European F2 Championship round was to be held at Thruxton on April 7, only a week later.
The upshot was that Stephen lost his ride which went to Brian Henton. Somewhat predictably, South failed to make the qualifying cut at Long Beach together with Geoff Lees and David Kennedy aboard Shadow DN11A Fords.
Brian Henton – who had finished second in the 1979 Euro F2 Championship aboard a Toleman Ralt RT2 Hart – seized the Gift from The Gods with both hands and won at Thruxton from Warwick on the way to championship victory easily from his teammate and Teo Fabi’s factory March 802 BMW.
South during practice at Long Beach in 1980, McLaren M29C (unattributed)Sears Point opening Can Am round on May 25 1980. Patrick Tambay has already gone through. South’s Lola T530 leads the similar VDS cars of Geoff Brabham #3 and Elliott Forbes-Robinson #2. Bobby Rahal’s black Prophet is behind Brabham. Tambay won from EFR and Rahal (K Oblinger)
It wasn’t a compete disaster for South at this point as he then picked up a plum-seat with Newman Racing driving one of two new Lola T530 Chevs together with Elliot Forbes Robinson in the 1980 Can-Am Challenge.
Without a lot of testing, and despite being in a field of drivers with plenty of Big Car Experience: Patrick Tambay, Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Geoff Brabham and Keke Rosberg to name a few, Stephen shone with raw pace and aggression.
He qualified third in the first two rounds at Sears Point and Mid Ohio but retired early with fuel pump and fuel pressure problems respectively. He then qualified fourth at Mosport and finished second to Tambay, on his way to the title. This was good, if Stephen could make a decent fist of it amongst this company he may get another crack at F1, he had tested well for Lotus at the end of 1979 but Chapman ultimately plumped for Elio De Angelis.
At Watkins Glen he was Q5 but collided with spinning teammate, Forbes-Robinson on lap 3 of the race. South bounced back to put his 550bhp T530 on pole at Road America, placing fifth. At Brainerd he was Q11 but didn’t start after a crash caused by a broken wheel, then the Shit Fairy arrived during the blue-riband Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières at Montreal on August 24.
With his Lola still not repaired, poor Stephen crashed very badly in practice head on aboard one of the team’s 1979 Lola T333 based Spyder NF11 Chevs, as a consequence of shocking injuries his lower left leg was amputated. End of career…
Lets not forget Stephen South, he had all the makings of a decent Grand Prix driver and would surely have ended 1980 better than it started…
(Lola Heritage)
I love this shot of a new Lola T530 Chev at Lola’s Huntingdon HQ early in 1980 before shipment to the US. The people and Austin (?) provide a sense of the size of these very biiiiig cars, the drivers were dropped into the cockpit via forklift. More about these beasts on the wonderful Lola Heritage site: https://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/type_numbers/t530/t530.html
Etcetera…
South on the way to winning the June 10 Rhein-Pokalrennen Hockenheim round of the 1979 Euro F2 Championship in a Project Four-ICI Racing March 792 BMW, his was his only F2 victory. The shot below is of Ron Dennis and Stephen with the March 792 that season.
(Auto Tradition)
The February 27, 1980 issue of Autosport ran this fantastic article by Marcus Pye about the new Toleman TG280 Hart together with Stephen South’s impressions after his first drive of the car at Thruxton.
Credits…
Autosport, Kurt Oblinger, Lola Heritage, Auto Tradition
Tailpiece…
The Autosport cover from which the first shot was filched.
Tony Johns sent me this wonderful article about the motorsport state of play in South Australia in 1954, many thanks.
Cars appears to be a magazine from The Argus stable, a Melbourne daily newspaper published from June 1846 to January 1957. Cars publisher was Larry S Cleland, anybody know of Lazza? The Sydney advertising rep was JM Sturrock of King Street, Jock Sturrock of yachting fame I wonder?
The article was written by Albert Ludgate, Chief Engineer of Lea-Francis cars from 1946. He emigrated to Australia together his family and a 1926 Lea-Francis K-Type in 1953, more of Albert later.
Etcetera…
Australian Grand Prix historians will note that at the time of publication – September 1954 – the 1937 Australian Grand Prix hadn’t been invented. That is, the fuckwit(s) who decided that the December 26, 1936 South Australian Centennial Grand Prix should be the 1937 AGP, rather than the 1936 AGP hadn’t done his/their Fake Nooooz thing.
The South Australian Government’s banning of racing on roads, quite possibly brewing for some time as Albert wrote, was probably precipitated by two deaths in bizarre circumstances during a motorcycle race at Woodside in 1949.
Albert Ludgate in the glasses, and Ken Rose tickling one of their Lea-Francis 1.5-litre midget engines in the US in 1948-49 (LFOC)
Albert Ludgate…
Ludgate’s early history I am yet to discover, but he was Chief Engineer of Lea-Francis from 1946.
By February 1953 he was in Adelaide helping prepare one of his twin-high-cam ‘Leaf’ midget racing engines which had been fitted to Victorian ace, Alf Beasley’s speedcar for an international (SA Solo Championship) meeting at Rowley Park, Adelaide on Friday February 13, 1953.
These 1496cc, four-Amal or twin SU fed, dry-sump, gear-driven cam midget engines were aimed primarily at the large American market.
Bob Shimp won some heats in his Lea-Francis engined car at the Carpinteria Thunderbowl in South California on July 18, 1949, ‘then led the semi-main until the Lea-Francis engine in his midget failed’, wrote Kevin Triplett on his triplettracehistory.blogspot.com.
‘The 91-cubic inch Lea-Francis engine, purpose built in England for midget auto-racing featured dry-sump oiling, gear-driven double camshafts, four SU carburettors (sic), with a high compression ratio to run on alcohol. Record setting British driver, Dudley Froy, Lea-Francis designer Ken Rose and chief engineer Albert Ludgate made trips to the USA in 1948 and 1949 to show and sell samples of the engine.’
‘Besides Shimp, several US midget racers (including Woody Brown in Northern California) used the four cylinder “Leaf” engine but it never became popular (less than a dozen were built) given that its 120 horsepower could not match the power of the Offenhauser four-cylinder engine and it sometimes put connecting rods through the sides of the aluminium block.’
Contemporary Australian newspaper reports say that brothers Alf and Stud Beasley had a car each powered by a float of three of these trick Lea-Francis engines, and had some success with them. It makes one wonder where those engines are now…
Alf Beasley aboard his Lea Francis powered midget at Tracey’s Speedway, Melbourne
Into 1954 Ludgate was the technical representative of Simmonds Accessories and the publicity officer of the (speedway) Racing Drivers Association, while JA Lawton & Sons also retained Albert, not to forget his writing abilities.
Ludgate and his Racing Drivers Association made quite a splash in October ’54 with their ‘Speed and Sports Motor Show’. More than 150 racing, veteran and speedway cars and bikes were amongst the exhibits in the Centennial Hall at Wayville. It was the first time in South Australia’s history that such a show had been run.
Three-quarter-midgets – TQ cars were on the march – were front and centre with Ludgate’s Simmons Nut-Ridge Special one of five TQs on display. In addition he showed a 150cc half-scale midget racer built for his six-year-old son.
Ludgate was a strong advocate of TQs and was a member a three man Racing Drivers Association specifications committee tasked with developing specifications for the class…and in due course he would make some cars.
By December 1954 Ludgate was living in Reade Park, later he bought a house in Colonel Light Gardens. He was well on the way to embedding himself within the local motorsport and automotive industries, having addressed members of the Aeronautical and Automotive Engineers about American car racing and engine development in the Kerr Grant Lecture Theatre at Adelaide University.
Capricornia 1, John Plowman’s car circa 1956 (bollyblog.blogspot.com)Capricornia 3, later the Repco Ricardian, at Port Wakefield during the March 1959 meeting. With Buchanan couture, a great looking car (v8vantage.com)
In his small Colonel Light Gardens garage, Ludgate Automotive Developments built sportscars, TQ midgets and go-karts using the Capricornia and Ricardian brandnames.
The Capricornia sportscars – the name was taken from the Tropic of Capricorn region – used a multi tubular chassis with two main side-members, a wheelbase of 91 inches and used standard or modified Holden parts, including front and rear suspension, and weighed about 715kg depending upon specifications.
The first of the series, John Plowman’s car was commenced in 1955 and completed just in time for for the 1956 Easter meeting at Port Wakefield ten months later. Fitted with an English RGS/Shattock fibreglass body, and with experienced racer/engineer, John Cummins at the wheel the car performed well. A long job list proved racing improves the breed!
Capricornia 3, Collingrove circa-1958 (S Jones)
John Bruggerman’s very successful Capricornia 3 racing car had a Holden (later Repco-Holden) grey-six fitted and used a shortened Buchanan (NH Buchanan Motor Co) body.
Ludgate’s pioneering TQs – a poor-mans introduction to speedway racing – used Austin 7 chassis, suitably bent 7 axles, and a variety of 500cc motorcycle engine driving through a gutted Austin 7 gearbox using a dog-clutch for stop and go.
In the mid-1950s John Cummin’s met Ludgate in Adelaide in his capacity as a Perkins Diesel rep. Ludgate helped ‘with a lot of input’ in the early development of the Holden grey-six cylinder engine used in his Bugatti Holden. Cummins blazed the trail in Victoria with Holden engine development, his car is said to be the second Holden-powered racing car in the state, ‘Lou Molina’s, Silvio Massola built MM Holden Special being the first’.
‘The engine gave about 65 or 75 horsepower at 3500rpm’, Cummins recalled, ‘and it wasn’t worth two-bob at 4500! We fiddled with the needles in the triple 1 3/4″ SU carries and got 116 horsepower at 4500. Almost double the original Holden power output.’
John Cummins’ Bugatti T37A Holden at Bathurst in 1961. Note the Bellamy independent front suspension so characteristic of #37332 (unattributed)(B White)
Ludgate also made Austin 7 cylinder heads for the Seven racing fraternity – think of Seven racing as the Formula Vee of the day – in the 1950s and early 1960s. The design featured sandwich construction with combustion chamber shape late-7. Enthusiasts often modified the shape to their own requirements. Ludgate built over 30 of the heads with many more built from his patterns after his death. They were used by many A7 racers in the day including Elfin’s Garrie Cooper during his formative years.
Amusingly, later, the street in which he lived was renamed Ludgate Circus which is surely indicative of the goings on at that address in the wee-small-hours and the fond regard in which Albert was held by his neighbours!
Ludgate retained his Lea-Francis for many years, using it daily to drop his son off at school and displaying it at the VSCC annual rally at Victor Harbor in 1961, by then he was described as a ‘well-known motoring personality’.
Late in his life the Australian Society of Automotive Engineers established and annually bestow the Albert Ludgate Award.
This summary of information about Albert Ludgate is the result of a days Troving and Googling, if anybody can add to the story please contact me: mark@bisset.com.au
Credits…
Cars via Tony Johns’ archive, Trove and other online research, News Adelaide, Victor Harbour Times, bollyblog.blogspot.com, v8vantage.com, triplettracehistory.blogspot.com, Lea-Francis Owners Club website, Paul Jaray on auto puzzles.com, Ron Burchett, Bruce White, Sports Cars and Specials September 1956, Tony Parkinson Collection, Steve Jones
Tailpiece…
(T Parkinson Collection)
Bill Pile or John Newmarch in the Ricardian Repco chasing Jim Goldfinch’s Austin Healey 100S at Port Wakefield circa 1959.
This is the very last time a racing car appeared in Repco colours. John Goss had just purchased and not yet repainted the Matich A53 Repco-Holden #A53-007 sold by FM on his retirement from the sport. So it’s still in its Repco livery.
I mean Real Repco, when it was a manufacturer of global significance rather than a High Street retailer.
‘Having his very first outing in a Formula 5000 race car (in the first round of the 1974 Gold Star at Oran Park on the August 4 weekend) touring car star John Goss took a sixth and a fourth in the two heats, bringing the Laurie O’Neill owned, Max McLeod sponsored Matich A53 home fourth on aggregate’ John Smailes wrote in Auto Action (#91 August 9, 1974).
‘Of the newcomers (Jon Davison and Phil Moore being the other two) John Goss was the most impressive and performed well beyond expectations in a car in which he had only done 25 laps before Saturday’s official practice began.’
By raceday Gossy had removed the Repco signage. Dunnit look great almost entirely denuded of ads? (Auto Action)
‘Goss finished the day ecstatic with both his own performance, the car, and the experience of F5000 racing. “The drivers are beautiful”, he said. “They agree they have been passed once you pull alongside.” ‘He said he was very pleased with the car and “the engineering genius of Frank Matich” and happy that he had completed the first round of the series without a single lose.’
“My only problem is adapting back to the (Falcon Hardtop) sports sedan after the open wheeler. It feels like a block of flats,” Goss said.’
Repco’s withdrawal from racing as an engine manufacturer…
Was a very big deal, Repco had made pistons, rings and bearings for racing cars way back in the 1930s. Its involvement was ongoing subsequently.
The Melbourne, April 26, 1974 announcement and related article above reads as follows, ‘Repco today announced that the company is to discontinue the manufacture of racing engines, including the Formula 5000 Holden and Leyland based units.’
‘Frank Matich, Repco’s number one representative for the past eight years is still under contract for the balance of this year while John Walker and John McCormack have engines on lease, and these deals will run out under the terms of the lease.’
‘The situation regarding servicing of the present units has not yet been finalised as all parties which it will affect have not yet been contacted and the Board of Directors will not make a decision until this has been done.’
‘Whilst Repco believe that they have benefitted richly in terms of development and pass-on advancement for general consumption products, they are well aware of the financial reward for the vast sums of money they have outlaid to become one of the most respected engine building companies in the world.’
‘The firm will now concentrate more of its energies on direct development of its domestic products, such as changeover engines.’
‘In terms of the racing fraternity they want to withdraw without hurting anyone, as they realise that there are people who have done so much for their advancement and worldwide reputation.’
‘Reactions to the news amongst users of Repco power units were surprisingly bland. John McCormack said,”I don’t think it will affect our operation.”
“We’ll continue to use Repco engines as spares are available as are drawings. Besides, many parts were made outside anyway and these can be supplied as before.
‘Replacement cylinder heads might be a problem, but it would be just a matter of matching existing units, although there would be a lot more work involved in getting them up to scratch.”
‘Ansett Team Elfin team manager, John Lanyon reiterated McCormack’s remarks, adding, “Of course we are disappointed, but we don’t believe Repco is about to leave everybody high and dry.”
John Walker, Lola T332 Repco-Holden during a fateful 1975 Tasman Cup finale at Sandown. He had a hand on the cup but a big crash on lap 1 wrecked his chances, with Warwick Brown the survivor and championship winner from the other contender, Graeme Lawrence. Lola T332 Chevs both (R Davies)John McCormack’s gutless Elfin MR6 Repco-Leyland leads John Goss, Matich A53 Repco-Holden during the August 1974 Oran Park Gold Star round
‘Asked about the future of the Leyland P76 project. Lanyon stated that he was “not too sure, but I think they will probably continue with it at present.”
‘Another long time user and associate of Repco Engines, is ex Australian Champion, Frank Matich. When we spoke to him in Sydney Frank showed very little concern at the company’s withdrawal.’
“It doesn’t affect any of my plans as I have sufficient engines and equipment at present. I can understand Repco’s reasoning however, with the increasingly high costs the industry has been facing. Repco’s policy has been one of support for all users of their engines, and over the past few years that has not been cheap.”
‘Long time Repco designer, and expert on racing engines, Phil Irving said he was not at all surprised about the news.’
“I think the company is faced with a big metalworker award very soon now and that is bound to cut deep into available funds. The general board of Repco has never really looked favorably on racing involvement, and it was mainly Charlie Dean who kept things going there.”
‘Mr. Dean retired from Repco some time ago. Unfortunately, Malcolm Preston, the Manager of Repco Engine Developments at the Maidstone plant was on leave when the news broke, and was therefore unavailable for comment.’
‘For our part, we feel that there are few grounds for real criticism of Repco for their withdrawal. Alone the company has acted as a mainstay of certain categories of racing over the years, during large amounts of money into the sport for little tangible reward.’
‘Publicity value, however, has been enormous, and we feel the lack of this in its racing connotation in the future, may have possibly deleterious effect, but only time will tell.’
‘Meanwhile we feel that existing users of Repco engines need have little fear with regard to parts in the immediate future.’
‘The last time Repco withdrew from the sport after building the old ohc 2.5 litre engines, parts continued to be available. Indeed, many parts for these units are still obtainable from the company.’
Repco-Holden users didn’t really suffer, albeit development of the engines stopped of course when Repco withdrew. Having said that, John Walker was only a car-crash from winning the 1975 Tasman Cup in his Lola T332 Repco-Holden. That car was fitted with a trick flat-plane crank engine built by Repco’s Don Halpin for the final Sandown round, Repco were still lurking!
Then John McCormack won the Gold Star aboard a Repco-Holden powered Elfin MR6 in 1975 and John Goss won the 1976 Australian Grand Prix at Sandown in a Matich A53 Repco-Holden #A51/53-005 after a great hustle with Vern Schuppan’s works-Elfin MR6 Chev.
That was pretty much it in terms of elite level F5000 success but the engines powered sports cars and sports sedans to many wins long after that. The Repco-Holden F5000 V8 story is here: https://primotipo.com/2018/05/03/repco-holden-f5000-v8/
Auto Action #88 Friday June 28, 1974
Repco-Leyland F5000 program…
Repco’s ‘partnership’ with Leyland Australia and Elfin Sports Cars to build the worlds lightest and best handling F5000 car – the Elfin MR6 – was conceptually brilliant but was doomed to failure because Repco’s development muscle wasn’t applied to an engine which fired its first shot in anger at Oran Park on January 30, 1974.
The all-aluminium 4.4-litre Leyland P76 V8 was as structurally weak as the cast-iron 5-litre Holden 308 was brutally strong. McCormack was in more-shit-than-a-Werribee Duck during 1974 being shy of 100bhp or so and reliability to go with it. It was only when the team said ‘enough!’ that they cranked Repco-Holden units into the back of the car that its performance turned around.
Johnny Mac doubled his bets though, he bought an F1 McLaren M23 into which he fitted Leyland V8s further developed together with Phil Irving and Comalco.
The press launch of the Elfin MR6 Repco-Leyland at Oran Park with John McCormack at the wheel on January 30, 1974. He wasn’t happy as it interrupted his Tasman Cup campaign…
Yes, it does look like Jackie’s 1973 Tyrell 005 Ford DFV F1 car. With a reliable 450bhp the MR6 would have been a jet, I’m sure Repco would have licked the development challenges, but time wasn’t on their side.
Repco’s sponsorship of the Oz Maxi-Taxi Championship is duly noted.
Darren Visser’s extraordinary Double Eight, a recreation of Eldred Norman’s 1947 and subsequent iterations racing car, pointing towards the first turn at Collingrove Hillclimb in South Australia’s Barossa Valley on Saturday October 5, 2024.
(M Bisset)
The key elements of this car comprise a WW2 Dodge Scout car chassis, two Ford Mercury 3.8-litre 110bhp V8s mounted one aft of the other, and a Ford truck four-speed gearbox feeding a Dodge rear axle and diff. Yep, they are truck wheel, tyres and brakes, and yes again, it’s quite a thrill to ride in it!
Ford Mercury V8s are fed each by a Stromberg 97 carb, but are otherwise rebuilt standard units; Darren reckons they are good for about 110bhp a pop (M Bisset)Chassis is Dodge Scout car, ‘box, a Ford truck four-speed unit. It all looks rough, very kosher actually, just as Eldred built and finished the original (M Bisset)
Eldred Norman lived in the Adelaide Hills where the car was connected. It was built at Norman’s 18 Halifax Street, Adelaide premises so the car was very much a local, feature article thereon coming very soon.
(M Bisset)
Sticking with the Eldred Norman theme, front and centre is Greg Snape, longtime custodian of Eldred’s Zephyr Special, in many ways just as revolutionary, if not as visually challenging as its older sibling.
That’s Frank Chessel’s lovely Stag Formula Vee at left and Daniel Jeffries’ Elfin Streamliner at right, both Adelaide built cars.
(M Bisset)
Eldred Norman during the 1955 Australian Grand Prix in the Eclipse Zephyr Special – Eclipse motors being a Ford dealer – at Port Wakefield, where he was eighth on debut.
Below is the semi-naked machine showing some of its secrets at Collingrove circa 1960.
The SU-fed, supercharged Ford Zephyr 2.3-litre overhead, two-valve straight-six – canted at 45 degrees from vertical – was a structural chassis element in that a piece of steel was milled to the shape of the engine’s timing cover and then a steel plate was welded to it that accepted the Holden FJ sourced independent front suspension crossmember assembly.
Norman borrowed from Vittorio Jano’s 1954-55 Lancia D50 playbook a decade before Mauro Forghieri did in 1964-65 (Ferrari 1512) and Colin Chapman in 1966-67 (Lotus 43 BRM and Lotus 49 Ford Cosworth DFV).
(S Jones)(S Jones)
An eight or nine-inch diameter torque-tube connects the motor to a rear mounted clutch and Tempo Matador (VW powered truck) three speed transaxle, while the fabricated independent rear suspension was attached the transaxle with other major components such as the fuel tank, seat and body were bolted to the torque tube.
Yes, that is the petrol tank alongside the very fast Keith Rilstone in the shot above. The drum brakes are Holden with Vanguard internals to give twin leading-shoe operation.
(M Bisset)(M Bisset)
Fiona and Neill Murdoch’s Altas – two of the many visiting Victorians – created plenty of interest, that’s Fiona in the ex-Alan Sinclair/Ted Gray 1100cc s/c 21S above heading towards The Wall, and Neill in the 2-litre s/c 55S below.
(M Bisset)
Passengers were invitees during the Saturday track familiarisation session, so ‘everybody’ had a ride if they wanted.
(M Bisset)
The October 5/6 Barossa Vintage Collingrove meeting was one of the Sporting Car Club of South Australia’s 90th birthday celebration events.
The SCCSA is THE blue-riband Oz car club having run and promoted fun and national championship events since 1934. I guess the 1936 South Australian Centenary Grand Prix – aka the 1936 Australian Grand Prix – was their first big national gig. They are an ‘efficiency with a friendly feel’ kinda mob which makes visits to their meetings at Collingrove, Mallala and their HQ in quite special.
Mark Alsop’s MG M-Type was deceptively quick for an 850cc sporty but appeared to be perfectly geared for the venue (M Bisset)
Collingrove is in the beautiful, leafy green, rolling hills of the Barossa Valley – Mount McKenzie to be precise – a notable wine growing region 80km north-east of Adelaide. First used in 1952, it’s 750 metres long, the climb is tight, up and down and has held the Australian hillclimb Championship 14 times in addition to rounds thereof when the title has been contested over more than one event.
(M Bisset)
A line up of air-cooled’s: Peter Fagan’s Cooper Mk6 JAP 1100, Stephen Denner’s Cooper MkV JAP 1100, Brian Simpson’s Cooper Mk9 JAP 1100 – yes please to that car – and Mark Atkinson’s Falkenberg Jinx.
Speaking of air-cooled machines, ‘bikes were invited along too, about 15 of the 70 entries, and were spectacular to watch. It’s the first time I’ve seen motorcycles at a hillclimb, they were great.
Given the relatively small entry there was plenty of runs for all who wanted them.
The Bruce Davis/Emil Batar 1958 Matchless 600 outfit (M Bisset)Peter Walker and 1935 Velocette Mac (M Bisset)
I missed the best of the action, Bob King and I were given a guided tour of the Lobethal and Woodside road circuits, which are not too far from Collingrove, by Kent Patrick. A group of us did a Nuriootpa loop on Saturday morning as well, not to forget a (shambolic) lap or two of the Victor Harbor-Port Elliott track on Monday morning.
Fiona Murdoch in #21S coming down the access road back to the paddock.
(M Bisset)The Anderson family Bugatti Type 44 – in Michael’s care – and Alsop M-Type lead this paddock line up (M Bisset)(M Bisset)
Brian Simpson’s Cooper awaits its familiarisation run while Montgomery leaves the line in the Little Alfa. Brian’s cars have always been beautifully prepared and presented, the Cooper is no exception.
(M Bisset)
David Beaumont’s Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder 1600 was a picture. Angus Mitchell was quick in both the family Amilcar Grand Sport s/c, below, and in his ASP Toyota Clubman; busy too as one of the key organisers. That big-arse under cover behind belongs to the Double Eight; pert and perky it is not!
(M Bisset)(M Bisset)
Graeme Jarrett’s Elfin Streamliner looked the goods with head-piece and very racing-correct varying hues of red. A favourite car.
(M Bisset)
Alta 55S pointed in the right-racing-direction at Nuriootpa, with Fiona and Neill Murdoch and then 21S behind.
While 55S is an Australian-johnny-come-lately – in the 1980s – MI5 Spy, part-time motor dealer and occasional racing driver, Alan Sinclair, brought 21S here just prior to the South Australian Grand Prix at Lobethal in January 1938. The car has been here ever since.
Here is the little 1100cc minx in monoposto form with our spook at the wheel in that January 1938 Lobethal race below.
I don’t think the car competed again in South Australia despite a competition life in the hands of Bill Reynolds, Ron Edgerton, Ted Gray and others that stretched into the early 1950s, but I’d love to be proved wrong.
Legend has it that Eldred Norman first called the Zephyr Special the Norholfordor given it was derived form Ford, Holden and Tempo Matador parts, but he figured that was a bit of a mouthful…
(bry3500)
Nice tail shot of the VW transaxle above, top transverse leaf spring and tubular shocker.
With about 280bhp on hand, depending on gear ratios, the wild, somewhat twitchy little SWB rocket was good for about 90mph in first, 130 in second and somewhere north of 160mph in top. Plenty quick.
(bry3500)
The undated Mallala paddock shot above shows the sheet steel engine/suspension mounting plate, single SU carb, and rough as guts standard of finish epitomised by the second hand fuel tank! All go, no show.
Norman was an acknowledged supercharger expert, his tricks learned getting more performance from tye recalcitrant Maserati 6CM that succeeded the Double Eight.
(M Bisset)
Greg Snape looking very snug at Collingrove.
Credits…
Norman Howard, Steve Jones, bry3500
Tailpiece…
(M Bisset)
What’s that Queen song? Fat Bottomed Girls. She’s loud and proud and sassy rather than nuanced, and all the better for it. Wait until Darren gets the thing fully sorted and fits it with a pair of a Hotrod Harry spec engines…
Arthur Chick, Triumph Special along Stirling Terrace during the 1936 race won by Peter Connor’s Rover in his first…and last motor race! (R Rigg)
The first of these Round the Houses events at Albany, a town on the south coast of Western Australia, 400km from Perth – next stop Antarctica – was a ’50 Mile T.T. Grand Prix’ held on March 8, 1936; indeed it was the very first of many such Round the Houses race meetings held throughout WA right into the early 1960s.
The ’36 meeting was part of a series of ‘Back to Albany Week’ events designed by the local council to pump some tourist-£s into the local economy. Other motor racing events that weekend included car and motorcycle hillclimbs at nearby Mount Clarence; the same circuit was used for a 100-mile cycling Grand Prix.
Although very successful, it wasn’t all beer and skittles, protests were made by local church leaders concerned about their peaceful Sunday being interrupted by the sound of high performance engines and an influx of ruffians from Perth. The reaction of the local ratepayers was strong enough for the WA Premier, Philip Collier to promise the event wouldn’t be held again. However, happily, he was given-the-arse before the end of the year and fellow Labor Premier John Willock could clearly see votes in the Albany event…so the carnival continued until WW2 ruined everything.
Generally the relationship between the motor racing establishment and the police throughout Australia was combative, exceptions were in the Peoples Republik of Phillip Island and in Western Australia where the WA Sporting Car Club had a very cooperative relationship with the wallopers.
Grand Prix, Albany 1938 (C Batalier)
Another impressive Albany panorama, this time ‘An MG Midget at the bottom of the long downhill Parade Street Straight, possibly the fastest leg of the 2-mile 4km circuit.’ I can’t reconcile what I see in the shot above with the results/car numbers that I have. I look forward to advice from one of you Perthies as to the car/driver combo…
Duncan Ord’s Bugatti T57 and Clem Dwyer, Plymouth at Pingelly in 1940, not Albany in 1937…
I’m not sure were Old finished at Albany in ’39, but in 1940 he was third in the handicap race off scratch and did the fastest race time, also setting a new lap record at 1 min 11.5; a time that became the permanent record for the circuit, the late 1950s track was a different layout.
The second Albany GP, held on March 1937 was won by Ray Hall’s Ford V8 Spl from Spencer Stanes, Vauxhall Spl, and Neil Baird’s Terraplane.
The April 16, 1938 Albany GP was won by 1939 Australian Grand Prix winners, Alan Tomlinson’s and his MG TA Spl S/c, from Jack Nelson, Ballot Spl, with Norm Kestel’s MG TA in third.
In 1939 Jack Nelson’ Ballot prevailed from the EJ Coleman and Bill Smallwood MG TAs on April 19. The final wartime race, the Albany Tourist Trophy, was won by Brian Homes in the Bartlett Special on March 25. JB Wittenoom was second in his Oldsmobile, and Ord, as noted above, third in his Bugatti.
Yes, the Premier Hotel on the corner of York and Grey Streets still exists (C Batelier)Brian Holmes and crew with the Bartlett Special, perhaps in 1940 (C Batelier)
This sleek little monoposto is the 1927 Salmson San Sebastian based four-cylinder, 1086cc twin-cam, supercharged Bartlett Special, built by JH Bartlett of Notting Hill Gate, London, primarily as a Brooklands racer in 1932.
Clem Dyer visited the UK in 1935 and returned with this machine, said to have held the class lap-record on Brooklands Mountain track, rather than the Frazer Nash he had in mind. Upon seeing the car run at Brooklands, Victorian Frazer Nash monoposto exponent, Tim Joshua said the ‘he had never seen such terrific acceleration.’
By late 1938 the car held the class state flying-quarter mile record at 103.4mph, while the standing quarter-mile time of 17 3/10 sec was also a state open record. The car set a four-mile record of 97.2mph at Lake Perkolilli in 1938. Clem set an Albany lap record of 1 min 15 sec in the 1937 race but the fastest man on the course but a number of pitstops with cooling woes ruined his chances. Brian Holmes took one tenth off this in the Bartlett in 1939.
JH Bartlett and his Salmson during the BARC Bank Holiday Brooklands meeting on August 3, 1931 (MotorSport)
Etcetera…
Perth Sunday Times April 16, 1939. I guess you’ll all be wanting to know about the Nazi pussycats? Apparently the Reich Professional Group of Cat Breeders promised their political masters to make cats more ‘rat minded’ to ease the burden on the 150,000 Deutschlanders it took to repair the annual German rat damage toll…No flies on those Nazis
The 1940 Australian Grand Prix was to be held in Albany!
So impressed was the Australian Automobile Association – the forerunner to CAMS – by the standard of road racing being conducted in Western Australia, that they announced in April 1939 that the 1940 Australian Grand Prix would be held that January on Albany’s Middleton Beach circuit.
In a great decision to spread-the-Grand Prix-love, the AAA decided in future that the race should be held by different states in rotation: WA in 1940, Victoria in 1941, Queensland 1942, NSW in 1943 and South Australia in 1944.
While the war put-paid to that lot, the principle of rotation was implemented post-war and was maintained until Bob Jane contracted to run the race at Calder from 1980, when ‘nobody really wanted’ it, until Adelaide got the F1 gig in 1985.
Round The House Ramblings : Albany Grand Prix 1940
This race lead up piece in the Thursday 14 March 1940 issue of The Western Mail tickled my fancy; no attribution as to the author sadly.
WHAT would be the reactions of the average car driver on the road today if he were asked to make a gear change every 10 seconds, and to keep it up for over one hour. Even with the aid of synchromesh gear boxes, automatic and semi-automatic clutches, and all the aids to driving incorporated in the automobile of today, it is problematical if the proposition would sound practicable, or even sensible, at first glance, but it is one of the little known, but nevertheless interesting details of any Albany Grand Prix.
THE tortuous, hilly, two-mile circuit, with six right angle turns, one hairpin, two slight curves, and a third curve or even half turn to be negotiated every lap makes very severe calls on both driver and every part of his machine, but it is possibly the gearbox and clutch which receives the greatest puntshment.
The six right angle turns, and the hairpin will call for at least one change down approaching, with the necessary change up after having negotiated the corner.
This means at least 14 gear changes per lap, while the 25 laps will need no fewer than 350, all to be made in slightly over, or possibly under 60 minutes, according to the speed of your machine. Cars fitted with four-speed boxes naturally achieve even higher totals than this, but it will be readily realised that the claim of one gear change every 10 seconds is far from extravagant.
How then does the Albany event compare with other events in other parts of Australia, and in other parts of the world? Comparisons are difficult, because there are few circuits similar to Albany used anywhere in the world, while nowhere else in Australia is Round-the-Houses racing permitted. The circuit of the Grand Prix held at Monaco on the Riviera in southern France is approximately the same length, certainly no longer, and the fact that competing cars at Monaco in 1934, while capable of speeds up to 150 m.ph. actually averaged 54 m.p.h, indicates that the circuit must present hazards and difficulties not unlike the Albany event.
Last year Jack Nelson (Ballot Ford Spl) won the event in record time, slightly less than 58 minutes for the 50 miles, an average of approximately 52 m.p.h. This may not sound at all inspiring to those high speed motorists who accomplish incredible averages on the high road, although most of these said averages are worked out after the run has been made, and after extensive deductions have been made for roadside repairs, refreshment, etc., leaving a nett “running time” which then returns an average so high that the driver feels quite apprehensive to realise the truly terrific speed at which he has fied across the country. Nelson’s machine incidentally was electrically timed last June at a speed in excess of 107 m.p.h. so it will be appreciated that the machine that will eventually better his time at Albany will require to be something really fast handled by a master of the game.
1936 pre-race line up. From the left, #11 is not on the entry list I have. #5 is Eric Armstrong, Lagonda Rapide, #7 is Peter Connor’s winning Rover, #3 is Don Collier’s Chrysler ‘Silverwings’ while #1 at the far right is Clem Dyer in the Bartlett Special (C Batelier)
Races Compared.
Contemporary Australian races are all over open road eircuits, the South Australian circuit at Lobethal and the Mt. Panorama circuit at Bathurst, New South Wales, being the two most noteworthy examples.
Both these circuits are far greater in extent that Albany, Lobethal by nearly nine miles. It is the considered opinion of one of our local competitors who has attended the last two events, and not as a competitor, that very few of the entrants in that event would last the gruelling 25 laps that constitute the Albany Grand Prix.
Incidentally it is noteworthy that no brake test is held prior to the Lobethal race. In this State no car ever starts In a road race without a rigid brake test.
Preparation of Cars.
Generally speaking preparation of the entrants’ cars is not of the high standard which applies in Western Australia. Last January one of the competing cars at Lobethal was a 1936 stock touring car (five passenger) with hood and windscreen removed, bonnet strap in place, and the rear doors roped together to keep them shut. The Technical Committee of the local club would swoon in horror if called upon to examine such a vehicle. Naturally with the greater population in the East there are more of the real racing vehicles competing, but the built up machines (later generally described as Australian Specials-an assemblage of components from multiple donor vehicles) appear to be accepted in almost any condition.
Photographs fail to disclose anything that could vie with the local cars such as those owned by Jack Nelson and Barry Ranford. Incidentally Ranford is one of the four men who will be making their first racing appearance at Albany this Easter. The others are Bill Smith, Harley Hammond, Geoff Glyde, and Arthur Wright. Of the remaining nine competitors, Ernie Brammer, Aubrey Melrose, Ed. Harris, John Wittenoom, Ron Posselt, Duncan Ord have all driven at Albany once. While Ted Kinnear, Bill Smallwood and Brian Holmes have driven twice.
First and second in 1938: Alan Tomlinson, MG TA Spl S/c and Jack Nelson, Ballot Spl
It is also of interest to recall that the Bartlett driven by Brian Holmes, and entered in the name of Clem Dwyer, is the only car competing this year that contested the original Albany event. In the initial event on March 8, 1936, and again the following year, Dwyer was at the wheel himself, and the persistence with which the car has competed with ever since, at every possible opportunity should eventually be rewarded with a major victory. This year Duncan Ord (Bugatti T57) shares the dubious distinction of going off scratch with the Bartlett, and the resultant race should be full of interest. Incidentally, it is the first time that two cars have shared the scratch position at Albany. The small high revving Bartlett will be matched against the big Bugatti with over twice the capacity and certainly about as much more weight.
The contrast in the machines will lend colour to their strivings. Ed Harris, who drove at Albany two years ago in a 1934 black Terraplane, will this year be seen at the wheel of the 1935 blue Terraplane raced hitherto by Neil Baird, which he has acquired. It is being raced in detuned condition, the last high compression head avalaible having gone off at the same event last year. The blue Terraplane will be starting in its fourth consecutive Albany. Kinnear, Smith and Wright are all off the limit mark together, and will comprise an interesting trio. Kinnear has received 25 seconds more than last year, while Ernie Brammer, who has not fitted his ultra light body for this year, has received a full minute to make up for it.
Bill Smallwood, third last year, has come back 65 seconds, and will have to drive well to run into the places. Ed. Harris and Barry Ranford go off together, 15 seconds better off than was Baird last year, while John Wittenoom is 50 seconds better off on 3.20. Ron Posselt has a stiff job, being second back marker, only 1.30 ahead of the scratch men. On the surface he has been dealt with a shade harshly, but handicappers have at their disposal information denied to lesser mortals, and no doubt have their reasons.
An Open Race.
The field is set now, and the race has to be won. On appearance it is one of the most open races yet held in this state, and with so many new cars and drivers is full of interest despite the absence of Tomlinson and Nelson. Who can still recall when the redoubtable Ossie Cranston withdrew from racing after many successful years? It did not seem possible that his fame could ever be eclipsed, and although it has not, because he was of an earlier day, others have made names for themselves since then, and now some of them are missing from the list of starters, even if only temporarily. When they return to the lists, it they do, they may find a new champion waiting to engage them in battle. Nevertheless in its cheapest form, car racing is an expensive sport to follow, and months of preparation can go for nought if the Goddess of Luck does not ride with the machine. Perhaps the luck of the game will be the deciding factor at Albany this year, and perhaps the winner will be one least expected. To select the winner at this stage would be a guess pure and simple.
Credits…
Collections Western Australia-Albany Advertiser, Claude-James Batelier, Richard Rigg Collection, Western Mail November 3 1938, MotorSport Images
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