primotipo…

One for the Repco anoraks.

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.’

‘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.”

‘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/

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.

They were still at the Hail Mary end of the reliability spectrum but the 4.9-litre engines held together well enough to win the 1977 Gold Star. The story of that car and engine is related here: https://primotipo.com/2014/07/24/macs-mclaren-peter-revson-dave-charlton-and-john-mccormacks-mclaren-m232/

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.

Credits…

Auto Action, Robert Davies, autopics.com.au

Finito…