Peter Macrow gives a row of poplars a fright as he runs wide at Newry during the March 1968 Longford Tasman Cup weekend, Argo Chev V8.
The Argo is a special built from the bones of an uncompetitive Cooper T53 by Ray Gibbs, a Melbourne racer/mechanic who had a stint at Cooper in his CV, for grazier/racer/car owner Tony Osborne.
With a long gestation period, it was first raced by Ian Cook in 1967. When Ian bagged an Elfin 400 drive with Bob Jane Racing, another Melbourne up and coming single seater pilot, Peter Macrow got the ride.
Look how those trees have grown! They were saplings when Jack Brabham and Bib Stillwell raced each other on the same stretch of road out of Newry, in the Longford Trophy eight years before.
The freshly minted World Champion won there in 1960 aboard a Cooper T51 Climax 2.5 FPF, from the similar chassis of Alec Milden and Stillwell: Alec’s car was powered by a Maserati 250S four, Bib’s by a 2.2-litre Climax FPF.
Click here for a feature on this meeting: https://primotipo.com/2015/01/20/jack-brabham-cooper-t51-climax-pub-corner-longford-tasmania-australia-1960/
Macrow eases Argo into the viaduct at Longford, on wet race day. The aluminium body was built – very slowly – by Murray Carter in Moorabbin, a legendary racer of all manner of things, mostly touring cars.
I wrote a feature on the Argo Chev, now owned by my good friend, Peter Brennan, a while ago. Have a read of it, it’s an intriguing tale of twists and turns: https://autoaction.com.au/2023/11/05/argo-chev-v8
Etcetera…
Chris Amon tips his ex-works/Scuderia Veloce Ferrari P4/350 Can Am into the uphill apex of Newry during the 1968 weekend, Chris won the sportscar races. He is about 50 metres behind the spot where the Argo is in the first shot.
Pedro gives us another look at the Newry poplars and his 2.5-litre BRM P126 V12 during the very soggy ’68 South Pacific Trophy race. He nicked second from Frank Gardner’s Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo in the event’s final stages. The race was won in ballsy fashion by Piers Courage’s McLaren M4A Ford FVA F2 car.
Credits…
Osborne Family Collection via oldracephotos.com, Lin Gigney, Guy Fluke
Tailpiece…
Tony Osborne, Cooper T53 Climax leads Graham Hill, Brabham BT4 Climax – race winner – off Long Bridge during the March 2, 1964 South Pacific Trophy weekend.
This car, T53 #F2-17-60, ex-Brabham/Lex Davison provided some of the parts to build Argo. Both Argo and the Cooper exist and are occasionally raced in historic events.
Finito…
primotipo... 
Mark, I don’t think the poplars grow that fast…
Check your first pic again, there’s a little one between the big ones.
Ray
Ray,
Oh ye of little faith! That army of Longford Motor Racing Association members there every month with a bit of Blood and Bone and their tin watering cans, Newry farm workers walking down the hill and weeding, pruning and shaping. Then the famous, fabulous climate did the rest…No worries!
M
Are you sure that is Chris Amon in the P4? Helmet looks a lot like Bill Brown’s.
I suspect you may well be correct Harri.
It’s hard to see Chris’ distinguishing tabs of red and blue or the little Kiwi.
Doesn’t the car look long from this angle? Running with the spare out back, not a requirement of Group 7 – Can-Am – in the US.
If only the car had stayed here a bit longer than it did, FM had its measure, all the same!
m
I think it’s Bill Brown in our P4 and quite possibly Graham Hill in our Brabham (green band round the nose) who won the South Pacific Trophy for us (my father’s Scuderia Veloce team).