Lady Godiva meets California Girl in Florida? Compound curavature of both chassis’ catch the eye…
Automobile Year 18 was the first issue of that great annual i pored over repeatedly from cover to cover, this page has always stuck in my mind.
The race was won, if you care! by the trio of Ignazio Giunti, Nino Vaccarella and Mario Andretti in a Ferrari 512S from Peter Revson and Steve McQueen’s Porsche 908 and the Toine Hezemans, Masten Gregory Alfa Romeo T33/3 in third.
The 512S flattered to deceive, Sebring was the only blue riband event the fantastic car won in 1970, Porsche with the 908/3 and 917 swept the board with chassis suited to either handling or high speed circuits.
Giunti in the Ferrari 512S he shared with Nino Vaccarella and, later in the race Mario Andretti who jumped into this car after gearbox failure in the car he shared with Arturo Merzario. Car # 37 is the Collins/Wilson Ford Mustang, 24th. (petrolicious)
Alan Hamilton aboard the first of many serious Porsches he raced in Australia down the decades, the ex-works 904/8 ‘Kanguruh’ chassis # 906-007 at Calder in January 1966…
Norman Hamilton famously negotiated a franchise for Porsche in Australia, having been ’rounded up’ by one of the earliest 356s on a drive through the Swiss Alps. The business quickly prospered from its Melbourne base. This article is about the 906s raced by Norman’s son Alan from the mid-sixties to early-seventies and his career during that period.
He raced three such cars; 904/8 chassis # ‘906-007’ and two 906 Spyders; one during 1967 and another in 1971-72, the latter cars used chassis supplied by Porsche, but neither had a chassis number, giving more than one historian a headache or two…
Alan Hamilton was born on 29 July 1942. After attending Camberwell High School in Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs, he joined the family firm, which was to expand hugely over the ensuing decades under his leadership. A competition licence quickly succeeded his road licence at 18, initial competition exploits were in a VW contesting trials and gymkhanas. A 1958 Porsche 356 Super followed; he competed in this standard car at country meetings and hillclimbs. A 1959 Convertible followed, which was also successful.
In early 1965 Hamilton headed for Europe including a stint working in the Porsche factory, the 904/8 Bergspyder was purchased during that trip and shipped to Australia for the 1966 season, clearly a step up in performance for the young driver…
Majestic shot of a fabulous road racing circuit, ‘Long Bridge’ Longford Tasman Meeting 1967. Bob Jane leads Noel Hurd in Elfin 400 Repco and Elfin 400 Ford respectively. Hamiltons 2 litre Porsche 906 outgunned at this point by the 4.4 and 5 litre Elfins. (oldracephotos.com/Harrisson)
Porsche 906…
The 906 was produced for the 1966 World Championship of Makes. It was designed for the FIA’s Group 4 regulations, whilst modified variants of the car, using larger engines and/or cut-down Spyder bodywork, were entered in Group 6, the Sports Prototype category.
The 906 became the last street-legal pure racer built by Porsche. It replaced the successful ladder frame chassis 904 and was the first substantial product of Technical Director Ferdinand Piech’s new team at Zuffenhausen. The Porsche 904 had additional structural rigidity from its bonded-on fibreglass bodywork, while the new 906 featured a modern multi-tubular spaceframe chassis, with an unstressed fibreglass body.
The initial batch of 50 Porsche 906/Carrera 6 Coupes offered light weight, circa 1,300 lb (580 kg), a saving of around 250 lb (113 kg) compared to the similarly-engined 904/6.
The Porsche 901/20 6-cylinder lightweight racing engine was standard equipment, offering circa 220bhp on Weber carburettors. A handful of factory-entered works cars were powered either by fuel-injected versions of the 6-cylinder engine, or the flat-8 derived from Porsche’s F1 program, both engines air-cooled of course.
Porsche 906 Coupe Cutaway; multi-tubular space frame chassis, front suspension; wishbones and coil spring/dampers, rear; inverted lower wishbone, single top link, radius rods and coil spring/dampers. Adjustable bars front and rear. Rack and pinion steering. Six cylinder SOHC two-valve engine on carbs, 220bhp, five-speed Porsche’box with synchros, steel wheels, disc brakes. (Inomoto)
The 906 shape was developed in the wind tunnel, with a top speed of 170mph at Le Mans, amazing for a 2-litre car.
The cars made their international race debut in the 1966 Daytona 24 Hours, sixth overall and beating the Ferrari Dino 206 in the 2-litre class was the car driven by Hans Herrmann/Herbert Linge. At Sebring, Herrmann won the class again in a Carrera 6, this time co-driving with Gerhard Mitter and Joe Buzzetta, and finished fourth overall.
The Monza 1,000kms was dominated by 906s in the 2-litre class, this time with Herrmann/Mitter in a works entry leading home the customer car of Charles Vogele/Jo Siffert, these two cars placing fourth and fifth overall behind the victorious Ferrari 330P3 and a pair of Ford GT40s.
At the Targa Florio the 906 won outright, there Willy Mairesse and Herbert Muller co-drove the Swiss Ecurie Filipinetti car.
The 1966 Le Mans works, prototype Porsche 906LE Coupes finished in fourth-seventh places behind the leading trio of 7-litre factory Ford GT Mark IIs, outlasting all of the V12-engined sports-prototype Ferrari P3/4s, while the 2-litre Sports class was again dominated by a standard 906.
The Austrian 500kms event at Zeltweg saw Gerhard Mitter/Hans Herrmann and Jo Siffert (driving solo) finishing one-two.
In 1967 the 906 continued to be campaigned by prominent private entrants and drivers, while the factory team moved on to race larger-engined 907s on the relentless climb to development of the outright contender which finally won Le Mans for Porsche in 1970, the immortal 917.
The Colin Davis/ Porsche 904/8 ‘906-007’ on the way to 2nd place during Targa 1965. The radical cutaway of the body at the front to reduce overhangs on narrow hillclimbs clear in this shot. (Martha)Jo Bonnier inserts himself into 904/8 # 906-007 during practice; both he and Graham Hill tried the car but elected to race a 904/8 Coupe #174, you can just see the nose of the car, with Hill at the wheel beside the Carabinieri. Car # 94 behind Bonnier is the #94 Pucci/Klass 904GTS. Porsche bought seven cars to the event, all but two T-Cars started. (Martha)
The Porsche 904/8…
The 904-based Bergspyders played an important test role in the evolution of the 904 to 906. The first appearance of these cars was at the Targa Florio on May 9, 1965.
All 904s came from the factory with 2-litre engines; four, six and eight cylinders. Generally the fours had 904 chassis numbers and the six-cylinder cars 906 chassis numbers. There was no rule though: the first prototype chassis 904-001 had a six-cylinder engine, the eight-cylinder coupes had 904 chassis numbers, whilst the eight-cylinder Spyders had 906 chassis numbers. Easy really!
Porsche built five 904/8 cars for factory use: chassis 906-003, 004, 007, 008, and 009. To be clear, whilst the chassis had the 906 descriptor, the cars used 904 ladder-frames, not the 906 spaceframe chassis.
All 904/8s had 2-litre flat-8 engines; the Type 771 1962cc engine, which was derived from the 1962 804 F1 car and produced circa 225bhp fed by Weber carbs.
The cars were made in two body variants. Chassis 003, 004, and 009 had the normal Spyder look of a Porsche of the period; the other two cars, 007 and ‘008, were more visually challenging, that is, ugly! The overhangs were shortened a lot for hillclimbing purposes.
Bergspyder, as a name, was a misnomer as the cars were raced as well as ‘climbed, they were nicknamed ‘Kanguruh’ (kangaroo) because of the nature of the cars roadholding, the lightweight cars with their firm suspension jumped about on poor roads.
A couple of fabulous stationary shots of 904/8 ‘906-007’ at Targa 1965. #72 is the Alfa TZ1 of Panepinto/Parla DNF. (Martha)And back…by far the better angle! (Martha)The Porsche team arrive at Targa, May 1965. Cars are 904GTS Coupes and the Spyder, 904/8 906-007 chassis driven by Davis/Mitter. (PorscheAG)
Hamiltons 904/8 car chassis 906-007 was first raced at Targa 1965,
It finished second in the hands of Cliff Davis/Gerhard Mitter behind the winning Ferrari P2 of local lad Nino Vaccarella and Lorenzo Bandini. Gerhard Mitter then used the car to win the 1965 Rossfeld Hillclimb, a 6 km course near Berchtesgaden on 13 June. Next placed Herbie Muller was five seconds adrift in a standard Porsche 904GTS.
Carabinieri taking an interest in the second placed 904/8. # 94 is the works 904GTS of Pucci/Klass fifth, #106 is the Lancia Flaminia of Raimondo/Lo Jacono, which finished but was unclassified. Privateers the lifeblood of Targa! (Martha)Mitter on the startline of Rossfeld, Germany 1965. Win for 904/8 ‘906-007’. (unattributed)
Further success followed at the Norisring, near Nurnberg, where Mitter raced 906-007 to victory on July 4, 1965, leading home two Elva BMWs. The car was then unraced, the last appearance of a 904/8 was in August, in factory hands, Porsche thereafter focusing on production of the new 906.
Alan Hamilton spotted the car in a corner of the racing department…
Car #2 Mitter at the Norisring, victorious in the 904/8 again. Car #3 is a Lotus 23 driven by Anton Fischhaber, #5 Chris Williams’ Lotus BMW. (unattributed)
Porsche 904/8 906-007 in Australia…
Interviewed by Journalist Barry Lake, Hamilton said the 904/8 ‘originally had a 2-litre 8-cylinder engine, but I bought it with a new 906 (6-cylinder) engine I had asked them to install. I imported that at the end of 1965 and raced it through 1966.’
The car was first raced in Australia at Calder, Victoria on 16 January 1966, which is probably when the Autosportsman cover shot used at the start of this article was taken. The car then raced at the Sandown round of the Tasman Series, contesting the sports car events.
Taken across Bass Strait on the Princess of Tasmania with the rest of the Tasman Circus to contest the Australian Tourist Trophy at Longford, Hamilton was second in the race won by the much more powerful Elfin 400 Traco Olds V8 of Frank Matich.
Alan Hamilton in his Porsche 904 906-007 in one of its earliest appearances in Australia, at the 1966 Australian Tourist Trophy, Longford in March 1966. Alongside is Spencer Martin’s Ferrari 250LM and on the far side Frank Matich, in the victorious Elfin 400/Traco Olds. Hamilton was second, Martin third. (Ellis French)Alan Hamilton navigating Surfers Paradise traffic during the 1966 12 Hour. Porsche 904 906-007. Car #5, the ex-Moss/Stillwell Cooper Monaco Olds of Osborne/Carter/Gibbs. (David Blanch)
The 904 quickly became one of the fastest sportscars in the country, fourth in the 1966 Surfers Paradise 12 Hour with a 2-litre car was a top result. Alan shared the 904 with Melbourne driver Brian ‘Brique’ Reed. Jackie Stewart and Andy Buchanan won in the Scuderia Veloce Ferrari 250LM- I wrote an article about this Ferrari a while back, click here to read it; https://primotipo.com/2014/07/03/pete-geoghegan-ferrari-250lm-6321-bathurst-easter-68/
The Hamilton 904 combination were also first in the 1966 Australian Hillclimb Championship at Collingrove, South Australia, the Victorian Sports Car Championship at Sandown and the South Australian Sports Car Championship at the Mallala ex-airfield circuit.
Towards the end of 1966 the Porsche workshop in St Kilda, Melbourne started to transfer the mechanicals of the Kanguruh 904/8 906-007 to a new 906 chassis.
Alan Hamilton, ‘Later (that is after the 904/8 was in Australia) I imported a new 906 chassis and body and put the mechanicals of the Targa car in that’.
‘Then Jim Abbot bought the Targa car (chassis 904/8 906-007) and fitted a ZF gearbox and 289 Ford V8 engine. His estate or perhaps Jim himself shortly before he died, sold the car to Murray Bingham in this form and it became the Bingham Cobra.’
Longford March 1966, second in the Australian Tourist Trophy. 904 ‘906-007’. (oldracephotos.com/King)Alan Hamilton ‘fairly hooting through here, scary to watch’ in the view of the photographer. Templestowe Hillclimb, outer Melbourne 1966. 904 906-007. (onelung)Another shot of Hamilton in the 904 at Templestowe Hillclimb, 11 September 1966, he broke the climb record on the day. (Stephen Dalton Collection)
Hamilton; ‘Years later, Pat Burke bought the car and sent it to Germany where it was restored to its original 904/8 Targa Florio specification. After Pat Burke fell on hard times it was auctioned at Monte Carlo. I think a man in Sydney bought it, but I have no idea who has it now.’
Lets go back a step to the acquisition of the chassis and related parts by Jim Abbott.
Abbott was a driver, owner of Lakeland Hillclimb in outer Melbourne, publisher of motor racing monthly Autosportsman magazine and promoter of an annual Motor Racing Show in Melbourne.
In 1966, 1980 World Champion Alan Jones, was trying to establish a foothold on the motor racing ladder in the UK, wheeling and dealing in cars and campers to provide the money to do so. He acquired an ex-works Sunbeam Tiger and, knowing Abbott had an interest in such cars, sold it to him. The car was raced and ‘climbed’ by Jim and engineer Paul England before Abbott decided it would make a nicer road car than a racer. He swapped the Shelby-modded 289cid V8 for a standard engine and looked around for a chassis into which to plonk his nice, powerful Ford Windsor small-block V8.
Various Coopers were considered before a deal was done with Hamilton to acquire the Kanguruh 904/8 906-007.
A suitable ex-Cooper Maserati F1 ZF 5DS 25 transaxle was also acquired. The engine and box (the latter requiring some modification in terms of clutch componentry by Eddie Thomas) was ‘dropped’ into the Porsche chassis at Hamilton’s St Kilda workshop.
A little cutting and shutting of the chassis crossmember was needed to fit the V8. A sub-frame was added around the engine to maintain chassis stiffness, but in essence, the swap was relatively simple. Stiffer springs and shocks were fitted as the Ford cast iron lump was around 200lbs heavier than the svelte, alloy Porsche Flat 6. Driveshafts were suitably strengthened by Paul England Engineering.
The original rear bodywork was used but at the front, much bashed and repaired a local specialist fashioned a nose much more attractive than the original, the screen, a concoction of a speedboat parts, met at each end with aluminium panels was not quite so pretty.
Jim Abbott in 904 ‘906-007’ now called a ‘Porsche Cobra’ in deference to the 289cid Ford engine installed. This shot is probably at Lakeland in outer Melbourne, a venue owned by Abbott. Front of the much bashed and repaired body re-worked. (Autosportsman)Fairly scratchy shot shows the ZF 5DS 25 beefy gearbox if not the engine. Chassis other than minor mods to fit the engine, as built by Porsche. Front and rear suspension sold with the car by Hamilton to Abbott also standard. (Autosportsman)
Abbott’s objective was not to build an outright car but rather a very fast sports car which could be ‘raced, sprinted and climbed’. The completed machine made is debut at the Light Car Club of Australia’s annual members meeting at Sandown on Melbourne Cup Day in November 1967. ‘Red Handed’ won the ‘Cup at Flemington that day! More importantly, Abbott set a sub-13-second standing quarter mile at Sandown, also primarily a horse racing venue.
The car was quickly under the times set by the class record holder, a Cooper Jaguar at Templestowe Hillclimb and was running fourth in the Winton Trophy at the picturesque Benalla country Victorian circuit when the car lost its water. Initial troubles centred around the cooling system, which were solved by fully rebuilding it.
Jim Abbott, ‘Porsche Cobra’ 904/8 906-007, Lakeland Hillclimb 1967. These are scratchy shots but included for the sake of completeness. Abbott looks huge in the cars cockpit. The screen is from a boat. (Autosportsman)Jim Abbott, Porsche Cobra 904/8 906-007, Lakeland Hillclimb 1967, 2 years before victorious at the much more grand, Rossfeld, Germany hillclimb. (Autosportsman)Tom Sulman in the Porsche Cobra at Huntley Hillclimb, NSW on 1 June 1969 (T Arts)
Abbott did not campaign the car for long before his untimely death, it was then sold to New South Wales veteran driver, Tom Sulman who raced it in 1969.
Murray Bingham then bought 904/8 906-007 and used it very successfully for over 10 years. The old chassis won the Australian Hillclimb Championship again in 1972, a three-round Series that year. (Hamilton won the 1966 title in it at Collingrove).
Murray Bingham in 904/8 906-007, then known as the ‘Bingham Chev’ in, probably, 1972 at Collingrove, Angaston, SA. Check out the downforce being sought front and rear. (John Lemm)
A ‘Manx’ body replaced the original, and the Ford Cobra engine was updated with an ex-Gary Campbell, Alan Smith-built Chev F5000 engine out of a Lola T300. Bingham won the 1973 NSW Hillclimb Championship in Chev-engined form, the 1971-72 NSW titles Ford Cobra-engined.
The much raced car finally passed into the hands of Pat Burke who restored it before it was sold upon the demise of his business empire in the 1980s as described by Alan Hamilton earlier in the article.
I am uncertain of the cars current owner.
Murray Bingham in 904/8 906-007 in its hillclimbing years, King Edward Park, Newcastle, NSW. Car known as ‘Bingham Cobra’ and ‘Bingham Chev’ when fitted with Ford 289 and Chev F5000 engines respectively. ‘Manx’ body (unattributed)Australian Autosportsman June 1967 cover depicts the Alan Hamilton Porsche 906 Spyder at Longford in 1967. (Stephen Dalton Collection)
Hamilton’s first Porsche 906 Spyder…
Hamilton’s new 906 chassis came with bodywork, suspension and brakes.
904/8 906-007 donated its engine and gearbox and some other components, as the narrative and photos show, the 904/8 906-007 car was still as built by Porsche, less the engine and box. Alan is a big, tall bloke so he elected to build the 906 up as a Spyder rather than a standard 906 Coupe in order to ease access and egress and more easily see out of the car.
At this point we have two cars: the 904/8 chassis car 906-007, now called ‘Porsche Cobra’ and fitted with a Ford engine and ZF gearbox and a 906 which was not issued a chassis number by Porsche, but which over the years assumed the 906-007 tag, which was built up as a Spyder, but which when restored in Germany in 2003-09, was rebuilt as a Coupe. This car now has a chassis 906-007 plate, at what point the plate was affixed is conjecture.
Both cars have elements of the original 904/8 906-007…
Another majestic Longford shot. Hamilton Porsche 906 Spyder 1967. (oldracephotos.com/King)
Back in 1966, none of these problems for future historians mattered to Hamilton; he had a new state-of-the-art 906 to contest Australian events.
As the recent article I wrote on the Frank Matich Elfin 400/Traco Olds makes clear, the light six-cylinder-engined Porsche was up against it with several very potent, light, well-driven V8-powered cars in the hands of Frank Matich, Niel Allen and Bob Jane in 1967. (Matich SR3 Repco, Elfin 400 Chev and Elfin 400 Repco, respectively).
The Porsche Team completed the build of the 906, and the original 904 chassis 906-007 was put out the back of their St Kilda workshop until acquired by Jim Abbott later in 1967.
The 906 Spyder made its debut in the sports car events at Sandown’s Tasman round in late February 1967. Hamilton took three class wins and a class lap record.
To Longford, the following weekend, the car was third outright. The following week, still in Tasmania, Hamilton raced the car at Symmons Plains, where he won his first race and was leading the Tasmanian Sports Car Championship when a conrod let go. Hamilton noted in his Autosportsman column that the engine had ‘done 14 months racing, 92 hours, so we are more than happy with its overall performance’, Porsche’s reliability is legendary.
In April, Hamilton contested the Victorian Sportscar Championship, winning his heat and finishing second outright and first in class; he also bagged the class lap record.
The Hamilton 906 in the Warwick farm paddock, May 1967. Note the ‘chin wing’ and pretty front of the car. (WOT)Sensational Bruce Wells shot of Hamilton contesting the RAC Trophy at Warwick Farm in May 1967, here in the Esses. Sans the wings in the paddock shot. Porsche 906 Spyder. (Bruce Wells/The Roaring Season)Warwick Farm 906 butt shot, May 1967. (WOT)
On 14 May, Hamilton contested the RAC Trophy at Warwick Farm where he finished third behind two powerful V8s. The dominant Matich SR3 of Frank Matich was getting in some valuable mileage before leaving to contest the Can-Am Series in this car, and Bob Jane’s Elfin 400, which, like the SR3, was powered by Repco’s new 620 Series SOHC, two-valve, 4.4-litre V8.
A week after the RAC Trophy, Hamilton contested the Australian Tourist Trophy at Surfers Paradise. This was a relatively easy tow from Sydney to Queensland’s Gold Coast and gave Hamilton valuable testing time at Surfers to fettle the car to suit the circuit for the international 12 Hour event in September.
Matich won again in his SR3 Repco, but Alan was second in the 906 and his 12 Hour co-driver Glyn Scott third in his Lotus 23B Ford. The other two outright sportscar contenders of that year, Niel Allen and Bob Jane’s Elfin 400s did not make the trip North.
Success followed in Victorian events at Calder and at Hume Weir on the Queens Birthday weekend, before taking the long haul back to Surfers Paradise for the 12 Hour event on the 3 September weekend .
Alan Hamilton awaits the rest of the grid at Hume Weir in 1967. Great little circuit built in a quarry created when land fill was excavated to create the Hume Weir Dam. Porsche 906 Spyder. Top shot shows the lines of this car superbly. (unattributed)Hume Weir, Queens Birthday weekend 1967. AH on pole in his 906, #6 is ‘Gold Star’ reigning national champion, Spencer Martin having his first drive of Bob Jane’s Elfin 400 Repco and the nose of Bevan Gibson’s Lotus 15 Climax FPF. (The Nostalgia Forum)
Hamilton’s co-driver at Surfers was Queenslands’ Glyn Scott, the duo finished third outright and first in class. The race was won again by the SV Ferrari 250LM, that year driven by the Australian duo, Bill Brown and Greg Cusack, Paul Hawkins and Jackie Epstein were second in Epstein’s Lola T70 Mk3 Chev.
Alan Hamilton was very fast out of the blocks at the start of the ’67 Surfers 12 Hour in the #9 906. #1 is the second placed Lola T70 Mk3 Chev, with Paul Hawkins at the wheel, the winning Ferrari 250LM is alongside Hawkins. The Lotus Elan is probably the McArthur brothers’ car, the Datsun 1600 #29 the ‘works’ 1600 of Tapsall/Woelders DNF, and the Volvo P1800S driven by Keran/Bond/Winkless 10th. (unattributed)Hamilton corners the 906 at ‘Lukeys’ during the Surfers 12 Hour. (Peter Baldwin)Hamilton on the Collingrove Hillclimb startline in April 1967. He set a track record of 35.60 seconds in the 906 at this meeting. (John Lemm)
Another long tow to Mallala, South Australia, was rewarded with victory in the South Australian TT.
John Blanden noted the versatility of the car and driver, the 906 contested hillclimbs, still pretty important and sometimes televised, the car taking FTD at Templestowe in Melbourne’s outer east and second in the Australian Hillclimb Championship at Bathurst in November behind Greg Cusack’s Tasman 2.5-litre Repco powered Brabham BT23.
A successful year was capped with a win at Lakeland Hillclimb in the Dandenong Ranges, outer Melbourne in December.
Alan had a win at Lakeland Hillclimb close to home in December 1967 (G Fry)The Roxburgh/Whiteford Datsun 1600 ahead of the Cusack/Brown Ferrari 250LM and Hamilton/Scott Porsche 906 Spyder. Surfers 12 Hour 1967.(Ray Bell)
The 906 was advertised for sale in the November 1967 issue of Racing Car News, the car, according to John Blanden, having reached its Customs Duty limits. This taxation concession allowed Tasman Series competitors, for example, to avoid import duty by ‘exporting’ the cars each year to New Zealand. If exceeded, that is, the car stayed in Australia for longer than twelve months, the ‘fiscal fiend’, the taxman, had to be paid.
The car was sold to Richard Wong in Singapore and passed through many hands, including Macau businessman/racer/team owner Teddy Yip. As mentioned earlier in this article, Hamilton’s first 906 was ultimately restored as a Coupe, having been only raced by Hamilton as a Spyder…
Alan Hamilton, Porsche 906, Symmons Plains 1967 (HRCCT)
European Trip in 1968…
Hamilton spent most of 1968 overseas, much of it working at Porsche; he did manage to fit in the Nurburgring 1000Km, racing a 911S to 28th place with co-driver/car owner Hans-Dieter Blatzheim. The race was won by a factory Porsche 908 driven by Jo Siffert and Vic Elford.
Planning an all out assault on the 1969 Australian Touring Car Championship, Hamilton ordered a trick 911T/R, the car arrived early enough to compete in the 1968 ATCC, the last run to a one race format. Pete Geoghegan won the title again in his Mustang, Hamilton in the giant killing 2-litre 911 lost second place on the last lap due to a puncture, Darrell King’s Morris Cooper S just beat him to the Warwick Farm chequered flag.
Porsche still had some spare 906 chassis lying around the factory, one was offered to Alan, who was happy to oblige, he still had plenty of bits from the earlier cars so he could easily build up another car for competition back in Oz. This 906, just like the previous chassis he raced in ’67 did not have a chassis number.
Hamilton has his 911T/R in a beautifully balanced four-wheel drift during his run to third place in the one race Australian Touring Car Championship at Warwick Farm in September 1968. A flat tyre cost him second on the last lap. Pete Geoghegan won the title in his Ford Mustang. This car left Oz many years ago.(autopics.com.au)Alan Hamilton exiting Clubhouse Corner at Mallala on 16 June 1969 during the ‘South Australian Touring Car Championship’, round 3 of the ATCC in 1969. AH was second behind Pete Geoghegan, the first of four second places he achieved that year. The 2-litre 911T/R did not quite have the Mumbo to knock off the big Mustang. (Dick Simpson)
In the 1969 ATCC he came very close to taking the title with consistent second places, ultimately the championship was won by Pete Geoghegan by one point, in his Mustang, the fifth win in the event for the beefy, supremely talented Sydneysider. The battle went down to the wire in the final round at Symmons Plains.
In the middle of his ATCC campaign, Hamilton was recruited by ‘Big Al’ Turner to drive a factory Ford Falcon XW GTHO Phase 1 in the Bathurst 500 together with 500 debutant Allan Moffat that October.
Moffat was in good form having won the preceding Sandown 500 in his big Falcon. Still a young driver, Turner was keen to exploit Hamilton’s speed, smoothness and mechanical sympathy. It was the start of a relationship between the drivers which would be mutually beneficial over the next decade.
1969 was the famous Bathurst when tyres imported by Turner failed spectacularly. Moffat was called into the pits for a precautionary check after the tyres on the Brothers Geoghegan and Gibson/Seton cars failed. The Moffat/Hamilton duo were easier on the Goodyears than their teammates; the pitstop was unnecessary and probably the cause of the pre-race favourite Falcons losing the victory. The Holden Dealer Team Holden Monaro HG GTS 350 of Colin Bond and Tony Roberts won the race.
Moffat/Hamilton Ford Falcon GTHO, Bathurst 1969. (autopics)
In 1970, Alan didn’t contest the ATCC, but the second Hamilton 906 was assembled. The car had a standard 906 front clip, but, like the earlier 904/8 906-007 and 906 was a Spyder, the rear deck was modified locally with pronounced spoilers to provide some downforce. No wing though.
Minilite wheels replaced the factory steel wheels of the earlier cars. The machine was ready for the 1971 Australian Sportscar Championship, powered by a 2.4-litre twin-plug engine assembled locally from Alan’s cache of trick, Porsche bits.
Hamilton in his second 906 at Warwick Farm on 2 May 1971. The standard 906 front, Minilite wheels and modified rear deck are all clear. Like his earlier 906 this chassis was not allocated a number by the factory. (lyntonh)
Hamilton’s second 906 Spyder…
1971 was to be a big year of racing for Hamilton. In amongst the rapid growth of Porsche Cars Australia, a strong economy and global growth in the Porsche brand reflected in strong sales in Australia, Hamilton took the big step up to Australia’s premier single-seater class, F5000.
He purchased Niel Allen’s spare McLaren M10B Chev (#400-19) upon Allen’s retirement from the sport. (Ignoring Allen’s short flirtation with a Lola T300 12 months later). Kevin Bartlett bought Niel’s other M10B (#400-02), all these years later Hamilton owns both McLarens, they are being historic raced by Alf Costanzo. In the seventies and eighties Alfie was Hamilton’s driver in a swag of F5000 and F Pacific cars in which the little Italian born Aussie was prodigiously fast. A tangent too far for this long article!
AH in his McLaren M10 B Chev, F5000, Oran Park June 1971. (lyntonh)
Hamilton missed the 1971 Tasman Rounds, but both he and Bartlett had their cars ready for a full Gold Star campaign. Despite being a novice in these big, brutal, challenging cars Hamilton was immediately competitive, taking third places at Oran Park, Surfers Paradise and Mallala.
He was fourth at Lakeside, finishing the Series equal second with Bartlett in his M10B. Winner of the series was the speedy and consistent Max Stewart in his Mildren Waggott 2-litre in a final Championship victory for this superb Australian four-cylinder DOHC four-valve engine. Stewart progressed to an Elfin MR5 Repco at the end of the Series and was consistently competitive in the big cars for the rest of his career.
The Porsche Cars Australia transporter did plenty of miles from its St Kilda base in 1971 in pursuit of two national championships and the vast distances across the big Australian continent that entails.
Alan Hamilton cornering his McLaren 911 style at Warwick Farm 1971, date unknown. Car is chassis ‘400-19’, Niel Allen’s spare built up by Peter Molloy and sold, together with his race chassis ‘400-02’ to Alan Hamilton and Keven Bartlett respectively. Full monocoque aluminium chassis, 500bhp fuel injected 5-litre Chev engine, Hewland DG300 gearbox…much more powerful than a Porsche 906! (unattributed)In the best of company during the 1971 AGP at Warwick Farm. John Surtees from Hamilton, Colin Bond and Graeme Lawrence. Surtees TS8 Chev, McLaren M10B Chev, McLaren M10C Repco and Brabham BT30 Ford. (lyntonh)Side on view of Hamilton’s 906 in 1971, here at the RAC Trophy meeting at Warwick Farm, Northern Crossing in May 1971. (lyntonhButt shot of the car, same day as above, the neat upswept tail providing downforce but also not too much drag given the little 2.4-litre flat-6 propelling it all…(lyntonh)
In 1971 Hamiltons 2.4-litre twin-plug Porsche 906 was as out-powered as the earlier cars were in 1966-67.
The fastest combination in the field was John Harvey in Bob Jane’s McLaren M6B Repco, a 5-litre SOHC 740 Series V8 producing around 460bhp@7500rpm. Best results for the 906 were thirds at Phillip Island in January and Warwick Farm in May.
Whilst outgunned on the track, the nimble 906 was just the thing at Hillclimbs. Hamilton had a passion for these events and at Easter took fastest time of the day on 10 April, a track record and the Australian Title, his second win, the first in the 904/8 also at Collingrove in 1966. The Angaston Hills were alive to the sound of flat 6 music…
Alan Hamilton launches his Porsche 906 off the line at Collingrove, Angaston in South Australia’s Barossa Valley. Easter 1971. Hammo set a track record of 33 seconds dead at this meeting. (fredeuce)
At the end of the year, Hamilton sold the McLaren to Pat Burke (later the restorer of the 904/8 906-007) for his driver Warwick Brown, with the M10B an important stepping stone for the talented driver on his climb towards the top of the class in both Australasia and the US.
This M10B chassis was then used as the donor car for Bryan Thomson’s ‘Volksrolet’ VW Fastback Sports Sedan project, before being restored, around the original tub, which had never been destroyed, many years later, by Alan Hamilton as mentioned above.
A lap or so from disaster, Dandenong Road corner. AGP Sandown 1978. AH was running a comfortable second in his Lola T430 Chev, behind race winner Graham McRae McRae GM3 Chev, when he lost the car across the Causeway section of the old circuit, at high speed, hitting Dunlop Bridge and hurting himself very badly. Fortunately, he survived, but the car was carved in half, destroyed. In the last 5 years, it has been reconstructed by the ‘NZ F5000 Industry’ around the car’s remains, which comprised ‘half its vinyl Lola nose badge’…(G Howard ‘History of The AGP’)
Hamilton returned to F5000 in 1978, that campaign ended in near tragedy at Sandown when he crashed his ex-Team VDS Warwick Brown Lola T430 Chev at the high speed Dunlop Bridge, the car was destroyed, carved in half, Alan was lucky to survive, and became a diabetic as a consequence and has been unable to hold a full licence since.
Not that it stopped him winning two Australian Hillclimb Championships in 1981 at Ararat and 1989 at Gippsland Park, both in Victoria, in Porsche Spl and Lola T8750 Buick respectively. He was lucky to survive the Sandown accident and was a significant patron to other drivers, notably Costanzo post-prang.
In 1972 Hamilton continued to campaign the 906, John Harvey won the title again in the Bob Jane McLaren M6B Repco with Hamilton second in the title, 20 points adrift of Harvey with seconds at Phillip Island, Adelaide International, Warwick Farm and Surfers Paradise.
The championship had a bit of a renaissance that year with some new cars appearing, notably the Elfin 360s of Phil Moore and Henry Michell, also the Rennmax of Doug Macarthur, all of which were powered by ex-Tasman Series 2.5 litre V8 Repco engines now surplus to requirements with F5000 as the new ANF1.
Victory lap, Sports Sedan race at Oran Park May 1972. Alan Hamilton #9, Jim MkKeown in 911’s, Pat Peck in a Holden Torana GTR XU1 and Bill Brown #7 in another 911. (lyntonh)
Alan also raced a Porsche 911S sports sedan during this period, but the 906 racing days were over. The car was rebuilt as a Coupe in the 1980s by the Porsche workshop in Melbourne. It appeared occasionally, notably at a couple of Adelaide Grand Prix historic demonstrations. The car was finally sold by Hamilton in 1990 via auction to a Japanese owner.
Hamilton raced on in a variety of cars and became a very generous team owner after his own front line racing days ceased post accident, he is still active in the historic scene and lives on a property at Red Hill on Melbourne, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Hamiltons second 906, originally raced as a Spyder in 1971-72 now restored and rebodied as a Coupe and pictured here at Sandown in 1985. Restoration done in the Melbourne/Dandenong Porsche Cars Australia workshops. (Historic Racing Cars in Australia)
Etcetera…
Australian Autosportsman April 1967
904/8 906-007
Refuelling 904/8 of Davis/ Mitter, Targa 1965. (Bernard Cahier)Type 771 flat-8, 2 valve, DOHC, Weber carbed engine a development of Porsche’s 61/2′ F1 program. Circa 225bhp. (unattributed)904/8 rear suspension and engine. Upper and lower wishbones, coil spring/dampers, radius rods. Disc brake, fuel tank all clear to see. 904 chassis of ladder frame type. (unattributed)
Bibliography…
‘Historic racing Cars in Australia’ John Blanden, The Nostalgia Forum, Australian Autosportsman Magazine March 1966 and April 1967. Stephen Dalton for his research and access to his archive/collection
Photo Credits…
oldracephotos.com, ‘onelung’, Bernard Cahier, lyntonh, G Howard ‘History of The AGP’, autopics.com, Dick Simpson, Bruce Wells, The Roaring Season, freduece, Ray Bell, David Blanch, Ellis French, John Lemm, Peter Baldwin, Jean Charles Martha, Yoshihiro Inomoto, Gavin Fry, Tony Arts, Historic Racing Car Club of Tasmania
Alfonso de Portago practices his Ferrari 625 prior to the 1955 Pau Grand Prix, a race won by Jean Behra’s factory Maser 250F…
These superb images are from the Jesse Alexander Archive. The factory Maserati’s of #14 Behra, #16 Roberto Mieres and #18 Luigi Musso are in line astern in the Pau paddock, Saturday 10 April 1955.
(Jesse Alexander)
Jean won the race from Eugenio Castellotti in a Lancia D50 and teammate Roberto Mieres in third. de Portago was 8th and the best placed Ferrari, no factory cars were entered by the Scuderia after a poor showing at Turin a fortnight before.
Ascari had the race in hand after a great dice with Behra early but with 20 laps to go had braking problems, the Lancia mechanics did a work around which gave him brakes on the front and allowed him to finish, Jean taking a lucky win.
Eugenio’s Lancia being warmed up by the team, you can feel the staccato-blast of that lovely basso-profundo 2.5 litre V8!? (Jesse Alexander)
The nose of Lancia Team Leader Alberto Ascari’s Lancia D50. Pau 1955, he was 5th. Alberto died only 6weeks later at Monza in a tragic testing accident. (Jesse Alexander)
(Jesse Alexander)
No sign of the admiring duck this time but again its de Portago in his Ferrari, not sure who it is behind, factory Ferrari GP drives would come his way in time.
Sensational shots of a great track, and thankfully still in use.
John Surtees Ferrari 158 leads Jo Siffert and Jim Clark, Brabham BT11 BRM and Lotus 33 Climax at the start of the 1965 Syracuse GP, Sicily April 4 1965…
Clark won the race from Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini in another Ferrari 158. A solid entry contested this non-championship GP including Mike Spence Lotus 33 Climax, Masten Gregory BRM P57 and Mike Hailwood and Innes Ireland in Lotus 25 BRM’s. What a fabulous track this must have been.
Clark was well into his very successful 1965 season, he finished a successful Australasian summer in March winning the Tasman Series in a Lotus 32B Climax, took the ‘Indy 500 in the Lotus 38 Ford in May and won the world title, his second in the Lotus 33…apart from whatever F2, touring car and sports car victories he took that year!
The event was held on a road course in Syracuse, right in the corner of the southeast of Sicily. The GP was first and last held in 1951 and 1967, the events won by Ferraris’; Luigi Villoresi’s Ferrari 375 in 1951 and Mike Parkes AND Ludovico Scarfiotti’s Ferrari 312’s dead-heating in honor of their recently killed teammate Lorenzo Bandini, who died at Monaco in 1967.
Those 400bhp cars must have been awfully quick around that track in 1967…
Mike Parkes #28 and Ludovico Scarfiotti #16, Ferrari 312’s stage their dead-heat in the 16th and last Syracuse GP on 21 May 1967 in honour of their just killed teammate, Lorenzo Bandini at the ’67 Monaco GP. A wonderful gesture of respect. (Getty Images)
The victorious Bentley Speed 8 of Kristensen/Capello/Smith ahead of the second placegetting car driven by Herbert/ Blundell/David Brabham, Le Mans 2003. (unattributed)
Wonderful outcomes of automotive industry mergers and takeovers of the last 20 years or so has been the resurgence of the ‘Great British Grand Marques’; Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Bentley. Ford were very good for Aston’s and Jaguar, (noting the subsequent changes in ownership of both companies) BMW for Rolls and Volkswagen Group’s Bentley investment in 1998 put the brand back where it deserved to be.
Successful merchant bankers conveyance of choice; Bentley Continental GT. (unattributed)
Apart from the product driven strategy starting with the Continental GT Coupe in 2003, an important part of relaunching and repositioning Bentley as a brand was victory at Le Mans. The company achieved this 5 times under WO Bentley’s leadership/ Woolf Barnato’s ownership between 1923 and 1930.
The 1924 Le Mans winning Bentley 3 litre. WO Bentley in the middle with drivers Frank Clement, left and John Duff. 4 cylinder fixed head, the block and head cast as one, SOHC, 4 valve, twin plugs with ‘pent roof’ combustion chambers, 2996cc, very long stroke engine. 4 speed gearbox, 4 wheel brakes from 1924. Circa 1800Kg. (unattributed)
Le Mans pit scene in 1925 featuring the #10 Herbert Kensington Moir/ Dudley Benjafield and #9 John Duff/ Frank Clement Bentley 3 Litres. Not a happy year for the marque, both cars DNF, the race won by a Lorraine Dietrich B3-6. (unattributed)
Gendarmes aboard the victorious Rubin/Barnato (right) Bentley 4.5 litre, Le Mans 1928. Chassis ‘ST3001’, was a ‘Long Standard’ type with a 101 inch wheelbase. The car was a prototype, the 3 litre engine described above enlarged to 4398cc, it used a stronger crank, rods and pistons. Power was 100-110bhp, 20 more than the 3 litre, the car good for 100mph @ 3500rpm. Suspension still by quarter elliptics front and rear. (unattributed)
Bentley boys @ Le Mans in 1928 L>R Rubin, Barnato, Birkin aboard the winning 4.5 litre, Clement and Benjafield (Popperfoto)
VW Group embarked on a 3 year program to win Le Mans with a Bentley ‘off the back’ of the Audi R8’s Le Mans success three years on the trot from 2000-2002.In 2003 there was a transition of their efforts from the all conquering R8’s, no works Audi’s were entered that year, to the Bentley Speed 8, that years contender.
The Audi race subsidiary RTN (Race Technology Norfolk) built an entirely new car, still a closed prototype or GTP class car designed by Peter Elleray who also concepted the ‘EXP Speed 8’ used in 2001 and 2002. Best placed of these cars was 3rd and 4th respectively, the all-conquering Audi R8’s in front of them in both years.
Elleray graduated from Durham University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Maths, he then did some analysis work with Tyrrell in 1982 on their ground effect tunnels before getting a job with Arrows F1 having assisted several Formula Ford teams. He later worked as a design and race engineer running Gerhard Berger’s car in 1985. He was appointed Chief Designer of the Bentley program after Le Mans 1999.
Bentley Speed 8 cutaway drawing. (Peter Hutton)
In an interesting interview of depth with mulsannes.com Elleray outlined the secrets of Bentley’s 2003 Le Mans success ‘I start with the aero side and then try to fit a workable structure and suspension systems into that…One of the very good pieces of advice I was given a number of years ago is to design the car you want and then make it fit the regulations!’
The 2001 Bentley EXP Speed 8, Le Mans 2001. This car finished 3rd driven by Andy Wallace/Butch Leitzinger/Eric Van Der Poele, the sister car DNF. In 1st and 2nd positions were Audi R8’s. Car powered by 3.6 litre twin-turbo V8 in 2001, 4 litres in 2002 and 2003. Prototype built in 2000 did not race. (netcarshow.com)
Elleray conceded the Bentley benefited from the race winning Audi R8C‘The prototype Bentley 00 car which never raced, did benefit from R8C experience, but only in as much as showing us what not to do!…I did reintroduce a number of suspension elements on the ’03 car when nobody was looking. There was not a lot of carryover of design staff from the R8C and subsequent Bentley projects…’
Tom Kristensen in the Audi R8 he shared with Frank Biela and Emanuelle Pirro to win Audi’s first Le Mans in 2000. Audi’s 1-3rd. Carbon fibre and aluminium honeycombe chassis, 3.6 litre V8 twin-turbo engine, circa 610bhp in 2000, Ricardo 6 speed sequential ‘box, suspension; wishbones and pushrods actuating horizontally mounted shocks, front and rear. Designed by Michael Pfadenhauer (aero) and Ulrich Baretzky (engine). (unattributed)
2003 Bentley Speed 8 front detail. Inlet for radiators in conventional midships position. The air flows past the suspension and a ‘faux duct’ whose aim is to reduce lift generated by the air as it goes over the bodywork. (Autosport/ Bob Chapman)
The GTP closed rather than open-car design was chosenbecause ‘the visual presence of the GTP may have been as important as anything else…If you look back through the history of prototype racing the closed cars have always been the most charismatic, and, in as much as the racing was part of their marketing strategy them I’m sure this was a factor’.
There was little mechanical carryover from ’02 to ’03 apart from the engine and internal layout of the gearbox. Some of the torsion bar system was carried over at the front but the rear was all new. The layout of the cooling system was the same, as were the front diffuser section and the Kayaba electric power steering.
Front suspension by wishbones top and bottom, telescopic dampers, torsion bars and adjustable roll bar. Carbon fibre tub clear as is the diffuser strake leading edge. The structure housing the brake inlet duct also forms the trailing edge of the diffuser. (Autosport/Bob Chapman text Michael Fuller)
‘In contrast to that all of the key performance related parameters changed. Weight distribution, aero concept and map, suspension geometry, all changed significantly...all done due to the knowledge that only a win would be acceptable. If you know you are going to be in serious trouble if you finish second then it probably encourages you to take a few chances…’ Elleray said.
The good results started with the aerodynamics ‘The car had a good level of downforce over a wide range of ride-heights and pitch angles which meant that it could run softer than the ’02 car…that (may) have assisted Michelin in a way we hadn’t assisted Dunlop (in prior years) but the race showed that we were able to look after the tyres and still be quick…the changed suspension geometry played a part ‘
‘The other thing was that we ended up with a very drivable balanced car, although that came about during the test program rather than off the drawing board…that had been a case of trying different roll and heave stiffness, seven post rig testing and also playing with weight distribution a bit. The aero map being stable over a wide range was also a function and then Michelin responded with the right tyres for the car and suddenly we were right there…’
3 D model of the Bentley Speed 8 carbon fibre and aluminium monocoque. Carbon roll hoop assemblies integrated with the roof structure. (Alastair Macqueen)
All of the Bentley monocoques have been in the 70 Kg regionwhich is to a large extent due to the FIA tests the chassis has to pass before it can race. The nose box tests the car passed easily but the roll hoop test, designed for open cars was more difficult.
After Eric Van Der Poele’s big accident at Paul Ricard in 2002, even though he was unhurt, Elleray decided to make the car more like an open one with a monocoque coming up in one piece to the drivers shoulders with a separate hoop of carbon on top of that.
A 360 degree hoop was inserted at the dashboard and a roof was glued on top of the two hoops to join them together. Elleray ‘figured this would be able to withstand repeated impacts better’.
Engine 4 litre, DOHC, 4 valve, twin-turbo 90 degree V8. Circa 615bhp and 590 lb ft of torque @7500 rpm. Boost pressure limited to 1.87 bar by ACO in 2003. Gearbox; Bentley case with Xtrac 6 speed sequential internals. Rear suspension upper and lower wishbones with telescopic dampers and torsion bars. Adjustable roll bar. (autosport/Bob Chapman)
The development of the 4 litre twin-turbo V8 to run with air inlet restrictions, imposed by the authorities to reduce power and speed in all 4 Le Mans categories in 2003 was also an important success factor.The 3 privately entered Audi R8’s which were Bentley’s main opposition had little development of their 3.6 litre engines to combat the regulation change; in short VW Group wanted Bentley to win in 2003.
The open Audi’s had the advantage of being easier to access during the race and had wider rear tyres and therefore better life and fuel economy whereas the Bentleys were superior in top speed but needed to change tyres and refuel more often.
The Herbert/Blundell/David Brabham 2nd place Speed 8. Le Mans 2003. (unattributed)
In terms of Le Mans itself, Audi’s winning factory drivers over the previous 3 years were farmed out; Tom Kristensen elected to lead the Bentley Team and asked that Rinaldo Capello join him, Guy Smith was the third driver in the #7 Bentley. Le Mans winning team, Joest Racing provided ‘in field’ support to Team Bentley.
Emmanuelle Pirro joined the Champion Racing Team driving its R8 and Frank Biela lead the British Audi Team also R8 mounted. Biela had the pace but made an error and overshot the pit entry, the extra lap ran the car out of fuel.
Nice shot which shows the profile of the 2003 Speed 8, the winning car and complex aero of the ‘modern’, its 12 years ago now, Sports Prototype. Carbon fibre brakes aglow. Brakes; AP Racing 14.8 inch front / 14 inch rear carbon fibre discs with 6 piston calipers. (unattributed)
The #7 Bentley lead almost every lap of the race, 377 in total and didn’t lose a lap in damage or punctures. Guy Smith was given the honor of piloting the Speed 8 across the line to mark an emotional sixth win for Bentley after the elapse of over 70 years.
Johnny Herbert, Mark Blundell and David Brabham were 2nd in the #8 Bentley, 2 laps behind the winners. They lost time with an unscheduled stop on the Saturday afternoon when the drivers headrest broke free in the cockpit and a few minutes on Sunday when the battery was changed twice.
With Le Mans won, it was ‘marketing mission accomplished’ for the VW Group, the Bentley prototype racing program was at and end. Audi have now won the race 13 times since their initial victory in 2000 with a variety of interesting cars; petrol, diesel and now hybrid powered.
Post Le Mans victory parade in Paris. The winning Speed 8 between the 2 crews aboard ‘Blower’ Bentleys. Nice juxtaposition of Le Mans technological advancement over 70 years! And rich Bentley brand heritage. (unattributed)
Etcetera…
Speed 8 at Sebring 2003. Interesting shot shows the aero treatment; wheel well air outlets on top of guard and at the side, and inlet for carbon brakes. Wheels are O.Z. forged magnesium, 12.25/13 inches wide front/rear and 18 inches in diameter. Tyres Michelin in 2003. The cars started from the back of the Sebring grid after a technical infraction caused by exhaust heat distorting the cars flat floor, as a result the rear diffuser was too high, its height measured from the floor. A plywood filler piece solved the problem. The Speed 8’s finished 3rd and 4th at Sebring, Audi R8’s in 1st and 2nd. Valuable testing gained. (Autosport/Bob Chapman)
Rear deck detail and aluminium strakes added to duct more air to the brakes after cooling concerns at Sebring. You can also see the very neat tail light at the trailing edge of the cockpit ‘bobble’. Between the 2 small ducts. (Autosport/Bob Chapman)
Herbert/Brabham/Blundell, 3rd place, Bentley Speed 8, Sebring 2003. Car behind is a Chev Corvette C5-R. (Autosport/Bob Chapman)
Bentley Team at Le Mans 2003. Plus a factory at Norfolk to build the cars. Even with the technology transfer from the ‘family’ Audi R8 program, victory in 3 years was a considerable achievement, many have spent more and not won at all…(unattributed)
Bibliography and Credits…
Automobile Year 51: Andrew Cottons Sportscar Review, mulsannescorner.com, Autosport, Bob Chapman, Michael Fuller, Alastair MacQueen, netcarshow.com, Popperfoto
Tailpiece…
Bentley Speed 8, Sebring 2003. Hopefully a return to outright Le Mans contention again soon? (Autosport/Bob Chapman)
Manfred von Brauchitsch,winner, Rudy Caracciola 2nd 1937 Monaco GP, held that year on 8 August. Loews Hairpin. These 2 were 2 laps in front of 3rd placed Christian Kautz in another Mercedes W125. (unattributed)
Mercedes Benz’ 1937 Grand Prix car was famously the most powerful racing car until the 7-8 litre Can Am aluminium Chev V8’s deployed in the early 1970’s finally exceeded its output of circa 645 bhp. It took the 1.5 litre turbo-cars of the late 1970’s for a Grand Prix car to best those numbers of 1937…
The 750 Kg formula of 1934 to 1937 created an ‘unlimited formula’ of the type only replicated by the Can Am Series of the mid-sixties to mid-seventies. The class was minimum weight based which meant the German teams of Auto Union and Mercedes Benz, bouyed by Government subsidies and rapidly advancing military technology were able to build very light and powerful cars…far more powerful than the regulators had imagined or intended!
Mercedes GP contender in 1929, prior to the ‘serious program’ of the 1930’s. Rudy Caracciola wrestling the big SSK, sports car around Monaco to 3rd place. Race won by the ‘W Williams’ Bugatti T35B. Supercharged SOHC 6.8 litre straight 6, circa 250bhp. (unattributed)
In search of, and finding an apex! Luigi Fagioli in his Mercedes Benz W25 at the Coppa Acerbo, Pescara on 15 August 1934. Nuvolari and Brivio 2nd and 3rd in Maser 8CM and Bugatti T59 respectively. (unattributed)
The mid-engined, radical Auto Union ‘P wagen’ was launched in late 1933 to critical acclaim. Mercedes approach was more conventional, the W25 a front-engined car powered by a DOHC supercharged straight-eight which initially developed circa 315bhp @ 5800rpm. Suspension was all independent by wishbones and coil springs at the front and swing axles and reversed quarter elliptic springs at the rear. Hydraulic drum brakes were used. The cars won 4 Grands’ Prix and 2 Hillclimbs in 1934.
In 1935 the W25 was further developed, Rudy Caracciola won the reinstated European Championship. Tazio Nuvolari’s famous 1935 German GP win aboard his Alfa Romeo P3 the only non-German car to win a Championship GP from 1935 to 1939.
Rudy Caracciola in his Mercedes W25B, Montjuic Park, Barcelona on 30 June 1935. Teammate Luigi Fagioli won the Penya Rhin Grand Prix with Rudi 2nd and Tazio Nuvolari 3rd in an Alfa P3. Carac won the European Drivers Title that year. (unattributed)
The capacity of the W25, initially 3.4 litres increased to over 4 litres developing over 400bhp. The M25 straight-8 became unreliable when enlarged to 4.7 litres and 490bhp. A 5.6 litre, 600bhp V12 was tested but the cars, the chassis shortened (becoming so small Caracciola couldn’t fit comfortably in it) and lightened became uncompetitive with reliability, engine and handling dramas, Auto Union winning many races.
Mercedes team at the foresters lodge ‘ Sankt Hubertus’ prior to the 1936 GP at the Nurburgring. Mercedes W25’s entered for Caracciola, von Brauchitsch,Lang, Fagioli and Louis Chiron. Best placed was the Fagioli/Caracciola car in 5th, Rosemeyer won in an Auto Union. (unattributed)
After the 1936 German Grand Prix, a catastrophic home race for the team, the best placed Mercedes-Benz in 5th position, it was clear that radical changes had to be made to the Mercedes sporting organization.
Management started by looking at the structure of their racing departments, the same issues of lack of nimbleness, communication and decisiveness which have dogged bigger companies such as Ferrari and Renault in recent decades are not new.
The organization used by Mercedes in 1936 had its roots before the First World War. After the death of Hans Nibel in 1934 the central design office was managed by ex-driver Max Sailer. Under him Albert Heess and Otto Schilling were engine design chiefs with Max Wagner the chassis supremo.
Construction, assembly and testing of the cars were handled by the experimental department led by Fritz Nallinger. Jacob Krauss managed chassis construction and Otto Weber engine assembly while George Scheerer, in charge of the dynamometer section, was responsible for engine testing.
Over the years communication between the experimental department and the sporting department led by Alfred Neubauer had begun to fail. ‘Too many cooks’ springs to mind…
Bob Shepherd line drawing of the Mercedes Benz W125. (Australian Motor Sports)
A new technical department between the design office and the racing team was created in 1936.The Rennabteilung (racing department) took over the assembly and testing of the racing cars from the experimental department. In charge of the new department was gifted young engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. He was born in London on 15 July 1906, (died 8 May 1989) his father German, his mother English. He joined Mercedes Benz in 1931 as a Munich University graduate, until 1936 Uhlenhaut had worked on passenger cars not on any of the racers.
Rudy Uhlenhaut testing a Mercedes W154 GP car at Monza in early 1938. Uhlenhaut was a race fast, analytical driver. He was entered as potential relief driver in the Le Mans campaign of 1955. W154 in early form, radiator treatment different on the cars as raced and obviously sans bonnet here. 1938 was a 3 litre supercharged/4.5 litre unsupercharged formula. Chassis essentially an SWB version of the W125 frame made possible by the use of the smaller/shorter 3 litre supercharged DOHC, 4 valve V12. Power 425-475bhp. Car dominant in 1938, Caracciola again European Champion. (Mercedes Benz)
On 12th of August 1936 the Rennabteilung tested one rebuilt 1935 car and two 1936 cars at the Nurburgring with Caracciola and Manfred von Brauchitsch the drivers. Tests included different tyres and shock absorbers. A 60kg lead weight was placed over the front suspension in an attempt to get more front grip. After two days the drivers decamped and Uhlenhaut drove the cars himself.
Rudy had never driven a racer before, even though he was used to testing road cars at high speed on the famous circuit. However, he soon settled in and proved to be an exceptionally gifted driver.Famously it has been rumoured that Uhlenhaut once went faster than Fangio at the ‘Ring during a test in the mid 50s. Whatever the case, Rudy was a talented tester and potentially a gifted racer had he the chance to strut his stuff, his wife and corporate commitments barriers to a racing career.
Uhlenhaut concluded as follows in relation to the W25’s he drove; toe-in changes caused by the old steering geometry were too big whilst suspension travel was too little making the springs bottom. The chassis was bending during braking. The experimental department had tried to solve the problems by using both hydraulic and friction dampers and harder and harder springs exacerbating the handling problems and violent kickback to the steering wheel. At the rear the attachment point for the De Dion axle could bend as much as 7-10cm during braking. Because the suspension was so stiff the wheels couldn’t follow the road. Again, famously, once during Uhlenhaut’s tests a wheel came off at high speed yet the car continued on three wheels as if nothing had happened.
After the 1936 Swiss GP ended in emphatic victory for Auto Union Uhlenhaut suggested further racing that year was pointless. So Mercedes retired from the season to focus their efforts on the 1937 car, the W125.
Tubular frame of chrome molybdenum, double wishbone and coil spring suspension at the front, De-Dion tube and coil springs located by radius rods at the rear. Supercharged 5662cc 645bhp straight 8. 4 speed rear mounted’ box with ZF slippery diff. (Yoshihiro Inomoto)
Uhlenhaut’s assessment of the changes required resulted in a long wheelbase car with reduced polar moment of inertia. The chassis frame was much stiffer. The front suspension was new with greater travel and much softer springs.The car had hydraulic dampers only. The gearbox was changed to a constant mesh type improving reliabilty. During the season a new suction-type supercharger that proved superior to its precursor was also fitted.
The W125 was the first of the MB GP cars to have a tubular frame; of oval section nickel chrome-molybdenum steel of 1.5mm section. 5 cross tubes braced the frame.
The independent front suspension was again by way of unequal length wishbones, 8.45 inches and 10.59 inches in size upper and lower. Coil springs were used. Both hydraulic and friction shocks were used at the front, sometimes hydraulic shocks only.
Rear suspension was De Dion tube, the 2 end halves forged and machined from a single piece of nickel chrome-molybdenum steel. Two channel section radius rods provided fore and aft location with torsion bars, 33.2 inches long and 0.67 inch wide, providing the spring medium.
This shot of 3rd placed Christian Kautz shows the rear end treatment of the Mercedes W125, Monaco 1937. (unattributed)
Lockheed hydraulic brakes were used, they were of 2 leading shoe type, had Iurid linings with alloy shoes and drums, the latter had steel liners shrunk in.
It is perhaps indicative of preoccupations of the time with engines that about half the ‘Australian Motor Sports’ article which provided the basis of the cars technical specifications, is about the M125 straight-eight engine!
The engine, in typical MB practice was made up of 2 blocks of 4 cylinders, with a bore and stroke of 94x102mm, the engine undersquare, as was the practice of the time, giving a total capacity of 5662cc. The engine developed 645bhp at 5800rpm, the supercharger ran at twice engine speed and was pressurised at 12-14lb per inch.
Manfred Von Brauchitsch in his Mercedes W125 during the 1937 Coppa Acerbo, Pescara. He was 2nd, the race won by Bernd Rosemeyer’s Auto Union Type C. (unattributed)
In terms of the cars detailed engine design and construction;
The blocks comprised steel forged cylinders with water jackets and ports welded thereto in sheet steel. The cylinders were spigotted into the alloy, barrell shaped crankcase. The crank ran in 9 main bearings of split roller type made by SKF. Big ends were also of this type.
Pistons were provided by Mahle, conrods fully machined ‘H section’ made of nickel-chrome steel and had plain bronze bush gudgeon pins. Lubrication was by way of dry sump with a battery of gear type oil pumps and a front mounted oil radiator.
Lovely profile shot of Caracciola and the W125. Swiss GP, Bremgarten in August 1937. Rudy won the race from Herman Lang and Von Brauchitsch, also W125 mounted. (Mercedes Benz)
The cylinder head featured hemispherical combustion chambers with 2 inlet and 2 exhaust valves per cylinder at an included angle of 60 degrees. The exhaust valves were mercury filled for cooling. Two gear driven overhead camshafts were used, 1 plug per cylinder was fired by magneto. The heads were not detachable.
A Roots type supercharger originally blew air, in established Mercedes fashion into the carburettor but later in 1937, the blower was reconfigured to deliver the mixture in the more usual way. A twin-choke carb was used, the fuel mix a heady brew of 86% methyl alcohol, 4.4% nitro-benzol, 8.8% acetone and 0.8% sulphuric ether…who said fuel alchemy started in the 1980’s!?
A single plate dry clutch was mounted to the engine flywheel, the 4 speed gearbox, with ZF ‘slippery diff’ and final drive unit mounted to the rear crossmember.
The cars wheelbase was 9ft 2 ins and track 4ft 10ins, the W125 weighed 16.4 cwt.
1937 Donington GP. Manfred von Brauchitsch from Rudy Caracciola, Mercedes W125. Rosemeyer won in his Auto Union from Manfred and Rudy. (unattributed)
The W125 proved a winner, Caracciola victorious at the German, Swiss, Italian and Hungarian Grands’ Prix giving him his second European Championship whilst Herman Lang won at Tripoli and von Brauchitsch at Monaco. The W125 was put to one side at the end of 1937, in an attempt to slow the cars down, there is nothing new in this!, the authorities mandated a 3 litre supercharged/4.5 litre unsupercharged formula for 1938/9. The chassis of the W125 evolved into that of the 1938 season W154, that car powered by a 3 litre supercharged V12 and similarly dominant.
A story for another time…
Start of the Swiss GP at Bremgarten in 1937. #14 and winner Caracciola W125 with #10 and #8 Hans Stuck and Bernd Rosemeyer both Auto Union Type C mounted. (unattributed)
Etcetera…
Mercedes team lineup of W125’s at Monaco 1937. #8 Caracciola 2nd, #10 Von Brauchitsch 1st, #12 Christian Kautz 3rd and #14 Goffredo Zehender 5th. Rosemeyer, the best placed Auto Union was 3 laps behind Von Brauchitsch! (unattributed)
Streamliners at Avus in 1937. #35 Caracciola Benz W125 overtakes # 31 Rosemeyer Auto Union Type C in the Nordcurve. Rudy won the first race, Von Brauchitsch the second in another W125. (Mercedes Benz)
Dick Seaman in his Mercedes W125 during the Masaryk Grand Prix, Brno September 1937. He was 4th. Caracciola won from Von Brauchitsch in another W125 and Herman Muller in a Auto Union Type C. (unattributed)
Mercedes Benz W125 drawing. (unattributed)
Rudy Uhlenhaut in 1955 at a Hockenheim test session beside the ‘Blue Wonder’ Mercedes high speed transporter with a W154 GP car on ze back. (unattributed)
A truly wild road car for any era; Uhlenhaut and his road legal Mercedes 300SLR racer. (Mercedes Benz)
Bibliography and Credits…
‘Australian Motor Sports’ March 1952 article by Bob Shepherd
forix.com article on Rudy Uhlenhaut by Leif Snellman, Mercedes Benz
This fashion shot is from a photo site, I have no caption details, the chassis and engine are of no interest to these folks of course! Clearly the babe is a Cooper fan, my ‘educated guess’ of car is a 1963 T67 BMC Formula Junior, twin SU’s are unlikely on the rival Ford engine of the day?
So, one for you Cooper experts, it would be interesting to know the Who, What, Where and When of this photo.
1963 Cooper T67 BMC Formula Junior. (Theo Page)
Autosport Article on the Cooper T65/67 and its ‘Hydrolastic Suspension’ referred to in the response by Ken Collins/Peter Jackson below…
Credits…
‘Photo Is Art’, Theo Page cutaway drawing, Stephen Dalton Collection for the Autosport article
Tom Hawkes, Allard J2, Collingrove Hillclimb, Angaston, SA, March 1952. First in the over 1500cc Sports Car class (State Library of South Australia)
Tom Hawkes caresses his powerful Allard around the twisty, challenging gravel confines of South Australia’s Collingrove Hillclimb at its inaugural, public, 15 March 1952 meeting…
Chassis #99/J/1731, fitted with Ford Pilot engine # 5338/26 was the first of six Allards imported to Australia, the car arrived in September 1950 to Rube Gardner’s order. Gardner was appointed the local concessionaire having travelled to the UK to do the deal with Allard himself early in 1950. Gardner’s premises were on the Princes Highway, Carlton, a southern Sydney suburb.
Gardner drove the car to the October 1950 Bathurst meeting, he didn’t race, but took it to Mount Panorama for display purposes. The red side-valve Ford Pilot engined car immediately impressed Stan Jones, the 1958 Gold Star and 1959 Australian Grand Prix winner and father of 1980 World Champion Alan Jones.
The J2 in the Bathurst paddock during Stan Jones’ ownership at Easter 1951. Colour red, ‘standard’ Ford Pilot side-valve spec V8. Five of the six J2s imported to Australia entered this meeting, three started! (Ray Eldershaw Collection)
Jones’ first J2 competition event was the 1950 Australian Hillclimb Championship at Rob Roy in November, he finished second in his class. In 1951 he raced the car successfully at Rob Roy, at Bathurst where he was timed at 104.8mph on ConRod Straight, and at other meetings.
Jones sold the car to Geelong, Victoria, driver Tom Hawkes in a deal which involved Jones taking over a Cooper MkV 500 Bill Patterson and Hawkes had raced in England in 1951.
Hawkes raced the car in standard form for a while and then engaged Melbourne’s Ern Seeliger to modify it by fitment of an Ardun OHV engine kit and Jaguar four-speed gearbox with C-Type ratios to replace the three speed Ford Pilot ‘box. The tail of the Allard was replaced with a narrower one, the front and rear guards removed and wire wheels adapted to Lancia hubs. The light car now developed circa 300bhp and was a formidable, noisy and spectacular weapon at the time.
Hawkes ahead of Eldred Norman’s Maserati 6CM at Adelaide’s Sellicks Beach. This meeting in 1953 was the first all car beach program post-War. Sellicks Beach is 55km from Adelaide. Tom is kicking the tail out, no shortage of power on the soft sand! Eldred Norman and his many cars are fascinating stories for another time (forum.fefcholden.club)
Over the next couple of years the J2 competed widely, mainly driven by Hawkes but occasionally by Reg Robbins who maintained it. It was also driven by John Sawyer and Adrian Gundlach. The car raced at Fishermans Bend, in Albert Park’s inaugural 1953 meeting and Rob Roy, all in Victoria. Hawkes competed at Collingrove Hillclimb, Sellicks Beach and Port Wakefield in South Australia.
He travelled to New Zealand for the 1954 NZ Grand Prix meeting at Ardmore in January. There the car blew the OHV engine in practice, a stone pierced the radiator. The side-valve engine was fitted for the race, famously won by Stan Jones in the Maybach after an amazing overnight engine rebuild. The J2’s Ford engine was brittle and ‘popped’ comprehensively at least three times, twice with rod failure, the errant component carved the cast iron block in half on both occasions. The J2 was very quick though, it recorded 137mph on Longfords Flying Mile during the 1955 Tasmanian Trophy meeting.
Hawkes advertised # 1731 for sale in October 1955 but continued to race it before being it was finally bought by Reg Robbins who had been preparing the car for Hawkes as noted above. He raced it at Phillip Island and Rob Roy in late 1956 and early 1957 respectively before sale to Geoff McHugh in Tasmania.
Melbourne’s Ian McDonald repatriated it from a Tasmanian chook shed in 1964 and restored it, a process which took two years. He first raced the car in an historic event at an open meeting at Sandown in 1966, the car later passed from Ian to Richard Ralph and then to Graham Smith who fitted a correct specifications Ardun Ford engine; he still owns it in 2020.
The Hawkes’ Allard in the Collingrove paddock March 1952. The modifications referred to in the text are not yet evident, this is early in Hawkes’ ownership of the car. Compare with the other later Collingrove shot below and the Sellicks Beach shot above where the car is running sans guards and with the wire wheels referred to in the text (State Library of SA)
Allard Short History…
In the the 1930s Sydney Allard was successful as a British Trials and Hillclimb competitor with his Allard Specials. Operating from Adlards Motors, a Ford dealership that he had acquired in 1929, Allard competed successfully in international motor racing. He was third at Le Mans in 1950 and victorious in the Monte Carlo Rally in an Allard P1 in 1952.
After racing first on motorbikes he moved to four wheels, in 1936 the first Allard Special was built.
Allard’s first cars were based on Ford products. The first ‘CLK 5’ combined a Ford Model 40 chassis and engine with a Bugatti Type 51 body. Its light weight and ground clearance made it an ideal Trials racer. By moving the cockpit as far backwards as possible, Allard concentrated weight over the rear wheels, a design principle of all future Allards. With Ford’s flat-head V8 providing plenty of power it was competitive immediately.
This later Collingrove shot in 1954 shows the Hawkes J2 in its later modified form: with Ardun head, skinny tail, sans guards front and rear and with its wire wheel (State Library of SA)
Pre-War a small number of Allard Specials were built powered by either the Ford V8 or Lincoln V12 and were race winners. During the War Adlards Motors repaired damaged military vehicles…and Sydney designed a new sportscar, which was built in 1946 and is now referred to as the J1.
Ford components formed the basis of J1. A braced and boxed frame housed a Ford 3.6-litre V8 and three-speed gearbox. Suspension was by a split axle at the front and live axle at the rear, transverse leaf springs were used front and rear. A full width body was fitted, but the guards could be removed and replaced by cycle-guards to turn the J1 Sports into a Trials car. Twelve J1s were built and competed in Britain and in Europe, its shortcoming was the flat-head V8, which was underpowered and overheated. readily.
Allard then built, in larger numbers, the K1 sports two seater, L-Type Tourer and M-Type coupe.
J2 factory drawings (The Allard Register)
In 1950 Allard launched the J2. Based on the J1 design, the new car was designed with the J1’s shortcomings in mind.
The front suspension was similar, the transverse leaf springs were replaced with coils at both front and rear, and a de-Dion axle was fitted with inboard drum brakes at the rear. The combination of rear weight bias and better rear suspension gave the car much better traction. Modified Ford side-valve V8s were Allard’s engines of choice, but the chassis was built to accommodate other engines. With Cadillac’s pushrod V8, the J2 was ‘in a league of its own’ and very successful in the US.
Butt shot showing the Hawkes J2’s modified tail, fuzzy shot but modifications clear. #1731 sans guards, wire wheels. On ‘The Wall’ (Collingrove Hillclimb)
‘Allard’s biggest road racing success was in 1950, when Sydney Allard and Tom Cole drove a Cadillac powered J2 to third place overall and a first in class at Le Mans. In 1951 a slightly modified version, dubbed J2X was introduced. It was similar to the J2, but the engine was mounted further forward to allow a larger cockpit. Chrysler Hemi and Cadillac powered J2s and J2Xs dominated racing in America. The final evolutions of the J2 were the J2X Le Mans and JR, both of which featured a fully enveloping body’, wrote Wouter Melissen in ultimatecarpage.com.
Sydney Allard practicing his J2 at Le Mans in 1950. He and Tom Cole finished third outright in the race won by the Rosier father and son Talbot-Lago T26GS and second placed Talbot-Lago Monoplace. These two cars were essentially ‘GP cars in drag’, so the Allards third was a great result five laps adrift of the winning car. Allard wore a helmet in the race! This shot was on Allard’s corporate 1950 Christmas card to contacts of the company (allardownersclub.org)
After 1908 Allards were built, production ended in 1959. Increased competition from Jaguar, Lotus, Austin Healey and others producing quality production sports and racing cars made the going tough as the sixties dawned, but the company and its clever products had punched above their weight very successfully for many years.
J2 chassis and general layout drawings (The Allard Register)
Technical Specifications…
90 J2s were built from 1949 to 1951. Cars delivered to the US were usually sans engine allowing the customer to choose. Those with ultimate performance in mind specified the Cadillac or Chrysler ‘Hemi’ OHV engines with a wide variety of modifications available off the shelf.
Specifications of the Ford Pilot ‘Ardun’ engine as fitted to #1731 and modified by Tom Hawkes; 3923cc, bore and stroke 80.96mm x 95.25mm. Compression ratio 8:1. Magneto ignition. two Solex carburettors giving a claimed, and I suspect very optimistic, 300bhp.
The cars chassis was a ladder or box section frame having a wheelbase of 100 inches and track of 56/52 inches front/rear.
Front suspension was Allard divided or split axle with coil springs and hydraulic shocks. A de-Dion setup was deployed at the rear again with coil springs and hydraulic shocks. Drum brakes were fitted mounted outboard at the front and inboard at the rear.
Steering was Ford Pilot ‘Marles’ worm and roller. The fuel tank held 20 gallons, the car weighed circa 1700-2000lbs. (estimates of weight differ widely across the reference sources and would do so dependent upon the engine fitted)
Collingrove is a sensational climb, highly technical and difficult. It’s at Angaston in SA’s Barossa Valley, the place is a stunningly pretty spot. Angaston is 85 Km from Adelaide. In use since 1952.(Collingrove Hillclimb)The Mail article about Collingrove’s first meeting in March 1952. Hawkes won the over 1500cc modified sports car class (Collingrove Hillclimb)Distant shot of Hawkes coming off The Wall, well sideways on the slippery gravel surface. Shot included to show the topography of this fabulous climb. (Collingrove Hillclimb)
Etcetera…
Barry Oliver wrote ‘The sound in the distance became louder and in a few seconds reached a crescendo as the big V8 Allard of Tom Hawkes flashed past me on the narrow strip of bitumen just a few feet away’ Longford, 5 March. 1955.
Bibliography and Photo Credits…
John Blanden ‘Historic Racing Cars in Australia’, Wouter Melissen’s Allard article in ultimatecarpage.com, MotorMarques article by Philip Stanton, State Library of South Australia, Ray Eldershaw Collection, The Allard Register, forum.fcfeholden.club, Collingrove Hillclimb website, allardownersclub.org, Paul Geard Collection, John Hall Collection, Barry Oliver in ‘Tasmanian Motor Sport’
Tailpiece…
(P Geard)
Tom on the entry to Mountford Corner, Longford 1955. The car did 137mph on ‘The Flying Mile’ that weekend…
Keke Rosberg tips his Williams FW10 Honda into Stag Corner, so named after the hotel behind him, for the long run down Rundle Road and onto Dequetteville Terrace. Adelaide GP 1985. The Stag Hotel is still there and a much nicer place to eat and drink than then! (unattributed)
‘Rossi Kekberg is on pole!’ our host Ralph announced as we pulled up at what would become our regular annual digs for the Adelaide Grand Prix for the next 10 years…
I was the designated driver for the second half of the long drive from Melbourne, but the rest of my mates were well pissed, so it was a relief to see our host similarly inebriated when we pulled up in leafy Tusmore, Adelaide. Ralph and Jill’s backyard provided our cheap accommodation only 1 km from the Victoria Park road circuit for years. Wonderful people they were and are.
Ralph was no racing enthusiast, he always struggled with the furrin’ drivers names, but his zeal for the race typified the way the average Adelaide citizen felt about the eventdespite the interruptions to normal traffic flows and all the rest. Adelaide is a small town which embraced the race in a way Melburnians never really have. The ‘Save Albert Park’ mob are still vocal despite the GP having support from both sides of politics.
There had been mumblings about Australia having an F1 GP on and off for decades, the lack of an F1 event was not such an issue in the 1960s when we had the Tasman Series which was effectively four Grands Prix in four States in four weeks! And four races in New Zealand before the ‘circus’ arrived in Oz.
The Tasman was a 2.5-litre formula dominated in the early days by ex-F1 2.5 litre Coventry Climax four cylinder FPF engined cars. Later on bored-out 1.5-litre F1 engines were used and at the very end of the category, 2.5 litre versions of current F1 engines were built by Cosworth and BRM, in addition to the bespoke Tasman engines of Repco and Alfa Romeo. Magic it surely was!
Geoff Smedley’s shot captures all that was great about the Tasman Cup. Here at Longford, Tasmania in 1968: Clark from Hill, Amon and Gardner in yellow. Lotus 49 DFW times two, Ferrari 246T obscured and Gardner’s Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo. This is the preliminary race, the main very wet event was won by Piers Courage in a McLaren M4A Ford FVA F2 car, a famous victory for the young Brit (G Smedley)
Later Bob Jane perhaps came close to an F1 event, his early 1980s Formula Pacific Grands Prix were intended to be replaced by an F1 event but Calder, love it as I do, is a bit of a shithole. It lacks any sort of visual appeal from a Teev viewpoint, nor does it represent a challenge to the best drivers in the world. It’s a great club, point and squirt kinda place.
Sandown looked best placed, the round a horse racing track circuit was increased to GP length to host a 1984 World Endurance Championship round but the Light Car Club emasculated a great circuit with the Mickey-Mouse stop go additions to the circuits infield to get the track to the requisite length. The financial returns, or lack of them destroyed the oldest racing club in the country as well.
AGP Calder 1984. F1 drivers in F Pacific cars, Ralt RT4/85 Ford’s. Rosberg, second on the inside, Lauda, DNF prang, on the outside. Roberto Moreno won the race in another RT4, his third AGP win (History of The AGP)
And so, pretty much outta the blue, with the support of the local business community, racer/business man Bill O’Gorman having pitched the idea to the committee set up to celebrate SA’s Sesquicentennial Year in 1986, South Australian Premier, John Bannon did a deal with Sir Bernie The Unbelievable to stage a race on the outskirts of Adelaide’s CBD.
Part of the circuit defines the cities eastern boundary, so it was a race in the city centre. Critically from an SA perspective, the Formula One Constructors Association wanted a street race, Calder and Sandown are not street circuits.
Sydney is Australia’s beautiful world city. The place doesn’t have to work hard to attract tourists who are drawn to all of its visual, cultural and sporting splendour. She is the ‘hot sister’ her sibling cities are the ‘fuglies’ in relative terms, they have to work a lot harder to get tourists into their towns.
Melbourne’s approach to combat that, is an event a month strategy, the very same Ron Walker behind the Melbourne GP was one of the founders of Melbourne Major Events, the body set up decades ago to identify global events or develop local initiatives to get folks to come here. John Bannon grabbed an event the Victorians wanted and in fact the Victorians stole it from the South Aussies some years later.
Derek Warwick Renault RE60, turning into Stag Corner, with the fruit markets in the background, Adelaide 1985. The building is still there (unattributed)
Most of us hadn’t seen contemporary F1 cars.
I hadn’t done the ‘big European trip’ at that point, the visits of Guy Edwards in a Fittipaldi to Sandown, and the Theodore Team to the ’79 Rothmans Series with an Ensign MN05 and Wolf WR4, all Ford Cosworth powered, whetted the appetite, but none were current cars when they visited and by 1985 we were in the middle of the 1.5-litre Turbo Era.
The sight and sound of those cars around the wide open expanses of Adelaide’s Victoria Park was something to relish. It was, and still is a street circuit, but the GP circuit – the V8 Supercars use a truncated version of the track – was fast and flowing with the full gamut of corners, if not gradient changes to provide a technical track for drivers to master.
Once we separated ourselves from Ralph, his enthusiasm for ‘Rossi Kekberg’ undiminished, we went to the circuit, being unfamiliar with the city and were simply blown away by Victoria Park’s scale, the circuit itself and the standard of organisation. The event won awards from the start to the end of the period in which the races were held there. Little Adelaide had something to prove both within Australia and globally, and delivered in spades.
Typical of AGPs is a chock-a-block program of events. That year the supports included F Pacific, F Ford, Group A Touring Cars (Gerhard Berger drove a BMW 635 CSI in the taxi races), Historic Cars. The ‘what the FAAAAARK’ moment was provided on that Thursday, when, unannounced, an RAAF General Dynamics F18 Hornet fighter did a treetops high, fast pass, with all of us in Victoria Park hitting the deck and realising what it would have been like to kiss your arse goodbye if one of these things was flying with aggressive intent…
Alain Prost nips a front brake, his carbon brakes gave him troubles as they did other cars similarly equipped, but a blown turbo wastegate put him out on lap 26. He won his first drivers title in 1985 (P Aynsley)
By the time the circus arrived in town Alain Prost had won his first F1 Drivers Championship with victories in Brazil, Monaco, Britain, Austria and Italy. He lost a win at Imola when his car was found to be underweight.
The McLaren MP4/2 TAGs were the class of the 1984 field, they were fast, reliable, handled well and were driven superbly by Niki Lauda, who took the title that year, and by Alain Prost who joined the team from Renault. The McLarens took their advantage into 1985 but the year was made technically interesting by Williams first carbon-fibre monocoque and the emergence of Nigel Mansell, signed by Williams that season, as a force particularly in the seasons second half.
Patrick Head’s first carbon-composite Williams, the FW10 Honda was a superbly integrated design, the car of the second half of the ’85 season. Honda had also got the power delivery of its potent twin-turbo V6 more progressive than in 1984. Keke Rosberg here (P Aynsley)
Patrick Head, Williams designer was conservative and cost-effective in his approach to such large design changes
He was also concerned about the new carbon-composite materials. Head was impressed about the way his aluminium-honeycomb monocoques had withstood big impacts: Jones at Watkins Glen (FW06) in 1978 and Reutemann at Silverstone (FW07) in 1980.
Head determined to control the carbon-composite program in-house. Williams built nine carbon-composite FW10 chassis during the season, and gems of cars they were, right out of the box. Rosberg won in Detroit and Adelaide, Mansell at Brands Hatch and Kyalami.
In the early part of the season the cars were powered by ’84 D-spec Honda engines but by the time they arrived in Adelaide E-spec engines giving a reputed 1000/1250 bhp qualifying capability and a six speed, rather than five speed Hewland gearbox to harness the power was fitted.
Williams FW10 and its Honda RA163E engine; 80 degree DOHC, four valve 1494cc twin IHI turbo V6. Upwards of 800bhp @ 12000rpm depending upon boost. Carbon fibre chassis, lower wishbone and rocker/ coil spring/dampers suspension. Hewland six speed gearbox. Brakes in this shot carbon, but cast iron brakes in Adelaide were an important factor in the Williams win. 520Kg. (unattributed)
Qualifying was held on a beautiful, hot day
30000 punters turned up to see Ayrton Senna do an absolute blinder of a lap, you could see and feel the effort being expended by the Brazilian on track and on the plentiful video screens around the circuit, to set pole 7/10 of a second from Mansell, Rosberg, Prost and Alboreto.
So; Lotus, Williams, Williams, McLaren and Ferrari were the top five. Alan Jones had returned to F1 but was well back in 19th, the Lola Hart was not the fastest combination in the field.
Alan Jones ponders his chances on the grid. Strategy was to go for it knowing the car probably would not last. It didn’t! He stalled on the grid but recovered to be seventh by lap 18, when the engines timing caused his retirement. Team Chief, ex-McLaren owner, Teddy Mayer beside the wing. Lola THL1 Hart. (P Aynsley)
We were well pleased with the first three days of entertainment, I was suitably jealous of a couple of mates who were part of the show, participants in the Formula Ford race and wishing I was part of history, as all the competitors in that year were. It was surely the most significant motor race in Australia’s racing history?!
Muzza and Keke. Murray Walker had the same cult following in this part of the world as elsewhere, deservedly so! He is getting the goss on the grid from Rosberg before the start (P Aynsley)
We plodded into town and found a nice Italian joint to have dinner, as it happened, La Trattoria, which is still in King William Street, still owned by the same family and still employs the same waiters, became a restaurant of choice for the drivers, especially the Italians.
We had not even ordered a Spag Marinara when Patrese and De Cesaris arrived with wives/friends, we were blown away to have stumbled on the place by luck; because we were first, and ate there every night, every year a table was kept for us. It was fantastic to live vicariously and get the occasional autograph without intruding too much on the drivers. Adelaide was and is a small place, this was a good example of the access the locals had, their simply were few places to stay, so it wasn’t hard to find the stars of the show.
Grid departs on its parade lap. Mansell, Senna, Rosberg by the fence, then Prost and Alboreto. Adelaide Hills in the distance, gum trees and a full-house. Circa 105,000 people on raceday/ (P Aynsley)
The Race
Poverty tickets in that first year weren’t a smart purchase, practice crowd numbers meant we had a very early start to bag our viewing positions. Outside the turn 1 chicane, a top spot on lap 1 but also throughout the race with a video screen to follow the event, was our choice after much debate. Being early was key, over 105,000 attended on raceday.
Ralph was keen for ‘Rossi’ to win the race, and so it was, Keke won, and after three pit stops!
Senna awaits the start from pole. Lotus 97T Renault. Blinder of a lap to get pole, but his race performance was a bit erratic (P Aynsley)Lap 1 turn 1 Chicane; Mansell from Senna, Rosberg, Alboreto (Ferrari) Prost, Boutsen (Arrows BMW), Surer (Brabham BMW) on his outside and Warwick (Renault). Senna gave Mansell a tap which took him out of the race into the right hander at Wakefield Road (unattributed)
Mansell won the start but Senna carved him in half at the third turn, putting Noige outta the race. Rosberg then led for 41 laps with Senna at a distance until his tyres went off.
Senna moved back towards Keke, having given his tyres a rest and regained some grip, he then made a mistake clipping a chicane on the entrance to Brabham Straight, giving Rosberg some breathing space. But crazily, Senna had another moment and boofed Rosberg’s Williams up the chuff as Keke went into the pits for a scheduled tyre change. Senna had to pit for both tyres and a new nose cone.
Niki Lauda in the cockpit of his McLaren MP4/2B TAG during practice. We saw him twice in Oz, in ’85 he was a real chance but like so many others his carbon brakes were not up to the rigours of a hot race which went for the maximum possible time allowed for a GP of 2 hours. ‘Twas said the race was about 12 laps too long. In 1984 he raced a Ralt RT4 Ford F Pacific car in the last non-F1 AGP at Calder Park. Niki retired at the end of the ’85 Adelaide race (P Aynsley)
Rosberg was in the lead but Niki Lauda, in his last GP was looking a possibility in second. At this point the heat of the day was telling for those with carbon-brakes, which were failing, those with steel brakes faring much better.
Keke’s tyres had gone off, he lean’t on them too soon so he pitted again, then a wheel nut jammed so he entered the track 45 seconds behind Senna and Lauda.
Rosberg frying the Goodyears of his Williams on the hot day, you can clearly see the graining. (Phil Aynsley)
Senna fried his tyres giving the lead to Lauda, a career ending win a possibility, but his carbon brakes failed and he was into a wall. Rosberg, with cast iron brakes was looking good, Senna with carbon not so much, then a piston failed in his Honda engine so Ayrton was out.
Rosberg from Senna during their long and interesting battle. Ayrton DNF with piston failure brought an end to it, but the Brazilian’s carbon brakes would not have lasted the distance in any event. Shot captures the essence of the track, the view from this point, in the Victoria Park section of the circuit, on Pit Straight is pretty much the same 30 years later (unattributed)
Rosberg had the race won with 21 laps to go. Last lap entertainment was provided by the Ligiers (Ligier JS25 Renault) with Jacques Laffitte and Phillipe Steiff managing to run into one another, the unfortunate Streiff misunderstanding a Laffitte waving arms gesture which meant ‘don’t pass’ rather than ‘do pass’ as Phillippe interpreted! Ivan Capelli, Tyrrell 014 Renault Stefan Johannsson Ferrari 156 and Gerhard Berger Arrows A8 BMW rounded out the top six.
The cars blast down Wakefield Road heading into town and into the East Terrace section of the track. Proximity of Adelaide CBD and treed nature of the Victoria Park section of the track clear. A Renault chasing a Tyrrell (P Aynsley)Victory ceremony L>R Laffitte, Frank Williams with his hands on the cup, Rosberg, Streiff and in the suit John Bannon, SA’s Premier who brought the event to Australia. Williams was shortly to suffer the accident which made him wheelchair bound only several months later. Mitsubishi a welcome global and local sponsor. At the time, its now long since closed, Mitsubishi manufactured cars at Tonsley Park, a southern outer Adelaide suburb (unattributed)
What a memorable race and event it was. The last for Lauda, Renault as a team for a while, Alfa Romeo as a team and it was the first of many F1 Grands Prix for Australia…and yes Ralph did master ‘Rossi’s’ correct name but it took him another year to do so…
Etcetera…
(P Aynsley)
Derek Warwick, Renault RE60 and Senna Lotus 97T Renault, a bit cocked up, coping with tyres fried by heat and the pressure he is applying to them. End of Brabham Straight perhaps
(unattributed)
Unusual Adelaide GP circuit angle and shot. Keke’s Williams FW10 has gone through the fast left/right Banana Bend kink, he is on the outside of the circuit, the Adelaide Fruit Markets to his left, by the look of it he is under brakes and plucking second gear for the right hander at Stag Corner, to head east out of town along Rundle Road. The fruit market buildings are still there, but are now retail and residential space, Vern Schuppan lives in one of the penthouses.
(P Aynsley)
Michele Alboreto Ferrari 156, DNF transmission, ahead of Riccardo Patrese, Alfa Romeo 185T, DNF exhaust.
(P Aynsley)
Red 5, Noige at the hairpin onto Pit Straight. Mansell a popular figure in Oz, Senna drove a nutty race, twould have been very interesting to see what Mansell would have done without Senna’s assault on him. Two wins in the previous two races, the ‘form combination’ coming into Adelaide. Williams FW10 Honda.
Bibliography and Photo Credits…
‘Autocourse 50 Years of The World Championship’ Alan Henry, ‘History of The Australian Grand Prix’ Graham Howard, Phil Aynsley, Geoff Smedley, ‘History of The AGP’ Graham Howard
Its a very English car but not so the background, the year is 1947, driver a winner of the Australian Grand Prix…
Many thanks to contributor Stephen Dalton for correctly identifying the car and driver as Lex Davison and Bentley 4.5 litre s/c as the car, a big conveyance for that hill despite its open, fast flowing nature!
Lex entered the Bentley in the 12th Rob Roy Hillclimb in 1947. This picturesque venue, in the outer east of Melbourne in the Christmas Hills is still in use by the MG Car Club.
The stretch of main road which goes past Rob Roy’s location off Clintons Road a regular stretch for ‘early morning runs’ by car and bike enthusiasts heading into the Yarra Valley where drivers roads, wineries and fine food are plentiful.
primotipo... 