Frank Matich leads a Triumph TR4 and Austin Healey 100 on the short stretch of road between Long Bridge as he aims his Lotus 19B Climax into the progressively more-uphill-on turn-in Newry Corner during the 1964 Australian Tourist Trophy, February 29, 1964.
Bill Brown in the Scuderia Veloce Ferrari 350 Can Am – aka P4 – at Bathurst during the 1968 Easter meeting. Such a marvellous evocative shot of the most seductive of cars.
In the space of a week photographs popped up on Bob Williamson’s FB site on Scuderia Veloce topics from three different photographers, Ray Sinclair, Greg Earle and Robert Spence.
In the shot below the scowling Kiwi is motoring through the Sandown paddock, perhaps miffed that his 4.2-litre 480bhp V12 was beaten by Frank Matich in the Sydneysider’s 4.4-litre Repco V8 powered Matich SR3. See here for a feature on this Ferrari; https://primotipo.com/2015/04/02/ferrari-p4canam-350-0858/
Chris Amon at very sunny Sandown earlier in the year aboard his Ferrari 246T, with a line of Formula Vees behind, with Bib Stillwell arriving at the circuit in the Ford Galaxie.
Chris just failed to pip Jim Clark in the closest of finishes in the Sandown Australian Grand Prix Tasman Cup round the following day, the official margin was one-tenth of a second. With that the Scot took both his last final GP and championship win – the Tasman Cup – aboard his works Lotus 49 Ford DFW. See here for a piece on that weekend; https://primotipo.com/2021/03/06/1968-australian-gp-sandown-2/
350 Can Am in the Sandown paddock. The #7 Brabham is Greg Cusack’s SV machine, the BT23A Repco raced by Jack Brabham the year before. Quickie on the BT23A here; https://primotipo.com/2017/01/04/scuds/
On the blast past the old pit-counter at Sandown, paradise for a young enthusiast, with the V12 howling its fabulous song in third gear.
Amon was given the short back-and-sides by Frank Matich’s Matich SR3 Repco V8 at the three meetings they met in the sportscar Tasman Cup round supports that summer; Warwick Farm, Surfers Paradise and Sandown. I wonder why FM didn’t take the SR3 to Longford to bag the Quadrella?
Not so much special, but three specials sponsored by Melbourne car dealer, Alan D Male and raced by Ted Gray in the immediate pre-WW2 years.
One was the JAP engined speedway midget above, the next a buggered-if-I-know powered midget and the third, Alta 21S, ex-Alan Sinclair/Bill Reynolds, and by then Ford V8 powered.
Male operated yards at 233 and 239 Latrobe Street, Melbourne named Males Car Sales and AD Male Car Sales respectively. This seemingly successful business man was important in the rise and rise of Tiger Ted pre-War, his final push into the top rank was provided post-War by Lou Abrahams.
Gray gave the visiting Peter Whitehead’s ERA B-Type a serious run for his money in the midget above during meetings at Aspendale Speedway and Rob Roy hillclimb in 1938. Leon Sims tells us that in the meeting above, Rob Roy 5 on November 20, 1938, that Gray set the FTD 0.5 seconds outside the hill record set by Whitehead only five months before. In the process “he set the committee of the Light Car Club of Australia scratching their heads in concern over the suitability of a car designed for midget racing, taking the award on their hill. It was not seen as a ‘proper car’ in their eyes.”
When Jack Brabham raced his midget at Rob Roy post-war he had the same problems but went to Sydney, fitted some brakes to his car, and returned to take the Australian Hillclimb Championship at Rob Roy in 1951. Up yours Blue Blazer Officialdom, or something like that!
This is the ‘other midget’, a rare shot with car owner Alan Male at the wheel at Rob Roy 5, he did a time of 31.5 seconds. I’d love to know the builder and specifications of this car. If Mickey Mouse seems an odd radiator-shroud fear not for the little-fella, he seems to have been adopted by the team as a mascot, he is present on the team’s Alta 21S Ford shown further below.
Ted Gray on the outside of A ‘Stud’ Beasley (as in head stud or babe-magnet?) at Aspendale in August 1938, with Mickey still hanging on for grim life. I’m rather hoping some of you may be able to tell me a little more about Alan Male in order that we can put it on the public record.
Nathan Tasca’s research shows he was still trading in cars post-War, as Weir & Male Motors at 243 Latrobe Street, familiar territory for him! He still maintained his interest in motor racing, note the AMS advertisement below. The wording of the ad, and coverage of the car in the Motor Manual 1950-51 Australian Motor Racing Year Book confirms the car was built by Ken Wylie for Weir & Male Motors, Austin dealers, and was driven by Wylie.
(Photographer-Byron Gunther)
The final Male Special/Ford V8 Special – it was entered in various names – is most correctly, using the modern – make-model-engine manufacturer – ‘racing car description protocol’ Alta 21S Ford V8. Here Ted is considering proceedings with his crew and officialdom at Penrith Speedway, NSW in 1940.
While built as a road racing racing sportscar, and modified by Sinclair’s team in the UK before coming to Australia as a road racing 1100cc supercharged single-seater, the car performed well both on the roads and on dirt speedways, as here. The car was raced well into the war years, Gray in the Male Special V8 beating S Bail’s Midget V8 in a 3 lap match race at Aspendale on Sunday January 19, 1941, his final entry March-April ’41. Picking up the Austin connection, Tony Johns tells me S Bail was a partner in the Bail Brothers Austin sub-agency (Stan and Wally) in Hampton Street, Brighton in the 1960s.
By the way, the little dude on the scuttle of the Alta is Pinocchio not Mickey Mouse…there is a story there, but what is it? I know, Walt Disney was so impressed with Ted’s performances he was slipping a few greenbacks Male’s way…
Motor Manual 1950-51 Yearbook via David Zeunert Collection
Credits…
Bob King Collection, photos perhaps taken by Ted Hider-Smith, The Argus January 20, 1941, David Zeunert Collection
Tailpiece…
Tiger Ted aboard the very new Tornado 1 Ford V8 at Fishermans Bend in early 1955, date please (car #5).
When the shortcomings of Alta 21S finally became apparent after Lou Abrahams’ big-brawny Ardun-Abrahams head Ford V8 was dropped between its chassis rails the Abrahams, Gray and Mayberry team built Tornado 1. This car’s short life ended when Gray had a huge accident at Bathurst in October 1955 after brake dramas, see the articles linked above for the details.
I got terribly excited when I found this letterhead among the Vintage Sports Car Club of Victoria’s photo archive. What a discovery, a speedway in inner Melbourne, on the current AGP site way back in 1903!
Yes and no. The speedway was built but for the use of our equine friends, just as the first automobiles were trickling into Australia.
(SLV)
The speedway was one mile long “on the seaward side of Albert Park. 145 feet wide, the course was divided into two tracks with a space in the middle for pedestrians. “It is well laid out, planted with ornamental trees with rockeries interspersed,” Table Talk recorded.
The track was open to the public when not in use “and beautified a portion of the park that has hitherto been an eyesore.” As one who walks/runs around Albert Park daily I’m intrigued to know about this aspect of the park and fascinated to know exactly where the horse-course was 120 years ago.
At the opening ceremony on August 29, 1903, the club president outlined that the purpose of the speedway “would stimulate the desire to possess first-class horses, and so improve the breed of our carriage and trotting horses.” The club “wanted to provide a track where a gentlemen with a horse that had a turn of speed could exercise it without the risk of prosecution for furious driving.”
(SLV)
The Governor, who had been given a golden-key to open the gates of the speedway, replied that he hoped it (the key) “would open the eyes of the local councillors to the fact that it was a good thing to have a Speedway in their midst, and in a portion of Albert Park that had been up to the present but an indifferent cow paddock.”
The Gov concluded by observing that American Speedways had improved the quality of their horses, and that “the Albert Park Speedway was in the hands of good sportsmen, and good men, and in declaring it open, wished the club all prosperity.” Tally-ho, jolly good show and happy hockey-sticks…
I do find interesting the history of a part of the world, dear to my heart, but by March 1907, with little interest in the venues activities, the Melbourne Speedway Club had to relinquish its use of that part of Albert Park.
While the horse-men were keen on building best-of-breed, devotees of new-fangled-horsepower were ‘racing’ already. Harley Tarrant, Argyll 10HP at left won a 3-mile race ‘for heavy automobiles’ at Sandown Park on March 12, 1904. That’s Tom Rand’s second placed Decauville 16HP alongside.
When I billed this as Australia’s First ‘Motor Car Race’ in the second of the two articles above, ‘Prof’ John Medley – Australia’s foremost motor racing historian – told me how brave I was, which was his polite way of saying “I wouldn’t be so sure about that Sonny-Jim!” Whatever the case, the ‘competition’ was one of the first between cars in Oz. And lookout horses, we are coming through…
Credits…
Vintage Sport Car Club of Victoria, State Library of Victoria, Table Talk September 3, 1903, Algernon Darge – State Library of Victoria
‘Christ! He’s bloody quick already!’ is perhaps the line of thought in the mind of the – at that stage – twice Gold Star Champion. Matich made his Formula Libre debut that weekend aboard a new 2.5-litre Brabham BT7A Climax, Bib’s mount a 2.7 FPF engined Brabham BT4.
The Repco Record cover girl for September 1965 is the prototype 2.5-litre Repco Brabham 620 V8. Engine #E1 first spluttered into life on the Repco Laboratory testbed, Richmond on 26 March 1965…
She is quite a cutie replete with Weber carbs rather than the Lucas fuel injection with which the Repco engines always raced. Click away at the links below for plenty of articles on this engine, this is another piece from Michael Gasking’s wonderful collection of Repco memorabilia.
The public announcement of the engine was made by Repco on Monday September 13, 1965. Many thanks to historian David Zeunert who forwarded a copy of Leonard Ward’s piece about the initiative which was published in the Canberra Times the following day.
It includes an unusually detailed technical description of the engine, but makes no mention – at that point at least – of a 3-litre 620 variant for the new F1 which commenced in 1966.
That the 1275cc Morris Cooper S – ‘one of the worlds most successful small sports saloons’ – has gone into production at BMC’s Australian plant at Zealand, inner-Sydney would have been big news too, albeit well-known to enthusiasts.
Credits…
Michael Gasking Collection, Repco Ltd, Canberra Times via David Zeunert Collection
Bill Dutton’s gorgeous little Alta 1100 Special in the Fishermans Bend paddock during the 29-30 January, 1950 Victorian Tourist Trophy meeting. Love the ‘works’ Alta overalls.
George McKaige attended the meeting and took some marvellous photographs. A prolific enthusiast, driver, restorer and photographer, he and his son Chester published two books of George’s work, called ‘Beyond The Lens’, the shot above is on the cover of Volume 1.
This little known car was conceived when Bill Dutton – of the famous Melbourne car trading family – bought the supercharged, DOHC Alta 1100c engine (number 25S) which had been cast aside when Bill Reynolds bought Alta 21S from probable British MI5 spook, Alan Sinclair. Sinclair raced the car in Australia in 1938, an exhaustive and exhausting account is here; https://primotipo.com/2018/11/08/the-spook-the-baron-and-the-1938-south-australian-gp-lobethal/
Reynolds replaced the troublesome Alta four with a big, fat, lazy, powerful and reliable Ford V8. The Alta engine was surplus to requirements until Dutton saw its potential and built a car around it. The evolution of Alta 21S from four-cylinder sweetie to brawny V8 marauder is covered here; https://primotipo.com/2015/11/27/the-longford-trophy-1958-the-tornados-ted-gray/
Alta 21S as built, an 1100cc sportscar delivered to Scotland’s AJ Cormack on March 19, 1934. Here at Donington Park later that year (G Smith)The svelte Alta 21S 1100cc sports of the previous picture, by the time of the 100 miles January 3, 1938 South Australian GP at Lobethal, had become a dumpy, upright 1100cc single seater. Probable MI5 spook, Alan Sinclair up (N Howard)
Tony Johns tells me that the Dutton family business had all of the mechanical, engineering and body building skills to create the car on their Burnley Street, Richmond site. Stephen Dalton points out that Bill Dutton thanks Jack Dongers and Tom Stevenson for construction and body help respectively in the October 1949 issue of Australian Motor Sports. Do theses chaps ring a bell with any of you?
The 1950-51 Motor Manual Yearbook records that the Alta 25S four was 1096cc in capacity, was of twin-cam, two-valve type and fed by an Alta built Roots type-blower/SU carb giving 130bhp @ 5800rpm with 15lbs of boost. It was mated, via a bespoke bellhousing and metal to metal clutch, to a four-speed gearbox of unspecified make.
The Alta Spl it is a fine example of the body-builder’s art, but who was the gifted chappy? (R Edgerton Collection)
The chassis was made of chrome-moly steel tube, the main members of which were 16 gauge and two inches in diameter. The tubular front axle was specially made and suspended by transverse leaf springs front and rear with Armstrong hydraulic/Hartford friction shocks. The back axle was also specially made and used Ford bevel gears.
Brakes were hydraulic using modified Chev/Ford drums front/rear, wheels were pressed steel, 16 inch x 6 inch in size, with the whole lot clad ‘in a single-seat aluminium panelled racing body with a long tail, similar to a Grand Prix Alta.’
Ted Gray aboard Alta 21S Ford V8 (aka the Male Special / Ford V8 Special) at Penrith Speedway, west of Sydney in 1940 according to John Medley. Racer Ken Wylie is in the goggles at right, perhaps Jim McMahon left. I’ve still to get to the bottom of Pinocchio’s presence on the scuttle. Just look at all those names on Byron Gunther’s image…Ted Gray clears Hell Corner for the run up the mountain, Bathurst October 1950, the left front is just clear of terra firma (J Blanden Collection)
Bill Dutton engaged Wangaratta’s Ted Gray to drive his new car. Ted initially showed speed on pre-War speedways and in two very impressive appearances in the Male Special midget against Peter Whitehead’s ERA R10B at Rob Roy and Aspendale in 1938. Gray’s Alta credentials became impeccable when his patron, Melbourne car dealer, Alan Male bought Alta 21S Ford with which Gray took 24 wins from 26 starts pre-War according to John Blanden.
After the conflict, Ted re-commenced racing in another famous old-Oz racer, the ex-JAS Jones Alfa Romeo 6C1750 Zagato into which, you guessed it, Ted fitted a Ford V8. Blanden records that the Alta Special’s first race as being at the Fishermans Bend October 29-30, 1949 meeting where a broken cam-follower ended proceedings early in the day. ‘In the late 1940s, early 1950s, the car was a regular competitor, however the engine problems continued. The little car was third in the F1 Scratch Race at Woodside in October 1951,’ a better performance.
(T Johns Collection)(T Johns Collection)
In the 1950s ‘the car simply disappeared’, one theory is that it sat on a service station roof in St Kilda (an adjacent suburb to AGP venue Albert Park) as a drawcard for punters after the servo owner refused to pay an exorbitant Alta engine repair bill from a Sydney business. Then Melbourne pilot/enthusiast/engineer Graeme Lowe responded to a VSCC Newsletter ad for an engine in 1967. His £10 purchase of 1100 #25S was the catalyst of a very long, thorough reconstruction/restoration of Alta 21S which was completed and then made its public debut in Betty Lowe’s hands in 1999.
In recent times 21S was acquired by Fiona Murdoch, the shot below was taken at Gladysdale, Victoria on March 4, 2023 during a drive – one I won’t forget in a big hurry – and photo session for a feature article just published in issue 07 of quarterly Australian classic car magazine, Benzina. If you can’t find it in a newsagent, a decent example of which is as rare as rocking horse shit in Australia these days, email the publisher, Jack Quinn; jack@benzinamagazine.com
(M Bisset)
Credits…
George and Chester McKaige, Ron Edgerton Collection, ‘Historic Racing Cars in Australia’ John Blanden, 1950-51 Motor Manual Year Book, Graham Smith Collection, David Woodhouse, Norman Howard, Byron Gunther
Etcetera…
(T Johns Collection)
The other pages of the 29-30 October, 1949 Fishermans Bend (correct spelling of the place according to our Government and lack of apostrophe by the way) programme sent by Tony Johns.
I always find these documents of wonderment as I don’t have a collection of them. This was fundamentally a local meeting but there are a swag of interstaters too, its interesting to see the Top Guns, Future Top Guns and Notables in the mix. Mine are – in no particular order – Ted Gray, Reg Hunt, Otto Stone, Lex & Diana Davison, Ken Tubman and Dick Cobden (NSW interlopers), Stan Jones, Gib Barrett, Rupert Steele, Tony Gaze, Jim Leech, Charlie Dean, Eldred Norman (Adelaide Hills), Doug Whiteford, Tom Hawkes, Ron Edgerton, Jim Gullan, Lou Molina, Murray Carter, Hedley Thompson, Arnold or Arthur Terdich, Peter Manton, Bill Patterson, Derek Jolly and no doubt others who just don’t ring-the-bells for me.
(T Johns Collection)
What jumps off the pages too is the importance of Australian Specials, and MGs in particular, which provided the lifeblood and bulk of Australian motor racing grids for decades. Depending on the year MG provided both outright contenders and the ‘Formula Vee’ in unmodified form, and ‘Formula Ford’ in modified form entry-level classes of the day.
Tony Gaze in a reflective moment celebrating what was perhaps his final motor racing career victory, at Albert Park on March 11, 1956.
He had just won the 48 lap, 150 mile Moomba Tourist Trophy in his HWM Jaguar from Bib Stillwell’s Jag D-Type and Ron Phillips’ Austin Healey 100S in a huge 37 car field. Over the following days he sold both this car ‘VPA9’ and the ex-Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500/625 #005 he had been racing in single seater events around the world for two years or so.
Tony Gaze’s HWM Alta in the Silverstone pits during the 1952 British Grand Prix weekend, he retired with head gasket problems after completing 19 laps (Q26 of 32). The race was won by Alberto Ascari in Ferrari 500 #005, the car referred to in the previous paragraph, from Piero Taruffi’s similar machine, and Mike Hawthorn’s Cooper T20 Bristol in third.
Light Car Club of Australia former-members will pick that bonnet-badge, same badge as on the obscured gent’s blazer in the opening shot. The tyres are Dunlops…
(MotorSport)
Gaze aboard Graham Whitehead’s Aston Martin DB3 (DB3/10) during the Tourist Trophy, World Sportscar Championship round at Dundrod on September 5, 1953. They were an excellent fourth and first of the privateers while up front were two new Aston DB3S’ crewed by Peter Collins/Pat Griffith and Reg Parnell/Eric Thompson, then the works-Jaguar C-Type of Stirling Moss/Peter Walker in third.
(D Coelho)
Tony Gaze own DB3, chassis DB3/9 was only two races old when the car lost its life, and Tony nearly his too. He was forced to swerve around Pietro Palmieri’s Ferrari 250MM in the Portuguese Grand Prix at Boavista on June 21, 1953. The Aston hit a tree, broke in half and burst into flames with Gaze semi-conscious in the middle of the road ten metres from the remains of his car. Wow, she really is daffy-ducked!
With his insurance monies in hand, after a second-hand DB3 could not be sourced, Gaze was unable to buy an Aston Martin DB3S, or a Jag D-Type on acceptable terms, so he acquired HWM Jaguar VPA9 instead.
(MotorSport)
Gaze, Ferrari 500/625 on the way to victory in the 1820 Settlers Trophy, a handicap race held at Queenshaven, South Africa on March 26, 1955. Held on a 3.8-mile track laid out on the disused Palmietfontein aerodrome south of Johannesburg, a crowd of about 60,000 people watched the action.
Peter Whitehead and Gaze were the star international attractions in a two race tour in the same pair of identical Ferraris that excited New Zealanders at Ardmore during the NZ GP on January 8 where the Whitehead/Gaze train were second and third behind the victorious Prince Bira’s Maserati 250F.
Their first event in South Africa was the 7th Van Riebeeck Trophy, a handicap held on the new 1.75-mile Eerste River airfield circuit in the Western Cape, on March 12. Whitehead was 11th and Gaze 13th so the handicapper must have belted them hard! Chris Andrews won the race in a Studebaker Special.
(MotorSport)
The Dickie Stoop/Tony Gaze Frazer Nash Sebring Bristol 2-litre at Le Mans in 1956, DNF accident after completing 100 laps at about 10am on Sunday morning. The pair weren’t as successful as other Nash’s in recent years, in that context the ad below makes interesting reading.
Ain’t she sweet, and fast. Frazer Nash Sebring Bristol in the Le Mans pits in 1956 (MotorSport)(K Brown Collection)
Off to New Zealand now for the last bunch of shots. Above is the grid for the Lady Wigram Trophy at the RNZAF base of the same name on 1956
Almost obscured on the far left is Reg Parnell in Aston Martin’s forgotten GP car, DP155, Gaze #3 and Whitehead #2 aboard their Ferrari 500/625s with the all enveloping bodied #4 Connaught B-Type Jaguar of later famous artist, Leslie Marr. On row two is Ron Frost’s Cooper Mk9 Norton alongside Ron Roycroft’s Bugatti Jaguar, row three comprises Pat Hoare’s Maserati 4CLT, David McKay’s Aston Martin DB3S and the R Archibald Jaguar XK120. Whitehead won the 71 lap, 150-mile race from Gaze, Marr and Parnell.
Contemporary driver shots from a magazine report about the 1956 NZ GP won by Stirling Moss in a Maserati 250F. And yes it is Reg Parnell, not his nephew, Roy, who was an Aston Martin test driver, and FAO Gaze was an Aussie. Let’s not get picky, it’s the shots that matter (G Woods Collection)(G Woods Collection)
A favourite shot this one, Gaze in his HWM Jag on the Ryal Bush road circuit during the 1956 NZ Internationals. Tony placed second to Peter Whitehead in the Southland Road Race Formula Libre feature that February 11 weekend in their Ferrari 500/625s.
The sportscar event was a handicap, David McKinney wrote that “the three 1.5-litre Singers outfoxed the handicapper and filled all the first (three) places at the end of the 43 miles.” CR Bath won from Kelvin Kerr and Dave Edmiston. “Although unplaced on handicap, Whitehead (Cooper T38 Jaguar) made fastest time on scratch from Gaze, the HWM slowed by rear-axle trouble, and Tom Sulman (Aston Martin DB3S) who had been off into the scrub and damaged his exhaust…”
(G Woods Collection)HWM Jag in the Ryal Bush paddock (S Quertier)Gaze again in VPA9 in NZ, Ardmore or Wigram folks? (unattributed)
Etcetera…
(B Sternberg Archive)
There is a Tony Gaze connection here, it’s HWM Alta 2-litre s/c #GP107, his mount on his 1954 Kiwi tour. It’s shown after a fresh coat of red paint in Auckland in late 1957. By this stage the machine was probably owned by Tom Clark in a long period of continuous NZ owners/ownership which is related in the first of the articles linked above.
(B Sternberg Archive)(B Sternberg Archive)
Credits…
Sydney Morning Herald, MotorSport Images, Graham Woods Collection, Duarte Coelho, Kelvin Brown Collection, B Sternberg Archive, Stewart Quertier, David McKinney race report via Roger Clark
Jack Brabham, Cooper T39 Climax, and the Bib Stillwell-Bill Pitt Jaguar D-Types just before the start of The Argus Cup 8-lap, 25-mile sportscar support race before the Australian Grand Prix. December 2, 1956.
On row two are the red Ausca Holden of Paul England at left, and Lex Davison’s HWM Jaguar alongside. The third row comprises Stan Coffey’s Ferrari 750 Monza, Ron Phillips’ Austin Healey 100S and Tom Sulman’s green Aston Martin DB3S at right.
This AGP day grid excludes some of the cars which contested the ATT the week before including the first three placegetters, Moss and Behra, Maserati 300S and Ken Wharton, Ferrari 750 Monza. By that stage the Maseratis may have been sold to locals Doug Whiteford and Reg Smith, if not they were very much for sale, so best not to put them at risk by racing them, cash was critical to Maserati.
Brabham and Stillwell
Brabham’s 1.5-litre Climax FWB engined machine won the race by nine seconds from Stillwell’s D-Type, Jack’s task was made easier when Pitt – first Aussie home in the ATT the week before – clipped a kerb in his D-Type on lap one and rolled it, he handily landed amongst the hay bales while the Jag was rendered somewhat second-hand. In a motor-dealer strong field, Bill Patterson’s T39 Bobtail was third, then Paul England in the superb Ausca from Kiwi, Ross Jensen’s AH 100S and then Ron Phillip’s similar car in sixth.
The single-seater shots are of course the machines contesting the AGP won convincingly by Stirling Moss’ works-Maserati 250F from team-mate, Jean Behra’s similar 2.5-litre F1 car. Peter Whitehead was third in a Formula Libre 3.4-litre Ferrari 555 Super Squalo from local 250F exponents Reg Hunt and Stan Jones.
The gathering of drivers before the off is interesting, perhaps it’s just before the drivers briefing. Mind you, they may be discussing their flight connections that evening, the army’s Southern Command Band marched and played on…and on, as landlords of part of this particular manor, they weren’t keen to leave the track after their moment of glory, ensuring the race started an hour late.
From the far-left it’s Whitehead’s #3 Ferrari, the guy in the brown sports-jacket looks like Bib Stillwell to me. He didn’t contest this race but still may have ambled up for a gander. Based on the shot below, the guy in the green/blue helmet is perhaps Whitehead, but who is the driver in the white helmet? Behra is in his car with Moss perched on his left-rear, Stirling’s car is on pole. Look at that crowd and the Repco sign.
Moss’ car is about to be fired up, a mechanic is inserting the battery operated starter-shaft, the silver car on row two at right is Ken Wharton’s Maserati 250F, DNF engine failure. What wonderful theatre it must have been.
These colour shots really do allow you to feel the vibe, the palette – high quality Kodachrome film here I think – of clothing is so much more muted than today’s. This stretch of road and trees are still there, It’s roughly parallel with the current front straight, and between it and the lake. Look at the press-men in their stereotypical brown ‘flasher’ trench coats. Isn’t the lady elegant and rare, these days Drive To Survive has ’em out in droves, happily motor-racing remains a girlfriend free zone for me.
That’s Whitehead’s Ferrari 555 with, perhaps, Lex Davison’s 3-litre Ferrari 500/625 being pushed into place behind, he shared the second row with Ken Wharton’s Maserati 250F, on the third row was Reg Hunt’s 250F, Reg Parnell in the other Ferrari 555 Super Squalo and Kevin Neal in the ex-Hunt 2.5-litre Maserati A6GCM.
Credits…
Ian Curwen-Walker and Russell Garth many thanks, ‘Glory Days : Albert Park 1953-58’ Barry Green
Tailpiece…
Moss on the hop before the rains came, he beat Jean Behra by close to two minutes, the 80 lap/250 miles journey took him 2 hours 36 15.4 min/secs.
Make Mine Milk. Jack Raybould and Arthur Terdich, Bugatti T37A mechanic and driver, 1929 AGP winners, Phillip Island (B King Collection)
With the 100th anniversary of the Australian Grand Prix approaching, we thought it would be of interest to look at photographs taken at Phillip Island of some of the old racers shortly after the Golden Jubilee celebration on the Island.
After the highly successful GOLDEN JUBILEE celebration of the AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX held on Phillip Island in March 1978, some of the older LIGHT CAR CLUB of AUSTRALIA members made an annual pilgrimage to Phillip Island to reminisce, have lunch and a drive around the original track used for the 1928 100-MILES ROAD RACE – a race which was to be perpetuated as the first Australian Grand Prix. These pleasurable events were the idea of brothers Bill and Jim Leech and dreamed up at a regular Friday convivial lunch at the club premises in Queens Road, Melbourne.
(R Simmonds Collection)
On this particular day we can see, clockwise from the front left, Peter de Wolf, Bill Leech, David Anderson, unknown, John Ould, Arnold Terdich, Ron Rawson, Ron Edgerton and Jim Leech. Bill had competed on the original Phillip Island track before the war and Jim had attended with him. The brothers’ enthusiasm led to the erection of corner signage naming each corner. In 1978 we did multiple commemorative laps of it on the Saturday of the Golden Jubilee celebration The track was unchanged from pre-war, apart from bituminisation. During that weekend a commemorative brass plaque was unveiled at Heaven Corner. See this lengthy pice on the 1928 AGP; https://primotipo.com/2020/05/28/1928-100-miles-road-race-phillip-island/
(B King Collection)
The names of the corners are of interest. The start-finish line was on the southern-most straight which led quickly to Heaven Corner. ‘Heaven’, because the previous and last corner was Hell, as it was approached downhill at maximum speed. (Hope Bartlett claimed he reached 130mph in 1931 driving his Type 37A Bugatti on this downhill stretch through ‘The Bridge of Sighs’). The next corner, just a short walk from Cowes, was named Young and Jacksons as it was nearest to the Isle of Wight Hotel, recognizing the pub of that name conveniently place opposite Flinders Street Railway Station in Melbourne. The south-east corner was Gentle Ann, named for a memorable local maiden. The track was 6 miles in length – this figure having been arrived at by a gentleman seated in a dray, drawn by a horse. To the large diameter wheel of the dray, he had nailed a flap of leather which hit his foot on each rotation and, knowing the diameter of the wheel, he was able to calculate the track’s length. Subsequent survey proved that this method was highly accurate. As the roads were unsealed, the racer’s nightmare was dust, dust so thick that in places they steered by the tops of the trees.
In the mid-eighties photographs were taken of attendees at the LCCA commemorative events at Phillip Island. As he is absent from the photos, it is likely they were taken by Jim Leech – they are representative of three visits to the Island. We felt that these photographs should be shared.
(B King Collection)
A group photograph with the secretary of the LCCA, Ian McKnight in the foreground. L to R: John Whiting of the Luxton family, Arthur Terdich, winner of the 1929 AGP, David Anderson, an LCCA official, Les Murphy, two times AGP winner, 1935 and 1936, Jack Ould (known as Jack Ancient to distinguish him from the LCCA president, John Ould), David Watson, Bob Chamberlain, with Barney and Bess Dentry flanking him, Bill Chamberlain, Ron Edgerton, unknown, Bob King and Peter Menere
Jim Leech in conversation with Harold Edwards and partner in Bugatti T39 #4604 – the 1931 AGP winning car driven by Carl Junker – while Bill and Lyn share the back seat of Jim’s Singer during the LCCA Ballarat Trial in the mid-thirties (B King Collection)(B King Collection)
The ever-engaged Bob Chamberlain with Barney Dentry.
(B King Collection)
The extraordinary, avant-garde Chamberlain 8 leaves the line in a haze of screaming two-stroke fuel and exhaust music, Jim Hawker at the wheel. Rob Roy June 1946.
Godbehear attacking Rob Roy on November 3, 1959, JBS JAP 298cc. Jack Goldsmith Godbehear was a legendary mechanic/engineer/mentor to drivers such as Jim McKeown and Tony Stewart. He taught driver/mechanics like Larry Perkins and Peter Larner many of his principles and tricks in his Park Orchards shed, the dyno of which upset the bucolic splendour of the outer Melbourne suburb on many a fine day.
The inspiration for these visits, Bill Leech, at right with Jack. Bill and Jim Leech were pillars of the Melbourne business and motorsport establishment, their creative, competitive, political and organisational skills were all over the successes of the Light Car Club of Australia for a half-century. One can’t overstate their contribution behind the wheel or boardroom table.
(B King Collection)
Bill Leech at Lakeland hillclimb in the 1970s, Bugatti T37A.
‘Memories’, Len Sydney and his brother reminiscing about when they raced motorcycles on the 20-mile track that went north as far as Rhyll (Phillip Island).
Ace drivers and preparers Reg Nutt and Otto Stone.
(Davey-Milne Collection)
Otto Stone working on an MG Q-Type with Verna Davey-Milne looking on. Stone was another life-long competitor/engineer with influence across the sport not least preparing – and calming down a bit – Stan Jones and his Maserati 250F to AGP and Gold Star victories.
(S Wills)
The list of cars prepared and/or raced by Reg Nutt is a very long one – a long overdue article – here in a Cisitalia D46 Fiat at Rob Roy in the 1950s.
Eddie Thomas of ‘Speedshop’ fame and Otto Stone.
(unattributed)
Fast Eddie Thomas about to do a career best 8.55 seconds pass during the 1968 nationals at Calder in his shed built, blown Chrysler-Hemi powered dragster, Old No 17. An ace on two-wheels and four he formed his first Eddie Thomas Speed Shop in Caulfield, Melbourne in partnership with another ace-mechanic, Pat Ratliff in 1956. Corporate and competition fame and fortune followed.
Light Car Club stalwart Alex Hay with Maurie Quincey, nine times Australian TT champion and four times Isle of Man competitor on motorcycles before success as a Honda dealer and late career Formula 2 racer in a ‘relatively safe’ Elfin 600 Lotus-Ford.
(I Smith)
Maurie Quincey’s Elfin 600B Lotus Ford about to be rounded up by World Champion, Graham Hill’s Lotus 49B Ford during the Sandown Tasman Cup round in February 1969.
Reg Nutt, who was riding mechanic to Carl Junker when they won the 1931 AGP. He is seen with Ken McKinney who drove an Austin 7 in the AGP in 1932-34.
(B King Collection)
Oopsie. McKinney’s Austin 7’s dignity being restored at Phillip Island circa 1934. DNF that day, but he was fifth in 1933 to go with another DNF in 1932, all aboard Austin 7s which always punched above their handicaps on the rough Island course, Arthur Waite’s 1928 AGP victory duly mounted, noted.
Gib Barrett, brother of Alf Barrett and driver of the BWA, sometimes known as the ‘Bloody Work of Art’, seen below at Templestowe Hillclimb circa 1960.
(unattributed)(B King Collection)
Silvio Massola drove an HRG in the 1952 and 1953 AGPs at Bathurst and Albert Park
(B King Collection)
Silvio works on his Bugatti T37 supervised by his son Carlo, John Monks, Snapper-Jack Mayes and grandson, James Massola.
(B King Collection)
Credits…
Bob King Collection, Spencer Wills, Ian Smith, Ron Simmonds Collection, Dentry Family Collection, Spencer Wills, Davey-Milne Family Collection, Nathan Tasca
Tailpiece…
(B King Collection)
Jack Day was an AGP perennial who attended the modern gatherings, but he seems to have escaped the photographer. Here he is, in the day, aboard a Lombard AL3 at Safety Beach, Dromana, perhaps.
primotipo... 