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.
Rothman’s promo handout of the type used at race meetings back in the day.
Frank Matich did well with this unique Repco-Holden F5000 V8 engined McLaren M10B, chassis 400-10, winning the Australian Grand Prix with it in November 1970. In early ‘71, after finishing second to Graham McRae’s M10B Chev in the Tasman Cup, he took he entered the first two rounds of the US F5000 Championship held in California in April/May. He won the Riverside Grand Prix and finished second in the following Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, proving the car was one of the quickest F5000s around.
Sponsorship commitments forced his return to Australia to contest the Gold Star, a pity! Given the solid US campaign you would think Repco – he was their contracted test and race driver – and Rothmans would have seen the good sense in staying a bit longer and surfing the wave of success. US wins would have created good column inches back home and promoted Repco-Holden engine sales stateside, the irony of successful Australian V8s on the ‘home turf’ of that pushrod-V8-donk genre will not be lost on most of you. When Repco and Matich returned to the US with a full-on two car works L&M F5000 Championship assault in 1973 it was a clusterfuck, a tangent covered in this article and another linked below; https://primotipo.com/2015/09/11/frank-matich-matich-f5000-cars-etcetera/
(R Wolfe Collection)
Back home things turned to custard as he collided with another car – in a zig-zag moment as two cars converged – in practice at Oran Park before the first Gold Star round on June 27.
By then FM had decided to build his own car, so rather than order a replacement M10B chassis from Trojan Cars – manufacturers of McLaren customer cars – he decided his Brookvale team should rebuild the buggered monocoque as practice for what became the Matich A50 Repco-Holden that November. FM’s cars to that point – the SR3-4 sportscars – had spaceframe chassis.
When the thrice tubbed – the original, a Trojan replacement after a July 1970 prang, plus the Matich built chassis – M10B was rebuilt it was designated M10C.
Compare and contrast. Matich shown winning the November 1970 AGP above at Warwick Farm fitted with 15-inch front and rear wheels, and below at the same circuit using 13-inch jobbies up front during the February WF Tasman round, DNF electrical. Same car, chassis 400-10, and same tub at this point! (unattributed)(Terry Russell/an1images.com)Matich in the M10C in New Zealand – where folks? – during the ’71 Tasman showing its M7/M14 13-inch front wheels. Isn’t it neat looking sans hi-airbox – that ‘innovation’ was introduced by Tyrrell during the ’71 French GP weekend – and with engine cover (D Kneller Collection)
In the lead up to the 1971 Tasman, FM developed 13-inch Goodyears as part of his test-driver role with Goodyear, he was one of about 10 in the world at the time, he was the distributor of the Akron giant’s race-tyres in Australia too. F1 cars raced on 13-inch covers and Goodyear were keen to evolve suitable boots of the same diameter for the heavier F5000s. The M10A and M10B were supplied ex-factory with 15-inch wheels front and rear. Simultaneously, the Matich crew increased the wheelbase of the car by 150mm by using redesigned front wishbones and longer radius rods, these and other subtle changes heralded the very quick C-specification.
Back to the ’71 Gold Star. Matich won at Surfers Paradise when he rejoined the Gold Star circus on August 29, 1971 but retirements at Warwick Farm and Sandown cruelled his championship aspirations. By then the main game was readying the new Matich A50 Repco-Holden for the November 21 AGP at Warwick Farm where the several days old car finished a splendid first!
Etcetera…
(G Wadsworth Collection)
Matich in the middle of the leading gaggle of cars not long after the start of the Riverside Grand Prix, that’s Sam Posey’s Surtees TS8 Chev turning in. The red car out of focus on the left looks suspiciously like Skip Barber’s F1 March 701 Ford DFV. Ron Grable’s Lola T190 Chev won the first 38 lap heat and Posey won the second, but FM’s two second placings won the day and the bubbles overall.
(M Kidd)
I like this unfinished painting, Kiwi artist Michael Kidd never got beyond his initial sketch of the McLaren M10C Repco-Holden in ‘71 Tasman specs as shown below. Matich leads Niel Allen’s M10B Chev and Frank Gardner’s works-Lola T192 Chev in the distance. Circuit folks? How ’bout completing the painting Michael?
(D Kneller Collection)
What’s interesting to we anoraks – perhaps – is that between the end of the Tasman and the trip to the US a couple of months later, Matich fitted a more substantial roll-over hoop with two rear stays mounted further back on the car at the rear. Look at the shots above and below. I wonder why? Different US regs perhaps, dunno, that’s one for Derek Kneller…
(D Kneller Collection)
The more you look, the more you see of course, here’s one for the Repco-Holden perves. Don’t the inlet trumpets on the engine above indicate that that injection slides are in use rather than butterflies? I thought by this stage slides had been given the arse by REDCO given their propensity to jam from the collection of roadside detritus on our shitty tracks?
Credits…
Rod Wolfe Collection, Derek Kneller Collection, Terry Russell, Michael Kidd, Eli Solomon
Tailpiece…
Frank Matich, McLaren M10A Chev, Thomson Road, Singapore GP, March 1970 (E Solomon)
Frank Matich’s F5000 commitment began with the purchase of this McLaren M10A Chev in late 1969, before CAMS had ‘finally landed’ on their decision for the new Australian National F1 to succeed the much loved, but running out of puff, 2.5-litre formula. That balsy-call by FM and staggering tale of ‘decision making fuck-wittery’ by the Conspiracy Against Motor Sport is contained within this exhausting epic; https://primotipo.com/2018/05/03/repco-holden-f5000-v8/
By the way, the small minded and petty (me) can still take the piss out of CAMS’ name quite legitimately. They registered the new business name Motorsport Australia with effect from January 1, 2020 but the full legal name of the organisation we all love is the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport Ltd (ABN 55 069 045 665) trading as Motorsport Australia, so CAMS it is.
Frank’s M10A, chassis 300-10, was delivered to him in August 1969, and Derek Kneller, ex-McLaren came with it. Derek and Peter Mabey immediately set to and updated the car to the just coming M10B spec – DG300, radiator, body, suspension wheels etc – and created a jet that Matich put on pole in four 1970 Tasman rounds for two wins, the NZ GP at Pukekohe and Wigram.
The last time Frank raced it – F5000 was not Gold Star legal in 1970, see fuck-wittery above – was during the March 29, 1970 Formula Libre 1970 Singapore Grand Prix on the big-balls Upper Thomson Road circuit.
Eli Solomon picks up the story, “Frank complained that his car weighed 1500lbs and carried 28.5 gallons of petrol designed for a 100 mile course. Talk that Niel Allen would also race an M10A never materialised (albeit he had a race winning M10B ready for the 1970 Tasman).”
“In Thursday practice Matich took out a bus stop doing 160mph on the Murder Mile, his best time had been 2:05.5, fifth fastest compared with the winner Graeme Lawrence, Ferrari 246T on pole at 1:57.8. Kevin Bartlett, Mildren Alfa Romeo T33 2.5 V8, did 1:58.6 and Max Stewart, Mildren Waggott TC-4V 2-litre, 1:59.6.” Lawrence won from John MacDonald’s Brabham BT10/23C Ford FVA and Albert Poon’s similarly powered Brabham BT30.
Matich’s M10A 300-10 on the NZ GP grid at Pukekohe, January 10, 1970. Guy tapping the nose folks? the Keke Rosberg look-alike is Hugh Lexington with Graeme ‘Lugs’ Adams alongside right. Matich won from Derek Bell, Brabham BT26 Ford DFW and Graeme Lawrence, Ferrari Dino 246T. Engine is a Traco prepped Chev (The Roaring Season)
Obiter…
One last final fleeting glance for me before uploading this masterpiece. The Rothmans’ shot of 400-10 isn’t a photograph of the car in M10C spec but rather M10B spec before modification, the specification sheet listing is M10B before mods too, the poor old marketers are always the last to know. So, sleep easy now with that knowledge, I’m not OCD-ADHDxyz believe it or not but I do have my uber-anal moments…
Graeme Adams, Adama GA01 Chef in front of Chris Middleton, Elfin MR5 Chev, Oran Park 100 February 26, 1978 (N Stratton)
Graeme ‘Lugsy’ Adams (24 September 1941-24 September 2013) is one of many talented mechanics who jumped the fence from the paddock onto the grid. He quickly graduated from a self-built Holden Torana GTR XU-1 Group C tourer to the equally home-grown Adams GA01.
Adams worked for the very best of Australian outfits in F5000 from 1969 including Niel Allen Racing, Frank Matich’s Repco sponsored team and Warwick Brown’s team where he worked again with Peter Molloy, one of the country’s most gifted mechanics-cum engineer-cum Driver Whisperer. He worked on McLaren, Matich and Lola chassis and therefore knew his way round these machines better than most.
He acquired and built a 3.3-litre, two-OHV, straight-six Holden Torana GTR XU-1 racing the machine to some Australian Touring Car Championship points in 1974 and a great fifth place at the 1974 Bathurst 1000, sharing his car with Bob Stevens, in a real smell-of-an-oily rag operation.
Adams/Stevens during the 1975 Bathurst 1000, DNF that year – and with a few $ from Amex. I wonder how much!(D Cratchley)(D Cratchley)
Turning his mind to Formula 5000 – Australia premier single-seater category for both our summer internationals and domestic Australian Drivers Championship, the Gold Star – Lugs considered his options and decided to build his own car.
He set to work on the car in an office within his workshop, progressing the project as customer commitments allowed. The machine was Lola T400-esque in appearance and in the overall look of the aluminium monocoque chassis.
Surfers Paradise, February 1978, and yes, the day is fine! (G Simkin)Adams built 5-litre, injected Chev (G Simkin)
The uprights are Lola, so too the steering rack, while the top bodywork section is Matich, as used on the A50-53 series of cars. The transaxle is of course the good ‘ole Hewland DG300 five-speeder and the engine a fuel injected Chev of Adams’ own assembly.
Adams during his F5000 race debut weekend at Surfers Paradise in February 1978. Lost in thought but enjoying every minute (G Simkin)Allan Newton, McLaren M18/22 Chev and Adams dicing down the back of the field during the February 19, 1978 Surfers Paradise 100. DNFs for both
Graeme finally completed the car, extricating it from the office by knocking down a wall, and entered all four of the 1978 Rothmans International rounds, racing the car at two, the Surfers Paradise 100 and Oran Park 100 in February 1978.
Garry Simkin, friend of Graham and for many years a salaried mechanic/technician member of Racing Team VDS picks up the story. “Money was really tight, in the shots below he is getting a push-start at Surfers as he hadn’t fitted starter motor yet. His initial tyre setup (below) for exploratory laps comprised three wets and a dry! I have a funny feeling that Count Rudy Van der Straten may have bought a set of tyres for him.”
(G Simkin)
“I remember Lugs telling me that he thought he was going ok, really fast, when WB (Warwick Brown) passed him on the outside of the corner onto the main straight with one wheel in the dirt and waving to him. ‘The bastard!’ Lugs said with a laugh.”
He was Q23 and completed 31 of the 40 laps of the Surfers race won by Brown’s VDS Lola T333/332C Chev. The new car completed too few laps to be classified.
Adams GA01 side profile at Oran Park (A Betteridge)
Things were pretty tough in his home race at Oran Park, where again he qualified 23rd, and this time retired the car with a thrown oil pump belt after completing only 12 laps. Bown won that race too, and the championship from Vern Schuppan’s Elfin MR8B-C Chev and Bruce Allison, Chevron B37 Chev.
Graham Bristol with the Adams GA01 being rebuilt to original spec (G Simkin)
Those were the only occasions the car raced, “Then Lugs crashed it badly into a concrete pylon at Oran Park. He didn’t ever repair it, with the engine and gearbox sold over time.”
“Graham Bristol was working for Lugs and eventually bought the remains of the car. Up Lake Macquarie way he is working steadily on the GA01. I’m helping him piece together a DG300 and he’s built an injected engine and is keen to get it up and running.”
So treat this article as WIP, I shall report further about this valiant attempt at F5000 on an FF budget, in due course.
Etcetera…
(G Simkin)
Simkin, “That’s Graeme in the black singlet looking longingly at the VDS 332 (T333/T332C HU2) outside his workshop in Silverwater, where we assembled the car in 1978. On the far right of the shot is Herve, Count VDS’s son.”
(G Simkin)
“I love this one, it’s Graeme at a Sandown historic meeting in the mid-1980s when WB had a run in his old Lola T332 HU27. This was the Pat Burke owned car prepared by Peter Molloy, John Wright and Phil Harris with me and Michael Truman as gopher that won the 1975 Tasman Cup at Sandown. It was the first and only time an Aussie won that title.”
“All of my shots taken with my trusty Minolta 101B.”
Credits…
Neil Stratton, autopics.com.au, David Cratchley, Bob Quinlan Collection, Arn Betteridge, eldougo, Australian Broadcasting Commission, Garry Simkin
Tailpieces…
(eldougo)
A few words from Graeme at Surfers Paradise in 1969 when he was working with Frank Matich, here shown with Don O’Sullivan who had just acquired a Matich SR3 Repco from Matich; https://youtu.be/nxQILr8mgUE
Graeme Adams and Don O’Sullivan during the 1969 Surfers Paradise 6 Hour (ABC)(G Simkin)
A racer in approach and mindset to his core, Graeme Adams all set for battle at Surfers Paradise in February 1978.
Well known in Australia but perhaps less so elsewhere are Ron Tauranac’s pre-Brabham phase Ralts as against the post-Motor Racing Developments ones…
Ron looking young and shy in the first Ralt, the ‘Ralt Special’ above at the King Edward Park hill, Newcastle in 1951. By this stage Ralt 1 was fitted with schmick Ralt wheels and low-pivot trailing arms to better control the swing-axles.
Ron and Austin Lewis Tauranac (RALT) built five racing cars in the 1950s fitted with a variety of engines, two were powered by Norton 500s and one each by Ford 10, Vincent 1000 and Peugeot motors. Sadly, only the latter seems to remain.
‘Series Two’ Ralt. Larry Perkins and Ron with the RT1 Toyota with which Larry won the 1975 European F3 Championship. Monaco GP weekend, where he won the first heat and crashed out of the final. Renzo Zorzi, GRD 374 Lancia won the second heat and the final. The car behind looks like a Modus M1 but I can’t make #117 work (Auto Action Archive)
After that they built another five or so chassis on their jig, which were Vincent 1000 powered, before Jack Brabham made the offer to Ron to join him in the UK as Jack hatched his post-Cooper plans.
Peter Wilkins, who had been working with Ron making chassis, fibreglass bodies, seats, alloy wheels with integral brake drums, steering and suspension gear, bought the stock of parts. He then onsold the Ralt bits – Ron’s version is he sold them direct – to John Bruderlin and Leon Thomas, whose Concord, Sydney, Lynx Engineering business specialised in building hot MGs and selling MG parts.
Wilkins joined them as a partner for two highly productive years making what John Blanden described in his book as Ralt Derivatives; three Vincent engined cars and various Lynx Peugeot, Borgward, Ford and BMC powered FJ/single-seaters until Wilkins joined Tauranac in the UK to assist in the construction of the first Brabhams at Motor Racing Developments. These cars are covered later in the article under the Ralt Derivatives heading.
The descriptions of the cars are those used in Ron’s biography, ‘Brabham Ralt Honda : The Ron Tauranac Story’ written by Mike Lawrence, but I have used Ralt 1, 2 etc for brevity. There is no shortage of photos of the cars on the internet but most don’t have captions, if you can help with the who, where and when please email me on mark@bisset.com.au and I will update the piece.
In the beginning…
Tauranac was born in Gillingham, Kent in 1925 and emigrated to Australia with his folks in 1928. Austin was born in 1929 by which time the family lived in Fassifern, Newcastle. When of working age Ron joined the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation as a junior draftsman in 1939, continuing his technical studies. Despite being in a protected occupation he joined the RAAF in 1943 and trained as a pilot but missed out on combat with the end of the conflict, he was a Flight Sergeant when he returned to Civvy Street.
A very youthful Ron aboard Ralt 1, probably near the Bondi garage/workshop in 1949 (B Caldersmith)
Garry Simkin, historian, air-cooled expert and el-supremo of the superb loosefillings.com – from which a chunk of this article was drawn, together with the relevant section of Blanden’s bible which was written by Doug Grant and Mike Lawrence’s biography on Ron – writes that legend has it Ron was driving through Marsden Park when cars were racing on the ex-RAAF landing strip there, and his appetite for racing was whetted that day. Simkin debunks the theory, but one way or the other Ron and Austin, by then a motor mechanic, were soon reading all they could about the fledgling 500cc Movement in the UK. The 500cc Car Club of NSW was formed in April 1947, the brothers were soon hatching plans of their own aided by the knowledge gained in buying/improving/selling an Austin 7, Lea Francis and a Morris Minor. Suss and and carefully search Loose Fillings here; https://loosefillings.com/
Ron drew the Ralt Special – as he called it in Lawrence’s book – Ralt 1 in 1947 but there was then a two year gestation period until it was rolled out of a rented garage in Blair Street, Bondi, closeby to the family flat. Powered by a Norton ES2 500cc engine, the car was a typical 1940s 500 with 19-inch wire wheels, tubular steel ladder-frame chassis, wishbone-leaf spring front suspension and swing-axle rear with an engine/gearbox from a road-going motorcycle.
Ralt 1 at Marsden Park, Peter Finlay suspects, an RAAF emergency airfield at Berkshire Park, west of Sydney. This shot and the one below are circa-1950 with the 19-inch wires and original rear suspension fitted (B Caldersmith)(B Caldersmith)
Despite lacking shock absorbers, money was tight, Ron entered a hillclimb at Hawkesbury on November 20, 1950. “On his first run, the Ralt, which had already given him a few frights in the first corners, ran wide, hit a drainage gully and flipped. Ron was thrown out and taken to hospital to be stitched together,” wrote his biographer, Mike Lawrence.
When RT recovered from the crash, he repaired the car, fitted shocks, stiffened the rear suspension and then took it back to Hawkesbury. After some impressive practice times, he set off on his first timed run and again crashed, this time one of the back wheels tucked under and the car flipped, Ron was unhurt despite cuts and abrasions. A shackle on the rear spring had broken and caused the wheel to fold over, the problem was that the spring was the main locating medium.
Ron was learning valuable lessons on-the-hop and back to the drawing board he went. He devised long-arm, low-pivot swing axles, adding universal joints and was able to lower the roll-centre of his car by six-inches. Then it returned to competition in 1950 and was raced consistently, notable early performances included a 58.13 seconds Newcastle hillclimb time, an Australian quarter-mile class record of 16.3 seconds, and an appearance at the Easter Bathurst meeting in 1951 when Ron drove. By then the car also had Ralt cast-alloy wheels, Ralt 2 – the ‘Ralt 1100’ – also contested this meeting.
Merv Ward’s Ralt leads the Day Special (Bugatti T39 Ford V8 Spl) at Mount Druitt (B Caldersmith)Merv Ward in living colour on the cover of Modern Motor magazine aboard Ralt 1 Norton during the Easter Bathurst meeting in 1956 (S Dalton Collection)(B Caldersmith)
Ralt 1 then raced with continuous engine development at Foleys Hill, Newcastle and Parramatta Park among other venues. It was during this period that Ron met Jack Brabham and started to use him for his CSR Chemicals, his employers, machining work. The car was then sold to Merv Ward and Bernie Short, both of whom raced it in 1955 with much success using both ES2 and Norton overhead camshaft engines until Easter 1957 when the ES2 engine blew at Bathurst and the car crashed.
Sold in 1957 to Bert Bartrop, then to Reg Mulligan, on to Leaton Motors and Bert Lambkin, he crashed into a pole at Orange in 1960 during his first race. Taken to motorcycle expert Cec Platt for repair, parts of the car were used in building TQ midgets, the rest, apart from the two wheel-centres, was disposed off at the local tip after Platt’s death.
The Ralt 1100 (Ralt 2) appeared from the Bondi garage in 1949 fitted with a Ford 10 E93A engine, Standard 10 gearbox mounted mid-car fitted to a ladder-frame chassis, a Morris 8/40 rear end completing the key mechanicals. These components were clad in a sleek two-seater aluminium body, registered NSW KJ.989 and was raced by Austin at Leura, Mt Druitt, Foleys and Bathurst through to 1951.
Featured in the April 1951 issue of Australian Motor Sports, the car was sold to Lane Cove’s Austin Sudden in 1952 after Tauranac’s marriage, his wife to be wasn’t keen on his racing. Sudden used it on the road before selling it, passing through a couple of pairs of hands – Doug Grant chanced upon a photograph of the car below in a South Brisbane car yard circa-1959 – it was badly damaged in a 1969 car accident in Queensland and assumed scrapped.
(unattributed)(D Willis)
Ron Tauranac in the Jack Hooper car modified by he and Austin, then raced by Austin as the ‘Norton Special’ at King Edward Park hillclimb, Newcastle in 1951. Dick Willis tells us “It took FTD with a mere 500 Norton engine ahead of many more fancied runners including Sir Jack with the Cooper Bristol.”
Originally built by the Hooper brother, operators of the Hooper & Napier Motorcycles business in Sydney, Austin bought it and the brothers comprehensively rebuilt it inclusive of a new chassis. The Ralt MkIII (Ralt 3) took nine months to build in the Austin Service Station, East Circular Quay ‘on’ Sydney Harbour.
Austin debuted it at Mount Druitt in 1953 then raced very successfully for two years, he placed third at the Bathurst Easter 1955 meeting in an event also contested by Merv Ward in Ralt 1. Sold to a Broken Hill enthusiast who raced it at Port Wakefield in October 1956, no further details of the car’s whereabouts are known.
(B Gunther)
Byron Gunther wrote on the reverse of his photograph above, “A Tauranac, Norton 500. Very consistent all day (what day and where tho Byron??), this is the ex-Hooper 500, the first really good 500 built in this country.” Interesting to get this in-period perspective from an expert on the scene.
Ralt 1 at left with the Hooper originated Norton Special (Ralt 3) – by then fitted with Ralt alloy wheels on the front – at Mount Druitt (B Caldersmith)(B Caldersmith)
Austin and Ray Tauranac with the Ralt MkIV (Ralt 4) in build. This car, which used a four-tube chassis had no similarity to the earlier cars. Its front suspension used Austin A30 wishbones and uprights and Tauranac’s twist on De Dion rear suspension. The wheels and rack and pinion steering were also RT built. The much more sophisticated car was fitted with a Vincent Black Lightning 998cc engine and was also built at Circular Quay.
First raced in 1957 by Ron, it was driven by Jack Brabham at Mount Druitt on a trip home that year. Ron sold it to Noel Hall of Woolgoolga in 1958, he raced it in both the Easter and October 1958 Bathurst meetings before selling it to John Hough in mid-1959.
Noel Hall on his first shakedown run after purchase from RT, Ralt 4 Vincent at Castlereagh Dragway in 1958 (P Graham)Noel Hall, Ralt 4 Vincent, Lowood 1959 (D Willis)(R Hough)
John Hough in the Ralt 4 Vincent on the family farm at Woodford Island in 1958 or 1959. Later traded to Reg Mulligan for the ex-Moss-Davison HWM Jaguar, it was crashed by Richard Compton at Catalina Park in 1962 then left in Lehane’s workshop in Auburn, Sydney, before being sold in damaged condition and disappearing without trace.
(B Caldersmith)(D Grant)
Reg Mulligan in Ralt 4 Vincent on pole of a four-lapper during Catalina Park’s opening meeting, February 12, 1961. Bob Maine and Vincent guru, Alan Burdis are awaiting the push-start.
Barry Garner is in the Nota Major alongside, and #37 D Russell’s MG TC Spl, #68 is Peter Wherrett’s Cooper Mk4 Hillman Minx and #31 the Toby Hines’ Ralt 498cc.
(D Grant)
The Ralt 5 – Ralt MkV – was a front-engined single-seater for Austin which was built simultaneously with Ralt 4. With a spaceframe chassis and similar suspension to Ralt 4, the car was sold incomplete when Austin retired from racing, what became of this car, nothing is known?
Having referenced John Bruderlin and Leo Thomas’ Lynx Engineering business, here is the Bruderlin/Thomas cigar-bodied MG TC Spl of Max Williams at Lowood in 1958 (G Smith Collection)
Ralt Derivatives…
The list of the cars built with Tauranac designed chassis, sold to Peter Wilkins and then Lynx Engineering follows. lt’s a precis of the Doug Grant/John Blanden material in Blanden’s ‘Historic Racing Cars in Australia’, which is included for completeness, it’s not a treatise on the history of each car.
Ralt Vincent 1959
Bought by Tony Hindes in 1959-60 and used with both V-twin and 500cc engines, sold to Todd Hamilton in 1962-63 and still with him in 2004.
(K Starkey)
The shot of Todd above is on the Amaroo Park hill in 1968, the one below at an historic meeting in more recent times.
(D Willis)
Marvellous shot of Ron and the same car at a Parramatta Park reunion (I think) not too long before he died.
In more recent times the car has been sold to Chris Page.
Ray Walmsley, Alfa Romeo P3 Chev up front, with Jack Myers’ #3 Triumph Thunderbolt, Barry Collerson, Talbot Lago T26C #15, #41 Frank Walters, SoCal and Gordon Stewart, Stewart MG at the start of a Catalina Park race during the opening meeting in 1961
He raced the Thunderbird at Easter Bathurst in 1961 and took part in hillclimbs throughout Australia, but tragically died in it after being thrown from it at Catalina Park, Katoomba in January 1962.
The photo above shows Jack – wearing his usual T-shirt with hoops – in car #3 at the start of a Catalina race in 1961, while the post-accident one below is shown to provide an idea of the engine packaging challenges.
(P Goulding)(D Willis)
As the post-Catalina-crash shot shows, the damage to the car does not appear significant. Sold by the Myers family, here the car is in the hands of Jim Reuter at Lowood in 1964.
Jennings Vincent
Built and owned by George Jennings in Victoria, whereabouts unknown.
(G Simkin Collection)
Lynx Vincent chassis 101
Built for Narrandera racer Les Trim in 1960, 998 Vincent. Sold in 1964 with the parts going into a sportscar project in Queensland.
Lynx Vincent chassis 102
John Marston raced it in Victoria and New South Wales fitted with a supercharged engine often as a Bruderlin & Thomas works entry. Through many hands, extant, and partially restored, albeit less engine, the car survives and was authenticated by RT.
(J Ellacott)
John Ellacott’s marvellous, rare colour shot was taken of John Marston gently sliding through Homestead corner at Warwick Farm in 1961.
(unattributed)
Lynx chassis 103
Built in 1961, through the hands of five drivers until the caring, skillful Dick Willis bought it in 2004.
Lynx chassis 104-109
Generally Ford and BMC powered FJs. Below is Kevin Bartlett’s Lynx BMC, chassis #105, at Lakeside in May 1962.
(B Miles)(B Thomas)
The same car at Lakeside a little earlier, November 11, 1961. KB’s #105 having its gizzards attended to; BMC 1-litre A-series engine with Amals, Renault transaxle.
Lynx chassis 110-116
The slimline Mark 2 machines were all Ford powered with the exception of the supercharged Peugeot powered machine built for Bob Holden and later raced very successfully by Colin Bond.
Holden’s lovely Lynx Peugeot is shown above Warwick Farm on debut in 1963.
(unattributed)
The same car with Colin Bond at the wheel and key team-members in attendance, Bob Riley standing alongside Vicki Allingham with Bob Allingham behind the front wheel. Bond’s performances in this car on the circuits and in the hills, and in rally Mitsubishi Colts resulted in subsequent fame-and-fortune via the Holden Dealer Team.
Etcetera…
Ralt 1
(B Caldersmith)
Ralt 1 in very early spec spec with Morris 19-inch wheels.
“I made two fundamental mistakes on that car,” Ron related to Mike Lawrence. “I put the seating position too far forward, and and the other was that I put swinging half-axles at the rear. The seating position gave me the theoretically correct weight distribution but it also made the car much harder to drive because you just didn’t get enough warning when the back end was going to break away.”
The shot above at Foleys Hill on July 13, 1952 shows Ralt 1 with its Ralt alloys and another angle on Ron’s swinging-half axles, and you can just see the end of the trailing arm.
(B Caldersmith)
Ron with hands in pocket and Austin looking towards us, Ralt 1 then with his alloy wheels and trailing arm rear suspension at Foleys Hill, July 13, 1952.
RT told Mike Lawrence, “The homemade engine was based on a Norton ES2 pushrod unit. The cams from a Norton WD side-valve gave me the timing I wanted. Over time, we made a crankcase, fitted a locally made piston which gave a 14:1 compression ratio, and ran it on methanol with an Amal carb. It had a cast-iron flywheel, then I had Jack Brabham machine me a a steel one. We played around with new barrells and eventually enlarged it from 500-600cc, I learned a lot about engines from that.”
(B Caldersmith)
In front of Dick Cobden’s Cooper.
Merv Ward at Gnoo Blas in 1956 (D Grant)(B Caldersmith)(B Caldersmith)
Mountain Straight at Bathurst perhaps. Do get in touch if you can help with the missing where, when and whom caption gaps.
(B Caldersmith)
Ralt 4
Noel Hall took FTD in the Ralt 4 Vincent at this gravel hillclimb held at Rushford Road, South Grafton, NSW in 1959. Racer/restorer/historian Dick Willis was there to catch the relaxed vibe of the day in countryside Dick described as “sparse”. Indeed.
(R Hough)
Ralt 4 Vincent on its trailer on the Hough family farm.
Credits…
Brian Caldersmith, Dick Willis, Richard Hough, John Medley, ‘Brabham Ralt Honda: The Ron Tauranac Story’ Mike Lawrence, Kerry Smith in Loosefillings.com, ‘Historic Racing Cars in Australia’ John Blanden, Bill Miles, Bill Tyrrell, Pat Goulding, Barry Collerson Album, John Ballantyne, Ken Starkey, Brier Thomas, Stephen Dalton Collection, Daniel Bando, John Ellacott, Peter Graham via Grant Burford
Tailpiece…
Whatever Ron and Jack were talking about, it wouldn’t have been the past. They were all about the next project, not the last one…
Percy Hunter and Vida Jones – aka Mrs JAS Jones – aboard her Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS Zagato on the beach at Gerringong, New South Wales south coast in 1930. Click here for a long feature on this oh-so-famous Oz racing car; https://primotipo.com/2018/02/15/mrs-jas-jones-alfa-6c-1750-ss-zagato/
(Keith Anderson Photography)
Only in Australia…
And no, the little Angle-box isn’t blowing off Enzo’s finest, the Andy Buchanan Ferrari 250LM at Caversham during practice for the 1966 6-Hour race.
Graham Withers ‘slingshot’ Ampol GT sponsored dragster/rail at Castlereagh in 1968.
Whether the dude with the death-wish is a crew member sussing just how much air Mr Withers is taking on launch, or perhaps been ingesting tablets of a type not dispensed by suburban pharmacists is an interesting question. Do let me know if you can put all of our minds to rest. Manufacturer of the machine folks?
(B Williamson Collection)
Ron Hodgson’s Lotus 11 GT has to be Fugly Car Cup contender.
Here in the Warwick Farm paddock circa 1962. The story of how some lovely sportscars were re-purposed is told in this article about Murray Carter here; Forever Young… | primotipo…
Ken Kavanagh aboard the awesome Moto Guzzi 500 V8 GP machine during the 1956 Senigallia Grand Prix.
This wild machine made its race debut at the Belgian GP in June 1955, read about Kavanagh’s time with Moto Guzzi in this feature; Moto Guzzi… | primotipo…
(Moto Guzzi)(MotorSport)
Dave Walker and Tim Schenken during the 1971 Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort.
Walker started the Lotus 56B Pratt & Whitney 4-WD from grid 22 and was looking good for a while in the very soggy conditions but like so much of the grid, missed his braking point – in a car in which he hadn’t done a huge number of laps – and ran off the track after completing only five laps. Quickie on DW here; https://primotipo.com/2022/01/05/walkin-on-water/
Tim Schenken’s Brabham BT33 Ford was a more competitive mount. In its second year – Brabham won the South African GP in one in 1970, and should have won two or three more – it was still competitive in the young Melburnian’s hands, third place at the Osterreichring was his best result of the year.
At Zandvoort he started from grid 19 but DNF with suspension failure in the race won by Regenmeister Jacky Ickx’ Ferrari 312B2. Short piece on Tim here; https://primotipo.com/2019/01/02/tim-schenken/
(MotorSport)(Reg Hunt Collection)
Reg Hunt dreaming about future conquests on one of his parents Nortons, aged nine, in the early 1930s in the UK, and living the dream at Albert Park in 1956 aboard his Maserati 250F below.
He and his A6GCM and 250F were Australia’s fastest combinations in 1955-56, then he retired early to focus on his family and motor dealerships, amassing a fortune. See more about Reg here; https://primotipo.com/2017/12/12/hunts-gp-maser-a6gcm-2038/
(Reg Hunt Collection)(P Miller)
Bob Jane relaxes on his Jaguar E-Type Lwt during the Australian Tourist Trophy meeting at Lakeside over the November 14, 1965 weekend.
This is a heat or support race, Bob was fourth in the ATT, while Ron Thorp – it’s his AC Cobra you can see – didn’t start. Pete Geoghegan won from Greg Cusack and Spencer Martin: Lotus 23B Ford, Lotus 23 Ford and Ferrari 250LM.
The dude in the brown shirt is longtime Bob Jane Racing chief mechanic/team manger John Sawyer, no idea who the driver is, the tiny splash of red is Bill Gates’ Lotus Elan. Jane usually raced this darlin’ of a Jag with its factory hardtop but wasn’t averse to running topless on hot days. Click here for a feature on the car; Perk and Pert… | primotipo…
Piers Courage on the hop during the Warwick Farm 100 Tasman Cup round in January 1968.
Giving away a bit of horsepower at old-Sandown, a power track. Piers pitches his McLaren into Peters Corner with the Richard Attwood BRM P126 V12 , and, I think, Kevin Bartlett’s Brabham BT11A Climax behind. This fabulous race had an amazing dice between Jim Clark’s Lotus 49 Ford DFW and Chris Amon’s Ferrari 246T, resolved by a smidge in favour of the Scot. It was his last race, and series win.
(D Simpson)
This is the Queensland Touring Car Championship meeting at Surfers Paradise in August 1969, a round of the Australian Touring Car Championship. Dick Johnson’s EH Holden in front of Alan Hamilton’s Porsche 911
Norm Beechey’s Holden Monaro GTS327 won – taking the first ever ATCC win for a Holden – with Hamilton second and Jim McKeown third in a Lotus Cortina Mk2.
Dick Simpson recalled a funny moment related to his photo. “A couple of laps after that shot, as the EH was entering Lucas Corner, there was an almighty bang, a massive cloud of blue smoke and black engine oil and a number of red bits of metal pouring out of the engine right on the apex of the corner. The noise stopped and the EH silently trundled on around Repco Hill and disappeared.”
“We had a flag post right beside us and had been chatting with one of the flaggies who was most impressed that we were keen enough, or stupid enough to drive all night from Wollongong. So he said he had to go and clean up the mess and would we like a couple of souvenirs? He brought up a couple of bits of steel, one looked like a huge main-bearing cap and plonked them on top of the fencepost to cool off. About an hour later a young kid who looked a lot like the EH driver came along and demanded his bits back. So we had a quick chat with a young DJ!”
Alan Jones was stunningly quick in Sid Taylor/Teddy Yip Lola T332 Chevs during Australia’s 1977 Rothmans International F5000 Series.
While Warwick Brown won it in his Racing Team VDS Lola T430 Chev, Jones was the series-ace, let down by mechanical dramas and a mistake or two of his own; a jumped start at Oran Park and writing off a car in practice at Surfers Paradise.
(R Steffanoni)
Here at Sandown he grabbed the lead from the start but retired with overheating. He won the fourth, final round at Adelaide International at the start of a year in which he won his first F1 Grand Prix aboard a Shadow DN8 Ford at the Osterreichring (below).
(LAT)(I Smith)
Amazing Ian Smith pan of Allan Moffat in his legendary Trans-Am Mustang at Oran Park during the final round of the Australian Touring Car Championship on August 8, 1972.
Steve Snuggs tells us that he was wearing an oxygen mask in protest to CAMS not allowing him to remove the car’s carpets which smouldered from the hot exhausts and gave off fumes.
Incredibly rare colour shot of Pedro Rodriguez’ works-BRM P261 2.1-litre V8 during the 1968 Longford Trophy.
He is on the rise having exited the Newry right-hander in second or third gear – that line of poplars and road is still there – before an open left-kink then onto The Flying Mile.
Pedro nicked second-place from Frank Gardner’s Brabham BT23D Alfa in the final lap but fell well short of Piers Courage McLaren M4A Ford FVA F2 car in demanding wet conditions. More about BRM in the Antipodes here; https://primotipo.com/2020/02/22/1966-australian-grand-prix-lakeside/
(I Smith)
The great Ian Smith is sharing his back-catalogue of photographs in great dollops via Facebook. I enjoyed this series of shots taken in Reservoir, suburban Melbourne during a compare and contrast Wheels road-test between the then new Holden Kingswood HQ, and the original 1948 Holden 48-215 circa 1972.
(I Smith)
The reason for the strange location is probably because Campbells Motors Holden were in High Street, Preston and they didn’t want their luvverly old-Humpy being taken too far from ‘home’. See here for a piece on the 48-215; https://primotipo.com/2018/12/06/general-motors-holden-formative/ The locale is Edwards Park Lake, Reservoir.
(I Smith)(Mitsubishi)
The giant-killing Colin Bond/Brian Hope, fourth place overall Mitsubishi Colt 1000F at the end of the 1967 Southern Cross Rally at Port Macquarie.
Michael Gasking Collection, Keith Anderson Photography, Bob Williamson Collection, oldracephotos.com-Dick Simpson, Moto Guzzi, Reg Hunt Collection via David Zeunert, Peter Jones, Peter Miller, Rod Steffanoni, Bill Forsyth, Ian Smith, IC Walker Collection via Russell Garth
Tailpiece…
(oldracephotos.com/DSimpson)
Dick Simpson’s artistry catches Niel Allen on the hop in Garrie Cooper’s first monocoque sportscar, the Elfin ME5 Chev on the entry to Homestead corner at Warwick Farm in 1969. It was a twitchy beast of a thing with its short-wheelbase, arguably, only Niel got the best out of it in the short time he owned it before buying a McLaren M10B Chev F5000.
Social media just keeps giving and giving. This time enthusiast Russell Garth has posted some great ’56 AGP colour shots taken by the late Ian Curwen-Walker at Albert Park on Bob Williamson’s Old Motor Racing Photographs Australia Facebook page.
Sometimes I’ve got so many different articles on the same topic I’m confusing myself – not that is difficult to do I might add – so rather than start another ’56 AGP piece I’ve added the shots to this existing article; https://primotipo.com/2018/01/16/james-linehams-1956-agp-albert-park/
The photograph above is Paul England’s Ausca Holden-Repco which contested the 25 November, 34 lap, 100 mile Australian Tourist Trophy. He was 12th outright and second in class, in the car he and Bill Hickey built after hours at Repco Research’ Sydney Road, Brunswick premises on the other side of town. The flash of blue to the right is the Norman Hamilton owned Porsche 550 Spyder driven that weekend by Otto Stone, lasting only one lap. Otto would have been a busy boy that fortnight, looking after Stan Jones’ 250F, or was he preparing it at that early stage?
Tony Johns tells me the “bloke (with his back to us) in the white overalls with the fag is Norman Hamilton,” who created the Porsche Cars Australia empire in Australia, famously the first Porsche importer/dealer outside Europe.
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