An Adelaide collector of speedcars is likely to buy Mal Ramsay’s ingenious rear-engined Birrana S74 Midget.
The collector, whose name is unknown, apparently hordes famous or unusual speedway cars. At present count, he is said to have about 15 oval track cars – mostly midgets – worth thousands of dollars.
Ramsay’s pavement track Birrana, which caused such a stir among the heavily traditional ranks of speedcar racing that rear engined cars have been banned in Australia, is being valued at $6000.
The S74 has been put on the market before it has fired its blown VW motor in anger following a letter received by Ramsay recently by Birrana patrons Bob and Marj Brown.
The Browns have moved their business overseas and have told Ramsay to sell the Birrana speedcar, as well as their Sesco-powered dirt track midget, spare Sesco motor and many other bits of gear the Brown speedway team had accumulated.
(The Browns were in mid-1975 establishing a business in the UK – Thermax – and running two Birrana 273 Ford BDAs for Bob Muir, and very occasionally, Dean Hosking, in the British Formula Atlantic Championship).
(A Ramsay)
The impending sale of the shocking green coloured revolutionary midget is almost sure to end eight months of controversy raised by it. Ramsay, fascinated by the lure of pavement speedway racing at Adelaide International Speedway, decided last year to hand in his road racing license and go speedway in the little mid-engined car he envisioned.
He planned to debut it at the Australian Grand Prix at Liverpool in January, anxious to take on AJ Foyt in a local car. However, the ultra-conservative RDA in South Australia would not clear the car to compete in the AGP because they said it had not been proved in competition yet.
That was the beginning of a line of establishment reactions against the S74 that eventually led to the Australian Speedcar Control Council banning rear engined midgets.
Their thinking was of the type that it would dominate racing, make conventional cars obsolete, increase costs exorbitantly, etc – traditional USAC thinking, in other words. The only concession made was that the S74 could continue racing for two years, then that’s it for the ‘radicals’.
What the ASCC did was to very effectively stifle the only show of imagination presented for more than twenty years. They were afraid the Birrana would overrun speedcar racing, and everyone would have to follow suit and build a ‘funny car.’
Despite problems getting the blown 1600cc VW engine to work in the initial stage of the project it showed tremendous potential when Mal took the S74 around the ½ mile AIS track in 22.7 seconds, 0.1 under Mel Kenyon’s record.
In its first race at the May Adelaide lnternational Speedway meeting, it was again impressive in gaining a second, third, and fourth from the rear of the field in three races.
The Birrana has not raced since then because of the cancellation of a number of AIS meetings in recent months, so it is unlikely now that it will ever be known just how good the S74 could have been.
Two big SU carbys feed the supercharger induction system to the big bore Volkswagen engine. Notice the beautiful detail work (M Jacobson)Wheels are four Birrana F2 ‘fronts’, IFS by wishbones clear (M Jacobson)
The Birrana looks more like a fat Formula GP midget than a full speedier. Its rounded nose and faired in tail, despite the best efforts of the RDA, still leave it looking unlike any midget ever built or raced here.
It is not, as is popularly thought, based on the monocoque chassis of the Formula Two Birrana 274. Only the front and rear suspensions are F2, and even then they are considerably beefed up to endure the rigours of speedway. Even the fact that the S74 uses full racing independent springing was probably enough to send the midget purists with their leaf springs, beam axles, and solid rear ends spinning.
The chassis is of a spaceframe construction, clothed in aluminium body panels and houses a supercharged VW engine running at 12 pounds of boost. Horsepower of the unit is unknown, being air-cooled, Mal has been unable to dyno it for fear of it overheating and blowing it up — as happened with he first motor he had in the car.
All the sophistication that made Birrana into F2 Champions on the road circuits is featured in the chassis and suspension design. Was it just too much for the other contestants? (M Jacobson)
The gearbox is a Holinger unit with a wide range of ratios available, while the brakes are 9¾ inch disc outboard-mounted all round. Wheels are the same as used on the F2 Birrana, fitted with F3 Firestone slicks.
The cockpit is even roomier than Tatnell’s Winfield Export Offy’s, with the driver nestling in a fibreglass racing seat. Although the S74 is presumed to be lighter than conventional cars. Ramsay said it has yet to be weighed because he had planned for the bulk in a lot of areas to be reduced after it had been fully sorted.
This Auto Action classifieds ad ran in the November 20, 1975 issue.
I’m not sure when it sold, but it’s still alive, I believe, in the Holmes’ family collection of Birranas in Queensland.
It’s gotta be the ultimate Group Q novelty historic machine. CAMS’ Historic Committee would choke on their chocolate-donuts when reviewing this COD application!
Credits…
Auto Action September 12, 1975, Mike Jacobson, Ann-Maree Ramsay
Once upon a time the in-crowd could pick a driver by his helmet design, Derek Bell in this case. That era spanned the 1960s-1980s and a bit. These days the helmets have more of a puke-the paint from on-high-factor about them. Drivers change them as often as they do their jocks, so one may be just getting a ‘design’ into ones head, then out she goes…
Derek shared this Ron Hodgson Holden Torana A9X 5-litre with Dieter Quester in the October 1, 1978 Bathurst 1000. They were out after 5 of the 163 laps from Q5 (Bell) after Derek experienced a steering failure and crashed. Peter Brock and Jim Richards won in a Holden Dealer Team A9X.
(Motorsport Images)
Paul Hawkins on his way to third place in the Zeltweg 500km, round 9 of the International Championship of Makes on August 25, 1968.
In front of him were the works-Porsche 908s of Jo Siffert and Hans Herrmann/Kurt Ahrens. Hawkins car was his own.
In Paul other 1968 results, he and David Hobbs won the Monza 1000km in a JW Automotive GT40. The same pair were fourth in the Brands Hatch 6 Hours in a Hawkins entry, Hawkins and Ickx were third in the Nurburgring 1000km in a JW car, at Spa Hawkins/Hobbs were fourth, and at Watkins Glen second in JW entries. More on Paul here: https://primotipo.com/2020/09/25/hawkeye/
(I Smith)
A very poignant photograph of Alan Hamilton in the Sandown pitlane during the 1978 Australian Grand Prix weekend; The Fangio Meeting at which the great JMF demonstrated a Mercedes Benz W196 Grand Prix car with much brio.
The utter excitement of the sight and sound of that legendary car-driver combination was to an extent ruined by the accidents that befell Garrie Cooper and Alan Hamilton, and to a lesser extent Vern Schuppan, in the Grand Prix. See here in my Hamilton tribute: https://primotipo.com/2025/03/16/alan-hamilton-rip/
(T Wright)
Robin Pare over the top at Skyline, Baskerville, in Don Elliott’s Elfin ME5 Chev.
What a fabulous racetrack it is too. This car, with a relatively short track to wheelbase ratio was reputedly a twitchy little bugger, its bit Robin circa 1973-74.
Here are the remains of the car after a reasonably Big One at Baskerville on October 12, 1975. ‘I was only 30 metres away from the crashing, cartwheeling car with my camera tucked away securely in my bag while I was having lunch,’ photographer Bruce Smart wrote. The car still exists today.
(B Smart)(J Spinks(
Warwick Brown’s McLaren M10B Chev in the Sandown paddock in September 1973, ‘when he got back into an F5000 and did a demonstration run after his huge accident at Surfers paradise earlier in the year.’ Neil Stratton.
It was a remarkably brave thing to do, I attended the Glyn Scott Memorial Trophy Gold Star round at Surfers Paradise while on a family holiday on the Gold Coast only ? weeks before. Warwick was at that meeting hobbling around with crutches/ walking stick. No way would I have thought he’d be back in the car even for an exploratory run such a short time later. Mind over matter folks…
Peter Brock, Birrana 273 Ford #008 during the August 5 Oran Park round of the 1973 Australian F2 Championship.
Brocky finished second behind Leo Geoghegan’s works 273 in this second round of the Championship but only did the following round at Amaroo before pulling the pin; no funds and no Hart 416-B Twin-cam the reasons given if memory serves. See here: https://primotipo.com/2018/05/07/brocks-birrana/
(Auto Action)
As good as an XU-1 got…
Peter Brock in a Holden Dealer Team Holden Torana GTR XU-1 on the exit of Torana Corner at Sandown during the 250k Manchamps round on September 10, 1972.
Harry finally got around to slapping a decent coat of paint on his cars, fitted by then with the just homologated Globe alloys.
A DNF for Peter and Colin Bond. Fords reigned supreme in the traditional Bathurst warm-up event: John Goss from Fred Gibson and Murray Carter in Phase 3 GTHO’s. It all came good for Brocky on the mountain of course…
(Auto Action)
A list of all of the Coopers owned by Bib Stillwell would be interesting…
Here the T53 Climax and T49 Monaco are shown in the Mallala paddock during The Advertiser Trophy Gold Star meeting weekend on October 8, 1962.
Aussie Invaders Brian Muir and Frank Gardner on the front row of the 1972 British Grand Prix BTCC support race at Brands Hatch on July 15. Ford Capri RS2600 and Chev Camaro Z28 Mk2.
Gardner won the sixth round of the BTCC, 20 lap race from the David Brodie and David Matthews Ford Escort RS1600s. Brian Muir led the first 16 laps and sliced a big chunk off the lap record before spinning to rest on his own oil after a major engine failure on lap 17.
This Jaguar XK150 was used to test tyre compunds and tbe way they reacted to Lake Eyre salt in 1963.
Chassis T825278DN, a late 3.8S was loaned to Dunlop for tyre testing purposes for the Donald Campbell-Bluebird Proteus land speed record attempt. What became of the car folks?
Lynton Hemer catches Frank Gardner on the hop through the Warwick Farm Esses during his victorious run in the works Lola T192 Chev in February 1971. Warwick Farm 100 Tasman Cup race.
Tim Schenken at right with the Team Tiga Formula 3 Ralt RT1/76 Toyota chassis 16 with Eddie Jordan aboard during during a test session at Goodwood in 1978. From the left are Steve Elly Ellison, John Love, Eddy and Tim.
Jordan won the 1978 Irish Formula Atlantic Championship aboard a Marlboro Team Ireland Chevron B29 Ford BDA. EJ seems to have only done one race in this car, at the November 11, 1978 Thruxton round where he qualified ninth and finished seventh in the race won by Derek Warwick’s RT1 Toyota.
(T Schenken)
Tiga ran this chassis for Andrea de Cesaris in the British F3 Championship that year, he brought the Marlboro money via his father. Andrea got quicker as the year went on, finishing seventh in the title chase with his best results thirds at Mallory Park in May, Brands Hatch and Donington in July, and fourth placings at Paul Ricard and Silverstone in July and Donington in August.
Tim Schenken and Howden Ganley ran De Cesaris again the following year in a Team Tiga March 793 Toyota, he was second in the championship that year…behind Chico Serra in the other Team Tiga 793. Not to worry, Andrea graduated to F2 and F1 in 1980.
Back to Eddie. When his own race-career was on the decline he formed Eddie Jordan Racing which proved to be rather a successful enterprise!
Tom Sulman looking very pre-War in ‘his’ Maserati 4CM at Mount Panorama in October 1960.
Unclassified in the Craven A International won by Jack Brabham’s Cooper T51, with four Coopers behind him. More about Sulman in this feature here: https://primotipo.com/2018/04/19/tom-sulman/
Jim McKeown in the short-lived Porsche Cars Australia Porsche 911 Turbo mid-engined Sports Sedan at Calder in 1975. I’ll take your advice on the meeting date please?
Allan Moffat giving chase in his RS3100 Cologne Capri then Leo or Pete Geoghegan in the Grace Bros Porsche 911S.
CAMS could never work out what category to pop the 911 into, they chopped and changed a number of times. In this case Hammo pissed a lot of money up against the wall to build a car that was kosher one minute and daffied the next. See here: https://primotipo.com/2018/09/04/long-neck-fosters/
Peter Larner during the 1978 New Zealand Formula Pacific Championship, circuit folks? By then Paul England’s Dolphin Ford BDA – a Brabham BT36 built up by Don Baker using an Arch Motors chassis – was an old gal by then, but Pedro contested the whole series with bests of ninth at Baypark and 11th at Manfield and Wigram. The 1977 Australian F2 Champion (Elfin 700 Lotus-Ford twin-cam) deserved a better mount.
Up at the pointy end Keke Rosberg won the championship from Larry Perkins and Bobby Rahal aboard Chevron B39, Ralt RT1 and Chevron B39 respectively.
Leo Geoghegan, Lotus Elite from David Lewis Holden Grey, Gavin Youl, Porsche 356, David McKay, Ferrari 250 Pininfarina, #39 Ron Marshall, AC Bristol #30 Alan Ling, Holden and the rest at Longford in 1961, mixed GT and Touring Car race.
McKay raced the Tony Oxley owned car – chassis 1973 – which I believe is still in the same family.
And below a better shot of the ‘Ron Marshall, Yass, ex-Mary Seed AC Ace with Sydney made hardtop for Appendix K GT regulations’. Thanks to Stephen Dalton and Rob Bartholomaeus. There is a bit more about this Ace at the end of this piece here: https://primotipo.com/2022/10/02/australian-racing-random-11/
(speedwayandroadracehistory.com)(M Heeler)
What an impactful cover. The Bunbury Speedway’s first season was in 1972.
Bib Stillwell and Stan Jones in the front row of a race during the Victorian Trophy meeting at Calder over the February 25, 1962 weekend. Coopers T53 and T51 Climax.
Stan (below) didn’t start the feature event which was won by Bib from Lex Davison, Aston Martin DBR4 3-litre and Bryan Thomson, Cooper T51 Climax FPF 2.2.
Ian Smith, Tony Wright, John Spinks, Graham C Forsyth, Chevron Publishing, Auto Action, Robert Clayton, Lynton Hemer, Steve Elly Ellison via Ed Brunette, Bruce Smart, Mark Heeler, Lynn Keetelaar Collection, speedwayandroadracehistory.com via Rob Bartholomaeus
I’ve occasionally wondered exactly when Repco Ltd commenced operating in the UK, in a Repco-Brabham connection. Repco’s in-house magazine, the ‘Repco Record’ Christmas 1964 issue tells me the former Australian automotive industry colossus hung-the-shingle out at 59 St James Street, London on August 1, 1957.
The meetings Frank Hallam had in London that are of the most interest to us go unrecorded of course: Messrs Irving, Brabham and Tauranac, Laystall and Lucas spring to mind.
I suspect the primary purpose of the trip was to put-a-rocket up Phil Irving, who in Hallam’s mind, was running late with the design of RBE620, the SOHC, two valve, fuel-injected 2.5-litre Tasman Cup V8 based on the Oldsmobile F85 aluminium block. Worse to Frank, Phil and Jack were occasionally leaving-the-reservation on ‘agreed design direction.’ Said engine fired its first shot in Repco’s Richmond engine laboratory dyno on March 26, 1965.
Credits…
Repco Ltd, the Repco Record is from Rodway Wolfe’s archive
Spitfire, Alan Hamilton and a Bentley not long after Hamiltons Rolls Royce was created to take on the Rolls and Bentley franchises, ‘Laverton, Victoria on December 20, 1988’ Tony Johns advises.
Alan Douglas McKinnon Hamilton, a wonderful man, Australian Porsche importer, racer, entrepreneur and entrant died on March 3, 2025 in Melbourne. He was born on July 29, 1942.
What follows is a photograph based tribute. I was lucky enough to meet with and speak to Alan in the last five years about various articles, and sometimes just racing shite more generally…a Prince of a Bloke.
(R Rundle)
Early days aboard a 356 Coupe at Calder circa-1962
This tribute is a pot-pourri of the cars he raced but is far from all of them. It excludes machines he entered for others…of which they are a lot.
(G Chennells)
It could be Europe but its outer Melbourne. Hamilton’s 2-litre six powered 904-8 Bergspyder #007 at Templestowe Hillclimb during 1966.
‘Alan Hamilton leaving The Hole with the Porsche engine making its very distinctive and glorious bellowing sound. It always scared me a bit watching Alan because he was so quick out of The Hole that when he arrived at Barons, a sharp U-turn with trees on the outside, he was going so fast that if anything went wrong…I hated to think. But always fantastic to watch and hear.’
(B Jackson)
In the paddock at Surfers Paradise during the 1966 12-Hour meeting. Alan was sharing the car with Brique Reed.
And below during the March ‘66 Longford Tasman meeting while contesting the Australian Tourist Trophy. Hammo is turning into The Viaduct in front of Lionel Ayers’s MRC/Lotus 23B Ford and Spencer Martin aboard the Scuderia Veloce Ferrari 250LM.
Frank Matich won in his new Elfin 400 Traco-Oldsmobile from Hamilton and Martin.
(S Fryer)(R Rundle)
Hamilton rounds up the John Kiran/Colin Bond/Max Winkless Volvo P1800 during the 1967 Surfers Paradise 12 Hour. Alan and Glyn Scott were third behind the Scuderia Veloce Ferrari 250LM raced by Bill Brown and Greg Cusack, and the Paul Hawkins/Jackie Epstein Lola T70 Mk3 Chev.
This 906 is his first – chassis#007 – had its lid lopped off locally to accommodate Alan’s considerable length. His second 906 was tagged 007 too… That’s it below at Warwick Farm during the RAC Trophy meeting in May 1971.
(L Hemer)Longford, March 1967 aboard the first 906Peters Corner Sandown in 1967 with Neil Allen’s ex-Matich Elfin 400 Olds behind (unattributed)(oldracephotos.com/King)
Hamilton having a drive of a front-engined car for a change. The MW Motors Alfa Romeo GTA at Longford in 1968, Murray Wright was the Melbourne Alfa Romeo dealer.
(MotorSport)
Hammo taking some air during the 1968 Nurburgring 1000km. He was 28th, sharing the Porsche 911S 2-litre with Hans Dieter-Blatzheim on May 19.
Up at the front was a pair of Porsces: Jo Siffert and Vic Elford won in a 908 with local-lads Hans Herrmann and Rolf Stommelen second in a 907.
(Porsche)
Alan at Station Pier for the handover of a of carton of beer or three to the Waterside Workers Federation dogs to avoid his new Porsche 911 T/R being accidentally damaged on the downward drop onto said Pier…
MG corner at Phillip Island? (A Scott)Warwick Farm with the car dancing on its tippy-toes, lots of shots of this car are in this pose (Porsche)
Hammo in his maiden single-seater drive in his new McLaren M10B Chev at Lakeside over the June 6 weekend in 1971. Third behind Kevin Bartlett and Max Stewart.
Chassis #400-19 was Niel Allen’s spare tub which was built up into a complete car when Allen retired from racing after the end of the 1971 Tasman Cup.
(B Jackson)
Hamilton inserts himself into the McLaren’s cockpit in the Warwick Farm pits and is shown below in the very best of company dicing with John Surtees, Surtees TS8 Chev during the ‘71 AGP.
That’s Colin Bond in Frank Matich’s McLarens M10C Repco-Holden and the Graeme Lawrence’s Brabham Ford FVC. A deflating tyre cruelled Surtees chances, Frank Matich won the race from with Hamilton third and Lawrence fourth, Bondy lost Phil-pressure and retired.
Max Stewart’s fast and reliable Mildren Waggott TC-4V won the Gold Star that year with the two ex-Allen M10Bs driven by Bartlett and Hamilton in equal second-place.
(L Hemer)(J Lemm)
Hamilton at Collingrove on the way to a 33 seconds-dead run at Easter, taking FTD in the Australian Hillclimb Championship (AHC) in April 1971.
Alan had won here before, taking the 1966 title in the 904 Bergspyder. He returned to hillclimbing after losing his General Competition Licence as a result becoming an insulin dependent diabetic as a consequence of his 1978 massive Sandown accident. He won the 1981 AHC in a Porsche Special, then took it one final time at Gippsland Park, Morwell in a Lola T87/50 Buick, a device which started life as a Formula 3000 car.
(unattributed)
Hammo leading Allan Moffat and Bryan Thomson during the 1972 Sandown Tasman meeting.
The 911S 2.4-litre, ex-Brian Foley/Jim Palmer, Mustang Boss 302 and Holden Torana Chev glimpse in a mixed Improved Tourer and Sports Sedan race. Neil Stratton wrote that this was palmers first race in the car and that Moffat retired the Mustang after losing its brakes over Lukey – the rise at the top of the back straight – and hitting the Armco protecting the Marshalls.
The same pair at Calder later in the year below.
(P Husband)
On the hop at Oran Park in a 3-litre Carrera RSR in 1976. Famously the 1975 Paris Show 911 Turbo/930 prototype, long since left our shores and lives in Europe.
(Auto Action)
Allan Moffat created a crushing touring car team in 1977 by recruiting American engineer-team manager Carrroll Smith, engine builder Peter Molloy and Colin Bond.
After winning the ATCC Moffat recruited Jacky Ickx and Hamilton for the Enduros. Moffat’s 1-2 form finish has had taxi fans foaming at the mouth for decades with colulda-woulda-shouldas but The Boss prevailed, as he should have: Moffat/Ickx first, Bond/Hamilton second.
(B Atkin)
A very poignant photograph of Hammo in the Sandown pitlane during the 1978 Australian Grand Prix weekend; The Fangio Meeting at which the great JMF demonstrated a Mercedes Benz W196 Grand Prix car with much brio.
The utter excitement of the sight and sound of that legendary car-driver combination was to a large extent ruined by the accidents that befell Garrie Cooper and Alan Hamilton, and to a lesser extent Vern Schuppan, in the Grand Prix. Racing Car News summarised it thus:
Hamilton turns in to Dandenong Road not long before the crash. If the Lola T430 Chev looks a little odd, it’s because Porsche Cars Australia modified the car by removing the sportscar-type-front and replaced it with a T332 type wing which provided more bite…and looked better.
Alan lost control of the twitchy, unforgiving Lola on the fast left-hander off The Causeway then went backwards into the Dunlop Bridge breaking the car into two and breaking a leg, his pelvis and sustaining serious head injuries. While there that day I was nowhere near the accident which is in a no-spectators area on the inside of the track. The vibe of the place that day with three big-hits, and limited information flow to we punters, is something I still remember.
(B Polain)
Hammo competing in the Seaforth Tourist Trophy in 1983. Not a lot of safety for cars doing 180mph…
This 917/30 #004 was Mark Donohue’s unraced spare in 1973. Alan always had a snoop around the Zuffenhausen ‘shops on his trips to Deutschland and spotted this little baby on one of those trips. Long-since left our shores.
Hammo’s 908 Coupe following the 917/30. The 908 was, ahem, road-registered for a while in Victoria (unattributed)(unattributed)A cursory glance at the 917/30 spaceframe chassis and its driver-forward driving position shows the importance of not having a frontal impact at anything more than 30mph…(unattributed)(unattributed)
The Seaforth Racing Car parade was a fantastic event put together by Bruce Polain and a bunch of his mates at the Historic Racing Car Club of Australia in Sydney.
The street circuit was about 2.5km around the heights of Seaforth, descending to Spit Bridge with views of the inner-harbour, then winding up through the gears to the top of Spit Hill to Sydney Road, then left into the Seaforth shopping centre. Twice. Two runs during the day.
December 10, 1983 with Bob Jane’s Chev Monza and Bruce Polain’s Wylie Javelin heading out of town towards Seaforth. Any tourist who has taken a dip at Manly will have made this trip…unless you went the fun way by ferry! Shot taken from the Ethel Street overpass (unattributed)(unattributed)(T Johns)
Tony Johns, ‘Alan Hamilton driving the Porsche Factory Museum 1962 Type 804 F1 racing car.’
‘Sandown Tribute to Champions meeting February 14, 1982. A real gentleman to have worked for at Porsche all those years ago.’
‘Another photo from the same morning. The 804 and 718 RSK ex-USA and the ex-factory 908 Coupe were part of Alan’s collection. Rob Walker, Stirling Moss’ long-time patron is seated in the Spyder and Moss is chatting with Norman Hamilton (jacket and cap), the founder of Porsche in Australia.’
(D Pearce)
Alan Hamilton, Porsche 911SC during the 1987 Sea Lake Mallee Rally, perhaps with Jim Hardman alongside.
It’s not just any SC either! This car is ‘C20’ the prototype of what ultimately became the 911-964 four-wheel-drive, and along the way the competition 953 Paris-Dakar rallycars. The 3.2-litre car started life as Helmuth Bott’s brown-SC company car before morphing into a double-front wishbone machine with front and rear diffs. When it was pensioned off guess who spotted it on one of his trips to Germany in 1986?…
Hamilton on the hop at Gippsland Park Morwell on October 15, 1989 aboard his Lola T87/50 Buick 4.9 V6, another AHC victory, not the last for this chassis either.
This machine, T87/50 HU12 Cosworth V8 3-litre, was Michel Ferte’s 1987 Euro F3000 Championship car. It and another T87/50 – acquired by Bob Minogue for Formula Holden use – were purchased by Hamilton.
Paul Newby’s research (written on The Nostalgia Forum) says that the car was at one time fitted with a Ford DFL-035 3.3-litre ex-Spice Engineering Racing acquired at the 1988 Sandown WEC race attended by Hamilton, wearing his PCA hat.
(D Hardman)
Hamilton and friends – Jim Hardman constructor of the three F2/FPac cars of the same name and Porsche Cars Australia Chief Engineer/Mechanic during the Costanzo glory years is behind him – with a Cosworth V8 powered hillclimb special at Morwell, date unknown but circa 1981-82.
Spaceframe chassis with the DFV/DFL used as a stressed member, as it was intended. Nick Bennett observed that ‘I believe Alan only dove it once and scared the shit out of himself.’ Two meetings only perhaps folks: Morwell and Collingrove? More information on this car welcome.
(D Hardman)
Credits…
Ian Smith, Ron Rundle, Stephen Fryer, Geoff Chessells, Bob Atkinson, Lynton Hemer, Australian Autosportsman, Alexis Scott, Lynton Hemer, Brian Jackson, Racing Car News, Brian Stratton, Auto Action, Daryl Pearce, Peter Husband, Jarrod Bryant, David Hardman, John Lemm
Tailpiece…
(I Smith)
Ian Smith was a long time friend of Alan, I love this portrait which was taken circa-1978.
Afterthought…
1985 AGP Historic Demo Adelaide (J Lemm)
The final words go to Rob Newman.
‘Years ago, when John Walker was driving the 934 Martin Sampson had purchased from Alan Hamilton I had the privilege of preparing the car for each race in Alan’s workshop out by Sandown, so I spent some time there.’
‘Late one day Alan gave John and I a personal tour of the complex and his toys, one of which was his 917. The car was on stands without bodywork, the chassis with engine, suspension and various bits fitted including the fibreglass seat. But what caught my eye was the size of the hole in the seat where the crutch belts were fed through, it was massive, a large square cut out in the seat. I must have made comment because I clearly remember Alan, pipe in hand and with a straight face replied “That’s how big your balls need to be to drive this thing.”
Auto Action Premium is on sale in NSW today, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania on Friday, and Queensland probably Saturday, in your favourite news outlet.
This issue of ‘Premium’ is the first of an exciting features-based monthly. It’s the latest part of Auto Action’s multi-media coverage of motorsport in Australia and globally and takes the 54 year old title to another level.
Print is alive and well because it engages readers in a way websites cannot. It’s is not about clickbait or a 15-second read but rather deep immersion and perpetuity. The first issue is a 132-page example of what readers and the motorsport industry can expect from the new ‘Premium’ Auto Action monthly.
An expansive 12-page feature by me on Jim Clark’s 1965 season. Clark’s performance across many different categories that year in Formula 1, at Indianapolis, in sports cars, F2 and saloon car racing is regarded as the best individual season in history from a driver many rate as the best.
Our in-house F1 expert Reese Mautone looks at all the 2025 F1 Rookies including Jack Doohan as they prepare to take on their full time F1 drives.
Auto Action’s International F1 man Luis Vasconcelos takes a look at the season ahead and crystal balls Oscar Piastri’s potential to beome our third World Drivers’ Champion.
Supercars’ boss Tim Edwards talks about a year on the ‘Other Side of the Fence’ and how the changes to the series played out at the recent Sydney Motorsport Park round.
AA talks with the two new full time Supercar racers, Rookies Kai Allen and Cooper Murray as they fight for Supercars glory.
Shane van Gisbergen opens up about his NASCAR evolution in the world’s biggest tin-top series in an interview with Andrew Clarke. Andrew got to drive the new Corvette too, read his road-test of an icon.
Still on NASCAR, we were on the ground for the 2025 Daytona 500 and The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, a stunning quarter-mile oval.
Sprintcar driver James McFadden talks about his dominant sprintcar season including winning a third Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic and an Australian title in one season-a feat rarely done before.
Aussie Daniel Sanders talks with AA’s T W Neal and relives his stunning Dakar win.
With its soon to be realised commitment to Supercars, I investigate Toyota’s Australian racing past and reveal how its first forays into motorsport were here in Australia in 1957.
Aussie Rally driver Taylor Gill and co-driver Dan Brkic are in their second season in the ultra-competitive Junior WRC. They won the opening round of the season in the snow lands of Finland piloting a Ford Fiesta Rally3. They spoke to AA’s T W Neal about the program.
And then there’s a look at the new Aston Martin Valkyrie, a howling V12 hypercar targeting Le Mans glory… as is Ford with its return to Le Sarthe announced in the past month.
Plus, there is plenty of race coverage and ‘News Extra’ inside. Something for everyone!
Give the new mag a go, it’s traditional magazine size, so look up on the shelves not down amongst the newspapers where Auto Action inevitably got dumped!
In fact, buy two, one for yourself and one for a mate who hasn’t read us for a while. We need this thing to fire, if it doesn’t, nobody else will follow Bruce Williams’, Andrew Clarke’s and Betty Klimenko’s passionate belief in the look, feel and smell of traditional magazines…
Buy it folks and then give us some feedback on what you do and don’t like so we can evolve the mag to suit the tastes of the majority.
Sam Posey, Surtees TS11 Chev in the Wigram pitlane during the January 20, 1973 Lady Wigram Trophy weekend.
John Surtees’ first two F5000 designs – the Len Terry designed 1969-71 TS5/TS5A and 1971 TS8 – sold well and were quite successful.
The TS11 was Surtees 1972 F5000 car. Based on the Grand Prix TS9B the prototype was tested by Big John at Goodwood but was written off shortly thereafter when Mike Hailwood hit a patch of oil and crashed it at Brands Hatch on October 28..
That curtailed plans for John Surtees to race it, and win the November 1971 Australian Grand Prix at Warwick Farm to help generate some sales.
Sam Posey at Tyler Graphics, Mount Kisko, New York in 1987. This photograph by Marabeth Cohen-Taylor was given to the National Gallery of AustraliaJohn Surtees, Surtees TS8/9-002 battling with Alan Hamilton’s McLaren M10B Chev, Colin Bond, McLaren M10C Repco-Holden and Graeme Lawrence’s Brabham BT30 Ford FVC in the Warwick Farm Esses during the 1971 AGP (L Hemer)
Surtees’ and Hailwood‘s TS8/9 and first TS11…
An alternative car, a TS8 (with TS9 chassis 002) was sent to Sydney instead. Surtees qualified it ninth and was well placed for a decent finish before a slow puncture forced an even slower pitstop and tyre change.
That same car was then raced very competitively by Mike Hailwood in the 1972 Tasman Cup. Hailwood crashed the TS8 (chassis TS9-002) in the final New Zealand round at Teretonga so a new TS11 chassis was sent to Sydney and a front-radiator TS11 – tagged TS11/03 – was built up from the pile of parts to complete the final four Australian rounds.
Mike was second in the championship behind Graham McRae despite not winning a round: Q3 and second at Pukekohe, Levin Q4/third, Wigram Q4/second, Teretonga Q1/DNF crash. In Australia, this time with the outwardly similar TS11: Surfers Paradise no time/sixth, Warwick Farm Q17/fifth, Sandown Q7/fourth and Adelaide Q4/second.
Mike Hailwood at Warwick Farm during the February 1972 Tasman Cup round, Surtees TS11 Chev (L Hemer)NZ (T Marshall)
Build numbers and competitor set…
Five TS11s were built, including the Hailwood Tasman car, and there are another four mystery-cars as Allen Brown correctly describes such machines, see here: https://www.oldracingcars.com/surtees/ts11/
The most successful TS11 was TS11/04, the Champcarr Inc – Doug Champion and Fred Carrillo – machine based in San Juan, California raced by Sam Posey in the 1972 US F5000 L&M Championship, the most competitive of the F5000 competitions globally.
Posey testing TS11/04 at Ontario Speedway in 1972. That venue was not part of the ’72 L&M (M Rizzo)Posey in TS11/04 in the Lime Rock pitlane in 1972. Q9 and third behind Brett Lunger and Brian Redman (G Rickes)
1972 was the year of the McRae GM1 and Lola T300 so the going was tough, but the talkative, talented American racer of single-seaters, Can-Am, Champcars – plus an occasional F1 drive – got the best out of the car, finishing second behind Graham McRae and then Brian Redman and Brett Lunger tied in third in Chevron B24/Lola T300 respectively: 87, 69 and 60 points respectively.
Posey didn’t win a round but placed second at Laguna Seca, Road America and Riverside in a season of consistency and reliability.
Bomb Bay, Wigram Q11 and DNF engine on January 20. McRae won from Warwick Brown and Steve Thompson (B Hopping)Posey at Surfers Paradise in February 1973. Fifth from Q9, Frank Matich won (P Overell)
Posey’s Tasman…
When Sam crossed the Pacific his reliability seems to have deserted him! What didn’t change was the pace of McRae, and there were a few other quicks at the front of the 1973 Tasman Cup field too: Frank Matich, John McCormack, Steve Thompson, Allan Rollinson, Max Stewart and Warwick Brown to name a few.
In the four Kiwi rounds he was: Pukekohe NZGP Q11 DNF throttle, Levin Q7 DNF engine, Wigram Q11 DNF engine and Teretonga Q9 and second behind Alan Rollinson. So, a good finish to the first half of the series before crossing the Tasman for Surfers Paradise.
Surfers Q9 and fifth, Warwick Farm Q6 and seventh, Sandown Q6 and sixth, Adelaide Q2 and DNF undisclosed. It was all pretty uninspiring, the sheer pace evident in the US was missing and four DNF’s in eight races doesn’t win championships.
McRae won the championship with three wins aboard his McRae GM1 Chev, 40 points from John McCormack, Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden two wins and 29 points and Frank Matich, Matich A50 Repco-Holden, one win, 27 points.
Posey in the Sandown pits, and paddock below in February 1973. Q6 and sixth, McRae won (stupix)(J Blanden)Pukekohe pits 1973. Q11 and DNF throttle. John McCormack won the NZ GP in an Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden (B Kempthorne)
Specifications…
Gijs van Lennep won the European F5000 Championship with his car (TS11/02) but was lucky in that the quicker McRae and Brian Redman biased their F5000 seasons on both sides of the Atlantic to the US L&M rather than the British Rothmans Formula 5000 Championship.
As mentioned above the, TS11 was a development of the F1 TS9B. It had a period typical aluminium alloy monocoque chassis, a Chev 5-litre engine to the choice of the customer, and used Hewland’s ubiquitous DG300 five speed transaxle.
It had a Tyrrell or sportscar type nose, side radiators and inboard front suspension, the top rocker actuating a coil spring damper unit, magnesium uprights with an adjustable roll bar. The brakes were outboard. At the rear was magnesium uprights, a single top and parallel bottom yonks with a pair of radius rods doing fore and aft locational duties on either side. Brakes were inboard, note the oil-rads under the wing.
Posey on Sandown’s main straight during the 1973 Tasman round. That Sandown is part of a horse racing complex is readily apparent…and a might fine venue it is (G Moulds)
Etcetera…
This shot of Mike Hailwood in the Sandown Park, Australian GP dummy grid on February 20, 1972 gives us a better look at the unpainted full-monocoque Surtees TS11 chassis – TS11/03 – of the three-week old car.
The structure extends right up behind behind the drivers shoulders in the photograph below. Mike was fourth from Q7, the was race won by Graham McRae’s Leda GM1 Chev.
(B Jackson)
Mike Hailwood chats with a mechanic in the Warwick Farm 100 paddock over the February 13, 1972 weekend.
Note the inboard rocker front suspension and single radius rod doing locational duties at the rear.
(B Jackson)
Rear wing area very busy, to the detriment of it doing its job!
Note the faired oil coolers either side of the vertically mounted oil tank, and Varley battery underneath it. The rear suspension has only one – top – radius rod on each side but the lower suspension comprises a wide based wishbone and an additional ‘toe’ link.
(B Jackson)
Roll bar mounted directly to the rear bulkhead and in nicely braced both fore and aft, note the single radius rod.
There was nothing wrong with the assembly of the new car by Mike’s mechanics. It finished all four races in Australia, well up too.
(M Nidd)
Without wanting to confuse things further, see above a wonderful painting of Hailwood’s Surtees TS8 as it appeared in New Zealand in the summer of ’72…
(S Love)
John Surtees and Sam Posey in the Laguna Seca paddock in 1971. ‘Well, keep going the way you are and there probably is an F1 drive at home for you Sam.’
(Pinterest)
Sam Posey in front of Mike Hailwood during the October 1972 US GP at Watkins Glen.
The pair are racing Champcarr/works-Surtees TS9B Ford DFVs. Sam was Q24 and 12th, Mike Q14 and an accident impacted 17th. Jackie Stewart won in a Tyrrell 005 Ford DFV.
Credits…
Dave Waldron via Gerard Richards, Bryn Kempthorne, Maurizio Rizzo, Marabeth Cohen-Tyler, Brian Hopping, Paul Overell, Greg Rickes, Glen Moulds, Michael Kidd, Steve Love, Stupix, Old Motor Racing Photographs Australia Archive, Pinterest, Brian Jackson photos via Glenn Paine, John Blanden
The Peak Hill, Silverton, hillclimb meeting near Broken Hill on September 14, 1958.
That’s none other than future Elfin Sportscars boss Garrie Cooper looking immaculate in his Persil-white overalls alongside his BMC A-series powered Austin 7 Spl.
#70 is Bruce Went’s Austin, he did a 55.39 sec run, while the more potent Cooper Motor Bodies clad machine, sleeved down to sneak into the under 750cc class, did a best of 45.17.
What a scene! Red Holden FJ, the Austin Atlantic at right and a couple of chicks making the best of the dusty paddock on a good old-fashioned struggle-rug. Bleak indeed!
We have Peter Kelly to thank for these unique, Kodakrome shots which he bought in a Trash n’ Treasure Market a few years ago. ‘Yer can be lucky, he was, and so are we, many thanks Peter! Bill Williamson’s Facebook page does it yet again! Special thanks also to Doug Gordon and Tony Johns for their archival material and leading the charge on car IDs.
Note that some of the photographs are from a meeting held at Peak Hill twelve months before, on July 28, 1957.
(P Kelly Collection)
Silverton is only a drop-kick from the New South Wales-South Australian border, 1,200km from Sydney, 540km from Adelaide. Big drives for your racing-fix, not really, not in Australia!
The two cars above were top-shelf here at the time. Up front is #5 Jack Myers’ W.M. Special – a modified Cooper T20 powered by a 2440cc Waggott-Holden DOHC, triple-SU fed six-cylinder engine – the slinky British Racing Green sportscar behind is Derek Jolly’s #6 Lotus inspired Decca Mk2 Climax FWA Spl. Car #10 is ME Nancarrow’s Holden 48-215. ‘Malcolm Nancarrow, who went on to race a Lotus Elite and a Lotus Cortina in South Australia during the 1960s.’ wrote Rob Bartholomaeus.
Jack Myers fettling the Waggott-Holden twin-cam ‘Grey six’ cylinder engine in the Gnoo Blas paddock (P Kelly Collection)
Enthusiast/historian Doug Gordon writes that ‘Peak Hill hillclimb was laid out on hilly ground just outside Silverton, a little mining township close to Broken Hill. These days it’s famous as the location for filming Mad Max, there is a Mad Max museum there.’
‘When (vintagent/racer) Neville Webb was there a branch of the Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia was formed. From the early 1950s to June 1959 a hillclimb track was laid out in the dirt and drew a wide-range of cars including the ex-Bira MG K3.’
‘There were plans to build a bitumen racetrack nearby but that was quashed by the local police who were concerned about the safety aspects as the club was small and didn’t have the budget for the extensive safety fencing that would have been required.’
‘Here is the original layout of the hillclimb being held by local historian Don Mudie. There is still an active Veteran and Vintage Car Club but their interests are outside racing.’
(D Gordon Archive)(P Kelly Collection)
Neville Webb’s Frazer Nash Monoposto and below.
A special, the car is not one of the three factory cars, one of which was raced in-period by Tim Joshua/Ron Egerton and others in Australia, and is still here currently being restored.
(D Gordon Archive)(T Johns Collection)(P Kelly Collection)(P Kelly Collection)
South Australia’s Murray Trenberth bagged FTD in his 996 Vee-Twin Vincent Spl, he did a 42.54 sec run. A very quick car on the circuits as well. Ralt wheels? Big Bertha behind is R Laneyrie’s Ford V8 Coupe.
(P Kelly Collection)
M Dillon’s Triumph Spl 351-1000cc entry.
(P Kelly Collection)
Bill Pile, MG TC Spl s/c, great looking car, who built the body?
(P Kelly Collection)
I Virgo VMF under 350cc car, July 1957.
D Evans D & D Ford 10 Spl front and centre. #34 behind is the Webb Frazer Nash monoposto, no idea about the other car (P Kelly Collection)
Keith Rilstone in the Eldred Norman built Zephyr Special s/c, July 1957.
(P Kelly)
B Bowring, Allard M drophead, Ford flathead V8, July 1957.
(P Kelly)
The legendary MacHealey, Greg McEwin up, July 1957.
(P Kelly)
‘Meadows Special, Riley 12 chassis, Lancia running gear: 5th Series front end and diff, 7th Series gearbox, and Meadows engine out of a Chick car built in Adelaide.’
‘I bought the car in 1968 for $25, then fitted the engine and gearbox into the Chandler Lancia Special, to become the Lancia Meadows.’ thanks Rob Harcourt.
‘Here it is below as I bought it. I towed it home to Adelaide from Broken Hill on an A-frame behind my mates AP6 Valiant. Imagine doing that today!’
(R Harcourt)(P Kelly)
I Phillips, PDS, an under 350cc car. July 1957.
(P Kelly)
F Roberts, Holden 6 Special.
‘Perhaps the first Holden Special to compete in Australia,’ observed John Medley. July 1957.
Credits…
Peter Kelly Collection via a random Trash ‘n Treasure purchase!, Tony Johns Collection, Doug Gordon Archive, Lindsay Siebler, Rob Harcourt
Beechey exits the Pukekohe hairpin in his legendary 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship winning Holden Monaro HT GTS350 during the 1971 NZGP weekend.
The idea for the first in this occasional series of Australian Touring Cars Abroad came from my latest photo raid of two fantastic Kiwi racing FB sites: Old New Zealand Motor Racing and South Island Motorsports, suss them both out.
But of course New Zealand wasn’t/isn’t the only country ‘Oz tourer pros‘ have visited. I’ve prostituted the idea a bit by including blokes like Frank Gardner, Brian Muir and Horst Kwech whose over-there touring car racing was based over-there not here, if that makes sense as a differentiator…
(Bay of Plenty News)
Terry Allan at Baypark in May 1970
Steve Holmes wrote on The Roaring Season, ‘In 1967, young Melbourne motorsport enthusiast Terry Allan took a trip to the US and purchased a new Camaro to race in Australia. Fitted with a 396ci big block Rat motor, and quad-side draught Webers, the Camaro caused a huge stir with race fans on its debut in May 1967, as this was the first Camaro to race anywhere in Australasia.’
‘Allan raced the Camaro from 1967 to 1971, then sold it to Graeme Blanchard. From there it went to Lakis Manticas and then to Barry Wearing in 1974, after which it appears to have vanished.’
‘Information about Terry Allan’s Camaro has been difficult to find. A couple of magazines have attempted to trace its current whereabouts, or ultimate fate, but have drawn blanks. Rumours surrounded the car, and its US origins, and the possibility it may have been race prepared at the workshop of GM racing guru Bill Thomas, but these were all hearsay.’
What became of Terry Allan folks?
(Bay of Plenty News)
Allan Moffat’s Team Harper/Ford Cologne Ford Capri RS2600 on the way to winning the 53 lap November 18, 1973 Touring Car Race at Macau. Second and third were Tachi Nobuhide and Jose Ramirez aboard Toyota Celica GTs.
Moffat must have been impressed, a year later FoMoCo Oz had an RS3100 on the water for him to race in Australia. Macau was a little bit of try before you buy in a sense. See here: https://primotipo.com/2015/04/09/australias-cologne-capris/
(T Growden)
Brian Foley’s Morris Cooper S at Pukekohe during the 1969 New Zealand Grand Prix weekend. ‘Second in the the 1000-1300cc race.’
The title for Australian King of the Coopers was a tussle between Sydney based Foley, and Melbourne based Peter Manton, with honourable mentions to John Leffler, Lynn Brown and Don Holland. And yes my friends, there are more depending upon the period you have in mind.
By 1971 Brian was teasing Australian Alfisti with this ex-Auto Delta Alfa Romeo 1750 GTAm. The 2-litre machine was under-gunned against the V8 Pony Cars that had the ATCC stitched up, but it was still a crowd-pleaser and ‘2-litre Class’ winning machine.
Here he is below at Shah Alam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1972.
Peter Brock raced overseas a bit: BMW 3.5-litre CSL, Porsche 956 and some Commodores but maybe not as much as one would have expected of one of the world’s greatest touring car drivers of his era?
In 1977 he teamed up with his ‘UK GM equivalent’, Gerry Marshall for the 24 Hours of Spa in a factory Vauxhall Firenza Magnum.
Built by Bill Blydentein’s Dealer Team Vauxhall squad, the Group 1 Spa Magnum had some trick modifications including twin Weber 48DCOEs and a cam fitted to the 2.3-litre slant-four increasing its power to circa-172bhp. A Getrag five-speed ‘box completed a light, fast package.
(Bonhams)
Marshall and Brock were second at Spa with the Beefy-Brit chasing down second with 30 minutes to go, they also took the ‘Coup du Roi’ teams and the Index of Performance.
Frank Gardner on the way to winning a Guards Trophy race at Brands Hatch in May 1970, Ford Mustang Boss 302.
FG won the British Saloon/Touring Car Championship in 1967-68 aboard a Ford Falcon Sprint and Lotus Cortina/Ford Escort Twin-Cam respectively. In a decade long dream run in Europe, Gardner annually had single-seater, sportscar and touring car programmes/races in all corners of the globe and did justice to all of the different disciplines.
He returned to Australia in late 1974.
(John Lawton)
Pete Geoghegan in characteristic style giving his Ford Falcon GTHO Super Falcon a lungful at Baypark in 1973.
Pete took pretty much all of his cars across the ditch, I’ll do a post of those exclusively some time soon.
(S Laverick)
Moffat’s Coke Mustang Boss 302 at rest in the Pukekohe paddock in 1972, and on the move below.
More often than not race-paddocks are shit-holes, not so Puke which always looks wonderful in photos with its undulations, leafy trees and grass.
Colin Bond in the NZ Holden Dealer Team Holden Torana GTR XU-1 during the 1973 Heatway Rally run between July 7-14 out of Christchurch.
120 cars entered the event which was won by 1983 World Rally Drivers Championship winner Hannu Mikkola and Jim Porter, and Mike Marshall and Arthur McWatt both in Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1s, then Shekhar Mehta and Wayne Jones Datsun 180B, then the Bond/George Shepheard LJ XU-1.
Bondy was a crowd favourite in whatever he drove and is one of Australia’s most versatile drivers of any era. On-the-dirt he won three Australian Rally Championships in 1971-72-74, all with George Shepheard alongside and all in GTR XU-1s. Funny, in my mind he bagged another in his Escort RS days, but not so…albeit Greg Carr won one aboard a CB prepared Escort in 1978.
(S Taylor)(Alpina Auomobiles)
Brian ‘Yogi’ Muir in the Alpina BMW CSL 3-litre during the first round of the 1973 European Touring Car Championship at Monza in March 1973. He shared the car with Niki Lauda. See here: https://primotipo.com/2022/09/03/brian-muir/
Amazing career as a UK based international from the mid-1960s in touring cars and sportscars until his death from a heart attack on the way home from the RAC Tourist Trophy at Silverstone on September 11, 1973. He was only 52, born June 30, 1931.
Brilliantly conceived by Sydney racer Tom Nailard, the project was acquired by Frank Gardner who essentially created a two-seat Lola F5000 car with his expansive knowledge of the Huntington company’s parts catalogue.
Winner of the Australian Sports Sedan Championship from 1977-79 for Gardner/Grice/Grice before CAMS’ legislative pencil caught up with them.
(unattributed)
Peter Brock on the way to second place in the Guia Production Car race at Macau in 1971.
LC XU-1 with Globe Rallymaster wheels. Which car izzit, the Holden Dealer Team wrenches had wenches nicknames for the cars didn’t they?: Saggy Sally, Juicy Lucy! Raunchy Rita or whatever!?
(NAS)
Moffat again, this time during the 1973 Singapore Grand Prix weekend on the tough, dangerous Thomson Road circuit.
FoMoCo Oz bought this Alan Mann Racing built Ford Escort Ford FVA for AM to race as a sports sedan about 1970. It was always a struggle to keep up with the V8s. There ain’t no substitute for cubes. Sometimes.
By the time it got to Singapore it was probably fitted with a 2-litre Ford BDG engine. The spec and destiny of the car is of interest if someone can fill me in.
Moff won a heat but had a flat in the final that caused an accident, Brian Foley’s Alfa GTA Lwt won the final.
(Klemantaski Collection)
Speaking of which, here is Horst Kwech racing an Alfa Romeo GTA in a 1970 Trans-Am round at Mid Ohio, and below a Ford Capri RS3100 in an IMSA race in 1974, circuit unknown.
The Baypark promoters were clearly very touring car friendly, they promoted a lot of NZ v Oz contests which must have been fantastic to watch and hear.
Here Melbourne’s own is doing battle in his Chev Nova with, I think, Paul Fahey’s Ford Mustang. Who won these December 1996 or 1967 hitouts? A little bit more here: https://primotipo.com/2019/09/26/norm-jim-and-pete/
(R Grimwood)
The cars got presence hasn’t it! Not the rare under bonnet shot of the 327 fed by four Weber DCOs on a neat crossover inlet manifold nicely ducted with cool air.
Did Claude Morton do Norm’s engines?
(J Copsey)(J Copsey)
Credits…
Steve Elliott, Stephen Dalton Archive, Bay of Plenty News shots via Bryan Miller, National Archive of Singapore, Klemantaski Collection, JD Decrevel, Getty Images, Stephen Laverick, Sean Taylor, Bruce Scott, Alpina Automobiles, Klemantaski Collection, JD Decrevel, Rod Grimwood, The Motorhood, Terry Baker, Jeff Copsey
Jack and Betty Brabham during the 1954 Australian Grand Prix weekend in the Southport paddock attending to the needs of Jack’s Cooper T23 Bristol.
I’ve done Cooper Bristols to death but these two colour shots of Jack are the earliest I’ve seen – Kodachrome at its best – so I thought I’d pop them up rather than add them to an existing post and effectively lose them.
Brabham had a lousy weekend in Southport, out with engine troubles on lap 2. Lex Davison won the race in his HWM Jaguar after Stan Jones suffered a chassis weld failure that pitched him off the road and through the undergrowth, killing the car but thankfully not its intrepid driver.
Brabham at Mount Druitt, the youngster is a youthful Pete Geoghegan (D Willis)(LAT)
CB/Mk2/1/53 was pretty trick by this stage, where is the photo above folks?
Jack had been racing it for a couple of years and made some modifications – some suggested by British mechanic/engineer Frank Ashby who was then living at Whale Beach on Sydney’s Barrenjoey Peninsula – including fitment of triple Stromberg carbs instead of the usual trio of Zeniths and taking bulk weight off the Bristol engine’s flywheel by adapting a Harley Davidson type clutch as used on his speedcar, and extensive machining. The Stromberg BXOV-1 carbs were lightly modified units of examples fitted as standard to the Holden 48-215.
Stan didn’t have it for long before selling it to Tom Hawkes in time for the 1955 Australian Grand Prix at Port Wakefield.
The rare shot below shows Hawkes in Jack’s old Cooper Bristol #8, with Brabham looking on from car #6, the monoposto Cooper T40 Bobtail Jack built at Coopers for his championship Grand Prix debut at Aintree in the British GP that July. He then brought it home and scored a lucky win at Port Wakefield after top-guns, Reg Hunt, #5 Maserati A6GCM-250 and Stan Jones, #4 Maybach 3 retired.
(E Steet)Hawkes on the way to a DNF in the 1957 AGP at Caversham in the ex-Brabham Cooper T23, now fitted with a Repco-Holden engine (E Steet)
The ultimate spec of CB/Mk2/1/53 was created when Tom Hawkes got his hands on it. He raced it initially as was and then made changes to the suspension, replacing the transverse leaf suspension with wishbones and coil springs, added a slimline body, fitted wider Lukey alloy wheels, and critically, replacing the 2-litre Bristol six with a 2.3-litre pushrod Holden Grey six topped by a crossflow Repco Hi-Power cylinder head and a pair of SU carbs.
Hawkes in the Albert Park paddock, 1956 AGP weekend. Repco-Holden engine, car still fitted with transverse-leaf IFS (NAA)Hawkes ascends Mount Panorama during the ‘58 AGP weekend, note the stance of the car and Lukey alloy wheels (T Martin)
Tom was third in the 1958 AGP at Bathurst – the ultimate Australian power circuit – with the Cooper in this spec behind Lex Davison’s 3-litre Ferrari 500/625 and Ern Seeliger’s 4.6-litre Maybach 4 Chev V8. Sure, Ted Gray, Tornado 2 Chev and Stan Jones, Maserati 250F retired from the lead, but was the best ever AGP finish for a Holden six, a great achievement.
Etcetera…
Brabham and crew at Mount Druitt circa 1953, names folks? (A Cox)(A Patterson Collection)(A Patterson Collection)
John Sherwood and Jack Brabham, perhaps at one of the send-off functions for Jack when he left for the UK in early 1955
Brabham chats to Doug Whiteford on the Australian Grand Prix-Port Wakefield grid in 1955. Cooper T40 Bristol and Talbot Lago T26C.
(unattributed)
This pair of shots show Jack aboard the Cooper T40 Bristol during the January 30, 1956 South Pacific Championship meeting at Gnoo Blas. Brabham was second behind Reg Hunt’s new F1 Maserati 250F with Kevin Neale third in, you guessed it, a Cooper T23 Bristol.
These cars – Type 20 and Type 23 or Cooper Bristol Marks 1 and 2 if you like – were hugely important machines in Australian racing for a decent chunk of the 1950s in original spec and modified from mild to wild…
(unattributed)
Credits…
Old Motor Racing Photographs Australia, Dick Willis, Allen Cox, LAT photographic, Ed Steet shots via David Zeunert, Lex Denniston shot via Tony Johns, Tony Martin, Adrian Patterson Collection
Tailpiece…
Three of the 1954 AGP protagonists on the cover of Wheels magazine in January 1955. Lex Davison’s HWM Jaguar, an ex-Moss F2 chassis fitted with a C-Type engine, Dick Cobden’s ex-Whitehead Ferrari 125 s/c and Jack Brabham’s RedeX Special Cooper T23 Bristol.
Quite why yerd’ put the winner, Davison, on the cover and two DNFs I know not…the answer is probably the timelines in hand-colouring the photographs for a race held on November 7, 1954.
Warwick Brown and the Wrightcars truck he used in New Zealand during his successful 1975 Tasman Cup campaign. He was the only Aussie to win the coveted series, shown here with Lola T332 Chev #HU27 at Pukekohe, where he won the NZ GP on January 12.
HU27 is the first T332 built, first racing in the opening Tasman round at Levin on January 6, 1974. Brown won the Adelaide 100 on February 24 and in so doing won the first of hundreds of in-period victories for the 332 and its many variants on every continent.
A very successful machine, Brown showed well in the US L&M F5000 championship in mid-1974 before coming home and proving the class of the AGP field before his Peter Molloy Chev broke a harmonic balancer. Then followed the Tasman in which he won two of the eight rounds in a very open year, five drivers won races.
Brown on the hop in HU27 in the 1975/Surfers Paradise Tasman round. He and mechanic/engineer/driver-whisperer Peter Molloy developed the car to a fine pitch in some US L&M races in mid-1974. Lola perves will notice the single-post supported banana-wing. Compare and contrast with the Lola factory fitment twelve months before (unattributed)Brown during the February 1974 Oran Park Tasman round. Rear view of the early spec T332s-HU27 here. Compare and contrast with the Jones’ T332C further on. Car owned by Brown’s patron, Sydney businessman Pat Burke (D Harvey)
This article is largely an assemblage of factory/Carl Haas T332 information accumulated by Australian racer/restorer Jay Bondini who owned, restored and raced two T332s: HU43 ex-Carl Hogan and HU37 ex-Sid Taylor.
The Lola T330/T332/T332C/T332CS/T333 as a series of ‘same chassis’ related models are right up there as a contender for the title of ‘greatest production racing car’ – where greatest is defined as the most wins relative to production numbers.
Others that spring to mind are the Bugatti T35/T37/T39 series, Ralt’s RT2/3/4/5, the McLaren M7/M10 series and McLaren M8/8A/12/8B/8C/8D/8E/8F and Ford GT40 Marks 1-4 and more. Oh yeah, not to forget Lola’s own T70 series…it would be an interesting list to create and debate. One for another time.
For those unfamiliar with a T330, here is Max Stewart in HU1 ahead of Graeme Lawrence’s T332 HU28, both Chev powered, during the 1974 Sandown Tasman round won by Peter Gethin’s Chevron B24 Chev (B Keys)
Only 10 carryover parts from other model Lolas. No surprises there albeit most of the T330/332s I recall seeing in paddocks were fitted with Koni double-adjustable alloy shocks not Armstrongs.
Jongbloed 15-inch rear wheels became the-go later in ’74 from memory. So too, did the Chaparral type all-enveloping engine cowl/airbox, that turned a stunning looking car into the positively sinful: the T332C followed.
$US3,650 for a new tub in 1974 is about $US26,000 today. I wonder how much a new monocoque actually costs now from Lola’s designated chassis maker (who owns those rights these days?) or your favourite fabricator?
(C Parker Archive)
Alan Jones in Teddy Yip’s T332C HU61 Chev at Riverside in 1976, the final year of the US F5000 Championship before changing to 5-litre central-seat Can-Am in 1977…and further Lola T332 domination.
Chaparral were the first to do the enveloping engine cover/airbox on a T332. Apart from the body changes, the oil tank was moved, the roll-bar mounting changed and a central post rear-wing adopted. The later 332s also had the FIA mandated roll-hoop over the dash which had the byproduct of providing a bit more chassis stiffness.
See the letter from Chaparral‘s Jim Hall to Eric Broadley via Carl Haas explaining improvements to their car raced so successfully by Brian Redman in 1974-75 that allowed Lola to ‘productionise’ them as the T332C for 1976. Fascinating detail stuff of all the one-percenters that made a topline well funded outfit like Chaparral so successful: https://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/type_numbers/t332c/t332c.html
‘What are your three favourite racing cars Alan?’ I asked Jones at the Governor’s function before the 2023 AGP. ‘My F1 Williams FW07, the Lola T332, both the 5000 and Can-Am versions, and Alan Hamilton’s Porsche 935…’ was his response.
About says it all really, given his career spanned the mid-1960s well into the early-2000s and hundreds of different cars.
It’s not a factory drawing but is useful to show how wide and shallow the chassis of the T332 and T330 are. Note that, unlike the T300 chassis, the 330/332 used the engine as a semi-stressed member.
The flaw in the drawing – purportedly T332 – is that the rear suspension shows an inverted rear wishbone (T330) arrangement rather than the twin-parallel link set up used on T332s.
Steve Elliot, Jay Bondini Archive, Dale Harvey, Chris Parker Archive, oldracingcars.com, Getty Images
Tailpiece…
(S Elliott)
Graeme Lawrence in the second T332 built, HU28, from Max Stewart in T400 Chev HU2 during the 1976 Peter Stuyvesant New Zealand F5000 Championship.
Just love Steve Elliott’s shot above – a corker! – but I have no idea of the circuit, help please Kiwis!?
Lawrence, the 1970 Tasman Cup winner aboard an ex-Amon Ferrari Dino 246T, fought out the 1975 Tasman with fellow T332 exponents Lawrence, John Walker (T330 HU23 Repco-Holden was rebuilt around a T332 tub) and Brown.
The battle went down to the wire at the final Sandown round where WB prevailed after Walker lived-to-fight-another-day with a monster first lap accident and Graeme had problems. John Goss won the race in his Matich A53 Repco-Holden.
Lawrence won the 1975 NZ Gold Star in this car and was always a front-runner in Australasian F5000. You can’t mention Kiwi Lola exponents without recognising Ken Smith, who won the Peter Stuyvesant Series, NZ GP at Pukekohe, and the NZ Gold Star in 1976. A big year! His mount was an ex-Chaparral/Brian Redman Lola T330/2 HU8. He may still be having the occasional Lola steer in his eighties!
Max Stewart was pretty-handy in Lolas too. In T330 HU1 he won the Australian Grand Prix at Oran Park and the Gold Star series in 1974, then took another AGP victory in the wet at Surfers Paradise the following year in the T400.
Brian Redman in the Chaparral/Haas Lola T332 HU42 Chev at Riverside, the final round of the 1974 US championship on October 27. Mario Andretti won from Brian aboard…the Vel’s Parnelli Jones T332 HU29 (Getty Images)
Afterthought…
The fact that the first and second T332s built were sold to colonials allowed me to make this piece Australasian centric, not that I need encouragement.
But how can you write something about Lola’s T330/332 without mentioning Brian Redman, King of F5000 in its latter era? Earlier Monarchs were, arguably, Peter Gethin and Graham McRae, the latter gets bonus points for doing much of his work aboard cars of his own manufacture.
It’s not that Brian was a Lola F5000 man early on either. He had success in McLaren’s M10 and M18s and did all the early development testing of the Chevron B24 in mid-1972 together with Derek Bennett.
But when he decided F1 wasn’t for him and made US F5000 his primary programme, his partnership with the factory-Carl Haas/Chaparral team yielded a trio of championships from their 1973-76 F5000 partnership – subsequent short Can-Am programme duly recognised. He raced Lola T330s in ’73 and T332s from ’74-76.
Redman didn’t give a yard away to any of the Formula One Johnnies he raced with in Scuderia Ferrari’s 1972-73 World Sportscar Championship campaign aboard 3-litre flat-12 312PBs: Ickx, Andretti, Peterson, Schenken, Pace, Reutemann etc. Surely Brian was the best driver outside F1 at the time? Bias duly declared…
primotipo... 