Darren Visser’s extraordinary Double Eight, a recreation of Eldred Norman’s 1947 and subsequent iterations racing car, pointing towards the first turn at Collingrove Hillclimb in South Australia’s Barossa Valley on Saturday October 5, 2024.
The key elements of this car comprise a WW2 Dodge Scout car chassis, two Ford Mercury 3.8-litre 110bhp V8s mounted one aft of the other, and a Ford truck four-speed gearbox feeding a Dodge rear axle and diff. Yep, they are truck wheel, tyres and brakes, and yes again, it’s quite a thrill to ride in it!
Eldred Norman lived in the Adelaide Hills where the car was connected. It was built at Norman’s 18 Halifax Street, Adelaide premises so the car was very much a local, feature article thereon coming very soon.
Sticking with the Eldred Norman theme, front and centre is Greg Snape, longtime custodian of Eldred’s Zephyr Special, in many ways just as revolutionary, if not as visually challenging as its older sibling.
That’s Frank Chessel’s lovely Stag Formula Vee at left and Daniel Jeffries’ Elfin Streamliner at right, both Adelaide built cars.
Eldred Norman during the 1955 Australian Grand Prix in the Eclipse Zephyr Special – Eclipse motors being a Ford dealer – at Port Wakefield, where he was eighth on debut.
Below is the semi-naked machine showing some of its secrets at Collingrove circa 1960.
The SU-fed, supercharged Ford Zephyr 2.3-litre overhead, two-valve straight-six – canted at 45 degrees from vertical – was a structural chassis element in that a piece of steel was milled to the shape of the engine’s timing cover and then a steel plate was welded to it that accepted the Holden FJ sourced independent front suspension crossmember assembly.
Norman borrowed from Vittorio Jano’s 1954-55 Lancia D50 playbook a decade before Mauro Forghieri did in 1964-65 (Ferrari 1512) and Colin Chapman in 1966-67 (Lotus 43 BRM and Lotus 49 Ford Cosworth DFV).
An eight or nine-inch diameter torque-tube connects the motor to a rear mounted clutch and Tempo Matador (VW powered truck) three speed transaxle, while the fabricated independent rear suspension was attached the transaxle with other major components such as the fuel tank, seat and body were bolted to the torque tube.
Yes, that is the petrol tank alongside the very fast Keith Rilstone in the shot above. The drum brakes are Holden with Vanguard internals to give twin leading-shoe operation.
Fiona and Neill Murdoch’s Altas – two of the many visiting Victorians – created plenty of interest, that’s Fiona in the ex-Alan Sinclair/Ted Gray 1100cc s/c 21S above heading towards The Wall, and Neill in the 2-litre s/c 55S below.
Passengers were invitees during the Saturday track familiarisation session, so ‘everybody’ had a ride if they wanted.
The October 5/6 Barossa Vintage Collingrove meeting was one of the Sporting Car Club of South Australia’s 90th birthday celebration events.
The SCCSA is THE blue-riband Oz car club having run and promoted fun and national championship events since 1934. I guess the 1936 South Australian Centenary Grand Prix – aka the 1936 Australian Grand Prix – was their first big national gig. They are an ‘efficiency with a friendly feel’ kinda mob which makes visits to their meetings at Collingrove, Mallala and their HQ in quite special.
Collingrove is in the beautiful, leafy green, rolling hills of the Barossa Valley – Mount McKenzie to be precise – a notable wine growing region 80km north-east of Adelaide. First used in 1952, it’s 750 metres long, the climb is tight, up and down and has held the Australian hillclimb Championship 14 times in addition to rounds thereof when the title has been contested over more than one event.
A line up of air-cooled’s: Peter Fagan’s Cooper Mk6 JAP 1100, Stephen Denner’s Cooper MkV JAP 1100, Brian Simpson’s Cooper Mk9 JAP 1100 – yes please to that car – and Mark Atkinson’s Falkenberg Jinx.
Speaking of air-cooled machines, ‘bikes were invited along too, about 15 of the 70 entries, and were spectacular to watch. It’s the first time I’ve seen motorcycles at a hillclimb, they were great.
Given the relatively small entry there was plenty of runs for all who wanted them.
I missed the best of the action, Bob King and I were given a guided tour of the Lobethal and Woodside road circuits, which are not too far from Collingrove, by Kent Patrick. A group of us did a Nuriootpa loop on Saturday morning as well, not to forget a (shambolic) lap or two of the Victor Harbor-Port Elliott track on Monday morning.
The masked avenger is Trevor Montgomery in the ex-Lex Davison ‘Little Alfa’ a 6C 1500 based, supercharged, Monoposto special raced by Davo in the 1940s. See here for a piece on this car: https://primotipo.com/2015/01/22/race-around-the-barracks-balcombe-army-camp-davison-little-alfa/
Fiona Murdoch in #21S coming down the access road back to the paddock.
Brian Simpson’s Cooper awaits its familiarisation run while Montgomery leaves the line in the Little Alfa. Brian’s cars have always been beautifully prepared and presented, the Cooper is no exception.
David Beaumont’s Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder 1600 was a picture. Angus Mitchell was quick in both the family Amilcar Grand Sport s/c, below, and in his ASP Toyota Clubman; busy too as one of the key organisers. That big-arse under cover behind belongs to the Double Eight; pert and perky it is not!
Graeme Jarrett’s Elfin Streamliner looked the goods with head-piece and very racing-correct varying hues of red. A favourite car.
Alta 55S pointed in the right-racing-direction at Nuriootpa, with Fiona and Neill Murdoch and then 21S behind.
While 55S is an Australian-johnny-come-lately – in the 1980s – MI5 Spy, part-time motor dealer and occasional racing driver, Alan Sinclair, brought 21S here just prior to the South Australian Grand Prix at Lobethal in January 1938. The car has been here ever since.
Here is the little 1100cc minx in monoposto form with our spook at the wheel in that January 1938 Lobethal race below.
I don’t think the car competed again in South Australia despite a competition life in the hands of Bill Reynolds, Ron Edgerton, Ted Gray and others that stretched into the early 1950s, but I’d love to be proved wrong.
A good deal of that was when the car was powered by Ford V8s of varying specifications and still competitive in the handicap racing of the day. See here for a lengthy epic: https://primotipo.com/2018/11/08/the-spook-the-baron-and-the-1938-south-australian-gp-lobethal/ there’s more…https://primotipo.com/2023/07/15/alta-1100-special/
Etcetera…
Legend has it that Eldred Norman first called the Zephyr Special the Norholfordor given it was derived form Ford, Holden and Tempo Matador parts, but he figured that was a bit of a mouthful…
Nice tail shot of the VW transaxle above, top transverse leaf spring and tubular shocker.
With about 280bhp on hand, depending on gear ratios, the wild, somewhat twitchy little SWB rocket was good for about 90mph in first, 130 in second and somewhere north of 160mph in top. Plenty quick.
The undated Mallala paddock shot above shows the sheet steel engine/suspension mounting plate, single SU carb, and rough as guts standard of finish epitomised by the second hand fuel tank! All go, no show.
Norman was an acknowledged supercharger expert, his tricks learned getting more performance from tye recalcitrant Maserati 6CM that succeeded the Double Eight.
Greg Snape looking very snug at Collingrove.
Credits…
Norman Howard, Steve Jones, bry3500
Tailpiece…
What’s that Queen song? Fat Bottomed Girls. She’s loud and proud and sassy rather than nuanced, and all the better for it. Wait until Darren gets the thing fully sorted and fits it with a pair of a Hotrod Harry spec engines…
Finito…
primotipo... 