344 replies to this topic

[geoffharrison]

Super thread - keep up the good work  !

And to Tony Johns , Reg. Nice sends his best wishes and says ' hello ' .

Geoff., Harrison 

[cooper997]

Tony Johns has asked me to thank you for the kind comments and mentions... "there is lots more to follow. However now that we are no longer in lockdown I am taking longer to prepare each post. TJ"

 

 

Stephen

[cooper997]

Another note from Tony Johns, "I am delighted to know that Reg sends his regards and is reading the thread."

 

So inspired by recent comments he hopes to have a new post ready soon.

 

 

Stephen

[cooper997]

Since writing part one of this post, Jeremy Morris, past president of the Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia and keen Austin 7 enthusiast, has shared a video interview by Dr Willie Sellers (VSCC UK) with Doug Head. Filmed by Willie many years ago this unedited interview provides us with some fresh information that has not previously been recorded. (Please ignore the first 30seconds). There is a photo in part one of this post, taken at Rob Roy Hillclimb April 1947 of Doug climbing the hill in the new Austin single seater minus any bodywork. The video has the same picture in Doug’s photo album and when asked by Willie about the body Doug incorrectly replies that this Austin was very successful and he won many events in it but it never had a body.   

 

https://drive.google...3Cuo8jQR5b/view

 

Doug Head.mp4

drive.google.com

 

 

 A sample page from Doug’s photo album showing the ‘Rubber Duck’ ex Works Austin at Victor Harbor for the 1936 South Australian Centenary Grand Prix driven by New Zealander George Smith. It’s restoration by Grant Cowie was the subject of an earlier post (within this thread)

 

 

 

 

 

Part two begins...

 

Len Phillips was the only Austin 7 driver entered in the Pakenham air-strip sprints organised by the LCCA on Saturday 17 May 1947. His fastest time, 36.8 seconds was recorded on his second run in the timed standing-start 1/2 mile sprints held on the gravel surface followed by flying laps of the air-strip, but there is no mention of Phillips in the AMS report.

 

John Barraclough in his monthly gossip column Spotlight published in the AMS magazine September 1947 writes,  “Speaking of bodies, The Phillips Ulster Austin is also having a very beautiful new suit built around it copied from the hot 12,000 r.p.m. factory Austins in England."

 

The bodywork was completed in time for Len to enter the 1947 Australian Grand Prix to be held at Bathurst, 6 October. Once again worth quoting the October AMS magazine preview of the personalities entered in the Grand Prix.

 

"Len Phillips, Victoria (Austin). Len, is the man who gave the handicappers grey hairs last October when his little Austin finally got going; fortunately for their self esteem, it failed to start in the race, which it would surely have won hands down, going as it did in practice. He has done a lot of work on it and this time should get going and keep going - and if he does it anything like last year, he’ll never be caught." What is not mentioned is that he sold last year's car and has built a new single seat Austin.

 

The race itself was run in dry but cold conditions and Len Phillips was still going well at half distance. Then the very well-finished little Austin that had been running so well was missing for two or three laps and was forced to retire with a broken valve spring after completing 22 laps of the 38 lap race. For the record Bill Murray was the race winner in his stripped MG TC and Lex Davison driving his vintage 38/250 Mercedes finished in third spot. 

 

 

 

Bathurst program pages from the Glenn Paine Collection.

 

 

Doug Head enjoying a run around Bathurst during practice.

VSCC Australia Bob Pritchett Collection.

 

 

Len Phillips leading the Riley Imp of fellow Victorian Bruce Myers prior to the valve spring breakage. Unfortunately this photo does not give a clear view of the cockpit  opening on the off-side to confirm that it matched the near-side when built.

 

VSCC Australia Bob Pritchett Collection.

 

 

Len Phillips rounding Pit Corner, Bathurst. AGP 1947.

VSCC Australia Bob Pritchett Collection.

 

 

With the broken valve spring replaced, Len and Doug shared the driving at Rob Roy #14, 2 November 1947. Bobbo wrote in the November issue of AMS “The small M.G.’s just managed to get up the hill and were very steady, then Len Phillips took his beautifully finished little Austin up in good time, handing over there-after to Doug Head, who managed things a bit more quickly". Len’s time was 40.51 and Doug’s faster time was 39.48. By way of comparison Arnold Terdich in his Austin 7 best time was 48.87.

 

Once again there is a discrepancy with drivers names listed in the program and those in the AMS report which encouraged me to keep searching. Most surprisingly I found a two-page report in English Motor Sport that gave a full report of the hillclimb including a photo of Len Phillips sans helmet in the Austin. This may be the last photo of Len competing before the Austin was sold to Jim Leech, (the third of the four drivers). 

 

 

 

Tony Johns Collection.

 

 

A rare find this two-page story of the Rob Roy Hillclimb was published in Motor Sport February 1948. Well worth reading and perhaps the sub heading confirming the lack of motor sport in Britain was the reason why the editor chose to include it.

 

 

Motor Sport magazine

 

 

The Light Car Club of Australia placed a full page advertisement in the January edition of Australian Motor Sports magazine to promote the first AGP to be run in Victoria since Phillip Island in 1935. The new owner of the Austin, Jim Leech who at the time was President of the LCCA. His brother Bill was joint Vice-President and Race Director of the meeting. Pre war they both competed in club events driving Austin 7s.

The program mentioned Jim Leech the President of the Light Car Club, “ It’s also a fact that he, being the biggest man in the program, is driving the smallest car. Tremendous modifications to the body had to be effected to allow entry and exit of the driver. The car is incidentally, extremely fast for its size, and Leech an experienced competition driver." 

 

 

TJ 22 2 22 Point Cook 1948 AGP Program Cover

Tony Johns Collection.

 

 

This is the only photo I have of Jim Leech competing at Point Cook. Racing in the first event The Under 1500cc Scratch Race shows how the bodywork was cut away to enable the new owner to gain entry. Also because of the extreme heat on the day, the bonnet sides had been removed.

 

VSCC Australia Bob Pritchett Collection.

 

 

AMS Spotlight gossip writer John Barraclough as well as racing the NE model MG Magnette found time to write the following comment after the race. “I asked someone what had happened to Jim Leech and the Austin. “Well, I dunno exactly,” was the reply, “but the Austin’s over there and I think the engine’s dripping out underneath.” 

A couple more extracts from Spotlight confirm what a very hot and unpleasant day it was weather wise.

 

"Well the 'day out’ at Point Cook, when I think back upon it, seems like a nightmare. After all the fan fare, after all the hard work, after all the excited preparations, the show could not be truthfully said to be anything but a burden to all concerned, and it was nobody’s fault but the weather.

 

"Tony Gaze had withdrawn the Alta after a boiling practice lap and most of the V8 owners were wearing that “Yes, Yes, of course I know its going to boil” look before they even got to the line (and how right they were). By the end of the day there were a lot of sedans lying about the aerodrome with not a cylinder head to their name and big hearted owner-drivers standing by - a little cross by now - wondering when the racing driver was going to return the thing he borrowed from under the bonnet in such a hurry this morning."

 

The 1948 Australian Grand Prix was the last handicap race. Since 1949 all AGP’s have been scratch races. 

 

 

With Thanks……..

Glenn Paine for the Bathurst program

Tim Shellshear, VSCC Australia Librarian and Archivist who shared the Bob Pritchett photographs.

Jeremy Morris, VSCC Australia who shared the video interview with Doug Head.

and to Stephen for uploading the post to the Forum.

 

 

Tony Johns.

 

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by cooper997
.....The 1948 Australian Grand Prix was the last handicap race. Since 1949 all AGP’s have been scratch races.....

While that is true, it begs a response on the detail...

The 1949 race was the first with a massed start with starting positions based on practice times, the first car to cross the line after completing the allotted laps was the winner.

But there was a concurrent handicap, which was won by Bud Luke in his Bugatti.

In 1950 it was even more complicated. The scratch race Australian Grand Prix was mandated by the AAA from 1949 and the Leyburn race certainly reflected that. But at Nuriootpa the handicap start returned. As explained by Graham Howard in the AGP book:
 

Obviously, Nuriootpa's organisers, the Sporting Car Club of South Australia, intended to apply the AAA's policy to the letter, because when plans for the 1950 race were announced it was made clear (to quote the AMS report) that "The Australian Grand Prix will be run as a handicap but the Grand Prix winner will be the competitor finishing with the fastest time for the race." To leave no doubt where the SCCSA felt the emphasis belonged, it was further arranged that the handicap winner would receive equal prizemoney to the AGP winner, but the AGP winner would thereby disqualify himself from any handicap prizes.

Following the policy through, SCCSA announced handicap results in detail, but announced only one scratch result, that of the winner of the AGP - because (as SCCSA re-affirmed 35 years later) this had not been a scratch race, it had been a handicap race with a special award - the AGP - to the man with the fastest time.

On to the 1951 AGP, held in Western Australia for the first time.

I think this one deserves another quote from Graham:
 

Tillett led the race from lap 18 and was not subsequently headed; he finished the 24 laps pulling away from Hayes, with Kennedy's third place falling to Pratley with two laps remaining.....

.....But he hadn't actually won the AGP, of course, the AGP winner had been the third man to finish, Warwick Pratley, his victory had to be announced before the onlookers could know of it.

"The crowd showed their appreciation... in vociferous manner when F W Pratley was announced the winner of the Grand Prix for 1951 after a magnificent exhibition of driving," reported The Observer, which went on to comment that "Racing conducted during the morning proved more exciting than the Grand Prix."

In fact, the race for the 1951 AGP was as exciting as any crowd could have asked for - if they had only known about it, if the race had only had a massed start.

Graham then went on to describe the relativity of the leading cars during the event with their handicap times removed, with just seconds separating combatants for much of the event.

The real kicker in that 1951 event was that the Commonwealth Government, as a part of its Jubilee year, contributed the trophies for the winners. Yes, winners, with both the handicap winner (Tillett) and the outright winner (Pratley) getting a large trophy to treasure for the rest of their lives.


Pratley and his trophy. This picture of Warwick Pratley shows how he's preserved his identical trophy and kept it until his death. Tillett still had his, too, but it had broken in two and really needed a polish when I saw it.

1952 also had a concurrent handicap, but from this time on all AGPs had a massed start. Harry Monday won the handicap in that race.

I believe I have read somewhere that the 1953 race also had a handicap section. It took a long time for the handicap to die.

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Tony, Stephen,

Fantastic information, photographs, programs and other source material I’ve not seen before. A research tour de force.

When can I add the book to my shopping list!?
M 

[Ray Bell]

The 1957 Australian Grand Prix at Caversham also had a concurrent handicap...

 

It was won by Noel Aldous, places down to fourteenth are given in the AMS report.

[Lee Nicolle]

Since writing part one of this post, Jeremy Morris, past president of the Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia and keen Austin 7 enthusiast, has shared a video interview by Dr Willie Sellers (VSCC UK) with Doug Head. Filmed by Willie many years ago this unedited interview provides us with some fresh information that has not previously been recorded. (Please ignore the first 30seconds). There is a photo in part one of this post, taken at Rob Roy Hillclimb April 1947 of Doug climbing the hill in the new Austin single seater minus any bodywork. The video has the same picture in Doug’s photo album and when asked by Willie about the body Doug incorrectly replies that this Austin was very successful and he won many events in it but it never had a body.   

 

https://drive.google...3Cuo8jQR5b/view

 

 

Doug Head.mp4

drive.google.com

 

 

 A sample page from Doug’s photo album showing the ‘Rubber Duck’ ex Works Austin at Victor Harbor for the 1936 South Australian Centenary Grand Prix driven by New Zealander George Smith. It’s restoration by Grant Cowie was the subject of an earlier post (within this thread)

 

 

 

 

 

Part two begins...

 

Len Phillips was the only Austin 7 driver entered in the Pakenham air-strip sprints organised by the LCCA on Saturday 17 May 1947. His fastest time, 36.8 seconds was recorded on his second run in the timed standing-start 1/2 mile sprints held on the gravel surface followed by flying laps of the air-strip, but there is no mention of Phillips in the AMS report.

 

John Barraclough in his monthly gossip column Spotlight published in the AMS magazine September 1947 writes,  “Speaking of bodies, The Phillips Ulster Austin is also having a very beautiful new suit built around it copied from the hot 12,000 r.p.m. factory Austins in England."

 

The bodywork was completed in time for Len to enter the 1947 Australian Grand Prix to be held at Bathurst, 6 October. Once again worth quoting the October AMS magazine preview of the personalities entered in the Grand Prix.

 

"Len Phillips, Victoria (Austin). Len, is the man who gave the handicappers grey hairs last October when his little Austin finally got going; fortunately for their self esteem, it failed to start in the race, which it would surely have won hands down, going as it did in practice. He has done a lot of work on it and this time should get going and keep going - and if he does it anything like last year, he’ll never be caught." What is not mentioned is that he sold last year's car and has built a new single seat Austin.

 

The race itself was run in dry but cold conditions and Len Phillips was still going well at half distance. Then the very well-finished little Austin that had been running so well was missing for two or three laps and was forced to retire with a broken valve spring after completing 22 laps of the 38 lap race. For the record Bill Murray was the race winner in his stripped MG TC and Lex Davison driving his vintage 38/250 Mercedes finished in third spot. 

 

 

 

Bathurst program pages from the Glenn Paine Collection.

 

 

Doug Head enjoying a run around Bathurst during practice.

VSCC Australia Bob Pritchett Collection.

 

 

Len Phillips leading the Riley Imp of fellow Victorian Bruce Myers prior to the valve spring breakage. Unfortunately this photo does not give a clear view of the cockpit  opening on the off-side to confirm that it matched the near-side when built.

 

VSCC Australia Bob Pritchett Collection.

 

 

Len Phillips rounding Pit Corner, Bathurst. AGP 1947.

VSCC Australia Bob Pritchett Collection.

 

 

With the broken valve spring replaced, Len and Doug shared the driving at Rob Roy #14, 2 November 1947. Bobbo wrote in the November issue of AMS “The small M.G.’s just managed to get up the hill and were very steady, then Len Phillips took his beautifully finished little Austin up in good time, handing over there-after to Doug Head, who managed things a bit more quickly". Len’s time was 40.51 and Doug’s faster time was 39.48. By way of comparison Arnold Terdich in his Austin 7 best time was 48.87.

 

Once again there is a discrepancy with drivers names listed in the program and those in the AMS report which encouraged me to keep searching. Most surprisingly I found a two-page report in English Motor Sport that gave a full report of the hillclimb including a photo of Len Phillips sans helmet in the Austin. This may be the last photo of Len competing before the Austin was sold to Jim Leech, (the third of the four drivers). 

 

 

 

Tony Johns Collection.

 

 

A rare find this two-page story of the Rob Roy Hillclimb was published in Motor Sport February 1948. Well worth reading and perhaps the sub heading confirming the lack of motor sport in Britain was the reason why the editor chose to include it.

 

 

Motor Sport magazine

 

 

The Light Car Club of Australia placed a full page advertisement in the January edition of Australian Motor Sports magazine to promote the first AGP to be run in Victoria since Phillip Island in 1935. The new owner of the Austin, Jim Leech who at the time was President of the LCCA. His brother Bill was joint Vice-President and Race Director of the meeting. Pre war they both competed in club events driving Austin 7s.

The program mentioned Jim Leech the President of the Light Car Club, “ It’s also a fact that he, being the biggest man in the program, is driving the smallest car. Tremendous modifications to the body had to be effected to allow entry and exit of the driver. The car is incidentally, extremely fast for its size, and Leech an experienced competition driver." 

 

 

TJ 22 2 22 Point Cook 1948 AGP Program Cover

Tony Johns Collection.

 

 

This is the only photo I have of Jim Leech competing at Point Cook. Racing in the first event The Under 1500cc Scratch Race shows how the bodywork was cut away to enable the new owner to gain entry. Also because of the extreme heat on the day, the bonnet sides had been removed.

 

VSCC Australia Bob Pritchett Collection.

 

 

AMS Spotlight gossip writer John Barraclough as well as racing the NE model MG Magnette found time to write the following comment after the race. “I asked someone what had happened to Jim Leech and the Austin. “Well, I dunno exactly,” was the reply, “but the Austin’s over there and I think the engine’s dripping out underneath.” 

A couple more extracts from Spotlight confirm what a very hot and unpleasant day it was weather wise.

 

"Well the 'day out’ at Point Cook, when I think back upon it, seems like a nightmare. After all the fan fare, after all the hard work, after all the excited preparations, the show could not be truthfully said to be anything but a burden to all concerned, and it was nobody’s fault but the weather.

 

"Tony Gaze had withdrawn the Alta after a boiling practice lap and most of the V8 owners were wearing that “Yes, Yes, of course I know its going to boil” look before they even got to the line (and how right they were). By the end of the day there were a lot of sedans lying about the aerodrome with not a cylinder head to their name and big hearted owner-drivers standing by - a little cross by now - wondering when the racing driver was going to return the thing he borrowed from under the bonnet in such a hurry this morning."

 

The 1948 Australian Grand Prix was the last handicap race. Since 1949 all AGP’s have been scratch races. 

 

 

With Thanks……..

Glenn Paine for the Bathurst program

Tim Shellshear, VSCC Australia Librarian and Archivist who shared the Bob Pritchett photographs.

Jeremy Morris, VSCC Australia who shared the video interview with Doug Head.

and to Stephen for uploading the post to the Forum.

 

 

Tony Johns.

How is Tony Gaze entered twice. At the top in the Alta and near the botton HRG

[cooper997]

Tony Johns has put together part 3 of Two Austins and Four Drivers..

 

 

 

Our regular AMS Spotlight correspondent, John Barraclough, wrote in the March 1948 issue that South Australian, Rick Howard (after competing at Lobethal in his Ulster accompanied by Edward Godfrey) in time for Rob Roy "arrived in Melbourne the other day on the biggest double-decker semi-trailer you’ve even seen, loaded down with motor bodies. They parked it calmly in South Yarra for the weekend to the horror of the old lady residents, one of whom I heard enquiring from Edward, “Did he know by chance if any of them were addressed to her son?  He’s been waiting to get his new car for two years now.”

 

Six Austins and two MGs are listed in the 500 - 750cc Racing Car class at Rob Roy #15 held on 14 March 1948, the strongest field in the small car class to date.

Another change the LCCA introduced at this meeting, was to run the sports car classes in the morning and the racing cars in the afternoon and not separating the supercharged cars to another class.

 

Now time for me to list another driver. Until Chester McKaige shared a photo taken on the day by his father George of Les Lawless in the monoposto Austin with number 25 painted on the radiator cowl, I was not aware that the Austin he had entered to drive, was indeed the ex Len Phillips Austin now owned by Jim Leech.

 

 

Stephen Dalton Collection.

 

Les Lawless seated in the Austin with #25 on the radiator cowling as per the program, but no mention of him completing a run. Wally Feltham’s P type MG in the background #27 was mentioned in post #296 when it was on the starting grid next to Ron Phillips at Bathurst in 1946.

 

Chester McKaige, Beyond the Lens book - George McKaige photo.

 

Although the program lists Jim Leech as the entrant/driver of the Austin #24, further research confirms it was actually Joan Derham behind the wheel that day. The Melbourne Herald in an article published on the Thursday prior to the event mentioned that four women drivers will take part in the Light Car Club of Australia Hill Climb at Rob Roy on Sunday. Entered in the racing cars section will be Mrs Joan Derham, making her first appearance since before the war, when she held the women’s Rob Roy record. She will be driving a special racing Austin.   

 

In winning the class, Peter Vennermark in his Q Type MG was two seconds ahead of Joan Derham and Rick Howard in the Austins as shown in Stephen's program.

Quoting the report in the April edition of AMS, “Four Austins and an MG comprised the 750 racing class. Rick Howard started the afternoon’s proceedings by taking his Ulster up in 40.30; apparently the furious trip over from Adelaide had no ill-effect as he eventually got up in 38.64. Mrs Derham urged the other Ulster up in 38.24, some four seconds faster than Jim Leech, while Arnold Terdich and Morrie Monk took another 10 to 12 seconds. The Vennermark Q type broke the class record with a resounding 34.86." 

 

Doug Head now offering a helping hand to Jim Leech, the next owner. Lots of detail in this photo, taken in March it would still be quite hot and Doug has unbuttoned his shirt but made no attempt to remove his tie. Note the fuel pipe has been wrapped in asbestos lagging to avoid fuel vaporisation. The non standard Vertex magneto and the late model pressure fed crankcase, which may be the reason why in later events it was referred to as a ‘Speedy'.

 

Terdich Collection. VSCC Vic via Ashley Tracey.

 

 

Near side view showing the bulges in the alloy crankcase confirming it is a Sports model engine designed for a large crankshaft. 

 

Friends of Rob Roy photograph.

 

 

Joan Derham with head scarf and no helmet rounding Skyline corner.

Friends of Rob Roy photograph.

 

 

I do not have a photograph of Rick Howard competing at Rob Roy so I have included one from a meeting held at the Ballarat Airfield in order to show the Ulster with its newly-completed body. Previous reports are in posts #54 https://forums.autos...1928/?p=9086041

and

#59 https://forums.autos...1928/?p=9087214

when competing at the Glen Osmond Hillclimb in 1946.

 

Terdich Collection. VSCC Vic via Ashley Tracey.

 

 

Two weeks later the RACV in conjunction with the Mt.Tarrengower Hill Climb Association organised the 12th running of the hillclimb near Maldon in country Victoria as part of the annual Easter Fair on Saturday 27 March 1948. The only change from last year to the layout of the gravel surface climbing 600 feet over the distance of 1900 yards, was the section from the start line to the first corner had been sealed. On the day, the weather was overcast with squally conditions but little rain. 

Austins filled the three placings in the “A” Class, Jim Leech taking the honours with a 2 min 24 secs from Arnold Terdich 2.29 and Edwards 3.19.

 

Jim Leech raising dust accelerating out of a corner at Mt Tarrengower.

Terdich Collection. VSCC Vic via Ashley Tracey.

 

 

Arnold Terdich approaches a corner at Mt Tarrengower in his lightweight Austin.  Arnold was responsible for saving many photographs from the LCCA archives and later bequeathing them to the VSCC library.

Terdich Collection. VSCC Vic via Ashley Tracey.

 

 

With thanks to

Stephen for loading the post to the Forum and sharing his Rob Roy program

Ashley Tracey for his Mt Tarrengower newspaper clippings and VSCC Terdich Archives

Chester McKaige for the George McKaige photo

Friends of Rob Roy

 

 

Tony Johns

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Tony, Stephen,

Further, wonderful research.
The Ulster ownership section of your book will be more complex than the Brescia section of a Bob King book!
How many do you think came to Australia ‘in period’?

m

[cooper997]

Tony's been busy assembling another post with more interesting photos, here's Two Austins and Four Drivers Part 4

 

 

The Rob Roy Hillclimb held on 2 May 1948, was the next event after Easter and only two Austins were entered. Mrs Joan Derham again drove Jim Leech’s single seat Austin and Maurice Monk was with his most unusual Austin 7 special. Joan was the only starter in her class and recorded a winning time of 38.04 seconds.

The AMS report went on to say, Somehow Rob Roy did not have the atmosphere which is usually associated with the event, maybe it was that enthusiasts had gathered that the day would lack excitement with so many fast cars missing from the pits, some of which included Vennermark’s Q type MG., Stone’s MG K3, Davison’s 2.9 Alfa-Romeo, and no interstate entries.

The hill’s clean record was blotted by the spectacular Gaze - Alta crash. Tony on his first run, accelerated very fast up to the tin shed and on leaving the corner became rather crossed up; it appeared at this moment, as Tony applied the brakes, that a crack in the front axle opened up allowing the offside front wheel to move back and so upset the steering. After it careered down a twenty-five foot drop it came to rest with the engine still running and could only be stopped after the plug leads were pulled off by the now dazed driver. Luckily Tony only received a few scratches. 

Tony Gaze is the same WW11 Australian pilot that was instrumental in Goodwood becoming a motor racing circuit.  

 

Chester McKaige Library.

 

 

The LCCA organised a picnic meeting at Rob Roy on Sunday 19 September 1948, a low key event designed to give club members an opportunity to run up the hill. It was split into two classes - under and over 1500cc. Once again there was a full report in the October issue of the AMS magazine. With near perfect weather over 180 climbs by more than 80 members were completed. Mrs Joan Derham used a cushion behind her to reach the pedals of the Leech (ex Len Phillips) Ulster Austin and made two very good runs, indeed, within striking distance of the 750cc record on one of them. Another 750 which went well at last was the Maurie Monk independently suspended all round, Austin Special, which was noticeably steady on the rougher parts of the climb and sounded healthy. Their fastest times were Joan Derham 36.23, second in the under 1500cc class to Otto Stone in his supercharged MG K3. Jim Leech’s brother Bill also drove the Austin recording a 37.73 run while Maurie Monk's best time was 39.64 sec. Bill Leech also drove his Ford V8 convertible up the hill in 37.80, slightly faster than his run in his brother’s Austin.

 

 

Only two months later, the 1948 Australian Hill Climb Championship was held at Rob Roy. This was the first event that English professional photographer, Dacre Stubbs attended since emigrating to Australia with his wife and young son Martin.

 

 

Program list of entrants Up to 850 cc.

Stephen Dalton Collection.

 

 

This Dacre Stubb’s photo gives some idea of the muddy conditions in the pits with the track in the background. The Leech Austin complete with seat cushion can be seen parked in front of the now rebuilt Alta #66 with Tony Gaze about to head to the start line. You can just see South Australian Ron Uffindell’s Austin complete with cycle guards behind the spectators on the left.

 

Dacre Stubbs Collection, shared by Martin Stubbs.

 

 

John Barraclough in his AMS  November Spotlight Column wrote, If I had to pick the three most attention-provoking performances, I’d choose Kleinig, Otto Stone and Ron Uffindell, the last in particular; I’ve never seen such unexpected energy transmitted so efficiently. The name brings to my mind the story of Ron Uffindell, after refusing any information to the interested as to why his car went so much better than other Austins, coyly allowing himself to be caught, seemingly by surprise, pouring fuel into his tank through a funnel full of briquettes.

 

Bob Pritchett started his report on the Australian Hill Climb Championship in the AMS magazine. 

After the luncheon break, racing cars were given four runs each; 

Up to 850cc, there were two non-starters Vennermark’s Q type MG and Rick Howard’s Ulster from South Australia. In winning the class, Uffindell’s little Austin made one of the day’s best performances; the little car stuck to the road like a GP Mercedes, and it was in second gear and hardly dropped a rev all the way to the top. This outstanding machine and driver drew attention from Mrs Joan Derham’s capable handling of the Leech Austin Special, although she was not quite as fast as she was at the recent picnic meeting, and the Austin sounded a bit ragged occasionally in the upper register. Maurie Monk’s independently suspended all-round Austin Special was not on form.

 

Pritchett concluded his report by mentioning The course itself is now become seriously broken up, particularly at the first right hand corner, and many competitors gave their opinion that much of the road will need to be repaired, if not completely resurfaced, before another important meeting is held at the hill. Spectators suffered discomfort through the wet ground, and the approach road was so greasy that it caused serious inconvenience both to spectators’ cars and to those of the competitors who towed their racing cars or had them on trailers.

 

A most interesting photo. Front on you would not recognise this to be an Austin 7 and Maurie Monk can rightfully claim to have built the first Austin 7 special in Australia not only with independent front suspension, but rear as well. If you look closely you can see the semi Girling brake backing plates, but note there is no cable to connect them to the brake cross shaft. What looks to be a steel frame behind the scuttle is actually a homemade steering wheel needed because of the very direct steering due to the non standard drop arm from the steering box. 

Maurie’s Austin 8 tender vehicle behind the #37 sign has two identifiable car club badges. Light Car Club of Australia organisers of the Rob Roy hillclimb and the Victorian Sporting Car Club, later to build and run hillclimbs at Templestowe. It is not known whether the special was towed behind the Austin 8.

More on the Monk car in future posts.

 

AMS magazine commented on their photo caption. Independently suspended, Maurie Monk’s Austin Special did not show its best form, disappointingly for everybody.

Dacre Stubbs Collection, shared by Martin Stubbs.

 

 

A similar photo to this was published in AMS with the caption. South Australian Austin wizard, Ron Uffindell, surprised Victorians by the amazing speed and road holding of his little machine.

 

Terdich Collection, VSCC Vic via Ashley Tracey.

 

 

Having crossed the Spillway Uffindell heads towards Skyline corner. Some idea of the track surface can be seen in this photo

Terdich Collection, VSCC Vic via Ashley Tracey.

 

 

Uffindell heading towards the finish line. Note lack of any form of safety protection for spectators.

 

Terdich Collection, VSCC Vic via Ashley Tracey.

 

 

To learn more about Ron Uffindell please check earlier posts #15 and #16 on this thread.

https://forums.autos...1928/?p=9075633

 

 

Results as published in the AMS November 1948 report.

 

 

With thanks to

Stephen for loading the post to the Forum and the use of his Rob Roy program.

Ashley Tracey for sharing the VSCC Terdich Collection photographs

Martin Stubbs for the Dacre Stubbs photos.

Chester McKaige for his Rob Roy program.

 

Tony Johns

[MarkBisset]

Fascinating stuff as always guys.

 

From memory Maurie Monk had mud-plugging in his motor sport CV Tony. Am guessing the independent suspension A7 was deployed in that discipline?? What became of it.

 

In a previous life one of Maurie’s sons was in a networking group I was a part of, forever ago he had a plastic manufacturing business in Bulleen or thereabouts. Ring a bell? he was a bit of a car guy and is probably the keeper of the family archive.

 

M

[cooper997]

The following information is from the latest media release for this weekend's Austin 7 Club organised 45th Historic Winton race meeting - co-inciding with the 100th anniversary of the Austin 7 release. I'm hoping to get there on Saturday.

 

 

Stephen

 

45^th Historic Winton Is On This Weekend

 

Historic Winton organised by the Austin 7 Club Inc in association with the HMRAV
28th & 29th May 2022 - Winton Motor Raceway, near Benalla Vic.

It’s time for some happy news! Historic cars, motorcycles and sidecars will race at Winton Motor Raceway this weekend (28^th and 29^th May) at 45^th Historic Winton.

But that’s not all.  Displays and market stalls will give car and motorbike enthusiasts plenty to do in the country festival atmosphere of Australia’s iconic historic motorsport event.

“Spectators are welcome to stroll the competition paddock to see the race vehicles and head to the corporate centre to see the 100 years of Austin 7 exhibition,” Organiser and President of the Austin 7 Club Len Kerwood said.

He said that about 40 Austin 7s from across the century would be on show with the oldest being a Special from 1924.

“This is the Austin 7 Club’s 50^th annual event at Winton Motor Raceway so this particular exhibition is an important way to mark that achievement,” Len said.

Other vehicle anniversaries include:
120 years
Studebaker, Cadillac, Norton Motorcycles, Triumph Motorcycles
100 years
Austin Seven, Lancia Lambda, MG J-type, Swallow Side Car Company
90 years
Auto Union, Austin 10, Hudson Terraplane
70 years
B.M.C, Austin A30, Austin Healey 100
60 years
Ford Cortina, EJ Holden, Triumph Spitfire, Chrysler Valiant, Morris 1100, MGB, Ford Falcon XL,
Austin Freeway, AC Cobra, Renault 8, Lotus Elan.

And recently announced, the Benalla Historic Vehicle Tour is back with a twist this year on Friday, 27th May.

Historic Winton is Australia’s longest-running and most popular all-historic motorsport event.

Tickets are now available online from Ticketebo. 

2022 TICKET PRICE DETAILS
Online Tickets:  Adult: $35 per day / Kids 17 and under free / Programs: $10
Tickets at Gate: Adult: $45 per day / Kids 17 and under free / Programs: $10
Camping is $50/person/weekend (max of 4 per site) when booking online. $55/person/weekend at the event gate. Camping enquiries should be directed to Winton Motor Raceway Ph: 03 5760 7100. 

 

 

[mikeC]

I don't think the MG J-Type was around in 1922! Just possibly it's the centenary of the first Morris Garage's special-bodied bullnose Morris, although I think even that is more likely to be next year. The MG Car Company was not formed until 1928.

[cooper997]

Stephen, My excuse for the delay in completing the next post for the thread is that I am still waiting access to a couple of Rob Roy Hillclimb programs in order to confirm that I am using the correct images of both the Jim Leech single seat Austin and the variations of the special Austin built by Maurie Monk in my next post to the Forum. 

 

However back in post #106 mention was made of Ken McKinney forgetting to borrow a magneto on his way to a hillclimb near Frankston on the Mornington Peninsula. 

The advertisement for Lucas Coil Ignition featured in The Car magazine July 1935 is the opposite story. Ken McKinney would have been fitting a Lucas magneto to a coil ignition model engine, whereas Henry Abbott was racing an Austin 7 with a supercharged Ulster engine with magneto ignition.

 

Henry Abbott held a senior role with Castrol Oil in Melbourne, and had been attending race meetings for some time and would have been friends with most of the drivers. He purchased the ex Austin Distributors Ulster Austin 7 after they withdrew from racing. It was the same car that had been raced successfully for some years by Cyrill Dickason.

 

 

Note mention of Abbott right hand column. 100 Miles, Victorian Sporting Car Club. Phillip Island, May 1935. First place. Note not the same circuit that Captain Arthur Waite won the first race at Phillip Island in 1928, but the new triangular circuit. 

 

Fawkner Motoring Library copy of The Car magazine.

 

 

A year later Abbott once again gets a mention in The Car magazine, April 1936. 

Fawkner Motoring Library copy of The Car magazine.

 

 

After checking the Birth Notices published in the Melbourne Age newspaper at least part of the story was confirmed.

 

 

Tony Johns

[cooper997]

The drawn out saga of Two Austins and Four Drivers comes to its end with post #5 which includes more Dacre Stubbs photos.

 

 

 

Chester McKaige Program.

 

 

Following a wet and miserable day at Rob Roy for practice on Sunday when everybody was soaked to the skin, Monday arrived with fine weather and the competitors were pleased to note the climb had been resurfaced leading to several new class records.

The AMS magazine February 1949 gives a full report of the meeting, however I will concentrate on the ‘Up to 750cc Racing Car’ class. 

 

"After lunch leading off the racing cars were the 750cc. Day’s 500 didn’t appear, Lawless found the hill heavy weather on his one run with the Austin, Maurie Monk’s independently sprung Austin returned to the paddock without completing one run, (however the results above record two times),  Jim Leech made some good times with his little Austin, his fastest time was 34.94 seconds giving him the award for fastest un-supercharged car in the class and Mrs Derham drove it for a walkover in the Ladies’ Trophy establishing a new class record of 38.09 seconds. Peter Vennermark in his Q Type MG broke his old class record on each of his three runs establishing a new record of 32.09 seconds thanks to a rebuilt blower."

 

 

Maurie Monk in his much modified Austin special with Alta driver Tony Gaze standing on right next to Joan Derham. Both lining up for their next run.

 

Robert Hood photo, shared by Leon Sims author of A history of Rob Roy Hillclimb 1937-1961. published in 2005

 

 

Maurie Monk sets off from the start line, note the standard Austin 7 petrol tank. The motor and the wheels were perhaps the only Austin parts used in his special? Standing behind the official holding the starting spoon is Peter Dale with hat and scarf, both he and his brother Henry were responsible for importing several Bugattis and other racing cars to Australia in the early post war years. 

 

Robert Hood photo, shared by Leon Sims author of A history of Rob Roy Hillclimb 1937-1961. published in 2005

 

 

Only two Austins were entered for the thirteenth annual Mt Tarrengower hillclimb held on Easter Saturday, 16 April 1949 near Maldon in country Victoria. Organised by the Castlemaine branch of the RACV, Jim Leech in the single seat Austin and Arnold Terdich were the two Austins entered. AMS magazine reported "weather conditions were ideal, record entries and the number of spectators at the climb was an all-time record, approximately 3,000 paying admission to the course.

Bill Leech, driving Jim Leech’s Austin Ulster, had some anxious moments—a blocked fuel line caused him to miss the start for his first run in class A but he made amends on his second run when he took 2 minutes 9 seconds, and won his class. Lynch in the supercharged J4 MG recorded a best time of 2 minutes 18 seconds."

 

Ashley Tracey Program collection.

 

 

The Rob Roy Hill Climb #19, was held on the King’s Birthday long weekend in June 1949. Once again only two Austins entered. Unfortunately I have yet to locate the program for this event in order to accurately identify photographs, so will have to rely on the AMS magazine report. 

"After lunch, the racing cars were started off by the 850cc class. Len Day from Geelong with his Triumph twin engined 500, seemed to have it running more reliably this time. It was fastest in its class, 37.11 and beat Jim Leech’s Austin, driven as usual by his wife, Joan, by rather more than a second, 38.52. Noel Wade’s Austin chassis, fitted with body framing only, left the road after the spillway on its first run and damaged the sump plug on a rock in the rough, with unhappy results, and Vennermark’s Q-type was not there." 

 

Tony Johns Collection.

 

 

Note the handicaps have already been decided and printed in the program. The field is predominately MG’s including three supercharged K3s. Ex Englishman Reg Hunt #11entered his home built 500cc special. During his career Hunt won many races driving a Maserati 250F. Both this race the Under 1500cc handicap and the Over 1500cc race had some very special cars and Australian drivers.

 

 

 

 

This was the second meeting held at Fishermans Bend. Built adjacent to the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation the airstrip was used for testing WW11 aircraft. It was a combined car and motorcycle meeting organised by the Light Car Club and the Auto Cycle Union of Victoria.

 

From the list of entrants in the program, the AMS magazine race report “Under an overcast sky with entrants lined up on the grass waiting for the Junior Tourist class motorcycle race to finish, the Under 1500cc Handicap field was reduced by eleven non starters including Wades Austin 7. This left however a field of 32, with a gap of only 3 minutes 50 seconds between scratch and limit men, Gray (Alta) and Jolly (Austin).

Jolly led the race from his limit mark for four laps but Gray in the Alta retired after only one lap. At the start of the last lap Jolly was still in fourth place behind three TC MGs. The race was won by Kennedy and Derek Jolly from South Australia finished 8 and Jim Leech was in 10 place." 

 

 

Jim Leech, Fishermans Bend, note the use of hay bales to mark the layout of the aircraft circuit.

 

Dacre Stubbs Collection, shared by Martin Stubbs.

 

Chester McKaige Program.

 

 

Once again AMS magazine best describes the LCCA organised Australian Hill Climb Championship held at Rob Roy  1 November 1949. "After the week-end’s racing at Fishermans Bend and a day of intensive work in between it and Rob Roy, most people had a jaded look about them on Melbourne Cup day, when the Championship hill climb was run. We of AMS had spent the intervening day changing the Ford A from road racing to sprint specification, involving changing ratios for steering and back axle, finding why the brakes wouldn’t work, then finding the last model A cylinder head in Melbourne and fitting it, a good 14 hours work. Jack Old made stronger cylinder head studs for the Jones H.R.G., Derry George put new brakes in the Davison K3, Charlie Dean and his team of Joyces finally stopped the Maybach from burning pistons with the new blower..…. The newly remetalled entrance road made access to the hill a matter of comparative ease, and the approach to the start was comparatively dry; the course itself was in superb condition.

The racing cars were fittingly started off by a simply fantastic run by Hunt in his 500; there was a momentary hush as people digested the fact that he had shattered Day’s existing 500 cc record by no less than 5.71 seconds, and that without trying his hardest as it was his first run up the hill. Mrs Leech in Jim Leech’s Austin Speedy was faster than Jolly also in an Austin, and thereby won from him a shilling wager laid at the starting line; her little car was not, however, going as well as usual by almost 2 seconds".  

 

 

Derek Jolly leaving the start, Note #65 painted on the radiator was a left over from the weekend racing at Fishermans Bend.

Chester McKaige Library.

 

 

Jim Leech also needed to change the car number from the weekend. A lot of detail can be seen in these Dacre Stubbs photos.

Dacre Stubbs Collection, shared by Martin Stubbs.

 

 

Changing the rear wheels between runs in the hope of a faster time.

Dacre Stubbs Collection, shared by Martin Stubbs.

 

 

Joan Leech winning her bet with Derek Jolly.

Dacre Stubbs Collection, shared by Martin Stubbs.

 

 

Not every story has a happy ending. The final outing in Jim Leech’s ownership of the Len Phillips built Austin, styled on the Works single seater racing cars was the combined Western District Car Club and Sporting Motor Clubs Corio Grass Track meeting held on 20 November 1949. Quoting from AMS magazine "Two heats of an open handicap for cars followed; One or other of these heats was responsible for the demise of Jim Leech’s Austin Speedy when it made a very expensive clonk just as failing oil pressure had warned him that something was amiss, the other bolt came out of one of the crankshaft counterweights and it locked the engine solid, making a really shocking mess of it - hardly any part of it can be used."

I believe the bolt would have been one of the two that clamp the alloy oil transfer castings to the crank. This would explain the loss of oil pressure, and not from a counterweight as these were only used on Works racing engines.

The next owner rebuilt the Austin with a Ford 10 engine and it will feature in future reports.

 

 

With thanks to 

Stephen for loading the post to the Forum.

Chester McKaige for his Rob Roy programs and photo. 

Leon Sims for sharing the Robert Hood photographs.

Martin Stubbs for the Dacre Stubbs photos.

Ashley Tracey for sharing his Mt Tarrengower program.

 

 

Tony Johns

[cooper997]

101.8 Miles Per Gallon...

 

 

When I was racing my Austin 7, the dream was to be timed at 100 MPH, however this story is about achieving more than 100 Miles Per Gallon on public roads back in 1932.

 

The Victorian Junior Car Club held a petrol consumption test on 21 February 1932 with the backing of COR (Commonwealth Oil Refineries Ltd) and an outstanding result was achieved by Don Wright in his sports bodied Austin 7. The report below taken from The Car magazine of April 1932 mentions names that will be familiar to readers of this thread. Bill Scott, the previous record holder in his Austin in 1928 achieved a result in the 80s MPG. Scott by now had retired both from competition and resigned from the Light Car Club committee when he was appointed a senior manager with COR.

 

Fawkner Motoring Library copy of The Car magazine.

 

Fawkner Motoring Library copy of The Car magazine.

 

Fawkner Motoring Library copy of The Car magazine.

 

 

Don Wright, in his Advanx Pup Austin competing in the Victorian Junior Car Club hillclimb held on Clarke’s Hill, a grass slope at Whittlesea on Sunday 25 October 1931. If you compare this photo to the advertisement with the petrol tanker you can see how much of the Austin was removed to make it lighter for the hillclimb. It was interesting to read in the same issue of The Car magazine, the VLCC chose to comment on the event by reporting that their sister club should not have used a location that would damage so many cars.

"While in no way depreciating the hill, it was a pity to see so many cars put out of action through the rough surface, especially “Barney Dentry’s Riley. The owner-driver should not be asked to deliberately smash up his car in an endeavour to please the fickle public, which does not care one jot for a man as soon as he and his car are out of the contest."

 

The Star badge on the radiator is that of the Victorian Junior Car Club.

Fawkner Motoring Library copy of The Car magazine.

 

 

Tony Johns.

[cooper997]

Adding a find from plannerpower - thanks Kerry

 

Slightly north of Australia, but very much Austin Seven related 100th anniversary celebrations livestream from July 20 Prescott

 

 

Stephen

[Ray Bell]

Was not the 'Advanx Pup' the Ken McKinney car?

[cooper997]

Over the weekend Tony Johns sent me the Austin 7 Club's magazine PDF and within has a nice tribute to John Fleming. Very early club member and who has previous mentions within this long thread. He passed away on 30/6/22 aged 91.

 

With thanks to the Austin 7 Club's Rob Humphreys, I'm able to share the tribute

 

Photos with thanks by David Lowe.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

 

 

John in Speedie Templestowe 1958 - the ex Len Phillips A7

 

Templestowe 1959’

 

RobRoy Hillclimb 1960

 

John Wynne-built JMWs with John Fleming and Mel Mason A7s  Darley circuit 1961

 

John Fleming & Alan Grosvenor Phillip Island 1962

 

 

Vale John Fleming OAM - 29 July 1930 to 30 June 2022

 

John’s memorial service was held in the Wonthaggi Town Hall where it was made plain that he was largely responsible for the motivation within the local Wonthaggi community to become the modern city that it is today, particularly in the city recovering from the closure of the large State Coal Mine.

John served on Wonthaggi Council for an extended period, as both a Councillor and Mayor, and when municipal amalgamations occurred, in 1994, he became a Commissioner in the newly created Bass Coast Shire. John was also deeply involved in an extensive range of community organisations.

However, his involvement with our Club dated from him being a foundation member when he joined our Club in early 1950, as Member No. 23.

From the start he acted in senior leadership positions, in the Club, including:-

Track Steward in 1951, and in 1952 in Committee (when Committee size expanded from 7 to 9) as Track Steward, which then morphed into Competition Secretary

In 1953 and 1957 as Competition Secretary

1958 as Competition Secretary – Racing

1959 as Interstate Secretary

This extract from the Club Newsletter of September 1951, gives a taste of the enthusiasm for motor sport, and the early beginnings of our Club’s long association with Australian Motor Sports Club.

John appears to have been largely responsible for of our Club’s early Spare Parts Register, that assisted early club members to find those elusive parts.

The Club Newsletter of October 1951 gives a further impression of these formative years and John’s involvement and participation.

During all those early years he was always deeply involved in organising, officiating and competing in all types of competition motor sport, as well as being a foundation member of PIARC (Phillip Island Auto Racing Club), which was formally created in 1952.

The Lightshaft of March 1952, (our first newsletter with that name) is worth a read:-

He was also a CAMS Delegate for many years, but that appears to have been representing another Club.

For some time John worked in one of his father’s group of 15 garage/workshops/service stations, but then purchased his own premises, Merri Bridge Motors at 64 St Georges Rd Northcote. (now a hideous 5 story flats).

At various times he offered various Austin 7 services and parts to members, and was also Victorian Agent for JWF, selling Milano bodies for a wide variety of cars, including Austin 7s.

(Editor’s Note: We have quite a few of these cars still in the Club)

At one stage Trevor Cole worked at Merri Bridge Motors.

To encourage competition, in 1961, John donated a perpetual trophy “The John Fleming Trophy” as a Speed Event Aggregate competition, which was later extended to include Sprint Events.

John vigourously promoted sale of foundation memberships to PIARC, which was a 10 year membership to that club, and many of our club members were very involved with various working bees at that new circuit.

The for over 30 years our Club members provided, maintained and manned the communications facilities at the circuit for all race events.

With John’s move to Wonthaggi, where initially he created a large, and technologically advanced, GMH dealership, he gradually became less involved with Club activities.

Edited by cooper997, 03 August 2022 - 03:11.

[cooper997]

Tony has been digging into the origins of Austin 7 arrival in Australia covered in equally early, Australian motoring publication 'Motor Life'...

 

 

page 1 advert

attribution: VSCCAustralia archive

 

page 2 advert

attribution: VSCCAustralia archive

 

I now have access to the Sydney NSW fortnightly publication Motor Life and this 1924 advertisement is the first mention of Austin 7’s that I have found. Published in the Supplement promoting the Royal Easter Show and included with the April 1924 edition, it is part of a two page advertisement by Larke, Hoskins and Co Ltd. the original NSW Austin agents.

When you read the fine print, what is particularly interesting to historians is the claim by R.N. Wallis that he is the direct Factory Representative of the sports model, and the advertisement is included in the Larke Hoskins advertisement. Also the list of special modifications from the standard Austin 7 and that Larke Hoskins made no mention of the standard model Chummy in their advertisement. All in the very early days of Austin 7’s in Australia.

 

Thanks to Tim Shellshear VSCC Australia for sharing the Motor Life file.

 

Tony Johns

[cooper997]

Tony's been busy on some Austin 7 related specials with a difference...

 

 

 

Reading through my early copies of the monthly magazine Australian Motor Sports to research the posts on Len Phillips and Jim Leech I became aware that three of the first  Australian built 500cc racing cars all have a link to Austin 7s, so their stories belong here on this thread.

 

 

The AMS article published in the October 1947 issue states, 'the first car to be completed was built in Melbourne and used an Austin 7 chassis and Aerial engine, but has yet to appear in competition.' The story continues to report on the first 500cc to actually compete in competition in Australia. It is a combination of American Bantam chassis rails, Ford 10 front and rear axles and an Ariel Red Hunter motor in standard tune. Constructed jointly by Bob Lane and Bill Low, not to be confused with W H Lowe who is remembered for competing in pre war AGPs driving a Lombard and later to become the Ferrari agent for Australia.

The LCCA Rob Roy picnic meeting held on 21 September 1947 was a low key event prior to the Australian Hillclimb championship in November. The Low-Lane “500” stole the show in spite of its relatively slow 40.10 sec time.

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Low, waiting to line up on the start line at Rob Roy, 2 November 1947 where he won the 500 cc Class (helped by being the only entry). 

Photo from Leon Sims book, The History of Rob Roy Hillclimb 1937-1961.

 

Entry list TJ collection

 

 

Following on from the article in the October issue, William Low wrote to the editor in the November issue requesting certain friends be acknowledged for their help in the construction of the Lane Low 500cc car. 'The welding was all done by Eric Miller. The back axle and engine mounting was conceived and fabricated by Ray Miller. 

At its last appearance, this car was running in a standard motor condition, and in our opinion, the times are all that can be expected, but we hope to obtain some interesting results at Rob Roy in November. The motor has now been considerably hotted by John Lloyd, who is well known for his ability to get "much out of little”.'

 

More Austin 7 components were used in the Brisbane Queensland special, constructed by Brian Chatterton and Clem Warburton. This time the Austin chassis, front axle, wheels and parts of the rear axle were all incorporated in the construction. The full description of how the rear axle was modified was reported in the article below, again copied from the AMS magazine, November edition. a Douglas engine and WD Norton 3 speed gearbox were fitted to the Austin chassis.

 

 

 

 

The Australian Motor Sports magazine was doing its best to promote the new class of 500cc racing specials with articles in three consecutive issues of their magazine in late 1947. The December issue, with the story by F A Schubach on the construction of the ROWE 500, built in Sydney by Keith Rowe as a two seater sports car that was designed for both road and competition. The modifications included a widening the Austin 7 front axle by 5", and the original transverse front spring was cut in half to make to forward facing quarter elliptic front springs. The writer goes to some length to explain how the car was constructed with a very small budget and lists the costs of several components.

 

 

 

 

The Australian Motor Sport magazines and RR entry list copied from my collection.

 

Tony Johns. 

 

[cooper997]

Headlined with AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX  Fewer Entries This Year the NSW Referee noted that last year (1932) there were 33 entries but this year only 21 entries, and several well-known names were not to be found in the list. Cyril Dickason, and Riley driver Barney Dentry were two drivers that had competed in all previous races at Phillip Island. I have not found any reason why Dickason did not enter the 1933 race, he competed in his supercharged Ulster the following weekend at Aspendale winning three races. However the Melbourne Herald, 8 March 1933 ran a story about Dentry, explaining that as his wife was ill at present and that she has been his mechanic for eight years and without her next to him in the Riley he will not race.  

 

The Car magazine included a comprehensive seven-page report of the Grand Prix weekend held at Phillip Island. Below is an extract centred on the two Austins of Clarrie May and Ken McKinney.

 

The sixth Grand Prix was one of the most strenuous that had been held to date, and nervous tension had been running high, for from the time of acceptance it had been anybody’s race, and each camp maintained strictest secrecy regarding its baby.

 

On Saturday afternoon the roads were closed to allow every driver to qualify after completing three laps at more than 50 mph. The dust and dirt surface were bad, but rain was predicted for the rest day on Sunday. If the rain had only ceased at dawn on race day the weather and road would have been perfect, but the several squalls caused discomfort through coldness. The track was just about right for the drivers.

 

At 12.30 pm on race day, the whole of the sixteen starters lined up at the Continental and had moving pictures taken. A procession was formed, which eventually moved off in single file through the town of Cowes to the race track, where they promptly disbanded at Young and Jackson’s and scurried for the pits. Here they were arranged in their correct order for the start, the scratch man being at the front end. 

Just prior to the start, No 3, the supercharged Fraser Nash driven by Doug Shepherd, was sent off to do his practise laps, as having had to come from Sydney, he was too late to appear on Saturday. On the second lap he pulled into the pits in trouble, and it was found he had blown a gasket and had a cracked engine head. So much for the Fraser-Nash, which had been favoured in many quarters, but this driver, as well as Johnny Clements both of whom came over from Sydney had much sympathy extended towards them in their hour of trouble and not getting a run for their money.

In the interim. “Scotty” (Bill Scott a very successful competitor in trials and hillclimbs in his Austin 7, reported in several posts on this thread) had taken up his position at the microphone situated on the back road that leads to “Hell,” and found that his part of the job was in good order, a condition which pertained throughout the entire race. This public address system enabled the spectators along the road to know just what was happening. 

 

At last the hour of 1.30 pm was reached and Ken McKinney, the limit man, who had originally been allotted 35 minutes handicap and had it reduced to 22 minutes, as he had fitted twin carburettors after practising commenced, was sent away. The report continued, No 16, Clarrie May, driving a special supercharged Austin, made a bid for it, but the high powered cars were too much for him. Yet he finished up in fourth place. Who knows that perhaps one of these days he will bring home the bacon in a Baby Austin. No 20, Ken McKinney, of Advanx Pup fame, again favoured the small job, and at the start looked as though his handicap would allow him to keep ahead of his more powerful opponents. The car seemed to develop some internal trouble which demanded lots of oil and undoubtedly slackened its progress.

 

People We Saw There.

Cyril Dickason, walking about as though he had never been intimately acquainted with one of the competing cars.

Barney Dentry, strutting around like somebody lost with fingers itching to do something.

Charlie Watt, who did not get mixed up with the oiling of the road, as of yore.

Leo Drill, ex president of the Victorian Junior Car Club, who had a few weeks on holidays, floating around with his babies in his baby, but of course, that is only natural considering his business is known as the Baby Austin Hospital.

 

In all there were more than 50 members of the New South Wales Light Car Club down from Sydney to support Bill Thompson win his third Australian Grand Prix.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

1933 Race Program, Bob King Collection.

 

 

Outside Austin Distributors Ltd. Bourke Street Melbourne showroom prior to setting off for the Grand Prix. This photo tells us that Clarrie May’s Austin was fitted with cycle guards, and the front transverse shock absorber links have been reversed, suggesting that it is the Ulster normally raced by Cyril Dickason seen in some photos with the registration number 134 892. Hence the comment in The Car report above. Ken McKinney is seated behind the wheel of the other Austin Distributors Ulster, even though the program lists it as a private entry. Note the fuel hand pumps for pressurising the tanks have been mounted out of view on the near side of both cars for the riding mechanics to use. 

 

 

Edwin G Adamson photo from the Cyril Dickason Collection, Austin 7 Club of Victoria archives, scanned by Robert Humphreys. 

 

 

Whilst newspapers reporting on the race acknowledged Bill Thompson’s third win, much space was devoted to the second lap accident at Heaven Corner involving Bill Lowe’s Lombard when it skidded and crashed into five spectators. One of the injured, Patrick Carroll from Sydney, while waiting for a car to take him to hospital, asked if he could be lifted up so that he could continue watching the race. To make it worse, heavy hail was falling at the time.

Of the 15 starters in the race, only six finished within the allowed time limit. Drake Richmond in second in his Bugatti and Les Jennings third in the MG Magna. Clarrie May, Supercharged Ulster Austin was fourth and Ken McKinney, Ulster Austin fifth. Bill Lowe was able to rejoin the race after his accident, and stopped at the pits to replace two damaged wheels and finished in sixth place.

 

 

Kent Patrick, Bugatti owner and author of Bill Thompson, Australian motor racing champion has the original LCCA  lap charts from the 1933 race, and has kindly shared the following information with me re lap times for the two Austins. To the best of my knowledge this information has not been published before.

 

From the official time sheet for the 6th Australian Grand Prix, McKinney’s lap times for the first 19 laps vary between 6 min 8 sec (lap 5) and 7 min 12 sec (lap 3). His time on lap 19 was 6 min 25 and his time on lap 20 was 25 mins 14 and on lap 21 6 min 5 (equal best lap time).

Clearly, something happened on lap 20 which did not recur on lap 21 (or any other lap). Whatever delayed him on lap 20 took around 19 minutes to resolve. More than a short conversation telling him to get back on the circuit, it seems. With the exception of lap 25 (11 min 23) his lap times thereafter proceeded as before. If he had oil pressure problems, no mention of it appears in the official time sheet and his final lap time was his equal fastest.

 

From the same time sheet Kent advised, Clarrie May in the supercharged Ulster, (remember McKinney’s Ulster was unblown in this race but fitted with twin carburettors during practice with resulted in a reduction in his handicap from 35 minutes) averaged 64.55 mph for the race. May’s lap times varied from 5 min 37 on lap 20 to 8 min 42 on lap 17. Most were around the six minute mark, perhaps lap 17 included a refuel stop.

 

 

Ken McKinney exiting Heaven corner.

Nathan Tasca Collection.

 

 

(Left) Bill Lowe, Lombard with Clarrie May Austin 7 Ulster

 

This poor quality scan from the Argus newspaper published the day after the race is very important as it helped identify the earlier Adamson photo, it shows both, the front mudguards on the May Ulster and the race number 14 on Bill Lowe's Lombard. Without this photo the Adamson photo may have never been accurately dated.

 

 

This report copied from the Argus a couple of days later is an appropriate way to end this post. 

Argus Newspaper, 22 March 1933. Trove, National Library of Australia.

 

 

In posts #292 & #293, October 2021 I wrote about Cyrill Dickason competing in his last AGP, the 1932 race. 

 

With thanks...

Fawkner Motoring Library, The Car magazine.

Bob King supplied the 1933 AGP program from his collection.

The Cyril Robert Dickason Collection from the archives of the Austin 7 Club Victoria - scanned by Robert Humphreys

Kent Patrick, lap times from the LCCA 1933 official time sheets.

Nathan Tasca

 

 

Tony Johns

 

 

[Ray Bell]

Ken McKinney had also been a member of the NSW Light Car Club...

 

He moved to Melbourne, as I recall, to start a business there arranged through or with Frank Beaurepaire, I think that was in 1930.

 

I understood his handicap was only reduced by three minutes, not thirteen, from 35 to 32. He was originally awarded sixth place but a recount of times moved him up to fifth.

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Tony, Stephen.

 

I'm constantly amazed at the gems in these posts.

 

Is it fair to say The Car contains the most authoritative reporting in Australia of racing in those early days? It doesn't come up on Trove of course so I admire your diligence in State Library visits! When did The Car start and finish?

 

Away from home @ present, by way of comparison to the Austin lap-times, what/who was the '33 fastest race-lap?

 

Looking forward to the book more and more with each passing day...

 

m

 

ps; Of our newspapers, in researching the South Australian AGP's, amongst other major races there, I thought the Adelaide Advertiser's reportage was exceptional 

Edited by MarkBisset, 15 October 2022 - 22:33.

[Ray Bell]

I didn't have a time on the fastest lap, Mark...

 

But Merton Wreford set it in the Bugatti type 39.

[cooper997]

Thanks Tony, Stephen.

 

I'm constantly amazed at the gems in these posts.

 

Is it fair to say The Car contains the most authoritative reporting in Australia of racing in those early days? It doesn't come up on Trove of course so I admire your diligence in State Library visits! When did The Car start and finish?

 

Away from home @ present, by way of comparison to the Austin lap-times, what/who was the '33 fastest race-lap?

 

Looking forward to the book more and more with each passing day...

 

m

 

ps; Of our newspapers, in researching the South Australian AGP's, amongst other major races there, I thought the Adelaide Advertiser's reportage was exceptional 

 

Mark, Kent Patrick has kindly shared more information re lap times from the official LCCA lap chart for the 1933 Australian Grand Prix.

 

The fastest lap of the Grand Prix was recorded by Carl Junker in the Type 39 Bugatti, 5 min 1.0 sec. Clarrie May driving the supercharged Ulster Austin 7 that Cyril Dickason had used in the 1931 and 1932 races best lap was 5 min  31 sec and Ken McKinney’s fastest lap was 6 min 5 sec. 

The race reports, both in The Car magazine and daily newspapers all listed the drivers overall race times but no mention individual lap times.

 

The Car magazine, Vol 1 No1 August 1925 to Vol 14 No 12 July 1939 published in Melbourne was the official organ for several motoring clubs. Firstly for the Victorian Light Car Club and after the name change, Light Car Club of Australia. 

 

Tony Johns

 

 

Not the AGP, but the report of the VLCC Second Annual General Meeting published in The Car magazine April 1927 gives some of the detail available. A couple of familiar names are listed on the committee, Arnold Terdich, Bill Scott and A W Bernadou whose grandson has shared several of his programs to be used on this thread.

Fawkner Motoring Library collection of The Car magazine.

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Tony, Stephen,

 

Amazing time by Clarrie May! With half (?) the power of Junker.

Having looked at the drivers of the Austin 7s so closely, who do you think is the Ace of the bunch? 
 

m

[cooper997]

Mark, comparing racing drivers is way out of my comfort zone and as I have never raced my Austins in a 200 mile race on dirt roads I have no idea how hard it would have been. Therefore I have the utmost respect for all of the drivers from the pre war era and would prefer to offer a few comments as my reply.

 

Captain Arthur Waite won the first race at Phillip Island driving a prototype Ulster sent out by the Works, it was fitted with a supercharged engine. It was his only race in Australia, but as Lord Austins son in law he won many races for Austin in Europe both before and after his time managing S A Cheney's Austin dealership in Melbourne.

 

Cyril Dickason, working for S A Cheney raced Chevrolets in 1923. Competing at Phillip Island in 1928 and 1929 in a 12 hp Austin before swapping to a sports model Austin Ulster for the 1930 race. By 1931 his Ulster had been fitted with a very special works engine. The race results together with several long distance road records would suggest he was the most successful pre war Australian Austin 7 driver.

 

However, other names that should be included in the list are NSW driver Bill Conoulty who also designed his own twin OHC cylinder head, West Australian Aubrey Melrose and South Australian Ron Uffindell who competed at Bathurst and Lobethal in a home made special but because of his tuning skills and the reliability of his car he finished ahead of many larger cars.

 

Last but not least Bill Scott restricted himself to hill climbs and trials in his home made special. Work commitments stopped his competitive involvement but he was always behind the scenes as an organiser and committee worker for the LCCA.

 

Regards Tony Johns

 

 

Some of the trophy collection won by Cyril Dickason driving Austins.

Austin 7 Club Archives, photo by Robert Humphreys.

[cooper997]

Nigel Tait features quite a lot within this thread. Such as...

https://forums.autos...1928/?p=9230494

 

Recently motoring journalist, Peter Robinson has added this piece on Nigel to the Australian Motoring Heritage Foundation website

https://motorheritag....au/nigel-tait/

 

 

Stephen

Edited by cooper997, 06 November 2022 - 06:36.

[cooper997]

This post covers an interesting 12 months following the 1933 Australian Grand Prix. 

 

 

Post #323 reported on the Grand Prix held at Phillip Island on Monday 20 March 1933, ending with the comment that Cyril Dickason was seen walking around as a spectator for the first time after having competed in all the previous five races. The following Saturday Dickason was back behind the wheel of his supercharged Ulster, (the same car Clarrie May drove at Phillip Island) competing at the re-opening of the Aspendale Speedway. 

 

Under the heading Speed Motor Thrills, the Sporting Globe reported on Dickason’s triple success. 'Grand Prix drivers and cars that competed at Phillip Island on Monday, drove with others at the re-opening of Aspendale Speedway this afternoon in the Junior Car Club’s big charity meeting for the State Relief Committee’s funds.

With one or two exceptions, every crack driver and the fastest cars in the state comprised the entry which was the largest for several years. The track today was dusty and rough on the turns. All the back markers had difficulties to pass cars due to the dust. A crowd of 4000 gathered on the hill and in the grandstand to witness the start.

Dickason was second in his heat of the Junior Handicap (cars up to 1300cc), and won the final ahead of Reg Nutt, Lombard and Alan Chamberlain in the Chamberlain Special. The Aspendale Handicap (cars up to 2000cc), third heat had a similar result, with Dickason beating Nutt by two lengths and W. Mullett supercharged Lea Francis in third place. Cyril Dickason’s third win on the day was in the State Relief Handicap (All Powers five laps) when he finished ahead of Arthur Terdich in his Bugatti in the second heat'.

 

The Victorian Junior Car Club report in the April edition of The Car magazine mentioned the club was to be congratulated on its courage in taking over the ruins of the old Aspendale Speedway and putting it in order again sufficiently good enough to try out the possibilities of a revival of motor racing.

 

Fawkner Motoring Library.

 

 

The Darge photo used on the cover of the April edition of The Car magazine with Axup leading in his Austin special, gives some idea of the blinding dust mentioned in the various reports of the meeting.

State Library of Victoria.

 

 

The list of new members joining the Light Car Club of Australia, published  in the June 1933 edition of The Car magazine included Harold Abbott, who will become the next owner of the Austin Distributors, supercharged Ulster previously driven by Cyril Dickason and fitted with the ‘Works’ engine from the 1930 Brooklands 500 mile race winning Austin driven by S C H Davis and the Earl of March. Reg Radford founder and proprietor of the Melbourne institution, Technical Book & Magazine Company, also joined the LCCA that month. At the time he was the owner of the only 100 Supersports 3 litre Bentley that was imported to Australia, chassis # 1026. (one of 15 built).

 

On this thread back in May 2020, following on from Tim Murray’s post #43 there were several replies re the precise location of Grice’s Road, the location of the Frankston hillclimb organised by the Victorian Junior Car Club, on Sunday 20 August 1933.

Promoting the hillclimb, The Age newspaper listed the venue as ’T M Burke’s estate, five miles past Frankston, on the Mornington road. Spectators should turn off at Grice’s road and they will be directed to the climb. In addition to the championship, there will be class, handicap and novice events. A good entry has already been received. Proceeds will go to the aid of the State Unemployment Relief Committee'.  

 

Now having time to read period newspaper reports on Trove, and research magazine stories looking for Austin 7 information, I can now add some new facts that have not been reported previously. 

Firstly, Clarrie May and Cyril Dickason shared the driving of the Austin Distributors entered supercharged Ulster Austin #16.  The other supercharged Ulster car #29, entered by J Derbyshire, was in fact driven by Cec Warren, who previously had finished second in Class A and sixth outright in the 1931 AGP driving an unsupercharged Ulster for Austin Distributors.

Early published reports had wrongly listed May and Derbyshire as class winners. The two articles, published in The Referee, 24 August and 31 August shed more light on the days activities.

With the banner HILL CLIMB THRILLS IN MELBOURNE. Veteran Ballot Makes Fastest Time. 

'At the wheel of the veteran Ballot which he has driven to victory so frequently in speed events on Victorian tracks in the last decade, Fred Bray won the hill climb championship of Victoria on Sunday last, covering the 700 yards pinch on Grice’s Road, about four miles out of Frankston, in the fast time of 27.1 seconds. It was a spectacular piece of driving, and a popular win'. The article goes on to tell us 'Approximately 30 cars divided into classes according to cylinder cubic capacity, made about 300 ascents all told, and most of the regular racing drivers and their cars were in the field.

It was a run that tested out thoroughly the pulling power of engines, beginning as it did with two sharp turns and ending with a steep climb of about 500 yards'. 

 

Class “A” (up to 850cc) Austin Distributors, Supercharged  Austin 7 (driver C R Dickason: time 31.8 seconds). Results of the handicap and novice events will be announced during the week.

 

Note, although the above report stated approximately 30 cars were entered, the report in the Australian Motorist quotes the number as 49.

 

The handicap results published in The Referee, 31 August 

 

Championship of Victoria. F Bray, Ballot, 27.1 seconds FTD, outright winner.

Scratch.'Under 850cc’  C R Dickason. Supercharged Austin 7, 31.8 seconds.

Handicap. ‘Under 850cc’ C Warren driving J Derbyshire's Supercharged Austin 7 first.

Novice Handicap ‘Under 850cc’ Jack Sidebottom driving Ken McKinney's Austin 7 Special was too good for the rest in the class. Ken had stripped the Austin of all its bodywork, radiator and instruments.

The Victorian Junior Car Clubs Challenge Cups were awarded concurrently with these events, and for the next six months to Cyril Dickason, under 850cc class and Bob Chamberlain in the under 1100cc class. 

 

Ray Bell has shared this photo of Ken McKinney in his stripped Ulster in an earlier post #106.(of this thread)

 

Ray Bell Collection.

 

 

Cec Warren, driving Derbyshire’s Supercharged Ulster to win the under 850cc handicap class.

 

The Australian Motorist, scanned by the State Library of Victoria.

 

 

The Light Car Club of Australia returned to Phillip Island on New Year's Day, January 1934 to organise the 100 Miles Race on the same closed public roads used for the annual Grand Prix. Three Austin 7s were entered, two supercharged and Clarrie May nominated the unsupercharged Ulster owned by Austin Distributors. The Referee, 16 November noted that Jim Wall’s supercharged Austin entry is in the balance since the owner crashed it last Saturday.

 

David Zeunert Collection.

 

The handicaps listed in the program show both Northam and McKinney both starting together on seven minutes, and May and the eventual winner Williamson off 17 minutes. 

 

David Zeunert Collection.

 

 

Bill Thompson’s type 37A Bugatti and Treglown’s Austin with driver Bill Northam, seated, parked outside the Pyrmont hotel Sydney prior to shipping on board the SS Ormiston. The Mercedes on the left, owned by Victorian Jack Manton.

 

VSCCA collection via Tim Shellshear

 

The Treglown/Northam Austin with its race number already painted, about to be towed from the docks.

 

VSCCA collection via Tim Shellshear

 

Bill Northam and G Barton at Phillip Island . Note the fully imported English body, grab handle behind the drivers seat and the bonnet side has been removed.

 

Bob King Collection.

 

Ken McKinney and F Kendall in their supercharged Austin.

Bob King Collection.

 

 

Although three Austin’s were listed in the program, only Ken McKinney made it to the start. The Referee, 11 January 1934 helps with an explanation that is worth repeating here.

’None fought so hard against adversity as did the crew of Treglown’s supercharged Austin Seven. On the Saturday morning the steering went phut. A new ball joint was flown over from Melbourne by seaplane, and by 5pm the car was in action again. Then in practice the next morning, a valve broke. The engine was taken down. Valves, procured on the spot, were too big, and they were turned down by foot-lathe, and ground in. And before 5pm Northam (the driver) was on the circuit again. But next morning, in the qualifying lap, a piston went the way of perverse pistons. Exit the supercharged Austin'.

The previous edition of The Referee, 4 January, the excellent and very detailed report on the race by H O Balfe included a paragraph with the heading "Non-Starters and Why” which described the issues some of the competitors encountered prior to the start. As well as mentioning the failed piston in the Austin, confirmed Gullifer’s Ballot ran a main bearing and the Australian-built Chamberlain special had bearing damage. The favourite, Bill Thompson had valve trouble and Bob Lea Wright cracked a piston on Sunday necessitated a hurried trip to Melbourne for a spare. By working all night they had the engine ready on Monday morning, but during practice runs, trouble developed in the ignition and the petrol line and a shock absorber bracket was broken. It noted that Clarrie May withdrew his 747cc Austin entry earlier in the week, without any explanation.

Bill Thompson was quick to make up ground despite a double spin at “Heaven” corner on lap eight had moved up to second place on lap 11, and looked like passing Williamson in the Riley to take the lead and claim his fifth victory at Phillip Island. The race report noted that all the favourites retired, and limit man, Bill Williamson, who had competed in all previous Phillip Island races, won after leading the race from the start driving his Riley. This is the same Riley that Miss Jean Robertson drove overland together with Joan Richmond to compete in the Monte Carlo Rally. Ken McKinney, the only Austin driver to start in the race, retired on the seventh lap with a blown head gasket.

Balfe compared Williamson’s winning time for the 15 laps of 1 hour 31 minutes 20 seconds. Average speed 63.5 mph with Captain Arthur Waite’s time when he won the first race at Phillip Island on the same circuit in 1 hour 40 minutes 10 seconds six years earlier in 1928.

 

Ken McKinney catching Jack McGrath, Type 37 Bugatti chassis #37146 who started 30 seconds before the Austin. Photo taken early in the race as McGrath retired with engine trouble on lap three. McKinney was out on lap seven with a blown head gasket.

 

Bob King Collection.

 

Three months later on the March long weekend the LCCA organised the seventh running of the Australian Grand Prix. I was always aware that Ken McKinney was the sole Austin entrant, and that he retired very early in the race. However after a lot of searching on Trove, I discovered the was a race earlier in the day, 'The Junior 50', for drivers who had not previously raced that also included an Austin 7.

 

Bob King Collection.

 

Note the program error listing the capacity of Ken McKinney’s Austin.

Bob King Collection.

 

Bob King Collection.

 

 

The Referee, published in Sydney is a wonderful source of information and I believe worth including in my research on Australian Austin 7 racing. Under the heading AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX the issue printed on March 8 included the following, plus a list of entrants. 

’The greatest light car road race in the Southern Hemisphere, the Australian Grand Prix, conducted annually over the Cowes course at Phillip Island by the Light Car Club of Australia this year has proved as big an attraction to racing drivers and owners as ever before’. It went on to mention 'Cars can compete in one event only. A particular feature of interest this year is the prevalence of MG models, of which there are eight in the field for the senior Grand Prix. Several well-knowndrivers, who in past years have been at the wheels of Bugattis, or Rileys, or Austins, are pinning their faith this year to the new and very speedy English jobs’.   

 

 

The race winner, Bob Lea-Wright after damaging the engine in his Singer during the Saturday trials, was offered a brand new engine by Arthur Beasley, but it was back in Melbourne. Owing to an arm injury, Beasley was not a competitor in the Grand Prix. The engine was fitted in Melbourne and part run-in on the drive back to Phillip Island. But needing to get 1000 miles up before the race, Beasley undertook to complete the running-in during the night on a back road at the Island on Sunday night. However, a resident lodged a complaint against the noise and the police refused to allow the car to be run during the evening. When Lea-Wright drove his car to the starting line, the engine had done only 300 miles.

Bill Thompson, thrice winner of the Grand Prix, as a protest against the poor handicap allocated to him and the reduction in prize money for the fastest race time withdrew the Bugatti entry and raced the Lanes Motors MG supercharged K3 Magnette.

 

 

Interesting betting odds were reported in the Melbourne Herald newspaper following the race.

 

‘When cars went to the post for the Grand Prix, the odds in the unofficial betting made J Clements (MG) favourite by a very narrow margin, from Thompson (Magnette) and outside of this pair most money went on Arthur Terdich, Ken McKinney, Bill Williamson and Disher. The money wagered on McKinney was surprising, and his odds rapidly shortened five points'.

 

 

Prior to the weekend there was some doubt if the “Junior 50” race would take place. The Argus on 13 March confirmed the track is in good order and since the 100 miles race was run on New Year's Day the back straight of the circuit has been covered with gravel, and there is little fear of the dangerous clouds of dust appearing again.

 

The Austin entered in the Junior 50 was driven by S James, both he and his mechanic were Chinese, perhaps the first to compete in Australian motor racing? James the limit man, with an eight minute handicap was still leading at half distance but on the sixth lap, McLean and Skinner had passed James and these positions were maintained to the finish. Unfortunately after the race, when James was doing his continuing lap he lost control of his car at "Gentle Annie" corner. The machine struck an embankment and overturned. Neither James nor his mechanic was injured.

 

With the closest finish yet in an Australian Grand Prix, limit man Bob Lea-Wright finished 13 seconds in front of scratch man Bill Thompson in the MG. The Referee mentioned 'Thompson drove magnificently, he had to give starts up to 35 minutes, but with six laps to go was in fourth place before losing time when his throttle control fell off. Further, a mistaken reading of a pit signal made him believe he was leading in the second last lap when, as a matter of fact, he was lying second to Lea-Wright. When Thompson discovered his mistake, he drove as though pursued by a million devils. Nearing “Hell" corner, Thompson was right on Lea-Wright’s tail. The official announcer was shrieking “Thompson will win.” But it was not to be. Tearing at “Hell” corner too sharply Thompson went into a hair-raising skid and before he could recover Lea-Wright was away again and held on just long enough to win’.

 

 

The Herald reported that Ken McKinney (supercharged Austin) and Norman Putt ( MG Magnette) left the line with a terrific bark of exhausts and the crowd roared as McKinney beat Putt to the corner. On the second lap, travelling fast between “Gentle Annie” and “Hell” corners McKinney turned over, but was reported unhurt. Before the Austin could be lifted off the road, Putt who was chasing him, almost crashed into the obstruction and turned around in a wild skid. The ambulance was called for McKinney’s mechanic F Kendall, who received cuts.

 

Bob King Collection.

 

 

With thanks 

 

Fawkner Motoring Library, The Car magazine.

Bob King, Photographs and Programs.

Tim Shellshear, VSCCA Photographs.

David Zeunert Collection, Program.

Ray Bell, Ken McKinney photo.

State Library of Victoria, Cec Warren Austin scan.

Trove, The National Library Canberra.  

 

 

Tony Johns

[MarkBisset]

Marvellous boys, again!

 

A few things.

 

.Would Reg Radford's 'Tech Books' have spat off enuff cash to buy the Bentley Supersports or do you think he had another business(s)? Noting that it did buy Paul a 275GTB 4-cam a few decades hence!

 

.The Grices Road hillclimb that Fred Bray won is the Kunyung Road, Mt Eliza climb we sussed in 2020?

 

.As you know, the Cooper Bros/Stephen Brown Ballots are of particular interest. Fred's machine was the 5-8 LC 4.8-litre - it would have been pretty impressive bellowing its way up that relatively straight stretch - and Neil Gullifer's, the 2LS 2-litre, can't recall the chassis numbers offhand.

 

.The Pyrmont dockside shots are superb, I know that part of the world pretty well coz my love-shak was in Kent Street looking that way across the Hungry Mile docks to Pyrmont and Darling Street Wharf across the harbour. Pyrmont docks have changed so much since then - other than Jones Bay Wharf - the spot shown probably doesn't exist, but it would be fun to look.

 

.Referee material you are finding and sharing just superb. Gotta be best racing coverage in that period??

 

Mark

Edited by MarkBisset, 05 December 2022 - 06:12.

[cooper997]

A short post to begin 2023...

 

 

I have always been aware that Captain Arthur Waite’s 1928 Phillip Island race winning Austin was one of the prototype Cozette supercharged Factory ’Super Sports’ model Austin 7’s, and that only one production model came to Australia. This car was imported to West Australia by Les O’Hara, a salesman working for Winterbottom Motors, the West Australian agents, and used in competition by Arthur Chick for many years before being restored by Barry Rowe, and now owned by Ian Moore in England.

 

 

 

Therefore I was surprised to read the advertisement by Bill Conoulty published in December 1936 offering a reconditioned used ’Super Sport’ model Austin for sale from his Sydney dealership. Bill Conoulty was a successful competition driver as well as the builder of the ‘Comet’ sports Austin 7 built on Nippy chassis's, and both an overhead valve conversion and  later a Twin Overhead Cam cylinder head. However further research confirms the name ‘Super Sports’ was used by Larke Hoskins Ltd. the New South Wales Austin distributors in their 1929 advertisements for one of the locally bodied Sevens. Note the spare wheel hump in the tail is similar to a Gordon England ‘Brooklands’ model.

 

 

 

 

Both the ‘Super Sports’, Len O’Hara, Arthur Chick and Bill Conoulty will be the subjects with more detail in future post to this thread.  

 

 

Credit...

The National Library ’Trove’ search facility has helped with this post, and West Australian Terry McGrath for the photo.

 

 

Tony Johns

Edited by cooper997, 08 January 2023 - 00:11.

[cooper997]

Harold Abbott was the second owner of the Ulster Austin that in previous posts I have referred to as the Cyril Dickason Ulster, one of the three Ulster models imported by Austin Distributors to compete in the 1930 Australian Grand Prix held at Phillip Island.

The 1930 program showed photographs of the three Austin drivers with the caption ‘These three drivers are mounted in the very latest cars from the Austin Factory’. For the 1931 AGP, Captain Arthur Waite, now back in England and a director of the Austin Motor Company, and responsible for the Works racing department. He arranged for the supercharged engine from the 1930 Brooklands 500 race winning Austin to be sent to Melbourne to be used in the Dickason Ulster. It was the ‘Brooklands' race win by the Earl of March and Sammy Davis that led to the Dickason Ulster being referred to as a Brooklands Austin, not related in any way to the earlier E C Gordon England ‘Brooklands’ model Austins. Other period newspaper articles mentioned the engine was from the single seat Austin, Sir Malcolm Campbell took to Daytona for record attempts, but that is not correct.

 

Harold Abbott, employed by C C Wakefield & Co distributors of Castrol oil was already involved with motor racing and had joined the Light Car Club of Australia in June 1933. Newspaper records confirm Dickason was still competing behind the wheel of the Ulster before Austin Distributors sold it to Abbott. Dickason won his class in the Victorian Junior Car Club night trial held on 24 February 1934. The first record I have of Harold Abbott driving the Austin was the LCCA, COR Petrol and Dependability Test held on 29 and 30 September 1934. Of the 10 entrants in Class A, seven were A7s, two J2 MGs and one Morris Minor. Abbott's entry is listed as an Austin Brooklands and W (Bill) Leech’s, as an Austin Ulster. They both received an award. The class winner was Tom Davey, mentioned in earlier posts on this thread.

 

 

Bob King Collection.

 

 

Bill Leech and Harold Abbott entered the Hill Climb held on Saturday 12 January 1935. It was conducted on the tourist road leading to the summit at Arthurs Seat on the Mornington Peninsula, organised by the RACV with proceeds going to the Dromana Bush Nursing Hospital. Both entered two classes, the first, 'The Novice Event', open to any driver who had not at any time won a trophy in a hillclimbing contest. Leech was the faster with a time of 3.28.4-5 seconds and Abbott 3.29.2-5 close behind. In the Owner-Driver Event, entrant to be the bona fide and registered owner of the car entered. it was Abbott’s turn to record the quicker time.

 

The pencilled times recorded in this copy of the program are from the various classes and should be ignored. The times in my notes have been taken from the official results published in the Leader newspaper 19 January 1935.

 

Bob King Collection.

 

 

Geoff Disher’s photograph of the Arthur Seat Hill Climb pit area. Harold Abbott standing next to his Ulster Austin #1. From left the Type 37A Bugattis of Arthur Terdich and Bill Thompson.

Kent Patrick Collection.

 

 

Kings Jubilee Day, 6 May 1935 saw Harold Abbott competing in his first circuit races at the event organised by the Victorian Sporting Car Club on the rectangular 6.5 mile circuit at Phillip Island. There were several ‘Firsts’ that day, it was the first race meeting to be organised at Phillip Island by the Victorian Sporting Car Club, and after a lot of planning the program was the first to include three races on the same day, and perhaps most of all, the first time cars over 2000cc were allowed to compete.

 

The opening race, Phillip Island Handicap, 50 miles, eight laps timed to start at 10.15 am, open to all unsupercharged factory-built and catalogued racing and sports cars of under 2,000 cc. Then at 12.15 pm the Centenary Scratch Race, 65 miles, and 10 laps for cars over 2,000 cc. The last and biggest race on the program is the Jubilee Handicap, which is timed to start at 2.15, and will be 100 miles or 15 laps, and open to all capacities of cars. The report in The Car magazine mentioned ‘On account of the other two races and the performances put up by the various competitors, the handicappers re handicapped all the entrants, and the results proved that this was the correct thing to do’.

  

 

There were many newspaper reports of the racing, but I believe the two of most interest were published in The Car, with a photo of Abbott in the Austin with #17, and the Sydney Referee, 9 May 1935 which is reprinted below.

 

CLOSEST FINISH EVER AT PHILLIP ISLAND

 

Duel Between Novice Racing Drivers Ends In One-Second Victory

 

DEBUT OF BIG CAR RACING

 

Thundering down the home straight, and fighting off a desperately striving opponent Harold Abbott, a newcomer to motor racing in Victoria, won the Jubilee “Hundred” of the Sporting Car Club of Victoria at Phillip Island on Monday, and figured in the most exciting finish ever witnessed on the famous Cowes circuit.

Abbott defeated Les Burrows, of Bowral (N.S.W.) by 1sec, crossing the line with only a car’s length to spare. This remarkable finish, and another in the Phillip Island 50 miles handicap, which was won by another novice race driver, A Barrett, a Melbourne University student, by five secs, were striking features of a most successful meeting which the Sporting Car Club made its debut in the field of road car racing.  

Those who were fortunate enough to witness the concluding stage of the principal race, the Jubilee “Hundred,” will never forget it. As Burrows crept up, and up on Abbott in the last few hundred yards, and success for Abbott hung quivering in the balance, spectators and officials danced and yelled in wild excitement. Harold Abbott is one of the most popular of figures among the racing car fraternity in Melbourne. As representative of C.C. Wakefield, he has always been an important personage behind the scenes at Cowes, but only his closest friends knew how much he longed to be able to put business aside and take a whirl on the track. The urge became so strong that he borrowed a sporting Austin and had it tuned.

Then he dashed into the fray so to speak, made his first appearance at the wheel of a racing car in the 50 miles handicap on Monday morning, drove into third place, and went on to greater success in the afternoon. It was a splendid performance.

 

The 100 Miler

With a handicap start of 18 minutes, Harold Abbott was first to be flagged off and led the race from start to finish. The report goes on to list the drivers and their reasons for retiring. After three laps Abbott was maintaining a steady 63.10 mph. A dramatic change occurred on lap 14 when Burrows in the Terraplane opened right out, caught and passed Murphy and Baston and took second position, two minutes 50 seconds behind Abbott. Averaging 12 to 15 mph faster than Abbott, the Bowral man steadily pulled him back by magnificent driving, and had the finish been 100 yards further on, he would have won a glorious victory.

 

Results Jubilee Handicap, 100 miles, open to all cars

 

1 - H Abbott. Brooklands Austin. (Handicap 18 min) 1h 35m 22sec. average speed 62.5 mph.

2 - Les Burrows. Terraplane. (Handicap 2 min) 1h 19m 28sec. average speed 74.6 mph.

3 - C Pickworth. Terraplane. (Handicap 3 min 45 sec) 1h 22m 41 sec. average speed 72.4 mph.

4 - L Murphy. MG type P. (Handicap 10 min) 1h 28m 18sec. average speed 66.67 mph.

5 - B. Dentry Riley. (Scratch) with a time of 1h 18m 40 sec. average speed 75.07 mph was the fastest. Also his fastest lap of 5m 10sec. 76.28 mph.

 

The Car magazine report mentioned that Abbott on his ninth lap was clocked at 6m 13sec. and that this was the fastest time ever registered at Cowes for an unsupercharged Austin. Both this comment, his entry in the first race, that was restricted to unsupercharged cars and an advertisement for Lucas - Coil Ignition, confirm his Ulster was not fitted with the Works supercharged magneto motor ex the 1930 Brooklands 500 race.

 

Doug Head is mentioned for the first time. Post war he was very involved with the two Austins raced by Len Phillips and Jim Leech. Doug, a mechanic working for Austin Distributors before joining his brothers in a BMC Dealership, was Abbott’s mechanic and during practice on Monday morning was hit in the eye by a flying stone as one of the cars was passing, and Doug ended up in hospital.

 

Note the similarity in design to the LCCA program cover and the listing of three races.

Bob King Collection.

 

 

Harold Abbott listed as an Austin 7 driver in the 1935 PI program.

Bob King Collection.

 

 

Program listing handicaps for the Phillip Island Handicap. No record that #19, NSW Austin 7 ever arrived at Cowes for the race, and the correct spelling for #18 is Barrett not Barnett.

Bob King Collection.

 

 

These are the original handicaps printed in the program. The earlier reports mentions by agreement handicaps were revised before the start of the feature race, The Jubilee 100 Mile Handicap. 

 

Bob King Collection.

 

 

Harold Abbott seated in his ex Cyril Dickason Ulster. 

Photo originally published in The Car magazine, May 1935.

 

 

Lucas Advertisement, listing Abbott winning the 100 Miles using a Lucas Distributor.

The Car magazine, July 1935.

 

 

Castrol advertisement. Abbott winning using CASTROL R engine oil in his Brooklands Austin.

The Car magazine May 1935.

 

 

Austin Distributors Ltd, acknowledging Abbotts win and promoting the latest “Nippy” model sports Austin. Note the error referring to 'Spring Spoke Wheels' when in fact it is the steering wheel being described.

The Car magazine May 1935.

 

Part two to follow…

 

With thanks…

Bob King for the 1935 Arthurs Seat & Phillip island programs.

Fawkner Motoring Library, The Car magazine.

Kent Patrick, author of the Bill Thompson book, Arthurs Seat photograph.
Trove, The National Library Canberra.

 

 

Tony Johns.

[cooper997]

Harold Abbott Part 2

 

Part one of the Harold Abbott story concluded with his victory in the Jubilee 100 held at Phillip Island in May 1935. The next recorded outing for Abbott was the hillclimb organised by the Victorian Sporting Car Club on the T M Burke estate near Mornington on Saturday 14 September 1935. 

 

The Argus newspaper reported that 34 entries had been received including some new marques. A new 3.5 litre Derby Bentley,  supercharged 1750cc Alfa Romeo to be driven by Bill Thompson, triple winner of the Australian Grand Prix. Carl Junker, who was awarded the trophy for fastest race time in the 1931 AGP, entered a supercharged Auburn.

The -850cc Class included five Austins, all unsupercharged one Morris Minor and two P Type MGs. The supercharged Austin entered by J Cowley ran in the -1100cc Class. 

Harold Abbott was second in his class with a best time of 41.25 seconds, behind class winner T Sowter in the MG recording a winning time of 40.35. However the days excitement was Fred Bray arriving at the finishing line to complete his second run when the Ballot  burst into flames, and suffered considerable damage. Fortunately his time of 31 seconds recorded on his first run was still the FTD.

 

 

The Australian Racing Drivers Club organised the 200 mile Tourist Trophy race on the shorter 3.3 mile triangular road circuit at Phillip Island in March 1936. Harold Abbott entered his Ulster Austin now with the Works supercharged 10 stud engine sent  to Melbourne for Cyril Dickason to use in the 1931 AGP. The Referee noted that Tom Peters (Bugatti) and Cowra grazier Jim Fagan (MG Magnette) will be flying to Phillip Island for the race and their chief mechanic, Reg Light and two of his workers were already at the circuit preparing the cars. Perhaps one of the first occasions in Australia of drivers arriving at the circuit by plane?

 

 

The newspaper descriptions of the Austin continue to make interesting reading.

 

The Age on 30 March wrote 'Among the entries is the supercharged Austin Seven in which C R Dickason won the Australian Grand Prix in 1931. This car has had a remarkable run of successes through its life, in speed events, hill climbs and reliability trials, and has been placed in the majority of events for which it has been entered. In the Eight Hours day event it will be driven by Harold Abbott who brought the Brooklands Austin to victory on Jubilee day last year. The supercharged car has greater acceleration, and is much faster in the straights, but this time it will be competing with cars of more than four times its engine capacity’.

 

The Referee 2 April went one better with its report ’There was something of an international interest in the race. A supercharged Austin competing had won a 500 miles event organised by the British Racing Drivers Club with Sammy Davis and the Earl of March as the crew; and Fagan’s Magnette once was handled by the great Birkin in the Mille Miglia. There’s “breeding” for you’. Other reports referred to the K3 as the ex Tazio Nuvolari winning car from the 1933 UK Tourist Trophy race. 

 

Unfortunately all this pre race publicity was not much help for Abbott as he retired on lap three when a stone broke his radiator. Fagan had an easy victory in his K3 MG and Reeve also driving a MG Midget were the only two drivers classified as finishers within the time limit at the end of the 200 miles.

 

 

 

 

Harold Abbott's Ulster Austin with headlights and Meteor style front mudguards.

Fred Pearse photograph.

 

 

Harold Abbott behind the wheel, this time with the mudguards removed.

Jan Hancock photograph.

 

 

As the 200 mile TT race was the first time Abbott ran with the supercharged engine that Dickason had used for his win in the 1931 AGP, it is appropriate now to include these undated notes on Wakefield letterhead. Remember Abbott was a senior manager with Wakefield and he relied on Doug Head, a young mechanic working at Austin Distributors to both prepare the car and be his riding mechanic. Copied from Doug Head’s scrapbook, it is confirmation that the engine arrived in Melbourne in January 1931 in time for the Australian Grand Prix. The team of three Ulsters had already competed in the previous years race (1930) with unblown eight stud motors. The notes make interesting reading. Solid copper head gasket and the amount of oil to be mixed with the petrol. It is not surprising that oiling spark plugs was often the reason for pit stops during the races.

 

Doug Head photo album.

 

 

The Car magazine reported on the Benalla Centenary 100. ‘At last we have a race on the mainland, Benalla was the venue, and the lucky club to conduct the event was the Victorian Sporting Car Club. The circuit is of 2½ miles, triangular in shape, and is situated only half a mile from the township. The event was held on Easter Monday (April 13), and was not only supported by the motor racing public, but by spectators who came from the surrounding towns, and who formed the majority. A conservative estimate of the number who witnessed the event is 15,000. The largest number of spectators at a road race in Victoria. 

Of the 21 entries, 18 faced the starter, who delayed the race by ten minutes so as the special train containing 700 people from Melbourne could witness the start. Abbott was one of the three withdrawals, due to a blown head gasket in practice and did not start in the race’. 

 

Barney Dentry received the checked flag in his Riley as race winner, however after protests from five competitors re the number of laps completed, V A  Maloney in his MG Magna was declared the winner and Dentry relegated to second place.

 

Of special interest to the writer was the mention in the local newspaper, North Eastern Ensign of Norman Hamilton, founder of Porsche Cars Australia and responsible for the first two right hand drive 356 Porsches to be built by the Factory.

‘While many had rendered valuable assistance, the name of Mr Norman Hamilton (National Australia Bank accountant) must be singled out as not only being the prime mover in such a big event, but must be given credit for perfect organisation. The power of work which he and others carried out was most commendable and they deserve the greatest of praise’.

 

 

 

 

 

The Victorian Sporting Car Club organised a Hillclimb at Mitcham, an outer suburb of Melbourne on Saturday 3 October 1936.   Three Austins entered, two in the -850cc class, P Manser Austin Ulster and J Morphett Austin 7. As Harold Abbott was using the supercharged motor he was in the -1100cc class with the Singers and supercharged J3 MG etc.

 

Reported in the October 1936 issue of The Car magazine, starting with the comment "Dame Fortune seems to favour some people - and clubs for that matter - more than others.  The Sporting Car Club is indeed blessed with fine weather for their events and the spectators and competitors enjoyed a glorious day’s sport. With 62 cars entered, a record for a hillclimb in Victoria and possibly Australia".

 

The hill, situated near Park Orchards, was 400 yards in length. A start was made on the bridge, and in about 75 yards a sharp right-angled left-hand left hand turn was made, and thence on to the finish. Except for the starting position the hill was on a rise all the way.

 

Sowter in his P Type MG was fastest in class 1 on both of his runs with a winning time of 27.02 sec. Manser in the Ulster Austin  recorded 31.67 sec on his first run and ran out of petrol before reaching the top on his second run.  Abbott finished in fourth place in the next class 25.20 sec, won by Horton driving a Riley Imp 23.95 sec. However Abbott recorded a quicker time than the two Leech brothers, Bill and Jim driving Singers. Jack Day driving his Ford V8 powered Bugatti was FTD 21.26 sec. Interestingly in the All-Powers class of the 19 cars entered only four were faster on their second run. They all lost time at the bend, which had been cut about by so many cars during the afternoon.

Post war, Jim Leech raced the single seat Austin built and raced by Len Phillips. (already reported on this thread in posts starting at #304, 22/2/2022 and finishing with post #316).

 

 

Mitcham Hill Climb, October 1936

 

 

Part three to follow...

 

With thanks…

Fawkner Motoring Library, The Car magazine.

Trove, The National Library Canberra.

Peter Reynell for sharing the Fred Pearse Ulster photo at Phillip Island.

Bob Watson for sharing the Jan Hancock Harold Abbott photo.

 

 

Tony Johns

[cooper997]

All eyes are on Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix being staged at Albert Park this weekend. However I am more interested in the races held back in the 1950s with Austin 7s competing.

 

In post #174, 24 July 2020 I wrote about John Fleming competing at the first Albert Park race meeting organised by the Light Car Club in November 1953. Since writing that post, John Fleming the only Austin 7 driver to actually start in the race in 1953 passed away last year. His daughter Fiona has very kindly allowed me to copy the photographs in his album.

 

John Fleming, 70 years ago drove Doc Grosvenor’s Austin 7 in Event 1, the Albert Park Trophy race. It was a 50 mile scratch race (16 laps) incorporating a shorter 12 lap handicap with all five Austins given an eight minute start on the scratch marker. As mentioned in the original post, when John’s car was not going to be finished in time he fitted his Ulster engine, complete with its Ulster exhaust manifold into the borrowed car. His comment at the time was 'although he finished last he he beat all the cars that broke down’.

Two Austin 7 drivers that have featured on this thread in earlier posts were involved in the 200 Mile Grand Prix. Cyril Dickason, winner of the 1931 AGP when working as a salesman for Austin Distributors, by now the Managing Director of the company, entered one of the new Austin Healey 100. It was driven by Jim Leech who raced the Phillips monoposto Austin at Point Cook, scene of the 1948 AGP, and at the Rob Roy Hillclimb.

 

John Fleming Archive.

 

 

Hiding in the background behind the Russell Morris special, #71 driven by Geoff Russell is Don Dunoon’s Austin #81. Unfortunately he was a non starter in the race after making contact with a lamp post during practice.

Photo VSCC Victoria, Racers and Rascals book. Ashley Tracey.

 

 

John Fleming and Doug Veel were the Austin 7 entrants at the Victorian Trophy Race meeting, organised by the LCCA at Albert Park, March 1957. John was now the owner of the special built and raced by Len Phillips in 1946.

 

Not much information in the May 1957 AMS magazine race report other than noting John Fleming finished in 11 place in the B Grade Racing Car scratch race on the first day, and further back the following Sunday. 

We learn more under Club Notes at the back of the same magazine with John Pryce’s Austin 7 Club (Victoria) report. ‘At long last it looks as though our racing Austin Sevenists are going to appear in small numbers. John Fleming has appeared at recent Templestowe Hill Climbs,        Fishermen’s Bend, Phillip Island and Albert Park. Doug Veel has appeared at the Island and Albert Park, although at touring speeds only — this has now been corrected by throwing away the complicated carburettor. 

In a conversation today with Doug, the last remaining Austin 7 racer from this era and fortunately still as sharp as a tack, I asked him if he could add more to the carby story. ‘Yes’, was his reply. ‘It was one of those twin choke Weber carburettors and was obviously too big for the Austin. Once he removed it and replaced it with an SU, it went like the Clappers.

 

 

Tony Johns Collection.

 

 

AMS magazine reported — as the big field of 23 wound away, Lex Davison in his 1100 Cooper-Irving was still being push started among the back markers. His progress through the field was meteoric. On lap four, Davison had snatched the lead from Jolly and by lap seven was 17 seconds in front, and went on to complete the last lap in winning style —only to fly down the escape road at Melford corner unable to change any cogs. Bad luck indeed when heading for such a well-earned win.

 

 

Lex Davison Cooper-Irving overtaking John Fleming at the Powerhouse Boat Shed corner.

John Fleming Archive.

 

 

John Fleming in his Austin closely following Bill Egan in his rebodied MG TC. This MG was first raced by Diana Davison, wife of Lex Davison (Ecurie Australie) seen in the above photo. As well as the Cooper, Lex drove the HWM Jaguar in the scratch race for Sports Cars, and his 3 litre Ferrari 500 in the 100 Miles Victorian Trophy Race.

 

John Fleming Archive.

 

 

An earlier post #219, 16 October 2020 included the Melbourne Grand Prix report when John Bowring competed.

https://forums.autos...1928/?p=9261020

 

My thanks to Fiona Fleming for allowing me to copy her late father’s photograph album.

Ashley Tracey, VSCC Victoria Librarian for the Don Dunoon photo. 

 

 

Tony Johns

[MarkBisset]

Wonderful photos and story Tony, Stephen.

 

There cannot have been too many Weber customers who complained of going slower than before! 

 

The shots capture the times so well, I don't think Lex finished too many events once he got away from the hills in this Cooper?  'Davison MG' a pretty thing.

 

'53 AGP must have been amazing - a one day event must have been hectic in the extreme, I'd forgotten that until researching an Auto Action piece last week. The politics of racing in the park has always been vexed until Our Jeffrey rolled right over the top of his constituency, bless him and his size-12s...

 

 

Given Australian GP Corp CEO Judith Grigg's reaction to what flag-waving Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett said to the cyclist - one can only only suspect Jeffrey told the Save Albert Park supporter to Have a Nice Day or Get Rooted - meanwhile Victorian Power Behind the Throne, and AGP Corp Chair, Ron Walker pretends he didn't hear a thing. (J Lamb photo)

 

What a positive and potent double-act this pair (JK/RW) were...

 

Mark

Edited by MarkBisset, 29 March 2023 - 02:18.

[Lola5000]

All eyes are on Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix being staged at Albert Park this weekend. However I am more interested in the races held back in the 1950s with Austin 7s competing.

 

In post #174, 24 July 2020 I wrote about John Fleming competing at the first Albert Park race meeting organised by the Light Car Club in November 1953. Since writing that post, John Fleming the only Austin 7 driver to actually start in the race in 1953 passed away last year. His daughter Fiona has very kindly allowed me to copy the photographs in his album.

 

John Fleming, 70 years ago drove Doc Grosvenor’s Austin 7 in Event 1, the Albert Park Trophy race. It was a 50 mile scratch race (16 laps) incorporating a shorter 12 lap handicap with all five Austins given an eight minute start on the scratch marker. As mentioned in the original post, when John’s car was not going to be finished in time he fitted his Ulster engine, complete with its Ulster exhaust manifold into the borrowed car. His comment at the time was 'although he finished last he he beat all the cars that broke down’.

Two Austin 7 drivers that have featured on this thread in earlier posts were involved in the 200 Mile Grand Prix. Cyril Dickason, winner of the 1931 AGP when working as a salesman for Austin Distributors, by now the Managing Director of the company, entered one of the new Austin Healey 100. It was driven by Jim Leech who raced the Phillips monoposto Austin at Point Cook, scene of the 1948 AGP, and at the Rob Roy Hillclimb.

 

John Fleming Archive.

 

 

Hiding in the background behind the Russell Morris special, #71 driven by Geoff Russell is Don Dunoon’s Austin #81. Unfortunately he was a non starter in the race after making contact with a lamp post during practice.

Photo VSCC Victoria, Racers and Rascals book. Ashley Tracey.

 

 

John Fleming and Doug Veel were the Austin 7 entrants at the Victorian Trophy Race meeting, organised by the LCCA at Albert Park, March 1957. John was now the owner of the special built and raced by Len Phillips in 1946.

 

Not much information in the May 1957 AMS magazine race report other than noting John Fleming finished in 11 place in the B Grade Racing Car scratch race on the first day, and further back the following Sunday. 

We learn more under Club Notes at the back of the same magazine with John Pryce’s Austin 7 Club (Victoria) report. ‘At long last it looks as though our racing Austin Sevenists are going to appear in small numbers. John Fleming has appeared at recent Templestowe Hill Climbs,        Fishermen’s Bend, Phillip Island and Albert Park. Doug Veel has appeared at the Island and Albert Park, although at touring speeds only — this has now been corrected by throwing away the complicated carburettor. 

In a conversation today with Doug, the last remaining Austin 7 racer from this era and fortunately still as sharp as a tack, I asked him if he could add more to the carby story. ‘Yes’, was his reply. ‘It was one of those twin choke Weber carburettors and was obviously too big for the Austin. Once he removed it and replaced it with an SU, it went like the Clappers.

 

 

Tony Johns Collection.

 

 

AMS magazine reported — as the big field of 23 wound away, Lex Davison in his 1100 Cooper-Irving was still being push started among the back markers. His progress through the field was meteoric. On lap four, Davison had snatched the lead from Jolly and by lap seven was 17 seconds in front, and went on to complete the last lap in winning style —only to fly down the escape road at Melford corner unable to change any cogs. Bad luck indeed when heading for such a well-earned win.

 

 

Lex Davison Cooper-Irving overtaking John Fleming at the Powerhouse Boat Shed corner.

John Fleming Archive.

 

 

John Fleming in his Austin closely following Bill Egan in his rebodied MG TC. This MG was first raced by Diana Davison, wife of Lex Davison (Ecurie Australie) seen in the above photo. As well as the Cooper, Lex drove the HWM Jaguar in the scratch race for Sports Cars, and his 3 litre Ferrari 500 in the 100 Miles Victorian Trophy Race.

 

John Fleming Archive.

 

 

An earlier post #219, 16 October 2020 included the Melbourne Grand Prix report when John Bowring competed.

https://forums.autos...1928/?p=9261020

 

My thanks to Fiona Fleming for allowing me to copy her late father’s photograph album.

Ashley Tracey, VSCC Victoria Librarian for the Don Dunoon photo. 

 

 

Tony Johns

I see my father entered in that last race entry group ,what was the HRD ,never knew he raced one ?

[Porsche718]

I see my father entered in that last race entry group ,what was the HRD ,never knew he raced one ?

 

It would have been a Vincent "HRD" V2 engined special. There were a few in the era in WA and SA. 

 

HRD stood for Howard Raymond Davies who was a motorcycle constructor in the 1920s. As Davies was a racer himself, his engines were always high power output based. However, in1928 the company went into liquidation and the name, tooling, and patterns were sold to Phillip C Vincent who then formed the Vincent HRD Company.

[Lola5000]

It would have been a Vincent "HRD" V2 engined special. There were a few in the era in WA and SA. 

 

HRD stood for Howard Raymond Davies who was a motorcycle constructor in the 1920s. As Davies was a racer himself, his engines were always high power output based. However, in1928 the company went into liquidation and the name, tooling, and patterns were sold to Phillip C Vincent who then formed the Vincent HRD Company.

I know the one now ,my mother drove over its nose reversing out of the garage in her MG TB,

[Porsche718]

I know the one now ,my mother drove over its nose reversing out of the garage in her MG TB,

 

Well that was an "oops" moment

[cooper997]

The latest from Tony Johns...

Let me start by apologising for the long delay in completing the third post in the Harold Abbott story (refer posts 334 & 335 this page). I have spent a lot of time scanning the photos in the late John Fleming’s album, a couple were included in my previous post on Albert Park.

 

 

The South Australian Centenary Grand Prix, held at Victor Harbor was the final race meeting for 1936, and the first road race for cars ever in South Australia. It attracted the largest entry yet to a Grand Prix in Australia. Several interstate entries plus a couple from overseas added new interest. I have no explanation why Abbott was listed in the organisers letter below, dated 6 November 1936 with the handicaps already calculated, but was not listed in the official program for the Grand Prix, or the Olympic 50 Mile handicap race held three days later. 

 

Adelaide News, pre race report tells its readers many of the interstate drivers have experienced difficulty in getting through to the destination. Lord Waleran travelling overland from Sydney will probably have unpleasant memories of Australian roads. He was almost stranded on an outback road, and took hours to cover a few miles. Harold Abbott, a Victorian driver, also had an unenviable experience. His racer was towed from Melbourne and after getting into rough country near Bordertown, it took him nearly two days to reach Victor Harbor. 

Today there is a major highway linking Adelaide to Melbourne, and several country towns now have ring roads to save time and reduce traffic in the townships.

The article in the Adelaide News continued : 'Today, Victor Harbor is a hive of activity. About 4.30 am residents were awakened by the distant crackle of exhausts which heralded the approach of competitors to the racing circuit for the final practice'.

 

Unfortunately Abbot’s practice session was cut short with a blown head gasket, and New Zealander George Smith in the ex works Duck racer had trouble getting around the hairpin corner. The problem was solved by re shaping the body panels to allow more steering lock. (The Duck has been recorded in a previous post #151, 27/6/2020.) 

 

The Townsville Daily Bulletin, 20 January 1937 reported on the race and made this mention of George Smith and the Duck. 

 

‘Much attention was focused on the special English track racing supercharged 7 hp Austin, driven by G Smith (NZ), off 12 minutes. An interesting feature in the design of this small car was the engine block setting, which was at an angle of about 15 drg.to the chassis, the differential being set against the nearside rear wheel. In a trial run this car reached 105 mph but unfortunately owing to its light weight and small tyres, it could not hold the road at the high speed required of it to be successful in the race, and it withdrew after seven laps. The handicappers paid high tribute to the tiny car by sending it off with an 8 cylinder Hudson.'   

 

 

There were three Austin 7s competing. Local South Australian driver, Ron Uffindell in his unsupercharged aluminium bodied special was the limit man on handicap and led the race for several laps. He was the only Austin driver to drive the full 32 laps of the Grand Prix, and finished in 7th place. Abbott lost time, pitting early in the race to adjust a loose magneto. By half distance Uffindel was maintaining a good speed and lapping consistently not far behind the leaders. Abbott then experienced plug trouble and retired from the race having completed 11 laps. George Smith in the Duck complained the surface of the roads was rougher than he expected and he retired after 7 laps. He had been heavily handicapped with only a 10 minute start ahead of the scratch markers, three K3 MGs and two Bugattis, all supercharged. The race was won by Victorian Les Murphy in his P Type MG with Tim Joshua, also in a P Type finishing in second place. The fastest race time was West Australian Ossie Cranston in a stripped Ford V8 special who covered the distance in 3 hr. 20 min. 17 sec., and Tom Peters recorded the fastest lap in his Bugatti, 5 min. 47 sec. equalling 81 miles an hour. 

 

 

Sporting Car Club of South Australia Library.

 

 

Letter sent by the organisers to RSC (Dick) Rymill who had entered his new P type MG.

 

Tim Rymill Collection.

 

 

Sporting Car Club of South Australia Library. (copied from the program)

 

 

Harold Abbott’s ex Dickason Austin #25 in the background behind Hylton Dale’s Bugatti. You can just see Abbott’s mechanic Doug Head seated in the Austin. 

 

Sporting Car Club of South Australia Library.

 

 

Cranston in his Ford V8 special overtaking Abbott in the Ulster Austin. Note smaller diameter wheels on the Austin than the 19” used when it was raced by Cyril Dickason.

 

State Library of West Australia. Photo published in The Advertiser, 28/12/1936 with the following caption.  Fastest time in the race was gained by O. Cranston no 61driving a Ford V8. He is seen overtaking another competitor near the pits.

 

 

George Smith about to set off on a practice lap the NZ ex Works 'Rubber Duck' Austin 7

 

 

“Most spectators, officials and competitors thought the Austin 7 of Ron Uffindell a joke its reliability and Ron’s consistent driving became apparent.

Above photo and caption taken from A history of Australian Grand Prix 1928 - 1939. by John Blanden

 

 

Three days later the 50 mile “Olympic Car Handicap” race was held on the 29 December and saw Abbott having some success at last. The weather was not as good for the second day, some drizzle made the corners slippery and the crowd was down to 20,000.

 

With 12 scratchings the field was reduced to 22 starters. The Referee, 7 January 1937 reported that with three laps remaining, Jim Gullan in his Wolseley Hornet had overtaken limit man, Ohlmeyer in his Triumph and was now leading the race from Hope, Ohlmeyer, Tim Joshua and Abbott in the Austin. With two laps to go Dentry was chasing Gullan, Ohlmeyer and Abbott, who were locked together. Gullan was still leading with one lap to go but Dentry had made up much ground, running from fourth to second position. Coming with a burst of speed on the last lap Dentry passed Gullan to win the race. I have been unable to find the complete results but I believe Abbott in the Austin finished in fifth place behind Gullan’s Wolseley Hornet.

 

 

Sporting Car Club of South Australia Library.  (copied from the program.

 

 

Abbott’s Austin at the rear of the lineup on the track. For the Olympic Handicap his race # was 34.

 

Mark Bisset Collection.

 

 

Tim Rymill has shared some of the original correspondence from the organisers and sponsors, with the following comment.

 

My grandfather, Sidney Rymill bought the P type MG from John A. Smeaton who was a friend of the family and also studied engineering at Adelaide University with my father. If I understand correctly, grandfather pulled the authority on father, and father didn’t compete in the Grand Prix.

Kind Regards

Tim.

 

Note the John Smeaton mentioned in Tim's comment above is the same person racing the sports Austin on Sellicks Beach in November 1925. Refer post #47, May 2020.

 

Tim Rymill Collection.

 

 

Tim Rymill Collection.

 

 

Tim Rymill Collection.

 

 

Tim Rymill Collection.

 

 

Tim Rymill Collection.

 

 

With Thanks 

 

Sporting Car Club of South Australia - Michael Gasking and Bruce Roberts.

Mark Bisset for sharing the Cranston photos.

Trove for all the period newspaper clippings that helped with my research.

Special thanks to Tim Rymill for the documents from his family archives.

 

 

Tony Johns

 

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Stephen and Tony,

 

Another interesting chapter in the Austin 7 Racing Story, love the documents. Once upon a time one layer of interest in GP racing was the ‘tyre war’ or tyre choice at least. Makes you wonder what brand was the ‘ducks guts’ race-tyre in Australia given the peculiarities of our roads. I guess the ‘competitor licence’ is the ‘entrants licence’, I see to recall having to buy both when I started racing in 1979.

 

Finally it’s good to see the SCCSA took handicapping seriously enough to contact club officials in the other states, ignoring the fact that some of said officials were also competitors! 
 

m

[cooper997]

Harold Abbott part 3…

 

Harold Abbott returned to Phillip Island on March 15, 1937 to compete in the Phillip Island Trophy Race, organised by the Victorian Sporting Car Club on the new 3 1/3 mile triangular road circuit, 150 miles (45 laps). Reporting in The Car magazine “Carby” vividly describes the pre-race scene - the dusty conditions, the enthusiasm of the spectators who, despite having to leave their Melbourne homes early on Monday morning to catch the ferry from Stony Point to Cowes, walked on foot to the track. After a dusty afternoon’s entertainment they once again had to trudge back to catch the ferry and train, returning home some 14 to 16 hours later.

 

Hugh Syme, competing in his J3 MG was originally listed on the same handicap as Abbott of 25 minutes, but after running into trouble with his supercharger during practice and unable to fit a replacement in time, he raced unblown and was rehandicapped to 30 minutes which resulted in the race starting earlier at 1.55 pm and not 2 pm as programmed. John Snow with his MG K3 did not arrive from Sydney for the race and Aitken, in his Brooklands Riley, was a scratching as a result of a collision on his way to the Stony Point ferry. Syme had completed eight laps before limit man Lyster Jackson was sent off. Syme continued to lead the race until lap 12.

“Carby” continued his report in The Car ‘Abbott (Austin 7) was the first to call into the pits. It seems to be getting a habit that the Austin must call in on its first lap. This is very irritating to the driver who spends a lot of time preparing his machine. On this occasion the Austin completed only three laps, and retired with a broken valve spring. This brought Abbott two firsts - First pit stop and first retirement.’

The Referee race report gives a full description of the race, won by Bob Lea-Wright in a Terraplane who also recorded the fastest lap. Hugh Syme in his MG, was one of three drivers who completed the distance but not within the allotted 15 minutes of the winner.

 

Bob King Collection

 

 

Bob King Collection

 

 

Bob King Collection

 

 

Harold Abbott surrounded by spectators before the race. The LCCA badge just visible on the radiator stoneguard.

 

Doug Head photo album.

 

 

Harold Abbott with his riding mechanic Doug Head, note the air pump close to Doug’s left hand. 

Doug Head photo album.

 

 

With no access to programs for the LCCA hillclimbs held pre war at Rob Roy, I have had to rely on the Australian National Library Trove search facility, plus Leon Sims excellent book. A History of Rob Roy Hillclimb 1937 - 1961 published in 2005.

 

 

The advertisement inviting locals to come to the hill climb, published in the Hurstbridge Advertiser, 25/3/1939.

 

Trove.

 

Two weeks after the Phillip Island race, Harold Abbott was one of three Austin 7 drivers competing at the second Rob Roy hill climb. Fordyce and O’Neill entered Class A (Under 750cc) in their road-going sports model Austins, and Abbott entered in Class C. (Under 1100cc) in his supercharged Ulster. Abbott with a best time of 42.7 seconds, was not far behind class winner Derry George in his supercharged MG J3, 42.17 seconds. 

 

I was confused when I read this advertisement published in the Argus newspaper promoting Pyrox spark plugs, manufactured in Australia by Pyrox Pty Ltd, a company later taken over by Robert Bosch. The ad listed Abbott in the Austin as a record holder which was a bit confusing when the results printed in both the Age and the Argus recorded Derry George with a faster time than Abbott. However there is only one time recorded for George which suggests there were problems with his MG that day and that would explain why he was not competing in the run off. It was not until I found the report listing the results published in the Age newspaper that included an additional event held at the end of the day, after the Invitation Event (for the six fastest cars of the day, won by Jack Day in his Ford engined Bugatti). This was a Special event (for cars under 2000cc) and the results were. H. Abbott (Austin 7 SC.) 41.71 sec., 1; G. Bastow (MG P type) 43.17, 2; C. Schmith (Riley Imp) 45.29, 3; W Leech (MG Magnette) 46.25, 4.

 

 

Trove.

 

 

Photo of Harold Abbot, Rob Roy with an interesting caption published in the Argus newspaper. 

 

 

Doug Head when interviewed by Willie Sellers.

 

William Sellers photo shared by Jeremy Morris.

 

 

With thanks to…

Bob King’s program for the 1937 race at Phillip Island I was struggling to find good quality images for this post.

Jeremy Morris for the video interview with Doug Head that included Doug's photo album made by Dr William Sellers many years ago.

Nathan Tasca

Trove, for the period newspaper clippings.

 

 

Tony Johns

[TerryS]

Austin 7 race cars for sale

 

Cars for sale in Australia - JUST CARS