Hudson special - Australian Grand Prix 1949

Edited by Wirra, 31 January 2011 - 04:41.

This photo is reportedly 1939

http://www.slv.vic.g...9144/1/pi001219

At the 1949 AGP at Leyburn, Qld - Sunday, September 18th - NSW driver, Frank Kleinig's Hudson carried #1 and was on scratch for the handicapped AGP. It was event 4 and covered 35 laps/150 miles. There's a photo of Kleinig's Hudson in the Australian Grand Prix - 50 race history book on page 143 (that was originally used in the period AMS report). This car is owned by Tom Roberts in Melbourne and was at Phillip Island in 2008 as part of the 80th anniversary AGP parade.

The other more mysterious Hudson special from the same event carried #3 and in the same book has 'B Woods' as the entrant and Alf Bowes as the driver in the grid position listing. The original owner of my programme has indeed crossed out 'B Woods' and put 'bowes' to the side, but it could also be interpreted as 'bowers'. This car had a handicap of 3 minutes and 'B Woods' must have lived in Qld going by the programme.

This AGP is covered in Australian Motor Sports, October 1949 issue. A good spread (5 wide on the front row) of the start grid is shown on the cover. But you need an expert of early Australian motor racing like John Medley to come along and help explain a bit more.

Stephen

Edited by Ray Bell, 31 January 2011 - 10:48.

Im after any photos or information on a hudson special that competed at the 1949 australian grand prix. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Is it blue?

There is bound to be a number of pre-war Hudson Specials somewhere.

Is it blue?

There is bound to be a number of pre-war Hudson Specials somewhere.

Im after any photos or information on a hudson special that competed at the 1949 australian grand prix. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

This car was a midget speedcar stretched for this event. Unusually for a speedcar of the time it had a full clutch and gearbox ( terraplane ) and 4 wheel
brakes. The body is aluminium and the chassis a combination of small Citroen and 't' ford. It was road raced at the 49 A.G.P. and at Lowood in 1950 and
1952. I have not found any record of it competing at Strathpine which is surprising being a Brisbane car. By 1950 it had alloy rear wheels and a 4 link
front axle. In that year Wal Kobek won 2 feature races at the Exhibition speedway with it. I think he must have been a peddler as I don't know that
any body else did much with what must have been a comparatively heavy car. Alf Bowers crashed at Lowood in 1952 avoiding an ejected driver lying on the track. I would love to know if it was stretched for Lowood or run as a speedcar as other cars were at Leyburn and Strathpine at this time. The car
is missing some bits but still exists today. Can I ask what your interest is in this car ?

How do you know it still exists ?

Seen it, touched it, sat in it, compared it to period photos etc.

Edited by GREENXC, 06 September 2011 - 00:26.

How long ago did you see it, touch it, sit in it ? Do you know who owns the car now ?

Yes I know who owns it. Can I ask again your particular interest in this car ? In answer to Ray, I don't know much more other than
it's tail was made 6 inches longer with a spacer after the Lowood crash. The body by they way appears to have been built without the
aid of any form of measuring device. It also got a slightly different black and gold colour scheme
that now is heavily blistered after an accidental workshop fire apparently sometime around when it stopped racing. The last drivers
name painted on the cockpit is that of George Edgar but you can still the outline of BILL WOOD complete with crown logo under the
black paint. I spoke with Stan Eastwood [ I think ] in Toowoomba who also raced a speedcar at times at Leyburn and confirmed
that it was a fast car back then, but any of the old speedway blokes that remembered it from the the mid to late fifties referred to it as
a ' heap of **** '. Thats the evolution of the racing car for you. Some of it good bits like the alloy wheels ended up on other cars.

My interest is that i also know who owns it. Was hoping to maybe get some more pictures of the car for him.

Now I am intrigued. Do I know you? I own the car, but have met a least one other person at Speed on Tweed who claimed to have it.
He suddenly had to leave when I showed him a photo of it in my shed. Another guy claimed his mate had it, but couldn't tell me who
his mate was.

I might go and take a photo of the chassis rails and post it up.

Well i went for a quick drive 2 minutes up the road this afternoon to check if the car was still there and it was. If you reckon you own the car then you can tell me who you bought it off ?

George Woods, Cappy's son, from his house in Salisbury about 12 years ago. I have a receipt somewhere on his old towing company letter head.
I would love to see your pictures. I will respond with mine if I can work out how to post them. How did your secretive friend acquire the 'car'?

He cried when I spoke to him

On Hudson specials, I remember looking at two of them being built in Victoria, by a bloke called 'Woolfie'. It must have been nearly 20 years ago. Anyone know what became of them?

Greg
Perhaps "Wolfie" is Wolfgang Reiben from near Castlemaine who built 2 extraordinary Hudson Specials of about 1916(?) vintage and some quality some years ago. I recall them running at Winton then. These days I think he and others are The Feral Sports Car Club ( you will be entertained.... Google search that club name)

Mr Willis knows the real owner of the car. For privacy reasons i'm hoping he won't say. I might go and take a photo of the chassis rails and post it up.

What's so 'nom-de-plume' about 'Green XC'?

How many people do you know would name themselves over a mossy Falcon?

I think the only ones I have ever seen are in the AGP book...

Then it would appear on the movie clip I have, however briefly, and Bill would probably have others. As would John Holmes and Don Thallon.

Does somebody actually have some photos of the hudson speedcar that they can share ?

Some photos of the elusive Hudson then and now. The young boy in the suit is George, Cappy is in the car, and Wal Kobeck is
waiting with helmet to do the business. The other picture is at the A.G P. I think that I have enough of it and the receipt to
say that I own it. Any missing parts would be gratefully reunited with it. From what George told me there is a sworded tale
as to why they are missing.

Edited by GREENXC, 07 September 2011 - 08:51.