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Australian inter-state record breakers


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#1 GMACKIE

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Posted 28 April 2012 - 04:43

A few years back, I was fortunate to have the Paige 6/66, that broke the Brisbane to Adelaide by 14 hours - in 1925. The time was 54 hours, 28 minutes.

It would be interesting to know of other record-breakers of that era.

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#2 David McKinney

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Posted 28 April 2012 - 05:26

There were scores of them. The Sydney-Melbourne seems to have been the most hotly contested, but there were runs between virtually every large town on the continent

#3 GMACKIE

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Posted 28 April 2012 - 05:46

Just though that it would be better to start a new thread, rather than go 'off topic' on the "Don Robertson" thread. :wave:

#4 john medley

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Posted 28 April 2012 - 08:04

Greg
Please post a pic of the Paige, and its Ralph Mulford etc history

#5 GMACKIE

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Posted 28 April 2012 - 21:31

John,
The 'pics' thing is still on my list of things to learn.....there seems to be so many other [more important?] stuff to do at present. There is much written on Ralph Mulford's efforts in the USA, driving the Paige record-breaker, in the early '20s, and also on the history in Australia. Graham Howard did a story on it in Sports Car World [Spring 1989].

Although it appears to be almost certainly the same car, there is room for some doubt. There does not appear to be any record of the car arriving in Australia, however all other records seem to point to the Australian Paige and the Ralph Mulford car being one and the same. Even if you cannot accept the connection, the two lots of history are wonderful. Maybe someone can throw some more light on this old mystery.

#6 Ray Bell

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Posted 02 May 2012 - 20:40

It's hard to picture the struggle that would have been involved in that record run...

Fording creeks, obtaining spare tyres, even navigation could well have been a problem unless they'd done some preparatory work.

The Brisbane to Longreach record run of Herb Avery, mentioned previously, looks to have been a bit of a 29-hour nightmare by the appearances of the photo I've seen.

#7 MatthewMagilton

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Posted 03 May 2012 - 07:25

There was also the problem of opening and closing several gates in the early days. The keen ones organised a man to be at each gate to save the stopping.

Matthew.

#8 ken devine

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Posted 03 May 2012 - 23:30

At the Motor Museum of WA we have an excellent display of Francis Birtiles exploits across Australia.





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#9 ken devine

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Posted 03 May 2012 - 23:35

The display has many copies of photos and his original travel trunk. His car is on display at the National Museum in Canberra





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#10 275 GTB-4

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Posted 10 November 2013 - 00:12

A few years back, I was fortunate to have the Paige 6/66, that broke the Brisbane to Adelaide by 14 hours - in 1925. The time was 54 hours, 28 minutes.

It would be interesting to know of other record-breakers of that era.

 

The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Wednesday 11 November 1925, page 17
 
Paigearticle_zps4009f038.jpg
 
National Library of Australia

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 10 November 2013 - 10:00.


#11 Ivan Saxton

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Posted 24 December 2013 - 13:32

Simon Ramsey and one of his friends of VSCC brought the car to Melbourne from Adelaide I understand, some time in the 1970s.  I believe they had restoration work done, but they may not have driven it; and may have lost some enthusiasm for it.  Simon told me that he did not believe it was a standard 6/66,  and that the engine may have displaced as much as 6 litres. He said that "Ex" was on some of the main castings. 

Now this seems to make sense of something that an American correspondent to Motor Sport wrote in about 1964, after William Boddy had written a feature on the 4 inch bore Roamer Duesenberg which was owned in Wales.  ( Now owned in Staten Island, NY).  Mr Bruce S Lane of Kalamazoo Michigan where the car  was made obviously knew more surviving examples than any of us did.  He said that the technical chief of AAA watched the building of the car which they subsequently drove down to Daytona Beach to attempt "stock car" records in April 1921.  That AAA wanted certainty that record attempts were made by a car that had the same treatment as every other car in the line indicates they knew Mulford's Paige was not stock.

    Now Mr Eric Scott ordered a Roamer Duesenberg out of a catalogue to try to break the Adelaide-Melbourne record.  He managed to locate  Captain Andrew Lang to share driving of the record attempt.  They had known each other  since the had rowed against each other in the Head of the River, at school.  Scott payed Australian Rules Football for Essendon, and was also national amateur heavyweight boxing champion.   Peter Latreille's friend Robert Scott is a grandson of Sir Eric;  and Peter told me that when they stopped at any hotel on the way over to Adelaide, the locals insisted on the privilege of buying drinks for them.

   The account of the record attempt is serialised in The Sydney Mail, of which Andrew Lang was the motoring correspondent.  They replaced the body with the two bucket seats and the (extra)  fuel tank from Hobbs'  early Mercedes,  with which de Fraga set the first Sydney-Melbourne record.  Lang found this derelict and abandoned.  Two extra Houck or Hayes wire wheels came from an old Stanley Steamer;  and Harry James of Dunlop and the RACV provided eight special experimental Dunlop tyres.

Well, when they checked and serviced the car in Adelaide, some one had the dumb idea that they should replace the front axle U-bolts wit a drilled plate and four bolts to fasten each spring to the front axle.  When the had to dig the car out of a sand bank and replace a broken centre bolt near Millicent, it no longer looked such a good idea.  Sir Eric told me that they blew the fifth of the eight tyres at Mortlake, and that ended all chance of a record.  There is no mention of blown tyres in the Sydney Mail report for obvious reason of politeness.

   Roamer apparently supplied a photograph of the April 1921 AAA record for the flying mile in 34.25 seconds, which was probably an assurance that the car should be similarly capable.  I have scan of this and photos in my computer, but I have not the faintest idea how to post them.  (I also have Turner & Muston's attempt on the Sydney-Melbourne record

in an American Underslung, and also of a 4.5 litre ohv Delage  as was used for the same record.

    The original 2 wheel brakes are inadequate  for use in modern traffic  I just use the Roamer to drive visitors up and down between the house and the workshops, which are about 200 yards apart..  It will pull that 100mph overdrive top gear within 100 yards  going up a fair grade



#12 Ray Bell

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 18:55

You love that old car, don't you Ivan?

 

If you send me the pics I'll post them.



#13 GMACKIE

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Posted 27 December 2013 - 06:37

When I bought the Paige from Simon Ramsay, Geoff Hopkins [Simon's VSCCA friend] showed me the 'EX' on various engine castings....not sure what that meant.

 

The capacity was under 5 litres  - probably around 300 CI. I did measure the bore & stroke, but can't remember what they were.

 

The chassis # pre-dated 6/66 production numbers, although the number was nowhere to be found on the chassis.

 

When Mr Hunter bought the Paige from  me, he told me the car would be staying in Australia.



#14 Lola5000

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Posted 17 January 2014 - 06:57

Do we want legal or illegal records?



#15 275 GTB-4

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Posted 18 January 2014 - 10:38

Do we want legal or illegal records?


With all the vagaries and a certain amount of trust involved in establishing or claiming records in the period...why not?

(Caveat: so long as your admissions don't lose you your licence or have any vehicles confiscated :stoned: )


Edited by 275 GTB-4, 18 January 2014 - 10:40.


#16 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 22:01

These days even talking about these records are liable to get you arrested!!! They probably went faster then on rough dirt roads than allowed these days on [mostly] decent bitumen roads.
The only ones allowed to talk of speed records and the like are cyclists. Taking over a road near you!

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 23 January 2014 - 10:44.


#17 D-Type

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 22:19

Do CAMS have any details?  :evil:



#18 Ray Bell

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 22:54

As I recall the story, they were never legal... or at least setting such records resulted in drivers being fined for driving offences...

 

The RAC, however, did time them and hold the records. But that came to an end due to public and police uproar in February, 1924, with sponsoring oil and tyre companies also pulling out at that time. At least officially.

 

Some drivers would arrange to carry despatches for the Army and so be immune to the speeding fines. I don't know where I learned that, but it was somewhere authoritative.

 

People continued to try to set records, even if they couldn't be officially recognised. This was shown by Herb Avery setting a time of 29 hours from Brisbane to Longreach in 1928 in his Studebaker.

 

In answer to Duncan's question, I would suggest that once the RACA stopped timing them then the record-keeping ceased. Those set before that time and timed by the RAC would probably still be held on record by the RACA.



#19 GMACKIE

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Posted 23 January 2014 - 06:45

Greg
Please post a pic of the Paige, and its Ralph Mulford etc history

 

Sorry for being so late with this, John....I've only just got the hang of 'posting pics'. :blush:

 

39d89ecc-4030-44b5-a3fc-e01385812717_zps



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#20 275 GTB-4

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Posted 23 January 2014 - 09:26

Sorry for being so late with this, John....I've only just got the hang of 'posting pics'. :blush:


Was the car in that or similar livery when you owned it Greg?   :)



#21 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 23 January 2014 - 10:47

As I recall the story, they were never legal... or at least setting such records resulted in drivers being fined for driving offences...
 
The RAC, however, did time them and hold the records. But that came to an end due to public and police uproar in February, 1924, with sponsoring oil and tyre companies also pulling out at that time. At least officially.
 
Some drivers would arrange to carry despatches for the Army and so be immune to the speeding fines. I don't know where I learned that, but it was somewhere authoritative.
 
People continued to try to set records, even if they couldn't be officially recognised. This was shown by Herb Avery setting a time of 29 hours from Brisbane to Longreach in 1928 in his Studebaker.
 
In answer to Duncan's question, I would suggest that once the RACA stopped timing them then the record-keeping ceased. Those set before that time and timed by the RAC would probably still be held on record by the RACA.


I too have read/ been told about some of these 'competitors' using army despatches to avoid the Police. Both cars and bikes. I feel this was even after WW2 in lesser runs.

#22 Vitesse2

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Posted 23 January 2014 - 15:53

http://www.prewarcar...8.html#comments



#23 275 GTB-4

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Posted 23 January 2014 - 21:09

Wow...one Schneider averaged about 47 MPH over 12 hours 10   :cool:



#24 275 GTB-4

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Posted 24 January 2014 - 10:29

Was the car in that or similar livery when you owned it Greg?   :)


Greg answered offline, the car was polished Nickel-Silver when he owned it :love: