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Alton AR1

Started by petestenning , Jun 04 2013 18:56

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24 replies to this topic

#1 petestenning

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Posted 04 June 2013 - 18:56

At the HSCC Autosport 3 Hours meeting we had some Australians racing in the Classic Racing Car race one entry was for Henry Oosterbaan an Alton AR1 , engine size listed as 2500 CC Whats its history. ?

Excuse the blurry amateur photo .

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#2 David McKinney

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Posted 04 June 2013 - 19:46

Built as a hillclimb special in the mid '60s, with Holden engine

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#3 Dick Willis

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Posted 04 June 2013 - 21:15

Built originally by Alton (Tony) Caldersmith, very well known in the Australian Historic racing scene. Tony had worked for Lotus and the cam is built in the likeness of a Lotus 22 but lengthened to accommodate the inclined Holden "Grey" motor. It has been in the hands of the current owner in Western Australia for about a decade.

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#4 Giraffe

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 11:00

The Alton pictured at Hampton Downs NZ in January

Posted Image

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#5 henry6107

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 20:49

The car was incorrectly printed in the programme as it is model AR2. It was designed and built by Tony to enter the 2.5ltr Tasman series racing in the 60's however the grey motor was not a power producer thus making the car uncompetitive. It remains a one of built and continues to participate in the historic race scene. In November 2012 nine cars were shipped out in one container to Sydney to race in the Historic Tasman Revival then to New Zealand to race at Hampton Downs in the Denny Hulme event over two meetings in January and is now in the UK for the summer. Completed sofar are Silverstone, Snetterton with Kirkistown in Ireland coming up and later this year at Spa and Zandvoort. At the end of September we will return to Perth West Aust. I have raced the Alton for over 7 years now and not failed to get bored with it. Just love the Grey motor with tripple SU's. It is a special prototype open wheeler the likes of which are not often seen.

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#6 Ray Bell

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 21:12

Originally posted by henry6107
The car was incorrectly printed in the programme as it is model AR2.....

I had a notion that the AR1 was front engined, is that right?

It was designed and built by Tony to enter the 2.5ltr Tasman series racing in the 60's however the grey motor was not a power producer thus making the car uncompetitive.....

If I recall correctly, the later 'red' Holden engines were out by the time this car was built, it might have had a better chance if it'd used the 149 (7 bearings, better porting etc) but these engines were still relatively heavy, longer than others and never going to beat a Climax.

On the other hand, it could have been a grid-filler in times when there were only relatively few cars on the grid, Formula Juniors did run in some races, after all.

Edited by Ray Bell, 05 June 2013 - 22:53.

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#7 Simon Arron

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 21:22

Another snap from Snetterton...

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#8 Dale Harvey

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 21:28

The Alton was campaigned by Barrie Garner in the NSW hillclimb series in the late 60's until a large crash caused severe damage to car and driver. My next recollection of the car was when it appeared at historic races in the hands of Col Haste.

Dale.

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#9 Dick Willis

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 21:32

Welcome to TNF, Henry. Hope you are having a good time over there. Your comments now prompt the question, what happened to AR1 ? I remember it running in the NSW Hillclimb Champs in the mid 1960s, it was front engined, Holden of course, and I don't think it had a body. Anyone know its story since then and where it is now ?

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#10 Dick Willis

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 21:36

The Alton was campaigned by Barrie Garner in the NSW hillclimb series in the late 60's until a large crash caused severe damage to car and driver. My next recollection of the car was when it appeared at historic races in the hands of Col Haste.

Dale.

Are you sure Dale, I thought Barrie Garner had the Bowin Holden by the late 1960s, powered by a red Holden.

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#11 Dale Harvey

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 21:37

Well maybe mid 60's. The Bowin I think was early 70's.

Dale.

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#12 Dick Willis

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 21:46

From the Silverdale hillclimb programme, July 23/24, 1966. Tony Caldersmith, Alton AR2, No time. Bob Kennedy, Alton, 40.23. practice time only. Not a very successful day for the Altons.

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#13 GMACKIE

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 22:43

Are you sure Dale, I thought Barrie Garner had the Bowin Holden by the late 1960s, powered by a red Holden.

Are you sure Dick, I thought Barrie's Bowen was V8 [Leyland?] powered. :wave:

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#14 Dale Harvey

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 22:49

Are you sure Dick, I thought Barrie's Bowen was V8 [Leyland?] powered.

Greg, that Bowin was the next in line for Barrie. It was a P6 and that earlier one was a P4. The P4 was built with the red motor from new. Both cars were black and both imaculate.
I competed against the P4 in 1972.
Dale.

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#15 GMACKIE

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 22:57

Greg, that Bowin was the next in line for Barrie. It was a P6 and that earlier one was a P4. The P4 was built with the red motor from new. Both cars were black and both imaculate.
I competed against the P4 in 1972.
Dale.

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#16 Ray Bell

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Posted 05 June 2013 - 22:57

Ah yes... Bob Kennedy...

With chromed exhaust pipes sweeping up beside the cockpit, right?

I have previously posted a photo, not available now, of the P4 with Holden power at Silverdale. This pic was taken about 1973 or 1974, not long after I moved up there (August '73), probably the day a child fell off Murray Bingham's trailer and had to be raced to a doctor.

As mentioned, both were immaculate... the result of having the race car just three paces through a door from the dinner table!

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#17 Dick Willis

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Posted 06 June 2013 - 02:07

Bob Kennedy also did very well with the Nota Din in hillclimbs, such as a class record at Silverdale in 1965 with a time of 36.39. see page 72 of "Öptimism" But this is getting OT from the Alton, so where is Alton AR1 ?

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#18 Team Result

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Posted 06 June 2013 - 03:14

I'm a little confused with Bowin's nomenclature. Wasn't Barrie Garner's a P3 like Glynn Scott's. Weren't the P4s FF models?

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#19 Ray Bell

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Posted 06 June 2013 - 03:35

You're right there, Ross...

My apologies, Barrie's car was indeed a monocoque.

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#20 lyntonh

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Posted 06 June 2013 - 04:14

You're right there, Ross...

My apologies, Barrie's car was indeed a monocoque.

NSW Hill-climb championship Amaroo Park 6th June 1971

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#21 Dick Willis

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Posted 06 June 2013 - 05:40

I believe the person that bought it off Barrie still has it but it hasn't turned a wheel for many years.

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#22 henry6107

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Posted 06 June 2013 - 07:07

Thanks Dick. Regarding AR1 it was truly a front engined racer. Started off as a bodyless clubman grey motor powered in the early 60's. later it developped into AR3 with a red motor and nice body around the frame. Ar2 also evolved with a red motor and hewland gearbox. Col Haste did finish the resto and put AR2 back on the track. I have both AR2 and AR1 which is in need of resto. Currently I am having too much fun racing and travelling with AR2.