40 replies to this topic

[131abarth]

With the upcoming Bathurst 12 Hour next week, and the factory entry this year of  three 695 Abarths in the enduro, I am trying to find information about motorsport competitor and founding member of the FIAT Club of NSW, Ted Ansell.

 

Ted Ansell was an entrant in the first ever Australian Touring Car Championships at Gnoo Blas in 1960 (albeit in an NSU Prinz), but of interest to us in the FIAT Club is any info covering his racing at Bathurst in the 1950s in both a 500 Abarth (designated 695) and a 600 Abarth, occasionally in the same meeting!

 

We are taking his Abarth-emblazoned race helmet, which we have seen him wearing in a Huntley Hillclimb photo from November 1959, up to Bathurst to be photographed with the 2014 Abarth team. We have a photo showing the helmet being held by Colin Bond and Jim Richards at the 2013 Gnoo Blas Festival.

 

For a bit of fun, we have another photo of Ted at Gnoo Blas, on the grid, dusting his 600 Abarth with a feather duster,

wearing his approved racing sandals over socks!

 

The FIAT Club would love to add to the sparse information we have about Ted's exploits.

 

We have some data of his competition exploits from Phillip Island to Southport, from Mona Vale to Huntley to South Grafton and Newcastle hillclimbs, even a photo of David McKay attending Ted's 90th birthday party not long before both sadly left us all.

 

Beyond his racing career Ted was a flaggie at the end of Pit Straight at Warwick Farm.

 

As one of the oldest marque car clubs in Australia (founded 1949) we are very keen to fill in the gaps in the history of Ted Ansell and other FIAT race drivers of the era. We as a club still have a motor racing tradition, and one of our members is contesting the Australian Driver's Championships in 2014.

 

Any help finding out about one of the characters of Australian motor racing will be greatly appreciated.

Edited by 131abarth, 31 January 2014 - 09:23.

[GMACKIE]

Pretty sure Ted was driving the Abarth, when he went through the wire fence [near Skyline?] at Bathurst.....early '60s.

[Stinky]

Hi Fellas;

The only thing I can tell you about Ted was he used to drive what was,I think an Arbarth 6oo'

It was a two tone metallic brown and a stricking metallic green.

It was one of those that had the engine hatch permenately propped open.

He was,basically a permenant fixture at point A at the Farm.

At that stage I would think he was well over three score years and ten.

A lovely person to talk to when you wre a VERY junior official.

Cheers.

Roger.

[131abarth]

Yes, we have a race report that Ted hurtled into Forrest Elbow, where oil from a previous race was covered with dirt, and lost it there, putting his head through the windscreen and his leg through the driver's door skin......don't know what shape he was in at the time, but he lived on to a ripe old age, so it can't have been too bad!

[kombiracer]

Are you able to show the Huntley pic?

[131abarth]

Some Ted Ansell photos......
 
 

Ted Ansell portrait.

 

Ted Ansell, Huntley Hillclimb, possibly November 1959, I would love some confirmation from somewhere.

This photo is from the Huntley Hillclimb thread.

 

Gnoo Blas Festival 2013, Ted Ansell's Abarth-emblazoned helmet with a pair of known speedy gentlemen.

 

Ted Ansell at Mt Druitt sprints in an Abarth 750. It looks to be a factory-genuine article too with the proper Abarth steel wheels,

the Abarth spinners on the hub caps, the correct grillework and correct overriders on the bumpers.

 

The Abarth 750 was released in 1958, enlarging the standard FIAT 600 engine from 633cc to 750cc punching out 41.5HP....yes

that 0.5HP is important down that end of the world. The car weighed in the order of 560kg.

 

 

 

On the grid at Gnoo Blas, the original photo has a note that says January 1958, although looking at race results for that date

don't seem to match the numbers on the other cars in the race. Any ideas who else is on the grid with Ted, and does the date tally

with others' memories?

 

Note especially the feather duster in Ted's hands - clearly Ted wanted the cleanest car in the race - and the stone protection on the front.  I assume the sandals were regulation footwear at the time.

 

Ted had a history of driving to and at every possible event he could from Philip Island to Southport Qld, yet still turn up to FIAT Club

of NSW Concorso d'Eleganzas and win them outright. A serious motoring enthusiast.

 

 

 

Feather duster secured, now it all gets very serious!

 

 

Ted even made the newspapers occasionally. By the way, that boating article next to Ted was written by Blanche's D'Alpuget's dad.

 

It's such a small world.

Edited by 131abarth, 01 February 2014 - 05:37.

[DanTra2858]

The picture of Ted in the NSU was taken by me using a box brownies at Huntley Hillclimb in 1959/60, will try to find if there are any results concerning that climb, one thing I do remember it was the car that he ran at Bathurst the same year.

[131abarth]

DanTra2858,

 

I cannot tell you what a surprise it was to find ANY photo of Ted in competition, let alone finding the original photographer.

 

I have spent a lifetime behind various cameras, and as much as I love modern digital technology, those old low-tech cameras

sure add romanticism to an image. I started with a 35mm Exa in the 1970s, but I have used a Box Brownie and can only congratulate you, some 54 years after the event, for getting the car in frame and properly exposed back then. Even the background blurring shows signs of you panning to follow Ted.

 

My research suggests this meeting was November 1959, just before the January 1960 first ever Australian Touring Car Championships in which Ted drove down the back end of the field.

[DanTra2858]

Thanks for the kind words 131Abarth, it seems funny for at that time I was still going to School but within 4 years I was Hillclimbing a 1954 Fiat 1100 in the end it was the quickest 1100 ever up Huntley, now I am writing this in a basicaly Fiat Forum, I also raced a 1959 Fiat 1100 at Kembla Grange Speedway, cheers.

[DanTra2858]

http://i963.photobuc...zps6a2e85ce.jpg

[cooper997]

The colour Gnoo Blas photos do telly with the Monday, January 27th, 1958 South Pacific Road Racing Championship meeting. It could be 1 of two events. The morning's event 2 Sedan Car Handicap 5 lapper or the afternoon's event 5 South Pacific Sedan Car Championship, run over 10 laps.

29 Austin is a young Brian Foley. The black 73 VW is G T Wilson, the 30 VW is T J Borrer and the Simcas are 43 A Sonsom, 55 J Cooper & 36 T Jordan. For the record Ted's entry is listed "49 E D Ansell Fiat Abarth 747"

I'm aware that the March 58 issues of Sports Car World and Australian Motor Sports mags have reports for this meeting. But not sure whether Ted gets a mention. Plus, if you're not already aware, the June 58 SCW has a test on Ted's Abarth with some good photos.

Stephen

Edited by cooper997, 02 February 2014 - 07:05.

[Brian Lear]

131abarth

 

A three page feature on Ted Ansell appeared in the August 1958 issue of Wheels magazine.

 

Send me your email address and I will scan a copy for you.

 

Brian Lear

rblear@bigpond.com

[GMACKIE]

Any chance of posting that on here, Brian ? Wouldn't mind reading that myself - and others here may like to do so, as well.

[GMACKIE]

Brian Lear has asked me to post this Wheels magazine article.......hope it works.

1st page;-

 

[GMACKIE]

2nd page;-

 

[GMACKIE]

3rd page;-

 

[GMACKIE]

Knew I'd stuff it up !

 

1st & 2nd pages are arse-about.

[DanTra2858]

Great work Greg at least you got them up all I achieved was a URL that is very much less than I wanted.

[Ray Bell]

I think Ted was one of those flaggies who stuck to his white overalls longer than many others, too...

 

He was just a part of the furniture at Warwick Farm, a bit of the stability that Geoff Sykes like to incorporate in the running of his meetings. He would have been the first to get the total surprise to see Jim Clark take to the grass on his second-ever lap of the Farm when he misread just where that first corner went.

[GMACKIE]

Jim Clark wasn't the first - or the last - to get Paddock wrong.

 

According to the caption under the photo of Ted's 30/98, it did 25 MPG !....mine did 16 MPG if you drove carefully. Driven fast, it did 15 MPG - so guess how it was driven.   The 30/98 was known as a "Thirsty", and there's a good reason for that.

 

Peter Adams now owns.....and regularly drives '50 bob'. The name comes from the Vauxhall's chassis number - A 210. Who can work that out.....no prizes.

[Stinky]

Hi Greg;

50 bob,two pounds ten shillings in the  old currency.

Also I must apologise for the bum steer about the colour of Teds car.

The brown and green Arbarth was also a reuglar visitor to the pits at the Farm.

Would love to know who the owner was.

It was immaculate.

Cheers.

Roger.

[Ray Bell]

It wasn't a matter of 'getting Paddock wrong,' Greg...

 

As he approached at speed, he made an assumption of where the corner went based on where the flag point was or something. I've forgotten the detail, but I remember hearing Geoff talking about what Jim had told him. He simply thought the corner went wider than it did based on his expectations relating to the surroundings.

[GMACKIE]

Hi Greg;

50 bob,two pounds ten shillings in the  old currency.

 

 

  Give the man a Kurrajong card.

[GMACKIE]

But there's more. A request from cooper 997 to post these pages....

 

1st page;-

 

[GMACKIE]

2nd page;-

 

[GMACKIE]

3rd page;-

 

[GMACKIE]

4th page;-

 

[131abarth]

Brian,

 

Many, many thanks for these articles.

 

The Wheels article in particular is amazing. It fills a number of holes in Ted's story, and now gives me some more to search further on.

 

This is the first time I have seen pictures of Ted in an 1100TV or his blown Topolino.

 

A couple of questions spring up from between the lines.......the mystery about why he suddenly exited Duntroon, and I wonder if there was a little leg-pulling about Ross & Keith Smith's aircraft repair requirements?

 

But it is a rather good yarn, nevertheless.

 

You gotta love a forum when it works this well.

 

Thanks again, Brian.

[GMACKIE]

Just to give credit where it's due....Brian Lear provided the 'Wheels article' scans, and Stephen [cooper997] provided the 'SCW article' scans.

 

Oh, and [before he starts feeling 'left out'] Mick [275 GTB-4], who helped me to master the 'post pics' thing.

Edited by GMACKIE, 03 February 2014 - 22:06.

[DanTra2858]

Ted listed on result sheet.

[GMACKIE]

Stephen [cooper997] has sent another 1000 words - i.e. a graeat picture of Ted Ansell, at Foley's Hill :-

 

[DanTra2858]

Bowral 1959 Championship round

[275 GTB-4]

Bowral 1959 Championship round

Wow! Dan..terrific...might copy that to the Oxley's Hill Climb thread

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 12 February 2014 - 10:06.

[131abarth]

I always hoped to get this sort of response to my original request for Ted Ansell info, but I am quite blown away by some of the treasures that have been unearthed. Thanks to evryone who has contributed so far, and I am sure there are more surprises to come.

 

One of my more pleasant surprises was when one of my fellow FIAT Club members brought to a club meeting a box of Ted's trophies he has been hoarding.

 

I originally planned to spend time polishing these in order to more easily see and photograph the various inscriptions, but common sense and a fear of damaging these trophies in any way caused me to change my thinking.

 

Here is a group photo of the collection:

 

Here is a close up of one of the nameplates from a trophy from the Leura Hillclimb:

 

 

Next is a pennant Ted was awarded at the first ever competitive club event for the newly-formed FIAT 500 Club of NSW. Ted was a co-founder of the club, which conducted its first monthly meeting in November 1949, and won this award the following month at Windsor Showground, just a kilometer up the road from Ansell Park, the FIAT Club grounds named in his honour in 1977.

 

 

The next item will probably end up on other threads, or be a trigger for new ones.....it is a Class Winners Pennant from Southport.

 

 

Finally, a shot of Ted Ansell's helmet on the dash of my modern-day Abarth, being taken around on a commemorative lap of Mt Panorama during the Bathurst 12 Hour weekend. The Abarth team result at the 12 Hour echoed the giant-killing efforts of drivers like Ted Ansell.

 

 

 

I have transcribed the engravings on all of these trophies, and present them here for all you data miners. There are a few trophies that are a bit enigmatic for me, as there are a couple of club acronyms I have not come across before. Here is the list:

 

 

TROPHIES

Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia - 1949 Opening Rally - E.D.Ansell - Vintage Award

Katoomba Hotel Cup - Saloon Cars 851-1100cc - E.Ansell 61.96 sec - LEURA HILL - 1954

A.S.C.C. - Foley's Hill Climb - 8.5.53 - E.Ansell - 501-1100cc Closed - 1st  34.79 secs - F.I.A.T.

V.S.C.C - Foley's Hill Climb - 25.9.55 - Modern Saloon under 1500cc - T.Ansell - Fiat 1100 TV

A.S.C.C. - FLYING 1/8TH - CLUB RECORDS - Sept. 1954 - Standing 1/4 - Class Winner

A.S.C.C. - CLUB RECORDS - Sept. 1954 - Standing 1/4 - Class Winner

M.G. Car Club - Concourse D'Elegance - 8.12.57 - Class 2 Sedan Cars - Outright Winner - E.D.Ansell - Fiat-Abarth

H.V.S.C.C. - N.S.W. Hill Climb Championship - 1954 - Closed Cars up to 1500cc - Winner E.Ansell -  75.72 Seconds

V.S.C.C. - OPENING RALLY 1955 - MODERN SEDAN CARS - T.ANSELL - FIAT 1100

H.V.S.C.C. - N.S.W. HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP - CLASS C.  CLOSED CARS - SECOND - 19.11.55

North Coast Hill Climb Championship - Grafton 1957 - Winner - Class 1100cc - FIAT-ABARTH 750 - Class Record - E.D.Ansell

Western Districts Hill Climb Championships - 16.3.58 - Under 1100cc Sedan - E.Ansell    (Which hill?)

A.R.D.C. - Pit Crew Trophy - BATHURST 1958 - FIAT-ABARTH 750 - E.D.ANSELL    (what does this trophy mean?)

SEDAN CAR SCRATCH RACE - BATHURST 5.10.58 - 0-750cc - won by E.D.Ansell

1960 - A.R.D.C. Records Day - Sedan Cars - E.D.Ansell   (where?)

N.W.S.C.C. - N.S.W Sprint Championships - 28.6.64 - 501-750cc Sports - E.Ansell - 23.06 secs  (Where?)

N.S.S.C.C. - 1955 - Hill Climb - Under 1100cc Saloon - Winner - E.Ansell        (I assume North Shore Sporting Car Club)

S.I.C.C.  C'SHIPS 1958 - OPEN HILL CLIMB - u/1100cc SEDANS - FIAT-ABARTH - T.ANSELL 26.5 SEC  (S.I.C.C. ? Which hill?)

1960 - N.S.W. Sprint C'ships - Gran Turismo 501-750cc - T.Ansell  (Where?)

SPORTS CAR WORLD TROPHY - G.T.501-750cc - 1st ..............(MYSTERY: no name, date or venue.)

N.S.W. SPRINT C'SHIPS - 25.5.58 - UP TO 750cc - E.ANSELL - 21.60 SECS  (Where?)

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FIAT Club trophies

FIAT 500 Club of NSW - 1953 Club Sprints - FTD  (I suspect an airstrip at Pitt Town)

FIAT 500 Club of NSW - Hillclimb 1950 - FTD (No idea of venue, currently searching)

FIAT Club of N.S.W. - Best Kept Car - 1957 - E.Ansell

FIAT Club of NSW - 1958 - Best Kept Car

Pennant - FIAT 500 Club of NSW - Best Kept Car - 18-12-49 - E.Ansell

 

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.......and there has to be a story or two here with this one - Tankard inscribed with: To Ted - On his 80th - The Boys at the "Farm" - 28-7-1969

There you go, I think I've seeded the cloud, let's see what else is out there.............
 

Edited by 131abarth, 18 February 2014 - 12:54.

[Ray Bell]

Yes, that's the North Shore Sporting Car Club...

 

The ARDC Records Day would surely have been at Castlereagh.

[terry mcgrath]

I have a record of an E, Ansell running an XK120 roadster at the Mt Druitt sprints in July 1951 in what would have been a fairly new car.

Is it the same person does anyone know of him having an XK120 or maybe driving someone else's car?

regards terry

[cooper997]

August 51 AMS has a brief comment of the Ansell car being recently acquired. Jack Robinson also ran an XK120 at the event.

 

Stephen

[DanTra2858]

I am sure that Ted would be imbarrased by all the fuss that is being made of his Motor Sport life, I remeber talking to him at the Farm on his Flag point, he told me that the trick of being quick was very easy " Try & be smooth & it will happen". A very modest man.

[275 GTB-4]

I am sure that Ted would be imbarrased by all the fuss that is being made of his Motor Sport life, I remeber talking to him at the Farm on his Flag point, he told me that the trick of being quick was very easy " Try & be smooth & it will happen". A very modest man.

Quite!...so it is fitting that we honour the man in our own small way, Dan

[ReWind]

Personal dates here.

[cooper997]

I've had a bit of a ferret about on some of the questions 131abarth has relating to Ted's awards.

 

Western Districts Hill Climb Championships - 16.3.58 - Under 1100cc Sedan - E.Ansell    (Which hill?)  

2/58 AMS coming events has Wollongong SCC Hillclimb on this date. But the Western Districts part almost makes me think “Did he compete in Victoria with the Western District Car Club?” But it’s possibly got more to do with the Bathurst or Orange Light Car Clubs or the like.

A.R.D.C. - Pit Crew Trophy - BATHURST 1958 - FIAT-ABARTH 750 - E.D.ANSELL    (what does this trophy mean?)    

I’ve had a bit of a look in both 1958 Bathurst programmes and nothing specific is mentioned within the ‘Awards’ section. I could presume that with presentation being important to Ted, his helper(s) were suitably dapper, so hence an award.

SEDAN CAR SCRATCH RACE - BATHURST 5.10.58 - 0-750cc - won by E.D.Ansell    

This is the first day of the AGP meeting. Event 1 Sedan and Touring Car Scratch Race – 10 laps. It must relate to a Class award, in this istance Class 0 -750cc, but my programme has “24 W March Renault” with ‘1’ pencilled in next to it and ’40 E D Ansell/ E D Ansell NSW Fiat Abarth 747’ has ‘2’pencilled next to it. Monday’s 6/10/58 Event 2 Sedan and Touring Car Handicap – 10 laps has his car as 41 (probably a typo though)
10/58 AMS report has a mention of Ted Ansell's Abarth with broken rocker screws, but hardly slowed him down comment. The results also mention him as second. So there’s a mystery to solve. Did Bill do something naughty to have the award taken off him later?

N.W.S.C.C. - N.S.W Sprint Championships - 28.6.64 - 501-750cc Sports - E.Ansell - 23.06 secs  (Where?) 

Sure it’s NWSCC and not MWSCC = Manly-Warringah Sporting Car Club?

S.I.C.C.  C'SHIPS 1958 - OPEN HILL CLIMB - u/1100cc SEDANS - FIAT-ABARTH - T.ANSELL 26.5 SEC  (S.I.C.C. ? Which hill?) 

1960 CAMS Manual has ‘Sydney Illawarra Car Club’ to part answer this.

1960 - N.S.W. Sprint C'ships - Gran Turismo 501-750cc - T.Ansell  (Where?) 

Castlereagh 21/8/60 – programme has him in Gran Turismo Appendix K - “40 T Ansell NSU Prinz 583”

 

Stephen