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Syd Fisher / Tony Osborne


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#1 Des Piggott

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Posted 16 December 2014 - 03:00

Growing up, as a kid in the late fifties and early sixties in Hawthorn, Melbourne, being able to smell, touch, hear and even sit in a real racing car was a fantastic thrill and a life changing experience which I would believe most TNF members can relate to. My experiences came from visiting Hawthorn Auto Wreckers owned by Vic Croft who raced a Valiant sedan and later one of the new Elfin Clubmen fitted with a Fiat 1500 motor. I'm sure this is were my lifelong love of all things Elfin was started. The other opportunities arose at the local service station that I passed twice a day going to and from school. Each day they would push onto the forecourt a Lotus Elite belonging to Tony Osborne and ( my favorite ) a front engined Cooper Corvettte which belonged to Syd Fisher. I'm sure I would have spoken to these two gentlemen at the time but having recently seen death notices for them here on TNF it occurred to me how little I knew about them. I've started to search about were possible to see what I can find out, but I wondered if any members here would like to share their knowledge or photos about these two / three former racing drivers?

 

Cheers,

Des



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#2 cooper997

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Posted 16 December 2014 - 09:33

Nice anecdote Des. So that would have been 1962/63 I guessi.

Just to clarify you remember AJR 'Tony' Osborne, he's still alive. It was the other Tony Osborne who ran in Historics in recent years who passed away.

Stephen

#3 Des Piggott

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Posted 17 December 2014 - 23:49

Nice anecdote Des. So that would have been 1962/63 I guessi.

Just to clarify you remember AJR 'Tony' Osborne, he's still alive. It was the other Tony Osborne who ran in Historics in recent years who passed away.

Stephen

 

Thanks for the feedback Stephen, I wasn't aware of the two Tony Osbornes but am on track now. I've been able to source a lot of information from the Forum starting with Ron Simmonds brief history of Syd on another topic. I also found some photos of Vic Croft and Tony on the Autopics site which were most interesting. The contact with Vic was in 1962 and the others through to 1965 when I started my apprenticeship. The Cooper Corvette certainly had a varied career and it's nice to know that it still exists in one form.

 

Cheers,

Des



#4 cooper997

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Posted 22 December 2014 - 00:42

Des, here's a photo from the pages of Autosportsman (so 1960's magazine photo technology, I'm afraid).

 

Sid & the Cooper-Corvette beast at 8/12/63 Calder. Pat Hawthorn's Aston Martin follows

.

Fisher_Cooper.jpg
upload image online

 

Stephen



#5 Ray Bell

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Posted 22 December 2014 - 01:02

Stephen, a big part of the problem with that pic is that you scanned it...

If you photograph the page with a digital camera it turns out much better. You have to do it in good natural light but not in the sun, use the digital camera at approximately half its zoom, ie. not on zoom, not on wide angle.

#6 Catalina Park

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Posted 22 December 2014 - 05:46

If you change the resolution in the scanner you will also get a much better result.

#7 Des Piggott

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 09:19

Thanks for the wonderful photo Stephen, even though we were well into the rear engined era, the Cooper Corvette really represented a serious racing car!! and I was hooked on it. Fantastic to now have a photo of it. I found Vic Crofts Elfin Clubman was delivered in February 1963 and unfortunately appears to be the only original Clubman that fails to exist today, scrapped in the late 70s according to the Elfin Register. There are lots of references available for Tony Osborne from Cooper Bristol? in 1959 to Cooper Monaco, T53, Elite, Argo and McLaren M4a and I'm starting to form a picture of his racing career. Hopefully I can do the same with the other two drivers. I've found an Alan Brown reference to a Tony Osbourne Cooper Bristol ending up with a Corvette engine and driven by Bob Punch, does this mean there were two front engined Cooper Corvettes?  Must thank OLDRACEPHOTOS and AUTOPICS for the history they provide through the photo files.

 

Cheers, Des



#8 Ray Bell

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 10:17

The Argo and the McLaren were never driven by Tony Osborne...

Peter Macrow and Alfredo Costanzo were the principal pilots.

#9 Des Piggott

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 10:33

Hi Ray, the cars were both down as Tony's but as you say driven by Peter and Alfie, I think that information came from the OLDRACEPHOTS site.

 

Cheers.



#10 Ray Bell

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 10:52

Yes, for a while Tony became a genuine Team Patron...

The Argo was a bit of a beast, but the McLaren was able to show the skills of its drivers.

#11 cooper997

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Posted 28 December 2014 - 02:28

Des, if I'm on the right track the Bob Punch Cooper-Holden received its Corvette engine late 1965/early 66. Which would make it at least the third Cooper-Bristol to be fitted with such an engine. The aforementioned Fisher car and the Davey-Milne car. But it took until 1997 before that car was fired up under Corvette power. Having sat around for 35 or more years incomplete. Given its history that's the one that should definitely be Bristol powered now. It being the Brabham 'Redex Special'. A major reconstruction to facilitate though.

 

Tony Osborne and his son, Anthony were playing with Delage in more recent years. Although there was an auction of the collection in Febuary 2011.

 

Here's an attempt to do a better version of the Fisher C-C photo and Vic Croft having a moment in his Elfin at Tarrawingee.

 

Fisher_Cooper_Corvette.jpg
uploading pictures

 

vic_croft_elfin.jpg
jpg images

 

Stephen

 

 

 



#12 GMACKIE

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Posted 28 December 2014 - 06:13

This Delage, with the Hispano V12 'aero' engine ? :cool:

 

hispano-gf-07_zps81bbfc15.jpg



#13 ronsimmonds70

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Posted 28 December 2014 - 22:32

The Syd Fisher Car was the  ex Stan Coffey, Jack Myers Cooper Bristol , when it was fitted with a Holden Waggott motor by Jack.

 

This car is now restored to its original specs, with a 2lt Bristol motor, and is on display at the Birdwood Mill Motor Museum in South Australia.



#14 cooper997

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Posted 28 December 2014 - 23:31

Ron, has the car had a recent refit? Why I ask is that it's the better part of 20 years since I was at Birdwood. But recall it restored to Jack Myers spec with Waggott Holden..

 

I also seem to recall the information board for the car stating along the lines that there was some serious thought went into whether the car was restored to the Myers spec or back to the Hawthorn Cooper-Bristol spec.

 

Mick - aka 275 GTB posted a photo on TNF sometime within the last 5 years.

 

Stephen



#15 Dick Willis

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Posted 29 December 2014 - 02:13

The Coffey/Myers/Fisher etc car was restored with a Waggott engine about 20 years ago and was run a few times but a change of policy at the  museum meant that it was relegated to a career as a static exhibit



#16 275 GTB-4

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Posted 29 December 2014 - 02:45

Ron, has the car had a recent refit? Why I ask is that it's the better part of 20 years since I was at Birdwood. But recall it restored to Jack Myers spec with Waggott Holden..
 
I also seem to recall the information board for the car stating along the lines that there was some serious thought went into whether the car was restored to the Myers spec or back to the Hawthorn Cooper-Bristol spec.
 
Mick - aka 275 GTB posted a photo on TNF sometime within the last 5 years.
 
Stephen


Post #222

Posted 21 December 2010 - 18:13

http://forums.autosp...-5?hl= birdwood +museum

#17 Ray Bell

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Posted 29 December 2014 - 04:45

Why not just post the photos?

P1030848.jpg

P1030852.jpg

P1030851.jpg

P1030849.jpg

P1030847.jpg

#18 Ray Bell

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Posted 29 December 2014 - 04:48

Have we got any reasonably detailed photos, either front on or rear on, of the McLaren M4a?

Colour would be nice, though I know that's harder to achieve...

#19 Des Piggott

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Posted 29 December 2014 - 05:23

Ron, has the car had a recent refit? Why I ask is that it's the better part of 20 years since I was at Birdwood. But recall it restored to Jack Myers spec with Waggott Holden..

 

I also seem to recall the information board for the car stating along the lines that there was some serious thought went into whether the car was restored to the Myers spec or back to the Hawthorn Cooper-Bristol spec.

 

Mick - aka 275 GTB posted a photo on TNF sometime within the last 5 years.

 

Stephen

 

 

Hi Stephen, been away and just catching up. Thanks again for your wonderful photo research, I honestly didn't expect to see a Vic Croft Elfin photo but am grateful for your efforts. I've spent an enormous amount of time recently following the histories of the various Tony Osborne cars plus the Cooper Corvettes / Bristols. There appear to be two T53s connected to Tony plus the Monaco, Elite, Cooper Bristol and M4A all with complex histories. Did the Tony Osborne Cooper Bristol he purchased from Ray Gibbs in 59 become a Corvette?

 

Thanks again for your help. 

 

Cheers,

Des :clap:



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#20 Des Piggott

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Posted 29 December 2014 - 05:34

Answered my own question, I had already added Alan Brown's quote to my list, showing Tony's Bristol as the Bob Punch car. Oldtimers disease!!



#21 cooper997

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Posted 30 December 2014 - 07:34

Des,

 

Here's another piece of the jigsaw.

 

If you have a look here, you'll get 2 for the price of one. http://forums.autosp...to-70s/page-154

Rod - aka Repco22 posted the fantastic David Van Dal colour photo of the Osborne Elite with the Davison Cooper at the 1962 Caversham AGP meeting. If I'm on the right track that should be the 'backup' Cooper Jack Brabham had for the 1962 NZ/Aus Internationals. That was purchased by Davo after he binned the Bowmaker-YC Cooper against the pub at the 1962 Longford meeting. Then when it was surplus to Lex, Tony Osborne took it on.

 

The bent Bowmaker-YC Cooper then made its way to Don Fraser in South Australia. Ultimately finding its way to Tony Osborne.

 

My photo below shows that car just after restoration at a concours event in the Yarra Valley in 1995. Tony is in the red jumper.

 

Osborne_YC_Cooper.jpg
images hosting

 

Stephen



#22 Des Piggott

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Posted 30 December 2014 - 10:14

Amazing stuff Stephen. Your photo wasn't taken at Domaine Chandon was it? I remember seeing a T53 at the National Concours there sometime mid 90s.

 

Thanks again for all the work.

 

 

Des

 

 

 

piggottd@bigpond.net.au



#23 cooper997

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Posted 31 December 2014 - 03:11

Correct with the venue Des.

 

Next to the Osborne Cooper is the ex Whitehead Cooper-Jaguar, then owned by Ian McDonald and just visible beyond that is the Davey-Milne Cooper-Corvette.

 

Stephen



#24 Des Piggott

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Posted 06 January 2015 - 10:11

Hi all, I've been trying to follow the histories of the cars related to the three drivers above and after much reading of this forum plus assistance from cooper997 I think I know the fate of most of Tony's cars apart from the Elite. The only car of Syd's that I know of is the Cooper / WM Holden. Vic crofts Elfin didn't survive and I guess the Valiant would have gone to an early grave. Anyhow, I wondered if anybody could help out with the fate of Tony's Elite? and also wondered if Ron Simmonds new anything of the fate of Syd's other cars?

 

Thanks, in anticipation

 

Des



#25 cooper997

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Posted 06 January 2015 - 11:21

Des,

 

Marc Schagen's Lotus book gives a brief rundown of Tony's Elite. Apparently awaiting restoration.

 

Here's the 3/63 Sandown entry with Tony's Elite listed about half way down.

 

Sandown_Mar_63.jpg
print screen windows 7

 

Stephen

 

 



#26 Des Piggott

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Posted 20 January 2015 - 09:03

Hi Stephen, great news that the Elite, another part of this interesting story still exists.

 

 

Des



#27 MarkBisset

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Posted 05 April 2022 - 06:23

9139484-C-A69-C-4303-B3-CE-A7-ACFA592977

 

I’ve got to know Anthony Osborne a bit in the last couple of years, and sent him Lin Gigney’s  shot of his Dad leading Graham Hill and Tim Mayer on Long Bridge during Friday practice a few weeks back when it first appeared on the HRCCTas FB page.

 

Anthony rang before to say his Dad enjoyed the shot and remembered the day well (despite not recalling what happened yesterday). He thinks it may even be the lap during practice when Tim died. The Brabham and Cooper passed him, on the fateful lap Tim’s T70 was about 150 yards in front of Tony’s T53 going into Longford village when it caught some wind on the hump, landed askew and got away from him. “He said it really shook him up,” as of course it would.

 

Tony Osborne is quite ill in a Shoreham aged care facility.

 

Anthony pointed out the car in his Dad’s colours, red and silver. “He bought a red Lotus Elite from John Roxburgh but it was so hot inside he got John to have the roof painted silver.”

 

”These colours carried over to the Cooper T53 and ex-Stillwell Cooper Monaco.” I mentioned Roxburgh in the Lotus 23 (below), Anthony said his Dad had the choice of either that car or the Elite, both of which were for sale at the same time.

 

F242-E297-24-F5-448-F-A5-E8-618-FC1-EE4-

 

Photos: Lin Gigney


Edited by MarkBisset, 05 April 2022 - 06:27.