Alpine Rally, Australia 2022

A mix of proper classics, old cars with modern mechanicals, and even some genuine historic rally cars. But all had to be pre-2000 cars and 2WD only was allowed. 

A four-day rally with over 400km of competitive driving and more than 100 entries. 

The Alpine is one of the oldest rallies in the world - this event commemorated 100 years since the first one (except it was 101 years, what with Covid and stuff). Three of the four days were around the Lakes Entrance / Orbost areas and the other in proper high country, near Omeo. 

First was Nathan Quinn / Ray Winwood-Smith in a Mazda RX2. Bridge-port engine with a Weber, welded diff six-speed box. 

2nd went to a newer car, the Nissan Gazelle of Andrew and David Travis.

And some other interesting cars, in no particular order. Details as I think of them.

Darkie Barr-Smith's with Jono Forrest on the maps Ford Capri Perana. South African model, with a 302ci V8. Sounded lovely, until the crank broke.

Matt and Guy Ruggles's TR7 V8. Uses the Rover engine. Fast and reliable. 

Another BLMC product, Tony Jordan's and Richard Davidson's Stag. Like the Trumpy, uses the Rover engine, so it usually keeps going.

Front-wheel drive, V6 Mitsubishi Magna. Driven with great verve, dill and scaring by Tristan Carrigan and Neil Woolley. They were running in the top three until an off. First time I've ever heard spectators excited to see a Magna coming!

More to follow. 


BRM

Edited by brucemoxon, 21 January 2023 - 00:10.

More. How about a genuine classic now? This car ran in the 1968 London-Sydney, driven by Harry Firth. Now in the hands of the Reed family, this was its 10th and last Alpine, as it's getting a bit tired (imagine!)

Although liveried as the Brock car, this is actually the test mule built by George Shepheard before he built three more for the 1995 Round-Australia rally.

Carl Stewart uses the road camber to set up his Datsun 1600 for a left-hander.

Same corner. Jack Monkhouse was one of the fancied entries before the event, but broke a driveshaft early on, dropping him out of contention. He vowed to 'put on a show' for the rest of the event. You can see the apex of the corner at the bottom right of the picture. 
 

BRM

Edited by brucemoxon, 21 January 2023 - 00:13.

Lake Omeo and the surrounding mountains make for a nice backdrop to Allan Friend's Nissan Gazelle

That Magna again - passing a shack lived in by a lonely goatherd, halfway up a hill...

Actually I have no idea who lives there, if anyone. Just wanted to be annoying and give y'all an earworm!

Bruce gets a photo of John Doutch getting a photo of Luke Sytema's Escort. More mountains, too.

BRM

Great photos Bruce

Wow...

Thanks Bruce for the rally report and magic photos, the panoramas are most spectacular!

Albert Valentine Turner - Australian ace of the day in all disciplines - and crew during their victorious 1921 Alpine Trial run. Itala Tipo 51 tourer (melbournecirclenet)

https://primotipo.co...lbourne-record/

Edited by MarkBisset, 21 January 2023 - 03:46.

Great photos Bruce.

And here's the 'just after' of the shot of the Escort. I could have cropped the other photographer out, but thought the back of his head made a nice counterpoint to the main subject.

Anyhoo, here are John and I captured by Ian Smith, who was just down the road a little. Rally photography is so glamorous, right? And when I took my camera and good lenses in to get a service, Canon commented on how dusty everything was. 

Great photos Bruce.

Yes,great Pics.,we did the Alpine back in the early 1970's shortly after the NSW Rally Ban ended.

Datsun 1600 in mud sleet and snow back then,amazing to see dust up there.

Excellent stuff, Bruce!  

The Nissan Gazelle made me scratch my head at first.  I think that name could not be used in the UK as it belonged to the late (un)lamented Singer Gazelle. Pity, it is a good car name.

I have great memories of the 'original' Alpines (those run ot of Bright) in the late '70s early '80s, having competed in the 1980 event.. Have a few pics left from those but it is to tedious to post them here, having to go through a 3rd party imaging host.

I have great memories of the 'original' Alpines (those run ot of Bright) in the late '70s early '80s, having competed in the 1980 event.. Have a few pics left from those but it is to tedious to post them here, having to go through a 3rd party imaging host.

Yeah, I just copy mine from my Facebook page. 

Those old Alpines must have been something. 

BRM

Excellent stuff, Bruce!  

 

The Nissan Gazelle made me scratch my head at first.  I think that name could not be used in the UK as it belonged to the late (un)lamented Singer Gazelle. Pity, it is a good car name.

The Singer has a certain charm to it. There's a closely-related Sunbeam Rapier I see every now and then - nice looking car. 


BRM

The Singer has a certain charm to it. There's a closely-related Sunbeam Rapier I see every now and then - nice looking car. 


BRM

I had a Rapier back in the day.  Lovely car and I would love to have one now.  But the Gazelle, whilst both were based on the Hillman Minx of the time, always looked wrong and gawky to me.    

If you didn't like the Singer Gazelle particularly, perhaps you'd find another use for the grille?

Nothing Nissan about that... and with regard to the Alpine Rally staged around Bright, are there pics of my little brother's Escort competing in that?

He was pretty miffed when the Auto Action report gave fastest time on the Bright Speedway section to Wayne Bell when it was he and his Escort winning their only best time of the event.

If you didn't like the Singer Gazelle particularly, perhaps you'd find another use for the grille?

 

Is that a case of "Oh yes, it's the same car, we just fitted a new body, chassis and running gear to the original grille"?  Not sure what that car is, but I like it.  

Actually, i think it is the grille that was my problem.  Later Gazelles (MkVI)  had a cut-down grille and more restrained styling and looked a lot nicer.

It's built on an older Singer chassis...

And it uses older Singer running gear throughout. The builder, Jim Bertram, did all the work himself, but he's that kind of bloke. He raced a Singer in the fifties.

There are more detailed pics of the car here:

https://forums.autos...d/#entry9343291

If you didn't like the Singer Gazelle particularly, perhaps you'd find another use for the grille?

 

 

Nothing Nissan about that... and with regard to the Alpine Rally staged around Bright, are there pics of my little brother's Escort competing in that?

 

He was pretty miffed when the Auto Action report gave fastest time on the Bright Speedway section to Wayne Bell when it was he and his Escort winning their only best time of the event.

I'd start by contacting Ian Smith. Maybe Paul Mollison too. I've been to precisely 2 rallies in Victoria now. 


BRM