21 replies to this topic

[island]

Hi!
Graham Vercoe writes in his book "Historic
Racing Cars of New Zealand" that the car is
now in the Southward Motor Museum north of
Wellington. Is it still there? Maybe a Kiwi
member of this board knows more.

[Huw Jenjin]

David Oxton's Begg FM5 is in Sir Len Southward's museum, near Wellington NZ.
There was another FM5 biult, that went to a fellow called McCully, but this car went to Australia, and i havent been able to trace it from there.

[Vicuna]

Chas Talbot??

[David McKinney]

The McCully car did indeed go via Graham Baker (NZ) to Chas Talbot

[Allen Brown]

Yes, Talbot drove it for many seasons.

But then where did it go?

[Ray Bell]

Can't have been too many seasons...

I have him in the Lola T332 at Calder at the end of 1980... F5000 was over and out in 1983, Chas had a little Ralt in 1984 (Calder, November 18 if not sooner).

[Allen Brown]

many = 3

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
Yes, Talbot drove it for many seasons.

But then where did it go?

My recollection is that Talbot still had it many years later
Let me look it up when I get home

[Ray Bell]

Permission granted...

Is this the one that runs in Historics, by the way? I thought that was a NZ-owned car.

[David McKinney]

No - I seem to have been mistaken about Talbot's long-term ownership
I have Gavin Sala's name alongside it in 1990, if that links it to the current historic-racing scene?

[Ray Bell]

Either that or the Historic car dealing scene...

[Allen Brown]

Peter Bramwell's site says "FM5/2 is believed to be owned by Bryan Sala in Australia". A lot of his information came from Begg's book "When the Engine Roars" but the only mention I can find is on p117 where he says it was in Australia.

Allen

[Duncan Fox]

The McCully car is alive and well in Christcurch NZ and belongs to Lindsay O'Donnell.

[Milan Fistonic]

Welcome to TNF Duncan. Glad you finally made it.

I look forward to you putting us right on McLaren matters.

Be prepared to spend many hours here.

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by Duncan Fox
The McCully car is alive and well in Christcurch NZ and belongs to Lindsay O'Donnell.

Duncan

Good to see you here. I'm still getting over my McLaren headache from your M22 email!!

So, on the McCully Begg FM5, I now have a history of:

Begg FM5/2: Sold to Alan McCully: Gold Star 1973/74 - Graham Baker 1974: raced in last two Tasman races 1974, Gold Star late 1974, Gold Star late 1975, NZ Internationals 1976 - Charles Talbot (Australia) 1976: Australian Internationals 1977, Australian Internationals 1978 ... presumably the Allan R. Nitschke car: Australian Gold Star 1979, Australian Gold Star 1980, Arco Graphic series 1981/82 ... Bryan Sala or Graham Sala about 1990 ... Lindsay O'Donnell (NZ) 2003.

Can you add anything to that? There are a few too many gaps for my liking.

Thanks - and welcome.

Allen

[Duncan Fox]

Allen
Gavin Hicks, (Auckland) owned McCully's car (quite a well kept secret), prior to O'Donnell for approx 10 years and he bought it at auction in Australia, presumably from Sal, a. Lindsay bought it from Gavin in 2001.
Regards
Duncan

[Ray Bell]

While we're on the subject, I have a couple of Begg photos here...

* WARNING * Large images... suitable for possible other use, but if you want them reposted smaller, just ask.

They're labelled 'Begg018' if that means anything... at Sandown Park:





It's in pretty good shape...

[Bondy]

Hey Ray, i remember that car being for sale in Racing car News in 1976 for about $6500 or swap for good competitive Formula Two, do you think the guy would take that much for it now, hehe. Great shots, thats one of the prettiest F5000s ive ever seen

[Vicuna]

It was a M23 McLaren lookalike

Very attractive

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by island
Hi! Graham Vercoe writes in his book "Historic Racing Cars of New Zealand" that the car is
now in the Southward Motor Museum north of Wellington. Is it still there? Maybe a Kiwi
member of this board knows more.

Im not a Kiwi!! However, this is an interesting Motor Museum..........

Note the Wharton, Begg and Moore cars.

Does anyone know if the Cooper was circuit raced with the Vincent engine installed? I have ridden HRDs and I can only imagine and power to weight and the pendulum effect you would induce by strapping that lot into the tiny Cooper!


SOUTHWARD MOTOR MUSEUM
Paraparaumu, North Island, New Zealand

http://www.southward.org.nz/index.html

Begg Racing Car 1973
This New Zealand racing car, built by George Begg of Southland and driven by David Oxton, won the 1973 and 1974 Gold Star Championship. It came third in the 1974 NZ Grand Prix and was also raced successfully in England and Europe.
Specs: 302 cu in Chevrolet, 480 hp.

Cooper MX5 Racing Car 1953
Cooper Car Co Ltd, England
Coopers specialised in racing cars and made very few road machines, though its Mini-Coopers of the 1960’s were notable exceptions. Cooper rear engined racing cars achieved many successes, with the Cooper 500 becoming famous through having drivers like Stirling Moss. In 1940, his first year of competition, Moss won 10 out of 14 races in Cooper 500s. This exhibit was owned by speedway champion Ronnie Moore.
Specs: 1000 cc Vincent motorcycle engine.

Ferarri Monza Sports 1955
Auto Costuzione Ferarri, Italy
This ex-Ken Wharton Monza was nearly written off in a 1957 crash when racing in the NZ Grand Prix at Ardmore. It was rebuilt with a Corvette motor (since removed).
Specs: 4 cylinders, 103 mm bore, 90 mm stroke, 3000 cc, dohc, dual battery ignition, 5-speed gearbox, de Dion rear end, Scaglietti body.

Maserati 8CLT Racing Car 1950
Officine Alfiere Maserati SpA, Italy
Two 8CLT/50’s were built to compete in the Indianapolis 500 but were never raced there. Instead they were sold to New Zealander, Fred Zambucka, who raced them with moderate success. When owned by Frank Shuter of Christchurch in 1959, this car established a New Zealand 3 ltr record of 267 km/h (167 mph). In test drives at the Modena Autodrome in Italy, an 8CLT attained speeds in excess of 290 km/h (180 mph). In 1960 one CLT was sold to an American buyer, while the other was sold to a speedboat enthusiast who used the engine with the chassis and in 1963 the car was bought by Len Southward.
Specs: Straight 8 supercharged, 78 mm bore, 78 mm stroke, 2984 cc, (430 bhp at 6500 rpm), 32 valves. Kerb weight, 1100 kg (2420 lbs), fuel capacity, 270 ltr (60 gals).

Maserati 250F 1954
Officine Alfieri Maserati SpA, Italy
One of the last factory race cars made by Maserati, which in 1957 began phasing out production of Grand Prix racers in favour of luxury grand touring models. Often described as the most classically beautiful post-war single-seater racing car, the 250F had many international racing successes and was a favourite of racing driver Stirling Moss.
Specs: 6 cylinders, 2493 cc, 84 mm bore, 75 mm stroke, 270 bhp. Max speed, 300 km/h (180 mph).

Stutz Indianapolis Special Race Car 1915
Stutz Motor Car Co, USA
This exhibit is one of three Stutz racing cars that won the American Road and Track Championship in 1915. Car Number 5 was third in the 1915 Indianapolis 500, averaging a speed of 87.6 mph (140 km/h). It was first in the 1915 Astor Cup Race over 560 km at an average speed of 102.6 mph (164 km/h) and as a Durant Special, was second in the 1919 Indianapolis 500, averaging 87 mph (139 km/h). The car was bought to New Zealand in 1923 and raced by Bob Wilson, who drove it to victory in the New Zealand Cup in 1926, 1927 and 1928. Later, the engine was used in a speed-boat, while the chassis (with another engine) was used as a farm tractor. Engine and chassis are now reunited, and the car restored to its former glory by the museum.
Specs: Wisconsin 4 cylinders, ohc, 4 valve motor, 96.8 mm bore, 65 mm stroke, 4851 cc. Top gear ratio, 3 to 1, (was 2.35 to 1). Compression ratio 5½ to 1.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by 275 GTB-4
Does anyone know if the Cooper was circuit raced with the Vincent engine installed? I have ridden HRDs and I can only imagine and power to weight and the pendulum effect you would induce by strapping that lot into the tiny Cooper!

Yes it was, but most of its successes were on dirt or grass tracks or in hillclimbs. The car was much more successful in club racing after someone replaced the engine with a JAP Twin in the 1960s
Several other Coopers raced with HRD engines in NZ in the 1950s, and Ronnie Moore's father raced an ex-500 Kieft with a Vincent engine enhanced by a Marshall supercharger

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by David McKinney

Yes it was, but most of its successes were on dirt or grass tracks or in hillclimbs. The car was much more successful in club racing after someone replaced the engine with a JAP Twin in the 1960s
Several other Coopers raced with HRD engines in NZ in the 1950s, and Ronnie Moore's father raced an ex-500 Kieft with a Vincent engine enhanced by a Marshall supercharger

Sheesh! gearchanges obviously unnecessary!! I would like to have heard that on full song