637 replies to this topic

[Porsche718]

1962 Ferrari 250 GTE. Rare car.

 

Registration TR.999 surely someone would know who that is?

[Porsche718]

Apparently Laurie O'Neill owned a white 250 GTE but different rego.

 

This is the cover of March 1964 Sports Car World

 

[Ray Bell]

Could it have been related to Tony Oxley?

 

I think I recall that someone in his family had a Ferrari.

[Ray Bell]

I just did a Google search for "David McKay Ferrari 250GT"...

 

It came back with the 'Exclusive Car Registry' site and the car raced by David McKay was originally purchased by Tony Oxley through W H Lowe and remains in his family's possession.

[brucemoxon]

A matched pair of Bob's creations at the June 2023 historic races at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Travis Clark in the F2 car, previously owned by Wayne Seabrook.

 

Richard Carter in the Rennmax 23

 

BRM

Edited by brucemoxon, 11 June 2023 - 11:40.

[Lee Nicolle]

A matched pair of Bob's creations at the June 2023 historic races at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Travis Cook in the F2 car, previously owned by Wayne Seabrook.

 

Richard Carter in the Rennmax 23

 

BRM

I am still not seeing pics on the main page,,clicked on the reply page and the pics are there, though about twice as big as they should be. 

Please Autosport fix this,,it has been over a fortnight now. 

[Catalina Park]

I can see the photos fine.

[GreenMachine]

Me too.  Maybe because I followed the instructions ...

[Dale Harvey]

A matched pair of Bob's creations at the June 2023 historic races at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Travis Cook in the F2 car, previously owned by Wayne Seabrook.

 

Richard Carter in the Rennmax 23

 

BRM

That's Travis Clark, not Cook!

Dale.

Edited by Dale Harvey, 11 June 2023 - 10:13.

[brucemoxon]

That's Travis Clark, not Cook!

Dale.

 

Fixed. Thanks.

 

BRM

[Ray Bell]

A bit of a surprise for Bob today...

 

A message from Wayne Wilson of the HSRCA advised him (also with a picture) that the first Rennmax, the Noel Hall Rennmax Climax, will be at the race meeting honoring him and his creations this weekend. Thanks are owed to the owner, Richard Bendell, and Michael Borland for preparing the car and transporting it from Melbourne.

 

I'm hoping that photos will come through of the various Rennmaxes which turn out, also of Bob (and his family, who will all be there). Anyone not able to post pics, please e.mail them to me so I can upload them and credit them for their pics.

[Ray Bell]

The first photo has arrived from the Bob Britton and Rennmax tribute meeting:

 

Bob inspects Rennmax No 1. Complete with walker, Bob has a good look at the first Rennmax at Eastern Creek this morning. In the background is the Hyabusa-powered single-seater with road equipment built in latter years.

 

Thanks to Jacqueline for sending through the pic.

[Ray Bell]

The artwork for the Sydney Classic HSRCA meeting featuring Rennmax was done by Brian Caldersmith:

 

 

Brian did the previous poster artwork too, which featured earlier in the thread.

 

In the absence of pics from others, here are some more from Jacqueline...

 

Presented. Bob sits in his wheely-walker while an announcement is made prior to the many Rennmaxes present go on their parade lap. On the trailer is the Noel Hall Rennmax Climax and to the left are two BN1s.

 

Broad cross-section. There are many different cars in this group lined up further down. The Richard Carter 23 replica on the left, the ex-Heasman BN7, a BN3 in green and gold and another BN1 in the front row. From left to right in the second row are a Mk 2 Vee, another BN7, another Mk 2 Vee alongside a Mk 1 Vee, a Matich SR3 and Ray Hanger's BN6 sports car.

 

More Vees. putting aside the cars already described in the front, the second row here is almost all Vees. One exception is, on the extreme left, the Hyabusa car brought from Bob's shed for the day.

 

There are more pics coming, but none will show Bob's delight in the day more than this one of him in the Morgan in which they took him out to lead the parade:

 

A big smile! Even if it was cool in the breeze, Bob's face shows that he really enjoyed himself. Also showing that was the enthusiastic wave to his family as he went past their corporate box on the main straight.

[SJ Lambert]

Splendid!    

[Ray Bell]

Harking back to the great weekend Bob enjoyed at Eastern Creek...
 
He was so grateful for Richard Bendell taking the trouble to get the very first Rennmax, the Noel Hall Rennmax-Climax, completed enough to turn it out at the circuit. It wasn't running but it looked an absolute treat, Richard having towed it up from Melbourne for this special unveiling of the car's second incarnation.
 

The first Rennmax. This car hasn't been seen complete since Noel Hall crashed at Lakeside in the early sixties. Many parts had to be re-created.
 
Because the car was built using some parts (wheels, rear uprights, gearbox, steering rack) from the Cooper Noel had previously crashed, and that those parts had been taken off this car so the Cooper could be put back together (and later sold to the USA), reconstructing the car was a massive task. New wheels had to be cast and machined, a latter-day Coventry-Climax FPF engine obtained along with all the other bits, the chassis was unusable and had to be created all anew, it's been a labour of love for Richard and the result shows it to have been most worthwhile.
 
Bob looked it over closely and was very pleased with the attention to detail and the accuracy of the job. His own words were to this effect, along with his statement, "I could never express enough gratitude for what Richard did bringing the car to the meeting."
 
This car, on its trailer, headed the Saturday parade of Rennmaxes, then on Sunday it began the laps out in front. But now Richard had Bob and his daughters in the tow car, and so that Bob could really see the parade he pulled up and let the others pass him halfway around that first lap.

[MarkBisset]

 

(Bruce Thomas)

 

Ray,

 

Lovely post of Rennmax 1 and Bob…

 

Here is the ‘donor’ Noel Hall Cooper T51 Climax #F2-16-59 at Lowood over the September 4, 1960 Gold Star weekend, DNF fuel system without completing a lap 

 

See here too: https://forums.autos...ton/?p=10099506

 

m

Edited by MarkBisset, 27 June 2024 - 03:05.

[cooper997]

Mark, Attribution to Bruce Thomas, the photo from the flickr link buried in the now long lost original Kevin Drage Personal photos of Australian motor racing...  - refer post 8810

https://www.flickr.c...157646582151660

 

 

Stephen

[Lee Nicolle]

Mark, Attribution to Bruce Thomas, the photo from the flickr link buried in the now long lost original Kevin Drage Personal photos of Australian motor racing...  - refer post 8810

https://www.flickr.c...157646582151660

 

 

Stephen

Some great pics,, I do love the Chesty Bonds driving suit!

[Ray Bell]

The one to which you refer, Lee, is the Jack Gates Lotus 18...

 

It must be at Lakeside, though I didn't think Lakeside had white lines as good as that in that period.

[Ray Bell]

Bob says of that car that it has a lot of potential. "It should be as good as a Lotus 21," he reckons, the chassis having a lot of Lotus 20 about it, but with a top link on the rear suspension added. "I wouldn't use a driveshaft as a top link!" being the typical Britton comment.

 

After the initial car, and if you go back in the thread you'll see that Bob was going to embark on building a Formula Junior when Ossie Hall told him to stop work on that and build a replacement for his ex-F1 Cooper, he built a series of cars which were essentially Formula Juniors.

 

These cars had a designation, which was added much later, but several were built and they became known as the BN1s.

 

One of them is actually known for competing in England these days, it was actually at Cadwell Park racing in the weeks prior to the Eastern Creek event.

 

Rennmax in England. Bob never pursued fame and fortune beyond our shores apart from across the Tasman, but this car is a regular at Historic events in England.

 

The first of the BN1s had a Lotus 20 body, but Bob built this more distinctive shape for the other cars.

[Ray Bell]

Time to get some more pics uploaded from the Rennmax tribute day...
 

Many discussions. Bob's appearance on the day led to many discussions with old friends. Here he chats with Rob Rowe...
 

Regular visitors. ...while here he's with two of his regular Saturday afternoon guests - Ray Eldershaw (back to camera) and David Medley.
 
Ray Eldershaw wore himself out early by standing up all the time, though he had taken a chair with him. Ray's now well over 90 and his close relationship with Bob is a tribute to their mutual respect for each others' abilities and their common attribute, their ability to be good friends to many.

[MarkBisset]

 

 

Miedecke BN7 Hart Ford 416-B

Edited by MarkBisset, 17 September 2024 - 06:49.

[Ray Bell]

No, never scratched...

 

But the first chassis was until recently (or maybe still is?) in residence at Bob's, in the rafters, with twists and tweaks all over from the pre-season shunt.

[Lee Nicolle]

 

 

Miedecke BN7 Hart Ford 416-B

Miedecke and never scratched? So it was parked in the workshop only?

[MarkBisset]

​

 

Andrew Miedecke from Geoff Brabham, Birrana 274 Hart-Ford - first and second - in the first round of the 1975 Australian F2 Championship on May 25. Brabham won the title 

 

Col Anderson is the artist from memory 

[Ray Bell]

Colin Anderson was indeed the artist...

 

The Esses at Calder represented in the picture.

 

And if Andrew had 'scratched' the car against his main opponent, Geoffrey, I'd imagine Jack would have had something to say.

[Porsche718]

Miedecke and never scratched? So it was parked in the workshop only?

 

Lee,

 

"Miedecke" ...  and ... "more hits than Elvis" probably go well together!

Edited by Porsche718, 20 September 2024 - 22:29.

[MarkBisset]

​

 

 

Another Calder 1975 post, this one from me Scrap Book

[TerryS]

Attached is an ad for a Rennmax BN3.

 

1974 Renmax BN3 + Spare Parts - Australia's #1 Performance & Motorsport Marketplace - my105.com

 

It is amazing that they can't spell Alfa correctly.

[brucemoxon]

Probably autocorrected - I blame the signwriter. 

Also, the wording seems ambiguous to me. Is this the actual car or a recreation?

 

 

BRM

[DogEarred]

I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Bob at a motor club lunch, back in March, in west Sydney;

 

Here he is pictured with some unknown FVee & Beetle Champion.

 

[opplock]

 

 

It is amazing that they can't spell Alfa correctly.

 

Nor can they spell Mildren. Would you buy a used car from such people?

[Ray Bell]

The wounds could go deeper...

 

If this is the car that ran in 1600cc form as a Mildren Alfa, it was in Kevin Bartlett's hands at Warwick Farm in September, 1968. I would have thought this would be the same car that Max Stewart took over, but maybe not.

 

Also, I would be fairly sure that the engine in that car was a GTA-style 4-valve engine, I wonder if the car offered has this?

 

And a good shot of Bob there, doggie. Greg, apparently, just couldn't watch.

[MarkBisset]

More information on the Mildren Waggott F2: https://primotipo.co...lve-assemblage/

 

The Mildren Alfa F2 1.6 became the Mildren Waggott TC-4V 1.6 (initially) Max raced as Ray suggests

 

I wouldn't be so sure of the number of chassis that can claim to have Max steer them tho. There is a bloke who pops up online who seems to have one of the frames used my Max at some stage. Being too assertive about this car and related frames is probably dangerous...

 

m

[TerryS]

Probably autocorrected - I blame the signwriter. 

Also, the wording seems ambiguous to me. Is this the actual car or a recreation?

 

 

BRM

 

Based on the histories of BN3's in Allen Brown's site as attached, this advertised car does not seem to tie in with any of them,

 

Rennmax BN3 car-by-car histories | OldRacingCars.com

[GMACKIE]

I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Bob at a motor club lunch, back in March, in west Sydney;

 

Here he is pictured with some unknown FVee & Beetle Champion.

 

Sorry, just woke up.

 

Must have dozed off during all that 'technical talk'. What's "aero"?

[Porsche718]

Sorry, just woke up.

 

Must have dozed off during all that 'technical talk'. What's "aero"?

 

Aero is a really good chocolate bar with bubbles in it. Peppermint is best!

[LittleChris]

Used to love an Aero, though disagree about the mint....... Haven't seen one here for about 25 years