8 replies to this topic

[TerryS]

Interesting ad for two Auspers

One built for Formula Junior and the other for Formula One.

To quote "The original plan was to use the Clisby Australian engine for F1."

This engine has been covered in detail in the Elfin Clisby thread on this forum.

I don't recall ever hearing of this connection. Has anyone.
https://racecarsdire...ula-junior-cars

The other point is on the cover page it notes "the cars were built in London for Competition Cars of Australia Limited"

https://racecarsdire...ils/9/race-cars

Is this the business run by Mike Champion and others out of Double Pay Sydney?

[Dick Willis]

Tom Hawkes was the man behind Competition Cars of Australia, hence " Ausper" He had ambitious plans to break into the emerging Formula Junior market in the UK but only built 8 cars, one of which I have. Obviously the Clisby V6 was an idea that didn't materialise.

[Lee Nicolle]

Tom Hawkes was the man behind Competition Cars of Australia, hence " Ausper" He had ambitious plans to break into the emerging Formula Junior market in the UK but only built 8 cars, one of which I have. Obviously the Clisby V6 was an idea that didn't materialise.

Like so many F1 attempts out of Australia.

[bradbury west]

I read recently that Bob Jane had a lot of money in the Clisby engine venture, and also had a full engineering drawing of it on the wall of his office.
Roger Lund

[kaydee]

I read recently that Bob Jane had a lot of money in the Clisby engine venture, and also had a full engineering drawing of it on the wall of his office.
Roger Lund

Hi Roger,

I really don’t know where some of this misinformation comes from! Having worked closely with Harold Clisby on his V6 project I can categorically say that Bob Jane was not involved in any way with the financing of the Clisby V6 project. The entire design and build was funded (on a shoestring) by Harold’s air compressor business – Clisby Industries. I also doubt that Bob Jane had any drawings of the Clisby engine as I looked after the drawing files – (most of which I still have). In fact, I would go so far as to say that Harold probably never ever met Bob Jane.



On the other hand, Harold did have the original cross sectional drawing of his V6 engine mounted on the wall of his office above his drawing board. I also recall that Bob Jane at one time (late 70's) got involved with funding / building a four valve V8 engine project for use at Indy but I don’t think that it ever got off the ground. Maybe there was some misinterpretation of that?

Also, and as far as I can remember, I don’t believe there was ever any direct discussion with Tom Hawkes about fitting the Clisby V6 into an Ausper. There was certainly some media speculation about this as both projects were running at the same time.

There was however one other party that was interested in seeing the Clisby engine run in a car and that was Lex Davison. Initially Lex was prepared to fund an Elfin Mallala but later with the advent of the forthcoming Australian 1.5 litre series he proposed building and campaigning an Elfin Mono. However by this time Harold had lost interest in the V6 project and was devoting his time to building model steam railway engines.

I didn’t want to see four years of my involvement sidelined so I had discussions with Lex and Garrie Cooper regarding getting the Elfin Clisby Mono project off the ground. However, Andy Brown stepped in and offered to fund the Elfin Mono and Harold agreed for Andy to proceed - and the rest as they say is history.

One other statement that keeps resurfacing is that Harold Clisby designed and built a rotary valve cylinder head. This is not true – he certainly designed and built other engines but not a rotary valve. There was however a rotary valve cylinder head built in Adelaide to suit the Holden six. This was designed by Dave Dunstan and built by Southcott engineering. These cylinder heads were used in Cud Freeman’s hydroplane and the BBM race car of Dud Dansie.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by TerryS
.....Is this the business run by Mike Champion and others out of Double Bay Sydney?

You mean involving Tony Simmons?

I would suggest there was no connection at all. I guess this business morphed into Simmons Wheels after putting together a couple of U2s.

[bradbury west]

Kevin, many thanks for the detailed, and factual, response. I think some of these stories are 2 plus 2 making 7, a variation of the proverbial Chines whispers. The Clisby design has always fascinated me, much like the Dunstan rotary head.
Roger Lund.

[Ray Bell]

To look at it logically, Roger, Jane was not nearly as wealthy when the Clisby engine venture was happening...

It was about 1965 when he started distributing tyres that his wealth started to grow at a rate which would support any kind of venture like that, with the coming of the T-Mart empire still to happen after that.

A lot of his big racing ventures, supporting the AGP etc, done under the T-Mart banner was financed by a levy on the T-Mart franchisees.

[bradbury west]

Link for interested parties.

Please see new thread on Ausper Juniors and inclined engines

Thank you

Roger Lund