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Alfie Costanzo film


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#1 Wirra

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Posted 10 December 2019 - 04:02

Brilliant... Brilliant... Brilliant

 

https://vimeo.com/377173427

 

Congratulations to all involved.



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#2 ellrosso

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Posted 10 December 2019 - 06:24

Loved it..... thanks for posting it Peter. Wouldn't be many of our era who haven't got a soft spot for Alfie. Top driver, top bloke. I first saw him in Tony Osborne's McLaren M4A at Symmons in 1969 and for the last time in the dreadful Maserati Bi-turbo at Bathurst

in 1998 (GTP race). I saw him driving their old truck away from the track with Marino in the passenger seat, Maser on the back......absolute dog of a car but I bet they were loving every minute of it.



#3 Ray Bell

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Posted 10 December 2019 - 11:03

A sad way to learn that Adelina has passed away...

She was, as it's depicted in the film, behind him all the way. Not much of that story was new to me, and in particular I remember Alf telling me about taking her to the races for the first time. Her reaction to his dismal performance that day, saying, "If you want to go racing you have to get a good car!" was the beginning of Alf's trip to the top.

It was a good personal story fairly well-told. There was a little bit of it got out of order when they talked about getting the engine from the Tropicana team in the middle of his time with the Birrana, but apart from that and there being no mention (though there were pictures) of his drives with the Argo team it was very good.

I think Peter is right, "Brilliant... Brilliant... Brilliant..." and certainly worth an hour of anyone's time.

#4 E1pix

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Posted 10 December 2019 - 16:43

Awesome, enjoyed it immensely last night!

#5 opplock

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Posted 10 December 2019 - 19:09

Well worth watching. Thanks for the link Wirra.  



#6 MarkBisset

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 01:17

Just fantastic, what a wonderful account

Alfie flashbacks for me are his first drive in the ex-Geoghegan Birrana 274 in an F3/F2 support during the 1975 Sandown Tasman meeting and thinking ‘wow this will be good this year’ - and it was.

Then the following year in the ex-Edwards? T332 again at Sandown and marvelling at how at ease he was with 520bhp, and finally leading the 1983? Calder AGP in Hammos Tiga, ahead of all the Internationals only to have the Mk9 Hewland’s CWP shite itself...so sad.

He really was the goods, and better to have got the drive he did late than never

#7 Ray Bell

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 02:23

Alfie's car was HU36...

Rebuilt on a second-hand 'new' tub after a crash in England, it went through the hands of Bob Evans and Brian McGuire before Alf bought it, though I note that somewhere in RCN it's said to be 'ex-Ian Ashley'. Anyway, it came from England and after Alfie went to Chas Talbot and was wrecked at Symmons Plains.

Actually, his lead in that AGP at Calder was another thing not mentioned in the video, a demonstration of his abilities if ever there was one.





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Edited by Ray Bell, 11 December 2019 - 02:25.


#8 Tim Murray

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 02:41

No mention of Ashley in HU36’s history on ORC:

McKechnie for Bob Evans UK 1974 - Brian McGuire (but see also HU40): UK 1975 (rebuilt on "new (secondhand) tub" prior to August Thruxton) - Alfredo Costanzo (Aus) from October 1976; Australian Internationals 1977; Australian Internationals 1978 - Charles Talbot from July 1978; Australian Internationals 1979; Australian Internationals 1980. Wrecked in an accident at Symmons Plain March 1980. Rebuilt on new tub and raced as HU36a until 1981. Peter Molloy and Pat Burke acquired HU36a in 1982 to trade it for Jim Snelling's ex-Warwick Brown HU27. Once the car was in the US, Snelling built it up with a Can-Am body bought from John Morton and raced in SCCA events in 1982 and 1983. In May 1983, Snelling had a major accident at Riverside, putting him out of action for three months. The Lola was dismantled for spares with some going to Merle Brennan and others to Les White. When he emerged from hospital, Snelling was told the tub had been scrapped. However, some parts of the tub may have been reusable and the chassis plate also survived. The fate of the tub is known but will not be disclosed at this point.

Current owner: Wrecked 1983



#9 Ray Bell

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 04:35

That was why I mentioned it the way I did, Tim...

'Said to be' fills the bill. The details were already spelled out.

#10 Dale Harvey

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 04:55

Very enjoyable little film. A little thing I will all ways remember from the early days, Aflie was staying at the same motel as us for a Warwick Farm meeting and I watched as he took a battery and a charger into his room for the night, and at the time I new very little about the things required to run an openwheeler, so I was puzzled. Sad to hear he has lost his wife. She came across as a lovely lady.

Dale.



#11 Wirra

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 05:13



... I first saw him in Tony Osborne's McLaren M4A at Symmons in 1969...

 

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#12 ellrosso

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 08:23

She did come across well Dale. I was a bit surprised they didn't mention the Osborne McLaren stint as that would have been a major opportunity for Alf at that time. They showed the image of it crashed at the Warwick Farm '69 Tasman round but that was it.

I've posted a few pics for the non-Aussie TNFr's to give some perspective of Alf's career (if they haven't watched the film yet). I thought John Bowe was a good choice to speak about his driving. I always thought JB and Alfie were very close rivals - very competitive, similar aggression and similar skill levels - even though there were a few years between them.

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#13 Lola5000

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 10:12

Well worth watching ,what a wonderful long term friendship with Alan Hamilton. :up:

 

Has he retired in the last year or so from racing the Hamilton cars in Historic's ?

 

He did deserve an AGP win such a pity he got taken out in  the :up: T430 in Perth and then for the gearbox to let go in '83?

 

I met him a few times ,to me what came across in the film was as I found him ,a gentleman with humour.

 

When working for Il Globo newspaper selling add space (2002) I knew of course who he was and said "are you Alfie Costanzo World Champion" he replied "thats a me" we then spent time and i listening to him talk about the racing . After I had told him I knew Minogue very well ,he replied with keen interest " How is Bobby'

 

 



#14 Ray Bell

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 10:19

He was a kind of ambassador for Il Globo, wasn't he?

Went out and visited the advertisers and they were able to use his name in their paper.

I think he was still doing that as late as eight or so years ago.

#15 Lola5000

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 11:02

He was a kind of ambassador for Il Globo, wasn't he?

Went out and visited the advertisers and they were able to use his name in their paper.

I think he was still doing that as late as eight or so years ago.

Going back a few years Ray,but from memory when he visited my office in Richmond ,it was to sell space. i could be wrong .

 

Wonder if he still has the full size cut out of the T430 that was in the car yard in North Fitzroy?



#16 Ray Bell

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 11:14

Your recollection would be more accurate than mine, then...

Perhaps his position in advertising sales was built on his name. And the paper liked it that way.

#17 Tim Murray

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 11:53

That was why I mentioned it the way I did, Tim...

'Said to be' fills the bill. The details were already spelled out.


I was trying to corroborate your post Ray, not challenge it. :)

#18 cooper997

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Posted 11 December 2019 - 22:36

Clearly a lot of (family) passion went into the making of this fantastic film about Alfie and his rise through Aussie motor racing.

 

The benchmark has been set high by the production crew behind Weightless Films. Hopefully they can find some time and budget to tell more driver stories in similar style.

 

Congratulations to all concerned and thanks to Peter (Wirra) for letting us know.

 

Stephen.



#19 Wirra

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Posted 12 December 2019 - 00:12

...Has he retired in the last year or so from racing the Hamilton cars in Historic's ?...


I believe Joe Ricciardo (Daniel's father) purchased at least one ex-Niel Allen M10B from Hamilton a couple of years ago, possibly both.

I had trouble indentifying the circuit the Tiga was using but realise it's a much updated Wanneroo near Perth, Joe's home town. Joe owns the Tiga as well and perhaps the M10B workshop scenes are at Joe's rather than Alan's?

I had my concerns about Alf getting back into an F5000 at 72 (Ken Smith aside) and I think the early 'off' at Sandown put a damper on things.

He wasn't at Phillip Island for the Classic last March which I would have though was their home race, however Alf's wife's circumstances may have been a factor?

Edited by Wirra, 12 December 2019 - 04:22.


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#20 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 12 December 2019 - 04:24

I doubt anyone dislikes Alfie. A very good driver, especially in open wheelers.

And did ok in tintops as well.

Am I right in thinking that Alfs drive at PI was supposed to be in a later car from Hamiltons stable that broke so he ended up in the M10.

Cars even 5 years newer were a LOT faster. 

From the bit I saw he still went fairly quick in comparison to the other older cars.



#21 Michael Oliver

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Posted 14 December 2019 - 23:47

What a wonderful film. I have to confess I knew very little about Alfie before watching this but it is clear that he was extremely talented and is still adored by the people that worked with and for him.

#22 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 15 December 2019 - 01:12

Having finally watched this it was excellent. I did not really learn anything as I knew most of this via the media and on this site. 

But all put together nice. And proof a good driver will do far better in top equipment. Even the Tiga  Volvo and a Sierra!

And his wife and daughters are gorgeous.

RIP to his wife.