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Ron Tauranac


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#51 cooper997

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Posted 22 July 2020 - 11:04

Could this help explain why Ron denied it is him in the background of Ray's post 22 photo. Could it be brother, Austin?

 

Ralt-AMS-Aust-Specials-01-TNF.jpg

 

Ralt-AMS-Aust-Specials-02-TNF.jpg

 

 

Stephen



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#52 Ray Bell

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Posted 22 July 2020 - 14:12

He was actually denying that he built it, as I recall... that it was his work...

 

Nothing to be ashamed of, as you can see, and it is the same car.



#53 2F-001

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Posted 23 July 2020 - 07:33

Very interesting interview with Tauranac...

See post 6, on the previous page!



#54 ellrosso

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Posted 24 July 2020 - 00:10

Pic courtesy of Australian Motor Racing Annual 1968.

Tauranac-TNF.jpg



#55 tsrwright

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Posted 25 July 2020 - 15:06

This isn't the first time the Tauranac name was mentioned in AMS, but it is meant to be the first event Ron competed in. As often happens to the new kid on the block, his name, or in this case first initial is incorrectly recorded and hence his machine is titled the BST 500 in the bottom part of column 1 and in the results.

If you happen to note the date in your files, DO NOT record November 20 (as it states in the heading) go with the Sunday, 26th in the opening sentence. Unfortunately 'Brabham Ralt Honda' has the 20th on page 17 though.

Ralt-AMS-Hawkesbury-01-TNF.jpg

Ralt-AMS-Hawkesbury-02-TNF.jpg


Stephen



#56 tsrwright

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Posted 25 July 2020 - 15:09

He told me he had entered the previous meeting but did a bit of testing on the way there and crashed so didnt make it.

#57 wolf sun

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Posted 29 July 2020 - 09:05

May I say that this is a most wonderful thread, despite the sadness of the occasion?!

 

RIP Ron Tauranac, true giant of the sport.



#58 Ray Bell

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 10:01

In many ways, yes...

 

Here's the drawing (sketch?) which led to a major revision of the Cooper gearboxes:

 

0720-RTgearboxdiagram.jpg



#59 Gene

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 15:34

Looks a lot like the shift linkage in my MK3.5 Cabrio.



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#60 Doug Nye

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 20:47

GREAT STUFF RAY! - I'd have used that sketch like a shot when we did the Cooper book, if only Ron or Jack had ever thought even to mention its existence...  Dammit!

 

DCN



#61 malomay

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 22:19

He was actually denying that he built it, as I recall... that it was his work...

 

Nothing to be ashamed of, as you can see, and it is the same car.

 

Here, here Ray, that is a a lovely looking little car !  Was it a one off ?.....is it still in existence ?

 

regards

 

Mal.



#62 Ray Bell

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 23:24

I have no idea, Mal...

 

That pic was published with an article Ron did for Max Stahl. That was in the (short-lived) AMC magazine, of which there were just two issues.

 

Here's the article, it has some pics from Ron's own collection, too:

 

0720-RTpage1.jpg

 

0720-RTpage2.jpg

 

0720-RTpage3.jpg

 

I'm planning to post up these photos in a larger form some time. And Doug, I can well understand your frustration!

 



 



#63 cooper997

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 03:07

Young Ron giving a little advice (begins column 2 bottom page 1)

 

1949-AMS-Jan-RST-letter-01.jpg

 

1949-AMS-Jan-RST-letter-02.jpg

 

 

Stephen



#64 cooper997

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Posted 02 August 2020 - 02:53

Ray's post of the Australian Motorsport Club 'Clubsport' feature made me waste a couple of hours yesterday to find my 2 copies... eventually they appeared and what I have is issue 1 and 3, but appears not 2. All have Ron Tauranac features it appears. Below is from issue 1 with 'Surfie Ron' telling his early days and in issue 3 there's a feature by him 'Car Grip - Wheel Balance'.

 

This was the Bob Jane Corporation behind the short-lived 2008 title.

 

2008-RST-Feature-01.jpg

 

2008-RST-Feature-02.jpg

 

2008-RST-Feature-03.jpg

 

2008-RST-Feature-04.jpg

 

 

Stephen



#65 MarkBisset

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Posted 02 August 2020 - 04:34

 

 

C85-BC28-B-3-A0-E-4770-BFDA-2-D2-F422-FA

 

First photo upload! Stephen Dalton my thanks as an IT Nuff-Nuff...

 

Jack, Peter Revson and Ron at Indy 1969 with BT25 Repco (David Friedman)

 

Mark

 



#66 Tim Murray

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Posted 02 August 2020 - 04:53

Thank you for that AMC article Stephen - a great read.

#67 cooper997

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Posted 02 August 2020 - 05:56

Mark, 2 postimage uploads down, 1383 to catch up. Glad to help.

 

Tim, Indeed and you're welcome. A minor point i'll make is that it was most likely late 1947/very early 1948 rather than "about 1949" when Ron got involved in the 500cc movement. He was on the 500cc Car Club of NSW committee in 1948 with his name, or at least the Tauranac bit, listed amongst January 1948 AMS.

 

 

Stephen 



#68 Ray Bell

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Posted 02 August 2020 - 09:48

That;s strange, Stephen...

 

I looked at the first issue when I was seeking out the one I posted above and didn't see such an article. I don't know if I have Issue No 3, I thought we only did two issues of that magazine. But it will come to light if we did and I go looking for it. I have a bundle of each issue somewhere over in my shed.



#69 cooper997

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Posted 02 August 2020 - 10:10

Ray, The feature I posted is definitely Vol 1 #1 dated March/April 08 nearing the back there's a Bob Jane Jaguar piece by a bloke named Bell and then a Harry Firth piece followed by Ron's on page 46.

 

Vol 1 #3 is dated July/August 08 and has a blue LJ Torana drag car as main cover pic.

 

 

Stephen



#70 Ray Bell

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Posted 02 August 2020 - 13:26

I'll check it out this week when I go over to the shed...

 

Number three would be, then, the last magazine in which I had a part of the production. Do I say, "So far." Or do I say, "End of an era."?



#71 SJ Lambert

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Posted 04 August 2020 - 08:45

So far!  :cool:



#72 Ray Bell

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Posted 23 August 2020 - 10:16

Here's the other article of Ron's published in the AMC magazine:

 

0820framc3cargrip1.jpg

 

0820framc3cargrip2.jpg



 



#73 Pat Clarke

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Posted 23 August 2020 - 14:34

Ray, that 'Ron Tauranac' article is really really familiar   ;)

 

Pat



#74 Ray Bell

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Posted 23 August 2020 - 22:32

Part of the FSAE handbook, Pat?

 

At the time of those articles, Ron was working on some project with Tony Simmons. I don't actually know what the project was, but it lapsed later. Worse, poor Tony now has a very bad dose of Parkinson's Disease.



#75 Pat Clarke

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Posted 24 August 2020 - 02:14

Ray,

 

I 'ghost wrote' this article for Ron after he was invited to write something, but couldn't think of what to write.  I offered to do something for him and that wheel balance article seemed appropriate for a general audience.  I am not sure, but I think that's the only one I wrote.

 

The project Ron had going with Tony Simmons was a modern take on a 'clubman' sports car.  The idea floated between a monocoque car, like a Ralt RT4, to a semi spaceframe car, to a full spaceframe and ultimately, as I recall, to an Ikea style 'flatpack' kit, made in China and to be assembled by the buyer.  All these designs lived on Ron's PC, but a lot was lost when Ron fell victim to an online hijacker posing as Telstra.

 

Another difficulty was that Ron's short term memory had deteriorated so he had to relearn all the Anvil keyboard shortcuts each time he sat down to do some work.

 

Then, when Tony sold his wheel business to China and was involved in shipping stuff back and forth, the whole flatpack clubman thing just faded away.

 

RIP Ron and hang in there Tony.

 

Incidentally, Tony's first U2, in which he crashed heavily at Oran Park, is currently residing at Bob Britton's place where the current owner is returning it to competition readiness.  Looking at that car and knowing Tony was far from being a short man, I have no idea how he fitted in it!

 

Pat



#76 Ray Bell

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 13:27

The Memorial Service will be held at 10:30am on September 23...

 

Invited guests only. But everyone's invited to join in at that time or any time later (I guess there might be a limit to that, however) by going to:

 

https://www.FuneralV....au/RonTauranac

 

Actually, I'm not convinced about the capital letters, this was a message passed on to me from a Facebook post.



#77 kayemod

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 13:29

Nice, and as far as I can tell accurate obituary for Ron Tauranac in today's Daily Telegraph.



#78 SJ Lambert

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 13:41

The link works - clicking on it reveals the Live Stream page seemingly prepped for the green flag on 23 Sept.

 

RTMemorial.png



#79 Bloggsworth

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Posted 18 September 2020 - 13:07

Nice, and as far as I can tell accurate obituary for Ron Tauranac in today's Daily Telegraph.

It took them 2 months, it bloomin' well should be acurate!


Edited by Bloggsworth, 18 September 2020 - 13:08.


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#80 Pat Clarke

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Posted 23 September 2020 - 04:08

I just got in after attending Ron's memorial at Eastern Creek.

90 males and 6 females according to Sally's count.

 Hosted mostly by Greg 'Peewee' Siddle but run professionally by the Ladies in Red Funeral arrangers, 

 

Some live testimonials, some on video from family and others like John Judd, Tim Schenken and Larry Perkins.

 

Then lots of pictures, some I had seen before, many I had not and even one or two that I took.

 

Bench Racin' had started in earnest when Sal and I left to get ready to head off for a week away to celebrate significant birthdays, something we will do in about 15 minutes.

 

All in all a tasteful memorial of a great man and a friend.  I am sure someone will post pictures.

 

Pat



#81 cooper997

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Posted 24 September 2020 - 09:15

Certainly worth taking the time to view Ron's memorial. Nicely done by all involved under the current difficult circumstances. You've got 6 months to view

 

https://www.funeralv....au/RonTauranac

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nicked from the end of the service

 

 

 

Stephen

 

 



#82 MCS

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Posted 24 September 2020 - 19:37

Stephen, thank you for posting this.



#83 cooper997

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Posted 25 September 2020 - 05:53

MCS, glad you enjoyed. Hopefully many others do too.

 

What I will point out (for those outside of Oz) is that in the video, it includes video messages from Ron's daughter, Jann and son-in-law, Geoff. With them being Queensland based and the Service taking place in Sydney, New South Wales, major complications would have taken place had they been at the ARDC Sydney Motor Sport Park venue with the current State borders closed due to Covid 19. This would have meant 14 day isolation, so not very practical.

 

Pat Clarke makes mention of photos from others, Bob Williamson has posted on social media here...

https://www.facebook...&type=3

 

 

Stephen


Edited by cooper997, 25 September 2020 - 05:55.


#84 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 25 September 2020 - 08:24

Does anyone please know exactly where Ron passed away? By that, I mean which town/city/village

Edited by Richard Jenkins, 25 September 2020 - 08:24.


#85 ReWind

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Posted 25 September 2020 - 15:01

… and maybe also know the exact life dates of his late brother Austin?



#86 Ray Bell

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Posted 26 September 2020 - 10:46

Every obituary I can find says, simply, 'at his Sunshine Coast home'...

 

So if we can find out where that was we'll know. Pat might know where he was living, or alternatively be in touch with Jann.



#87 Pat Clarke

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Posted 26 September 2020 - 11:49

. Pat might know where he was living, 

All I know is he was in a retirement home not far from Jann and Geoff's place near the Sunshine Coast.

I don't know the name of the establishment.

He did move to another residence shortly after first moving up to Queensland.

 

Pat



#88 cooper997

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Posted 26 September 2020 - 12:18

Likely candidate is Buderim, based on whitepages search of son-in-law, Geoff's surname.

 

 

Stephen



#89 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 26 September 2020 - 17:30

Thanks Stephen, Pat and Ray.

#90 Ray Bell

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Posted 26 September 2020 - 20:33

Was it Geoff who spoke at the service?

 

Whichever one of the sons in law, I feel sure he said Ron had lived in three homes there.

 

This picture is appropriate here, too:

 

0920fr-Oily-Rag-Brittoand-RT.jpg

 

Ron and Bob Britton at Eastern Creek a couple of years ago.



#91 MarkBisset

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Posted 11 June 2023 - 03:28

FBC0-B5-FA-9-B48-472-C-B703-A2-EF796-B41

 

 

Ron Tauranac aboard his Ralt Special (Ralt 1 Norton) in the rain at the King Edward Park hillclimb in 1951 (Brian Caldersmith Collection)

 

See here for a feature on the 'First Series', Sydney built Ralts rather than his later 'Series Two' Surrey built Ralts; https://primotipo.co...ries-one-ralts/

 

ps; Ralt 1B Norton really, with its suspension mods, as against the Ralt 1C Norton which also had engine mods and 600cc, not to forget the Ralt 1D with Merv Ward and Bernie Short made mods


Edited by MarkBisset, 11 June 2023 - 03:38.