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Arnold Glass and his BRM P48


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#101 MarkBisset

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Posted 10 May 2019 - 22:09

All hands on deck isn't it!
Thanks for the two shots Stephen- quick look at ORC, the two boys were DNF's @ that notoriously hot WF.
@ Ballarat David McKay and Lex in the flat caps and Dan in another at right- only GH coping hatless with the Ballarat rays!
Marvellous,
M

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#102 tracken

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Posted 02 October 2019 - 07:20

Some info on the BRM P25

In 1964/5 there was an add in the back of  RCN  for a BRM P25 engine for sale, The engine was in boxes, labelled Argentine GP 1960, the engine was purchased by Johnny Hughes who bought it from Arnold Glass in 1965  fitted it to his speedcar NSW no 43 running on methanol with a incurable water-pump leak, . (google this info in images) after a spectacular roll at westmead speedway the engine was fitted into a newly built offset midget that John had copied from Walt Lang's midget,before it was finished  the speedcar  association banned over 2.0 OHC  engines,  so the the car and engine sat for many years, with nowhere to race the engine or car  in Johns shed in Belmore. then one day in 1973  he received an offer to good to refuse and the BRM engine complete was crated up and sent back to England. the buyer was  Tom Wheatcroft, John took up Historic racing in NSW in the 70's Racing under his real name Of John (Jack) Merrick  BB Arial, Nota  Mazengarb, JWF Pronta, S/S Austin big 7 Plus many more. reference to this engine has been made before in personal pics.



#103 john medley

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Posted 02 October 2019 - 09:03

Hi Ken. Thanks for this... and hullo across the years. Are you able to add more to this remarkable story?

 

Another Johnny Hughes story: we were sitting around a carport at Oran Park a lifetime ago, listening astonished  to  old motorcycle racer Jack Ehret sounding off. No longer the pretzel-shaped Jack E of his youth, he complained that the everted  ripples across his now-stretched leathers were not the fault of his now-corpulent body-- in the funniest way (he had most recently become Mine Host of Kangaroo Jack's  in Manilla, Philippines, a way station for the weary male traveller if you get my drift). One complaint was that long ago at Bathurst Speedway his Vincent outfit broke so he borrowed (without  previous trial) another Vincent. Only after he spent lap 1 "on top of the F.......  fence" did Jack comprehend the ferocity of this borrowed beast. Johnny Hughes sitting quietly in a corner said " That was my bike. That was me".... at which Jack Ehret used every 4- and 7- letter word in the language to (apparently) abuse him.



#104 tracken

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Posted 11 October 2019 - 02:18

Thanks for that John,

I forget that other people Know probably more than I do of John, He started his motorsport on two wheels on a1926 Douglas 350cc at an old circuit at Hartley Vale NSW 1937, he raced at Bathurst 1939, then after the war the Sydney sports ground where he lost two fingers off his right hand to a spinning chain. John was born at Bowenfels in 1919, 100 years ago, apprenticed at the small arms factory in Lithgow. when he passed away 1n 2006 he had just finished rebuilding a 1925 Sunbeam 20/60 sports 6 short chassis.

 

The P48 BRM that Arnold had the accident in, came with a spare engine in pieces, an ex P25 engine, which was intended as a parts motor for the P48. When the scarab engine was chosen the 2 BRM engines were sold  off, after many years researching the engine John found that it came from the the car that Graham hill used at the Grand Prix of Argentina, Buenos Aires, 07 February 1960.

 

Gurney and hill came to Australia with 2 P48 cars in 1961, (have you heard the story of Gurney's BRM P48 being stolen from a hanger at Ballarat, for real!)



#105 Ray Bell

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Posted 11 October 2019 - 06:06

...and going on to win the race.


Yes, Ken, that story's well known around here.

Hartley or Hartley Vale was the scene of more motor sport, there was a hillclimb there in the thirties and on one run Frank Kleinig busted the wheels of the car he was driving. I think that was the MacIntyre Hudson, not the Kleinig Hudson.

John didn't move far in his life, did he? I well remember trying to catch a glimpse of the Nota on the trailer in the yard when driving by on my regular trips to and from Grenfell.