144 replies to this topic

[totoslot]

I've searched the web but I only found b&w or low resolution colour pics of the Elfin sportscars. Can someone tell me where I can find some good colour pics of the following Elfin cars:

Elfin 300, 1969 Warwick Farm, #18 (?)
Elfin 300, 1970 Warwick Farm, #15
Elfin 350, 1970 Warwick Farm, #7
Elfin 400, 1968 Bathurst, #38
Elfin 400, 1968 Sandown, #6
Elfin 400, 1968 Sandown, #2
Elfin (400) Traco, 1968 Warwick Farm, #2
Elfin (400) Traco, 1968 Bathurst, #20
Elfin ME5, 1970 Warwick Farm, #2

If you know about other races in which Elfin sportcars competed – every picture is a great help to me. Thank you very much for your efforts.

Best regards

Thomas

[Ray Bell]

Do you only mean the 300 and 400 series cars? Or do you also want the Elfin Clubman and Elfin Streamliner?

There were Elfin 300s, which used the Ford twin-cam 1500/1600 engine.

And an Elfin 350, which used a Climax 2.5.

Then came the Elfin 360s, which had Repco 2.5s.

All of these were later than the 400, which used a variety of engines. The first, called the Traco originally as Frank Matich didn't want to credit Elfin with the build, had an Oldsmobile engine, then it got a bigger Olds engine, and finally a Chev.

Bob Jane's only ever ran the Repco 4.4 single cam engine.

The Globe car (Noel Hurd drove it) had a Ford 289, which sprouted twin cam heads of Globe's own manufacture. Like Jane's, it had a major aviating experience.

The Elfin ME 2 was built for Niel Allen and used a Chev engine.

Later there came the MS7, driven by Garrie Cooper himself with Ansett Team Elfin colours.

Of course, in time there were changes in many of the cars, particularly as Climax and Repco engines fell into short supply. One sprouted a Mazda rotary... maybe two of them did.

Sorry, I don't have any pics. I did have a really nice one of Allen breasting the Skyline in the Traco, but that was ... ahem... put out in the backyard in the rain by my loving first wife.

No, I lie. I do have one of Matich at Longford in 1966 in that car. In fact I have two... though the car isn't very visible in the second.

[David McKinney]

There was also one 300 and one 400 in New Zealand
I presume Thomas knows about the Elfin book? Can't recall the title, but it was written by the bloke who runs (or ran) the Register. Or did that only cover single-seaters?

[Ray Bell]

The 300 was a neat little car, wasn't it David?

I clean forgot the Mallala... the sports car that ran concurrently with the pre-mono Catalinas and 375WRs. One of those got fixed up with a supercharged 2.2 Climax (Charlie Occhipinti?) but most were 1100 and 1500 Fords. Greg Cusack drove one to some good placings and wins, even in races against the 23s.

As for the book, Barry Catford was the author. The register was largely the work of Paul Hamilton, I feel quite sure he hasn't written one.

[David McKinney]

No, it wasn't Paul Hamilton

No doubt Rob Young can chime in with stories of the Mallala that raced in South Africa (and take us even further OT )
I think there might be one of those in NZ now, too, though it didn't race in period

[mickj]

Niel Allens Elfin was the me5. Bryan Thomson raced a Mallalla fitted with a 2.5 Climax motor around 1962.
The Mallala that David mentions is in NZ. I think it was the 1 that raced in South Africa. It did the Grand Prix Rally here in Aus approx 5 years ago. It looked good on the road.
The book is called Australia's Elfin Sports and Racing Cars by John Bladon and Barry Catford, published by Turton and Armstrong ISBN 0 908031 69 6. There are still copies available.

Elfin Sports Cars in Google brings up 2 good sites.

[normbeechey]

There are photos of the Bob Jane/Ken Hastings Elfin 400 at my Early Amateur Australian Motor Racing Image Archive site. Also a rear shot of he Neil Allen car in the dummy grid area.

www.drive.to/beechey

Chris.

[Brian Lear]

The Elfin Register is maintained by Barry Catford, Ian Hobbs
and yours truly.
It is located within the Victorian Historic Racing Register
website at http://139.130.125.109/
Click on "Interesting Links"
Then Click on the Elfin logo

Brian Lear
Australia

[Brian Lear]

Totoslot

I have just checked your profile and noted that you are
in Germany.
The mighty Elfin ME5 is also resident in your country, in
the care of Haam Lagaay, who is a designer (?) with
Porsche.

Brian Lear
Australia

[Barry Lake]

The Elfin book is:

Australia's Elfin Sports and Racing Cars, by Barry Catford. Published 1997 by Turton & Armstrong Pty Ltd Sydney.

Barry Catford went to school with Elfin designer/builder Garrie Cooper and they were friends until Garrie's death. Barry also was a part-time freelance motor racing writer from the 1960s onwards, and is still heavily involved in Elfin matters.

[totoslot]

Originally posted by Brian Lear
Totoslot

I have just checked your profile and noted that you are
in Germany.
The mighty Elfin ME5 is also resident in your country, in
the care of Haam Lagaay, who is a designer (?) with
Porsche.

You're right Brian. Unluckily the black ME5 body work looks re-designed (taller rear wing, modified nose section, missing the little front wing - not knowing when this was done) and my focus is on reference pics from the '60s.

totoslot

[Barry Lake]

Originally posted by normbeechey
...Also a rear shot of he Neil Allen car in the dummy grid area.
Chris.

He spells his name NIEL Allen. Blame his parents, if you like, but that's the way it is.

I don't think he ever raced at MANFEILD in New Zealand. They also had trouble with the "ie" and "ei".

[totoslot]

Originally posted by Brian Lear
The Elfin Register is maintained by Barry Catford, Ian Hobbs
and yours truly.
It is located within the Victorian Historic Racing Register
website at http://139.130.125.109/
Click on "Interesting Links"
Then Click on the Elfin logo

Brian Lear
Australia

Thank you for this link, Brian. It helps with a lot of details. Unluckily the pics of the black Elfin 400 (#10) must have been taken at a historic race meeting (with the names of Mansell, Prost and Patrese written at the pit walls). Pictures or scans from that period, no matter if "400" or "ME5", seem to be hard to find.

totoslot

[totoslot]

Originally posted by normbeechey
There are photos of the Bob Jane/Ken Hastings Elfin 400 at my Early Amateur Australian Motor Racing Image Archive site. Also a rear shot of he Neil Allen car in the dummy grid area.

www.drive.to/beechey

Chris.

Thank you Chris, nice shots of the Bob Jane and Niel Allen cars. If you should find more old Elfin pics please don't hesitate ..... it helps me a lot. Thanks!

totoslot

[Mac Lark]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by David McKinney
[B]There was also one 300 and one 400 in New Zealand

David, I remember the Andy Buchanan/Graeme Harvey Elfin 400, but can never remember a 300 racing in NZ.

Can you elaborate?

[Mac Lark]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ray Bell


All of these were later than the 400, which used a variety of engines. The first, called the Traco originally as Frank Matich didn't want to credit Elfin with the build,


Why not?

And how could FM race an Elfin called something else?

I do seem to recall reading about this once. Who purchased the car after Matich?

And what did they call the car?

[David McKinney]

Mac:
The Elfin 300 in NZ never raced under that name, but was built up into the Wilmac raced by Glen McIntyre and others in the early 70s.

I think the website link listed earlier in this thread will help you with the fate of the Matich car

[normbeechey]

totoslot,

I have posted more pics of Elfin sports cars (Jane, Allen and Ramsay) on the 1960's page of the website www.drive.to/beechey

There will be more pics to come.

Are you building slots cars of these cars?

There is a (distant) pic of the Robin Pare (ex-Allen) Elfin ME5 on the 1970's page. You are right about the german guy who now owns it. He has extensively modified the bodywork from original, sad to see. I suppose no one knows anything about Elfins over there so he can get away with it...

Thanks Ray for the reminder of the spelling of Niel Allen. The other tricky one is Terry Allan (not Allen as most spell it)

Chris.

[Barry Lake]

Chris

Are you sure about the spelling, Terry Allan?

I used to know Terry well and wonder why he would never have corrected me when I wrote it as Allen - which I am almost certain I did.

Where is he these days?

[Mac Lark]

Terry brought his Camaro to Bay Park a few times. I think it was heavily sponsored by Castrol the last time.

[Milan Fistonic]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mac Lark
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ray Bell


All of these were later than the 400, which used a variety of engines. The first, called the Traco originally as Frank Matich didn't want to credit Elfin with the build,


Why not?

And how could FM race an Elfin called something else?

I do seem to recall reading about this once. Who purchased the car after Matich?

And what did they call the car? [/QUOTE]

The Elfin book confirms the fact that the car ran as the Traco Olds but does not give a reason.

...the car, whilst in Frank's care, was always known as the Traco Olds. He even removed the Elfin badges after taking delivery, replacing the one on the nose with a St. Christopher!

Niel Allen bought the car from Laurie O'Neill.

Niel Allen fitted a 5-litre Chev engine to the ex-Matich car, painted it white and reinstated it as an Elfin, refitting the Elfin badges on the wheels and having the name Elfin sign written on the sides of the bodywork.

[Barry Lake]

Over the years I have spoken to four people who claim to have designed and built the Traco Oldsmobile, each one completely discounting the claims of the others.

It could make an interesting story - but how to get to the bottom of it?

[Mac Lark]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by David McKinney
[B]Mac:
The Elfin 300 in NZ never raced under that name, but was built up into the Wilmac raced by Glen McIntyre and others in the early 70s.

Yes David, you are absolutely correct.

I have always been amazed we never had more Elfins racing in NZ.

David Oxton had a 600 FF and Baron Robertson had a MR5 Repco. That, I think, is it.

[David McKinney]

Plus of course the Buchanan/Harvey 400 and a couple of more recent imports

[Milan Fistonic]

There is another Elfin in New Zealand. It's a 100 Mk II or "mono" owned by Ray Hawke. It is believed to be the ex-Grice car that ended up in the Far East. Ray found it in Malaysia and brought it back to New Zealand. I don't think it has appeared on a race track yet.

[totoslot]

Originally posted by normbeechey
totoslot,

Are you building slots cars of these cars?

..... about the german guy who now owns it. He has extensively modified the bodywork from original ....

Dear Chris, you're absolutely right regarding the Slot cars. Russkit manufactured the T400 and ME5 as vacuum molded lexan bodies in the '60s and it's hard to get your hands on these. Luckily, there are some repros available from down under. If you want to have a look try: Slot Car bodies

If the link shouldn't work: http://www.users.big...it/Page_2x.html

Well, the ME5 bodywork changed, but we don't now when it was done .... if he installs a turbo motor from the late CanAm 917/10 res. /30 someone should tell the stuards, I think.

If you have more pics/scans from the Elfin sportscars from the '60s and '70s don't hesitate to send them to my email address *totoslot@t-online.de*. Thanks a lot!

totoslot

[totoslot]

Does someone know the year the picture of this Elfin was taken at Symmons Plains.

Elfin 350 at Symmons Plains

totoslot

[totoslot]

I found an online issue of the "oily rag". If you take the time to go to page 24 of the link below you'll find - next to a TOJ (Team Obermoser Joerg) - a car named Rick Bertschinger's Boral Ford. To me this one looks pretty similar to an Elfin ME5. Just a guess is this the car that made it's way to Germany ....

Boral Ford = Elfin ME5 ??

totoslot

[normbeechey]

Hi Barry Lake,

I am sure of the spelling of Terry Allan's name. When the Camaro was advertised for sale in both 1968 and 1971, the ads read "Allan" (I have the ads if you are interested). Also, when Australian drivers raced in NZ they would sign write the name of the driver on the cars. It remained on the car when it returned to Australia (I have photos of that as well).

What I know about Terry and his whereabouts is on the "Terry Allan" page on the website. www.drive.to/beechey

I never met Terry but would be interested to know what you know about him. Like how he managed to run the Camaro with (mostly) no sponsorship? What did he do for a "day job"? What sort of character was he? Do you have any photos of Terry himself (the person)??? Was the Camaro a dog of a car or was Terry an average driver?!!! He only seemed competitive when racing in NZ. It seems a shame that one of Australia's V8 pioneers has just disappeared...

I know you are a professional journalist but would you have any photos that you would like to contribute to the website???

It is dedicated to preserving amateur Australian motor racing photographs from the 1950's to the early 1970's, particularly colour slides. I am encouraging people to place their own, personally shot images on the site for all to enjoy. It can be an on-track shot or just a pit or paddock shot. They don't have to be perfect as blurred and scratched images are still worthwhile. The site is at: www.drive.to/beechey

Thanks,
Chris Meaden.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Milan Fistonic
The Elfin book confirms the fact that the car ran as the Traco Olds but does not give a reason.

...the car, whilst in Frank's care, was always known as the Traco Olds. He even removed the Elfin badges after taking delivery, replacing the one on the nose with a St. Christopher!

Forgot about the St Chris badge... there was one on the steering wheel too, wasn't there?

Niel Allen bought the car from Laurie O'Neill.

Niel Allen fitted a 5-litre Chev engine to the ex-Matich car, painted it white and reinstated it as an Elfin, refitting the Elfin badges on the wheels and having the name Elfin sign written on the sides of the bodywork.

For quite a long time the car was popularly still known as the Traco-Olds... and don't forget the significant point I made about Niel first fitting a 5-litre Olds before he went with the Chev. He told us at the time that with the bigger Olds he noticed more torque, but when he then went with the Chev he felt more power!

Any idea just when the car got the Elfin name on the side? I'll bet it was when Niel needed some spares from Garrie... I'm away from home so I can't check mags for pics...

Oh, yes, and the car looked so good with those three white stripes painted over Matich's red livery!

[normbeechey]

Hi Totoslot,

The pic of Jim Millers Elfin 350 at Symmons Plains would have to be March 1971. Jim McKeown's Porsche is in the background so that can only be the 1970 or 1971 ATCC round. Mike Bruce ran the Elfin 350 at the 1970 meeting.

The Boral Ford looks a bit like the Elfin ME5 but is not the car. In fact the German guy drove the ME5 at the same race meeting (Australian GP). When the car was last run by an Australian ,Bob Minogue (does anyone know if he is related to Kylie Minogue?), the bodywork was in original configuration, though he had to remove the wings to be able to run with earlier cars. So the modifications are pure German engineering!!!

I am amazed that there are Russkit Elfin slot car bodies! Noticed there was a Matich SR3 body as well. Pity they are not 1:32 otherwise I would have them for my Scalextric track.

If anyone is after Australian hand made bodies in various scales, go to:-

http://members.optus...au/pattosplace/

He even has decal kits for Trident and Shell Team cars, Moffats Mustang, etc!

Totoslot, I will have some more Elfin pics on the site soon. I will let you know.

Chris
www.drive.to/beechey

[totoslot]

Originally posted by normbeechey
Hi Totoslot,


.... I am amazed that there are Russkit Elfin slot car bodies! Noticed there was a Matich SR3 body as well. Pity they are not 1:32 otherwise I would have them for my Scalextric track ....

Chris
www.drive.to/beechey

Chris, please have a look at Patto's hp. You'll find a 1967 Elfin 400 and a 1969 Elfin ME5 on the 1/32 sportcar list. So, you just have to order the bodies and we'll see who can show up with the Elfin scale racer first??

Hope to get some pics of the 400 driven in NZ next week to share.

totoslot

[Barry Lake]

Chris

I had a look at your web site and it dawned on me that I was confusing Terry Allan with Tony Allen - which is probably what others did when they spelled his surname incorrectly.

Unfortunately I didn't know Terry Allan.

There are some interesting photos on there, by the way. I will be interested to see what else the site attracts.

[leegle]

I was told that Bob Minogue was Kylie's uncle : but I do not know if this is true or not

[Brian Lear]

I was told that Bob Minogue was Kylie's uncle
but I do not know if this is true or not

Untrue!

Bob was telling a group of Elfin owners at Winton about
five years ago that he used to receive about ten phone
calls a week from the UK asking to speak to Kylie.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted.....
Over the years I have spoken to four people who claim to have designed and built the Traco Oldsmobile, each one completely discounting the claims of the others.

It could make an interesting story - but how to get to the bottom of it?

Yesterday I spoke to Noel Hurd.

Of immediate interest is the fact that he ordered the first 400. He says he watched Garrie Cooper at the drawing board putting the details on paper, this being not long after Garrie had made a trip to England where he had looked at current cars to gain ideas.

Noel's order became secondary when Matich came on the scene. "Frank had his engine and Noel didn't have one yet," his wife, Jan, told me. So Matich got the chassis that was being built for Hurd and Noel had to wait a little longer for his.

So there is a little evidence to back the Cooper claim to the design, and perhaps an explanation of why it was so similar to the early McLarens? From memory, there is very little difference between the 400 chassis and the Matich SR3, too... but I think it might pay to talk to Bobby Britton about that.

As for Noel's car, in which he had that frightening crash at Longford, it went to Stan Keen, was greatly altered, then later was restored by Cooper just before his death for a Tasmanian owner who has never raced it. It's in a museum of some sort in Launceston, but without the special twincam heads on its Ford engine. Their whereabouts are unknown.

mickj... yes, I believe the Occhipinti Mallala was put together by Bryan Thomson, but it wasn't a 2.5 Climax. I recall it was a 2.2, and it was supercharged, just as Thomson had run it in a Cooper prior to getting this car. He actually won a minor race at Warwick Farm as I recall in the Cooper.

[Brian Lear]

Originally posted by Milan Fistonic
The Elfin book confirms the fact that the car ran as the Traco Olds but does not give a reason .

An interview with Frank Matich in the August 2002 "Vintage Racecar Journal" gives some
background to this question. The interview reads in part....

FM: ...................... That made me decide that I had to build my own car, as I couldn't go out
and buy what I needed.
VRJ: Tell us how that came about.
FM: ...... Garrie Cooper of Elfin came to see me as he had orders to build a big sports car and
had a proposition. They would do the work and build the car to my design if they, with some
modification, could apply the design to their own version.
VRJ: So your own car was known as the SR3?
FM: The first car for me was called the Traco Olds. I was a bit embarrassed and didn't want
to call it a Matich..... . My good pal, Laurie O'Neill, was involved with me and had bought
an engine from friends at Traco Engineering in America and we agreed to call the car a
Traco. They were flattered but there was a bit of criticism as everyone thought there
was some disagreement between Elfin and us. There was no disagreement, but there
was a little problem as BP had an arrangement with Elfin where they used to pay a bonus
for every race that an Elfin car won. As a result of that, Elfin wanted me to call the car
an Elfin; then they offered me a part of what BP was paying but I wouldn't agree, so
it all became too bloody complex. So from then on I decided to call them Matiches.


Brian Lear
Australia

[Ray Bell]

He's worked around the question well there...

We'll have to get to the bottom of it one day. I hope to see Frank very soon. And, of course, I can see Bruce Richardson any time, he was a major player in finishing the car off at Matich's workshop, IIRC.

[Milan Fistonic]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
He's worked around the question well there...

We'll have to get to the bottom of it one day. I hope to see Frank very soon. And, of course, I can see Bruce Richardson any time, he was a major player in finishing the car off at Matich's workshop, IIRC.

According to Blanden and Catford, Bruce Richardson worked on the construction of the car in the Elfin factory and Matich flew to Adelaide to assist in the latter stages. The bodywork was not finished when the car was sent to Sydney and Elfin's "body-man" John Webb completed the car in the Peterbilt workshops.

[Barry Lake]

Originally posted by Milan Fistonic


According to Blanden and Catford...

Milan

That should more accurately be, "According to Catford..."

Barry Catford wrote the main text of that Elfin history book himself over a period of many years. John Blanden came into the picture late in the piece, more on the publishing side, but also largely instrumental in prodding Barry into finishing it - the usual story, the closer he got to the end, the further away it seemed to be.

John did contribute an interview with a former Elfin team manager as an appendix at the back of the book. Otherwise, I am confident you will find the research and the writing are Barry's.

This is very important to Barry. Garrie was Barry's friend, the book was Barry's book, yet in the end a lot of the glory was deflected elsewhere. I believe he should receive the credit due to him for saving this important piece of history - particularly as he had a closer knowledge of the full story than anyone else in the world. (Other than Garrie himself, that is, but Garrie was no longer around to tell the story. And he was a bit too modest to tell it, anyway.)

[Ray Bell]

I agree, Barry, it's rather like The Official 50 Race History of the Australian Grand Prix being called the Howard/Wilson book, isn't it?

I don't know where, but somewhere in the past few days the topic of Garrie's shy nature came up. Whether it was with Noel or Jan Hurd, or with John Wien-Smith, I have no idea.

But something else to add to this thread is a little more about the ME5.

Malcolm Ramsay was telling me on Friday about how he and Tony Alcock got together... Malcolm was, of course, a fairly good customer at Elfin, but wanted something different. He spent a lot of time talking to Tony during the time that Tony was building the ME5 and after Tony went to Sydney to work on the car with Niel Allen, and then went on to build the FF Birrana, he induced him to return to Adelaide to build the F2 cars.

[normbeechey]

Totoslot and others,

There are some more new pics of the Bob Jane Elfin 400 on the 1960's page and the Max Thompson ex Hurd/Keen 400 on the 1970's page of :- www.drive.to/beechey

Thanks for the tip re Patto's Place, look forward to your NZ pics.

Chris Meaden

[2F-001]

I know very little about Elfins, so bear with me...

I encountered one in recent years in Belgium (in '96, I think) which may be the re-bodied ME5 mentioned in this thread, as it was entered and owned (I believe) by Haam Lagaay. Black, wedgy and ''early 'seventies CanAm'' in appearence. Not exactly pretty, one might say, but pretty purposeful...

I don't remember encountering it out on the track (a supposedly non-competitive driving day), but did take a snap-shot of it in the pits: I don't currently have the means to upload this anywhere, but could e-mail it to anyone interested in seeing it or identifying it.

[Ray Bell]

I promised earlier to check and see when Niel Allen put 'Elfin' on the side of the 'Traco Olds'...

For the first meeting! Catalina, at the end of 1966.

As for the BP side of this, both Matich and Allen were BP drivers, and as has been raised previously, Elfin had an arrangement with BP. I don't think this has anything to do with Matich not calling the car an Elfin.

Now, the ME5... here it is in its original form. I don't think anything changed significantly (maybe the dividing of the rear wing?) in all the time it ran in Australia. The front wing between the headlights is adjustable, the radiators are in the sides, 'doors' open upwards to the front.

[Ray Bell]

I promised earlier to check and see when Niel Allen put 'Elfin' on the side of the 'Traco Olds'...

For the first meeting! Catalina, at the end of 1966.

As for the BP side of this, both Matich and Allen were BP drivers, and as has been raised previously, Elfin had an arrangement with BP. I don't think this has anything to do with Matich not calling the car an Elfin.

Now, the ME5... here it is in its original form. I don't think anything changed significantly (maybe the dividing of the rear wing?) in all the time it ran in Australia. The front wing between the headlights is adjustable, the radiators are in the sides, 'doors' open upwards to the front.

[Mac Lark]

Not exactly pretty, one might say, but pretty purposeful...

Looks pretty good to me!

[totoslot]

Originally posted by normbeechey
.... There are some more new pics of the Bob Jane Elfin 400 on the 1960's page and the Max Thompson ex Hurd/Keen 400 on the 1970's page of :- www.drive.to/beechey

Thanks for the tip re Patto's Place, look forward to your NZ pics.

Chris Meaden

Dear Chris,

thanks for the additional pics. Hope you'll receive "my" Elfin pics from NZ racing.
If possible please post them here for all the other interested in this subject.

It would be great and very, very helpfull to me if someone can help with any
colour scemes of Elfin 400 or ME5. Btw, did the Bob Jane Elfin 400 have the
yellow stripe framed by two narrow golden (?) ones like Bob's Mustang?

Regarding my slotcar project(s) it would be a challenge to build the "cut nose"
front end Traco Olds from the 400 type body. Does someone know the reason
on those two bodywork solutions?

totoslot

[normbeechey]

The Bob Jane 400 did have Gold pinstriping beside the yellow strip as per the Mustang.

The short nose modifications to the Elfin 400 was due to the fact that Frank Matich thought that the long nose caused lift at high speeds. This was proved to be correct when Bevan Gibson was killed at Bathurst in the long nose Bob Jane 400 when the car flipped on Conrod straight, probably at around 300kph, at a guess

Chris Meaden

[barrykm]

Don't know if this has been picked up in earlier threads, but there was an Elfin Malalla in South Africa in the sixties, driven by Garth McGilliwie I think.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by normbeechey
The Bob Jane 400 did have Gold pinstriping beside the yellow strip as per the Mustang.

The short nose modifications to the Elfin 400 was due to the fact that Frank Matich thought that the long nose caused lift at high speeds. This was proved to be correct when Bevan Gibson was killed at Bathurst in the long nose Bob Jane 400 when the car flipped on Conrod straight, probably at around 300kph, at a guess

I don't think there were gold stripes, Chris... I'm confident, in fact, that there weren't.

As for the speed of the Elfin at the time of Bevan Gibson's 'takeoff' at Bathurst, I think you'll find that was more like 165 mph or so. Matich was slow due to a misfire, Bevan was trying to stay with him... and chancing his arm.

He had been told the night before that they didn't reckon it was a good idea to muck around with the aerodynamics at the meeting, and especially between the practice sessions and the race. "Just take it easy over the hump..."

The rest is, as he is, history...

barrykm... the export of Elfins to Africa has been mentioned in other threads.