The rise of Frank Kleinig to the forefront of Australian racing between 1936 and 1953, the creation of the McIntyre Hudson that was intended to run in that ill-fated trans-African race... and all that these events spawned.
Gus McIntyre owned cinemas in the Great Depression. Those with a bent for history (won't be many around here, I suppose...) will be aware that this was a growth industry while others were on their knees, and McIntyre made a fortune.
He paid, it is said, the value of three new Rolls Royces to have the McIntyre Hudson built... there's more about that in this post:
http://www.atlasf1.c...=&postid=268675
The main reason for starting this thread, however, is to discuss more about McIntyre, now that John Medley is here to help out, and I have this photo from Clive Gibson which includes the man:
Left to right are Doug Ramsay, Jack Stevens, Frank Kleinig and Gus McIntyre.
Kleinig had Ramsay as one of his first apprentices... three of them still live, all scattered up the coast of New South Wales. Ramsay is in the Forster area, Clive Gibson is in Laurieton, Bill Ford (at 85 or something) is in Coffs Harbour but still drives a truck up and down the highway to help out his son's furniture business!
Stevens was the man behind the Silex Exhaust firm, Kleinig had his own workshop which was later to support his racing without McIntyre involvement.
McIntyre died during the war when he stretched his health too far.
This is the Parramatta Road, Burwood, shop of Frank Kleinig. The white car to the left is the ex-Les Burrows Terraplane Special at the time owned by Bill Ford (circa 1948) and the Singer is no joke... it's supercharged. Must ask Clive who owned it again...
.
Edited by Ray Bell, 03 August 2020 - 10:10.