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William Augustus McIntyre


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#1 Ray Bell

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Posted 30 May 2003 - 03:13

The man who started it all...

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:

themenposting.jpg

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...

kleinigshopposting.jpg




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Edited by Ray Bell, 03 August 2020 - 10:10.


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#2 MarkBisset

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Posted 03 August 2020 - 09:18


 

09-FC0-D00-4-E18-4904-8-AF2-9-CE8-DD52-A


 

The McIntyre Hudson, handsome beast as it is ?

I am intrigued to know where and when this is 

(A Patterson Collection)



#3 Ray Bell

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Posted 03 August 2020 - 10:27

Unfortunately, Mark, since I posted the opening post every one of those people has passed on...

 

So the primary best sources are gone. Frank Junior might know, however. I rather suspect it might be at Bathurst, but the building's a bit large for there and therefore Parramatta or Burwood come into focus.

 

I've restored the pics in the first post, by the way.



#4 MarkBisset

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Posted 03 August 2020 - 13:31

Thanks Ray,

 

I did have a giggle about the age of the thread- great to have the original shots back.

 

The building in the background looks quite grand but does not ring a Sydney bell at all- my guess as to date looking at the car in the context of lots of shots is 1936 to 1939 but that is ESID method...



#5 Ray Bell

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Posted 03 August 2020 - 15:15

The car went to Adelaide in 1936, surely it went to Melbourne some time (for Phillip Id),..

 

And in 1938 it was seen in this street:

 

0820northbourneave.jpg

 

Somewhere I'm sure I have a photo of it competing in that street, but for now I'll just post a picture of it as restored by Clive Gibson:

 

mcintyrerestoredcolourlo.jpg



#6 john medley

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Posted 03 August 2020 - 20:59

Civic, Canberra?



#7 Ray Bell

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Posted 03 August 2020 - 23:07

Northbourne Avenue, Civic, in fact...

 

I wonder where my photo of it scorching down the long straight has gone?



#8 MarkBisset

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Posted 03 August 2020 - 23:41

O wow, well done 

 

That annual speed trials caper, wonder what year, I may have mentioned it in my Kleinig epic, must have a look

 

And the building is still there? Classified I guess, thankfully

 

m



#9 Ray Bell

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Posted 04 August 2020 - 04:06

The view from Google Earth Street View is fairly recent...

 

Those buildings (there's one each side of the road) aren't likely to go away in a hurry. The next block up is all modernised, however.



#10 Ray Bell

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Posted 07 August 2020 - 01:05

I'm sure it was there the year that the ERA had its gallop down Northbourne Avenue...

 

That was 1938, of course.

 

John may well have details of the speeds achieved by both cars.



#11 MarkBisset

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Posted 07 August 2020 - 02:31

The McIntyre may well have run there more than once.

 

On the 1/2/1936 running of the annual event only 7 cars ran, the fastest of which was Tom Peters in the exThompson T37A with 106.8mph for The Flying Mile- Thompson did 112mph the year before.

 

Frank Kleinig did 105.8mph in his ‘first public drive’ of the Kirby-Deering Spl, which did not run on ‘full song’, whilst Gus McIntyre did 103.4mph in the McIntyre-Hudson