135 replies to this topic

[Seanmac27]

I am just wondering if any of my fellow New Zealanders or Expat NZers have any pictures or know any websites to view any of the great cars and drivers of the last 30 years or so.

My father has quite an extensive collection himself, however I live in Queensland now, and it gets quite annoying trying to explain to people cars like those driven by the likes of Ian 'Inky' Tulloch, Trevor Crowe, Jack Nazer, Leo Leonard, Ian Algie, Wayne Huxford, Don Grindley, John Osborne, etc not to mention some of the very great Touring Drivers like messrs Baigent, Bowkett, Crichton, Francevic etc, some of whom were seen over here in Australia with varying success, notably that of Robbie Francevic.

My father used to buy me annual memberships to New Zealand Motoring News magazine, and I used to have many boxes dating back to 1981, however, when I moved to Australia I had to leave then behind, and now as those magazines and newspapers have long been turned to refuse, so have the memories, like back in 1983 when, to debut the Ford Telstar into New Zealand, Dick Johnson co-drove one in the then Benson and Hedges Touring Car event at Pukekohe, or I think the same year or soon after Kent Baigent was lucky to walk away with his life as he demolished his BMW 635CSi along the back straight of Manfield, or the reverse grid Sports Sedan race at the New Zealand GP meet at Pukekohe in 1982?? when Tulloch and Crowe and someone else? drove through the field to win.

Ah such is memory, if anyone can help please let me know.

Regards

Sean McBride

[David McKinney]

I'm pretty sure one of the Australian photographic websites has a selection - perhaps someone else will be able to provide you with a link

[David Shaw]

You will find a few pages here:
http://members.tripo...sportarchivenz/

[Seanmac27]

Thank you so much for that Website David, it was truly amazing looking back at the memories.

There was one picture of John Osborne and Lawrence Bruce rounding up a slower Mazda Cappella, which was from the January '82 GP meet, which was I believe even from the reverse grid race I referred to in my original request. This was a race of quite a large number of Sports Sedans possibly as many as 35 or more, featuring some of the Shellsport 2 litre class as well, but eventually won by Inky Tulloch in the ex-Paul Fahey Capri, an old picture of which is in the article on Brent Bullivants Capri, but this was after a race long dual with Trevor Crowe in the then new Starlet as they drove through the field.

I have to say, I was 8 at the time but I recall some details quite vividly.

Thank you once again

[Terry Marshall]

Hi Guys.
I have photographed Motor Sport in New Zealand since late 60's right thru the F5000 days to present. A lot of my work is on the oldracephotos.com web site, coded with 'm'. NZ All-Comer and Sports Sedan are listed under Touring Cars 2.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Terry Marshall
Hi Guys.
I have photographed Motor Sport in New Zealand since late 60's right thru the F5000 days to present. A lot of my work is on the oldracephotos.com web site, coded with 'm'. NZ All-Comer and Sports Sedan are listed under Touring Cars 2.

Welcome Terry - you've found us at last
When I mentioned the Australian site, I remembered yours - but had lost the link

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Terry Marshall
Hi Guys.
I have photographed Motor Sport in New Zealand since late 60's right thru the F5000 days to present. A lot of my work is on the oldracephotos.com web site, coded with 'm'. NZ All-Comer and Sports Sedan are listed under Touring Cars 2.

That sounds like one I should be checking out... could you please post a link?

F5000s especially, and for Keir, a bit of Amon?

Welcome Terry...

[Terry Marshall]

Its been a long time since we wondered around Levin together Dave. Those were the days.
Site is http://www.oldracephotos.com. Tasman and F5000 shote are under Race Cars 2.

[Terry Marshall]

Or should that be http://oldracephotos.com

[Ray Bell]

Yes... should be...

There's a few Longford photos there that don't seem to fit within the NZ framework. Nice ones, too. And yes, Amon is there at Longford for Keir on the homepage.

[Vicuna]

At the risk of embarrassing him, Terry Marshall is the doyen of NZ motor racing photographers.

Welcome.

[Ray Bell]

Then he was exaggerating more than just slightly when he said 'a lot' of his work was on that site?

The shortcoming was the shortage, actually...

[Terry Marshall]

Your too kind Vicuna, and Ray, your correct, maybe 2% is on there, but then I've never owned a trumpet..:-))

[Ray Bell]

Well, now you know what you should be doing this weekend...

Any chance we can get Donn Anderson on here too?

[Vicuna]

Let me indulge in some memories of machines - in no order, just as they come to mind

1. The Custaxie - a 1955/56 Customoline with a 7-litre Galaxie motor
2. Miss Victorious - an FD Victor with a 6-litre Chev and serious bhp
3. The Algie Alfetta - a GTV with a 5-litre F5000 motor where the front seat once was
4. The Crowe/Freeth Starlet with a 4.5 litre Oldsmobile
5. Plenty of Capris with Chevys - the Leckie car, Brent Bullivant's that Graham Baker took over and most famously - Wayne Huxfords legendary beast
6. Ron Silvesters 38 Chev Coupe with a Corvette up front
7. Jim Millers Renault Dauphine (this is true) with a rear mounted Chev from 1966/67 ish
8. The Neil Doyle Anglia Corvette - did this go to Clyde Collins? Can't recall


This is in addition to legions of fastback Anglias

[Seanmac27]

Originally posted by Vicuna
Let me indulge in some memories of machines - in no order, just as they come to mind

1. The Custaxie - a 1955/56 Customoline with a 7-litre Galaxie motor
2. Miss Victorious - an FD Victor with a 6-litre Chev and serious bhp
3. The Algie Alfetta - a GTV with a 5-litre F5000 motor where the front seat once was
4. The Crowe/Freeth Starlet with a 4.5 litre Oldsmobile
5. Plenty of Capris with Chevys - the Leckie car, Brent Bullivant's that Graham Baker took over and most famously - Wayne Huxfords legendary beast
6. Ron Silvesters 38 Chev Coupe with a Corvette up front
7. Jim Millers Renault Dauphine (this is true) with a rear mounted Chev from 1966/67 ish
8. The Neil Doyle Anglia Corvette - did this go to Clyde Collins? Can't recall


This is in addition to legions of fastback Anglias

I actually thought that Inky Tulloch's was the greatest of the V8 Capri's or at least the most successful, Also in regards Miss Victorious, my father and I have several pictures of that particular vehicle, including, my sister and I standing next to the rear of it, I would have been the grand old age of 3 at the time!

The Algie Alfetta, nicknamed the batmobile, I have just seen a good picture of at www.tops.co.nz but there seems to be a problem with the link, as you cannot take a better/larger look at it.

I am still amazed no one has done a book/website based solely on these cars.

[Seanmac27]

Silly question I know, but how do you post pictures??

[hiteknz]

I have been thinking about doing a web site or book for some time.I was involved as a competitor and with the mechanical preparation of a lot of cars that raced in the early All Comers in the mid sixties and the later Sports Sedan series .If you think there is sufficent interest let me know and perhaps it will spur me on to get on with it I have a lot of information etc of those years but any information is welcome as we perhaps need to have some record of those times before the information is lost ,you can contact me through here or homewood1@ihug.co.nz,
Thanks Bob Homewood

[nick stone]

This seems the perfect time to confess my hero was Kerry Grant in the indecently fast, black A40 Farina.
A true dragon slayer. After he had graduated to open wheelers - a 2.5 litre Brabham I think - I watched him lead Jim Clark at Levin for a great part of the feature race. He eventually fell off, but impressed everyone with his speed. Don't remember the year - possibly 1963. I'm not sure where his career eventually took him.

Nick

[Terry Marshall]

That was 1965. It was a BT4 leased by Southward Engineering from Scuderia Veloce. Kerry Grant was a star. He started on the front row at both Wigram and Teretonga. Fellow front rowers at Wigram were Jim Clark, Bruce McLaren and Frank Gardner. He gave up open wheelers after a crash at Pukekohe in 67 in a BT11, another ex Veloce car.

[David McKinney]

And, to be more accurate than Nick, he didn't lead Clark at Levin. He was however an unchallenged second ahead of McLaren, Phil Hill and Gardner until his fateful error after (IIRC) 14 laps
He of course raced two A40s, the one with which he had his famous battles with McLaren's Mini-Cooper in 1962 and 1963, and the later black one.
He retired after his 1967 Puke accident but came back a few years later (1972?) and ran a few production-car events in a Holden Torana

Originally posted by hiteknz
I have been thinking about doing a web site or book for some time.I was involved as a competitor and with the mechanical preparation of a lot of cars that raced in the early All Comers in the mid sixties and the later Sports Sedan series.

Nice to see you here Bob
It's worth noting that you differentitate between the old Allcomers which ended in 1967 (with the Custaxie domination) and Sports Sedans which came much later. In between of course were the South Island OSCA cars (many of them pensioned-off and/or further developed NI Allcomers)

[Vicuna]

My only comment about the Inky Tulloch Capri is that it was the ex Fahey Clogne Capri with the 3.4 V6 replaced with a 350 Chev.

I saw one of the greatest scraps ever between Baker, Huxford and Tulloch at Manfeild in early 1981 - all drove Capri Chevs but all had approached the game from different ends.

[Patrick Fletcher]

same year '81 but in the deep south........
"who can forget the moment when OSCA star cars Tulloch and Jenkins physically picked up the Starlet of Trevor Crowe and bodily carried it between the Capri and Victor, 200 yards into the loop at the end of the main straight"
from Teretonga '25 page 109

[Vicuna]

In the 60s was the Morrari - a Monza Ferrari with a Chev V8 and clothed in an orange Morris Minor body.

And anyone that saw the Rod Coppins Zephyr-Corvette will talk about the exhaust pipes up thru the bonnet.

However as David says - these were 'Allcomers' whereas the buzz term of the mid/late 70s/80s was 'Sports Sedans'.

[Ray Bell]

...a term borrowed from Australia, where the loss of Appendix J in 1965 left hundreds of unraceable touring cars lying around.

Promoters wanted them to keep on coming, so they allowed them to race as sports cars, a category for which they qualified, of course.

The therefore restricted the entries of these sports cars to closed cars, 'by invitation'... so they could allow specific cars only.

It all became quickly abbreviated to 'Sports Closed'... some called it 'Sports Shut'... and it wasn't long before some began modifying cars beyond the Appendix J rules, fitting other engines etc. So it grew as a class of its own.

About 1968 (or was it 1967?) they were so prolific, particularly with a lot of hybrids that weren't originally envisaged in there, that they sprouted an association of their own and the name 'Sports Sedan' came into being.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Vicuna
In the 60s was the Morrari - a Monza Ferrari with a Chev V8 and clothed in an orange Morris Minor body.

Not a Monza (sportscar) but a Supersqualo (Grand Prix car);)

[Vicuna]

I knew that.

Once...

[Ray Bell]

Yeah... right... McKinney has posted here about that before...

Correcting me, of course.

[Mac Lark]

Originally posted by Terry Marshall
Hi Guys.
I have photographed Motor Sport in New Zealand since late 60's right thru the F5000 days to present. A lot of my work is on the oldracephotos.com web site, coded with 'm'. NZ All-Comer and Sports Sedan are listed under Touring Cars 2.

Ah Tel.

In addition to be an above average photographer, Terry also has a great love for motor racing...and decent rock and roll...and Italian motpr cars.

Another Iggy Pop disciple to another - welcome at long last to TNF.

MAC

[Terry Marshall]

Hello Big Bird.
Im just a passenger with a lust for life, walking on the wild side.

I wondered where all you famous Journos hung out, it was'nt the Atami, I checked there....:-))

[Ray Bell]

Was Donn?

He must surely have grey hair by now...

[Mac Lark]

Donn would have turned 60 this year.

Yes he has grey hair, is very fit and we see his work from time to time in magazines published by his former 'competitor' Allan Dick - a good mate of Terrible Terry Marshall.

I haven't caught up with for a while - if I had an e-mail address I'd see if he could be hooked in.

He and I were guests of an oil company at the 1994 Gold Coast Indy Car Grand Prix and got to know each other very well - he was big into apple juice.

A thoroughbly good bloke.

[Ray Bell]

Well, it would seem that it's up to Terry then...

He can contact Allan Dick, get the e.mail address for Dapper Donn and organise things.

I, for one, would like to make contact again. After all, it's... well... it's been maybe 30 years...

[Seanmac27]

I must say I am starting to feel a little overawed by the company that has developed here over this particular thread.

I would still like to know how to post pictures here, as some of the pictures that my father has, I can post including one of Kerry Grant in an Austin A40 Farina from the February'61 meet at Ohakea, photographed by dads friend Jeff Law.

would love to share this and other images.

[Seanmac27]

Originally posted by hiteknz
I have been thinking about doing a web site or book for some time.I was involved as a competitor and with the mechanical preparation of a lot of cars that raced in the early All Comers in the mid sixties and the later Sports Sedan series .If you think there is sufficent interest let me know and perhaps it will spur me on to get on with it I have a lot of information etc of those years but any information is welcome as we perhaps need to have some record of those times before the information is lost ,you can contact me through here or homewood1@ihug.co.nz,
Thanks Bob Homewood

Bob, Early last year from memory, I sent a letter to the Editor of New Zealand Classic Car Magazine seeking the same information that I have more or less received through this forum and its readers.
At the time it was suggested in reply from the editor that they believed any book on the tin top history as opposed the open wheel history, would be well received by the public. I could not agree more, there are alot more than those who have responded to this particular thread who would not only purchase, but probably also supply photographs and stories regarding that particular part of New Zealand motor sport history.

For example there was the affair of the Cologne Capri Replica which John Osborne drove, which I believe was burnt out in an accident at Ruapuna?? this same car I had seen with my father at a meet the drivers session at Porter Square in Palmerston North, Dad spoke with John, from memory Davy Jones and Ross Cheever were also at that particular meet the drivers session, but anyway. . .
A couple of years later my father recalls having seen a burnt out bodyshell of a Capri which he attests was that of the said Cologne Capri, that would have been August '84.

Anyway I strongly believe it is important that, if there is to be a book written, then it should be done now, belfore to much of the unwritten history is consigned to dust.

[mctshirt]

Originally posted by Seanmac27
I must say I am starting to feel a little overawed by the company that has developed here over this particular thread.

I would still like to know how to post pictures here, as some of the pictures that my father has, I can post including one of Kerry Grant in an Austin A40 Farina from the February'61 meet at Ohakea, photographed by dads friend Jeff Law.

Imageshack is quite commonly used by the members here, upload a photo then cut and paste from the choice of URL's given to your post. I believe the photo will be hosted for 1 year. For more info see: "Sticky: ATTENTION EVERYONE: SOLUTION FOR POSTING YOUR IMAGES (Pages: 1 2 3 )" thread at top of The Nostalgia Forum index page or go straight to: http://www.imageshack.us/

It sure is serious company and without doubt gentlemen of serious authority in matters of motor racing in the antipodes and beyond.

[David Shaw]

Originally posted by Seanmac27
I would still like to know how to post pictures here, as some of the pictures that my father has, I can post including one of Kerry Grant in an Austin A40 Farina from the February'61 meet at Ohakea, photographed by dads friend Jeff Law.

would love to share this and other images.

Have a look at the second-last Sticky topic, 'ATTENTION ALL USERS: SOLUTION FOR POSTING IMAGES' or something similar. It is quick and easy.

[Seanmac27]

[Seanmac27]

Sorry wasn't sure if they were actually going to work,

But we have Paul Fahey in the PDL Mustang, January 1973, 8 months before my Birth, and Kerry Grant at Ohakea in February '61.

Photographs courtesy of Fahey, Barrie McBride, my father and Grant, Jeff Law.

[Milan Fistonic]

Originally posted by Vicuna
In the 60s was the Morrari - a Monza Ferrari with a Chev V8 and clothed in an orange Morris Minor body.

Originally posted by David McKinney



Not a Monza (sportscar) but a Supersqualo (Grand Prix car);)

And this is the beast.

[bradbury west]

Thanks for the photo of the Morrari. The only other time I have seen it was in the early 60s, as a callow youth, in my copy of The Autocar, as it then was, showing the car, minus doors but with seat belts IIRC , shot from the driver's side, competing in a hillclimb driven by a lady driver. All of those magazine copies went years ago, except Motor Sport, inevitably.

If anyone can produce another copy I would be delighted to see it again.

Roger Lund.

PS

I was fortunate enough in 2001 to have 4 weeks' holiday throughout NZ. Wonderful, especially with the $NZ at 3.44 to the £, petrol equating to 29p at UK rates per litre.
It was like having your own private road network

We took in as many of the circuits as we could find and had time for including the old Levin and Wigram ones. At Wigram after a couple of conversations, a chap with an interest drove me round the remains of what was the old track, and at Invercargill a super bloke let me take Mr Avis' RentaHonda round for a few modest laps. At Ruapuna there was a "Run what you brung" day, with a very varied paddock of cars. Fabulous country, marvellous people.

I also discovered the museums at Geraldine, rural, agricultural based collection, and at Wanaka, featuring planes, cars, bikes, toys and all manner of things by the dozen, which had started as a private collection of a man who had the interest and later the wherewithal to save such a vast array of stuff, rather like a different variation of Bill Harrah and Tom Wheatcroft.


Roger Lund.

[Barriemac]

As I have read through these thoughts I have had some nostalgic thoughts.

My first encounter with a high powered saloon was the George Dixon Chev Coupe powered by a Corvette motor. George was one of the drawcards at the Ohakea airfield meeting 1959 or thereabouts that I attended with my parents. It was a meeting marred by a dispute among the open-wheeled brigade over starting money or tyre money depending on whose story you heard. George had a moment exiting the hairpin at the end of the long straight and left the edge of the track. Safety barriers? A length of rope! Dad pushed us back as he strained forward to get a better view.

Kerry Grant was mentioned. Kerry's accident at Pukekohe involved fire. Following on from that proper racing overalls became important. His A40 exploits excited a friend of mine, Brian Ax, to prepare his own A40. I have a number of memories of Kerry. One in particular comes to mind. I was employed by the City Council. Kerry had come to pay something and it was when his Cortina was being developed. There it was parked with the engine running. You wouldn't dare do something like that today.

Some other saloon car drivers came to mind - Frank Verry a pioneer with Humber 80/Hillman Minx, Dennis Marwood also with Humber 80, Brian Innes with his Mark 2 Zephyr, "Doc" Langley also with a Humber 80.

Brian Innes had a memorable moment at Levin. It was a very wet day. I'm not sure whether it was late braking or brake failure but the car went straight on at the hairpin, through the earth bank that separated the hairpin from the main straight and a press man got the photograph of his life with the car in the air surrounded by earth.

The other car I wanted to mention was the Falcon campaigned by Clyde Collins. Watching him on race morning exiting the hairpin was amazing.

[Vicuna]

Good post Barrie.

Clyde Collins really pushed hard in that Falcon but always seemed to be fighting an uphill battle against Camaros and Mustangs. I guess weight was a factor.

[Mac Lark]

I spent a couple of hours with Dennis Marwood recently to background a story I'm doing on him - he talked a lot about the Humber 80 but of course the cars that most will remember him for are the Eisert and the 69 Trans-Am Camaro.

There was a period where Dennis and the Camaro were the money.

I've still got to find some time to get to Milan's Motorman and autoNEWS collection so I can finish off the story.

[Ray Bell]

Isn't that 'Denis'?

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Mac Lark
I spent a couple of hours with Dennis Marwood recently to background a story I'm doing on him - he talked a lot about the Humber 80 but of course the cars that most will remember him for are the Eisert and the 69 Trans-Am Camaro.

Speak for yourself
For me, it's the Rothmans Cooper, then the Humber 80s
(I'd forgotten about the Camaro)

And Ray, I believe that - in spite of what most magazines said at the time - he's a two 'n' man
In fact it wouldn't surprise me to learn he'd dropped one of them himself - this was, after all, the Hulme era

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by David McKinney
.....And Ray, I believe that - in spite of what most magazines said at the time - he's a two 'n' man
In fact it wouldn't surprise me to learn he'd dropped one of them himself - this was, after all, the Hulme era

Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me either...

Both the prospect of the magazines getting it wrong or some lazy Kiwi not caring how it was spelled...

We only saw his name on the Cooper, of course.

[Mac Lark]

I have his business card in my car. I will advise.

I guess I meant...most will remember...in the context of the 70s but of course the Rothmans Cooper is a major part of the D.Marwood story.

I've just re-read the opening post to this thread and see the name Don Grindley which brought to mind the 4.4 litre Buick engined RX7 he ran before the Cutlass arrived.

And mention of RX7s brings up the name Kieran Wills - father of Simon - who man-handled his black Chev powered 'RX8' around NZ circuits in the early 90s.

[Seanmac27]

Its strange how obscure things focus the senses.

I was just sitting on a yellow 2 tonne roller rolling a cricket pitch and it reminded me of the reasons why I started taking notice of Don Grindley in the first place.

You see in the early '80's my father and I used to go to the speedway in Palmerston North and some of the competitors I remember from then were names like Blondie Chamberlain, Gary McKelvie, Peter Sloman and one Rod Clifton from Te Horo north of Wellington who, like Don Grindley had a Mazda RX3 at least partly painted Yellow, before they respectively graduated to RX7s, Cliftons from memory was still the Rotary as opposed to a V8.

But I aslo started thinking of some more obscure cars, I wonder whether anyone on here can recall, either seeing or indeed have pictures of any of these.

Firstly,

Rod McElrea built up a V8 Cortina Mark 4 at one stage, probably about '82.

Someone a little later was peddling a V8 engined Morris Marina, names alude me at the moment, but that would have been mid 80's possibly 86 or 87.

Similarly a Palmerston North driver, possibly Brian Green had built up a red?? Sunbeam Stilletto. I am not sure of what the power plant was, my dad may recall better, but its owner was living in Milson a suburb of Palmy in '82, from memory Bob Homewood may even have competed against this vehicle, but i can't be certain.

One obscure one I do have a picture of, but know very little about is Glenn McIntyres Fiat 124 which is one of the four pictures I have posted.

But as Dad mentioned both Clyde Collins Falcon and Dennis Marwood, I have also included copies of Dads photographs of both the said Falcon and also the Eisert, both pictures from Levin in January '70, there is also the Eisert on the grid at Levin.

[mctshirt]

I have the April 1995 Classic Car magazine which includes an interview with Dennis (with 2 n's)Marwood by Graham Sword. There is a photo of the Rothmans Cooper taken at Wigram in 1966 (according to the caption - the car is #5) which appears to me to show Dennis spelt with 2 n's if that helps. Below is the best scan I could get as the pic is not very good quality.