Wheelspin Vol 48 No 1

January 2009 VOLUME 48 Number 1

Share the Passion

Sporting Car Club of South Australia Incorporated

OUT AND ABOUT

This year it was 120 years ago that Bertha Benz packed her sons Eugen and Richard into her husband’s invention, the world’s first motor car, and drove from Mannheim to Pforzheim to see her parents.

Husband Carl had almost given up on his invention, finding it too unreliable and so, to his surprise and great satisfaction, the horseless carriage proved to be up to the task.

This first long distance journey by motor car – 106 km each way – was the marketing break-through for the new-fangled conveyance leading directly to the incredible near 1000 million motor cars driven in the world today.

A few years ago, a band of motor car enthusiasts – led once more by a lady, Frauke Meyer – put their heads together and after wrangling with officialdom and general uninterest, managed to have the original route signposted as a tourist drive. The routing follows the path taken by Bertha Benz as much as possible, although there are some minor sections of the original route no longer accessible by motor car.

However, should you wish to follow in Mrs. Benz’ tyre marks, you will find yourself in one of Germany’s most interesting and scenic landscapes. Starting at Mannheim, where you will find Europe’s second largest Baroque

castle (after Versailles), you will then pass through the ancient Roman town of Ladenburg where the Benz Museum is situated in the original factory and then reach Heidelberg with its famous castle above the river Neckar (left), partly destroyed

by Louis XlV who wanted this part of Germany to become part of France.

Arriving in the town of Wiesloch you will find the ‘oldest petrol station in the world’, the apothecary shop, in the town centre. Your next stop is Bruchsal, endowed with yet another castle, before reaching Pforzheim, Germany’s jewellery capital and gateway to the Black Forest, complete with Bertha Benz memorial (left).

Next stop is Hockenheim with its Grand Prix race track and museum and, finally, Schwetzingen with the Elector’s castle and magnificent gardens, soon to be UNESCO heritage listed.

Outside the cities and towns you are travelling through lush countryside studded with vineyards, yet you are also travelling through an area with a significant industrial history.

The museums written up in Wheelspin of April 2008 are all within easy reach of Mannheim.

Michael Wapler

IGNITION

THE SPORTING CAR CLUB OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, INC. Founded 22nd May, 1934 ABN 67 -853 093 023 51 King William Road Unley, SA 5061 Telephone: 08 8373 4899 Fax: 08 8373 4703 e-mail: sccsa@internode.on.net website: www.sportingcarclubsa.org.au PATRON His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AO CSC RANR Governor of South Australia Office Hours: Wednesday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.00 pm Club General Meeting Historic Racing Register Classic Section HQ Section Vintage Section Veteran Section Vmax Motorsport Section Competition Section

Monthly Meetings: 1st Wednesday 2nd Tuesday 1st Friday 3rd Wednesday 2nd Friday 3rd Friday 4th Friday Meetings held quarterly

Please note: the bar is open only on General

Meeting and Section Meeting Nights

The Sporting Car Club Library hours: Club General Meeting Night (1st Wednesday of the month, excluding January); All designated Section meeting nights; Wednesdays 10.00 am - 4.00 pm Fridays 10.00 am - 12.00 noon Wheelspin Production: Published once every quarter Publishing dates: (1st January, 1st April, 1st July, 1st October) Please submit all articles eight weeks prior to publishing date.

Editorial Team: Michael Wapler, Paul Murrell.

All material sent into the office for publishing should be typed in font Arial 9 point. Photographic images should either be paper prints or on CD in 300 d.p.i. quality whenever possible. Please note that older type storage media, e.g. floppy discs or zip-discs are no longer acceptable.

It is always appreciated when items submitted for publication will be handed in not later than the above quoted deadlines.

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT It is an honour to succeed a tireless president who pushed himself to the limit for the Club; I am not sure anyone will ever match his dedication. I wish John all the best and welcome his counsel, as I do every member of the Club. I have extensive experience of Clubs and volunteering, I was Mayor of Unley 1991 - 2006, and presently I am Chair of the Goodwood Bendigo Bank and Goodwood Community Services. I am Executive Officer of Club One and previously was Executive Director of the Licensed Clubs Association.

For me, Clubs are organic bodies having life through member’s commitment and participation.

Clubs are not businesses, they might be “business like” but they are primarily a means to involve people, to different degrees, for a common purpose.

Importantly, Clubs constantly change, they may evolve at the rate of their slowest member of the slowest committee, but it all adds up and a good Club leadership expresses that process. Presently my perception of the change is for the Club to take stock of itself and the changed world, the plans made to reflect the boom of the last decade need to be revisited, and a course steered that will call on the natural strength and intelligence of the Club – its members.

Michael Keenan

GENERAL MANAGER WARREN SCHIRMER TO RETIRE ON 31ST MARCH Several months ago Warren notified the Board that he was thinking of retiring in the near future.

In October of last year he had given formal notice that he would retire on 31 December, 2008, but has now agreed to help the Club over the transition period by remaining in his post until 31 March, 2009.

Warren, over the past six years, has seen in many changes and built an extremely good administration team. The role of General Manager of a Club like ours is challenging, with huge demands and pressures from the varying areas of the Club. Balancing these demands with his desired lifestyle has lead Warren to make this decision.

As a Club we also owe Warren a huge vote of thanks and we will do this properly at the time of his retirement from the role.

In the next week you will see the General Manager’s position advertised and we hope to fill the role quickly so Warren can work with the new General Manager to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities.

The Board of Directors of the Sporting Car Club of S.A., Inc.

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Disclaimer: The articles printed in this magazine do not necessarily represent the views of the Sporting Car Club of S.A., Inc. nor the Editorial Team. All opinions, technical tips and methods are the views of the person submitting the article/s, and the Club cannot accept any responsibility for these whatsoever.

CONTENTS

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IGNITION

A Word from the President and Board ……..…………1 TOOL KIT

Names and Addresses of Club Contacts, updated ...….4 UNDER THE BONNET

General Manager’s Report ………………..…………..5 FROM THE SPORTING CAR CLUB LIBRARY

Answer to “Barry’s Question” of October …..…....…...5

“Barry’s Question” for January.. ………………....…...5

A Venetian Masquerade? …….. …………..……….....6

Gems discovered – Book Reviews ……………….....6

Now on the Shelves –

Summary of New Books available to Members ....7

PETROL FUMES

Veteran Section News

National Veteran Rally, Canberra .................8

Forthcoming Events and Meetings …....……9

Classic Section News……

Carnevale at the Sporting Car Club ……….10

Frolicking with animals ….…….………….10

‘Classics’ Historic Garage at

Classic Adelaide – a dog’s breakfast ….…..11

Jaguar night at November Meeting ……….11

Vintage Section News

Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb …….....…..15

HRR News

Lobethal Grand Carnival ………...……….11

Revival at Lobethal …………...………….14

John Blanden’s 24th Climb to the Eagle ...19

Competition Section News

Team Racetune Classic Win …….....…..…..17

HQ News

Showdown for 2008 ………....…………....26

LADIES’ QUESTION TIME

Answer to October’s Ladies’ Question ….……….....21

Ladies’ Question for January ..………..……………..21 OUT AND ABOUT

Bertha Benz Memorial Route ………… ....inside cover

Michael’s European Column ……………………….22

Where it all starts - the home of the Sporting Car Club in Unley La Serenissima mysterious GP racing car named after Venice. page 6

The Classic Section visits Monarto Zoo Page 10

Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb page 15

The August Horch Museum at Zwickau page 22

AT THE SHARP END

History Is Really Bunk.. ………...…….…………….25

Another Ford Furphy ……....………………………..25

Big Brother ……..…..……………………………….25 REARVIEW MIRROR

Automobiles L. Rosengart …………………………..28

MICHAEL GASKING’S RACING SNIPPETS…...……..21, 29

OUR COVER The re-enactment of the Lobethal GP of 1937/38 seventy years after it was first run brought out some amazing cars from under their covers. The ex-Prince Bira of Siam MG K3 now owned and driven by Philip Brady, followed by Doug Lehmann’s Jaguar Ford V8 and Mark Woodberry’s Dodge Special through the esses.

The photograph was kindly provided by John Lemm

Lobethal Grand Carnival line-up page 11

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TOOL KIT YOUR CLUB CONTACTS President Michael Keenan ……….(M) 0413 449 635

michael.keenan@clubone.net.au Immediate Past President: John Burt ……...………..(M) 0418 832 824

john@subnet.net.au Vice Presidents: Peter Bettes ……………(M) 0417 217 215

(W) 08 8292 2500

(H) 08 8278 5034

peter@willshire.com.au

John Bryant …………… .(B) 08 8362 8860

(M) 0418 818 998

john@bryantconcepts.com.au Treasurer: Sean Wheelan ………...(M) 0412 618 122

(W) 08 8431 4700

sean.whelan@maccoul.com.au Secretary: Colin Bourner …………..(M) 0417 801 381

(H) 08 8337 3190

colinb@picknowl.com.au Board Members: Mark Goldsmith ……......(M) 0412 671 671

(W) 08 8424 5597

goldsmithm@banksa.com.au

Ann Ozgo …….….........(M) 0418 818 998

(H) 08 8336 6114

aozgo@bigpond.com.au

Tony Parkinson ………..(M) 0408 805 518

(H) 08 8383 0481

tparkinson@pennyshill.com.au

Lyndon Punshon ………(M) 0417 826 284

(H) 08 8536 8236

lyn@pcreate.com CAMS Delegate:

John Bryant ………...…..(B) 08 8362 8860 (M) 0418 818 998

john@bryantconcepts.com.au

Classic Car Section:

Gordon Taylor (M) 0417 818 556

(Chair)…...……………..(H) 08 8278 3242

gjt@pilgrimarts.com

Classic Section, cont´d:

Allen Morris (M) 0408 826 324 (Secretary)…………..(H) 08 8263 2485

Competition Section: Lyndon Punshon (H) 08 8536 8236

(Chair)………….……(M) 0417 826 284

lyn@pcreate.com

Historic Racing Register: Ann Ozgo (Chair)… (M) 0417 847 329

aozgo@bigpond.com

John Bryant ………..(B) 08 8362 8860

(M) 0418 818 998

john@bryantconcepts.com.au Historic Registration Officers: Colin Bourner …… (M) 0417 801 381

colinb@picknowl.com.au

Ray Mossop ………..(H) 08 8258 9295

Rex Howard ………..(H) 08 8278 5337

John Wien-Smith - (Log Books) (B) 08 8373 4899 HQ Racing Register: Greg Goding………..(M) 0418 807 437

(Chairman) ………....(H) 08 8387 3118

tirepowr@bigpond.net.au

Alison Bennett (Secretary) (H) 08 8387 3118

alison.bennett@internode.on.net Veteran Car Section: John Ellis (Chair)…(H) 08 8362 3230

Christine Chennells (Secretary)…(H) 08 8278 8465

onelung@chariot.net.au Vintage Car Section: Ruth Day (Chair)…….....(M) 8278 6563

rday@unley.sa.gov.au

Graham Treloar (Secretary) (M) 0418 824 768

(H) 08 8332 7437 Special Events Mallala Office:

(B) 08 8271 5689

Fax 08 8272 5396

sccsaevents@internode.on.net (alternative) specevents@internode.on.net

General Manager: Warren Schirmer ………. (B) 08 8373 4899

wschirmer@internode.on.net Reception: Sandra Brooker ……(B) 08 8373 4899

sbrooker@internode.on.net

STORE YOUR PRIDE AND JOY …short or long term storage …safe, secure, convenient …basic storage to bespoke maintenance packages Your car can be ready for you to drive and enjoy whenever you want it. For the rest of the time, it is safely stored in the Adelaide Hills, minutes from Stirling, just up the freeway, secure from damage, vandalism, theft, or deterioration.

An ongoing maintenance programme can be arranged, or make a phone call and your pride and joy can be prepared to your requirements ready for a short or long drive in peak condition.

Safe storage is the worry-free way to classic or performance car ownership. Call today for complete details, to discuss your specific requirements, to arrange a confidential inspection and for a special SCC Club Member rate.

UNDER THE BONNET

BARRY’S QUESTION GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT One of the important new initiatives for the coming financial year is to organize and manage car launches for car companies wishing to use South Australia to launch new models. To date we have had firm enquiries from three manufacturers for launches in 2009.

As Julian Modra leaves the Sporting Car Club for full time study at TAFE, we thank Julian for his incredible efforts during his traineeship with us. He has been blessed with great talent. We will miss him.

Answer to ‘BARRY’S QUESTION’ FOR OCTOBER”

Barry asked you: ‘At least one of the team’s Aston Martin cars was fitted with other than one of their in-house gearboxes. What was the make of that gearbox and in what model Aston Martin was the ‘rogue’ gearbox known to be fitted?’

This was a difficult one, and the answer is: ‘AN ASTON MARTIN DB R1 – such as the one shown

Plans are well underway for events celebrating the 75th Anniversary for the Club.

We look forward to having the Honorable Kevin Foley launching our celebrations at the February General meeting on Wednesday, 4 February.

Warren Schirmer General Manager above – chassis No. 01, engine No. RB6 300/2. The gearbox was a Maserati unit (refer page 153 ‘Reg Parnell’ by Graham Gould).’

John Surtees, who had been given the car to try, was told that Stirling Moss had used it when winning the 1000 km at Nürburgring. He was told that the car was a bit different, but no one mentioned why, as David Brown was not to know that it had been fitted with a Maserati gearbox.

BARRY’S QUESTION FOR JANUARY In 1952, what car so impressed Austin chairman Leonard Lord when it went up Lickey Hill outside the factory quicker than an Austin A40, that he paid £10,000 (over £200,000 by 2008 values) for the prototype and the creator’s services?

Barry Catford

Answers please to: Michael Wapler at: miwap@ ozemail. com.au

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FROM THE SCC LIBRARY A VENETIAN

MASQUERADE? You might ask, what is the connection between a Venetian carnival masquerade and the mode of locomotion of interest to our Members?

Well there is one, of sorts. That magnificent city of canals and art treasures, of grand architecture, a great history of discoveries, of trading with the Orient over centuries, and part of this Venetian tradition is its Carnevale, the period leading up to Lent. However, in Venice this is a very special occasion; elegant, serene in its traditional colours of black and white, so befitting the sombre mood of the brooding skies of a European winter which at times almost smothers the city in the lagoon.

The Italians are calling Venice ‘La Serenissima’ – the most noble of cities, and who would dispute this.

Small wonder then when a Venetian nobleman, Conte Volpi, took an interest in Formula One, and in 1962 began building his own racing car in the new 1.5 litre class, it was to be raced under the Serenissima marque. As it happened, there was apparently a financial dispute preventing the use of this name and it was eventually raced under the ATS marque. The car was

briefly driven by Phil Hill and Giancarlo Baghetti.

The next step, and this time under the Serenissima marque was for the new 3 litre Formula One. A V8 engine was bartered with Bruce McLaren in England in exchange for a chassis. It was with this engine Bruce MacLaren won a single point at Silverstone after which he went back to Ford engines.

The Serenissima M1AF used this McLaren chassis – it is assumed to be an M2A – and was built with the help of British engineer Alf Francis and body builder Fantuzzi. It was fitted with the Serenissima V8 engine.

Here, the history becomes hazy. The car was never raced in any F1 race and while it was apparently raced in local events, its ownership frequently changed and eventually it disappeared from sight. Perhaps, the whole episode was only a masquerade, a folly, initiated by Conte Volpi.

But recently, German collector Nicolas Schönhuber acquired what had remained of the car and commissioned a ground-up restoration. It appears to be the only surviving F1 car of Serenissima Automobili, sporting the winged lion of St. Mark’s in its badge.

Michael Wapler 24 : 16

by Norbert Singer (an autobiography with Michael Cotton) There are a great many books about Porsche, its genial founder and the cars he created and you may say to yourself ‘oh, it’s just another one …’ but make no mistake, this one is different.

The difference is that it is written from the engineer’s point of view and the insights it gives are most interesting. Of course, there are quotes from some of the drivers who worked for Porsche but the success of the marque is viewed in a different light when seen through the eyes of the people who created the means the drivers could then convert into championship points. It really is a must-read.

Michael Wapler BERNARD CAHIER F-STOPS, PIT STOPS, LAUGHTER & TEARS Memoirs Of An Automotive Photojournalist

The Serenissima V8 engine (above) The Serenissima F1 – M1AF – as it looks today (below)

Late Club-Member Dennis Harrison, author of our Club history “With Casual Efficiency” , has very graciously donated the author’s royalties generated by the sale of this book to our library and every year the librarians have the joyful task of selecting a book to be worthy of purchase with these funds. Bernard Cahier’s memoirs is the choice for 2008.

When you are interested in motor sport, as many of us are, this set of two books might as well be your bible. Bernard Cahier has covered motor racing comprehensively almost to his death in 2008, though in later years with the assistance of his son Paul-Henri.

Father and son have charted virtually the entire post war period of the sport with their photographs and reports. His work as president of the International Racing Press Association (IRPA) has laid the foundation for the modern system of press accreditation and F1 media passes.

FROM THE SCC LIBRARY The two volumes are simply a treasure trove of images and they are all the more dramatic and impressive as all his work was done on black and white film.

There simply is no one of note in sports car and F1 racing who is not represented somewhere in those two mighty tomes and once you start paging through you will find it rather hard to put the volume down again.

Bernard Cahier had, what in anyone’s language would be an interesting life. Born in Marseilles in 1927 to a father in the military who later became a general, the young lad latched on to motor racing when taken to a race meeting at Miramar near Marseilles at the tender age of five.

At the age of 17, he joined the resistance in Brittany and was active before the Normandy landings of the Allies during June/ July of 1944. He went on to join General Leclerc’s 2nd Armoured Division and worked as an engineer, eventually ending up in the liberation of southern Germany.

He was then sent off to the French colony of the Cameroons for a year before moving to the US to study at UCLA. It was here that he met and later married Joan Updike. Again, motoring interests took over when he became involved with sports car racing in California while working at Roger Barlow’s International Motors, then the largest foreign car dealership in Los Angeles, selling European cars. One of his fellow salesmen was a youngster by the name of Phil Hill and the chief mechanic was Ritchie Ginther.

Returning to France in 1952 the Cahier family moved to Paris and one of his first assignments was to cover the Italian GP at Monza.

Following this he was given the job of writing about Formula 1 for the French Magazine ‘L´Action Automobile’ and through this he quickly became part of the inner circle in F1, getting to know drivers, team managers and sponsors.

He was very much appreciated for his affable way with people, throwing in the odd anecdote and his photographs appealed as they somehow conveyed the charm and personal feel of holiday snaps.

He was instrumental in linking up racing interests on both sides of the Atlantic bringing Phil Hill and Dan Gurney to Europe. By that time, he was PR consultant for the tyre manufacturer Goodyear in F1 as he had excellent connections across the racing community.

When time allowed he would race himself, on one occasion winning the GT class of the Targa Florio in 1967.

His friendship with some of the racing greats such as Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss yielded some marvellous photographs the reader will find in these two volumes.

Eventually, his connection with Goodyear came to an end in 1983 when management changes resulted in the termination of his contract.

He then took a step back from the sport that had been his life and left his son Paul-Henri to carry on with the photojournalistic work and the administration of the Cahier archive.

Bernard Cahier died on 10th July, 2008.

Michael Wapler Maurice Trintignant in highway traffic on the way to the Riverside race track in California (opposite page) An appreciative Jack Brabham and Hollywood starlet (top) Stirling Moss with head protection against stones thrown up by other competitors at Targa Florio (2nd from top) Bernard Cahier and boyish Mike Hawthorn at Monza (above)

NOW ON THE SHELVES Standard Auto-Electricians Manual 1943 10.5.0045 Clive Hill Gumeracha Car Collection 2.7.0213 Ford Consul Zephyr Mk11 Service Manual 11.2.0010 BLMC 1100 & 1300 Owners Workshop Manual 12.2.0063 Holden Torana Automatic Transmission Shop Manual

12.5.0003 Toyota Corona Mark 11 Repair Manual : Body 13.2.0178 Toyota Corona Mark 11 Repair

Manual : Chassis 13.2.0179 Japanese Imprt Cars : Service Book 13.5.0003 Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction 2.7.0216 Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction 2.7.0215 Bonhams Greenwich Connecticut-Auction 2.7.0217 B. Cahier, F-Stops, Pit Stops, Laughter & Tears 6.1.0081 B. Cahier, F-Stops, Pit Stops, Laughter & Tears 6.1.0082 McLaren, The Cars 1964-2008 2.3.0237 Bruce McLaren 4.1.0167 Grand Prix – Driver by Driver 4.1.0168 Unless I’m very much mistaken

3.1.0094 BMW ‘M’ Series 14.4.0008 Mt. Druitt To Monza 3.1.0100 100 Years Of Motoring 2.2.0078 Scania : World Trucks 2.13.0019 Spray Painting 2.6.0078 Round The World On A Wheel : 1899 2.11.0053 Buick : The Australian Story 2.4.0218 Sotheby’s Historic Sports & Racing Cars 2.7.0210 Bonhams Collectors’ Motor Cars, Cycles & Auto 2.7.0205 Bonhams & Goodman Collectors’ Motor Cars 2.7.0209

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PETROL FUMES LIBRARY FROM THE ERIC RAINSFORD quiet time of day.

Wednesday 29 October, Display Day at the Museum of Australia (16 km) The rally sponsors, Shannons Insurance, had requested a display day with the vehicles on public view, so the forecourt of the museum provided a wonderful backdrop for our vehicles and their

NATIONAL VETERAN RALLY, CANBERRA 26 October – 1 November, 2008

S.A. Entrants Chris & Geoff Chennells – Graham Treloar & Josie Luijckx – Arthur, Peter & Iris Mullins – Emanuel & Jim Coomblas –

1909 Sizaire et Naudin 1915 BSA Motorcycle 1909 Talbot 1916 Studebaker

People’s Choice Award – Barry Shinfield’s re-restored Talbot 4CB Tourer drivers, many of whom were dressed in costume of the period.

Prizes for this were judged by the museum staff and presented at the final dinner.

Thursday 30 October, Bungendore (105 km) Bungendore is a small village north of Canberra with boutique accommodation and a variety of galleries and craft shops. The surrounding area consists of rural residential living on small acreages for the Canberra folks who want a bit more space around them. This makes the area interesting to drive through and distracts one from the steepness of the hills in the area. It was a pleasant day of veteran motoring which we enjoyed in the 1912 Delahaye of Arthur and Val Garthon from NSW. Display Day at the Museum of Australia – there was much interest in the vehicles

Sunday 26 October, Hall (63 km) Registration with 94 entries meant there was much chatter as acquaintances were renewed with friends from other clubs.

In the afternoon there was a short run to Cynthia and Kingsley Southwell’s property where Kingsley’s shed was open for inspection with the 1904 French Front Oldsmobile and the newly acquired ex-Leon Birss (Qld) 1911 Renault runabout on display together with other memorabilia. Afternoon tea was served by ladies of the VVCCA(ACT), in and alongside the old railway carriage which is part of the display beside the old homestead. It was a great way to start the rally.

Monday 27 October, Bywong Goldfields Township (75 Km) This is a heritage site about 40 km north-east of Canberra, set in natural eucalypt woodland. It was a small goldfield with few permanent buildings and reef mining was conducted there from the early 1890’s to early 1900’s and again during WW2 ‘til the early 1960’s.

The first day brought quite a few break-downs, especially among some of the first time out vehicles.

Tuesday 28 October, Yass – 143 km or 110 km (short route) We passed through more areas of hobby farms on the northeast outskirts of Canberra before driving through the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee valleys with magnificent views west toward the Brindabellas, some steep long climbs, and the countryside in spring bloom.

In Yass, we wandered around the shops or picnicked for lunch.

Return was via the Barton Highway – fortunately at a relatively

The ex-Reg Macdonald 1913 Stoewer Type C1 – 4cyl. 1.55 litre 18 hp at 1800 r.pm., top speed 70 km/h Friday 31 October, Lambrigg Farm (88km) Lambrigg Farm was the home of William Farrer who bred rustfree wheat around the late 1800’s. The property still has some cropping along the Murrumbidgee, but mostly it is a cattle grazing property. Our return to Canberra was via the Cotter Dam, not an easy drive with the very gusty weather.

That night, at the presentation dinner, the entrants’ choice of

PETROL FUMES March 15 – Historic Vehicle Day – this is an event for all historic vehicles up to the end of 1930 and has been organised again by David Read of the VSCC. The display will be on the north side of Anzac Highway opposite the showgrounds car park from 12.30 - 3.30pm. We encourage all veteran and vintage drivers to bring out their cars on this day. We propose to have an “Old Crocks Run” before the display to celebrate 100 years of SCC history, so watch for more details of this in next year’s Newsletters.

OTHER MAJOR EVENTS 29 March-3 April – National High Wheeler Rally, Cowra.

Enquiries to Dave Perry on 02 4571 2309 May 3-8 – National Veteran Rally, Naracoorte, SA. Entry forms and catering bookings are now available at the club and by e-mail from <djpyle1@bigpond.com>. Now it’s time to put in your entry form to confirm your place.

Parking line-up headed by the ex-Callum Archibald 1910 Talbot 6AS Roadster, now owned by Phil O’Loan, N.S.W. vehicle was Barry and Joan Shinfield’s 1914 Talbot (“Tilly”). This vehicle has recently undergone a major re-restoration starting from its new wheels and is superbly finished.

The prize for entrants dressed to suit their vehicle went to Graham and Narelle Weekes in their 1912 Buick Roadster – another beautiful restoration.

Saturday 1 November – breakfast then head for home The farewell breakfast gives one time to say another farewell to those you may have missed the previous night.

It had been a chance to catch up with friends we had made at previous rallies, but as many said, it was a rally of different faces – some folks who had not been on a veteran rally in many years and others on their first rally with a newly restored veteran vehicle.

It was also good to see ex-SA vehicles being campaigned by their devoted owners from other states. There were quite a few cars on their first time out – it is good to know that restoration of veteran vehicles is still going on around Australia.

Chris Chennells

Forthcoming Events and Meetings

COMING MEETINGS 16 January – Veteran Rally videos at the club 20 February – Cars in French Museums 20 March – Vauxhall night, cars on stage COMING EVENTS 1 January - New Year’s Day Breakfast at 2 Third Ave, Semaphore Park from 9.30am Food includes croissants, jam & cream, Danish pastries, fruit platter, juice, tea & coffee.

BYO other drinks, picnic items eg. Glasses, chairs, tables, umbrellas, beach games, sun hats. Pool or gulf waters available for swimming.

For catering purposes please ring numbers attending to Chris on 8278 8465 by Tuesday 23 December, 2008. Pay on the day. $7per adult (children under 12 free) Members from all sections are welcome to attend.

8 February – All British Day Breakfast – this is our Section’s fundraiser to cover the costs of maintaining and renovating the club’s 1917 Dodge Brothers. Come along and help serve or come and buy breakfast, you don’t have to drive British to buy a breakfast and look at the British vehicles. Ring Rory on 8272 3783 to order your breakfast.

INTERSTATE INVITATION EVENTS VCCA (Vic) 1 & 2 Cylinder Rally, Wonthaggi, Victoria, 1215 March. Contact Kevin Quigley, 55 Daly Street, Brunswick West. Vic 3055 RECENT VETERAN ACTIVITIES We joined an excellent meeting with the Vintage Section in September when a group of Model T Ford enthusiasts who had been driving around Australia arrived in Adelaide. They brought their vehicles on to the stage and into the car park for us to inspect before they spoke about their travels. It was a very enjoyable and interesting night.

The following day they were displayed in Victoria Square before continuing on to the National Centenary Model T Rally in Echuca.

Bay to Birdwood After late August reports of a very small veteran vehicle entry, it transpired that further late entries brought the veteran numbers up to 35 altogether. It seems that the sorting of veteran vehicles at the start left much to be desired due to a shortage of volunteers, so many cars had a very slow and congested trip to Birdwood mixed among the vintage and classic vehicles.

London to Brighton Run This is the club Dodge’s second London to Brighton but unlike last time the weather held out and so did the car (keen readers will remember that last year the Dodge developed some serious front end wobbles - since fixed).

There seemed to be more cars this year, maybe close to 30 veterans and another 10 vintage/classic with about 10 members from SCCSA represented.

The driving this year also seemed easier (though that may be me) but traffic seemed less and what there was seemed generally slower. No major breakdowns were recorded and most of the cars managed to get away smoothly and travel in a fairly constant convoy which delighted the spectators and other road users no end.

Morning tea was supplied, lunch was BYO and everyone had a good time relaxing amongst the cars or just soaking up the sunshine. The overall winner for the day went to the owner of a 1917 Studebaker Tourer which had a complete restoration finished only the night before and looked as though it had just emerged from the factory; better late than never I guess (an interesting standard feature of this model is that the front seats were individual buckets with the passenger seat able to be reversed – obviously a feature designed to enforce parental control – good luck).

After the awards people started to leave, the Dodge for its part was driven home, wiped down and put to bed to await its next adventure.

Chris Chennells, Lesley and Zac Schwalm.

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CARNEVALE AT THE SPORTING CAR CLUB The Classic Section invites all Members to their MASQUERADE DINNER DANCE with a Venetian theme on 21 February, 2009 (see our advert on page 7), the Saturday before Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent.

Venetian Carnevale traditionally starts on 26 December, St. Stephen’s Day, and ends on Shrove Tuesday. The tradition goes back to the early Middle Ages and it was during Carnevale that some of the laws of the Venetian Republic were suspended. Wearing costumes and masks, social class lost its meaning, and in St. Mark’s Square, the open “campi”, and the courtyards of the city balls and dances were held. Masks were much sought after and the craftsmen making them were held in high esteem; they even had their own guild. Some of the costumes were copied from the ‘commedia dell’arte’, the impromptu theatre played at the ‘campi’, the public places and parks.

Today’s Carnevale in Venice is special in that great store is laid by the very elegant costumes, often in black and white, based on 18th Century dress.

You can show off your own costume and mask on this occasion, although we are not sure whether some of the laws and conventions ruling our lives will be suspended on the day.

Book a table with your friends – a round of ten would do nicely – and enjoy an evening of fun. The function is part of our 75th anniversary celebration, so place your booking with the office soon to avoid disappointment.

Michael Wapler

Now, don’t you talk back! two Safari bus tours that had been arranged by organizers Bob and Vari Booth. Lunch was a pleasant picnic affair either BYO or purchased from the Café.

We were split into groups for our tours, first going through the Grasslands and the many species of animals common to that area. Between bus rides the café did a roaring trade in ice-creams

What’s for Lunch then? … which appeared to be the order of the day. The next Safari was through the African sector where we had close up views of rhinos, giraffes, Cheetahs and lions all of which looked wonderfully healthy and relaxed as we stopped to look and photograph. Not

A VISIT TO MONARTO ZOO On Sunday 21 September of last year 67 members left the clubrooms at 9.30am for a run to the Monarto Zoo. En-route we stopped at the Nairne Oval for a BYO morning tea among some lovely gum trees in the car park.

The weather was delightful and after our refreshments we travelled on the old Murray Bridge road to Monarto.

At the Zoo gate there was some delay processing the number of cars but once inside everyone made their way to book in for the Hey guys, what do you know, the Classic Section‘s here!

Want a lift? …

PETROL FUMES only was the weather very pleasant, but the whole of the Zoo area was green and plush, perhaps the best time of the year for a visit.

Everyone had a great day in wonderful surroundings only spoilt by the dirt road leading into the main car park which was not kind to pristine classic cars.

Gordon Taylor Historic Garage At Classic Adelaide Cut Short Well, it could have been such a good show, but it was not to be. Classic Section members spent hours detailing their cars and as they lined up in the marquee the superb cross section of beautiful historic cars looked splendid.

More’s the pity that Silverstone Events decided after just one of the four days the cars were to be shown that they had other ideas and asked our Club to withdraw the cars with immediate effect.

Silverstone Events had invited the SCC months ago to stage this show and this shabby behaviour does nothing to enhance their standing among SCC members, particularly those who had provided their cars.

Without the help of scores of volunteers, many of them SCC members, Silverstone Events would not have a hope of running the Classic Adelaide at a profit. Perhaps it’s time to withdraw support for next year’s event by our volunteers!

Gordon Taylor

LOBETHAL GRAND CARNIVAL 11 - 12 October 2008 Over the week-end 11 to 12 October, 2008 a commemoration of the Australian Grand Prix held at Lobethal in 1937/38 was staged at its original location and – mostly original – track routing. It was at Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills that the South Australian GPs were run from 1937/38 until 1948.

Credit must go to Tony Parkinson and his enthusiastic

JAGUAR NIGHT AT THE NOVEMBER CLASSIC SECTION MEETING The November meeting of the Classic Section had some very special Jaguars displayed on stage with their owners giving us some background information on their cars and how they were re-created.

While all three were replicas, some were constructed with Jaguar parts collected from all over the world. There was the splendid SS Jaguar of Rob Thompson, the magnificent D-Type of Digby Thomas, and the Special of David Stewart, based on the car that Jaguar owner Sir Richard Lyons had built for his son-in-law, the so called Ali Special of 1935.

David’s car was built by Finch & Hocking.

Rob Thompsons SS 100 at the RSAYS yacht basin (top) The Ali Special replica of David Stewart (below)

Tony Parkinson in conversation with S.A.Treasurer, The Honourable Kevin Foley Glen Dix in his element (below) band of collaborators, including members of our own club, for taking the 70th anniversary of the first races as a cue to organise a re-enactment as a commemoration of that first event at the end of 1937.

Incidentally, the fledgling Sporting Car Club of S.A., then very much in its infancy, was the original organiser together with the Motor Cycle Club of S.A., as motor cars and motor cycles often ran on the same track at separate times during a race meeting at that period.

Glorious spring sunshine greeted spectators and participants on the opening morning. The lawned grounds behind the Lutheran church in the centre of Lobethal served as a verdant and pleasant pit area with the historic racing cars and motor cycles lined up in packets, the place buzzing with excitement and enthusiasm before the first race at 1pm.

Glen Dix of Adelaide GP fame sent the first packet on their way after the obligatory speeches given by gov-

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PETROL FUMES ernment ministers and other worthies.

No doubt, the attraction of an event of this kind to the public lies in the variety of historic cars and motorcycles and for their drivers and riders in the freedom of driving on a closed circuit, admittedly not at racing speeds, but spirited enough to bring on a rush of adrenalin, the essence of a sporting event.

On this occasion the drivers and riders were able to spend a reasonable period of time on the 14 km long circuit to enjoy themselves and the public to appreciate the cars.

Authenticity was enhanced by the small number of cars that had actually raced on the circuit up to 1948.

To the spectators, it all looked very genuine even if not all cars had a close link to Lobethal, but then 70 years is a long time for a racing car or motor cycle and while many were kept in immaculate condition by their keepers, a good many others would have dropped by the wayside since.

To the viewing public, many younger than the cars that roared round the track, it might have been just a nice cameo show, perhaps even something disrupting their week-end routine, but for our wonderful commentators from the Sporting Car Club, Ann Ozgo and Tony Grove, regaling us with their intrinsic knowledge of racing history in the State, filling in the details and making it interesting even for those not inclined towards motorsport.

As the bi-planes flew overhead the atmosphere was electric and the smiling faces of spectators and drivers alike said it all. There is nothing more exciting to the true petrol-head than hearing the rasping, burbling and, at times screaming engines of real sports cars, the ones with carburettors and distributors, with crash box shifting requiring double de-clutch technique, and all the other paraphernalia now consigned to motoring history.

Regrettably, the banshee wail of Ewald Klugeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DKW water-cooled two-stroke engined motorcycle was not heard at Lobethal on this occasion, but there is always hope that it might happen next year as the Lobethal Grand Carnival, successful as it was, should carry on next year and in the years thereafter.

A word of thanks must go the S.A. Government and Treasurer Kevin Foley for generously supporting the event for without this it would have been so much harder making it the success it was.

Michael Wapler

It was on a motorcycle identical to this , Ewald Kluge won the `Lightweight Tourist Trophyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on 27th December, 1937

PETROL FUMES

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REVIVAL IN LOBETHAL

One could easily begin to believe that time can stand still after viewing beautifully restored racing cars promenading down the main street of Lobethal last weekend. For here were a bevy of specialised vehicles many of which I last saw over 40 years ago, and more noticeably compared to what I recall, they looked just that much better! I’m sure the paintwork, panels and chassis weren’t that pristine when as a teenager in the 1950’s at Port Wakefield I waved a yellow flag to Granton Harrison driving Black Bess to let him know Bill Patterson [Cooper Climax] was about to pass him on the straight.

This incident is etched in my memory as it incurred the wrath of Ken Walker the Clerk of the Course after Patterson complained about the yellow flag being waved far too late. In those days prior to political correctness, cyclists being forced to wear crash helmets and the dole, flag marshals stood on the edge of the track about one metre from fearless drivers dicing with each other at over 160 km/h. You see Black Bess was capable of hiding three Cooper Climaxes stacked on top of one another.

Not like today where nearly every racing car is almost physically identical, the ‘beasts’ of yesteryear were as different as you could imagine. The major races pre-WWll and after at Victor Harbor, Nuriootpa, Lobethal and even on the sands at Sellicks Beach were a hotchpotch of production sports cars, hill-climb specials, stripped down production passenger vehicles and (if we were blessed) a few ‘factory’ made racing cars. In fact the variety of marques and home grown ‘backyard’ specials was just as re-enacted at Lobethal.

images on page 13, pictures clockwise from left top Tom Roberts’ Kleinig Hudson Special Frank Moore’s Black Bess Ford Special (No. 9) Ray Eastwood’s Allard J2 Kevin Shearer’s White 500 Gavin Sandford Morgan’s Jaguar Mk II Rapide Philip Bradey’s MG K3 heading the field Ral Rainsford/Geoff Redin in the Uffindel Austin 7 Black Bess raced in earnest at Lobethal indeed the spice of life!

Ironically we now live in a world that is starting to take note of the diminishing natural environment as a result of human intervention and events such as these raise the question of trying to relate where mechanical, fire breathing, noisy and mostly unwieldy instruments of transport fit into a quiet rural environment and national treasure such as found in the Adelaide Hills.

Back in the early 1980’s the front page of “The Advertiser” featured a photograph and short story about an Adelaide designer’s concept of lightweight silent transport. The reporter covering the story described the vehicle as a “…poetic marriage between art and advanced technology…” I also wrote for Pol Magazine in more detail how this vehicle named Androcles was coined by the designer as the worlds first ‘lightmobile’. Androcles* a three wheeler weighing less than 90 kg was powered by a ¾ horsepower electric wheelchair motor and after it took off for a test run on the sands of Grange Beach reaching speeds of 40 km/h the designer commented; “…the silence of future transport is assured!...”

Well some 25 years have passed since that profound statement and if the Lobethal revival is anything to go on, we still have a long, long way to go.

Peter Edwin * Authors footnote: Androcles was donated to the National History Trust and to my knowledge is rotting away hidden in some shed in the Birdwood National Museum.

Robert George in his Austin 7 leaving the paddock for the circuit MGs and Austin Sevens mixing it with Alfas, Bugattis, Healey 100 S’s and sometimes even a vintage Vauxhall 30/98, the latter which I recall peaked at 3000 rpm. with a gearing in top gear of 33⅓ mph. per 1000 revs equalling the magic 100 mph. The ‘ton’ (100 mph) as we termed it in those days was a revered figure that was not possible in the majority of production cars that left the dealer’s showroom.

Sadly I was only able to make it to the Saturday Lobethal revival so I don’t know whether cars the likes of Eldred Norman’s supercharged Zephyr Special or Lex Davison’s Cooper Vincent were going to magically reappear on the Sunday. There was something about a ‘blower’ that transformed a docile car into a screaming monster; I miss that whining escalating sound.

Nonetheless I did see Black Bess!

Another noticeable aspect to be reminded of was just how much nicer was the noise factor. Thankful for the absence of repetitious screaming pitches produced by present day Formula 1 cars, fans lining the streets of Lobethal and Charleston were entertained by a reverberating musical cacophony of variable exhaust notes. In fact the sound emanating from each vehicle was so distinct that after a few more laps one would have had no trouble picking each car with their eyes closed. Variety is

PETROL FUMES

VINTAGE COLLINGROVE SA 4 AND 5 OCTOBER, 2008

The morning of 4 October, starting the weekend of the 6th Vintage Collingrove, dawned bright and sunny and DRY, much to the relief of the organisers and possibly even more so for the entrants, after the appalling weather experienced in 2007.

The traditional tour on the Saturday departed from Peter Lehmann Wines, led by a police motorcyclist, with another as tail-end Charlie, to a lovely variety of scenic roads with long fast straights and interesting localities including Greenock, Seppeltsfield and Marananga. The undoubted highlight of the tour was a visit to the remarkable Ahrens’ Historic Machinery Museum at Sheoak Log. This amazing collection of tractors - both steam and internal combustion and a great range of stationary engines, many very rare, was introduced by Bob Ahrens and many were started with ease and run.

This was followed by a delicious morning tea supplied by the local ladies in the adjacent Community Hall. A further innovation this year was an “Associates’ Programme” which included a display, “Norm’s Coolies”, of trained working dogs and visits to Collingrove Homestead and a private garden.

The Saturday night Dinner was again held at Langmeil Winery in their new barrel room with guest speaker and local Barossa boy Jeff Mattner who spoke on early days in the Barossa Valley, and on his involvement in the organisation of Grand Prix events around the world. The car display included two historic MG racing cars: an MG K3 and an R type which were last seen together on 1 September 1935 at Donnington Park in England when they started in the Nuffield Trophy. Both cars have been in Australia for many years. The K3, owned by Phil Bradey, is well known and often seen in local events.

It was purchased new from the MG Car Company by Prince Birabongse of the Siamese royal family when he was at Oxford University in England and raced successfully by him for several years. The K3 was one of 33 built and is still blue and retains Bira’s white mouse racing logo on the scuttle.

The R type MG was first owned by Bobby Baird of Ulster in 1935 and raced in Ireland, and against the K3 in England.

Bought 40 years ago by Pip Bucknell of Queensland as a pile of bits. He painstakingly restored it to the immaculate car it is today. One of only 10 built, it is now driven and maintained by his son Chris.

The third car, representing the significant role of Austin Sevens on previous Vintage Collingroves was the very pretty 1931 Austin 7 Special owned by Scott Appleyard since 2002. This car was built up by Allan and the late Keith Tipell as a replica Ulster bodied Austin 7. Scott took our fastest time for Austin 7 Specials at the hillclimb on Sunday, also the Best Presented Car.

Sunday proved to be a perfect day for a hillclimb and saw an interesting and diverse field assemble. For the first time we had an overseas entry (well – from Tasmania!), John Caire’s 1937 Ausford and the usual and very welcome support from Victoria.

This included Michael Hipkin’s 1926 Vauxhall 30/98 and Ron House’s 1925 30/98; the 1934 MG NA of Doug Keith and the 1936 N of John Gillett, and Doug McNeil’s Austin Special.

Interestingly, the two 30/98s (“Thirsty’s”) from Victoria last year came the scenic route via Kangaroo Island, but this year for a change came via the Murray Valley and Loxton!

And speaking of the Thirsty’s, it was a treat to have Peter Cox’s lovely 1922 3-litre Bentley competing, re-living the longtime rivalry between 30/98s and Bentleys.

Other “heavy metal” entries included the stark Jim Scammell 1922 Essex (2990cc), Bruce Hartwig’s 4.1 litre Chrysler Special, Gerard Miller’s 3790cc Plymouth Special and the 1937 SS100 of Digby Thomas.

A spectacular first-time entry was Kevin Shearer’s recently completed 500cc “White 500” - very pretty when we could see it, following the modifications to the oil feed which eliminated the dense cloud of smoke it was emitting! MG’s were once again predominant, making up more than 40% of the field; in addition to the K3 and R type, and the two MG N Magnettes already noted, was the MG J2 of John Payne (F.T.D.) the John Ellis TC Tillett Special and the father/daughter team of Bill and Georgina Schapel in Bill’s TC Special. Other TCs included those of Bob Congdon, Arthur Ruediger and John Buckby. Entrants were able to enjoy a number of runs in very good conditions and the large number of spectators enjoyed the excellent commentary by the very experienced and knowledgeable team of Anne Ozgo and Tony Grove, well-known at Mallala.

The smooth running of the meeting was ensured by Clerk of Course, Neville Pym, assisted by Secretary Chez Hobbs and the many volunteers who helped on the day. We express our thanks to them and to SA Police who all contributed to a great weekend of Motor Sport.

A list of Results and Trophies follows.

Wes Southgate Results and Trophies Historic Racing Cars Group J – Fastest Time No Starters Historic Racing cars Group K- Fastest Time John Payne MG J2 Special 37.32secs.

Austin 7 Specials – Fastest Time Scott Appleyard Austin 7 Ulster 64.03 secs.

Austin 7 Specials – Best Presented Car Scott Appleyard Austin 7 Ulster Invited Post War- Fastest Time Bill Schapel MG TC Special 37.73 secs.

Vintage Sports and Touring Cars- Fastest Time Michael Hipkins Vauxhall 30/98 49.10 secs.

Kevin Shearer Handicap Formula- Best Score John Payne MG J2 Special 25.73 Most Traveled Car John Caire Warrane (Hobart) , Tasmania Ausford Special Most Scenic Run Scotty Fairbairn MG TC Peoples Choice Chris Bucknell MG R type Special Note The Kevin Shearer Formula is calculated as follows:Best time X 100 Age of the driver + Age of Vehicle = ‘Shearer Score’ Lowest score wins

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PETROL FUMES VINTAGE COLLINGROVE HILLCLIMB, OCTOBER 2008 Photos on page 16, clockwise from left top: At the starting line of the SCC’s Collingrove Hillclimb Bob Congdon and Ruth Day handing Arthur Ruediger his participation certificate A Vauxhall passenger watching from the side-lines No. 22 the Essex Special of James Scammell Bill Schapel getting last minute advice Ron House in his Vauxhall 30/98 awaiting starters orders Centre: Chris Bucknell in his MG R Type Photographs were kindly provided by John Lemm and Ron Johnson

Team Racetune Services Ends 2008 with Another Classic Win Team Racetune Services has finished the 2008 SA Rally Championship on a high note with a strong performance and victory in the Classic Section at the Southern Rally. Held over 11 challenging stages in the Kuitpo Forest near Kangarilla and Meadows on Sunday 26 October the event was the fifth and final round of the championship with a number of classes still to be decided.

The Team Racetune Services Ford Mk 1 Escort RS2000 replica of driver Reg Marratt and co-driver David Langfield came into the event 20 points behind Classic Section series leaders Leigh and Justin Stokes driving a Datsun 180B. With 30 points available for a win there was a slim chance of challenging for the title but with no other Classic entrants a finish by the Datsun crew would be enough for them to win.

The day began badly when the team were about to leave home and a squealing noise was heard from under the bonnet.

This was quickly traced to a faulty alternator and replaced by the service crew in time to start the event.

Special stage 1 involved several long stretches of soft sand and the Stokes’ Datsun became bogged in a narrow section, blocking the road for several following crews. The stage was halted and the remainder of the field, including the Team Racetune Services Escort were allocated a derived stage time. Stage 2 was an extended version of stage 1 and this time the majority of crews managed to negotiate the tricky sand without much drama.

Special stages 3 and 4 were uneventful for the Team Racetune Services Escort with the first service break following. The team now held a lead in Classic Section of 4 min and 44 sec over the Stokes’ Datsun with the two crews evenly matched on stages 2, 3 and 4.

An engine which refused to start for several minutes due to faulty carburettor acceleration pumps, saw the Escort one minute late out of the first service period costing the team a 5-second penalty. The next group of stages, Christmas Hill and Bells Gully were longer tests and saw a number of steep climbs and fast downhill descents, some reminiscent of the famous Mineshaft on Rally of Canberra. The team extended their Classic Section lead to a fraction under 5 minutes heading into the next service break.

The engine was still refusing to start following the service and the decision was nearly made to withdraw from the event, although the crew made it out on time. A conservative approach for the remainder of the stages was to be adopted.

Special stage 7 was a repeat of the sand-plagued SS2 and the Team Racetune Services Escort found the track blocked by Ashley Durbidge’s Subaru Impreza who in turn was stuck behind the luckless Datsun continued on page 18

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PETROL FUMES of Leigh and Justin Stokes. The 180B had become buried up to the rear axle in a similar position to their morning mishap. David joined in the attempt to free the stricken Datsun while Reg continued to warn other approaching crews. Eventually a tow vehicle was sent to rescue them and another derived time issued for those crews blocked from completing the stage. The Stokes’ would eventually be excluded as they had run out of allowable late time for the event.

The remaining four stages were all repeat runs of those run earlier and despite a “conservative” approach the team managed to match or improve on the times set on the first passes.

“The stages today reminded me of the forests back in the U.K. where I rallied for years,” enthused Reg. “A lot like the Yorkshire forests, with 90 degree corners and long straights and lots of elevation changes – it suited my driving style.” supported the team in 2008. These include Racetune Services, Perth, Revolution Racegear Adelaide, Bob Jane T-Marts Modbury and Marion, Green Welding Specialists, Road & Track Dyno, VIP Motors, Heavylec Electrical, Dave’s Dynamic Towing & Transport and of course the dedicated band of volunteers that are the service crew. A big thank you is also given to the hard

The win gives the team a total of 65 points for the Classic Championship, 10 more than Leigh and Justin Stokes, with Justin Friedrichs 3rd on 20 points. Whilst the results were still provisional at time of writing, Team Racetune Services should be declared the inaugural SA Rally Championship Classic Section champions for 2008, the category being added to the awards list this year.

“People love watching the older 2 wheel drive cars,

working volunteer event officials and organizers who give their time during the season.

CanTeen – Supporting Young People Living with Cancer The Team Racetune Services Escort has carried CanTeen logos throughout the SA Rally Championship in 2008. We are proud to be raising awareness and funds in support of the vital work done by CanTeen in their support of Young People Living with Cancer.

For additional Information please go to www.canteen. org.au”.

Sponsorship enquiries please contact Reg Marratt on 0418 861 784 Team Media Enquiries to David Langfield Ph 0419 864 410 David Langfield

and they are great fun to drive,” said Reg. “I can’t believe what happened here today. We came here with no expectations and just hoped to have a clean run and a bit of fun!”

“After we broke a stub axle at Robertstown (round 2) we were a long way behind on points, but you just never know what’s going to happen.”

Team Racetune Services Motorsport would like to thank the many businesses and individuals who have

This is our main rival: “The Classic Datsun 180B of Leigh & Justin Stokes approaching the spectator point on SS 10 Christmas Hill”

PETROL FUMES control at Hahndorf. To the committee, Pat Umlauf, Daryl Siggs, Warren Schirmer and Craig Weber, thank you for all your support these past months.

Finally, thank you to all the entrants who have been supporting the event year in, year out and to all those who are new to the event! It is your continued support and wide variety of vehicles that has allowed The Climb to the Eagle to continue all these years. Next year marks the 25th Anniversary of John Blanden’s Climb to the Eagle and we hope that you can all join us again for a great day of motoring.

Susan Weber – Event Director

JOHN BLANDEN’S CLIMB TO THE EAGLE - 31/10/2008 This year saw the 24th annual running of the “John Blanden’s Climb To The Eagle”, which continues to mark the memory of the Adelaide Australian Grand Prix. With one of the largest entry lists recorded in recent years, many entrants turned out to continue the tradition that has made ‘The Climb To The Eagle’ what it is today.

Although rain threatened, the field started forming early with the first entrant appearing shortly after 6am to secure a front row starting position. With the form up area being altered from the Pit Straight to the Hairpin back along the Pit Entrance section of the track, due to Clipsal 500 building taking place and a field of 237 cars expected, it was interesting to see if we would all fit as predicted along the back section of the track. Thanks to the effort of Daryl Siggs and his assistants, (Rodney Gibbs, Ross Brown, Rod Cooke, and Daryl Warman) the field was tightly parked and left room for any unexpected vehicles.

Once again members from the Brownhill Creek Rotary attended to set up and produce that early morning heart starter of egg and bacon rolls, which many enjoyed, along with hot coffee to see off the early morning cold.

From the Hairpin of Pit Straight at Victoria Park, the field took off for Eagle on the Hill and then on to Hahndorf for morning tea and an opportunity to catch up with others, whilst taking in the sights of the great line up of vehicles to attend this year’s event, before heading in for morning tea. This year’s guest speaker was Jeff Mattner, one of Adelaide’s well known Motorsport Managers, who recounted his involvement in the Grand Prix, in particular 1988 and then went on to compare it with the modern era of events, such as Singapore’s holding of the first ever night Grand Prix.

With the weather holding off, it was time to enjoy the sights of the Adelaide Hills and take the winding roads up to Nuriootpa for lunch, returning to the Vine Inn Hotel. With photos of the morning circulating on the big screen, entertaining many, all were treated to a wonderful lunch. Our thanks must go to all the staff at the Vine Inn for a friendly, well served meal.

As always there are many people to thank for such a well run event. Sincere thanks must firstly go to Glen Dix who once again waved off every car in the field. This was very much appreciated, given Glen had driven from Mallala that morning to be part of the event and return back after completing his famous flag waving. To Brian Gleesen and the staff at the Clipsal 500, who worked closely with the committee to ensure we could use the race track as building works were being completed. Once again, Harry McCullen from Traffic Planning and the Officers on duty escorted the lead field through the streets of Adelaide and assisted all with controlling traffic. Graham Boulter once again joined the team as Master of Ceremony and it is always a pleasure to have his help and good humour on board. To the Brownhill Creek Rotary members, thank you for breakfast and car park

from top: ‘Mr. Porsche’ Norm Goodall and friends Bob Underwood, Neil Francis and friends Travelling up the Glen Osmond Road

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LADIES’ QUESTION TIME ANSWER TO LADIES’ QUESTION TIME FOR OCTOBER

MICHAEL GASKING’S RACING SNIPPETS Rootes competition department entered a fairly standard, but special bodied, Sunbeam Alpine in the 1961 Le Mans 24 hrs race. It won the Index of Performance after a steady, reliable, and economical run, in spite of a disagreement amongst the drivers over the ashtray.

When Peter Harper went to use the ashtray to butt out his regular Mulsanne straight cigarette, he found the tray was full of co-driver Peter Proctor’s chewing gum! The car, which has been restored, and is said to ‘look like a shrink-wrapped Aston DB5`, was only entered after the engineers, including Mike Parkes (later with Ferrari), had proved that it could take 12 hours of nearly 100 mph thrashing on the English MIRA proving grounds.

This lady had everyone’s memory going flat out. Yes, it was Zsa Zsa Gabor, and the correct answers came from Nola Cunnew, Naomi Maltby, Meg and Denis Basson, and Bob Burke.

Born as Zsuzsanna Gábor in Budapest, Hungary, ZsaZsa had two sisters and all three were unusually attractive and pursued a rather extravagant lifestyle despite a modest upbringing.

At an estimated 19 years of age (ZsaZsa has never revealed her year of birth), she became Miss Hungary in 1936.

After the failure of her first marriage to a Turkish diplomat, she followed her sister Eva to Hollywood in 1941. In “The Film Encyclopedia” she finds mention as the most expensive courtesan since Madame de Pompadour.

Her current, and 8th, husband is Prince Frederic of Anhalt and, astonishingly, this marriage has now lasted for 20 years.

ZsaZsa Gabor is confined to a wheelchair since suffering a stroke in 2005.

⎈⎈⎈⎈ The famous French road course, Le Mans, the venue for the 24 hour race, was originally 10.7 miles (over 16 km) long and was for standard production cars which had to carry any spares that they needed with them. The results, in the late 1920s at least, were said to be immediately translated into sales. It was said that to finish the 24 hour race satisfactorily would guarantee an owner 20,000 miles a year on high speed roads for six years. Speeds of up to 100 mph were common at the track even then. ⎈⎈⎈⎈ Extraordinary engineer, successful Redex Trial driver, inventor of the famous Mist-Master water-alcohol meter and constructor and driver of the fabulous Hudson Specials, Frank Kleinig, who had a career lasting from the 1930s to the 1950s once had an amusing brush with the police.

Some time after setting a 14.85 sec. standing quarter in one of the Hudsons, he attracted the attention of a mobile patrol.

Seeking to lose his pursuer Frank slipped down his own street and in a beautiful broadside swung into his drive and neatly wrecked the offside front end of the Hudson and really messed up the gatepost. The Police arrived, stared solemnly at the damage and drove away … ⎈ ⎈ ⎈⎈ ‘It’s a Mickey Mouse Circuit’ was a phrase that was first coined by former World Champion Graham Hill, according to Nigel Roebuck in his book `Chasing the Title’. It was a comment he made when he learned that it was proposed to run the 1967 F1 GP on the Le Mans short ‘Bugatti’ track. It is a term that has become part of everyday language.

LADIES’ QUESTION TIME FOR JANUARY

The gentleman posing as a mechanic here is anything but. Born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1936, he was academically brilliant and left school in Nairobi with top grades in all his studies. After national service in the Kenya Regiment he left to study in Cape Town and later in Bangor (Wales). Again he graduated with the second highest grade and left with a B.Sc. in his pocket – yet – there was another side to him.

His African childhood had imbued him with the sounds and rhythms of Africa and, while at school, he had enthusiastically sung in the choir. While at university at Bangor he became involved with the University Rag Week when he was approached to compose some songs to sing in the Rag Show. A demo track found its way to a major music publisher and before he knew it he was in the studio recording his first single, ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’.

During his career as a singer-songwriter, he amassed some 250 Silver, Gold, and A n s w e r s Platinum discs and won international awards please to: Michael and prizes, among them the ‘Gold Badge of Wapler at: Merit’ of the British Academy of Songwriters m i w a p @ and Composers. Who is the gentleman? ozemail.

Michael Wapler

com.au

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OUT AND ABOUT

TRAVEL BUG The August Horch Museum at Zwickau When research for the Lobethal Grand Carnival took me to Chemnitz and the Saxon State Archives, it was fortuitous that the former mining town of Zwickau was only a few miles down the road. Too good an opportunity to miss to visit that former hub of the Auto Union company. It is here, in the former Audi works, founded and run by August Horch, that one can find one of the finest single-marque museums in Europe.

Of course, the Horch Museum is not all Horch, but representative of all branches of the Auto Union and, as the parent company VW operates a huge assembly plant at Mosel, just outside Zwickau, it is not hard to guess that the lavish museum received more than a little help from Wolfsburg HQ. The only fly in the ointment is that Audi, the one surviving Auto Union brand, is now well entrenched in Bavarian Ingolstadt and has built the futuristic hi-tech `museum mobile’ there. As a consequence, to see all there is to see in the world of Auto Union, you would, ideally, follow on with a visit to Ingolstadt – about a three hours drive away.

But for all the hi-tech glitz of the ‘museum mobile’ it cannot make up for the feel of authenticity of the Horch Museum with its wonderful period stage sets, complete with high quality photographs, advertising hoardings, authentic petrol stations, and other accoutrements making even the most humdrum exhibit into a must-see.

The difficulty in putting together such a comprehensive collection is hard to imagine as Germany’s second largest car manufacturer before WWII ended up in the Soviet Zone of occupa-

tion and what the war had not destroyed, the occupation forces dismantled and took home to mother Russia, including some key engineers. Yet, the range of exhibits is magnificent, ranging from a unique Horch to the last gasps of the East German motor industry that had been built around the former Auto Union combine. There are examples of a Wankel engine as well as a 3cyl. diesel engine destined for the Trabbi, that were never put into production for lack of resources due to a State (the so called German Democratic Republic or GDR) that tottered towards its eventual inglorious demise in 1989.

There are work shops with machine tools from the 1920s, a dynamometer complete with a Horch engine on test, an Audi rolling chassis, and there are engines from all corners of the Auto Union combine.

A street scene has been recreated complete with a grocery shop and others. There is even a mock-up Grand Hotel entrance sporting a Horch in its drive.

This museum is not just an accumulation of cars but is filled with life. Another set is a complete re-creation of a display stand at a pre-war motor car show at Berlin. In an adjoining booth you are entertained by filmed excerpts from the great pre-war GP races in which the famous Auto Union Silver Arrows took part.

If there is anything missing, it is a more comprehensive display of those wonderful racing cars. On the one hand, the Audi people at Ingolstadt are displaying two replicas at their show, but the real reason is that at the beginning of the war, the racing car department was closed down and the cars stashed away in an old mine adit from where they were taken to Russia and never returned.

Still, one finds Ferdinand Porsche’s V16 engine of 1933 and a a beautifully worked crankshaft from it, plenty of sound, and interesting film footage.

Then came the catharsis of 1945 and nationalisation of the remaining facilities. While a large group of engineers, designers and specialist tradesmen fled clandestinely to the West, taking construction drawings and other documents with them to Ingolstadt, those who had remained started to slowly build up the semblance of a motor industry in the Soviet Zone. DKW became MZ on the motorcycle side and IFA was the new name for DKW. Shortage of raw materials was endemic due to a lack of foreign exchange as deep drawn steel sheet was only made by West German mills, and this eventually led to the development of the infamous Duroplast material. Non-woven cotton was saturated with phenolic resin and then hot pressed into car body panels.

Considering the difficulties under which the designers and engineers had to work, suffering from the dead-hand bureaucratic processes of a communist regime, they achieved a An Auto Union Journey Through Time creditable result. Yet when (page 23), clockwise from top left: German reunification came in 1990, the Trabbi The Audi Front, Germany’s first front stood no chance of com- wheel drive mid-sized car, here a peting with the sophisticabriolet. Production began in 1933. cated technologies of the West German car industry A rare DKW F2/600 2-seater cabriolet and Trabbi production fizwith dickie seat, another 1933 model. zled out on 30th April 1991 after 87 years of car man- The oldest exhibit is the Horch 12/28 ufacture at Zwickau. hp Phaeton of 1911, the only one still The August Horch Muin existence. seum takes you not just through one of the more The IFA P70 coupé with leather(!) interesting companies in seats was built in the ex-Gläser the world of automobile workshops in Dresden. Luxury under manufacture but along Soviet occupation. Fitted with the lawn with admiring some magmower engine of the regular Trabbi. nificent cars you will gain an insight how political ill The DKW F7, seen here as a cabriolet winds can play havoc with version of 1937 built by Baur of commerce. It is an altoStuttgart. gether illuminating experience Rarely had coppers a more elegant Below, you will find infor- conveyance. A Horch paddy waggon mation on opening times for the Saxon State police. and address details as well as hints regarding accom- That is what was left of the Audi factory modation and eateries. in 1945.

For those of you interested in music, Zwickau The grandfather of front wheel drive, has an opera house the DKW F1 the world’s first mass and you can visit Robert produced front wheel drive car. Series Schumann’s birthplace, production began in 1931. Powered by a reconstruction, but a DKW SS Supersport 500 cc water housing more than 4000 cooled two-stroke motorcycle engine manuscripts of both his and fitted with French designed Tracta cv-joints. continued on page 24

OUT AND ABOUT Michael Wapler

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OUT AND ABOUT

continued from page 22

and his wife Claraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical work. Clara Schumann, nee Wieck, was a gifted pianist and composer in her own right who gave her first public concert at the age of nine at Leipzigâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gewandhaus, performing her piano concerto op.7.

August Horch Museum details: Opening hours: Tue. to Sun. 09.30 hrs to 17.00 hrs Location: Audistrasse 7, 08058 Zwickau, Germany tel.: 001149 375 2717 380, fax: 001549 375 2717 3811

e-mail: info@horch-museum.de www.horch-museum.de Hotel accommodation suggestion: There is a boutique hotel in the centre of Zwickau offering just five rooms in a historic building, parts of which are 750 years old. The hotel is part of a small cottage style brewery comprising restaurant and bar facilities: Brauhaus Zwickau Peter-Breuer-Strasse 12-16, 08056 Zwickau tel. 001149 375 3032 032, fax 001549 375 3032 033, e-mail: info@brauhaus-zwickau.de www.brauhaus-zwickau.de Michael Wapler

AT THE SHARP END History Really Is Bunk We have all heard the famous Henry Ford quote “History is bunk”.

Well it seems history is bunk because that’s not quite what he said. In 1919 Ford took the Chicago Tribune to court for referring to him as an “ignorant idealist”.

Under cross examination the defending lawyers tried to catch Henry Ford out on his ignorance of history and he angrily retorted “The history of wars and royalty as taught in school is largely bunk.”

The papers of the day irresponsibly shortened this to “History is bunk”.

Stung by the reporting, Ford later said, “I will start a museum to show people what real history is all about”.

When he later asked historians if they had knowledge of the importance of the harrow to mid-Western American history, they had no idea what he was talking about, further convincing him of the need for a museum to show how the lives of ordinary people were changed by technology. As the son of a farmer, Ford knew the soil of the mid-West would break into large clumps when ploughed for the first time and then had to be further broken up before sowing could commence. The harrow was developed to make this possible, opening the way to settlement and cultivation of the mid-West.

Henry Ford went on to create a lasting legacy, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.

And for the record, he won his court case and was awarded six cents in compensation.

Another Ford Furphy It has often been quoted that Ford once said of the Model T that “a customer could have any colour he wanted as long as it was black”.

In fact, during the “brass era” from 1908 to 1915 various colours were available. The “any colour as long as it’s black” cars were produced from 1916 to the last Model T in 1927.

The reason for this came about as Ford increased the speed of its production line. The wooden bodies were varnished, a process that included four to six coats of “rough stuff”, two ground coats, four to six colour coats and two clear coats, with sanding or polishing between every coat. The total time to paint a car body varied from three to eight weeks, depending on colour and striping. To meet Ford’s production of 1000 cars a day would require 20,000 bodies held in inventory while the paint dried, a huge storage problem and production bottleneck. Of all the colours, black covered the best and absorbed heat more efficiently, so dried in the shortest time.

In 1914, Henry Ford decreed that henceforth, all Model Ts would be black.

And despite this labour-intensive and complicated process, cars of the era usually required refinishing within two years, because movement of the bodies and exposure to sunlight caused the finish to crack and craze. “They don’t make ‘em like they used to”… and perhaps it’s just as well!

Big Brother 1 Concerns have been expressed over plans by state and federal police forces to access full frontal images of vehicles, including driver and front passenger, that are clear enough for identification purposes and usable as evidence in court.

CrimTrac’s planned automatic number plate recognition system (ANPR) could become a mass surveillance system taking as many as 70 million photos of cars and drivers every day. “All vehicles passing through a fixed or mobile ANPR camera will have the date recorded and available for interrogation,” CrimTrac told the Queensland TravelSafe inquiry into the use of ANPR for road safety.

There will be 5000 cameras around the country, with maybe 1000 in downtown Sydney, a similar number in Melbourne and perhaps 100 or so in Brisbane. So there’s every chance road users will be photographed several times every day, and the photos and related data will be held on file for up to five years. At present there are 300 fixed ANPR cameras and 100 mobile units across Australia.

CrimTrac’s plans include new cameras at state border crossings, on main roads, in city centres and around infrastructure such as ports.

That gurgling sound you just heard is yet another civil liberty sinking under the waves.

Big Brother 2 Meanwhile, in our neighbouring police state, Victoria, action has been taken to iron out bugs in satellite technology designed to make cars less friendly to speedsters.

VicRoads has started work on a massive roads database to reduce inaccuracies discovered in recent trials of vehicle-fitted antispeeding GPS devices. The devices, also being tested in NSW and WA, warn drivers to slow down when the unit detects the vehicle is exceeding the posted speed limit.

Other versions of the device will increase the resistance of the car’s accelerator pedal. Can a version that shuts down the engine or applies the brakes be far behind? And would any so-called road safety group be able to resist the temptation to apply it?

The test programme, called Intelligent Speed Assist (now there’s a classic misnomer), has been under evaluation for more than a year and has been found to give drivers false information because of mistakes in the database system.

In June, the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority announced it would spend $1 million on its own trial of the devices.

Is it just me, or can others sense that these draconian new policing methods won’t work in drivers’ favour?

Big Brother 3 An Israeli city has asked all dog owners to report to a municipal veterinarian who will swab Fido’s mouth and collect DNA. The city will then use this DNA database to match doggie-dos to the registered dog and identify the owner. Droppings found in the street could result in a fine. However, dog owners who do the right thing and place the scooped-up poop into specially marked bins may be eligible for rewards.

Paul Murrell

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PETROL FUMES

The Showdown for 2008 The South Australian Driver of the Year for 2008 had already been decided at the previous points round at Collingrove. Dean Nicolo was at least 100 points ahead of his nearest rival and could not be beaten with one round remaining. The State Motor racing

Championship was however in the balance with a couple of competitors still a chance. Guest spot for the day was ex SA Champ Peter Holmes having a drive of McGarrigle’s car in preparation for their Winton assault.

After qualifying, there was little between the top three, Mason, Davidson and Nicolo in that order, and less than a second over the next seven cars. There was a prediction from an old hand in the pits ‘the boys will probably go a little silly today’ It was good to see Ryan Crosbie back sporting his new Hoggins engine.

Race one was as predicted….a bit of silliness! Davidson was rewarded for a very tidy drive with his first win, but big “offs” however for Mace, Nicolo, Schultz and with some help, Boulter Snr. Couprie and Boulter Jnr ended the race in the Northern sand trap. Holmes showed that he has lost little of his HQ expertise with his second place and there were strong finishes from Crouch and Jones in third and fourth.

1st Davidson, 2nd Holmes, 3rd Crouch.

The second race incorporating the reverse six grid was a cracker.

Mace led them away but again came off, handing the lead to an excited Curly Pratt whose reign was quickly stolen by Dashing Daryl Crouch. Dasher held on for the remaining six of eight laps joined by HQRR of SA AWARDS for 2008 Club Person of the Year …… Dean Nicolo Drivers Driver ……………..... Dean Nicolo Most Improved driver ……... Michael Pratt Encouragement Award ..... Darren Jenkins Best Presented Car ……….…. Matt Jones Hard Charger ……………........ Matt Jones Hard Luck Award ……….... Alison Bennett Farmer of the Year ……….. Matt Davidson Tow Truck Award ………….. Matt Davidson Slix Motorsport Award …..... Jones / Nicolo

PETROL FUMES

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HQRA Driver of the Year 2008

hard chargers Jones and Davidson. Schultz flying recording the fastest lap of the round but threw it all away on the last lap.

1st Crouch, 2nd Jones, 3rd Davidson.

The final, under lights is gridded by points from the previous two races and this put Davidson and Crouch on the front row.

Young Davidson buried the number 9 in the esses on lap two handing the lead to local hero Crouch and “High Five Fan Club sponsor” whose fan club screamed uncontrollably from the stands. For the rest of the race it was a tight lead group comprising Crouch, Holmes, Nicolo and Mason at the front providing a great contest. On the last lap it was Holmes, with no conscience at all, that rained on Dasher’s parade (sounds a bit like the Christmas Pageant), as they crossed the line it was…

1st Holmes, 2nd Crouch, 3rd Nicolo.

Meeting points placed a deserved Crouch first ,and a carton of beer richer, Holmes second and Jones third. Crosbie showed that with the new engine he will be further up the pecking order in 2009 and Couprie while not doing so well results wise, has found something this year.

Position

Name

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Nicolo Jones Davidson Pratt Schultz Mason Kovacs Crouch Jenkins Couprie Burbridge Bradley Boulter, M. Munn Goding McGarrigle Corey Porteous Boulter, G. Smith Crosbie Holmes Kelly Ware Price Heinrich Bennett Butler Gaskin

Graham Boulter

Points 778 674 573 563 542 499 479 456 417 391 364 356 337 337 212 179 178 149 148 147 133 108 95 92 59 52 50 44 25

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REARVIEW MIRROR AUTOMOBILES L. ROSENGART Lucien Rosengart was a highly respected French entrepreneur, engineer, and inventor. He was born in Paris in 1881 and died in Nice in 1976. His career began, when he started work as a mechanic in his father’s business.

By 1903, he had his own company making fastenings and parts for the fledgling motor car industry. He developed a dynamo for bicycles, an electric drive for gramophones, and an auxiliary engine for cycles. By 1914 further products included railway and bicycle parts and a rocket that allowed artillery shells to be exploded while still airborne. The latter product was sufficient reason for the French government to set up two factories for him to enable war time mass production. It was at that time, he came into contact with André Citroën, whose Paris factory was providing the shells.

In 1919, in addition to running his own company, he became a director of Citroën and in 1923 he switched to Peugeot as a deputydirector in charge of production.

Through this experience in the motor industry, he saw an opportunity for making small cars as this market segment was not covered by the main French manufacturers at the time.

Consequently, he took out a license for making the Austin Seven in 1928 which he then started to produce with some modifications to suit French tastes in a factory he bought from Bellanger in Neuilly.

This model (shown above as a ‘fourgon’ or small van), was designated ‘LR2’ and survived in production, later re-bodied as the LR4 (top, right), long after its British counterpart had been consigned to history. The engine, based on that of the A7, a side valve 747cc 4cylinder, survived in one way or another until 1955.

Meanwhile in 1932, Rosengart took out a license from Adler in Frankfurt/Germany for the production in France of a car based on the fwd Adler Trumpf, a car much more advanced than Rosengart -built ‘Sevens’.

Interestingly with the Adler technology, a French development came back to France in the shape of the J.P. Grégoire-designed Tracta front wheel drive of the mid-1920s when it had been used in a short series of a sports car. By early 1931 this system had been used by DKW in its F1 (refer page 22), a year later by Adler

and Röhr. With this launch, Rosengart became the first French fwd car manufacturer, some two years before Citroën.

The Supertraction, as it was called, had a column shift and independent front suspension by way of two transverse leaf springs.

The car was not a commercial success and more conventional cars still based on the Austin Seven were made alongside it. However when the car was re-styled in 1938 and fitted with the 1.9 litre Citroën ‘Light Fifteen’ engine (below) its fortunes changed.

The Jacob-designed Supertraction was a stylish car, low slung with a platform chassis, and with then popular ‘American’ looks, similar to a Lincoln Zephyr.

The asking price was more than the

cost of a 6cyl. Citroën but with a three speed synchromesh gear box, hydraulic brakes and all independent suspension, the car found its market. It was a fast car for its time, holding 130 km/h on a long and straight French ‘chaussée’.

At this point, politics interfered once more. After the invasion of France at the beginning of WWII, Lucien Rosengart went into exile to the US to escape Nazi persecution and when he returned in 1945, he found his factory had been destroyed. Rosengart then sold his trade mark and the business to a new company but remained active in the production process.

Amazingly enough, production of the ‘Sevens’ was continued on the same old (1928) chassis, at first as delivery van variations but in 1951 a new car was launched, styled by Charbonneaux as a two door saloon and a drophead coupé. It had by now acquired hydraulic brakes and a four speed box together with independent front wheel suspension. Yet it was still powered by the old and tired 750cc side valve engine of the Austin ‘Seven’.

The Ariette (page 29, top left), as the car was called, did not sell well against the much more advanced cars offered

by Renault or Panhard – the Quatre and the Dyna –

REARVIEW MIRROR and eventually all production stopped in 1955.

Lucien Rosengart retired to the Côte d’Azure – still a wealthy man – where he died in 1976, aged 96.

Interestingly, if you wish to visit the largest and most comprehensive collection of Rosengart vehicles it cannot be found in France, instead you need to visit the Rosengart Museum in Bedburg-Rath near Düsseldorf/Germany. Nearest airports are either Düsseldorf or Cologne (Köln).

This private museum is housed in a 12th century farm house and offers a complete history of the Rosengart car range including some very rare cabriolets and sports cars. The museum houses the complete works archive of Automobiles Rosengart as well as other products of his earlier industrial enterprise – marine engines, electric torches, bicycle auxiliary engines.

Lucien Rosengart’s hobby was painting and the museum owns some of his paintings and other artefacts. The collection was put together by a German enthusiast, Karl-Heinz Bonk, after he bought his first restoration project, a Rosengart LR 4N2. Here are the details to plan your visit: ROSENGART-MUSEUM details: Opening hours: 1st March – 30th November: week-ends and public holidays 09.00hrs to 19.00 hrs.

Wed., Thurs., Fri. on application Location: (refer to map) Lucien-Rosengart-Weg 1 50181 BEDBURG-RATH Germany

tel. 001149 2183 7315 fax 001549 2183 81 946 e-mail: info@rosengart-museum.de www.rosengart-museum.de

Michael Wapler

MICHAEL GASKING’S RACING SNIPPETS An article in the US Congressional Record 1875 seems almost ludicrous now and is evidence of progress. It said ‘A new source of power … called Gasoline has been produced by a Boston engineer. Instead of burning the fuel under a boiler, it is exploded inside the cylinder.’

In the French Grand Prix of 1906 every car in the race had an engine capacity of at least 12 litres. The winner was a Panhard, also competing were one or more of F.I.A.T., Mercedes, Renault, Gobron-Brillie, Mors Clement Bayard, de Dietrich, Minerva, Itala, and others.

100 years have brought a lot of changes.

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