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Slotcars from the early days of Australian Racing – 1960 – 1972
Part 1 - The Series Production Years
by Twincam
In the following articles we will learn about the cars from the various eras of Australian Motor Racing that have competed or have a connection with Australia during that era. The eras are basically how motorsport actually evolved.
We will look at the slotcar, the actual car and if it still exists today.
The Bathurst Cars pre 1972.
The Bathurst 500 mile race began in 1963 and was known as the Armstrong 500 although from 1960 to 1962 the race took place at Phillip Island. Unfortunately the race was very punishing on the track surface and it broke up badly thus causing the organisers to find an alternative venue. The race cars were basically showroom models in this era and were known from 1965 to 1972 as Group E Series Production cars. “Run on Sunday – sell on Mondayâ€. There was no actual recognised winner in the early races just class placings in the early races. The first car to complete the 500 mile distance or 130 laps of Mt Panorama was declared the “first across the line†and class winner.
In 1963 first place in Class A (for cars costing less than $1800.00) was car no 54 a VW 1200 Beetle entered by Sydney car dealer Lanock Motors and driven by Barry Ferguson & Bill Ford. After a race long dice with a Morris Mini 850 driven by Don Holland & Lyndsay Little the two cars ended their last lap (116) with the VW driver squeezed inside the Mini at Hell Corner forcing it wide and into the fence were it rolled – the Mini driver jumped out and after righting - the car headed across the line to finish second to the Beetle. In 2016 Scalextric have built a replica of the winning Beetle – C3745. Just were the car is today is a mystery as it was probably a run on Sunday car.
The 1964 Armstrong 500 was won by Bob Jane and George Reynolds in a 2 door Ford Cortina Mk I – it was a white car with a central yellow stripe flanked by red stripes – these “GT Stripes†or “Go Fasterâ€as they were then known symbolised Janes sponsor Shell Oils as cars in this era weren’t allowed to carry any written form of sponsorship.
Scalextric have taken their Lotus Cortina model and painted it in the Bob Jane livery of 1964 and released it in 2008 as the race winning Cortina.
In 2015 Scalextric released C3670 a metallic blue and white Cortina with the livery used by famous brothers Leo & Ian “Pete†Geoghagen that finished 5th outright in the 1964 race behind the Jane Cortina. Again they used a Lotus Cortina as the base with the split bumpers.
This livery features the Blue/White/Red “GT Stripes†standing for the brothers sponsor French oil company Total.
Where are they today - again win on Sunday sell on Monday.
From here we jump to 1966 when Scalextric recreated the winning Rauno Aaltonen/Bob Holden works Morris Mini Cooper S sponsored – C3302 – and released it for sale in 2012.
It was a year at Bathurst were the Cooper S dominated with the cars taking the first nine places outright of the newly renamed 500 mile race – The Gallaher 500.
Where is the car today – it resides in complete restoration with a mini enthusiast who lives in the Brisbane southern suburb of Mt Gravatt.
Bottom: The car as it is today.
In 1971 one of arguably the best touring cars was sold by Ford - the XY Falcon GTHO Ph 3 – Finally Scalextric are going to treat us with some of these cars that have become an icon in Series Production racing – C3696 is due for release shortly – this car depicts the 1972 Bathurst car driven by John Goss. It also won the Bathurst warm up the Sandown 250 that year. It is due for release in September 2016. The car was bought by a New Zealander Norris Miles early in 1973 who gave it a race at Amaroo Park in March only to roll the car during the meeting. It went to NZ and was repaired. Jim Richards also raced the car in NZ as well.
These photos show the car in 1972.
Top Left: C3696
Top Right: In the pits – Gossy is about to run up the bank.
Bottom Left: The car sideways as usual in Honda Corner.
Bottom Right: Warwick Farm in Sydney – the black line on the bumper covers the join were two obviously straight halves were welded together.
Scalextric will also be bringing out a set that will include the Allan Moffatt Falcon XY GTHO Ph 3. The set known as C1365 will also feature the Brock LH L34 Torana – worth waiting for!
The famous no 65 Bathurst winning Falcon that will be available in October from Scalextric is seen here with the famous Victoria Bitter carton stuck in the grill during the 1971 race.
Twincam