The Roaring Season

Spgeti wrote:Well done Steve, I want a signed copy....

I will be looking to purchase a copy too and to get it signed if possible.

Me too... Not THAT me too...

Well done Steve, I want a signed copy....

Well done on completion Steve, thats a lot of very interesting NZ cars and will make a very impressive tome.
When I get this book, it will be the fourth one by you, I havent got that many by any other single author not even Steven King

Steve Holmes wrote:Well, I finally got this book completed. It damn-near killed me. I think it came in at over 80,000 words, and was very intensive.

In all, 18 cars are featured. They are:

Begg FM5
Cambridge Monaro
Capri RS2600 (Paul Fahey)
Custaxie
Ferrari 256
GeeCeeEss Special
Graeme Addis Charger
Ian Algie Alfetta
Lycoming Special
Maserati 250F (Southward car)
McLaren M8A
Leda/McRae GM1
Miss Victorious
Paton Ford
PDL Mustang
Peter Bennett A40
RA Vanguard
T/G Racing Pontiac Firebird

The cars chosen weren't necessarily because they were hugely successful, many are there just because they're interesting. I placed emphasis on Kiwi ingenuity, although this isn't the case with every car. There are some glaring omissions, but so many factors come into play, from gathering enough information, to gathering enough period photos. Hopefully, if the publishers can sell enough copies there will be more books to follow.

There are so many people who helped made this happen, from those supplying photos, to period magazine articles, and information for each car. I don't even know where to begin. They're listed in the book!

Anyway, the manuscript is now with the publishers, and they'll start cobbling it together. I believe its due for release later in the year.

But for now, life can start to return to normal!

Look forward to seeing it Steve .. could be my Christmas present to myself !!

Well, I finally got this book completed. It damn-near killed me. I think it came in at over 80,000 words, and was very intensive.

In all, 18 cars are featured. They are:

Begg FM5
Cambridge Monaro
Capri RS2600 (Paul Fahey)
Custaxie
Ferrari 256
GeeCeeEss Special
Graeme Addis Charger
Ian Algie Alfetta
Lycoming Special
Maserati 250F (Southward car)
McLaren M8A
Leda/McRae GM1
Miss Victorious
Paton Ford
PDL Mustang
Peter Bennett A40
RA Vanguard
T/G Racing Pontiac Firebird

The cars chosen weren't necessarily because they were hugely successful, many are there just because they're interesting. I placed emphasis on Kiwi ingenuity, although this isn't the case with every car. There are some glaring omissions, but so many factors come into play, from gathering enough information, to gathering enough period photos. Hopefully, if the publishers can sell enough copies there will be more books to follow.

There are so many people who helped made this happen, from those supplying photos, to period magazine articles, and information for each car. I don't even know where to begin. They're listed in the book!

Anyway, the manuscript is now with the publishers, and they'll start cobbling it together. I believe its due for release later in the year.

But for now, life can start to return to normal!

Shoreboy57 wrote:

Steve Holmes wrote:Just an update on this book. Its coming along well, and at this stage there are 15 cars in the book. They include:

McLaren M8A
Begg FM5
Leda LT27/McRae GM1
Graeme Addis Charger
Jack Nazer Victor
Peter Bennett Lotus A40
Ferrari 256
Paton Ford
RA Vanguard
Capri RS2600
GeeCeeEss Special
Lycoming Special
PDL Mustang
Custaxie
Rod Coppins T/G Firebird

So plenty of room for volume 2. Looking forward to this book Steve

Steve this book is in the post to you, cheers
Roger D

Have these as well which may contain stuff for another book - about NZ built cars and others, all from the Sports Car Club of New Zealand.

1989 Edition



1984 Edition

Looking forward to the book Steve. If you happen to come across any information or images on the Morrari would you mind letting us know please?

It would be good to see the Stanton Bros given a mention !

[quote="Steve Holmes"]Just an update on this book. Its coming along well, and at this stage there are 15 cars in the book. They include:

McLaren M8A
Begg FM5
Leda LT27/McRae GM1
Graeme Addis Charger
Jack Nazer Victor
Peter Bennett Lotus A40
Ferrari 256
Paton Ford
RA Vanguard
Capri RS2600
GeeCeeEss Special
Lycoming Special
PDL Mustang
Custaxie
Rod Coppins T/G Firebird

So plenty of room for volume 2. Looking forward to this book Steve

Michael Clark wrote:Ralph Smith is the current custodian of the Lycoming - the last time I saw it was in the Wanaka Wings and Wheels Museum.

There was a very good and detailed article on the Lycoming Special in the July 2011 edition of the American mag "Vintage Racecar". It included a track test. The article was by Aussie Patrick Quinn.

It was noted that Jim Clark and Bruce McLaren had both driven the car, the latter in a race.

The car has been owned since 1983 by Ralph Smith, as Michael notes.

The car was originally built by Ralph Watson. A book on him titled "Ralph Watson : Special Engineer" was written in 2005 by T.R. Sheffield.

Steve,
This information on Pat Hoare's Ferrari was on the back of this SHELL card.
It must be correct because it has Pat's signature on it !


(Ken H)

Ralph Smith is the current custodian of the Lycoming - the last time I saw it was in the Wanaka Wings and Wheels Museum.

Steve,
fair enough. you are correct about vercoe's book. thanks for the reply

Steve, Hoares Ferrari (ex Phill Hill Italian GP winning car chassis no 0007/ F0788) was originally a 256 according to Mr Nye prior the fitting of Testa Rossa motor and other mods. I may be wrong.


And The Hoare Ferrari.

928 wrote:no Baker Brother's Herons steve?

Its hard to know where to start and stop. The book is only going to be approx 200 pages, which means only around 15 chapters with a good amount of text and photos. I didn't want to do a lot of chapters on a lot of cars with a brief description of each, as Graham Vercoe already did that with his book back in the late 1980s.

There are literally hundreds of cars that are worthy of conclusion, so it makes the decision difficult.

no Baker Brother's Herons steve?

Just an update on this book. Its coming along well, and at this stage there are 15 cars in the book. They include:

McLaren M8A
Begg FM5
Leda LT27/McRae GM1
Graeme Addis Charger
Jack Nazer Victor
Peter Bennett Lotus A40
Ferrari 256
Paton Ford
RA Vanguard
Capri RS2600
GeeCeeEss Special
Lycoming Special
PDL Mustang
Custaxie
Rod Coppins T/G Firebird

So far I've written around 60,000 words. I'm trying to focus on cars that are either NZ specials (including single seaters, sports cars, or saloons), or cars with a strong NZ flavour.

What I'm after is photos of any of these cars in period, in particular, Ferrari 256, Lycoming, Paton Ford, RA Vanguard, GeeCeeEss Special. Although The Roaring Season has produced some incredible photo collections which are going to help massively with the book, we don't have a lot from the 1950s.

Most of the chapters are completed in rough form, though still need some corrections made. I've yet to write on the Lycoming, Paton Ford, and Bennett A40. Can anyone tell me who owns the Lycoming currently?

I may also include the Ian Algia Alfetta if I have enough space and time. I've been in touch with the cars current owner who has extended an invite to visit him and go through Ian's old scrapbooks etc.

Just a couple more questions for those in the know. Was the Pat Hoare Ferrari a 246 or 256? Its my understanding its a 1960 car, at which time Ferrari had 2.5 litre V6 Dino engines. They had 2.4 engines in 1958 (hence 246), and went to 2.5 engines in 1959/60. But the car is regularly referred to as a 246, including by its current owner.

Also, what was the fate of McRae GM1 chassis 001? This is the car McRae raced in the 1971/72 Tasman Series, raced in the US in 1972, then sold to Dexter Dunlop. Some sources say it was destroyed in a trailer fire in 1974 following the Teretonga Tasman round. Others say it was repaired after the fire, but got 'lost' returning to NZ from the Australian Tasman races.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

What is the "cow horn"/ stock car bumper in post #43?

[quote="Milan Fistonic"]Is this the article Trevor?

Unfortunately no.

However it illustrates very well the economic restrictions confining the design of the car, which of necessity resulted in a very versatile approach. Very. very few cars arrived at a race meeting or speed event on a trailer in those days and no sponsors were in sight. It would not have been the done thing for the car to have been branded with Brown and Nuttall livery.