New Zealand Historic Saloon Cars Under HRC

[John McKechnie]

Ray- is it possible to put a simple memory up without it being turned into a points scoring effort for the wheel barrow you are pushing ?

[ERC]

Fair point John. But I want classes to succeed...

[Steve Holmes]

Another one. This is Bill Ritchie's gorgeous 1966 Alfa Guilia 4 door sedan, complete with COD. Bill has jumped on board with Bruce Dyer to help run Historic Saloon Cars. I believe Bill has done some historic racing in Europe as well? Bruce?

[Spgeti]

Yes, Bill has raced in Europe some years ago. I will see if he can put words into writing as it is an interesting in site to Historic Racing over there.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Bruce.

[Shoreboy57]

Another one. This is Bill Ritchie's gorgeous 1966 Alfa Guilia 4 door sedan, complete with COD. Bill has jumped on board with Bruce Dyer to help run Historic Saloon Cars. I believe Bill has done some historic racing in Europe as well? Bruce?

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Great to see the pics of the HSC cars Steve. Makes a nice break from the rules debate (which is still important) on the thread.

[Steve Holmes]

Great to see the pics of the HSC cars Steve. Makes a nice break from the rules debate (which is still important) on the thread.

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying them.

[Steve Holmes]

This is Dennis McConnell's stunning MkI Escort, which has become a regular with HMC/HSC the last couple of seasons. This is a Schedule K car, with the forest flares and period correct 13" diameter wheels, and has a COD. This car can regularly be found battling amongst the V8s.

Paint scheme is reminiscent of that on the famous Paul Fahey Alan Mann Racing Escort.

[Steve Holmes]

John Dennehy will be running the awesome and insanely fast Halliday brothers Escort with HSC/HMC at the 2016 New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing.

This car has a long and distinguished career, starting life as a 1300cc road car which Don and Rob Halliday converted into a race car in 1969. It started its racing career with a 1600cc Lotus twin-cam unit. This then made way for a BDA motor in 1971. It also featured several different colour schemes, the most well known being the brilliant New Zealand Freighters red/white.

In 1974, the Escort was sold to Alan Woolfe, who completely rebuilt it, fitting a BDG motor that was apparently stretched out to 2100cc, while it was also put on a diet, and fitted with box-style rear flares for wider wheels.

After a few more owners, the Escort was purchased by Jeff Clare off John Harcourt in 1997. Harcourt had actually fitted the Escort with a Rover V8 in the early 1980s, to contest the OSCA series. It was Jeff who spent five years restoring the car back to its circa 1971/72 Halliday guise, refitting it with a 1600cc BDA motor, and returning all the bodywork to the correct Group 5 style with the forest flares.

John Dennehy eventually purchased the Escort off Jeff, and opted for a more powerful BDG motor. One of Johns problems has been finding treaded tyres for the car, which still runs the very wide rear wheels as used during its Woolf era. Roger Kraus Racing in the US was able to make a set for John a couple of years ago, by cutting a treaded pattern into a set of bias-ply slicks. These eventually wore out, so John has just ordered another set from Roger Kraus.

[Steve Holmes]

Neville 'Hillsy' Hills owns this fantastic MkII Escort Schedule K car. Neville actually began his racing career back in the 1960s in a Ford Anglia. He used to knock around with Jim Richards, and crewed for Red Dawson for a time. He raced his Anglia at various tracks, including the short-lived Paritutu street course in New Plymouth. Being a Taranaki boy, this was right in his backyard.

Having stopped racing for many years, Neville had been slowly building a Ford Anglia for historic racing when he heard about this Escort, and bought it. And he is having fun! As he said, "I should have done this years ago".

[Steve Holmes]

Another great Japanese addition to HSC. This is Mike Coory's beautiful Datsun 240K. This car was originally built and raced by long-time Datsun racer Don McLean, before it was purchased by Mike a year or two back. I believe this car will be running with HSC at the Pukekohe TACCOC event on October 3.

[Steve Holmes]

Love this one! Pat Excell and his fantastic Ford Anglia. Built to T&C, and has a COD.

[Spgeti]

Pat's Anglia is a NZ dealer installed new 1500GT and still has it's dealer sticker on it.

[AMCO72]

Well, there you go, it seems not all Anglias have been swallowed up and wrecked in pre65 racing. Might get a few returning to the fold.

[Spgeti]

We have another one down here run by Bill Cottle from Levin. Standard body and out to 1760 I think Gerald. Aren't they a delight to see?

[Frosty5]

We have another one down here run by Bill Cottle from Levin. Standard body and out to 1760 I think Gerald. Aren't they a delight to see?

Yes Bruce, they are a delight to see. My Dad had a '65 as a company car, red and I wanted to buy it when the council put it up for tender but alas, some people had more coin that I had at the time and Dad wasn't all that keen on a 16 yr old hooning around race tracks. But was able to sneak the odd ride with it without him knowing and it was good.
Dave Graham

[Steve Holmes]

I hope Ellis French doesn't mind me posting this photo here. This isn't an HSC car. In fact, this car was built and races in Australia. Its owned by Don Green.

This beautiful Jaguar was one of the very first Group N historic touring cars built in Australia, and actually contested the very first historic Group N touring car race, which took place way back in 1981.

Back then, Group N was known as Appendix J, and had a cut-off date of December 31, 1964. Since then, the CAMS controlled and policed historic category has expanded into three divisions:

Group Na: for cars commercially available in Australia prior to December 31, 1957
Group Nb: the for-mentioned Appendix J
Group Nc: for cars of a make and model that competed in Australia between January 1, 1965, and December 31, 1972, in the ATCC, or in Series Production.

Since that first race that took place in 1981, more than 1,000 cars have been built and registered for Historic Group N.

[Roger Dowding]

I hope Ellis French doesn't mind me posting this photo here. This isn't an HSC car. In fact, this car was built and races in Australia. Its owned by Don Green.

This beautiful Jaguar was one of the very first Group N historic touring cars built in Australia, and actually contested the very first historic Group N touring car race, which took place way back in 1981.

Back then, Group N was known as Appendix J, and had a cut-off date of December 31, 1964. Since then, the CAMS controlled and policed historic category has expanded into three divisions:

Group Na: for cars commercially available in Australia prior to December 31, 1957
Group Nb: the for-mentioned Appendix J
Group Nc: for cars of a make and model that competed in Australia between January 1, 1965, and December 31, 1972, in the ATCC, or in Series Production.

Since that first race that took place in 1981, more than 1,000 cars have been built and registered for Historic Group N.

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I would like a garage like that, especially if it came with a Jaguar like that, stripes, side pipes, very David Silcock.

[Kiwiboss]

I hope Ellis French doesn't mind me posting this photo here. This isn't an HSC car. In fact, this car was built and races in Australia. Its owned by Don Green.

This beautiful Jaguar was one of the very first Group N historic touring cars built in Australia, and actually contested the very first historic Group N touring car race, which took place way back in 1981.

Back then, Group N was known as Appendix J, and had a cut-off date of December 31, 1964. Since then, the CAMS controlled and policed historic category has expanded into three divisions:

Group Na: for cars commercially available in Australia prior to December 31, 1957
Group Nb: the for-mentioned Appendix J
Group Nc: for cars of a make and model that competed in Australia between January 1, 1965, and December 31, 1972, in the ATCC, or in Series Production.

Since that first race that took place in 1981, more than 1,000 cars have been built and registered for Historic Group N.

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Imagine if the NZ Historic and Classic Commission had the foresight to do this when the Aussie's did, all the good period correct cars we'd have today!! instead of the mish mash hybred hotrods we currently have country wide, shame really! I'd luv to see cars like the fantastic Jaguar still out racing in period guise.

Dale M

[AMCO72]

Steve, your comment, amongst others that said....'CAMS controlled and POLICED' historic catergory sounds a bit ominous!! Is everyone in Australia in love with CAMS as much as folk here in NZ. When we start using words like 'policed' I get very nervous. Easy to be wise now and say we in NZ should have followed Australia's lead. We could, with some will, have a similar breakdown of classes here, but is going to upset a few people. But then too-bad.......someone is going to get upset no matter what you do......even if you do nothing !!!!!