Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. August 18-21, 2016

[khyndart in CA]

The featured marque at Laguna Seca this year was BMW as it is 100 years since the company started aero plane engines in 1916 before branching out into bikes and cars.
One of the cars brought from the Munich Museum to Laguna Seca for the occasion was a BMW 328 Roadster that had competed in the 1940 Mille Miglia and finished 6th.
As one gentleman there said they must have thought that World War Two would soon be over and the racing would go on. Instead it was the other way round !
This BMW 328 was looking just as it did back then and to me had beautiful styling and I was impressed with the seats with grab handles in the days before seat belts !
These are my photos of BMW 328 Roadster # 71.

Competing in the 1940 Italian Mille Miglia. (BMW Archives)

My opinion of a beautiful design.

From any angle.

Check out the seat design before seat belts !

(Ken Hyndman photos )

[khyndart in CA]

I had not done my homework on this car as I noted that the Frank Matich 1967 SR3 was entered in the Can Am races at Laguna so I went around looking for a car that looked like this.

So it came as a surprise to find the car now looks like this. At least the number is the same !

(Hyndman smudge shot)

There must be quite a story to this restoration.

[seaqnmac27]

The featured marque at Laguna Seca this year was BMW as it is 100 years since the company started aero plane engines in 1916 before branching out into bikes and cars.
One of the cars brought from the Munich Museum to Laguna Seca for the occasion was a BMW 328 Roadster that had competed in the 1940 Mille Miglia and finished 6th.
As one gentleman there said they must have thought that World War Two would soon be over and the racing would go on. Instead it was the other way round !
This BMW 328 was looking just as it did back then and to me had beautiful styling and I was impressed with the seats with grab handles in the days before seat belts !
These are my photos of BMW 328 Roadster # 71.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]37366[/ATTACH]
Competing in the 1940 Italian Mille Miglia. (BMW Archives)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]37367[/ATTACH]
My opinion of a beautiful design.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]37368[/ATTACH]
From any angle.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]37369[/ATTACH]
Check out the seat design before seat belts !

(Ken Hyndman photos )

And SS officer and future Porsche team boss, Huschke von Hanstein won, The race was in April, while the phony war was still in full swing.

[Terry S]

I had not done my homework on this car as I noted that the Frank Matich 1967 SR3 was entered in the Can Am races at Laguna so I went around looking for a car that looked like this.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]37374[/ATTACH]
So it came as a surprise to find the car now looks like this. At least the number is the same !
[ATTACH=CONFIG]37373[/ATTACH]
(Hyndman smudge shot)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]37372[/ATTACH]

There must be quite a story to this restoration.

Does anyone know the owner/history of this car?

It looks butt ugly beside the Matich in the first photo. And I would hardly call it a "restoration".

There were only a few built so I am very intrigued what this one is.

Could it be the McCombie Chokito car, or the one sold to American Webster and driven by Tony Settember?

[khyndart in CA]

Terry,
The programme stated it was Matich SR3 chassis 3/3 if that is of help.
I was too kind in not using the "butt ugly" wording and I should have used the word of transformation instead of restoration !
Ken H

[khyndart in CA]

Terry,
I found this article on Stuart Kostera which may explain it. It certainly looks similar to the Elfin MS 7 sports car.
" Stuart found the big V8 sports very much to his taste and, after a year’s absence, reappeared with the ex-Don O’Sullivan Matich SR3. He steadily developed this car over the next three years, with his eyes on the Sports Car Championship. He was second in 1972, third in 1973, second again in 1974, and finally won outright in 1975, by which time the Matich bore little resemblance to its original form. It sported an ugly but very effective body which had enormous down force."

The era of the big sports cars: TOP LEFT, the Matich SR3; TOP RIGHT, the mighty Elfin MS-7 5-litre. BOTTOM ROW; racing the Elfin MS7 in Victoria. (Stuart Kostera Collection)


(Ken H.)

[Terry S]

Terry,
The programme stated it was Matich SR3 chassis 3/3 if that is of help.
I was too kind in not using the "butt ugly" wording and I should have used the word of transformation instead of restoration !
Ken H

Thanks Ken. Where did you take the first photo of the SR3 in correct guise?

How does that bastardised version get to run in historical racing? Should it not be run in original format?

[khyndart in CA]

Terry,
At this site you can see that the car is much as it is today.
http://autopics.com.au/75412-s-kosteria-matich-sr3a-29-11-1975-phillip-island-photographer-peter-d-abbs/
It became a Matich SR3A about 1972 (Is the A mean altered ? )
Not sure who did the alterations and if Frank Matich was involved or consulted etc.
The "terrywalkersplace.com" site on Stuart Kostera has good information.
Perhaps because it was in the 1968-1974 Can Am class at Laguna Seca and it was altered / transformed in 1972 it was able to enter the Historic race.
They are particular there and even had Roger Williams repaint his McLaren M8E to the colours as it raced in the seventies.
BTW. The photo I used as an early example was from youtube.com.
I hope I did not make this too confusing.
Cheers,
Ken H

[Steve Holmes]

An interesting discussion re the Matich. A similar discussion appeared following Monterey on the Can-Am Facebook page.

[Terry S]

Terry,
At this site you can see that the car is much as it is today.
http://autopics.com.au/75412-s-kosteria-matich-sr3a-29-11-1975-phillip-island-photographer-peter-d-abbs/
It became a Matich SR3A about 1972 (Is the A mean altered ? )
Not sure who did the alterations and if Frank Matich was involved or consulted etc.
The "terrywalkersplace.com" site on Stuart Kostera has good information.
Perhaps because it was in the 1968-1974 Can Am class at Laguna Seca and it was altered / transformed in 1972 it was able to enter the Historic race.
They are particular there and even had Roger Williams repaint his McLaren M8E to the colours as it raced in the seventies.
BTW. The photo I used as an early example was from youtube.com.
I hope I did not make this too confusing.
Cheers,
Ken H

Thanks Ken, greatly appreciated.

I still think the original guise was much better

[khyndart in CA]

Terry,
It was a great homework exercise and I agree with you totally about the original guise.


Ken

[khyndart in CA]

After two weeks of inputs it is about time for me to sign off with some BMW photos including an 1980 M1, 1978 BMW 320 Turbo and one of my favorites after watching them race in Europe in 1972 -73, a fine example of a 1972 BMW CSL # 42 driven by Mark Colbert.

K Hyndman photo

K Hyndman photo.

J. Adams photo


K. Hyndman

[Bruce302]

Thanks for the photos and uploading, they are fantastic, You efforts are much appreciated.

Regards,
Bruce.
Hopefully I will see you again next year.

[Terry S]

Terry,
I found this article on Stuart Kostera which may explain it. It certainly looks similar to the Elfin MS 7 sports car.
" Stuart found the big V8 sports very much to his taste and, after a year’s absence, reappeared with the ex-Don O’Sullivan Matich SR3. He steadily developed this car over the next three years, with his eyes on the Sports Car Championship. He was second in 1972, third in 1973, second again in 1974, and finally won outright in 1975, by which time the Matich bore little resemblance to its original form. It sported an ugly but very effective body which had enormous down force."

[ATTACH=CONFIG]37376[/ATTACH]

The era of the big sports cars: TOP LEFT, the Matich SR3; TOP RIGHT, the mighty Elfin MS-7 5-litre. BOTTOM ROW; racing the Elfin MS7 in Victoria. (Stuart Kostera Collection)


(Ken H.)

Ken, my last post on the Matich subject.

Thanks for putting me on to the "terrywalkersplace.com" site. I wasn't aware of it, and it has some fascinating info.

I love the bit you have quoted above it has "an ugly but effective body". This is one of my concerns about historic racing. Should these cars be in original but pretty bodies, or should they be transformed to "ugly but effective"

I think it goes to question of what historic motorsport is about. Is it to show the cars as they were and are remembered, or should they be transformed to win races.

For interest the Elfin MS 7 shown above is owned by Bob Tweedie in Sydney. He has been trying to sell it for possibly over 5 years. The price has been reduced to AUD 285,000, which seems good value.

Refer the attached
http://www.ibcholdings.com.au/cars/elfin/index.html

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for the photos and uploading, they are fantastic, You efforts are much appreciated.

Regards,
Bruce.
Hopefully I will see you again next year.

That goes for me too Ken, I've really been enjoying your photo uploads and recollections. Short of actually being there myself, this was the next best thing.

What other events are you attending this year?

[khyndart in CA]

Bruce & Steve,
Thanks for the comments and support which I truly appreciate.
Steve, the next event that I am ALLOWED to attend will be our daughter's wedding in November and I don't think this forum will be very interested in that !

I am sorry to disappoint you but a friend just contacted me this morning and said he had some photos of the Rolex Reunion and I might be entering those. (Just when you thought you had got rid of me.)

( Ken H )

[Oldfart]

Quoting from above

I love the bit you have quoted above it has "an ugly but effective body". This is one of my concerns about historic racing. Should these cars be in original but pretty bodies, or should they be transformed to "ugly but effective"

I think it goes to question of what historic motorsport is about. Is it to show the cars as they were and are remembered, or should they be transformed to win races.

I suspect that everyone has a view on what is historic, my view is that almost every car changed from meeting to meeting, and more substantially from season to season. The "custodian/restorer" then has to pick a moment in time to use for their restoration. If the car ran in period with the "effective but ugly" body then what is "wrong" with that? After all look at the Can Am McLarens, they don't all look like the M1. Some of the later cars when they were campaigned in the day used an earlier tub, eg M6 with M8 bodywork, is that wrong if you restored one of them?

Ken please keep posting!!

[khyndart in CA]

Rhys, no end in site.
One of my all time favorites after watching Steve McQueen in "Le Mans." In fact I think this car was shown in the movie.
Bruce Canepa driving the 1969 Porsche 917K # 2.

John Adams photos

[John McKechnie]

Ken- I was looking at Convertible Racing at Daytona Beach 1963 on youtube, have you ever been there?
Do they ever have any revivals/ nostalgic meetings of these beach races?

[khyndart in CA]

No Roger, I have not been to Florida. I think NZ had beach racing long before Daytona at Muriwai, 90 Mile and Invercargill etc.