The Roaring Season

Last batch for this part, folks! Thanks again to Steve Twist for sharing these amazing images.

I know that they had to race on standard road going tyres, but look how skinny they were. Would provide plenty of over and under steer there.

Was the Fiat 1500 Crusader in the pics a special in NZ ? talking to a Fiat expert in Aus they didnt have them here

Not sure if they were an NZ special, but they had to be NZ assembled to race in the B&H 500. A few years later a special batch were built in NZ specifically to compete in this race. They were all painted yellow, and were the later Lada shape model.

Interestingly, the Motorman review of the event has a very non-PC caption for a photo showing the Fiats and their main class rivals, the Datsuns. It read: "Fair dinkum, it was on, mate. Rodger Anderson (Datsun 1600) had a desperate old struggle with the fighting Fiat 1500s of Tim Bailey and Garry Pederson. The Nip car just had the edge on the Fiats but it was a close thing for a while".

Those 124s were very nice still pop up on trade me for good money

105angria wrote:Those 124s were very nice still pop up on trade me for good money

125s, the NZ special was 125T.

A big thanks to Steve Twist for allowing us to see all these photos, they bring make so many good memories of days past.

Think the Mk4 No. 10 Lyon Motors may have been Robbie Francevic and Steve Borich. They did run together in these days

The Victor with the chequered paint job I'm pretty sure was was Brent Hawes and Leo Leonard.

Shano wrote:The Victor with the chequered paint job I'm pretty sure was was Brent Hawes and Leo Leonard.

Think you are right. Victor N05 Chequers remember it

Great Pictures!

Picture #2 - Perhaps Vince Anderson

Barrie wrote:Picture #2 - Perhaps Vince Anderson

Same car IIRC, but a bit too early. Kerry Grant.

Regarding Fiat 1500 Crusader - Classic Driver Issue 42 has an article on Fiats. The suggestion is that with the 125 coming on the market and with stocks of 1500's remaining unsold they were re-badged as Crusaders to make way for the 125. The 1500 Crusader is unique to New Zealand - a bit like the Humber 80 being a re-badged Hillman Minx.

pallmall wrote:Same car IIRC, but a bit too early. Kerry Grant.

Maybe you are right. However, I have opened the 1967 Shell book and there are two pictures of Kerry Grant in that car and the helmet is a dark colour whereas the helmet colour in the one above is light. There is no doubt that it is the same car.

Barrie wrote:Maybe you are right. However, I have opened the 1967 Shell book and there are two pictures of Kerry Grant in that car and the helmet is a dark colour whereas the helmet colour in the one above is light. There is no doubt that it is the same car.

Yes you are correct, it would be Vince Anderson. Drove the car in 1967/68 season.

Speaking of cars "When did you last see?" Simca 1000, Fiat 1500 Crusader (actually was looking at one yesterday) even the Victors, Datsun 1600, as well as the Mark 4 aircraft carriers!
The Hunters seem to be the most common!