The Mike Feisst Collection - Part 3

[GD66]

is it Graeme Lawrence's Brabham BT29?

Hi Craig, I believe the car pictured to be Graeme Lawrence's McLaren M4A. His lovely little blue #14 Brabham I think was a BT18, and was sold upon Graeme's departure to the Wide World of Racing in Europe to John Nicholson, later to become renowned world-wide as an ace preparer of Cosworth race engines, working under the Nicholson McLaren Engines letterhead. Never knew what happened to the car, but it was a beauty.


Edit : Hmmm, I do seem to recall Graeme had a later model Brabham as well that he raced almost exclusively in what was then known as the Far East, and in Air NZ livery....good memory, Craig !

[beowulf]

Yes probably worth reflecting on the VX4/90 for a moment ,Frank Hamlin raced one as well for a short time ,I did some engine work on one years ago,the Alloy head wasn't too bad for that period of time and from memory the Inlet ports were of a half decent shape for modifying ,pity the rest of the car was so heavy

I remember Frank at Levin in the vx4/90, power in a straight line was OK, but the body roll in the corners was horrific, even by the standards of the time.
.

[Craig Metcalf]

oops I got it wrong. Did Graeeme Lawrence have an M4A McLaren around 1968? If yes then I think that is this car.

[Craig Metcalf]

Hi there- thought about it overnight & realised that this car is the M4A. Your memory obviously much better than mine. Whatever became of John Nicholson?

[Steve Holmes]

Is this the Air NZ car at the indoor show Craig?

[Craig Metcalf]

yeah

[David McKinney]

Lawrence bought the BT29 when the rules for the Asian series were changed, which meant he couldn't run the Ferrari there. He also raced it in a few NZ races, as did Kenny Smith on one occasion

The M4A actually first raced in NZ in McLaren orange, before he got the Air NZ sponsorship

[GD66]

The M4A actually first raced in NZ in McLaren orange, before he got the Air NZ sponsorship

I reckon so. (Post #22) But the longer ago it was, the less certain one becomes...

[David McKinney]

Not a colour photo, or a very good one (after all, it was me on the other side of the camera) but this is the car at what I believe was it's first NZ appearance, Pukekohe November 1968

[Murray Maunder]

Not sure whether anyone answered the question about the M4A's whereabouts today but I'm pretty sure it is alive and had a freshen up or some work done by that guru of old McLarens, Duncan Fox. I have a shot of it alongside the McLaren Trust's M8A. I will try to find out from Duncan who owns it now.

Great series of photos - huge thanks to Mike Feisst!

[David McKinney]

I'm pretty sure Peter Herbert has the ex-Lawrence M4A

Lindsay O'Donnell has another, with no NZ history

The ex-Palmer car has been in Australia since 1968

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kinda related, i see this car for sale. body work differs so i assume its proberbly not the chassis shown but quoted as an ex rosberg tasman car

http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/chevron/1310667231/1310667231ss.htm

(excuse my poor computer skills)

[David McKinney]

The light blue Opert B34 Rosberg raced in the 1977 Stuyvesant series is still in NZ
I don't know what happened to the red Opert B39 he raced in 1978. This could be it, I suppose

[coldrive]

The pic of the PDL Mustang in green at baypark would have been taken at the 1973 Easter meet, which was the first time I visited Baypark. I believe this was Graham Baker's first appearance in the car. Peter Hanna and Graham Pierce did something different for this meeting and invited the OSCA series to join the BNSW Championship saloons, which is why you see Kevin Haigs Mustang partly in shot. And they also brought Bruce Carey from Australia in the Grace Bros Capri. I don't have results but still got a tatty programme. Baker won both BNSW 0-6000cc races, both OSCA races and also drove the PDL Titan FF to two wins as well, unbeaten on the day. Things must have run pretty slickly in those days as there are 17 races on the programme and racing didn't start till noon on Easter Sunday.

[kiwi285]

Hi Coldrive,

If you have a look at the photos under the Racing Capri's thread there is a photo there of the Carey Capri at that meeting.

[SPman]

Poor old Cyril unfortunately demolished more than one of them,pity he was a neat old guy and a gentleman,from memory he was over 70 at that time ,he was reputed to have raced in the UK before the war,he was a customer at the tuning business where I was working in the early seventies ,I used to keep a eye on his car at the events at that time where we both competing,if I ever helped him out on the week end he would always repay my kindness as he called it with some little gift.He also had a Vauxhall VX4/90 that he used to use for the odd sprint etc

I can recall him racing it at Puke at Club meetings - we were amazed at this old guy punting his nice tidy Vauxhall around the track....but, we 16 year olds reckoned he was having fun, so, why not.........

[kiwi285]

I'm pretty sure Peter Herbert has the ex-Lawrence M4A

Lindsay O'Donnell has another, with no NZ history

The ex-Palmer car has been in Australia since 1968

Hi David,

Do you know who owns the car in Australia as I have never seen any mention of the car and it appears never to have made any historic meetings that I am aware of. That is a pity as it has a lot of NZ history.

[928]

John Nicholson sold Nicholson Mclaren engines and has retired. Henow lives somewhere on the Manukau harbour I understand.

[BMCBOY]

[David McKinney]

Hi David,

Do you know who owns the car in Australia as I have never seen any mention of the car and it appears never to have made any historic meetings that I am aware of. That is a pity as it has a lot of NZ history.

I believe it went back to the UK about 20 years ago, but I haven't heard of it since