The Roaring Season

Four of my favourite cars purchased in the UK.

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Second car. First Mini saloon, preceded by a Minivan... Well modified 850cc car which went surprisingly well. Owned it before marriage - and again after we split!


Followed by a genuine 998cc mini Cooper - mildly modified. Pic taken at my first ever event - an NSCC organised sprint at Cadwell Park.



The one that got away. A full rally spec 1293cc or 1320cc Cooper S. More fun to drive than any other car I ever owned, but sadly, it had to go back as I couldn't sell the 998cc (sporting a steel Clubman front following an argument with the concrete wall at Woodcote when I hit a puddle...).


The car I brought to NZ in 1983. I believe it is still around (but off the road, Snells beach area?). I'd like it back, as this was the car in which I had my first ever race - at Pukekohe. I didn't finish last either! A most underrated car and a real surprise with superb torque and a genuine 100mph top speed. Had it for a total of 6 years and apart from a 50c circlip, never let us down.



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ERC wrote:The car I brought to NZ in 1983. I believe it is still around (but off the road, Snells beach area?). I'd like it back, as this was the car in which I had my ever first race - at Pukekohe. A most underrated car and a real surprise with superb torque and a genuine 100mph top speed.
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Austin Allegro Equipe 1750 2 door - very rare and collectible if in good condition - probably the only 2 door Allegro in NZ. BUY IT BACK!

All Agro?

Nah! Ex wife had a 1988 1300cc Allegro from new. Very economical, nicely balanced to drive and we never had any problems whatever.

The Equipe was the next Allegro and as stated above, was also reliable, but a little front end heavy and not as well balanced as the 1300.

I also bought a well used 1300cc here as a stop gap, but strangely, I have no pics of it.

There was someone who ran a nicely modified red 1300 at an MGCC Hillclimb way back in 1988 or so. Only ever saw it once.

Maybe I should buy another 1300cc and pop in the well modifed, low mileage 1293cc engine I have sitting in a corner of the garage!

Allegros may be the standing joke of a poor car (yes, heard all about body twisting!) but I have a soft spot for them.

Back to the early 1980's - another day flagging... Again, the actual date would be useful. I'm guessing at 1984, about early May

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Based purely on the vantage point, maybe this was at a later meeting, but is on the same film?



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Soggy Sunday - 'Outsource Christmas at the Downs':

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John spun out of first place when the wet tyres went off.


Brian's new livery by 'Sign Solutions' looked very smart


John Ure found the Jag a bit of a handful. This spin popped the bonnet catch which caused an early retirement when it let go altogether.


John Fulford's debut drive in the MGB V8. The lime green paintwork makes it the third car of that colour to join the series. Eddie York's lime green Jaguar XJ40 came along also for its debut run, but as it has yet to do a single lap and the rain was heavy first thing, he was just one of many who decided not to risk it today. (Including me!)


Rod Hemmings' well campaigned TVR


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Wow! Great pic Nigel. According to commentator JT, John was finding the Escort a real handful up the front straight. Several drivers reported scarier moments on the straights than the corners during practice.

I was just chatting to someone when John lost it, so I missed the start of it. Isn't that often the case? Walk away or turn your back for a few seconds and you miss the action.

A few more shots

My dates for this pic don't really marry up properly with what I thought. Obviously Pukekohe but whereas I originally thought it was 1989, I think it must be earlier, based on other stuff on the same film strip. Once again, flagging, so no programme... I don't have a programme with the Alfetta running #9 and the signage shows it was during the Hansell's series.

If anyone has the correct date, as always, I'd appreciate it.

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A mix again. These are all taken from colour slides. Some are glass mounted and I haven't dismantled them and cleaned the glass. As noted earlier, dating these accurately may be a total nightmare. Where the name of the image includes year, month and day, then they may be fairly accurate. Others are a temporary guess, so any confirmation would be appreciated on the NZ ones.

Doing a Google search for some of the UK ones hasn't proved easy or productive, but occasionally, you only need one confirmed date to date several others. The trick is finding that one!

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Emeryson Formula Junior. Probably Donington 1987/88 but needs confirmation.


Span farm sprint. My car was rejected at scrutineering as it was still in primer! I never did get to run it in anger before dismantling it...


Possibly Steve Whitren or maybe even Andrew Thorne in the Rapier, but no date.


One of my favourite Mini based kit cars. The Cox GTM at a Mallory Park Kit Car day June 1987. Are there any of these in NZ?


Whenuapai 1993 so at least the date is correct.


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No. 16 Datsun (Therapedic beds) at Span Farm was shared by the late Glen 'Jigger' Jones and his brother inlaw Kevin Gerbic. Glen set fastest and Kev was unfortunate to be on board when engine fizzed.

Another mix and again from slides.

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Not sure about the date for this as it was taken at a Silverstone test session and could have been after the TT and may even have been after Andy Rouse's time. I have no way of telling.


A tenuous link to the pic above as the Warwick had TR power. The Warwick/Peerless and particularly the Gordon Keeble cars are very much to my liking. Donington but again, date not confirmed.


Not sure if I had scanned this earlier, but the distinctive Gemini FJ.


More of a rarity in the UK than NZ, thanks to Nigel... Again, no accurate date. Part of the detective work is noticing what is in the background and in this case, the state of the Donington paddock is a key. What was metal was eventually sealed. Note the three Hondas.


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Is that an early Matra?

Some I found in a box over the weekend..badly scanned from colour negatives - I must redo them on the other computer
1967 Pukekohe
Peter Yock in his first appearance at Puke, I think,
Mustangs - Frank Bryan (I think) spun off at the hairpin on the last lap to leave the other 2 on a charge for the line
A40 action - haven't a clue who
The only pic I got of Robbies Fairlane at Puke - from afar
Andy in the Elfin

Some B&W action at an Auckland club meet on the Club circuit at Puke - Dec 1969 I think.....again - badly scanned from B&W negatives

and a couple more - Peter Bruin and Roger Anderson

In the picture of the Dolomite Sprint, I am pretty sure the man in the brown jacket is Ralph Broad, of Broadspeed. I think the car is in Group 2 spec and it could be Andy Rouse in the centre.

grelley wrote:In the picture of the Dolomite Sprint, I am pretty sure the man in the brown jacket is Ralph Broad, of Broadspeed. I think the car is in Group 2 spec and it could be Andy Rouse in the centre.

Thanks for that. The car ran as #38 but given the obvious chill, I wonder if this is after the TT or before it? As I posted several pages ago, I kept a diary from 1964-1969, then from 1990 to date, so there are many gaps, especially where I don't have a race programme.

Fortunately in those days, most cars were issued with a new number at each meeting, which does make things a little easier, because these days, most of us run permanent numbers and the transponders enable several car #7's on a race programme instead of every car needing a unique number.

As posted on the Ganley thread:

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