The Roaring Season

A point that struck me recently, in a conversation regarding early years of Motorsport in New Zealand ,was,where would we have been with out Zora Arkus-Duntov, wonderful creation..the 'CORVETTE ENGINE'....got to thinking what a 'mystical' ring it had to the statement.."It's got a CORVETTE in it"!!!.....started to run through some that came to mind, Rod Coppins,Giff Tait, Ron Silvester, Arther Kennard, Neil Doyle, Bill Thomason, Red Dawson, Johnny Mansel, Stanton Bro's, Morrari,.........the import 'rort', that if the engine was installed in a boat of a 'commercial' nature, there was no 'Import Duty'....the 'Drag racers, Hot Rodders..people like Dave Chung of 'Berry and Chung'speed Equipment Fame,Dave's famous Roadster,Pink Panther' was featured in the 'Iskerdarian' advert in the American 'Hot Rod' Magazine of the 60's.....this little engine, the Soul of the 'Corvette' Sports car,The 'Heart Beat of America'....an Iconic' Mechanical wonder !!?..................regards thunder427/MJ

Murray Carter......... Corvette Special..... His first car I believe.....
Charlie Occhipinti........ Corvette Stingray......

Leo D ...... "HERTZ" ZHZ C6 Corvette..... ok, so it was only a rental ..... "but what a rental!" ..... unfortunately they no longer have them in their fleet

There were no Corvette engines in early NZ motor racing - they didn't come along till the late '50s (or am I showing my age?)

[quote="David McKinney"]There were no Corvette engines in early NZ motor racing - they didn't come along till the late '50s (or am I showing my age?)[/QUOTE

Dear David,I was born in October/1945,the Chevrolet V8 was created when I Was all of 10yrs old,so I was probably considering that 1955/6 was the. "early years",I shall try to be a little more specific in future..........regards thunder427/MJ

David McKinney wrote:There were no Corvette engines in early NZ motor racing - they didn't come along till the late '50s (or am I showing my age?)

I could be wrong David but I assumed Myles was talking about Corvette (usually really small block Chevy) powered race cars internationally rather than just NZ?

That still doesn't make the '50s "early years of motorsport" in the US, Australia, Europe or even Japan

The Australian speed record was set in Tasmania on Bakers Beach in 1961 by Launceston Hotelier Austin Miller in a Cooper racing car which had been modified and fitted with a Corvette V8 by Geoff Smedley of Launceston....Pic source Geoff Smedley


Bruce Burr, Austin Miller, Geoff Smedley

Ellis, that is amazing! What a mental little car. I love it! It must have been completely terrifying to drive. Did they convert it back to original after the record run? Where is it now? What a great post!

It continued with Corvette power in the hands of later owners, but the engine went elsewhere in the 1970s. The various parts were duly collected together and the car rebuilt with 2.2 Climax engine, and Aussie Miller was among those who drove it in historic events.

After a spell in the Lukey Museum it was sold to the US, then acquired by NZ film-maker Rob Whitehouse around 1987, though the car remained in the US for a while longer. Whitehouse did appear with the car in practice for a historic meeting at Donington in 1991, but I'm pretty sure never raced it

It was however raced for the next dozen years or so by a new English owner

David has it down pat....What he said.

Guy Miller...Ozzie's son lives not far from me in Tas.
I think the family still has a Cooper Bristol that has appeared at Historic meetings.
The family has links to flying still with interests in a Super Spreading business in Vic.
Austin passed away less than 2 years ago a ago and was admitted into the Tasmanian Motoring Hall of fame not long after he died.


Bathurst cc 1960 ...pre Corvette


Advert from cc1965

He was quite a character in his heyday.

These are incredible Ellis! David, thanks for filling in the gaps.

Just a bit on the gearbox for the speed attempt.....
It was pre being able to ring Hollinger etc and get one made by a fair few years.
The car was already fitted with Light 15 Citroen gearbox not renowned for its reliability
with its smaller racing engine and now it was going to have to handle a lot more hp.
Geoff Smedley dismantled it and built 2 new gears...it was now a 2 speed box.
He drilled & cross bolted the gearbox to hold it together. Thats what it run with for the attempt.
The Corvette was obtained from Syd Fyscher of offshore boating and later Sydney Hobart
yachting fame.

Amazing info Ellis. Thanks for posting. Imagine how quick the car must have been in a straight line.

About 10-15 years ago John Diamond (I think) appeared at a New Zealand historic racing event with a car he'd brought over from Australia called a Carter Corvette. It was a smallish sports car from memory, in which the rear wheels were partially covered by the bodywork. Does anyone have any info and pics of this car? Was it John Diamond who owned it? And if so, was this the same John Diamond who with brother Steve were active New Zealand racers in the '70s? Steve moved to the US and established a large mineral water company I believe called Koala Mineral Water, or something similar.

John Dymand is living in the USA. He says he exports cars to NZ. He can be found in Trade Me, old friends.

John's father had the Diamond Grill in Rattray St. in Dunedin. John e-mail is mailto:?subject=&body=

He bought a Corvette Imsa car out and ran in the Sports Sedans over the christmas summer series a few years back, late 90s if i recall. Got photos of that somewere, he had great battles with Huxford and had big off down south in wet and clouted the big tyres.

pics from Phillip island

Rod Grimwood wrote:He bought a Corvette Imsa car out and ran in the Sports Sedans over the christmas summer series a few years back, late 90s if i recall. Got photos of that somewere, he had great battles with Huxford and had big off down south in wet and clouted the big tyres.

Yep, thats right. I think that was the 1989/90 season. The NZ drivers really didn't want him there as the car didn't fit the local regs, but he was trying to get seat-time for a full campaign in IMSA. He also sent his giant Kenworth transporter to NZ too, which made for quite an impressive site.

Steve Holmes wrote:Yep, thats right. I think that was the 1989/90 season. The NZ drivers really didn't want him there as the car didn't fit the local regs, but he was trying to get seat-time for a full campaign in IMSA. He also sent his giant Kenworth transporter to NZ too, which made for quite an impressive site.

Just to Clarify..It was Steve with the IMSA Vette & Mineral Water. He also ran a V8 Chev powered EH holden in OSCA at one stage.

One car John ran was a very tidy Cologne/like Capri repowered with a 302Windsor, often wonder if that car is one of the cars wenow see in Historic class's etc.