Thought you folks might enjoy these pics. These were taken by a friend of mine called Terry Marshall. They're known as All-comer Saloons, and I've just started writing a book on them. The All-comers were circuit race cars. The New Zealand Saloon Car Championship began in 1960, and was basically devoid of rules. The first few years were won by MkI Jaguars, until teams started building these types of vehicles. They were eventually banned in 1967, for being too radical. I hope this isn't too off-topic, let me know if it is. The first one was known as the 'Morrari'. It started out as a works Ferrari 555 Super Squalo F1 car. By the mid-60s, it was an old outdated racing car, so its owner, Garth Souness, shortened the wheelbase, fitted a small block Chevy V8, and drapped a low-light Morris Minor body over the top.
This one was raced in 1967 by Neil Doyle. It started life as a humble British Ford Anglia. Doyle shoehorned a smallblock Chevy V8 into it. He eventually chopped the roof several inches, and fitted a fastback style rear roof section, to make it more aerodynamic. Note the exhausts exiting through the bonnet!
Rod Coppins raced this crazy MkIII Zephyr, with smallblock Chevy power in 1965/66. You can see, the bonnet exiting exhaust systems were popular. There wasn't too much space for exhaust systems once you'd squeezed a V8 into a diminutive British saloon.
Robbie Francevic won the 1967 NZ saloon car Championship in this car, known as the 'Custaxie'. It was a 1956 Ford Customline, with an aerodynamic one-piece nose fitted, and running a 427ci Galaxie engine, hense the name. After the All-comers were banned from racing, the 427 was pulled out, and replaced by a flathead V8, and it was driven on the road for a couple of years!
And finally, one of my favourites. Ron Sylvester developed this '38 Chevy Coupe over several seasons. I have a pic of what I believe to be the same car, driven by Sylvester, in 1952. The attached image is from approx 1966. The Coupe ran a hot small block Chevy, and a multi-carb setup. Sylvester eventually retired the car, and built an Australian Holden Monaro. But he kept the Coupe, and began racing it again in historic racing events, until he died. His son Grant now races the car once or twice a year. Its a sight to behold, and its real fast!
I don't think it is off-topic at all. I love reading about NZ motor racing in the sixties. Do you have any pics of any other 30's stuff ? I'm not sure if they are technically all-comers or not, but I have seen some neat shots of 32-39 Ford coupes being circuit raced over here. I guess they were the generation of cars before the pommy saloons became affordable enough to race ?
cool pics and a cool subject for a book, its wild what was left down here from the old F1 days I guess it was the last race for the year or something similar and lots of teams got rid of the outdated car....... there were all sorts of weird specials created out of those cars. Still cracks me up they talk about a big crowd at Pukekohe for the V8's when they used to get that many to the F1 at Ardmore
Love this stuff! Reminds me of sedan racing as it has been done in Brazil and Argentina. Also reminds me how much I once enjoyed the modified stock car classes in U.S. oval racing, back when the cars were identifiable and interesting. And different from each other. It'd be a hoot to see Doyle's Anglia with the fastback roof.
Click on this link. The second one down is chopped, so could be the same one that Steve posted. http://www.anglia-models.co.uk/saloon-photor43.htm
I remember when I was a kid we had a fish and chip shop on Great South Road in Drury. I had a tree house in a tall tree and from there I could look over and see the motorway. I'd go up there on a Sunday morning and see the race cars on trailers heading for Pukekohe. This was when Red Dawson had a metalflake red Mustang. I had no way to get there at 8-12 years old so I'd just go inside and build some more models.
Hi Steve 38...where in NZ do you live?....i now live in the USA...but come from ChCh....i know where there is a ford Anglia fastback (breadbox)...just rusting away....it was still there when i was last in NZ in mid 2003....its in one of the bays...around from Lyttelton harbour....i think it was Rapaki Bay....anyone in the area...just take a drive around and you will see it...its about 10 meters from the road...sitting against a garage...if i remember rightly...it was painted bright orange Plus...i used to work for Sydenham Park Chev Spares...with Ron and Grant....i was there in the early 90's just when they were moving to the present address...Orbell St...that 38 was one hell of a machine!! John in AZ
Thanks for that. I guess, in their own way, these cars are hot rods. Basic cars, bought cheap (usually), and made to go faster with the use of junkyard sourced parts. I'm still gathering more pics, am trying to find pics of Red Dawsons Willys coupe, Garth Souness' '32 5-window Ford, Rod Coppins' '38 (I think) Chev Coupe, plus others, such as Rod McElrea's '38 Chev Coupe. I think that might be the McElrea car in the background of the Sylvester Coupe pic. McElrea was based in Christchurch, so would have been a regular at Ruapuna. I'd love to see any pics you've gathered. As finding pics for the book is challenging.
I'd like to see the lighter blue Anglia in the flesh. I'm unsure weather this is an original car, or a recently built replica. The dark blue Anglia is that of Paul Fahey. Was powered by a Lotus Twin-Cam engine. Finished second in the '66 Championship, behind Dave Simpson, in a similar car. Still exists today. There were very few of the 'Breadvan' Anglia's built. Other than the Simpson and Fahey cars, Jack Nazer built a radical Lotus Twin-Cam version for the '67 season, with a heavy roof chop. As mentioned earlier, the Doyle car eventually had the Breadvan treatment. Johnny Riley also built an Anglia for the '66 season, fitted with an alloy Oldsmobile V8. But it wasn't a success.
Hey, thanks for that. I live in the Wairarapa in the North island. I'll be heading to Chch pretty soon to do a story on the PDL Mustang II, so will try and get to that Anglia. Any other memories of it that might help shed some light on its history? The Sylvester Coupe is a great car. Grant gives it heaps when he drives it too!
The pics I have seen have been published - mainly in NZ Hot Rod Mag and I'm pretty sure NZ Classic Car has run a few as well. Have you tried contacting Paul Grace at NZHRM. They also have some forums at the NZHRM website - you might find someone there who has some old pics. http://www.nz-hotrod.com
NZ Hot Rod recently ran a multi part feature on Willys in NZ and they had some pix of Dawson's Willys. Roo
Can't remember... Probably found them while looking for British Mod Sports/ Saloon's, and NZ/Australian V8 powered Mk1 Capri's. The Morrari is now restored back to a Grand Prix Ferrari. Too Bad... It was cooler with the Morris body.
..Steve38....i dont know any history of this Anglia in the Bays...all i do know is...it has sat there for at least 25 years...i could email some guys/buddies in ChCh...and ask them to look and see if its still rusting away there...im just trying to remember/think if it had had a nose job too...we often talked about knocking on the door and asking if it was for sale....but never did..lol John in AZ
Yeah, thats for sure! But old F1 Ferraris, even four cylinder ones, are worth more than crazy V8 powered Morris Minors though sadly.
Kev, those are great pics, especially the ones from the Looking Back book. I'll try and track down the photographer, or find out who owns the rights to them. The Chevy Coupe on the cover of the Hot Rod mag is curious. It almost looks like a hot rod mocked up to look like a circuit racer. The date on the mag says 1969, which is two years after the All-comers had been killed off. But thats a tough looking coupe!
Thanks John. Would be great to find out more. I should ask some of my mates down there if they know anything about it. Like I said, there were only about four Breadvan Anglias that raced in the series. One still exists, which leaves only three.
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