Historic air-cooled racing cars in Australia and beyond ......liest and most innovative air-cooled...

His to r i c a i r - coo led r ac i ng ca r s i n Aus t r a l i a and beyond

1Loose Fillings #35 WINTER/SPRING 2010

L O O SL O O S EEF I L L I N G SF I L L I N G S

G O O D V I B R A T I O N SThe Bruce Campbell story in this issuereminds us that the history of 500cc carsgoes back to the 1950s and earlier, withdrivers and constructors all around theworld. Sixty years later, motorcycle-enginedcars are still distinctive, still deliver greatperformance for the money, and still havetheir loyal band of believers. The bigdifference to-day is how few of them thereare: our cars are the fortunate survivors.Good reason to celebrate them - andpreserve them.

Ballarat-born Bruce Campbell, men-tioned in the last Loose Fillings asprobably the most active Australian

500 driver of 1950 – despite doing all his500cc racing in Europe – turns out to havebeen much more than a one-season racer.He was a most remarkable characterindeed.

Thanks to UK 500cc historian NigelChallis, Loose Fillings was directed to areference to Campbell on the 500 OwnersAssociation web site www.500race.org.

Nigel also put us in touch with one ofBruce Campbell’s sons, Bruce jnr, whoprovided a lot of additional informationand some excellent photographs. Wheelsmagazine ran a story about him in its June1955 issue, and People magazine ran astory in August 1957.

Campbell snr’s mother was American;he was born in Ballarat in 1911, but grewup and was educated in Seattle in the USafter the family moved there in 1917. Atschool he was a useful swimmer, but he

caught the racing bug and had his firstraces, aged 17, on dirt in a Fronty Ford.The magazine stories say that by the early1930s he was racing up and down the WestCoast, and went on to race midgets andstock cars in many parts of the US, and rantwice at Indianapolis under assumednames. In 1934 he also became the star of

H O L L Y W O O D t o H O C K E N H E I M

Bruce Campbell (white overalls with Australianflag) at the Nurburgring in 1950.Photo courtesy Bruce Campbell jnr.

“Crash Campbell’s Hollywood StuntMen,” which turned his considerable expe-rience in actual movie stunting into a suc-cessful road show which played to hugecrowds.

He joined the US Army in WW2, wonthe Legion d'Honneur and the US BronzeStar for valour as a tank captain in Europe,and after the war stayed on in Germany,with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Heappears to have been a competitor in someof the earliest post-war motorsport events

in Germany, driving a variety of cars.Bruce Campbell jnr. points out that recordsof these events, and of his father’s racingin France, Belgium and Italy, are now veryhard to find.

Fortunately, as noted in the last LooseFillings, details of his 1950 season inGermany are carried on the German website www.formel3guide.com His car isshown simply as an RC Special, but pho-tographs provided by Bruce Campbell jnr,and another photograph in the UK weekly

The Autocar from November 24, 1950,provide more detail. The car’s name wasderived from those of its constructors,Reiderich and Campbell. It had a multi-tube chassis, front suspension was Fiat500, rear suspension VW swing axles,

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Loose Fillings #35 WINTER/SPRING 2010

Top left, plug check with RC Special, 1950. Topright, MH2 at Hockenheim, 1953. Bottom, racestart at the Nurburgring in the early '50s, withtwo German-built Monopoletta-BMWs in theforeground. Photos courtesy Bruce Campbell jnr.

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South Australia produced some of our ear-liest and most innovative air-cooled cars,but Bob Burnett-Read’s BSA-powered cardid not appear until Collingrove hillclimbat Easter 1953, and was relatively conserv-ative in design and construction. Just forthose reasons it might have been expectedto have had a longer career, but its lastreported appearance was only two yearslater. In 2008 Burnett-Read said he hadtried unsuccessfully to trace the car, andthat it may have become the basis for aspeedcar.

Burnett-Read had been an aircraft engi-neer – a job somewhat similar to that of atest pilot - during WW2, and had flown arange of aircraft including Mustangs. Helater raced an 1100cc supercharged six-cylinder MG K3.

The chassis of the Sprog was based on aFiat 500 with a tubular superstructure.Rear suspension was swing-axle with a

transverse leaf spring, front suspensionwas Fiat 500, wheelbase was 84 inches,and weight was quoted as 525lbs. Steeringwas a rack and pinion which the construc-tor built himself, fabricating his own rackcasing, milling his own rack, choosing aproduction pinion, and heating and ham-mering the rack case to establish a suitablemesh.

The wire wheels, he said, were the mostexpensive part of the car. They usedAmilcar knock-off hubs spoked into 15”motorcycle front rims and deep well-baserear rims discovered lying at a wheelworks. Cost also influenced the choice ofthe integral-gearbox 500cc BSA twin,

which was less expensive than a Triumph.A report of the time said the engine rantwin Amals but was otherwise standardother than being carefully balanced; it wassaid to have 30bhp at 5800 rpm.

Its first outing at Collingrove loweredthe existing 500cc record, and the car fur-ther lowered the record at a later meeting.It was reported to be “very stable” and “adream to drive.” However Bill Pattersonthen arrived with his 500cc Mk5 CooperJAP and put the Collingrove record out ofreach. The car set FTD at a closedCollingrove in May 1954, and in April1955 it was reported as being driven byJack Sheppard, a friend of the constructor,but the car is not mentioned in AustralianMotor Sports magazine after this.

trailing arms and torsion bars. The enginewas a BMW flat twin which drove anearly-model VW gearbox.

Campbell returned to Australia in1951,but in 1953 went back to Germany as a pri-vate businessman, and raced an MH2, acar built in Switzerland by ManfredHerbster. The car was intended to allowuse of a 500cc BMW engine for F3, or alarger engine for the 2-litre Formula 2. Inonly his second outing with the car, in a

500cc race at Hockenheim, Campbell wasvery badly burned when the car caughtfire.

After almost a year in hospital he cameback to Australia to stay. Bruce Campbelljnr. told Loose Fillings his father startedthe Victorian branch of the MG Car Club,and was a great enthusiast for hillclimbing,and for the development of motor racing atPhillip Island and Albert Park. In the early1960s he did some stunt driving for Simca,

and in the late 1960s he moved toQueensland. He died in 1980.

Campbell maintained his Europeanmotor racing friendships – after his deaththe family was surprised to receive condo-lence messages from Stirling Moss andPrince Bira. Bruce Campbell jnr. pointedout that his father always raced with anAustralian flag on his overalls. “Despitebeing a naturalised American citizen, hewas always a proud Australian.”

Lost Australian 500s

SPROG TYPE DFifth in an occasional series

Constructor Bob Burnett-Read and the Sprogin the pit area at Collingrove, 1954, photofrom the Kevin Shearer collection

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FRED SCHUBACHOne of the earliest members of the 500ccmovement in NSW, Fred Schubach, died inSydney on May 26, aged 91. As well asbeing an unwavering 500 supporter, hewas an active motorsport journalist andphotographer.

He recalled the NSW Light Car Club inthe 1930s as being “very pukkah; one real-ly should have gone to the right schools” -he himself had gone to Fort Street, a stateschool for outstanding students. Whetheror not this pre-war experience influencedhis outlook, he shared the post-WW2enthusiasm for the “everyman” promise ofthe 500cc movement. While he never con-sidered building or driving a car of hisown, he was a founder member of the 500Car Club of NSW, fellow members includ-ing Bill Conoulty, Bob Joass, DaveStephenson, Ron and Austin Tauranac, and

E.A. “Wilbur” Watson. (Notablenon–members were Bill and Jack Hooper,constructors of the very successful pio-neering NSW 500. “They were rebels,” hesaid later). He was elected as the first sec-retary of the 500 club at its inaugural meet-ing in June 1947, and was elected presidentfor each of the two following years, whichis as far as it has been possible to trace theclub’s early history.

The club lost impetus in the early 1950s,but informal meetings were held in mem-bers’ homes and at Austin Tauranac’sgarage at Circular Quay, and in 1958 theclub briefly revived, still with FredSchubach as president. Other members inthese later years included Bob Britton,Tony Fatouros, Peter Graham, Bob Joass,Ron Shirley, Wilbur Watson and PeterWilliamson.

Motoring journalism was only a part-time activity, never his profession – heeventually held a senior management posi-tion in the plastics industry – but under theby-line F.A.Schubach he wrote forAustralian Motor Sports magazine from1948, then for Motor Manual from 1950,also contributing to the early editions ofMotor Manual’s motor racing annuals.From July 1955 through to May 1966 hewrote a monthly motorsport column forNRMA’s monthly journal, The Open Road.He was a keen amateur photographer, andhis motorsport work provides a usefulrecord of NSW motor sport in the late ‘40sand early ‘50s.

He was also an enthusiastic sailor andskier, and he and his wife Heather wereaccomplished amateur painters. He is sur-vived by Heather, their children Simon andPenny and their families.

BITS AND PIECES● Wakefield Park’s historic race meet-

ing on September 18-19 organised byHistoric Sports & Racing Car Association,will make special provision for air-cooledracing cars. A free marquee will be avail-able, and owners of air-cooled cars canchoose either to simply display them, orparticipate in parades, or (if they and theircars have the necessary CAMS paperwork)race or run in regularity events. Moreinformation from Dick Willis, [email protected], 02 6652 2099.● Reg Hunt’s Vincent special, which wonthe 1953 Australian Hillclimb champi-onship (after losing the 1951 title by a bare.02 secs to Jack Brabham’s speedcar) wasbought at a Sotheby’s auction inMelbourne in April by Paul Zahra, whoalso owns the Tasmanian-built WalkemVincent.

The total price of $52,900 (including noless than 15 per cent buyer’s premium) isimpressive for an Australian special, per-

haps influenced by the Vincent engine. Thecar’s Centric supercharger, also offered bySotheby’s, found a different buyer.

Built in Melbourne, the Hunt specialfirst appeared in late 1949, powered by a500 JAP. It had Morgan-type pillar frontsuspension and swing-axle rear, and onnarrow 19-inch tyres it could look spideryand precarious. Hunt, however, was a tal-ented driver, and was very successful withthe car in 500cc and later Vincent-poweredform.

It was sold briefly to South Australia inthe mid-‘50s, but it has spent almost all itslife with the Hunt family. In recent years ithas been extensively restored, the originalchassis being offered for sale with therestored car.● Also sold recently is the Peugeot-engined Ralt which was restored and racedin historics by Doug Grant and which hasbeen bought by Graham Dell in Sydney.While this is a water-cooled car, it is ofinterest to Loose Fillings because there is astrong possibility that it is based on theRalt Vincent used briefly by Ron Tauranacin 1957 before being bought by Noel Hall,and later raced with quite some success byReg Mulligan.● Streamlined Coopers set many 500ccand 1100cc records in the early 1950s, andJohn Cooper occasionally raced one. Atleast one streamliner later raced with suc-cess in the US fitted with a Porsche engine,but none ever came to Australia. However,according to a report in the CanberraTimes in 1952, Alec Mildren (who at thattime lived in Canberra, and who laterdrove a series of Coopers and won the1960 AGP) planned to import “a stream-lined Cooper” to which he proposed to fitan un-named 3-litre aircraft V8 engine.Nothing came of the idea, but it could havehad huge impact on motor racing,Australian and world-wide.● South Australian Cooper racer DerryGreeneklee has decided to retire, being inhis 80th year, and has handed on his veryeffective Mk9 JAP1100 to Melbourne dri-ver Brian Simpson. Brian had his first runwith it at the Easter Mallala historic meet-ing in regularity, and followed with Wintonat the end of May.

From the mid-1990s, the GreenekleeCooper has been developed to deliver per-formance not seen from a car of this typesince the early 1960s, and race wins at his-toric meetings on medium-speed circuitslike Winton, Mallala and Wakefield Parkhave been suitable rewards for his skilledpreparation and driving of a very demand-ing car. Brian Simpson too is an experi-enced and skilled driver and preparer ofracing cars, so the Cooper will be in goodhands, with Derry, hopefully, still in atten-dance.

THE LOGCharacter and challenge – that explains alot of what air-cooled cars are about.Whenever one of our cars makes a publicappearance, neither the drivers nor theonlookers are likely to forget! Therefore, letthe record show:● March 27, Eddington (Vic) sprints –John Coffin (Robbins BSA)● April 3-4, Mallala (South Australia)historic races: Michael Shearer (Pentland JAP500): Brian Simpson (Derry Greeneklee’sCooper Mk9 JAP 1100)● April 3-4, Broadford (Vic) classicmotorcycles: David Palstra (Newbound BSA)● May 2, Rob Roy (Vic) hillclimb: KenBedggood (Penrite’s Mk5 Cooper JAP 1100),John Coffin (Robbins BSA), David Palstra(Newbound BSA)● May 29-30, Winton (Vic) historic races:Brian Simpson (Greeneklee Cooper Mk9 JAP1100 – “what a weapon!” to quote thedriver)● May 29-30, Mt Coot-tha (Queensland)sprints: John Lennon (Bowman JAP 500)● June 9, Wakefield Park (NSW) GEAR day:Terry Perkins (Scarab Triumph 650)

The Log is a record of public appearances

in Australia and New Zealand of pre-1961

historic air-cooled racing cars which are

close to their original specification in terms

of engine, wheels and bodywork.

ALCOHOL PASSPORTSome time ago I raised with FIA HistoricMotorsport Commission members inEurope and Australia the anomaly wherebymany cars that used alcohol in their periodare prohibited from competing in FIAevents. This was because the FIA historicrules strictly limit the use of alcohol to carsof certain dates and specific FIA formulas,such as F1, F2 and F3.

Under this policy, not only could neitherof my ex Bruce Walton cars compete in theFIA Historic Hillclimb Championship, butneither could any of the later-modelCooper JAP twins which dominated hill-climbing around the world in the 1950s.

I am pleased to hear that Paul Hamilton,Australian delegate to the Commission,has initiated changes to FIA Appendix Kwhich would allow any car that used alco-hol in its period to use it in FIA historicevents. The amendment has been approvedby the Technical Working Group of theCommission and now only requires WorldMotorsport Council ratification.

Well done Paul.Terry Wright

AIR-COOLED BY THE BOOKThe excitement and the frustration of rac-ing a motorcycle-engined car has neverbeen better described than in D. Tweaks’The Maturing of an Historic Racer. What’smore, it’s about racing in Australia, withthe names of many recogniseable historicracing figures (including the author him-self) only thinly disguised, while the caritself is quite specifically identified: a Mk9Cooper, run first with a 500cc JAP, thenwith a transmission-devouring 1100cctwin.

Just as recogniseable are themany challenges of the air-cooled world –from how to explain to a long-sufferingwife that a collection of rusty tubes is infact a bargain-priced racing car, through tohow to push-start the completed devicewith minimal loss of life.

It’s a busy 120 pages – race descriptions,what-broke stories, workshop experiences,even reproductions of some of the pagesfrom the five log-books in which theowner carefully recorded his maintenanceand racing activity. And most unusuallyfor any motorsport book, this one has asense of humour. The secret of survival,some might say, for the owner of any air-cooled car. Price is $15 including postage,copies available from Publisher DerryGreeneklee 08 8261 0888.

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CLASSIFIEDSFor sale: Waye 500, built in 1953, CAMSlog book, JAP 500 dry-sump engine, Nortongearbox, roll bar fitted, new upholstery TTcarburettor, Lucas magneto, eligible to runoverhead cam Norton, ready to run, $15,000ono, Andrew Halliday 02 9888 6175.For sale: BB Ariel, built ‘60-’61, RedHunter engine, Norton box, complete spareengine plus engine and gearbox spares, newbody panels. Chris Tracey, 02 6280 5285.For sale: Cooper Mk5, ex Hawkes,Patterson etc, huge Australian history with500 and 8/80 JAPs including 1954Australian Hillclimb Championship. Freshlyoverhauled 500 JAP. Offers to Peter Harburg,(07) 3839 9699.For sale: Starting motor suit any 500car, K series BMW by NipponDenso completewith reduction gears and sprag clutchmodified with sprocket fitted to drive enginemainshaft. Cost over $750 but have changedplans so will sell for $500. Terry Wright, 029418 2974 or [email protected] sale: motoring and motorsport booksand magazines, mostly US and European,email for 12-page list. Graham [email protected] or 02 4787 8772For sale: Arnott JAP, 1952, one of twospecial long-chassis cars ex Ivor Bueb,modified in England by Pip Preece to coil-over suspension and lengthened by 10” inthe centre of the chassis. Immaculatecondition. Contact Rob Williams, NZ 09 427 8120 or [email protected] sale: motorcycle books, goinginexpensively, list in past Loose Fillings.Peter Molloy, 02 4341 0679 For sale: 12 volt roller starting systemto get your air-cooled car fired up. Newand unused. Starts singles and large twins,comes with jump-leads, starter cable andbutton and ''hockey stick '' jack to raisethe other rear wheel. Garry, 02 9958 3935,or [email protected]: Have bought 1936/7 Skirrowmidget speedcar and need 8/80 JAP twinbits especially duplex Pilgrim pump as inphoto, 27/013 dirt track Amal carb partsand any long 4 stud barrels. Have a lookunder the bench please! Terry Wright, 029418 2974 or [email protected]

We can’t do justice here to this superb photo(below) of Bruce Walton at Templestowe on 2November 1958 with the Cooper’s front wheelsjust airborne. All we have is a photocopykindly sent in by Graham Hoinville whodoesn’t have a proper print. Has anyone gotone - Loose Fillings would love to copy it?

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MORE KEVIN SHEARER PHOTOSStill no final answers for either of lastissue’s photos from the collection of thelate Kevin Shearer. The Mk4 Cooper V-twin is very probably Keith Martin’s car,the first Cooper to race in Australia, loca-tion probably Fishermens Bend in January

1950, driver Arthur Wylie, who may be theman in the white overalls. The four-spokesteering wheel looks to be from a midgetspeedcar

The Mk5 Cooper may have been pho-tographed at Albert Park, but its owner,and the date of the meeting, are unknown.Two more uncertain photos are below

Edited by Graham Howard, 22 Bridges Street, Blackheath, NSW 2785 phone 02 4787 [email protected])Produced by Terry Wright, ([email protected])Published by Garry Simkin, 28 McClelland Street, Willoughby,NSW 2068 phone 02 9958 3935,([email protected])

More Kevin Shearerphotos. Left - tow-starting a two-manCooper, but whose,where and when?Below - car andlocation not too hard,but who and when?Right - Victorian air-cooled stalwart JohnCoffin recently profiledin Auto Action -(reproduced withpermission).

Historic air-cooled racing cars in Australia and beyond ......liest and most innovative air-cooled...

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Transcript of Historic air-cooled racing cars in Australia and beyond ......liest and most innovative air-cooled...