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Kings Domain, Melbourne.
Please click the following link - referenc.
Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh-cR6QtFtI
The midget dirt track racer # 56, shown above and in our accompanying video, dates back to 1956 when it was campaigned by Des Nash, Stud and Arthur Beasley. It is thought to be the only such car with a Glider quick-change differential, with removable spur gears machined and fitted by the Beasleys.
Body panels, nose and tail were fabricated at the Collingwood Technical School.
The car went to South Australia, then to Darwin, then came back to Melbourne again. It was bought as a wreck in 1979 by Ken Izzard (Izzard senior). About all it had in usable condition was the original steel tail and alloy bonnet, the Aerial Red Hunter 500 cc engine of the 1950s with its original Amal carburettor, and the transmission and differential setup.
Max Miller, the current owner, is shown at the beginning of our video standing betwen Mr Izzard and his son, Geoff.
Mr Izzard senior explained that: "We've demonstrated the car several times. I was the one who originally restored it. I have driven it several times myself. It last competed as a race car in the late 1980s. The Aerial engine revs at 5000 rpm. As you drive it you use your body to throw it around the corners."
Next in the movie is an old blue T Model # car No 17 on the back of a truck. It looks as if it may be in the process of restoration for competition.
The pale green car is an FN, made in Belgium. The Fabrique National d'Armes was begun in 1899 and was wound up before the Second World War. This particular car was fitted with an 'Edwardian' body in Melbourne by Tarrant brothers. It was reputed to be very fast for its time.
Then comes a lineup of magnificent Singer cars,a display of Hubmobiles, a Triumph Mayflower rejigged as a utility, and a Renault 4cv (salut, les amateurs)
The A model Ford - Club Registration 4757 - with an ill fitting hood - is next, then a 1937 Standard tourer (GRH 120), and a Minerva with its distinctive "Goddess" radiator cap. An immaculate and very pretty 1949 MG TC follows, then a wonderful Ford-made radiator cap. A Citroen light 15 is next - last seen at Mornington about a week ago. Then two magnificent Austin 7s are shown.
Magnificent may be too strong a word for the V8 Volkswagen that appears next, but it attracted plenty of interest.
The yellow and black MG YMG 049 is an MG sedan 2 of 1949. (02972H). The white Volvo P 1800 has a number plate ST 1. This is the sports car driven by Roger Moore in the television series "The Saint."
David Robertson is the owner of his late father's Sénéchal - a French company that existed between 1921 and 1929. The constructor, Robert Sénéchal, was an aviator and racing driver who fitted his cars with a variety of French proprietary engines ranging from 900 cc to 1100 cc. As can be seen in the Robertson car, the engine is a Chapuis-Dornier. As David explains, driving and maintaining such a rare car as this requires a lot of learning.
"The car hadn't been driven for a year," he said. "Dad had shown me a few things but I had forgotten quite a bit, so I had to make do as best I could. There was some mechanical and bodywork to be done. The car was well-known as it had participated in old-car rallies such as Rob Roy (racing number 49), and at Kalorama. My father was a well known racing driver who had competed at Bathurst during the early 70s."
Before ending the video with a musical climax, I stopped to look at the difference between dashboard instrumentation on an English and an American sports car.
That's all, folks.
Bill
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Melbourne Desk 