The Conoulty Special Austin Comet - also known as "Musso"Bill Conoulty driving his 'Special Austin Comet'.The above photograph shows Bill entering Pit Straight at Bathurst -C1938.Photograph supplied by Peter Maher New South Wales, AustraliaThis highly competitive Special raced in New South Wales during the 1930's and 1940's and was the test bed for for many of the Bill Conoulty developed engines during that period. Written documentation during these early years refers to the Special as 'Conoulty Austin 7', 'Conoulty Special', 'Conoulty Special Austin Comet' and 'Musso'.Thomas William (Bill) Conoulty was born in Sydney, NSW, Australia in 1901 and attended Ultimo Technical College. He married and had three children. One son William (Bill) Conoulty Junior followed in his father’s footsteps choosing engineering as his profession. Bill Conoulty passed away in 1961. Thanks to Bill Conoulty Junior, much of his father’s early motoring history has been preserved.William Conoulty Senior is best known for his involvement with building and racing Austin Sevens, motorcycle racing (Douglas Isle of Man) and NSW motor sport from the late 1920’ to the late 1940’s. He was the first man in NSW to achieve 100 mph on a motorcycle. He was an avid supporter of the controversial Maroubra speedway in the 1920’ and early 1930’s. Bill Conoulty is also known for his design of the 'Comet 65' (Sydney built road going Austin Seven Sports model), the ‘Cushioned Power’ Austin Seven head, an overhead valve conversion and an overhead cam conversion for the Austin Seven. He also designed small Austin Seven power "tractors" for indoor use featuring enclosed exhaust gas collection. The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney commissioned one of these in 1937 to pull linen trolleys around the wards. One of his more interesting projects was the Sydney version of the ‘Globe of Death’, which in its original form, featured a modified Austin Seven and a Douglas motorcycle travelling in opposite directions!

Historic racing cars hit the track in Sydney for 2012 Tasman Revival  Start your engines for Australia's premier historic racing car event: the 2012 Tasman revival in Sydney from 23rd-25th November 2012 at Eastern Creek Raceway  The 2012 Tasman Revival is an unrivaled opportunity for racing car enthusiasts to experience the excitement of 1960s “formula cars ” and 1970s Formula 5000 cars in full flight with over 30 racing events over three days. Spectators can soak up the sights, sounds and tremendous atmosphere of historic motorsport over three days of almost continuous racing, with close trackside access to races, cars and drivers. Presented by the Historic Sports & Racing Car Association of NSW, the 2012 Tasman Revival will bring together ex-Formula 1 and Indy cars including Ferrari, McLaren, Spirit Honda, Brabham, Surtees, Lola and Lotus. A grid of fearsome Formula 5000s will feature at the event when over 12,000 hp rattles the windows and shakes the ground of Eastern Creek. Other categories will be there too – production sports cars such as Austin Healeys and Porsches, touring cars including Mustangs and Falcon GTs and single seaters from Formula Vee through Juniors and Formula Ford to F1. Many of Australia ’s best known drivers will be at the track with opportunities for autographs.Patron of the Tasman Revival FRANK MATICH AM, two-time winner of the Australian Grand Prix and builder of some of Australia ’s most iconic and successful racing cars will be attending on Sunday. Spokesperson for the Mr. Stephen Knox said:  “The Tasman Revival is a not-to-be-missed event for racing car enthusiasts.It ’s a rare chance to see some of the fastest cars from the 1960s and ‘70s compete on track with almost continuous racing over three exciting days. “Spectators get incredible access to the cars and drivers with the Memorabilia Marquee displaying many significant and spectacular cars. Full access is available to garages and marquees throughout the paddock areas and no special passes are needed. “Historic racing is the biggest and fastest growing branch of motorsport in Australia and throughout the Western world. We are expecting about 450 entries including more than 50 international competitors. “It ’s a great day for the entire family and something you will never forget. TICKETS from $20 available from Ticketmaster.com.au or phone 136 100 For details visit www.tasmanrevival.comJoin us on facebook: www.facebook.com.hsrca  And follow us on twitter @hsrcaFor details visit www.tasmanrevival.comJoin us on facebook: www.facebook.com.hsrca  And follow us on twitter @hsrcaMEDIA CONTACT: Mr. Peter Addison – 0412 403 582

            Cool hill - hot times - Rob Roy 22nd April 2012

	Nigel Gray - just after turn 1

 There used to be a guy who sang on the wireless about how terrific April showers were because they made the flowers bloom in the Spring. Some classic car drivers in Victoria didn't have the same seasonal instinct, and didn't seem to be all that chirpy about the prospect of rain on the VHRR Hillclimb scheduled for April 22. Ron Simmons resorted to the web; coaxing members to send in entries. “If your Mum turns up with her shopping trolley she will probably get a run,” he wrote.  “Scrutineering commences at 8am on Sunday morning, and we will be accepting entries onthe day." Apparently that did the trick. There was a turnaround, and it looked as though it was going to be a good day after all.

A selection of Richard Abey's  photographs of the Myrniong Sprint - Sunday April 15 2012                                     Jim Russell in this Ford V8 Spl holds the course record of 28 seconds. 

John Marriott Athey A7	Patrick Ryan Vauxhall	Allan Tyrell Austin 7 Ulster S/c	Bill Cooper MGA special
Phil Safford MG Wolseley	Bob Lewis -MG TC	Connor Ryan MG TC Spl	Dick O'Keefe  Photon
Nigel Gray Singer Le Mans Spl	Trevor Arklay - Lotus VI	Frank Hook - Austin Healey	Aaron de Fina - Honda S600
? Bob Lewis - MG TC	Gary Ball - Record holder - 30s	Roger Allgood - Bolwell Mazda	Ken Seelenmeyer - Cobra Daytona

 

	? Lucas Morling - Tyrrell A7

**See comment from Richard McWhannell below	Patrick Ryan - Vauxhall 30/98	Martin Stubbs - Austin 7 Sports	Phillip Gray - Ford V8 Spl
*Bob Booth Special	Bill Cooper's Nedenko - MGA Special.	Ted Geermans - Lagonda Rapier	***Graeme Steinfort et al Austin 7

*Vale Bob Booth http://www.motormarques.com/drivers-and-cars/202-booth-bob-bob-booth-specialStephen Harrison has written to inform me that "Bob unfortunately passed away last week but before he did the car was run at Eddington (a few problems) and Myrniong. Bob did get to Eddington but was too ill to go to Myrniong, however he did see the video captured on the day and get to see and hear the car running fast and sweetly." ** Richard McWhannell wrote from Auckland:"I have seen that car from other angles. I think it may be an Abernathy Brooklands replica? Have a look at this ... Bill Conoulty who I mentioned to you: http://www.austinsevenfriends.com/Bruce/The%20Conoulty%20Special%20Austin%20Comet.htmand http://bruce-white.austinharris.co.uk/Musso%20(or%20Conoulty%20Comet%20Special)%20Bathurst%20and%20Penrith%20Races%201938.htm "***   From Tony Press:      The car is a replica Austin 7 Australian GP car, with many original parts, based on Captain Arthur Waites wining car. 

Roycroft Trophy Race Meeting Hampton Downs Motorsport Park - 14/15 April 2012 This story would not have been produced without the aid, information, guidance, and genial support of Richard McWhannell The Waitemata Branch of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand, in association with the New Zealand  Classic Motorcycle Racing Register and The Historic Racing and Sports Car Club (Inc) presented the Roycroft Trophy Meeting,  April 2012.

	Star of the meeting : the thundering Alfa Monza leaving the opposition coughing in its wake.

Hampton Downs is 60 km drive south of Auckland on State Highway No 1, on the North Island. The purpose-built track is only a few years old, and all the facilities and service areas are pristine.The complex is set in 450 acres of rolling hillside.  Many of the photos shown in this artiicle reflect the beauty of the location.The circuit is a bit under 4 km long. The main straight is 1000 metres long, with a kink in the middle with 11 metre rise and fall. The back straight is flat with a length of 800 metres. Circuit direction is clockwise.

Allard Spl  - much as Sydney's original trials car	unlisted 'sharknose'	Marcos	Rob McNair's 1931 Riley Spl
John Hancock's 1933 K1 MG	The 1938  Lagonda's engine	Grant Cowie and admirers	Danny Ryan's 1919 Lancia Kappa
Richard McWhannell #27	Anne Thompson 1906 Darracq GP	Midget  dirt track racer - display	Norton - girder forks

Fom its conception, the design took into consideration both FIA specifications and the views of drivers and teams. Corners and straights were to provide safety, good racing, and spectator enjoyment. The writer of this article enjoyed it. Trackside, overlooking the main straight, is a set of modern apartments built during 2004. Many of these are offered to rent. They accommodate up to six people, who can choose to sit out on the balcony with an uninterrupted view of the circuit and immediate access to the fridge. By Sunday afternon quite a few folks were out on the balconies, looking down over the whole circuit, and  enjoying themselves extremely well.One of these days, so the brochures tell, the complex will include a swimming pool, tennis court, fitness club and restaurant. Ah, the Pacific.

	Peter Sundberg (Alfa Romeo, left) and Ann Thompson (1906 Darracq)

The Motormarques team arrived in Richard McWhannell's Suzuki towing his Austin 7 Dieppe Sports car on a hired trailer. We came to a wide 'official' concrete area that was lined with competition cars. A scene of bustling activity. Crews were preparing for the day.A pretty girl dressed in a high-fashion prewar outfit was dashing about on a bicycle delivering official messages from Central Command. An awestruck teenager was helping his father tune the polished engine of his vintage racing car.  Grant Cowie was the centre of an admiring throng. Ann Thompson was lifting children on and off her 1906 Grand Prix Darracq. A jolly chap sitting in a single cylinder car built before the turn of last century was explaining to the press and other onlookers the intricacies of starting and running his five MPH machine.  A 12 seater Renault Charabanc spent the day ferrying sightseers around the pits.And a very swinging Jazz band played Duke Ellington classics fom the 1930s.

Tony Bushell, MG A (left)  1958 Buckler RichardDurber	Ian Garmey  1960 Cooper FJ	? Formula Junior	Richard McWhannell - 1929 AustinAustin 7 Dieppe Sports
? Formula Junior	? Formula Junior	Lancia Leviathon - 1919 Kappa Sport	Ian Williams 1938 Austin 7 Spl
Oliver Midgeley 1929 Ford Model A	Gerald Watson 1932 Riley 9	Lagonda (left) and  MG	? Formula Junior

The history of motorsport in New Zealand begins on the south island. Canterbury, was in the lead in organised motorsport as public entertainment in the late 19th century.The organisers (Pioneer Amateur Athletic Club - formed in the 19th Century) held their Annual Gaslight Gala Meeting at Lancaster Park in Christchurch on 13 November, 1901 with accompanying fireworks display and band music. And on this occasion they staged a race for motor vehicles, the first such contest in Australasia. The handicapping was a little awry: the committee being understandably unaware of speed potential of the competing vehicles. The diversified field consisted of four vehicles - a Benz motor car from 200 yards, a motor bicycle 150 yards, a motor quad from 120 yards and a motor tricycle from scratch. "The 5000 or so spectators were treated to a good race which was a triumph for R.H. Every, the man who was riding the motor bicycle, and who started from 150 yards back. He won by 1/4 mile in eleven minutes, 18.2 seconds. There was a tussle for second place, Lowry's quad running 20 yards ahead of Shaw's tricycle." The Benz finished well back.Whilst on the subject of the early history of Austin 7s - Malcolm Campbell took an Austin 7 to Daytona intending to put the speed record up to 100 mph, but succeeded only in reaching 94.3 mph  

	1938 V12 Lagonda

 

The idea for this fascinating story was originated by Richard Abey, who recently attended a display in Melbourne, Australia, of classic French cars.   At about the same time that Richard's  photos arrived, Carlos wrote to Motormarques from Italy, with photos of his very pretty Citroen C3.He wrote that he liked the Motormarques website, and that he owns the C3 shown in one of the photos below. It has a new engine, and frame. He invited interested viewers to contact him by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or  +39 346 3773614. At about the same time long-time friend, Jean-Pierre Bush sent some photos of Citroen cars he had seen recently at displays. Jean-Pierre'sweb page is a site for sore eyes. http://bushjp.free.fr/index.htmSo - it's what Motormarques sets out to be - something off the beaten track, where people who admire and respect the old and classic style ofmotoring and motor racing can find enough articles and photos to fill an encyclopaedia.

	Photo from Jean-Pierrre Bush. Note the old-style of French number plate - the last 2 figures - 75 - indicating that it was registered in Paris

Marie-Jeanne & Jean-Pierre Bush	Richard's photo of Simca	Carlos' Citroen C3 in Italy	Salmson in Melbourne
Peugeot shown in Melbourne	Peugeot 201 in France	Delage	Citroen ?C3 in Melbourne

         Richard Abey's Photographic Record of Fabulous Eddington text text

    Excitement that recalls the style and class of older times.

	Maserati smoking its wheels as it sets out on the quarter mile sprint

Eddington is 142 km out of Melbourne  - 40 km from Bendigo. It's not very easily found. That needs to be understood. The neighbouring places are Baringhup West, Laanecoorie. Neereman and Waanyarra.  Many road maps and sat nav systems don't even tell you how to get there. But the true believers manage  to come from all over the country. Amongst others, author John Medley from NSW - as you will see in a forthcoming Part 2 of this article, featuring Richard Abey's classic photos.Despite the remoteness, there are full amenities, of course, and there's always plenty of room to walk about, admiring the competition and other cars. And you see people you've known about over many years, who are not necessarily rich and famous - just people who compete in classic machinery, without sponsors or extravagant teams of engineers.  Whilst the meeting is conducted under strict CAMS rules, there is a freedom from many of the constraints and interferences that are imposed on many modern big meetings. Country Fire Authority motor vehicles outnumber the official cars you see around higly publicised events. You can look the cars over, talk to the drivers. There are no huge concrete blocks or walls of safety netting obscuring your views of the quarter-mile sprint. (see what I mean? Miles - in the older style of things) And there's no endless chatter over the PA system either that you get at big-crowd circuits round the place. Nor are there rows of stands flogging model cars,'memorabilia', or old magazines.  The cars were magnificent. The drivers were brilliant. And that's what everyone had come to see.   

Jim Russell	The Kieft	Maserati Replica	Betty Lowe's Alta
Chatting to owner-drivers	Standard Special	Austin 7	Self-governed informality

 

	Graeme and Betty Lowe

 

Mackdonburg Special	Clear view of the track	Keith Roberts Riley Special	Robert Sales'  Fiat Ballila

 

                               Main Photographer - Lucas Hunter                                                     The begining

Singer Car Club	Alfa Romeo 1750	4 Cyl engine	Red Flag incident
Riley (left) and MG TC	Spanish/French - Hispano Suiza	Austin Healey	Lamborghini

text

Bugatti	8 Cyl Engine - Type 35 (?)	TV star and admirers	The Bird

                                                      And the End 

The place to be in Australia this autumn - during the weekend  9th - 11th March 2012 - was Phillip Island, Victoria.Over 500 fabulous cars were entered in 47 events, and hundreds of the most desirable cars from all over the world were there for the 2012 Festival of Motor Sport.  The Island is 140km from Melbourne, and the drive is supposed to take an hour and 30 minutes. Along the Highway I spotted an AC Cobra, a Morgan 3 wheeler, all kinds and ages of Alfa Romeo, two or three Testa Rossa, Porsche, Maserati, MG Magnette, TC-TF, TR2, Aston Martin, General Motors and Fords, a pair of XK 120, and a couple of Bugatti. It was going to be a Festival all right.Here is a glimpse of some of the competitors in the Classic tradition. 

Victoria Le Gallais - BrabhamBT15 Formula 3	Wayne Sayers - 1960 Elfin (blue)P. McKnight - Aarons Lotus (green)	Tony Osborne - 1958 Simca Spl	Thomas Benson - 1952 BMH Spl'Comic Book'  2200 cc
Monoskate - Graeme Raper	Mac Healey - Graeme Marks	Cooper Climax T 45 - ScottyTaylor	TS Special - Charlie Mitchell

more text followed by 2nd of 3 sets of frames

Dick O'Keefe - Photon (Lotus 11)	John Anderson - 1962 Cooper Butler 1496 cc	Nigel Gray - Singer Special Sports	Alfa Romeo 6C -Trevor Montgomery
Des Donnan's FN Boulogne	John Rundell - 1953 Maybach 2	Ferrari Tipo 500	Bruce Jones - Ford Zephyr Spl

 

	Michael Stupka - Citroen 11D

 

Bob Pinkerton - 1955 Peugeot Spl	Bill Prowse - 1968 Alfa Ricciardi Spyder	Kent Patrick - Bugatti 37A GP	Geoff Burton - Brabham BT 29

  Click here for more photos in Part 2