Born in Coventry to a family already steeped in that city’s automotive industry, it was perhaps inevitable that Morley Faulkner would also end up working within that same industry. Morley’s grandfather, Bill Smith, worked alongside William Lyons building Swallow side-cars in Blackpool and would also be involved with the cars that would later be regarded [...]
I recently came across a photograph taken at Siverstone in the UK, probably in late 1959 or early 1960. It appears to have been shot just seconds before the start, but look where the ‘officials’ are standing! They are both to the side and the rear of the field. I can spot four Mk2 Jaguars, [...]
However, it was no ordinary timber yard – it was the home of the Tyrrell Racing Organisation, and Max Rutherford was to leave there as joint chief mechanic on the cars driven by Jackie Stewart when he won the first of this three Formula One World Championships and Matra won its first Formula One Constructors’ [...]
The house in the western outskirts of Invercargill is for sale. The sign outside says so. Barry and Shirley Keen are looking for something a little less demanding than the property next door to Barry Leitch and his motor restoration business. There appears to be no life on this mournful day with cold temperatures and [...]
As a result, FIA Group 2 racing was introduced in 1965 for the 1966 season. It enjoyed good competitor participation, and was highlighted by the addition of New Zealand’s first circuit-racing Mustang. Group 2 was run alongside the Allcomers, and was part of a bigger plan by MANZ to introduce wholesale changes for the 1967/1968 [...]
Grant Walker had his ‘sliding doors moment’ in 1977 after working on Fred Opert’s Chevron entries for the New Zealand Peter Stuyvesant series, where Keke Rosberg took the championship and began his trajectory towards Formula 1 and a future world championship. Rosberg, with whom Grant got on very well, wanted the Kiwi to go back [...]
Around 1973 the Capri in question was built by Bryan Taylor. At that time Brian was a member of George Begg’s staff and the car was built for Frank Ryan. Until 2011 the Capri could be seen competing on circuits throughout the South Island in many hands. The last time it raced in anger was [...]
It is often said of any sport or occupation, that there are those that can, and those that can’t, with the latter either writing or talking about it, living out their own fantasies through the exploits of others far more talented. Peering back through the mists of time, I realised early on that I was [...]
Leon’s first experience behind the wheel was in his father’s 1936 Ford V8, back when it was a nearly-new car. He sat between his father’s legs and controlled the steering wheel while his father operated the pedals. They drove like that from the family farm to Governors Bay, about ten kilometres of twisting and hilly [...]
As well as being an historic and classic car enthusiast, I’m also a bit of a film buff. As a consequence, over recent years while viewing old or period movies I often find my attention drifting to the rare and classic cars that often appear in the films rather than to the films themselves. This [...]