85 replies to this topic

[mingy]

I was on holiday with my then-wife in Wales in 1969 and we were in Carmarthen. We found an hotel called the Golden Lion and booked a room. In the bar that evening the subject of why we were in Wales came up and I mentioned that I was doing a bit of recceing of the local roads before the Cilwendeg rally which I was doing with Jock Russell in the 911. The landlady said that a local rally driver came into the hotel most evenings and, yes, it was good old Alun!. Alun was phoned and we had a great evening and he suggested that we stay a few days with him at his bungalow which was quite local. So we did that and the next evening all 3 of us went to a local pub out in the country. Both Alun and I had a 'bit to drink, so my wife agreed to drive us back to Aluns. We were in my car which was then a SAAB 96V4. Alun sat in the front and said that he would 'read the road' to her the way I read it from the maps. There was a long straight narrow lane with high banks with the road going to the right at the end. Alun said it was 'Flat out to Flat Right'. Luckily my wife lifted off and dabbed the brakes, but we still only just, and I really do mean only just, got around. It was absolutely on the limit.
She said "Did you say 'flat out' around that corner, Alun?" "Oh", he said, "I should have said 'nearly flat out', sorry!"
Alun is a wonderful character, although I've lost touch with him now. He did the famous 1970 World Cup Rally in a Hillman Hunter and finished the event in quite a good position.

Wonderful stuff, come on coops put the spanners down, strap yourself in front of a table and write down your rallying memoirs, i am sure it would go down a storm, not only with us mini fans but rallyists in general. pleeeeeeeeeease.

[86mayfair]

I'll have to get some of my Dad's old pictures on the computer and get a few more stories out of him - He was a contempory of yours, Cooperman!

[Cooperman]

I'll have to get some of my Dad's old pictures on the computer and get a few more stories out of him - He was a contempory of yours, Cooperman!

That would be great!

Here is a pic of Kevin and me with our Datsun 240Z at the start of the 1973 Swansea M.C. 'Rally of the Vales', a Motoring News Championship event, which we won. I'm standing on the left and Kevin is in the car with one of our service crew.
That 240Z was a full 'works' car with about 250 bhp on triple 48DCOE Webers. It was LHD and absolutely fantastic to drive, although a bit of a handful in the narrow and slippy Welsh lanes. It was our first event in that particular car as we had destroyed the previous one a few weeks before after we had been given some Trelleborg tyres to use - they 'melted' and we went hed-on into a bank still doing about 60 mph. The technical expression for the damage was 'It's f****d!'

Edited by Cooperman, 29 December 2012 - 10:29 PM.

[steven]

love these pictures and all the storys keep them coming

[86mayfair]

My dad is Malcolm Voss, very good friends with Robert Young (my godfather) and used to do all of those rallies in cars like Imps, Minis and an Avenger Tiger in Sundance Yellow and black.

One year on the Cilwendeg when it was a Motoring News National Rally they had taken their friend John's (Ingram maybe? I know he had an Alpine Renault if that's any help) entry because he was forced to pull out and they were starting quite high up, around 40th in Dad's Avenger with Robert navigating. It was really foggy but they were driving really quite well. They had caught a couple of cars in the fog but hadn't noticed that they hadn't been caught by anyone so they were even further up by then. Anyway the back roads in Wales weren't always as mapped back then and Robert called a 45 right 45 left, which turned out to be a 90 right 90 left so they went up a bank and through a dry stone wall at a fair lick and had to be towed back to London due to a buggered front end. They had caught a couple of cars in the fog by then but hadn't noticed that they hadn't been caught by anyone. They were kicking themselves when they realised just how high up they were!

[Cooperman]

I seem to remember your Dad's name and I know Robert well. Ask him if he remembers me.
The Cilwendeg was an amazing rally. I've finished 2nd twice as a navigator but never actually won it. Once was in a Porsche 911 and once in a Datsun 240Z.
I'll scan & post some more photos soon if anyone is interested.

[blacktulip]

these stories are amazing. cant we all go camping and listen around a camp fire? lol

[Cooperman]

these stories are amazing. cant we all go camping and listen around a camp fire? lol

Camping, I mean camping! I thought camping was when you were staying in an hotel which didn't have 24-hour full room service .

[Pending]

This thread is awesome!
don't suppose anyone has any photos of this do they...





mainly competed in stage rallys at manby show ground & oulton park between 85 - 90/91. driver was phil brennand co/d was andy johnstone. was taken off the road in 91 for a full nut & bolt rebuild, the rebuild was completed in 3 months but was never to be ran again (until i took ownership last year)

[whistler]

I remember 776VDE and Alun Rees around the time of the 68 Tour of Epynt. I'm surprised he even needed a Navigator for Epynt as it was his back yard circuit. Seem to remember him on either The Welsh or RAC at that time when he took fastest time for Epynt and beat all the works drivers. As you say he rarely finished an event but he was well worth watching on daylight events. The man had no fear.

[Cooperman]

It was the '68 Tour of Epynt that I did with him. You are right, he didn't need a navigator, just someone to tell which test was next, to run the timing and keep the paperwork in order  .

I learned that he passed away not long ago and that is the loss of a great character and genuinely nice bloke. R.I.P. Alun.

 

I met up with one of my old rallying friends recently, Kevin Videan with whom I rallied in the 240Z.

He had seen a 1964 Morris Mini Traveller for sale not far from me. The guy wanted a lot of money for it and Kev asked me to go and see if I could buy it for him. I did. It needed a lot of work, but the asking price was £7500. I really checked everywhere, made a list of the restoration work needed and got it for £5900.

It was taken back to Wales by Kev who has totally restored it and it is superb. I now reckon it is worth about £16000 as it looks totally original, has absolutely no corrosion and is superb inside & out. So much is original, including the engine. The car has done a genuine 60000 miles with full history.

[AlexMozza]

I love old stories like these :)

My boss's dad, Cyril Linstone, often tells me many stories from racing and rallying back in the 50s/60s! 

[Spider]

 

 

 

 

Those cars are so high, by the time they come back down to the Earth, their clothes would be out of fashion!

 

 

 

Many thanks to Cooperman and others for the photos in this thread, thoroughly enjoyed all that (no doubt more to come).

[Cooperman]

Historic Motor-sport has its upsides.

Here is a good photo taken on the "Sunbeam Tiger Monte Tour" last September.

This was at a lunch stop at a small French town with our Sunbeam Tigers in the background. I'm with Rosemary Smith (on L), one of only 4 ladies to ever win an International Rally, and Jimmy McRae's (Colin's Dad) current co-driver Pauline. My driver and best friend, Bill Rogers, was taking the photo. Bill is the guy with whom I started rallying in 1959, but he emigrated to the USA in 1967. His is the blue Tiger and it has California number plates. He & I rallied an 850 Mini with good success from 1961 until the end of 1963 and he currently has a 1071 'S' in California (it's for sale at c.£32,000) in full historic rally trim and I built it.

[Mini Manannán]

Keep up the flow of pics Coops, these are brilliant!