'Down-under' in Australia and New Zealand, the Sidchrome Mustang is one of the most legendary of Australasian racing sedans. It was built in 1972/73 in New Zealand, by Jim Richards and his good mate, Murray Bunn, a couple of young petrolheads in their mid-20s, to tackle the big guns in the NZ Saloon Car Championship. In its first season of racing, it won the NZ championship.
It was to become the car that helped launch the career of Richards as a driver, when, in early 1975, he took it to Australia to race, where he beat many of the established stars, in Sports Sedan competition, which at the time, was riding the crest of a wave. With the Sidchrome Mustang, Richards quickly became a house-hold name in Australia, and his racing career snowballed. It was never the most technical or powerful car, but in Jim's hands, it was often a winner, and drew a huge following among race fans.
Richards raced the Mustang until late in 1977, by which time the Sidchrome sponsorship arrangement had come to an end, and Jim's new weapon, an XC Falcon hardtop Sports Sedan, was ready to pick up where the old Mustang had left off. The Mustang was sent back to New Zealand, where it was eventually purchased by a young George Sheweiry, who continued racing it through to the early 1980s.
Eventually, George retired the Mustang, but he didn't sell it. Rather, it was simply pushed to one side, as his impressive collection of competition muscle cars grew, and it sat patiently, waiting for the day he turned his attention to it once more, to restore it to its former glory. A little over two years ago, George began a huge restoration of the car, and put it on public display for the first time at the 2013 New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing.
George has documented the restoration of the Mustang, and all the work involved, and has been sharing his story here on The Roaring Season.
The restoration of this famous Mustang can be viewed here > >
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