Monterey Historic Automobile Races - 1982.

In 1982, a group of Kiwi's went to the USA, initially for an Austin-Healey International Rally, 30th anniversary of the first Austin - Healey, in late July ;
a group went on to Laguna Seca in August to go to this meeting ;

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Ken h, program and photo's to follow ;

The thread has morphed a bit, with later events and images of Monterey and some side stories of our travels in 1982. Keeping it very USA though ! West Coast, and mainly California. [ 10 Sept 2025 ]

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Car # 170 Ol' Yella II 1959 Buick powered Special, built by Max Bulchowski - Driver / Entrant here George Lehman / David Gibb.
David also entered a 1960 Austin Healey Sprite for Molly Gibb to drive #174 - now do I have a photo, must check.

Ol' Yella II has been to Hampton Downs in recent years.

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Program and Ticket : wow, US $20.00 for three days, arrived in Monterey Friday afternoon, straight to the track to watch some practice then the next two days there, all day, a lot of time spent at the Corkscrew .

Roger,
This will make you feel better and this is for just ONE day General Admission !
Hey, but the parking was FREE !

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Ken Hyndman

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Originally Posted by khyndart in CA

Roger,
This will make you feel better and this is for just ONE day General Admission !
Hey, but the parking was FREE !

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Ken Hyndman

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And we got a Pass and the holder too !! I believe, long time ago. Yes, Ken I do feel better, but wish I have gone there again in the last 33 years. Still have to get to Bathurst as well, on my bucket list and more easily done from QLD.

Brings back great memories of a fantastic event with cars I never thought I would ever see.
I went again in 1986 when the featured car was Mercedes and I have quite a few photos from then too.
The events seemed very low key with open pits to spectators and the cars owners were very enthusiastic and friendly

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Great photos Ross,
Especially the Daytona at the water's edge.



(Ken Hyndman..I am trying to put together inputs on some events over here so any photos would be appreciated )

Looks like it might be Bob Slade checking tyre pressure ( T70 coupe ? ) in pic 2 of post #6.

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Originally Posted by khyndart in CA

Great photos Ross,
Especially the Daytona at the water's edge.



(Ken Hyndman..I am trying to put together inputs on some events over here so any photos would be appreciated )

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Didn't mention here that BMC BOY was one of that group -
" In 1982, a group of Kiwi's went to the USA, initially for an Austin-Healey International Rally, 30th anniversary of the first Austin - Healey, in late July ;
a group went on to Laguna Seca in August to go to this meeting ; "

Ross, great photo's mate and agree " Brings back great memories of a fantastic event with cars I never thought I would ever see.".
I was amazed to see Gullwings and my favourite was The little " Alfa Romeo TZ's " not one but several.
a great event as part of a great trip we did in that year in that VW Kombi.

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Originally Posted by Roger Dowding

Ross, great photo's mate and agree " Brings back great memories of a fantastic event with cars I never thought I would ever see.".
I was amazed to see Gullwings and my favourite was The little " Alfa Romeo TZ's " not one but several.
a great event as part of a great trip we did in that year in that VW Kombi.

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The VW Kombi - complete with Kiwi Sticker.

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The Kombi came from Oxnard Ventura, and after Laguna Seca, went to Mexico and Vancouver BC, Canada - where I left it with BMC BOY and the two other Healey people, [ we chipped in 25% of the cost ] they then went South and East eventually finishing in Baltimore
[ BMC BOY can correct me on this ].

In the pits at Laguna Seca ;
Ol' Yella II the Buick engine
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1949 HWM Chev ;
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The engine HWM-Chev ;
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1955 Hagemann-Jaguar Special.
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Photo of the track in 1982 ; the famous " Corkscrew " is at top left. Frank Gardner likened it to " the Dipper " at Bathurst, as it drops away and you have to turn where you think it is not when you can see it.

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Ken Hyndman made me do it - is on his post too !!

The cover of the 1986 programme I went to in 1986 and also the cover of the programme that Frank Karl gave me after he went in 1990.

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Some Vintage Cars that were there ; The Auto Union 16 cylinder GP car did Demonstration laps only on both Saturday 21, and Sunday 22 August there are two cars here not mentioned in the program - can anyone ID them, one look American Indy style racer the other English Sports car.
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The 'English' sports car, is I think.... the 1928 Stutz DV Black Hawk. It came 2nd in the 1928 LeMans race which was won by Barnato and Rubin in a 4 1/2 litre Bentley. The Stutz was a straight eight of nearly 5 litres and American of course. The drivers were Brisson and Bloch. The car was 'lost' for many years after the race and resurfaced 40 years later.......oddly no one seemed to know what it was or its illustrious history....amazing. Value? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. :) [All of the above open to scrutiny]

The other two are I would say, were board-track racers..... the blue one definately on a Model T Ford chassis. The white one says its a Deusenberg......it has a twin plug head by the looks......interesting machines........and VERY dangerous.

Old Yella was there again this year.

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Originally Posted by AMCO72

The other two are I would say, were board-track racers..... the blue one definately on a Model T Ford chassis. The white one says its a Deusenberg......it has a twin plug head by the looks......interesting machines........and VERY dangerous.

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AMC072, thanks, for the information - some of the cars were on display and even in the carparks, so nothing in the program and memory 33 years ago, half my lifetime is fading, thank the fact I have the photos and the program.. was an amazing time for a guy who had only ever been to Pukekohe, Baypark, 66 to 84 and Manfield / Ohakea,for the 81 reunion, plus Kerepehi for a grass track meeting in 1967, about 3 weeks after I bought my first car a 1960 Austin Seven [ Mini ]
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Further to the above photos..... the tag on the number 3 car says Deusenberg. I doubt very much whether it is, not the engine anyway, as I think I am right in saying all Deusenberg engines were straight 8's........right from the very first one. Lots of those board-racers were Ford powered, and that machine looks to have an after market OHV head, Rajo etc on a 4 cylinder block. Interesting chassis though.

The give-away that the big black tourer ISNT English is the wheel knock-off hubs. The Germans, Spanish, French and American had these large spinners whereas the English and Italians went for the finer version, mostly 2 eared, sometimes 3. The Spanish Pegaso car had large 2 eared spinners which always looked to me to be out of proportion, but on the German Mercedes Benz cars they looked ok. Even on a Vintage Bentley, itself a large car, the spinners were much finer. I think I have seen pictures of the Stutz classic racing in modern times, but it is on smaller wheels.......probably sensible, as I imagine racing tyres for the large 21inch would be hard to come by.

I wonder if the Austin 7 Mini still exists ??