Photos: The Peter Mellor Collection - Part 2

[Ellis]

What better than if Ellis can get Geoff Smedley to share his wisdom on the Matich Lotus. I have a mention of it being the July 1965 Lakeside meeting where it was damaged/wrecked.

Stephen[/QUOTE]

I have received an email from Geoff. I will give bits from it as I didnt ask his permission to post it all......

The coloured pic is the cars first outing as a 19B after the 19 was rebuilt from the practise crash at Warwick Farm in early 64 ...referred to by Dale
The 19B was damaged then written off after Lakeside in 65. It wasnt owned by Total but leased from Laurie O'Neill...Geoff was responsible for it for a little over a year.
It was decided to build a new replacement car and Garrie Cooper was chosen as builder. Geoff took the wreck to Adeaide and worked on the project with Garrie for several months. This new car was known as the Traco Oldsmobile or first of the 400's.
Total pulled out of racing around this time and Geoff left Total/Matich.
The Traco was later sold to Niel Allen.
Matich had Bob Britten begin the Matich SR3 but there was a fallout and Geoff doent know who finnished it off.

The remains of the 19/19B were left at Elfin and all the mechanical bits went to Botany.
Howard and Sons took over the workshop (Total ?) and Geoff went to look after Howards 3 Lotus, Super 7, 23 and 27.

Months later Geoff was asked by Total to go to Botany and sort out the array of stuff left from the Matich era. Engines, gearboxes. wheels/ tyres were all auctioned off.

Matich then did a deal with Repco to build the SR4 but Repco fell apart about the same time and someone from USA financed the SR4

Thanks to Geoff Smedley for that insight...
I guess I will have to take a Bacardi or 3 down to see him

[Cooper997]

Brilliant Ellis.

Geoff must have a squillion tales to tell as a race mechanic. He needs convincing to write his memoirs over a Bacardi or 3, if he already hasn't.

Stephen

[Ellis]

Smed is a wealth of knowledge of this era due to being involved directly with all the top players..
His recall is still very good...better than mine...lol

Earlier this year he showed me a hand written letter (about 4 pages) and said read this and see if you can guess who wrote it without looking at the last page....it was easy as Lotus Cortina's and USA were mentioned in the first para....one Allan Moffat seeking Geoffs services to work on his Lotus Cortina in Australia and included USA trips to do his Lotus Corty's he was running in early Trans Am.
Geoff declined as his main love is Open Wheelers and Sports cars...this letter was dated 1965 from memory. It also mentioned Allan could be sourcing a new Lotus 18? from England which never happenned.

He has done an article on Climax engines...he is probably the longest serving
expert on the Climax's still around.

Smed.....Tassie Motoring Hall of Famer 2013 .....better late than never and well deserved

Ellis

[Cooper997]

Ellis, those sorts of anecdotes would be great to continue to read. Maybe Geoff could be persuaded to have his own thread on The Roaring Season. Adding a tale or two when time and inclination permits.

Stephen

[Steve Holmes]

Ellis, this is really great info! Thanks for posting it.

[Steve Holmes]

Another shot of the Matich Lotus, sans rear bodywork.

[Terry S]

[QUOTE=Steve Holmes;33160]Another shot of the Matich Lotus, sans rear bodywork.

For interest what is the big pipe out the left of the car, and what are the two big pipes at the very bback of the car?

[Ellis]

[QUOTE=Terry S;33173]

Another shot of the Matich Lotus, sans rear bodywork.

For interest what is the big pipe out the left of the car, and what are the two big pipes at the very bback of the car?

I'll ask Smed if you like.

[Rod Grimwood]

Rough guess, something to do with brake cooling.

[Ellis]

[QUOTE=Terry S;33173]

Another shot of the Matich Lotus, sans rear bodywork.

For interest what is the big pipe out the left of the car, and what are the two big pipes at the very bback of the car?

This reply from Geoff Smedley......

That is the 19 before its crash as it has the original gearbox. The mechanic at the time had a mishap while bedding brakes and scrubbing tyres at the ‘Farm’ in Sydney and collected the pit wall at high speed. The ducting was for brake cooling and the 19B was fitted with a Hewland box and larger rear brakes

[Terry S]

Another shot of the Matich Lotus, sans rear bodywork.

That big pipe out the left side would sure have been good for air cooling......

[Steve Holmes]

Here it is again, in its later guise, out on track.

[Steve Holmes]

Although no longer racing when these photos were taken, this car still has to be included here, as its a hugely significant car on the Aussie sports car scene, the Ron Thorpe Cobra.

[Rod Grimwood]

love (not) the tail pipe on the Cobra, obviously a shove on job for road maybe.

[Steve Holmes]

I needed Pete's help with this one, for which his reply is below:

"Steve I remember this car vaguely as being a ( I think ) J.W.F. Italia? It was one of the many specials that abounded around that era being a fibreglass body sold to fit an MG or Singer chassis. It was no doubt styled after the late 50's Ferrari 250 TDF. I will check through some old issues of S.C.W. as I seem to remember an ad for them".

Certainly a very pretty little car.

[mid-year]

[Ellis]

A very neat JWF here in Tas...





This pic by R Langdon Launceston

[mid-year]

Wow! that is a great looking Italia,would have an impressive power/weight ratio I expect with that awesome intake setup.Thanks for posting Ellis.

Regards Pete,

[tweaks]

I wonder if the moulds for the Italia still exist along with a few of the other cars built around that era..Milano ect

Cheers
Lynds

[Cooper997]

The #17 JWF is John Underwood's entry from the 1964 Lakeside Tasman Series meeting from February 23, 1964.

The programme carried by the chap in the second photo helps give the date away. That was Total's advert on the back cover. Also the partially visible Falcon ute near the JWF, should be one of 2 used by Bruce McLaren Motor Racing to tow the Cooper T70s to Qld, etc. that year.

The JWF must have had a MGA engine going by its 1489cc listed capacity.

Stephen