Austin-Healey’s and the Austin Healey Car Club of NZ and Others

[Roger Dowding]

The train ; photo from in the Lincoln


Silverton Main Street - Greene St ?



Those Hills [ Mountains ].



The Healeys heading up into the Mountains - unsure if before or after Silverton, I think we were heading for Durango, for our night stop, then the following day on to Snowmass - at Aspen, Colorado.



There were Tunnels on the Route - well at least one. was in the Lincoln - we " The Kiwi Five ", Brenda, Bryan, Craig, [ BMC BOY ] Ross, and Roger [ me ] took turns to ride or drive various Healeys on the trip.



Must look at the Route Map. below.
As created by the the South Central Coast Club, part of Austin Healey Pacific Centre

[Ray Bell]

I think the tunnel's between Ouray and Silverton...

And the line of Healeys is closer to Ouray as well, I'd think.

Magnificent scenery through the whole of that trip, and the Crystal river...



...must surely be the most aptly named river in the world.

I guess you had a look at the massive line-up of old (Yanks, of course, say 'vintage') cars at Delta?



I met this couple between Ouray and Silverton. They were out camping alongside the road in their caravan...



They live at Ridgway and rent their house out every summer to holidaymakers and go caravanning. Not far from home at this time, often they go further of course.

Talk about enjoying life!

[Roger Dowding]

Great thanks Ray, don't remember the " Old cars " but we did do a few "Junkyards " and Spare Parts / Wrecking Yards on our trip

[Roger Dowding]

VOK490 was built in 1958 as a BN4 100 Six, used in the record breaking attempts at Montlhery in France in 1958, later became a works Rally Car and later again a Modified Racer.
The Circuit " Autodrome de Linas Montlhery " is still there but I believe - now unused.

The car is now in New Zealand, in the hands of Tim Riley [ son of Anne Wisdom/Riley - BMC works Rally Driver and Peter Riley, Racer and BMC works driver].
Peter came to New Zealand in 2015 and saw the car, the story appeared in the issue #60 of NZ Classic Driver
[ May June 2015 issue ] story written by Tony Haycock.

Allan Dick of Autonews, Classic Autonews and Classic Driver fame posted a photo of one of the works cars with Anne Wisdom and Pat Moss - Carlsson and all their trophys.

a montage of photos that relate to the Riley family and VOK490.
Anne Wisdom [ Riley ] and Pat Moss and their trophys around 1960 - with URX727 which was a works Rally car and features later in the thread in August 2023..



VOK490 as the record breaker - still a 100 Six



Jack Sears BMC works racer and Le Mans AH entrant in 1960 signed this


The car even appears on a book cover - driven by a Clergyman .. Rupert Jones.


Another photo of the record breaker - in Monochrome - for the Cambridge University Automobile Club CUAC who were in the record attempt - from their archives - same photo.
The gentleman are the drivers and include Marcus Chambers - names recently revealed in a recent post on Fb.



Found one more on the track and left hand drive !!




More of the VOK490 and Peter Riley story to follow when I get some more scanning done, I am well behind as the damn machine sits in the garage and I don't when on the laptop.

see the views of the AH thread have topped 220,000 long way to go to catch ERC or Nigel though !!

[khyndart in CA]

1961 Gisborne Hill climb photo.
(Roger, I watch too much F1 stuff. Good night.)


(Gisborne Photo News )


Ken H

[Ray Bell]

The monochrome photo of VOK 490 is from a slightly different angle to the colour photo...

And I think this is your tunnel. It's only the second photo I took (out of 21) between Ouray and Silverton, it must be only just after leaving town:

[Roger Dowding]

I understood that they were made only in Right Hand Drive as for racing and it suited most race tracks
Artistic Licence or was one of the works racers / record breakers built LHD ?? There were 5 of them.
according to Bruno Verstraete this about the LHD 100S
" Only one LHD ever produced : SPL227B, the Endurance Car. "
and this comment too :
from Cliff Hudgins " I believe the car here was OON441, which was in fact RHD, as were all all of the cars used at the MM that year. "

I need to do some more reading.

Not photos but a BMC - Austin - Healey advert. Mille Miglia 1955



A painting of a record breaker -presume at Bonneville, a left hand drive 100S - judging by Fuel Filler, cant see the grille !!.
Artistic licence with the LHD as all 100S were RHD
The painting is by Roy Nockolds and this is owned by Bruno Verstraete, a Healey enthusiast and owner.



Ray Bells Tunnel - yes looks like the one near Ouray, thanks

[Ray Bell]

I wonder if that has the head with two carbies each side?

[Roger Dowding]

Posters for the Pittsburgh Vintage Racing Grand Prix and other events July 2019.
Saw these two posters and thought of Spgeti and other Alfaholics [ oops "Alfisti " - correct term - having a beer as I type this -busy day - not ]
anyway here they are and not a Healey in sight.





And ..
there had to be A - Healey
. this is the cover photo on the Austin Healey Club UK Facebook page .. cropped as was very tall shot with a Scottish Loch and Hills in the background.

[Roger Dowding]

From Karsten Stelk archives - unsure of the meeting but the 100S is in the background with WAC247 a 100/6 or early 3000 in two of the photos.
The car was destroyed in 1964 and the engine and some parts were put into several other 100S according to Joe Armour
Karsten has more photos which he will post and has allowed me to " borrow " them.







and finally a group of 100S, a 100M and a 3000 or as believed by some one of the prototype AH 4000's ;



from JME Healey archives Goodwood 2009.

[ERC]

Interesting pics Roger. I can't identify the track in the grid pics, but one or two well known cars there.

Not Mallory Park, Silverstone or Goodwood. The Esso bridge may be a clue. The Lotus has a Derby registration and from memory, I think the Healey is West Midlands. (Just checked. Warwick = Healey country!) The D Types look as though they might be Ecurie Ecosse (Scottish registration). The XK 120 is Norwich. I'll have a Google... My first guess? Snetterton? Never been.

Five minutes of Googling brought up this pic from Snetterton September 1962 - the beginning of the Autosport 3 hour race. Team Elite Lotus ahead on the left.

The rickety Esso bridge visible but I don't think it was there much later than 1962/63.

[928]

the bridge is at the other end of the pits ERC.

[Roger Dowding]

Thanks ERC and 928 - will pass that image and notes onto Karsten Stelk.

He has just sent me another picture of the ex works [ ex Peter Riley ] 100/6 endurance and racer which become a works 3000 Rally car now with Peter's son Tim Riley in New Zealand.. VOK490 - the Cambridge University Auto Club car.



VOK 490 featured in this issue of NZ Classic Driver #60 May-June 2015, as did a story about Peter Riley



More to come from Karsten Stelk on NOJ391 works 100S VOK490 works 100 SIX / 3000 and others - as he finds them.

[ERC]

the bridge is at the other end of the pits ERC.

It was then!

I still think it is Snetterton though. Pit buildings are the same and the Esso signage is a predominant feature. Roger's posted photograph was more than likely a different year. As I said, I have never been to Snetterton and therefore my knowledge of any track history is virtually zero!

[928]

i only went there in the 70's,80's and 90's and there was no bridge that i can remember. could have been there in the 60's but i doubt it moved from one end to the other.

[ERC]

Snetterton - definitely!

1958


Year unknown


1960

[928]

the bridge moved again. not in the 1st photo, is in the 2nd, but not the 3rd must have been removed in 1957

[Oldfart]

the bridge moved again. not in the 1st photo, is in the 2nd, but not the 3rd must have been removed in 1957

From things I have found it would not appear in the 1st or 3rd on post 736 because it is further back along the track, but not as far as the long grid back row in post 731, perhaps extra pit buildings were erected when the grid went to a lesser side by side?

[ERC]

Post #731 shows that it was just beyond what we presume is the race control building.

The other pics therefore, were all pre 1962. The number of pit building may well have increased, which would have necessitated moving what looks to be a fairly simplistic pedestrian bridge. What we DO know though, is that it is definitely Snetterton!

[928]

all i said was "the bridge moved" and it was not there from mid 70's. there is a bridge over the back for cars to get inside the circuit. but snetterton is one of those circuits that keeps changing