Hi David, that is because Murray was the owner of the POR15 company in Nz.
While at a show some guy came on the POR 15 stand, he and I often shared display space, and waxed on about the car, He then asked if he could look inside. Some time later (perhaps the same show) he returned and handed Murray a bible. He said that Bryan had always carried one in the glovebox, and that this was Bryan's actual one. True or not, I don't know, but the bible is in the glovebox.
That Anglia was THE hot car when I was going to school at feilding ag in the day. Everyone who liked fast cars knew the Falloon Anglia and somehow it's just stuck in my memory. I must do a drawing of it!
Was surprised to see that there were 4 Brabhams listed for the Formula Ford championship.Originally Posted by Jeff
Were these "real" Brabhams, as Brabhams never made a FF car?
In the early days of Formula Ford in NZ it was very common to convert old National Formula cars (the 1.6 Ford Twin Cam powered cars) to Formula Fords. So they would have been European Formula 2 or Formula 3 cars that had been converted to NZ National Formula then FF.
As a matter of interest, anyone know what the first purpose built FF car in NZ was?
Elfin 600 was the first I saw.
Titan Mk6?
My curiosity was raised by Brabhams racing in Formula Ford events so I decided to investigate further.
Of particular interest was the Brabham BT23 in this starters listing.
After wading through Ten Tenths forum Chassis History Archive, all 514 posts, and Allen Brown’s Old Racing Cars site, I believe I finally have the story.
The car in question is Brabham BT23-7.
Originally purchased in 1968 by Frank Williams for Piers Courage.
Then in late 1968 sold to Roly Levis, who raced it in 1968 Tasman Series, then at Singapore, Batu Tiga and Fuji in following months. Sold to Baron Robertson who raced it at Pukekohe in December 1970.
Levis then tested it for Robertson in practice for December’s Bay Park International, but crashed heavily when a tyre punctured at Rothmans Corner, effectively destroying the car.
Robertson then bought a new Brabham, BT23C – 17 to continue racing.
In the meantime BT23C – 7 was rebuilt by Phil Harris as a Formula Ford, and that is the car in the 1972 FF Championship race listed above, #112. Harris and Peter Haskett raced it in 72 to 74.
It was rebuilt to original specs in 1980’s, and then sold to UK in 1990. Then sold to US, including the well known Bobby Rahal. Last recorded sale to Ted Wentz in 2008.
Now I can rest.
According to some sources Brabham BT23 C/17 was sold to Jorge Cupeiro for the 1968 Argentinian Temporada Series and that subsequent owners were Xavier Perrot and Kurt Buess (both Switzerland). There was no mention of Baron owning it.
One source claimed Baron bought the replacement chassis off a company called "Race Frames" but I can find no record of this company on the ' Net. It may have been Arch Motors who built frames for Brabham BT 17 models and onwards.
Last edited by rf84; 07-23-2015 at 06:01 AM.
I saw the confusion over BT23C-17 in my research, but don't think it matters in long run as the NZ car was destroyed in a fire in 1978.
So important thing is there are not two of BT23C - 17 running around to confuse the market.
Interesting thing about the fire is I have seen it described both as in a garage, and in a nightclub.
What it was doing in a nightclub is anyone's guess........
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