Australian Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

[Steve Holmes]

As per Peter Nelsons Sports Sedans thread, lets start a thread dedicated to Australian Sports Sedans, documenting as many cars as we can for future reference. We'll try to include as much info on each car as possible, including build dates, details, modifications, race wins and championships, photos, and ultimate fate. Cars can be either still in existence, scrapped, or current whereabouts unknown. Sports Sedans were officially recognised by CAMS from 1973 onwards, but we'll also include earlier Sports Racing Closed (pre-Sports Sedans). Cut-off date is 1990, ie, cars must have been built before 1990.

[Steve Holmes]

One of my all-time favourite Aussie tin-top racers. Bob Janes amazing HQ Holden Monaro. The car was actually built not for Sports Sedan racing, but to compete in the ATCC under Improved Production rules. It ran a fuel injected small block Chevy, and 15" x 10" Minilites. Work began on the car in late 1971, and it made its ATCC debut in the penultimate round of the 1972 ATCC at Surfers Paradise, driven by John Harvey, where it finished 2nd behind team boss Bob Jane. Harvey drove it again in the final at Oran Park, where it ran 2nd for a while until it struck brake problems.

When CAMS dropped Improved Production and introduced Sports Sedans for 1973, the Monaro was raced in this, mostly unchanged from its Improved Production guise. Throughout the 70s it was changed to keep pace with the competition, but Jane rarely ventured away from Calder Park. He did run the full Sports Sedan championship in 1977, finishing 2nd to Frank Gardners Chev Corvair. Peter Brock drove the car in a one-off appearance at Calder in 1978.

The car was then sold to Phil Ward, who raced it from 1979 to 1981, before it was sold to Tino Leo, who owned the car until 2004, when Des Wall bought it and spent a lot of time and money having it restored back to its original 1972 Improved production guise.

[bry3500]

Ok ..I'll get the ball rolling
Mike Ceveri had the car stored for years in a container
went up for sale recently on my105.com
Body shell ex- Don Smith OXO team Sierra
Ford Sierra Sports Sedan - Complete as raced. Championship winning car. 350 Chev – mid mount, MoTec fuel inject. LG600 Hewland 5 spd transaxle w numerous ratios 3 sets Wheels. K&A Eng frt & rr susp w Koni adj shocks. Sell complete w all spares & moulds for fibreglass panels. Tandem trailer incl
$75000.00 (AUD)

[bry3500]

One of my all-time favourite Aussie tin-top racers. Bob Janes amazing HQ Holden Monaro. The car was actually built not for Sports Sedan racing, but to compete in the ATCC under Improved Production rules. It ran a fuel injected small block Chevy, and 15" x 10" Minilites. Work began on the car in late 1971, and it made its ATCC debut in the penultimate round of the 1972 ATCC at Surfers Paradise, driven by John Harvey, where it finished 2nd behind team boss Bob Jane. Harvey drove it again in the final at Oran Park,
where it ran 2nd for a while until it struck brake problems.

Tino Leo

When CAMS dropped Improved Production and introduced Sports Sedans for 1973, the Monaro was raced in this, mostly unchanged from its Improved Production guise. Throughout the 70s it was changed to keep pace with the competition, but Jane rarely ventured away from Calder Park. He did run the full Sports Sedan championship in 1977, finishing 2nd to Frank Gardners Chev Corvair. Peter Brock drove the car in a one-off appearance at Calder in 1978.

The car was then sold to Phil Ward, who raced it from 1979 to 1981, before it was sold to Tino Leo, who owned the car until 2004, when Des Wall bought it and spent a lot of time and money having it restored back to its original 1972 Improved production guise.

The car as raced by Tino Leo

[bry3500]

Restored by Andrew Keiller and up for sale
$550,000 AUD

Description from owner Paul Halstead

In 1984 my company, De Tomaso Australia, exported Australian made 351 Cleveland V8’s to Italy for the worldwide production of De Tomaso’s. As a result of the export credits earned, I was able to import the range of De Tomaso’s in KDF at reduced duty.

We subsequently assembled these cars adding the Australian V8 and then sold them through my retail outlet called the Toy Shop. We had a large team of mechanics, machinists and engineers as we also serviced Lamborghini’s, Ferrari’s etc and built, modified and serviced race cars.

In 1985, I ordered a lightweight body from De Tomaso as the basis for building a car to run in the Australian GT Championship. The body that was received did not meet our requirements by way of quality, and so our designer, Barry Lock (formerly of McLaren) presented a plan to build a full “ground effects” car using the world’s best technology and products. The planned car used the minimum De Tomaso parts required by CAMS for the car to meet the rules of the GT category.

In 1986, the resultant race car called “La Pantera Bianca” or White Panther, in its’ first part year of racing, won all five races contested.

In its final GT championship race at Winton Victoria, the GT cars were joined by the (in theory) faster Sports cars. The Australian gold star champion, Kevin Bartlett, in just his fourth start in the Pantera, lapped the entire field.

In 1987, as we were preparing to contest the full GT Championship, the rules were changed. Rather than destroy our work of art to meet the new restrictive rules, I retired the car undefeated. Today, if the Pantera was allowed to run in the GT class, it would obliterate them!

As I am now too old and certainly not fast enough to do the car justice, I have decided to sell the Pantera including all patterns, drawings and spare parts.

[Steve Holmes]

Thats great Bry! I remember when that Ceveri Sierra first appeared, it caused a real stir, being built around a Cosworth bodyshell, which was still new in Group A. I think from memory the OXO car the body came from was rolled in an ATCC round, the Group A car re-shelled, the rolled body went to Ceveri.

[bry3500]

Tony Edmondson's V8 BMW 2002 circa 1973.
The Don Elliot owned car used a 4.4 litre Repco V8
It has been reported that it ended up in Western Australia with David Drew.

B&W Pic ..Tony Edmonson BMW Repco 4.4 V8 Baskerville 1973
photo: oldracephotos.com/Harrisson.

[Powder]

Tony Edmondson's V8 BMW 2002 circa 1973.
The Don Elliot owned car used a 4.4 litre Repco V8
It has been reported that it ended up in Western Australia with David Drew.

B&W Pic ..Tony Edmonson BMW Repco 4.4 V8 Baskerville 1973
photo: oldracephotos.com/Harrisson.

That's awesome. The side intakes look pretty big for just rear brakes, so did it have side radiators?
If so, that's pretty advanced for a sedan in 1973.

Malcolm.

[bry3500]

Frank Gardners Corvair enforced a Cams rule change regarding Engine - gearbox configurations in Sports Sedans. One man caught out by the change of rules was Alan Gissing, his very quick turbo charged Holden 6 Dauphine deemed ineligible overnight.
Engine produced about 500HP

Alan Gissing Renault Dauphine/Holden S/sedan Sandown 1978
oldracephotos.com/N Hammond

[Steve Holmes]

Tony Edmondson's V8 BMW 2002 circa 1973.
The Don Elliot owned car used a 4.4 litre Repco V8
It has been reported that it ended up in Western Australia with David Drew.

B&W Pic ..Tony Edmonson BMW Repco 4.4 V8 Baskerville 1973
photo: oldracephotos.com/Harrisson.

Hey Bry, great addition. Do you know if the BMW was raced as an Improved Production car before being built into a Sports Sedan, like the Foley Alfa? It was a terrifying thing apparently, but Elliot soon replaced it with the John McCormack Repco Charger, which itself would make way for a couple of V8 Alfa's. I don't think the BMW ever raced outside of Tasmania when Elliot owned it.

[Steve Holmes]

Frank Gardners Chey Corvair enforced a Cams rule change regarding Engine - gearbox configurations in Sports Sedans. One man caught out by the change of rules was Alan Gissing, his very quick turbo charged Holden 6 Dauphine deemed ineligible overnight.
Engine produced about 500HP

Alan Gissing Renault Dauphine/Holden S/sedan Sandown 1978
oldracephotos.com/N Hammond

Interesting car Bry. I think the CAMS ruling was introduced from 1980 wasn't it? The Corvair last raced in '79, driven by Allan Grice. But thats an ambitious race car, given the power train layout, and the fact its turbo-charged. Do you know what happenend to it? Was it torn apart or just pushed into a corner of his garage?

[bry3500]

Fiat 500 Abarth body shell and raced in the early 80s
Also raced in S.E. Asia
Engine a worked 12A Rotary with Hewland sequential Gearbox
Elfin F5000 suspension uprights and wishbones
Fully rebuilt, crashed, rebuilt and running again
http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=alB2C6Wq1ms

[bry3500]

[bry3500]

The Harry Lefoe Hillman Imp V8 raced between 1973 and 1978 before it was comprehensively destroyed in a roll over down the back straight at Sandown.
It is believed the remains were dumped.
Powered by a full house Ford Cobra V8 sitting in the back seat area, it reputedly produced over 500HP with 400 lb ft of torque..
Said to be able to lift it's front wheels and with handling best described as extreme, the Lefoe Imp has achieved a cult like status with Aussie Sports Sedan followers
PICS 1 2 and 3 Pics by Mark Bishop of Wodonga Vic ( thanks Ellis)
Pic 4 Ray Sinclair

[bry3500]

Initially entering Drag Racing, Maurice Rissman built and raced highly modified cars & bikes taking many victories and twice breaking national class records. His engineering creativity attracted interest from the circuit racing fraternity for whom he designed, built, and modified, several avant-garde sports-sedans, During 1978 the engineering freedoms afforded to this field of racing lead to the design and construction of what was arguably Australia’s first full space-framed racing sedan, based upon a 1979 Ford Falcon.

Maurice built the Alfa for Peter Cross

"it had full tunnels fluted into the underside and running rearward from
a high pressure area under the front axle. I tried a few variations of
sliding skirts but the rough surface of Lakeside, combined with inferior
dampening of poor quality shocks made it impossible to maximise the
potential.
In the end we settled for heavy poly carbonate sacrificial
strips under each side.
It was a fabulous little car and out performed a lot of it's bigger competition, but suffered up high. The small block Windsor just can't breathe enough to satisfy the high rev nature of the bore & stroke.
That's why Ford developed the Boss cylinder heads on the later variation of the same engine we developed way back then."

It did several races at Surfers & Lakeside and also Mt Cotton hillclimb .
The fate and current whereabouts unknown

[aussiemonza]

The Harry Lefoe Hillman Imp V8 raced between 1973 and 1978 before it was comprehensively destroyed in a roll over down the back straight at Sandown.
It is believed the remains were dumped.
Powered by a full house Ford Cobra V8 sitting in the back seat area, it reputedly produced over 500HP with 400 lb ft of torque..
Said to be able to lift it's front wheels and with handling best described as extreme, the Lefoe Imp has achieved a cult like status with Aussie Sports Sedan followers
PICS 1 2 and 3 Pics by Mark Bishop of Wodonga Vic ( thanks Ellis)
Pic 4 Ray Sinclair

Last owner I knew of the Lefoe IMP was Neil West, had a Shell Servo in Mooroolbark. Was it Neil that slam-dunked it at Sandown?

[TonyG]

Love the "P" plate on the Alfa

[Steve Holmes]

Initially entering Drag Racing, Maurice Rissman built and raced highly modified cars & bikes taking many victories and twice breaking national class records. His engineering creativity attracted interest from the circuit racing fraternity for whom he designed, built, and modified, several avant-garde sports-sedans, During 1978 the engineering freedoms afforded to this field of racing lead to the design and construction of what was arguably Australia’s first full space-framed racing sedan, based upon a 1979 Ford Falcon.

Maurice built the Alfa for Peter Cross

"it had full tunnels fluted into the underside and running rearward from
a high pressure area under the front axle. I tried a few variations of
sliding skirts but the rough surface of Lakeside, combined with inferior
dampening of poor quality shocks made it impossible to maximise the
potential.
In the end we settled for heavy poly carbonate sacrificial
strips under each side.
It was a fabulous little car and out performed a lot of it's bigger competition, but suffered up high. The small block Windsor just can't breathe enough to satisfy the high rev nature of the bore & stroke.
That's why Ford developed the Boss cylinder heads on the later variation of the same engine we developed way back then."

It did several races at Surfers & Lakeside and also Mt Cotton hillclimb .
The fate and current whereabouts unknown

The workmanship on that car is amazing! Are any of the subsequent owners known Bry?

[bry3500]

Steve..I contacted Maurice Rissman to get the details about the ground effects..he has no idea what happened to it

[Steve Holmes]

Can he remember who raced it after he sold it Bry?