1.SR4 Ownership

Malcolm Preston was appointed GM of 'REDCO' (repco engine development co) into which the remaining assets of 'Repco Brabham' (which built, sold and serviced the RB 600/700/800 Series engines) around 1970.

Redco serviced the RB engines and designed, developed, built and serviced the Repco Holden and later Repco Leyland F5000 engines.

In Preston's excellent autobiography 'Maybach to Holden' he says in the 1972 section of his book ...'During the intervening period support to Matich had increased to engines for 2 cars, competing in the USA as well as Australia and New Zealand. He had ceased campaigning the SR4 sports car, which REDCO purchased as a bare chassis for approximately $10000 for display purposes.'

I would treat this for what it is; a first hand account by the guy tasked with negotiating with FM on this topic/ the guy FM negotiated this arrangement with. (the car was surplus to FM's needs at the time, his commercial interests were around F5000 so the cash would have been handy)

2. FM's Contract with Repco more Generally

The relationship with Repco and FM was mutually beneficial back to the Coventry Climax days, i spoke to Malcolm Preston (now deceased) about FM tangentially last year whilst researching the article i wrote about McCormack's McLaren, he had the greatest of respect for FM.

Derek Kneller said FM decided to retire post the '74 Tasman in February '74. Repco's withdrawal from racing was made in April '74.

DK said FM's Repco contract ran till 30 June, the usual financial year arrangements. At the end of the '74 Tasman FM had 5 Repco F5000 engines; 2 flat plane and 3 with the two-phase cranks. DK said that 'Repco looked after him until the end of the contract' or in other words complied with its terms.

Given the commercial arrangements had come to an end between FM and Redco all outstanding matters would have been dealt with in accordance with the contract or negotiated if not specifically addressed in the contract.

Don't forget that REDCO was a subsidiary of Repco Ltd, then one of our biggest, public, audited companies, not Schitt Fite & Co, so all of this stuff would have been done pretty much 'by the book'.

If FM or Repco had a beef with the way certain things rolled it would been dealt with then. If final elements of the wind-up of the contract were outside its terms, that is negotiated, the normal thing would be for it to be documented and a 'Release' signed by both parties saying 'Finito' and that neither party owes the other any more...

3.Can Am and 'No Racing Engines'

Thats all bullshit, the factory Ferrari's raced in '68/9 and the last time i looked they weren't powered by Ally blocked Chevs.

Once Watkins Glen went onto the Can Am roster it was routine for the Group 5/6 sportscars which survived the 6 Hour endur0 to race in the Can Am round on the same weekend; Ferrari, Porsche, Matra, Alfa etc.

It would have been fantastic to have seen the SR4 run in the Can Am but it needed to be '68 given the pace at which the competition developed.

The interesting bit is how the engine would have fared in a 200 mile Can Am race which is slightly longer than a 10 lapper at Warwick Farm!


Mark






Quote Originally Posted by Ray Bell View Post
The line between fact and fiction? Oh that is good!

You are probably right, injunctions and caveats would have been flitting about everywhere. On the other hand, I'm also inclined to think that Nigel Tait's version might have some irregularities included, and I'm not necessarily saying they would come from him. I would say it's something so hard to plumb that guesses would ultimately be involved. But they'd be educated guesses.

Trevor... Joan died perhaps ten years before Frank. She had a long illness, I think you'll find the beginnings of it were in '73 when Frank took time off due to her problems. As a married couple they were commendably close, I saw things at both race meetings and in their homes that showed that they simply lived for each other.

Ken... The car behind Frank in the pit lane is that of Ray Winter. Garry is right about the pushers, I have no idea who it is holding the clipboard.

An odd thing about the race report for that September 13 meeting is that it mentions Frank wanting to lower his existing outright record. Yet the previous meeting's report has the outright record going to Col Green in a 2.5 Brabham at 53.5. Frank was to do 51.5 at the September meeting. The only other possibility is that he ran in an earlier race on the day (September meeting) and that race wasn't reported. Which I wouldn't really expect to happen.