Winton Historic Meeting May 26 - 27 2007  

Above: 1956 Mercury 100,  1959 Mildren Cooper Climax

As always the Austin 7 Club staged a brilliant Historic meeting at Winton this year - with the usual cold days, and unusual green countryside after ten or more years of drought.   Introduction - Scrutineering on Saturday morning  47 events were spread over two days with cars ranging from spindly 1915 and 1917 Model T Ford Speedsters to streamlined hi-tech sports and racing cars of the 1980s. Smallest cars were a few 747 cc Austin Sevens from the 1920s and 30s, biggest was a 1967 5700cc Chev Camaro. 47 events were spread over two days with cars ranging from spindly 1915 and 1917 Model T Ford Speedsters to streamlined hi-tech sports and racing cars of the 1980s. Smallest cars were a few 747 cc Austin Sevens from the 1920s and 30s, biggest was a 1967 5700cc Chev Camaro.

Above: Austin7	Above: 1955 Mac-Healey	Above: ASP Clubman
Above: 1939 Chrysler Special	Above: Cooper, Nota,  Welsor Clubman	Above: 1956 Gazelle Ford 10

Ray Cuttell's 1927 Cirrus was one of the most unusual cars, with its Gipsy aircraft engine. And also rare and of historic interest was the crudely tacked-together, bodyless and brakeless Austin 7 'bomb' in which 12 year-old Peter Brock learned to drive. Included in the !8 events for motor cycles and side cars were pre-war bikes such as Velocette, Douglas, BMW, Norton and Rodge, and more modern bikes like Vincents, Matchless, Ducati, Triumph, AJS, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Harley Davidson and Indian. The program included a four page glossy lift out on Great Australian Specials -- some of which wwere fitted with big American engines, a number of Holden powered cars, several with MG engines and chassis and including the original 1948 Maybach 1. Readers of Motormarques with experience in organising Historic events, would have taken a keen interest in an article in the program headed 'Replicas or Not?'. "One of the many tough decisions for any Historic event organiser is whether or not to allow the appearance of replica vehicles at their meetings. Since there are no set standards regarding the eligibility of replicas each organiser must make its own rules. Winton appreciates the painstaking efforts of those brave souls that have built faithful replicas of rare or no longer in existence vehicles. We would much prefer to see an historically correct replica competing at our meeting rather than gaze at a rare museum piece or an aged photograph. The only way to experience any historic car race is to see the cars in competition events and this is what Historic Winton is all about -- see them, hear them, smell them. The only proviso we make is that when a replica makes an appearance at Historic Winton it is only after some long deliberation -- and we always portray it as what it is -- a replica."

Above:1933 MG J2	Above:  1956 Cooper JAP	Above: 1957 Nota Consul
Above: Regah MG Sports,  Sharp Holden, Kieft Climax GP	Above: 1956 Cooper Butler, 1955 Mac-Healey	Above: 1960 Elfin Streamliner 1956 MG TC 'Bill Pile'  Special

We can all see how modern rules and requirements have made certain changes necessary for even the most authentic Historic vehicles. Few cars today can race in the unmodified form in which they were constructed and presented when new. However, a few collectors like Peter Giddings, Dean Butler and George Hetrel have not made the compromise. Martin Stubbs' camerawork allows readers to examine cars in detail, and appreciate their aesthetic and mechanical qualities. Our videos, even with their faults, allow readers to experience something of the sound and excitement of competition, and to see the cars as the 10,000 or more spectators may have done.

Above: 1980 Lotus Clubman, 1972 De Tomaso Pantera 1971 Datsun 240Z	Above: 1939 Ford V8 Special	Above: 1939 Dodge Special 1927 Bugatti

Can a Datsun 240Z go faster than a De Tomaso Pantera? How much was Dick Willis challenged in his Cooper Mildren by Fred Greeneklee in his Cooper Jap? What does the little Sulman Singer sound and look like? Do the old cars look like ancient relics barely managing to stagger around the circuit? How competitive are the legends - the Lago Talbots and the Bugattis? What does the fantastic Kieft Formula 1 car look and sound like? You'll get an idea from the videos. The Winton meeting was brilliant. We hope you enjoy our take on it.