New Zealand/Australian Camaros And Firebirds

[oldtransamdriver]

Last weekend, while at the SVRA U.S. vintage grand prix at Watkins Glen, I was the guest of former Can-Am and current
vintage racer Bobby Brown.  I learned that he built a 67 camaro T/A car inhouse at the family Chev dealership in Long Island
N.Y. - was raced at Daytona and Sebring that year.

The car then went to England and later he thinks "down under", and now might be back in the U.S.

Does anyone remember this camaro?

Robert

[Steve Holmes]

Hi Robert, my understanding was that Bobby Brown's Camaro became the SCA Freight Camaro that was raced in the UK and Europe by Frank Gardner.



In late 1972, Gardner shipped the Camaro to New Zealand where he contested a couple of events at Bay Park and Pukekohe, then continued on to Australia in early 1973 where it was raced at Warwick Farm and Sandown.



I believe Bob Jane purchased the Camaro to on-sell, which he did. It was sold to John Pollard and raced for many years as a Sports Sedan. It eventually found its way to Rowan Harman, who planned to restore it but instead sold it to a buyer in the UK, where it returned and has since been restored back to its 1971 SCA Freight guise, and competes in selected historic racing events.

Below is the car at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed.



I say all that, but recently Chris Bowden in Australia, whose family owns a large collection of important historic race cars, told me Frank Gardner said the SCA Freight car was in fact not the Bobby Brown car. Maybe someone here can shed some light on this?

[Jon Mello]

Frank might have said that but it doesn't make it true. The serial number of the car comes back as being delivered new to Bobby Brown's Chevy dealership in NY.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Jon, thats good to know. I think Chris said that Frank had told him the car was built in the UK by the SCA Freight/Adrian Chambers team. I did wonder if he (Frank) might have been thinking of the 2nd gen Camaro they started racing in 1972, and not the '67.

Also, Gardner didn't actually start driving the first gen '67 car until Round 5 of the 1971 British Saloon Car Championship. Prior to that, Roy Pierpoint and John Hine drove it. So to me that suggested the car was already being raced by the SCA Freight team before Gardner arrived on the scene.

[Jon Mello]

Hard to say Steve but yes, Frank did drive two different SCA Freight Camaros and maybe that could have had an effect on what he did and did not remember.

[Steve Holmes]

One of our Roaring Season members just recently popped up with a few photos his father took at Bay Park, New Zealand, in late 1970. This was the annual Bay Park Christmas meeting, in which the event promoters always brought international sedan entries along to take on the locals. These events always drew a big crowd, and the 1970 event was no exception, with the facility full to capacity by 2pm on the Sunday, requiring the gates be shut.

International competitors at this event included the big block Camaros of Terry Allan and Bryan Thomson, as well as the American entry of Joe Chamberlain.

Here are a few pics featuring the Camaros.

Terry Allan is pictured here:

[Steve Holmes]

Joe Chamberlain's Camaro, which picked up some damage. The NZ races were sprint events, held over only around 8 - 10 laps, so the racing was very intense.

[Steve Holmes]

Joe Chamberlain was a big hit with the Kiwi race fans.

[Steve Holmes]

Not a Camaro, or even an international race car. But this 1970 Mustang was/is quite a legendary car in New Zealand. It was built using a 1970 Boss 429 Mustang, which Kiwi racer Paul Fahey bought in LA during a business trip for $500 in 1970. The car was only a few months old when it was stolen, and had the motor/gearbox removed, before later being recovered.

Fahey had some very good connections in the racing industry, and during his trip, was able to go through the recently closed Shelby racing team workshop at LAX, and bought all the remaining parts stock. He built the Mustang for road racing using some of the parts he'd bought of out Shelby's.

Bay Park 1970 was only the cars second or third event, and it completely dominated all three races.

[Jon Mello]

We always appreciate the vintage photos here, Steve.  Thanks a lot for posting them.

I sure do wish the Terry Allan car would be found. It's one of my favorites from Down Under.

[Steve Holmes]

Nice little line-up here of some historic New Zealand racing sedans, including the newly restored Cambridge cigarettes Holden Monaro, Halliday brothers Ford Escort, Rod Coppins Firebird, and Joe Chamberlain/Dennis Marwood Camaro.

Photo by Angus Fogg.

[Steve Holmes]

Close-up of the Monaro.

Angus Fogg photo.

[Jon Mello]

Great couple of pictures, Steve. Thanks for posting.

[Steve Holmes]

I recently stumbled upon this photo while going through one of my fathers old photo albums while he was living in Australia in 1968. This is a rare photo of the '68 Camaro raced by Norm Beechey very briefly in Australia. It only raced four times, and was apparently converted to a road car and sold. Too bad, it was a very fast car. And really a good looking car too.

[ZLP955]

Great photo Steve! Seems amazing nowadays that people (especially kids!) could get so close to the cars, even assuming that shot was of a slower victory lap.