Mystery Sports Racer

[TimD]

It's mystery car time.

Now then, I know what this is, but I do want to know what is it?

You see, I've got the name of the car and where it comes from. But I have no information about why it was built, when, and what its racing history is. Even a driver would help.

The styling is misleading, and the licence plate is a definite clue.

[Ray Bell]

It's either the or an Ausca....

Paul England built the original in about 1955 with a Repco Holden engine. Some replicas were distributed... I think this is one.

[TimD]

Full marks, Ray.

(I knew I could count on you!)

It's an Ausca. The picture was taken at the 1982 Historic meeting at Amaroo.

Now, what can you tell me about this Paul England? Was the Ausca his only effort at a racing car? And what about his career?

[Ray Bell]

That would be Bruce Polain driving, then, I imagine... and it would be The Ausca. A replica is being completed this year, I believe, one that was copied back in 1956 and never finished.

Paul England was an engineer, worked with Repco, might even have had something to do with the Hi-Power head project for the old Holden engine. Interesting sidelight is that they bought a Raymond Mays Zephyr head for evaluation while doing this. This head was later given to Keith Rilstone for use on the Eclipse Zephyr.

His racing career is a cloud to me, but his later exploits in hillclimbs were very interesting, and his involvement in engine work as he opened his own business, Paul England Engines I think it was.

His great creation for this task was also called an Ausca, featuring an enlarged VW flat four at each end, each one driving its own pair of wheels.

The front engine was smaller, 1800cc, and also drove the supercharger that fed both engines, the rear engine was 2200cc or thereabouts.

Always thinking, he had a spare engine in case one gave trouble. It was a neat 2-litres, so it could go either end! He won the Australian Hillclimb Championship in 1970, 1973 and 1974.

[Marc C]

Paul England took part in the 1957 German GP in the Cooper T41 F2-1-56 Climax, ex Ken Wharton and was described by Doug Nye in the book "Cooper" as an Australian tourist. He retired on lap 5.

About Paul England, I also read it:
"He had previously made his name racing in Australia with his superb Holden-engined Auscar sports car, a home brewed Maserati A6GCH lookalike."

[Vitesse]

I thought I recognised the name ...

England also entered some F2 races during 1957 with the T41.
On July 6th, he came 8th in both heats, lapped once each time, and 8th overall in the BRSCC F2 race at Mallory Park. Eight days later he was at Reims for the Coupe Internationale de Vitesse and came 8th again, lapped three times.
He then went to the German GP on August 8th as noted above and was also entered for the International Trophy on September 14th, but failed to appear.
At Mallory and Reims he was entered as "Colonial Equipe" but for Germany and Silverstone he appears to have linked up in some way with Tony Marsh, as both are entered under the same banner: Ridgeway Managements. This is a bit odd, since Marsh normally entered his car under his own name and these are the only entries under this name that I've found in a cursory search.
So, if he was a "tourist" he got around a bit, but then you Aussies tend to, don't you?

[Ray Bell]

And why not? You have to travel that far to see the sights, well, hang around a while and have some fun for your money....

The car, I believe, was converted into parts for crop dusting aircraft and sent home for Aussie Miller, who converted the bits back into a racing car called the Miller Special. At the same time a Lotus 12 met the same fate, emerging as the Sabakat in the hands of his cropdusting confrere, Ernie Tadgell.

Of course, as cropdusting gear they didn't attract customs duty...

[Marc C]

Hi Vitesse, maybe it's out of topic, but The Mallory Park F2 race is not included in my "database".

In fact I had nothing between
Le Prix de Paris at Monthléry on 16 June 1957:
1- Brabham Cooper T43 Climax
2- Mc Dowell Cooper Climax
3- Tony Marsh Cooper T43 Climax
4- Ivor Bueb Cooper T43 Climax

and La coupe de vitesse at Reims on 14 July 1957:
1- Trintignant Ferrari 156 Dino/0011 V6
2- Jean Lucas Cooper T43 Climax
3- Tony Marsh Cooper T43 Climax
4- Salvadori Cooper T43 Climax
5- Goethals Porsche 550A/1500 RS

I would be interested to know the results of the Mallory Park race. Can you help me ? Thank you.

[TimD]

Marc, on the Mallory Park race, I've only got the names of the two heat winners.

Heat 1 was taken by Tony Marsh, heat 2 by George Wicken, both on Coopers. Marsh was awarded the event on an aggregate of the two.

Thanks to all for not only finding me a driver and a history for the Ausca, but also connecting it with a driving career that I had heard a little about.

[Vitesse]

Marc, I've pm'd the result to you!!

[Ray Bell]

From memory, the Ausca was also the star car, quickest of the meeting, at Longford in one of the early years... oh, what the heck... look it up... Outright lap record, 1957, 3m 13.