They won’t necessarily be the fastest, but the cars that will bring the most smiles and attract the biggest crowds to this year’s Targa Tasmania rally will all have been built prior to 1991.

The Classic cars have made a major comeback in 2007 to the event that began with them as its mainstream in 1992. But in recently years many competitors were drawn to the hope of more media attention and sponsorship in Modern cars. That’s now history.

This year the biggest entry this century will contest the Shannons Classic, which has been totally re-shaped and revived with the addition of a new Outright category to eclipse the more modern cars in both numbers and public and media fascination.

And many of the competitors who previously entered the latest Modern cars they could afford are now back in Classic – not only because the competition is closer than ever, but because they have found that playing Targa with the older cars is also much more fun.

The highest profile Modern ‘defectors’ this year are Victorians Rex Broadbent and Michael Goedheer, although it didn’t start out that way.

History may show that April 6 was a 'good' Friday for Melbourne’s Rex Broadbent and Michael Goedheer, but potentially a black day for the 114 other Classic crews that will face them on the 42 stages and five days of this year’s Targa Tasmania.
Continue reading "Classic cars comeback to Targa Tasmania"

Preview, round two: Pirelli Historic Rally
The second round of the 2007 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will take crews into the vast Kielder forest complex in Northumberland for the Pirelli Historic Rally (20/21 April 2007).
A superb 74-car field will gather in Carlisle on Friday as the BHRC heads to Kielder for the first in the modern era of the championship.
The crews will tackle four stages on Friday evening and a further four stages on Saturday, starting and finishing with a ceremonial flourish in Carlisle city centre.

Category 1
Running first on the road will be the category 1 classic cars (pre '68) and it is defending champions Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies who are sure to set the pace in their Sunbeam Tiger. Watts has never rallied in Kielder before, but the former touring car racer has proved to be a fast learner and the Tiger should fly. But the car that Watts used last year will also be out as Jonathan Gale has his first run in a Sunbeam Tiger, co-driving by his father Graham.
Chasing the Tigers will be a gaggle of Porsches, including Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride and John Keatley/James McKeefry. Nutt and McBride are BHRC regulars, of course, but Keatley and McKeefry are not, so their pace will be watched with interest.
Continue reading "Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship"

 After many attempts to find a suitable solution for the European crews that were experiencing significant difficulties to obtain the necessary insurance coverage for their historic vehicles, the organization of the Classic Rally Canada had to seriously reexamine the 2006 edition of the classic rally. A solution was identified, however sufficient time to process the documentation of each vehicle was not available. Following many detailed discussions with our rally partners, the authorities of Customs Canada, our rally suppliers and within the organization, we made the essential decision to postpone Classic Rallye Canada until our next scheduled dates, in the autumn of 2007, that we had been prepared to announce at the conclusion of the 2006 edition. Crews that had been registered for the 2006 edition can choose to be reimbursed accordingly or transfer their participation to the 2007 edition with an added excellent incentive package made available through the collaboration of our gracious partners and sponsors.

The priority is to produce a quality regularity rally for all involved in the beautiful regions of Quebec. Classic Rallye Canada will take place from Saturday, September 15 - Sunday, September 23, 2007.

The organization has made preparations to simplify the process of the required formalities for international crews and their cars to participate in the regularity rally in Canada. Classic Rallye Canada can recommend the service of an insurance broker that will examine each request and prepare an insurance policy for eligible international historic vehicles to whom all the required documentation of the vehicle and the owner/driver must be submitted with the participation request form. Classic Rallye Canada is pleased to have already received requests for participation in the 2007 edition.
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Collectors' Motor Cars, Motorcycles, Automobilia and Models have been sold , on 24 Mar 2007, at the fourth International Historic Motorsport Show. The online catalogue is still available here if you want to read more about the items and cars sold there.

In my point of view many interesting cars for sale...

UPDATE (2007-04-14): From the book "The Works Minis":

DJB 93B is a much rallied and sucessful Mini Cooper S replica run by the Mini Machine of Darlington. DJB 93B was originally written off by the works after a crash on the 1966 London Rally, then the number was resurrected by Jeff Wilson before passing to the present owners. John Kelly comments "This has never been a show car and has never been presented as an original works car. But at least it is probably the only original works registration number which is still battling it out on the historic rally front in Europe." (As found at ten-tenth forums)

As for example this 1964 Mini Cooper 1275S Ex-Works Rally Saloon. The information included in the catalogue said "According to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, this now Morris-badged, though originally Austin Mini Cooper 1275S, CA2S7/662044, was built at Longbridge 26 November 1964 prior to despatch to the MG Car Company at Abingdon 2 December, when, like most BMC factory competition cars it was issued with the current DJB 93B Berkshire registration. Following subsequent, back to basics preparation by the Comps Department, initially as an Austin for export market reasons, it took part in the 1965 Swedish and Acropolis Rallies before finishing 13th in category on the Alpine and, in the legendary Rauno Aaltonen’s hands as a Morris, winning the RAC Rally of GB." More information and history of the car here. This mini has been sold £100,500!
Continue reading "Classic cars for sale at Race retro, Bonhams Sale results"

Former Grand Prix driver and team owner, Jackie Oliver, is one of the stars of the Castle Combe Circuit’s Husqvarna Retro Race Day on Easter Monday, 9th April.

The opening meeting of the 2007 season, the event focuses on Classic racing from the ‘50s ‘60s and ‘70s, eras in which Oliver made his name, firstly as a Formula 1 driver for Lotus and BRM and latterly as owner of the Arrows team.

In recent times Oliver has been making his name on the classic racing scene and on this occasion will be driving a 1965 BMW 1800 Ti in the Top Hat race for Pre 1966 Touring cars, sharing with Richard Shaw. His opposition ranges from a 982cc Fiat Abarth to 7 litre Ford Galaxies, including one occupied by fast peddler, Barrie Williams.

The Cloth Cap race for Pre 1966 Historic Sportscars features Holly Mason, daughter of Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason from Corsham. Last year, Holly won the Oldies but Goldies Jack Sears Trophy race at Castle Combe. Sharing her father’s AC Ruddspeed Ace with Charles Knill-Johnson, Holly scored her first ever outright victory, finishing over half a minute ahead of the second placed Jaguar XK120. This year she shares the same car with mother Annette.
Continue reading "Grand Prix star to race at Husqvarna Retro Race"

Veteran Targa Tasmania competitor, Tim Lynas, has given a thumbs-up to the Glenorchy night stage, believing it will be a great showcase for all the classic cars in the field.

Tim will be behind the wheel of his Ford Mustang taking on the special one kilometre stage on Thursday night, April 19.

“I’m very keen to have a go at the Hobart night stage. It should be a lot of fun.”

The classic cars in the field are dear to the South Australian’s heart. Since competitng in the very first Targa in 1992, he has raced a number of cars.

In the inagural Targa, Tim drove a 1990 Laser TX3 4WD, which he used until 1994 to achieve his Gold trophy.

In 1995, that car was banned from the competition. so he had to get his pride and joy out of the shed, a Cabriolet Porsche, which he drove that year.
Continue reading "Targa Tasmania: Veteran Competitor looks to night fun"

Northern Territory’s Andrew White will travel from one end of the country to the other with his classic car, a Volvo 122s to take part in Australia’s ultimate tarmac rally, Targa Tasmania, which gets underway at the Country Club in Launceston on April 17.

With over 250 competitors set for the 2007 Targa classic, the man from the township of Gunn, near Darwin, has had to make sure he is organised for the Tassie event.

“The biggest difficulty of living in the Northern Territory is not getting to the event,” said White. “I put my Volvo on a truck a week and a half ago, and we’ll meet it in Melbourne and catch the boat over to Tasmania.”

No, his biggest challenge is maintaining his pride and joy, his classic car.

“There are not many suppliers up here, but anyone who’s an enthusiast knows about Targa.”

“It’s the best form of motor sport imaginable. It gives me a buzz for the rest of the year.”
Continue reading "Northern Territorian set for Targa Tasmania"

Courtesy Historic Race Circuits of Elkhart Lake

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (March 21, 2007) - Historic Race Circuits of Elkhart Lake, in conjunction with the Sports Car Club of America and the Great Race, announced the first annual Elkhart Lake Historic Rally, to be held in and around the Village of Elkhart Lake, Wis., on October 5th and 6th, 2007.

The SCCA and Great Race have recently agreed that SCCA will run regional rallies in a Great Race compatible format. The Elkhart Lake Historic Rally will be run as time-speed-distance rally using the Great Race compatible format and SCCA national points will be awarded. The rally is one of fifteen such events currently scheduled around the Country and one of only three Great Race compatible regional rallies where SCCA National Points can be earned.

The Village of Elkhart Lake is one of the most beautiful and historic resort communities in Wisconsin and has been a premier destination for automobile enthusiasts for over fifty years. In 1951 and 1952, the SCCA staged Monte Carlo rallies in conjunction with open road sports car races held on the roads around Elkhart Lake. The roads that comprised the race circuits have been recently preserved and listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U. S. Department of the Interior. Along with Watkins Glen, they are the only historic circuits in the United States so preserved. Elkhart Lake is also the home of Road America, one of the worlds premier closed circuit road racing venues where open wheel race cars, sports cars and sedans have dueled since 1955.
Continue reading "SCCA to Stage Elkhart Lake Historic RoadRally"