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RallyDay 2019 at Castle Combe

Thanks Bron Burrell for sharing this photo to our facebook group

Had most glorious day in the last of Summer’s sunshine at RallyDay at Castle Combe yesterday. Puff was on the Bath Motor Club stand for the HMRG group along with the Beauty Box, a Volvo, a gorgeous TwinCam, 2 Minis etc. Shame the organisers did not allow a parade of classic and historic rally cars….it might educate the millennials into how it all started. But a great day with some famous drivers in attendance.

You can read more about this now annual show on the Castle Combe race circuit website: https://castlecombecircuit.co.uk/shows/rallyday

Here are some more photos of the event.

GM Twins Monaro with Ventora

Ferguson-Chivas-Johnson Monaro (Car76) together with the Ventora (Car40)
Ferguson-Chivas-Johnson Monaro (Car76) together with the Ventora (Car40)

These two General Motors cars both ran in the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon Rally.

Thanks you to Laurie Mason for sharing this photo. As he says:

Here is the Ferguson/Chivas/Johnson Monaro (Car#76) together with the Ventora (Car#40) on the 1968 Marathon Celebration Drive. ADA-102 has been heavily modified into a Track Car and will take some work to be returned to her former glory.

The Monaro has been this way for some 20 years or more. The owner still has the original motor and when Laurie Mason was speaking with him he indicated that the cost to modify the car would be prohibitive. But, he did start to come round to the notion of changing it back the more we talked. Barry Ferguson and Dave Johnson have confirmed it is the original car.

The 1968 Marathon Celebration Drive an Australian event held in 2018.

Car 76 in the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon Rally was a Holden Monaro. Registered ADA 102.

Your help needed for WCR50

The Historic Marathon Rally Group need your help with two World Cup Rally 50th Anniversary (WCR50) projects.

Logo for the WCR50 event

Firstly we would like to make contact with any other club or group with similar interests to ours.

Secondly wherever it is, can anyone locate a car not yet discovered which took part in a Marathon or similar event 1968 to 1993? Earlier or later cars are also welcome.

You can contact us via our Contact Us webpage with details, even cars which are possibilities. The information will be kept confidential and be subject to UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We are seeking this information to make a worldwide open invitation to any owner, competitor, official or supporter of any Classic Marathon event to join us on 19th April 2020 at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon.

Help us celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the World Cup Rally 1970 and the 25th Anniversary of the 1993 London to Sydney Marathon Rally.

Bringing your car

We have a Car Registration Form you can download: Car Registration Form

Press Coverage

We are developing a press pack

Trade Stands and Programme Advertising

If you are wanting to advertise in our programme or have a trade stand at the WCR50 download the form .

Ford Cortina Mk2 goes on London to Sydney 1993

This Ford Cortina Mk2 with competition history was listed for sale of eBay with an asking price of £27,500, now reduced to £19,950. Included in the advert was the following 4 paragraphs and photos.

This Ford Cortina was specially prepared to full long-distance rallying specification by Unipart for participation in the 1993 25th Anniversary London to Sydney Rally. Sponsored by the Daily Express and Daily Telegraph newspapers, the first such event was organised in 1968 and the second in 1977. The 1993 25th Anniversary even was the third in the series. There have been two more since: in 2000 and 2004. 106 crews from 17 countries entered the 1993 event.

Carrying competitor number ’75’, ‘RLX 624E’ was crewed by Neville Marriner and John Griffiths, and successfully completed this most gruelling of rallies, which was won by Francis Tuthill driving a Porsche 911.

The extensive modifications made to this Cortina included the installation of an overhead-camshaft 2.0-litre Ford Pinto engine; strengthening the body/chassis; doubling-up the shock absorbers; and fitting a custom-made gearbox, additional lighting, rally instrumentation, Minilite-type wheels, extensive roll-over protection, and a long-range boot-mounted fuel tank. The unusual livery lists the names of sponsoring companies supporting the event. Extensive paperwork relating to the car’s preparation and history is available. V5 registration document, sundry bills. and current MOT included.

Nothing is need to go and have some serious fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tc36rIPvag  (7:04 – 7.17)