The home of the Historic Marathon Rally Group. The Historic Marathon Rally Group (HMRG) is a friendly UK-based network of enthusiasts dedicated to reuniting historic rally cars, competitors, service crews, and supporters from around the world. Our mission is to celebrate and promote the legendary Marathon Rallies and Classic Car Endurance events of the past while fostering a shared passion for motorsport history.
It is amazing what comes up on eBay. Currently listed for £8500. Words and photos from a listing as at 10 January 2020.
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.
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)
Car 12 on the London to Mexico World Cup Rally 1970 was a Citroen DS21. August 2019 saw an article in Citroscope a french magazine about Citroen and Panhard. We have a scanned copy of the article.
Continue reading Goddess that went on London to Mexico Rally 1970
Ken Greens London to Sydney and World Cup Rally Landcrab now restored by him after many years work. Put back to 1968 spec. It spent a long time in a field in Scotland…
Thanks to Paul Wheeler on facebook for the composite photo.