Beechey HK Monaro

[Aron Peters]

I am hopeful that someone will be able assist me with some specific information – and maybe even images – of the Norm Beechey HK Monaro.

I have been a contributor of articles to motorsportretro.com, among these articles I have written a piece about the Norm Beechey HK Monaro. Currently I am in the process of researching, rewriting, correcting and expanding upon the story with the view to submitting it for magazine publication. My efforts to uncover more information on this car has been relatively fruitful, and hopefully more will come to light with some other avenues I have been pursuing.

I'm not a journalist as such, this article has come about from an obsession in uncovering the history of this particular Monaro – nothing much has ever been written about it, and it is quite a significant car.

Any creditable information, assistance or photographs that anyone could offer would be very much appreciated.

[John McKechnie]

Hi Aaron- I have some Aussie motor mags from that period, so will research for you.

[Aron Peters]

Hi John - Thanks for that. I do have several old Racing Car News and Australian Auto Sports magazines from late 1968 through to early 1970 - which cover the car well during it's Beechey days - but there may be some holes in there you could help to fill. I have some information on the car when it was owned by Peter Briggs in Western Australia - but not a great deal.

By the way, my name isn't actually Aron Peters - that was meant to be a clever handle based on Pete Aron from the movie Grand Prix - and now I'm stuck with it. My name is James Meale, I was in contact with you last year regarding your own very historic Monaro.

[librules]

Hi James. There's a few pics of the HK here...... http://www.autopics.com.au/search.php?search_query=beechey+monaro&x=0&y=0 Cheers, Pete

[Terry S]

There is a photo of the Monaro supposedly rusting away in WA desert. Go to:

http://www.motorsportarchive.com

Click on "Bits & Pieces"

scroll down

[John McKechnie]

Aaron- sorry nothing in my old Motormans, Autonews or many different newsprint periodicals of that time.

[Aron Peters]

Thank you for checking for me John.

What I would really love to score for the article is early photographs of the HK, the sort of photgraphs someone would have taken in the paddock at some meeting long ago - or action shots would be appreciated even more. I'm aware of the images on the Autopics and Old Race Photos websites - it's those 'never seen before' type images I'm searching for.

By the way - I'm very much looking forward to seeing the Team Cambridge Monaro completed.

[Terry S]

try http://www.aussieroadracing.homestead.com

The only disadvantage with this site is that there is no search facility.

[Terry S]

Have you tried Google "Norm Beechey".

There is a site "Images for Norm Beechey" that has a lot of photos of his race cars.
If you click on a photo there is usually a story or something behind it.

You could also try Google "Neptune Racing Team".

[TonyG]

Contact Dan Bowden. He will have everything you need.
Mail: Bowden's Own,

PO Box 162,

Buderim, Qld, 4556, Australia.

Phone: (07) 5445 6065

Fax: (07) 5445 3957

email us at info@bowdensown.com.au.

Or contact us on our very active Facebook page

[Aron Peters]

I'd like to thank everyone for their comments and input.

This article has been in the making for almost two years - with only a few elements left to round it out.

Images of the car - colour would be awesome - of Norm Beechey racing the car in it's original Warwick Yellow. Norm only raced the car like this in the last few months of 1968.

One area that I do need to investigate is the Western Australian life of the car after if left the care of Peter Briggs and Terry LeMay. It seems certain that the car - well most of it - went to WA Speedway racer Leo Gommers and was used for, or stripped or it's parts. It then appears the body was dumped on a farm and mostly rotted away. To include this piece of the puzzle in my article I need to verify or substantiate this as fact. If anyone has any contact with the players at this end of the Monaro's career, please let them know that I would like to speak with them.

I'm not a journalist, just a passionate motoring enthusiast, former flag marshal and member of the Monaro Club of Queensland that can write reasonably well. My aim is to submit this to magazine editors and just get this story published, by the time I'm done there won't be much - if any - profit to be made.

[Andrew Metford]

I just bashed "Leo Gommers" into google and look what pooped up!! Seems he's still around in Perth, so you might be able to get the info you're after out of him with a phone call or email. Good luck and let us know how you go.

Gommers Leo Engineering
2 Gibbs St East Cannington WA 6107
(08) 9451 5238
Engineering Consultant

Look here for colour pic in the paddock at Pukekohe

http://www.motorsportarchive.com/New%20Zealand%20Grand%20Prix%20Pukekohe%2019GR%20Scans_8.jpg

[Aron Peters]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the assistance and suggestions to help me finalise my Beechey HK Monaro article.

Really good progress has been achieved in the last week or so, there are just a couple of loose ends that need to be verified and it should be good to go.

What I still desperately need is images. Specifically personal images that have never been published and are not available through channels like autopics.com.au or oldracephotos.com. The images must be yours, not saved from the internet, and I will need the owners permission to use them. Please rest assured they would only be used in conjunction with the article – they will not be copied and sold through eBay or any other channel, they will not be posted on the internet or any form of social media.

There are some excellent images of the Beechey HK Monaro on theroaringseason.com forum by Ray Sinclair that are right on the money – I would love to hear from Ray or anyone that knows Ray.

If anyone at all has anything that may be of interest, please let me know.

[Steve Holmes]

If you send me an email, I will put you in touch with 'Leo D': theroaringseason@gmail.com

[Aron Peters]

Thanks Steve.

I have sent you an email, but you will find it will not be under my Aron Peters alias. I should have used my real name for the Forum, it would have made things a bit easier. Regards James Meale