5 Best Looking Racing Saloons Of The 1960s

[Jac Mac]

What thread are you on Micheal

I guess I would have been 8 or 9 - it's the race before the long one. I think it was still the Wills 6 hr at that point but in the curtain raiser was a Volvo, like The Saint's.

If I had to put money on it, I'd guess Jim Boyd was the driver. Did it ever race any other time of year?

In my mind it was maroon (Milan - what colour was it?) - it looked well out of place I know that. I suppose it is the only Volvo I ever found remotely attractive.

[Michael Clark]

Was the Volvo a saloon? I'm pretty sure it was in a saloon race...I know I struggle a little with racing cars with doors but I'm trying to expand my horizons!

[Oldfart]

I have memories that you are right with Jim Boyd in the P1800.
PDL Falcon (agree Jac)
Any good A40, but the Kerry Grant one when it was black with the orange nose band was best
Paul Adams 2002
Silvester Chev
Morrari

[Michael Clark]

I think it would have been the first time I was in the grandstand at Puke when I saw the Minor/Ferrari/Corvette. Relative to other cars, its speed down the backstraight was astonishing - perhaps accentuated because being orange it stood out so much.

The next time I can recall seeing a car so much faster down the Puke straight was the Spencer Black Camaro - in mustard/pale yellow. Perhaps even on debut - perhaps even the same day as the Volvo P1800. It was off the rear of the grid so it was passing much slower cars but talk about impact - wow!

Speaking of A40s - it was wonderful to see the Clyde Collins ever so slightly modified version being exercised at Ruapuna last weekend.

In my view, the yellow Nazer Anglia in 66/67 format, was the best looking of the 105Es

[Milan Fistonic]

I guess I would have been 8 or 9 - it's the race before the long one. I think it was still the Wills 6 hr at that point but in the curtain raiser was a Volvo, like The Saint's.

If I had to put money on it, I'd guess Jim Boyd was the driver. Did it ever race any other time of year?

In my mind it was maroon (Milan - what colour was it?) - it looked well out of place I know that. I suppose it is the only Volvo I ever found remotely attractive.

Jim Boyd raced a Volvo 1800S in the 1966 and 1967 Three Hour Races at The Wills meetings. Ian Green co-drove in '66 (11th) and Brian Rice in '67 (9th).

I don't know if the the same car was used in both outings but I seem to remember seeing a photo of what must have been the '67 car that looked white in colour while the attched photo of the '66 car is clearly a darker shade - probably maroon as you say.

[Michael Clark]

Born 1958 so the 66/67 yrs lines up with my 8 or 9 guess.

It wasn't very fast as I recall - and did it ever get used other than that race?

[ERC]

Wouldn't that Volvo be classed as a GT rather than a saloon? Must be a good engine though, as the early Marcos with that power plant seem to do very well in historic racing in Europe.

[Milan Fistonic]

I would suggest that the Volvo is more of a saloon car than the Daimler SP250s they allowed to run in the 1966 race.

I felt sure that the Volvo had appeared in other events, but a quick look through the Pukekohe programmes from that time hasn't provided any confirmation.

[Peddler]

Nice photos. Not buying the Imp as beautiful but, God, Pukekohe was a lovely place. Loved it as a spectator, a marshall and a competitor. What a fate, strangled by a bridge.
And if this post wandering about here on its own is confusing, I was intending to respond to kiwi285, hence the Puke reference.

[Horizon]

And my Fav's

MK 1 Lotus Cortina (J. Clark)
FIA falcon Sprint (G.Hill, J.Sears)
Iso Griffo (More GT than "taxi" ,but still cool)
and after the 60's...
Air NZ Colone capri (just the wail of that V6)

and I'll add the Crowe/Freeth Toyota Starlet, just because of how dang fast that little car could go.........

Tony G

[Grant Ellwood]

Mustang- Ivan Segedin
Custaxie - Robbie Franicivec
A40 Farina (Sebring nose) - Kerry Grant
Anglia Twin cam - Dave Simpson
E Type - Scott Wiseman

[ElCoyote]

Sidchrome Mustang/Moffat Mustang
Williment Escort T/C
Cologne Capri
PDL MK 1
Hamlin Minisprint

[Ost]

'64 Plymouth Belvedere
Lotus Cortina
Mercury Cyclone Spoiler 2/Ford Torino Talladega
Ford Escort TC
Alfa Romeo GTA


Sadly the Monaro misses out...

[jdlaw75]

I have memories that you are right with Jim Boyd in the P1800.
PDL Falcon (agree Jac)
Any good A40, but the Kerry Grant one when it was black with the orange nose band was best
Paul Adams 2002
Silvester Chev
Morrari

The black one was Kerry's 2nd A40, and it had (so it was believed) more horsepower than a Sebring Sprite.
Before it was modified and painted black, I watched Kerry with it up on a hoist in Palmerston North, stripping off all of the underseal - that was extra weight that he didn't want slowing it down.
My brother helped with the development of the 1st A40 - not sure about the 2nd one though - must ask him sometime!

[Ray Bell]

Without a shadow of a doubt...





Visually exciting, beautifully prepared, always fast too.

[Paul B]

The Big 1963 Galaxie, John Willment Racing Team, raced by The late great Jack Sears is one of the very rare factory lightweight Holman Moody racers. This big machine with the FE 427 and 4speed with Detroit locker diff is a cool car,
(the car was sold on 9/9/2017 at Bonhams for a record £471,900.00) !! more than NZ$900,000
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24122/lot/217/
There are some great pics of the original car on this site

The light weight cars were also available through Ford dealers. Amazing how well they did given the size of the huge car but brute HP prevailed
I just love these big beasts and those 7 ltr big blocks thundering around the race track is surely another sight to be seen.

Bonhams Photo

[Roger Dowding]

Jim Boyd raced a Volvo 1800S in the 1966 and 1967 Three Hour Races at The Wills meetings. Ian Green co-drove in '66 (11th) and Brian Rice in '67 (9th).

I don't know if the the same car was used in both outings but I seem to remember seeing a photo of what must have been the '67 car that looked white in colour while the attched photo of the '66 car is clearly a darker shade - probably maroon as you say.

Milan, and others the Jim Boyd P1800 was also run at National Meetings in the Allcomer Saloon races - seen here heading for the grid in May 1966 [ pic posted before ] and also it the paddock area