Lisa Stevens | School of Science, RMIT University
Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
Tom Stevens was a man whose involvement with motor sport and the automotive industry spanned more than seven decades. His private collection of letters, photographs, technical reports and race programs, provide a glimpse of Australian motorsport from the 1930’s, post war through to the modern era. Stevens’ trademark was his scientific and technical approach to car preparation and racing. But it was his in-depth knowledge of cars, drivers and racetracks (long since gone) that made him an authoritative source. This paper not only provides an overview of Tom Stevens career, but also documents the challenges in preserving a small slice of motorsport history.
1| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
Introduction Unlike some of his contemporaries, there are no books, websites or Wikipedia pages dedicated to his life and his achievements: There were no world records, no formal accolades. Tom Stevens is best described as one of the characters of motor racing in the pre and post war era. He maintained an involvement in motor sports and the fuel and lubricant industry for approximately 70 years as a sports administrator, historian, mechanic, restorer of cars, fuel and lubricant specialist, team manager and racing driver.
Tom Stevens was the son of immigrant parents, born in Mile End, South Australia. His father, a motor body builder/munitions worker, left Somerset England in 1919 and settled in Camden Park in Adelaide. Tom’s childhood was spent around cars and it was probably no surprise that he ended up completing his Motor Mechanics Training at Goodwood Central School. In fact, many of his childhood friends became on track rivals. By the time war was declared in 1939, he was in the midst of his apprenticeship with Commonwealth Oil Refineries (COR) and had joined the Citizens Military Force. By the age of 24 he had enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (Figure 1) and served in Papua/New Guinea first in the 13th Field Regiment, transferring to Small Boats before finally being promoted to a Warrant Officer, 31st Water Transport. By the time war in the Pacific had ended, he had successfully completed the Vehicle and Maintenance course, and become one of their instructors.
Figure 1. Tom Stevens at Woodside Army Camp South Australia 1942, Courtesy Stevens Family
In 1946 Stevens rejoined COR/BP as a consultant in fuels and lubricants and resumed his car racing career that spanned from the 1930’s until 2003. As a sports administrator he
2| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s. became a CAMS Steward (1957) CAMS Councillor representing South Australia in 1959, and, in 1956 he and long-time friend and on-track rival Stephen Tillett became the founding vice presidents of the MG Car Club of South Australia.1
Racing Circuits It is probably easier to list the tracks and street circuits that Stevens did not race on rather than the ones he did. The South Australian street circuits of Lobethal and Victor Harbor along with the Port Wakefield track held many memories. They were in his mind the “spiritual home” of motor racing in South Australia. With many Australian states banning road circuits, Stevens witnessed the evolution of purpose-built tracks and the repurposing of local and disused airstrips. Today few of these tracks remain operational, swallowed up by housing developments. Stevens’ knowledge of tracks, drivers, cars and race results was unequaled. His collection of photographs and programs, help paint a picture of pre and post war motor racing.
Figure 2. Tom Stevens (far right wearing sunglasses) in the pits at Port Wakefield Race Track 1955 enjoying his last race in the MG "square rigger" red car (#57) before acquiring MG TA/TC (#43,) (Photographer: unknown) Courtesy Stevens Family
Images of gentlemen leaning against the side of a car, smartly dressed wearing berets, peaked caps and cravats presented a more “romantic” side of car racing (Figure 2). In Stevens’ case, it was his trademark white cotton overalls, a roughly fashioned fiberglass racing helmet, a pair of string back gloves and his highly prized imported Polaroid driving goggles that made him stand out from other drivers. A newspaper description of South
3| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
Australia’s most successful female racecar driver, Judy Rackham, conjures an image that could be described as “Gatsby-esque”.2 These items were a far cry from the fire retardant racing suits and helmets that are required by the rules set down by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
The same photographs show that safety measures were rudimentary at best. Hay bales were used either as safety barriers or to delineate a course. Unlike today’s racetracks, there was little separating spectators and drivers. Corners were sharpened and tracks resurfaced to improve speed. Track makeovers were newsworthy items.3 The racetracks of today have come a long way - high cyclone mesh safety/debris fences separate spectators from the track and tyre walls, rumble strips and run off areas have been designed and installed to help protect the driver in the event of an accident.
Car preparation and racing Stevens’ racing career started as a child around the paddocks near home. While the team name “Ecurie Australie” will be forever linked with racing legend A.N. (Lex) Davison, Stevens and fellow South Australians, David Hopkins and Geoff Berry, raced their MG’s under the team name “Ecurie Abingdon”. The use of the name Abingdon was an acknowledgment of what was and continues to be the home of the MG.
The adjectives “scientific”, “meticulous”, “technical”, “immaculate” were regularly used to describe not only Stevens’ driving but also the preparation of his cars. Albert Ludgate from Sports Care World, in writing about one of South Australia’s most successful MG’s (a MGTC), described Tom’s systematic and painstaking process of selecting a car worthy of his attention.4 The car (Figure 3) originally purchased from a Melbourne showroom, had to be perfect. It would then be scrutinized, re-scrutinised then stripped down and re-built to within an inch of its life. Presentation was equally as important as performance.5 The car, tuned to “near standard tune”, outperformed many of the more highly tuned MG’s and was successfully campaigned by Stevens between 1951 and 1955. Even then, potential owners would be mindful of the attention that Stevens had lavished upon it. 6
4| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
Figure 3. Tom Stevens in his red MG "square rigger" (#57) on the starting line at Port Wakefield 1955 (Photographer: News Limited)
Catastrophic failures were rare although in one event Stevens’ car suffered a broken stub axle resulting in the separation of one of his front wheels. The loss of hydraulics hampered his ability to slow down and stop but, having managed to avoid both spectators and other objects, he received a minor injury when, getting out of the car, he hit his hip on a post. 7 8 A spectator returned the wheel that had bounced over a wire fence.9 Despite that rare incident, preparation was Stevens’ hallmark and his reputation in this area was not lost on those who bought and subsequently sold his cars.10 11
Stevens’ last MG (a 1954 TF) previously owned by historic racing identity Andrew Patterson received many accolades for both its turnout and performance. Purchased in 1982 the MGTF (Figure 4) was stripped and rebuilt ready for its racing reappearance in 1985 at Mallala. Only a year into the rebuild process, there were rumors of Stevens’ much anticipated return to the racetrack. At the age of 66 he started a campaign that saw him receive yet more accolades and awards for the best presented car, and pick up numerous podium finishes in the regularity trials. Regularity trials, unlike a scratch or handicap race, are not about the first across a finishing line. Drivers had to complete a number of flying laps of a circuit, keeping within a 10th of a second of a pre-nominated lap time. It required a considerable amount of concentration and skill to negotiate the circuit and other cars while remaining within your lap time. Stevens’ record of success showed that even with his advancing years he had not lost his driving skill.12
5| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
Figure 3. Stevens’ 1954 MG TF in street mode photographed in 2003
Courtesy of the Stevens Family
The MGTF graced the cover of the 1994/95 edition of Sports and Classic Cars Australia magazine. Not only did Stevens’ cars look as if they had come off the showroom floor, but their ability to perform was never in question and this led car enthusiasts to his front door, or rather the back shed. When it came to restoration work, he was a “good friend to have”.13 It was not long after restoring his own MGTF that researcher, historian and motoring enthusiast Dr. John Playford’s MGTC was in Tom’s garage receiving the same meticulous attention. Despite undergoing multiple “restorations” during its lifetime, the ever critical Stevens would eventually profess that the MGTC as having “pocket rocket” potential.14
Women Drivers and Stevens’ Cars In both the pre and post war era the concept of female racing drivers was not particularly novel, although their numbers were few. Stevens had frequently competed against cars that were either owned or driven by lady drivers, including fellow South Australians Judy Rackham, Betty Corbin, Nancy Barlow, Ann Wilde, and of course Diana Davison, from Victoria. Headlines such as “Main Race goes to Woman” 15 or reports of the Sporting Car Club of South Australia’s annual women’s trial16 were not out of place. In South Australia, women seemed to have achieved a level of level of acceptance in motor sport in the post war era, yet Stevens’ mantra was that women did not drive his cars (racing or otherwise). This view seemed to come, not from the fact that women were incapable, but more from doubting that they could meet his exacting standards. Even when the time came for him to dispose of his MG TF Special, the idea of his daughter driving it, much less racing it was step too far. 17
6| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
Commonwealth Oil Refineries/BP It was always going to be hard to compartmentalize different aspects of Tom Stevens’ life as his employment with BP and his involvement in motor sport were inextricably linked. Stevens’ relationship with COR/BP had started with a pre-war apprenticeship and ended in retirement; war service enhanced both the depth and breadth of his knowledge. Stevens’ employment with COR/BP was a “marriage made in heaven”, although he would have probably not seen it in those terms. While much of his time was spent undertaking field trials, working with car and marine dealerships and working with the sales marketing team, it seemed that Stevens was in his element. He had access to research laboratories, updated information from Europe and the ability to make connections beyond the shores of Australia. In a sense, he had achieved what many are still looking for, the ability to combine work and sport in a synergistic relationship. His ability as a driver and mechanic was able to flourish through the resources he could access at BP which had in its midst a well-respected driver and mechanical engineer whose depth of knowledge came from his pre-war apprenticeship augmented by war service training and experience, and experience on the track. Having someone of Stevens’ calibre driving into a rural centre was big news. The local town hall presentations to service station owners, mechanics, rural car dealerships and car racing enthusiasts were essential for connecting the “big smoke” to rural areas18. This was a time when country and interstate phone calls required an operator, when a telex machine was one of the newest means of communications and flights to Europe took days rather than hours.
Prior to the installation of a COR/BP racing department, the responsibility of handling racing matters fell under the lubricants marketing department domain. Despite the oil industry’s self-imposed embargo on motor sport in the 1950’s Stevens, along with BP colleague Adelaide-based Keith Rilstone, joined B.S.(Bib) Stillwell (Victoria), Lex Davison, Garrie Cooper (South Australia), Gavin Sandford-Morgan (South Australia), Clem Smith (South Australia) Stephen Tillett (South Australia) and Lou Molina (Victoria) as BP contracted drivers.19 20 Nearly 20 years after retiring from COR/BP a “youthful” looking 75 year old Stevens ventured back to Albert Park in his 1954 MGTF once again acknowledged by BP.
Association with Elfin Sports Cars The affiliation of Stevens with the late Garrie Cooper and Elfin went beyond that of technical advice and management, and continued after Cooper's premature death. Tom was there when the Elfin Formula Junior (FJ) made its debut at Warwick Farm (New South Wales) in 1961 driven by Arnold Glass. The journey from 1 Conmurra Avenue, Edwardstown to
7| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
Warwick Farm was one of extraordinary effort, which saw an unraced/untried racecar compete on equal terms some of the best cars and drivers in its category.
Stevens systematically and meticulously noted the various settings used for Warwick Farm and the Australian Grand Prix. Details of the FJ’s successful debut were immediately conveyed to BP’s London head office. 21 By the time the team of Cooper, his father Cliff, Murray Lewis and Stevens had completed the 1800 miles return trip from South Australia to New South Wales, there was talk of increasing the team’s strength to 3 cars. It would comprise the Ford engine FJ; a 1500cc BMC powered sports/racer and the new clubman, styled on Lotus 7 lines and powered with Tom’s 1/14 litre Laystall modified MG motor, with Tom as driver. Letters to Stevens’ London counterpart detail the work undertaken by Cooper and Rilstone on the next generation Elfin that was fitted with a 1500 Cortina engine.22 From BP’s perspective, this was a worthy project given the success of the Formula Junior’s on debut. The Elfin “Mono” made its debut in Melbourne in 1964.
Stevens’ association with the Cooper family and Elfin did not end with Garrie Cooper’s death. He, like many others, saw the need to pay tribute to a man whose South Australian built cars had a major impact on the international motor racing stage. He was one of a number of people working closely with Cooper’s widow Lorraine and father Cliff to ensure that a proper tribute was paid to Cooper. Using his experience, connections and project management skills Stevens was instrumental in the development of the Garrie Cooper Memorial Trust. The aim of the Trust was to create a perpetual memorial to Cooper and in April 1984 the official opening of the Garrie Cooper display at the Birdwood Motor Museum, South Australia, took place.23 At the same time, Stevens received a life membership of the Elfin Drivers and Owners Club in recognition of his 30-year association with Elfin and the Cooper family.24
Land speed record attempts An envelope with the words Proteus Specs for engine inhibitors – DTD 44-D25 was destined for recycling if not for the recognition of one word. It is these sorts of ad hoc notes written on the back of envelopes that helped piece together Stevens’ involvement in one of the most historic automotive events of the 1960’s – Donald Campbell’s gas turbine powered Bluebird land speed record attempt at Lake Eyre.
Stevens’ involvement in the Campbell land speed record is not fully understood as not only did he push others to the fore but also letters and documents relating to the event are held a number of different private and public collections. Stevens’ detailed reports on the land
8| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s. speed attempts of Mel McEwin in his “vacuum influenced” Tornado and Col Crothers in his Vincent HRD were not just reports on the attempts, but provided intelligence for planning the Campbell attempt..26 Letters from Stevens to Gordon Reynard at BP head office show the collaboration between BP and Dunlop as well as the high level of work and planning required to organize an event of this magnitude in one of the remotest places in Australia. They reveal that Stevens has been invited to “make himself ready" as the driver of a Jaguar XK 150 test car for the collection of vital tyre and surface data.27 However, circumstances saw Dunlop technician to the Bluebird Project, Andrew Mustard, complete the tests in a Elfin Catalina (#6313)28
Motor sport historian Stevens kept copious notebooks. He detailed everything from different racing “brews”, details of car “set ups”, results and lap times from the 1950’s. Despite his meticulous and pedantic nature, he failed in one of the most basic areas of record keeping - there is no way of identifying many of his vast collection of photographs. Stevens saw no reason to write the details on the back or to catalogue them as his ability to recall this information had not failed him; but with age, the memory fades and details do become difficult to recall. Fortunately, Stevens’ collection of race programs, journals and other documents were the key to the photographs providing a treasure trove of information about modifications, ownership and car performance.29
As a “go to” man, Stevens was the catalyst for settling many disputes. He regularly received manuscripts and galley proofs to which were attached the obligatory ... it would be appreciated if you could have a look at this or a first edition copy with attached letter of thanks. Even motoring writer, the late Graham Howard, realized that despite the scrupulous checking of facts there were gaps in the available information, that errors could still be made and the potential for that error to be replicated was quite high.30 Unfortunately, Howard’s chapter on the 1955 Australian Grand Prix in The Official 50-Race History of the Australian Grand Prix contains errors. Much of the problem stemmed from the passing of many of the key players as well as dimmed memories. It is unclear whether this chapter was ever revised.
Accuracy of fact was paramount and this led to the “letter war” between Stevens and the CAMS National Historic Committee. He was not just another disgruntled driver trying to get the committee to reconsider their interpretations of the historic racing rules and regulations but more importantly to acknowledge the facts. For him accuracy was absolute. Indeed, it would be fair to say that Stevens often knew more about an individual car’s history than what
9| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s. could be revealed via a log book. If Stevens had not driven it, he had probably raced against it, or had tuned it when it first hit the track in the pre and post war period. Without this level knowledge or detailed records, it is difficult for eligibility committees to ensure strict eligibility criteria are met. Stevens’ comprehensive collection of journals provides an insight into one of the biggest questions in historic motor racing: is MG TA #0718 a TB or not? (Figure 5) The marriage between a MG TA chassis and a MG TC engine does not automatically equate to a MG TB. Despite Stevens’ unfailing practice to refer to it as a TA/TC or a TA Special, at some point, the tag MG TB was applied. Without the original documentation and his persistence to ensure that the facts were maintained, this misrepresentation may have continued.
Figure 5. Preparing for the 1956 Argus Cup meeting at Albert Park (Vic), Tom (foreground) and Ross Lindsay admire the custom exhaust ducting of the green MG TA/TC Special. Stevens felt that the car was over handicapped at Albert Park after a stellar performance at Port Wakefield immediately prior to the Olympic meet. (Photographer News Limited)
It is collections like Stevens’ that are important not only for documenting a car’s provenance but to also help to strengthen the large and rich tapestry of South Australian and even Australian motor sport. Anecdotal and hearsay evidence is one thing, but having access to the original documents provides that important link between the past and the present.
What to do with private collections? Stevens was recognized as the “photo guru” and his memory of racetracks, events, cars and drivers was incredible while his collection of race reports, lap times and other data provided an invaluable source of information for automotive historians and authors. He saw the need
10| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s. to preserve the history of individual cars and advocated the creation a central photographic repository – the National Motor Sport Photo Library. His vision was for collections like his to be available to enthusiasts, not locked away in a vault to be dragged out for a month-long display. Although, he questioned whether generations X Y and Z would have the same affinity for collectable cars and history as their parents and grandparents. 31
There are currently 60 private and public motor museums in Australia, along with the 1000’s of car clubs covering nearly every type and vintage of car ever made which serve both public and private interests.32 Car clubs face the bigger challenge of physical and financial resources. It is not just a matter of collecting the material, it is also a matter of having the space and the resources to conserve the information so it can be a useful resource. Yet these collections are also family legacies. They hold dear and treasured memories, something to be handed down to the next generation. No matter what the case it is important for these records not to end up in a recycling bin or as landfill. The Stevens collection of papers and photographs will be catalogued and digitized for the next generation of historic racing enthusiasts.
How do you measure his contribution? The Australian public attributes success at elite sporting levels to an individual’s contribution to the fabric of sport and to Australia as a nation. But it must be remembered that not everyone can come first, not everyone ends a successful racing career to go on to be a top flight sports administrator. Yet, everyone who participates in sport in his or her own way contributes to the development of the profile of sport. It is hard to quantify the contribution Stevens made to motor sport and the fuel industry, as he was a proud and private person. While some are recognised through halls of fame, honour boards or formal national honours for their contribution to motorsport, others have also contributed. In the case of Tom Stevens, his forthright approach and his rejection of the spotlight made him less likely to be formally honoured, yet the level of respect he achieved as a driver, a fuel and lubricant specialist and motorsport historian was enough.
Motor sport in Australia, and particularly South Australia, was in its infancy when Stevens first took to the track. Successful racing careers where put on hold with Australia’s involvement in World War II and in the immediate post-war period during rationing spare parts, tyres, fuel and other consumables were in limited supply. Stevens’ contribution to motor sport was the knowledge that he gained and passed on to others and the collection of photos, journals and papers that he leaves behind.
11| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
Conclusion Few documents encapsulate Stevens’ life more succinctly than a 70th birthday card, which read: To One of Historic Motor Racing Living Treasures... From Victor Harbor 1936… To Lobethal 1939… To Bathurst 1952… To racing MG TC’s in the 50’s… To Elfin Support in the 60s… To Bluebird Record Attempt surveys in the 60’s To Historic Racing in the 80’s.33
For Tom Stevens, cars, engines and fuels were a part of his DNA. From his formative years, as an apprentice, through his war service, to post war racing until his death his was a life that contributed in so many ways to the fabric of motor sport in Australia.
12| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings
Lisa Stevens Preserving the Legacy of South Australian Motor Racing Identity Tom Stevens and 70 years of Racing MG’s.
1 Barry Bahnisch, Marque of Respect - the first 50 years of the MG Car Club of South Australia (Adelaide: MG Car Club, 2006), 26-27. 2 “Woman Car Racer at Party”, The Advertiser (13 October 1952). 3 “Track Improvements Wakefield Car Races” The Pioneer (24 April 1953): 1. 4 Albert Ludgate, “Stock to warm and back again - South Australia’s most successful MG get a new Lease on life”, Sports Car World (October 1957):18-19. 5 Ludgate, “Stock to warm and back again”, 19. 6 Ludgate, “Stock to warm and back again”, 19. 7 Tom Stevens. The day I end up on three wheels that is: n.d. 8 Stevens, The day I end up on three wheels that is: 2. 9 “Historic Racing Register News.” Wheelspin (June 1983):14. 10 Ludgate, A “Stock to warm and back again.” 19. 11 “Rodger Yates Stripped MG TC (ex-Tom Stevens)”, Australian Motor Sport (February 1957). 12 “Historic Groups”, http://www.hrcc.org.au/sprintsreg.htm, accessed 27 September 2016. 13 Dennis Harrison, “Spit an’ Polish”, Australian Sports & Classic Cars (6:4 1994/95): 12-15. 14 Harrison, “Spit n Polish”, 15. 15 The Mail (11 October 1952). 16 “Woman’s Car Trial”, The News (15 December 1952). 17 Lisa Stevens, interview with Tom Stevens (Adelaide: n.d.). 18 “COR engineer for Broken Hill visit”, Barrier Miner (25 July 1955). 19 Letter from Graham Hoinville to Graham Howard (7 August, 1996), Stevens Family Collection. 20 BP Australia Racing Services, “List of Drivers 1960 Contracted Competitors Memo” n.d., Stevens Family Collection. 21 Tom Stevens to Gordon Reynard (27 October 1961), Stevens Family Collection. 22 Tom Stevens to Gordon Reynard (12 November 1963), Stevens Family Collection. 23 Brian Reed, “Display honours Garrie Cooper,” The Gazette (26 April 1984). 24 Brian Reed to Tom Stevens (April 1984), Stevens Family Collection. 25 Proteus Lubricant Specifications n.d., Stevens Family Collection. 26 Tom Stevens to BP Australia (July 1961) on his visit to Lake Eyre 29 June to 4 July 1961, Stevens Family Collection. 27 Tom Stevens to Gordon Reynard, Stevens Family Collection. 28 “Bits ‘n’ Pieces”, Elfin Owners and Drivers Club Inc. Newsletter (September 2013: 130). http://www.elfinheritage.com.au/newsletters/EOCnewsletter_issue130.pdf 29 Lisa Stevens, interview with Tom Stevens (Adelaide: April 2016). 30 Graham Howard to Tom Stevens (23 September 2005), Stevens Family Collection. 31 Tom Stevens, “Lead in Your Petrol” n.d., Stevens Family Collection. 32 “Australian Historic Car Museums”, http://www.australasianmotormuseums.com.au/australian_motor_museums.php, accessed 4 June 2016. 33 John Medley, birthday card, Stevens Family Collection.
13| AHA 2016 Conference Proceedings