Story by Alan Baker Photographs from the Project Monte Carlo collection dding your own chapter to a As if one would really need motivation and use the best components from “out piece of rally history is what to do a Monte Carlo Rally given the of the shed”. Parts that he did need to members of the HRA do every opportunity, it was back in 2008 at a ‘outsource’ like rubbers, chrome parts, year. Using events of the past Holden Drivers reunion day that Gary and electrical items were provided with Aas inspiration has seen HRA members Poole saw the photo album of the 1953 support from RARE SPARES. At one take part in REDeX and Repco Trial Monte Carlo Rally, brought along by point, some of the directors from Rare re-runs, the BP Rally’s, the Alpine Rally Tony and Diana Gaze. Gary is a collector Spares were on site helping with the and the Rich River/Readyplan rallies to and racer of 48-215 and FJ Holden’s, so build. HRA members John Adams, Bob name a few. Even the 10 trials in the the sight of the first Australian crew to Watson, Graham Hoinville and Barry Nightstalker series were inspired by an tackle the event, and in the first model Ferguson also made contributions to event of the same name and style from Holden to boot, peaked his interest. the project. 30 years ago. It’s what we do. That’s the Long story short, Gary took copies fun bit. of some of the photos and set about Though simple devices by today’s building a replica of the Gaze/Davison/ standards, putting together a 1951 Then again, it’s a noble thing to pay Jones Holden with the view to taking it motor vehicle and doing it well requires tribute to champions in our sport who to Monte Carlo in 2011. a certain expertise. For that, Gary was as much as anything, made those iconic able to draw upon David Fazackerly events special. But it’s something that As we all know, building a car takes 3 (mechanic) and Lyall Bond (Business few get to do in a truly meaningful times longer and costs 20 times more manager) with others from time to time way. What if you could do both? What than you imagined. Quickly Gary including Ian Tate, Dick O’Keefe, Rob if you could write your own chapter realized that 2011 was too ambitious. Sealy, late Rob Jamieson, Ken Zinner in the re-telling of an event and at the But anyway, the 2013 event would mark and a group of others with experience same time, give a nod to those who have 60 years since the original Australian tilt in old Holden’s. Clearly then, this was gone before. What if that tribute was to so that date was steadily worked towards. a serious project aiming for a serious true champions who flew the flag of It did allow Gary to attend the 2011 result. Australian sport on the world stage? anniversary event, no doubt gaining invaluable first-hand knowledge about To that end, Gary went to extraordinary What if you could do something that what would be needed to succeed. lengths with the paintwork. The original Tony Gaze, Lex Davison and Stan Jones car used in 1953 was Ivory, according all did together, in the one Australian The donor car was one Gary had put to Lex Davison’s account of the event. car? Would that not be the ultimate aside as a spare shell for his Group N The exact colour is now thought to be Historic Rally experience? Welcome to race car. It came his way from a deceased “Malibu Ivory” based on the knowledge the story of Gary Poole and the 2013 estate in Ballarat. First hurdle over. of early Holden historian Don Loffler. Monte Carlo Rally Historique! Having collected many of the model Don also provided information on what over the years, Gary was able to sort was thought to be the original trim Page 24 news Above Left: Davison, Poole and Lowndes outside the Ru de Carnot in 2013. Above Right: Davison, Jones and Gaze outside the Ru de Carnot in 1953 Left: Snow covering the headlamps was a new experience for the Australians. Opposite Page: The 2013 challenge in action on the Monte Carlo Rally Historique 60 years after the first international event for a Holden.. colour. However, Davison decided to drum brakes. A Limited Slip diff and our headlights were some of the new re-paint the car in British Racing Green, Harrop rear axles were also tucked away experiences we encountered.” thinking that was a better colour for the in there to handle the modest extra snow! It was done in one day just before output from the reworked Holden 314 cars from the period 1955 to 1980 shipping the car to the event start in Grey motor. Despite all that, Gary said; aimed to converge in Monte Carlo after Glasgow, Scotland. So what did Gary “Fellow drivers couldn’t believe we still starting either in Glasgow, Barcelona, do? He took the Holden to be painted have drum brakes, vacuum wipers, a 3 Reims, Monte Carlo or Copenhagen in Camperdown in the original Malibu speed gearbox and bench seats!” Team and 64 were unable to complete the Ivory. Then, they roughly masked it members also travelled to Finland to journey. The team received a cup from up and over-painted with the British visit Rauno Aaltonen and his family for the Auto Club de Monaco for the oldest Racing Green, even allowing some the some ice and snow driving theory and vehicle to finish the rally. paint to bleed into gaps. Thus, like the practical lessons before the start. This The rally wasn’t without its problems for original in 1953, open the doors, lift was one very determined effort. the crew, with persistent wheel bearing the bonnet, look under the floor mats issues testing the team’s creative repair – it’s Ivory. How’s that for authenticity? With Glasgow as the start point as it was for the 1953 team, the crew of Poole, skills, with vintage Holden spare parts The car was finished some months before Davison and Lowndes followed the in short supply throughout southern it needed to be en route to the event. route originally taken by Lex Davison, France. Gary took the opportunity to do cold Stan Jones and Tony Gaze. It took 6 The experience of the rally itself weather testing at Lake Mountain and a days and covered 3200 km virtually must have been incredible; reliving shake down test at Targa Adelaide. non stop to Monte Carlo over mostly those incredible rally moments from snow covered roads. Gary recalled one Monte Carlo’s of the past. To do it in The team would run the original very snowy night stage with a grin: “We Victorian registration and were given such a faithful reconstruction of the had a cheeky chuckle and toot of the original Australian challenge, the first the same competition number as the horn as we passed by many a Porsche 1953 team, 177. Craig Lowndes came international foray in a Holden, must stuck in snow banks, the old Holden be a thrill beyond belief. on board as a driver in the team, joining power sliding by with Craig Lowndes Gary and Richard Davison, son of at the wheel.” Craig Lowndes summed it up: “It’s a original team member Lex Davison. tribute to the entire team that we have Concessions to modernity were mostly Lowndes added: “The roads in the rally been able to complete the event, and subtle but no doubt made it easier than were just incredible, covered in snow pay tribute to our Formula 1 drivers it was for the original crew. Hidden and ice, with no barriers and sheer who achieved this feat 60 years ago.” inside were GPS, rear demisters, an drops at the edge of the road. Coming electrical vacuum pump (to keep the face-to-face with a snow plough as A meaningful tribute indeed. vacuum wipers working at speed) we were belting around a corner, as and a power booster for the still all well as dealing with snow covering - Alan Baker March 2014 Page 25 PROJECT MONTE CARLO The 1953 Monte Carlo Challenge. - the first The Monte Carlo Holden competed back here in the Sun international event for and Australian Car. Trial of 1953 (Run by Don Thomson, the forerunner of the BP Rally) driven by Diana Davison (later Gaze) and won the The original car was purchased 2nd hand by the team. It had ladies prize. done 6000 miles. It was prepared in a matter of 2 weeks in the garage of Charlie Dean in Kew by Charlie, Geoff Joyce, • Tony Gaze was a WWII fighter pilot with the RAF. He Keith Welch and John McKay. An extra 10 gallon fuel was the first Australian to compete in Formula One, in tank was added to the boot and a windscreen washer bottle the Belgium Grand Prix of 1952. He also helped establish added and located near the exhaust manifold to keep it from Goodwood motor racing circuit in 1948. He died in in freezing. Extra lights were recessed in to the front guards and Geelong in 2013 aged 93. He is the subject of a book by two ‘flame throwers’ were mounted on the bonnet, up out of Stewart Wilson, entitled “Almost unknown”. harms way. In that time, working only after hours, the drive • Alexander (Lex) Davison won the 1961 Aintree Grand line was pulled down, inspected and rebuilt.