London-Sydney Marathon
Encyclopedia
The London–Sydney Marathon was a car rally
from the United Kingdom to Australia. It was first run in 1968, a second event was organised in 1977 and a third in 1993 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original. Two further rallies have subsequently been contested in 2000 and 2004.
The original event was won by Andrew Cowan
, Colin Malkin and Brian Coyle, driving a Hillman Hunter
. Fifty-six cars finished.
of the pound
. Sir Max Aitken
, proprietor of the Daily Express
and two of his editorial executives, Jocelyn Stevens and Tommy Sopwith jr, decided to create an event which their newspaper could sponsor, and which would serve to raise the country's spirits. Such an event would, it was felt, act as a showcase for British engineering and would boost export sales in the countries through which it passed.
The initial UK£10,000 winner's prize offered by the Daily Express was soon joined by a £3,000 runners-up award and two £2,000 prizes for the third-placed team and for the highest-placed Australians, all of which were underwritten by the Daily Telegraph
newspaper and its proprietor Sir Frank Packer, who was eager to promote the Antipodean leg of the race.
, organising secretary and himself a former racing driver, plotted a 7,000-mile course covering eleven countries in as many days, and arranged that the P&O
liner S.S. Chusan would ferry the first 72 cars and their crews on the nine day voyage from India, before the final 2,600 miles across Australia:
The remaining crews departed Bombay at 3 am on Thursday 5 December, arriving in Fremantle
at 10 am on Friday 13 December before they restarted in Perth
the following evening. Any repairs attempted on the car during the voyage would lead to the crew's exclusion.
established an early lead through the first genuinely treacherous leg, from Sivas to Erzincan in Turkey, averaging almost 60 mph in his Lotus Cortina
for the 170 mile stage. Despite losing time in Pakistan
and India
, he maintained his lead to the end of the Asian section in Bombay
, with Simo Lampinen
's Ford Taunus
second and Lucien Bianchi
's DS21
in third.
However, once into Australia, Clark suffered several setbacks. A piston failure dropped him to third, and would have cost him a finish had he not been able to cannibalise fellow Ford Motor Company
driver Eric Jackson's car for parts. After repairs were effected, he suffered what should have been a terminal rear differential failure. Encountering a Cortina by the roadside, he persuaded the initially reluctant owner to sell his rear axle and resumed once more, although at the cost of 80 minutes' delay while it was replaced.
By this time Bianchi and co-driver Jean-Claude Ogier had built an apparently unassailable lead ahead of Paddy Hopkirk
's Austin 1800
in second, but approaching the Nowra checkpoint at the end of the penultimate stage with only 150 miles to Sydney, the Frenchmen were involved in a head-on collision which wrecked their Citroën and hospitalised the pair. Hopkirk, the first driver on the scene, gave up his chance of victory when he stopped to tend to the injured and extinguish the flames in the burning cars. That left Andrew Cowan
, who had requested "a car to come last" from the Chrysler
factory on the assumption that only half a dozen drivers would even reach Sydney, to take an unexpected victory in his Hillman Hunter
and claim the £10,000 prize. Hopkirk finished second, while Australian Ian Vaughan was third in a factory-entered Ford Falcon
.
, 1977's rerun, this time sponsored by Singapore Airlines
, belonged to Mercedes
. The German marque claimed a 1–2 finish and had two other cars in the top eight, with Andrew Cowan
in a 280E
repeating his success of nine years previous, followed home by team-mate Tony Fowkes in a similar car. Paddy Hopkirk
, this time driving a Citroën
, took the final podium spot.
, established his company as an organiser of modern endurance rallies with a 25th anniversary re-run of the marathon in 1993. He persuaded 21 drivers who had competed in 1968 to return, including Andrew Cowan
and Roger Clark
, and altogether 106 teams from 17 countries entered. Cowan drove the same car as the first time, having his Hillman Hunter
loaned to him by the Scottish Automobile Club museum, while other competitors drove pre-1970 era cars. The entry fee was £12,900, and the estimated cost of participating was put at £45,000.
The 16,000 km race had three major differences to its ancestor. First, the changing political climate in the Middle East meant that several countries such as Iraq
and Afghanistan
were now out of bounds, although in Europe, Turkey and Australia much of the original route was retraced. Also, the old scheduled open road sections were replaced with more modern timed special stages
for safety reasons. Finally, with the demise of the great passenger liners there would be no great voyage across the Indian Ocean to Australia, Brittan instead negotiating for two Antonov An-124
cargo planes to take the vehicles to Australia.
The winning driver was Francis Tuthill in a Porsche 911
, ahead of the Ford Falcon GT
of Ian Vaughan who finished third in 1968. Kenya
's Mike Kirkland, a stalwart of the Safari Rally
, took the final place on the podium in a Peugeot 504
.
in the first fourteen days, the competitors would be loaded on to the Antonovs
for the trip to northern Thailand
, driving south through the country and into Malaysia for twelve days before being flown to Australia for the last eight days of the race.
Of the 100 starters who left London 78 reached Sydney, with Stig Blomqvist
and Ben Rainsford scoring victory ahead of Michèle Mouton
in a Porsche 911
, whose co-driver was 1993 winner Francis Tuthill. Rick Bates and Jenny Brittan in another 911
took third.
(showroom-class) cars, and pre-1977 classics, all limited to two wheel drive and a sub-two litre engine. New Zealand, in tandem with Lincolnshire
, England race-preparation specialists Langworth Motorsport, scored a 1–2–3 podium clean sweep with three Kiwi-piloted Honda Integra
s; overall winners Joe McAndrew
and Murray Cole, runners-up Mike Montgomery and Roy Wilson, and Shane Murland and John Benton in third. The highest-placed classic car was a Ford Escort RS1600 driven by Britain's
Anthony Ward and Mark Solloway, which finished sixth overall.
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
from the United Kingdom to Australia. It was first run in 1968, a second event was organised in 1977 and a third in 1993 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original. Two further rallies have subsequently been contested in 2000 and 2004.
The original event was won by Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan is a Scottish former rally driver, and the founder and senior director of Mitsubishi Ralliart until his retirement on 30 November 2005.-Early years:...
, Colin Malkin and Brian Coyle, driving a Hillman Hunter
Hillman Hunter
Rootes Arrow was the manufacturer's name for a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques by the Rootes Group from 1966 to 1979. It is amongst the last Rootes designs, developed with no influence from future owner Chrysler...
. Fifty-six cars finished.
Background
The original Marathon was the result of a lunch in late 1967, during a period of despondency in Britain caused by the devaluationDevaluation
Devaluation is a reduction in the value of a currency with respect to those goods, services or other monetary units with which that currency can be exchanged....
of the pound
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
. Sir Max Aitken
Sir Max Aitken, 2nd Baronet
Sir John William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 2nd Baronet, DSO, DFC , formerly 2nd Baron Beaverbrook, was a British Conservative politician and press baron, the son of Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook....
, proprietor of the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
and two of his editorial executives, Jocelyn Stevens and Tommy Sopwith jr, decided to create an event which their newspaper could sponsor, and which would serve to raise the country's spirits. Such an event would, it was felt, act as a showcase for British engineering and would boost export sales in the countries through which it passed.
The initial UK£10,000 winner's prize offered by the Daily Express was soon joined by a £3,000 runners-up award and two £2,000 prizes for the third-placed team and for the highest-placed Australians, all of which were underwritten by the Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
newspaper and its proprietor Sir Frank Packer, who was eager to promote the Antipodean leg of the race.
The route
An eight-man organising committee was established to create a suitably challenging but navigable route. Jack SearsJack Sears
Jack Sears is a British former race and rally driver, and was one of the principal organisers of the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon. He was popularly known as "Gentleman Jack". His son David is also involved in motorsport....
, organising secretary and himself a former racing driver, plotted a 7,000-mile course covering eleven countries in as many days, and arranged that the P&O
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
liner S.S. Chusan would ferry the first 72 cars and their crews on the nine day voyage from India, before the final 2,600 miles across Australia:
| Europe and Asia | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg | Date | Start | Finish | Allowed time | Description |
| 1 | 24–25 November | London | Paris | 12h 32m | 2300hrs depart Crystal Palace, London Crystal Palace, London Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital... ; 0400hrs depart England at Dover Dover Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings... on the cross-channel English Channel The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover... ferry to France; 1132hrs arrive Le Bourget Airport Le Bourget Airport Paris – Le Bourget Airport is an airport located in Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, and Dugny, north-northeast of Paris, France. It is now used only for general aviation as well as air shows... , Paris. |
| 2 | 25–26 November | Paris | Turin | 13h 32m | To Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... via the Mont Blanc Tunnel Mont Blanc Tunnel The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a road tunnel in the Alps under the Mont Blanc mountain, linking Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France , and Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy . It is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes, particularly for Italy, which relies on the tunnel for transporting as much as... ; 0052hrs arrive Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... . |
| 3 | 26 November | Turin | Belgrade | 21h 12m | Autostrada towards Venice Venice Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region... before crossing into Yugoslavia Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,... ; 2204hrs arrive Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe... . |
| 4 | 26–27 November | Belgrade | Istanbul | 15h 31m | Through Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... by night into Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... ; 1335hrs arrive Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... . |
| 5 | 27–28 November | Istanbul | Sivas | 12h 25m | Crossing the Bosphorus by ferry, through Ankara Ankara Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million.... and the Bolu Pass; 0300hrs arrive Sivas. |
| 6 | 28 November | Sivas | Erzincan | 2h 45m | Heading east across unsurfaced roads; 0445hrs Erzincan Erzincan -Trivia:Erzincan has the largest man made of Portrait of Atatürk, located north of the city, 176m×43m. It covers 7,500 square meter. Turkish Army made it 1982, in 29 days by 3,000 soldier, 100 tons of black and white paint was used... . |
| 7 | 28–29 November | Erzincan | Tehran | 22h 01m | Cross border into Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia... ; 0246hrs arrive Tehran Tehran Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to... . |
| 8 | 29–30 November | Tehran | Kabul | 23h 33m | Follow one of two routes to Islamquita in Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world... , either the northerly route across the Alburz Mountains skirting the southern shores of the Caspian Sea Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of... , or the shorter but more treacherous route along the north edge of the Great Salt Desert; 0219hrs arrive Kabul Kabul Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan... , where timeous crews can enjoy a 6.5 hour rest before the Khyber pass Khyber Pass The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world.... opens. |
| 9 | 30 November | Kabul | Sarobi | 1h 00m | 0842hrs depart Kabul across an obsolete, loose-surfaced road through the Lataband Pass; 0942hrs arrive Sarobi. |
| 10 | 30 November–1 December | Sarobi | Delhi | 17h 55m | Cross Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan... in a day into India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... ; 0337hrs arrive Delhi Delhi Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census... . |
| 11 | 1–2 December | Delhi | Bombay | 22h 51m | Pass through Agra Agra Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most... and Indore Indore Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631... ; 0228hrs arrive Bombay. |
The remaining crews departed Bombay at 3 am on Thursday 5 December, arriving in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
at 10 am on Friday 13 December before they restarted in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
the following evening. Any repairs attempted on the car during the voyage would lead to the crew's exclusion.
| Australia | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg | Date | Start | Finish | Allowed time | Description |
| 12 | 14–15 December | Perth | Youanmi | 7h 00m | Depart 1800hrs from Gloucester Park Gloucester Park Gloucester Park is a harness racing course in Perth, Western Australia. In the suburb of East Perth, the oval course is adjacent to the WACA Ground... , traversing smooth but unsurfaced road; 0100hrs arrive deserted mining town of Youanmi Youanmi, Western Australia Youanmi is the name of an abandoned town in the Murchison Region of Western Australia.The town was gazetted in 1910 but abandoned in 1942, after the local gold mine was closed.-History:... . |
| 13 | 15 December | Youanmi | Marvel Loch | 4h 03m | Through semi-desert via Diemal to asphalt road at Bullfinch Bullfinch, Western Australia Bullfinch is a small town in the Eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.The town is based around the gold mining industry and was originally gazetted in 1910.... ; 0503hrs arrive Marvel Loch Marvel Loch Gold Mine The Marvel Loch Gold Mine is a gold mine located at Marvel Loch, 30 km south of Southern Cross, Western Australia.It is operated by St Barbara Limited... . |
| 14 | 15 December | Marvel Loch | Lake King | 1h 59m | Into the Nullarbor Desert; 0702hrs arrive Lake King (crossroads) Lake King, Western Australia Lake King is a town located in the Eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, from Perth along State Route 107 between Wagin and Ravensthorpe.... . |
| 15 | 15 December | Lake King | Ceduna | 14h 52m | 2154hrs arrive Ceduna Ceduna, South Australia Ceduna is a small town in the West Coast region of South Australia. It is situated in the northwest corner of Eyre Peninsula, facing the islands of the Nuyts Archipelago. It lies west of the junction of the Flinders and Eyre Highways around 786 km northwest of the capital Adelaide. The port... . |
| 16 | 15–16 December | Ceduna | Quorn | 6h 18m | 0412hrs arrive Quorn Quorn, South Australia Quorn is a township and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 km northeast of Port Augusta. At the 2006 census, Quorn had a population of 1068.Quorn is the home of the Flinders Ranges Council local government area... . |
| 17 | 16 December | Quorn | Moralana Creek | 1h 17m | 0529hrs arrive Moralana Creek. |
| 18 | 16 December | Moralana Creek | Brachina | 1h 30m | 0659hrs arrive Brachina. |
| 19 | 16 December | Brachina | Mingary | 4h 10m | 1109hrs arrive Mingary. |
| 20 | 16 December | Mingary | Menindee | 2h 12m | 1329hrs arrive Menindee Menindee, New South Wales Menindee is a small town in the far west of New South Wales, Australia, in Central Darling Shire, on the banks of the Darling River, with a sign-posted population of 980.-History:... . |
| 21 | 16 December | Menindee | Gunbar | 5h 18m | 1839hrs arrive Gunbar Gunbar, New South Wales Gunbar is in the Riverina district of south-western New South Wales in Australia, on a wide bend of the Mid-Western Highway between Goolgowi and Hay. It is part of the Carrathool Shire local government area, administered from Goolgowi... . |
| 22 | 16 December | Gunbar | Edi | 4h 26m | 2305hrs arrive Edi. |
| 23 | 16–17 December | Edi | Brookside | 1h 00m | 0005hrs arrive Brookside. |
| 24 | 17 December | Brookside | Omeo | 1h 55m | 0200hrs arrive Omeo. |
| 25 | 17 December | Omeo | Murrindal | 2h 06m | 0406hrs arrive Murrindal. |
| 26 | 17 December | Murrindal | Ingebyra | 1h 31m | 0537hrs arrive Ingebyra. |
| 27 | 17 December | Ingebyra | Numeralla | 1h 29m | 0706hrs arrive Numeralla. |
| 28 | 17 December | Numeralla | Hindmarsh Station | 0h 42m | 0748hrs arrive Hindmarsh Station. |
| 29 | 17 December | Hindmarsh Station | Nowra | 2h 01m | 0949hrs arrive Nowra. |
| 30 | 17 December | Nowra | Warwick Farm | 3h 30m | 1319hrs arrive Warwick Farm. |
| 31 | 18 December | Warwick Farm | Sydney | Arrive in procession, Sydney. |
Result
Roger ClarkRoger Clark
Roger Albert Clark, MBE, was a British rally driver during the 1960s and '70s, and the first competitor from his country to win a World Rally Championship event when he triumphed at the 1976 RAC Rally.-Biography:...
established an early lead through the first genuinely treacherous leg, from Sivas to Erzincan in Turkey, averaging almost 60 mph in his Lotus Cortina
Lotus Cortina
The Lotus-Cortina is a high-performance car, which was produced in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1970 by the Ford in collaboration with Lotus Cars. The original version, which was based on the Ford Cortina Mark 1, was promoted by Ford as the "Consul Cortina developed by Lotus", with "Consul"...
for the 170 mile stage. Despite losing time in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, he maintained his lead to the end of the Asian section in Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, with Simo Lampinen
Simo Lampinen
Simo Lampinen is a Finnish former rally driver, and one of the first of the "Flying Finns" who came to dominate the sport.-Biography:...
's Ford Taunus
Ford Taunus
The Ford Taunus is a family car sold by Ford in Germany and other countries. Models from 1970 onward were similar to the Ford Cortina in the United Kingdom...
second and Lucien Bianchi
Lucien Bianchi
Lucien Bianchi , born Luciano Bianchi, was a Belgian racing driver who raced for the Cooper, ENB, UDT Laystall and Scuderia Centro Sud teams in Formula One...
's DS21
Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative...
in third.
However, once into Australia, Clark suffered several setbacks. A piston failure dropped him to third, and would have cost him a finish had he not been able to cannibalise fellow Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
driver Eric Jackson's car for parts. After repairs were effected, he suffered what should have been a terminal rear differential failure. Encountering a Cortina by the roadside, he persuaded the initially reluctant owner to sell his rear axle and resumed once more, although at the cost of 80 minutes' delay while it was replaced.
By this time Bianchi and co-driver Jean-Claude Ogier had built an apparently unassailable lead ahead of Paddy Hopkirk
Paddy Hopkirk
Patrick Barron "Paddy" Hopkirk is a former rally driver from Northern Ireland.He was born in Belfast and educated at Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare from 1945 – 1949 before attending Trinity College, Dublin until 1953. He started his winning career in professional racing and rally driving...
's Austin 1800
Austin 1800
BMC ADO17 was the model code used by the British Motor Corporation for a range of cars produced from September 1964 to 1975 and sold initially under its Austin marque as the Austin 1800. The car was also sold as the Morris 1800 and Wolseley 18/85, and later as the Austin 2200, Morris 2200 and...
in second, but approaching the Nowra checkpoint at the end of the penultimate stage with only 150 miles to Sydney, the Frenchmen were involved in a head-on collision which wrecked their Citroën and hospitalised the pair. Hopkirk, the first driver on the scene, gave up his chance of victory when he stopped to tend to the injured and extinguish the flames in the burning cars. That left Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan is a Scottish former rally driver, and the founder and senior director of Mitsubishi Ralliart until his retirement on 30 November 2005.-Early years:...
, who had requested "a car to come last" from the Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
factory on the assumption that only half a dozen drivers would even reach Sydney, to take an unexpected victory in his Hillman Hunter
Hillman Hunter
Rootes Arrow was the manufacturer's name for a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques by the Rootes Group from 1966 to 1979. It is amongst the last Rootes designs, developed with no influence from future owner Chrysler...
and claim the £10,000 prize. Hopkirk finished second, while Australian Ian Vaughan was third in a factory-entered Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon (Australia)
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
.
1977
While the original event was to prove a triumph for the Rootes Group and BMCBritish Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
, 1977's rerun, this time sponsored by Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
, belonged to Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
. The German marque claimed a 1–2 finish and had two other cars in the top eight, with Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan is a Scottish former rally driver, and the founder and senior director of Mitsubishi Ralliart until his retirement on 30 November 2005.-Early years:...
in a 280E
Mercedes-Benz W123
W123 is the internal chassis-designation Mercedes-Benz used for their executive line of cars, manufactured between 1976 and 1985.The W123 models surpassed their predecessor, the W114 and W115 models, as the most successful Mercedes, selling 2.7 million cars before replacement by the W124 after 1985...
repeating his success of nine years previous, followed home by team-mate Tony Fowkes in a similar car. Paddy Hopkirk
Paddy Hopkirk
Patrick Barron "Paddy" Hopkirk is a former rally driver from Northern Ireland.He was born in Belfast and educated at Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare from 1945 – 1949 before attending Trinity College, Dublin until 1953. He started his winning career in professional racing and rally driving...
, this time driving a Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
, took the final podium spot.
1993
Nick Brittan, a competitor in the original event in a Lotus CortinaLotus Cortina
The Lotus-Cortina is a high-performance car, which was produced in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1970 by the Ford in collaboration with Lotus Cars. The original version, which was based on the Ford Cortina Mark 1, was promoted by Ford as the "Consul Cortina developed by Lotus", with "Consul"...
, established his company as an organiser of modern endurance rallies with a 25th anniversary re-run of the marathon in 1993. He persuaded 21 drivers who had competed in 1968 to return, including Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan is a Scottish former rally driver, and the founder and senior director of Mitsubishi Ralliart until his retirement on 30 November 2005.-Early years:...
and Roger Clark
Roger Clark
Roger Albert Clark, MBE, was a British rally driver during the 1960s and '70s, and the first competitor from his country to win a World Rally Championship event when he triumphed at the 1976 RAC Rally.-Biography:...
, and altogether 106 teams from 17 countries entered. Cowan drove the same car as the first time, having his Hillman Hunter
Hillman Hunter
Rootes Arrow was the manufacturer's name for a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques by the Rootes Group from 1966 to 1979. It is amongst the last Rootes designs, developed with no influence from future owner Chrysler...
loaned to him by the Scottish Automobile Club museum, while other competitors drove pre-1970 era cars. The entry fee was £12,900, and the estimated cost of participating was put at £45,000.
The 16,000 km race had three major differences to its ancestor. First, the changing political climate in the Middle East meant that several countries such as Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
were now out of bounds, although in Europe, Turkey and Australia much of the original route was retraced. Also, the old scheduled open road sections were replaced with more modern timed special stages
Special stage (rallying)
Special stages are the competitive sections of a stage rally event where the goal is to cover a stretch of closed road in the shortest time. On a special stage cars are set off individually at set intervals to reduce the chances of being impeded by other competitors. Each special stage is a...
for safety reasons. Finally, with the demise of the great passenger liners there would be no great voyage across the Indian Ocean to Australia, Brittan instead negotiating for two Antonov An-124
Antonov An-124
The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a strategic airlift jet aircraft. It was designed by the Ukrainian SSR's Antonov design bureau, then part of the Soviet Union. It is the world's largest ever serially-manufactured cargo airplane and world's second largest operating cargo aircraft...
cargo planes to take the vehicles to Australia.
The winning driver was Francis Tuthill in a Porsche 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
, ahead of the Ford Falcon GT
Ford Falcon (Australia)
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
of Ian Vaughan who finished third in 1968. Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
's Mike Kirkland, a stalwart of the Safari Rally
Safari Rally
The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...
, took the final place on the podium in a Peugeot 504
Peugeot 504
The Peugeot 504 is a large family car manufactured by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983, with licensed production continuing until 2006.-1968 — introduction:...
.
2000
A second rerun was organised in 2000 as a "Millennium celebration of [the] first epic event." Again, much of Asia was inaccessible for political reasons, with two airlifts instead of the single one of 1993. Now, after crossing Europe and TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in the first fourteen days, the competitors would be loaded on to the Antonovs
Antonov An-124
The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a strategic airlift jet aircraft. It was designed by the Ukrainian SSR's Antonov design bureau, then part of the Soviet Union. It is the world's largest ever serially-manufactured cargo airplane and world's second largest operating cargo aircraft...
for the trip to northern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, driving south through the country and into Malaysia for twelve days before being flown to Australia for the last eight days of the race.
Of the 100 starters who left London 78 reached Sydney, with Stig Blomqvist
Stig Blomqvist
"Stig" Lennart Blomqvist is a Swedish rally driver. He made his international breakthrough in 1971. Driving an Audi Quattro for the Audi factory team, Blomqvist won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1984 and finished runner-up in 1985...
and Ben Rainsford scoring victory ahead of Michèle Mouton
Michèle Mouton
Michèle Mouton is a French former rally driver. Competing in the World Rally Championship for the Audi factory team, she took four victories and finished runner-up in the drivers' world championship in 1982...
in a Porsche 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
, whose co-driver was 1993 winner Francis Tuthill. Rick Bates and Jenny Brittan in another 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
took third.
2004
The third rerun was a combination of modern Group NGroup N
In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group N refers to a set of regulations providing 'standard' production vehicles for competition, often referred to as the "Showroom Class"....
(showroom-class) cars, and pre-1977 classics, all limited to two wheel drive and a sub-two litre engine. New Zealand, in tandem with Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England race-preparation specialists Langworth Motorsport, scored a 1–2–3 podium clean sweep with three Kiwi-piloted Honda Integra
Honda Integra
The Honda Integra is a compact luxury performance coupe made by Honda during the years 1985 to 2006. The sporty front wheel drive car is able to house five passengers with a two door hatch or four door sedan available.The Integra was on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list six times, in...
s; overall winners Joe McAndrew
Joe McAndrew
"Smokin'" Joe McAndrew is one of New Zealand's most successful rally drivers with a record three national championship titles, won in 1993, 1994 and 1996. He also won the 2002 World TWE Marathon, and has over 25 national event wins to his name.He resides in Wellington with his wife Andrea, who...
and Murray Cole, runners-up Mike Montgomery and Roy Wilson, and Shane Murland and John Benton in third. The highest-placed classic car was a Ford Escort RS1600 driven by Britain's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Anthony Ward and Mark Solloway, which finished sixth overall.
External links
- The 1968 Daily Express London to Sydney Marathon: The great adventure of the decade, Julian Marsh, 1996
- Trans World Events, organisers of the third, fourth and fifth rallies