Two of a kind
The two Ron Hodgson Racing Torana A9Xs Bob Morris used to win the 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship live on today. Not only is this pair of legendary A9X Group C race machines still with us, but they reside once more under the same roof, with both
The two Toranas Bob Morris used to win the 1979 ATCC live on today. Not only is this pair of legendary A9X Group C race machines still with us, but they reside once more under the same roof, with both cars now owned by historic racer Andrew Cannon.
Andrew Cannon rst purchased the Hodgson Hatchback that had been restored in the early 2000s by Tony Collins-Haskins for the Hinton family. This car (which at the time was referred to by the Hodgson team as the ‘new’ car) was built in mid 1978 prior to that year’s endurance races.
The other Hodgson Hatchback (the ‘old’ car) dates back to 1977, and was shared at Bathurst that year by visiting American stars Johnny Rutherford and Janet Guthrie.
While it’s unclear which car was driven by the respective Morris/John Fitzpatrick and Dieter Quester/Derek Bell Hodgson team driver combos at Bathurst in 1978, there’s no doubt as to the historical origins of both cars. Likewise, Bob Morris did race both cars en route to victory in the ’79 ATCC.
The ‘old’ car has seen very little active service since that tumultuous ’79 season, and for many years has been on display in the
York Motor Museum in Western Australia.
When museum owner
Peter Briggs decided it was time to offload the A9X, Cannon saw what was too good an opportunity to pass up: the chance to own both cars.
Making negotiations simpler was the fact that he happened to be friends with Briggs, the pair having competed against one another in Admirals’ Cup and other top line yachting events
(Cannon was part of several of Alan Bond’s America’s Cup campaigns and won the world championship on Australia III).
Cannon took both cars along to this year’s Phillip Island Classic, where he made his race debut in the ‘new’ (Hinton) car. The ‘old’ (Briggs) car was there strictly for display purposes only.
The presence on the Island of Bob Morris himself was the icing on the cake. Bob was even able to offer Cannon some tips on the driving the car. Thanks to Bob’s coaching, Cannon says he was able to get his lap times down by about four
Man and machines... Bob Morris shows off the car he raced at Bathurst in 1979 (top left). Bob with Andrew Cannon (inset), who owns both Hodgson Torana A9Xs.
seconds over the weekend.
“I think Bob Morris was a highly underrated driver,” Cannon says. “He deserves a lot of accolades for what he achieved in ’79 in beating Peter Brock and the HDT. Now that I’ve got to know him, I think he would have been good at any sport. He’s ercely competitive, he’s smart, he’s an elite person.”
Getting both Hodgson A9Xs to Phillip Island for the weekend had its logistical challenges but Cannon says the enthusiasm with which the cars were received by fans made it worth the effort.
“It’s fun seeing people light up when they see the Toranas. They’ve seen a lot of the #05 Brock cars but these ones haven’t been together since ’79. We let people sit in them and take photos – they love it; it’s great.”
Cannon says he’d always wanted an A9X when he was younger but at the time had not been in a position to own one.
“My interest in Toranas goes back to when I was a kid,” he says. “My father was an ex- ghter pilot in the 75th Squadron, so he as a pretty cool rooster, and he had a white Aston Martin. One day he was driving and having an argument with my mother. She’d seen this orange Torana GTR in a caryard they went past and said ‘Oh look at that – doesn’t that look good!’ And dad said, ‘That’s the most disgusting thing!’ Mum went back later that afternoon and bought that car! She used to drive it while smoking Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes with white gloves on! Later I learned to drive in that car, and that’s where my love of Toranas began.”
Cannon says he’ll continue to race the Hinton car in local Heritage Touring Car events, but would like to take it to the Goodwood Festival – perhaps with Bob Morris.
The ‘old’ car might end up doing the odd sprint event, but Cannon is reluctant to do much more than that given the unique timewarp factor of this A9X racer – apart from a check-over of the engine, the car remains as last raced, almost 40 years ago. Cannon says you can still see the ‘Rutherford’ American ag Bathurst ’77 livery on the roof showing through under the ’79 Hodgson green/white/blue ’79 colours.
“You know, it’s pretty extraordinary when you think about the amount of top drivers from around the world that drove these two cars apart from Bob Morris himself – Allan Moffat drove one once at Amaroo Park; there was John Fitzpatrick, Dieter Quester, Derek Bell, Johnny Rutherford.
“They’re truly special cars.”
It’s pretty extraordinary when you think about the amount of top drivers from around the world that drove these two cars apart from Bob Morris himself – Allan Moffat, John Fitzpatrick, Dieter Quester, Derek Bell, Johnny Rutherford.