SKODA RALLYE 120 S
RARE EX-WORKS RACER REVIVED
Anyone who has been involved in the motor racing scene at any stage during the past six or so decades will no doubt be familiar with the name Colin Waite. The nonagenarian has dedicated his life to the sport of motor racing since the age of 16, when the apprentice panel beater got involved in midget speedway racing at Western Springs in Auckland. Colin helped Laurie Evans build three speedway cars using Jeep and Ford Model A motors, before going on to pit crew for Roly Crowther, who, at the time, was driving the ex–frank Brewer V8-60 midget. After a few years, Colin went on to crew for New Zealand champion Ian Holden, who had taken over the Frank Brewer car.
“I [started] going to Western Springs in 1937 as a sevenyear-old and still attend today,” Colin says.
More involved
After Colin’s pit-crewing days, he decided to get more involved in the action. He and Laurie Evans competed in Auckland Car Club trials, as well as the Gold Star Trials and Castrol trials throughout New Zealand, in their MKII Zephyr. With Laurie behind the wheel and Colin as navigator, they tried to win the Gold Star on a few occasions, only to come second to Blair Robson. Colin continued hill-climbing events and trials around New Zealand in his MKII Zephyr for a few more years.
When Colin had finished competing in trial events, he started flag marshalling at Pukekohe Park Raceway, before being promoted to assistant clerk of the course. He was promoted to clerk of the course in 1964, a position that he held for 10 years. Colin was also an executive member of the Board of Control, as well as the New Zealand International Grand Prix (NZIGP).
“I was in charge of the track activities,” he says.
The events held during Colin’s tenure included New Zealand’s premier production car competition of the 1970s, the Benson & Hedges 500, as well as the New Zealand Grand Prix (NZGP), by then this country’s most prominent international sporting event. The Grand Prix (GP) moved to Pukekohe in 1964. From then on, it was run under Formula 1 (F1) rules, which meant that there were no limitations regarding engine size and other technical specifications.
Several New Zealand stars of the international F1 circuit emerged during this era, including Bruce Mclaren and Chris Amon. In 1967, Denis Hulme became the first, and only, New Zealander to win the F1 World Championship title. For the 1970 GP, a new category, Formula A, was introduced, immediately attracting drivers from Europe, North America, and Australia to drive the incredible five-litre V8 F5000 cars.
Colin remembers one particular event when he and the great Jim Clark wandered down to the steward’s stand and held court with all the flag marshals. “It was a great treat," he recalls, "and we were lucky enough to do it two years in a row. I’m not sure if this would be possible with today’s motor racing heroes.”
Gravel time
In the early ’70s, Colin felt that it was time to get back in the car with his good friend Laurie Evans, but this time on gravel. The pair were invited to a board meeting at Motor Holdings Ltd in Otahuhu, south Auckland. They were quite excited, as they thought they were going to be asked to drive VWS, but were only offered Škodas for the upcoming rally season.
“It was a bit of a shock, but we decided to stick with it,” Colin says.
The pair competed in many local events, sharing the driving.
“After a few rallies, it became fairly obvious that Laurie was faster behind the wheel than me,” Colin tells us, “so he took up the position behind the wheel on most occasions while I took up the navigation duties.”
In 1971, the Heatway International Motor Rally saw New Zealand achieve some international status. The event attracted 15 international entries and several local-dealer-supported ‘manufacturer’ teams. The New Zealand Motor Corporation had a team of Minis, with Scot Andrew Cowan as their lead driver, while Todd Motors used Hillman Avengers. There were also a lot of Ford and Holden entries and three locally supplied Škodas.
The Australian team of Bruce Hodgson and
Mike Mitchell, driving a MKII Lotus Cortina, was always going to be hard to beat, taking out the win from Kiwis Ralph Emson and Wayne Jones in a Holden Torana GTR XU-1. Colin and Laurie took their Škoda S110L to 20th position in the gruelling event that covered 3000km, with 48 special stages, and ran from Auckland to Wellington
“After a few rallies, it became fairly obvious that Laurie was faster behind the wheel than me,” Colin tells us, “so he took up the position behind the wheel on most occasions while I took up the navigation duties”
over six days. However, all was not lost for the local Škoda teams, as three cars started and all three finished, winning the manufacturers’ team prize.
This achievement added to the already impressive list of honours won around the world for Škoda, including the 1971 International Rally Wiesbaden in Germany, with a first, second, and third in the 1100cc class, first in 1000cc class, and manufacturers’ team prize.
In New Zealand, Škoda was quick to take advantage of its recent rally success by advertising that the Škodas entered in every event were standard, unmodified production models, just like the cars you could purchase straight off the showroom floor.
In the 1972 Heatway International Motor Rally, Škoda once again started with three entries and all three finished, being awarded the manufacturers’ trade team prize. Colin and Laurie took out 24th spot in their Škoda S110L.
Colin recalls, “It certainly helped Škoda sales in New Zealand.”
Factory built
In 1973, after a few years of competing with the locally assembled Škoda, the local distributor of the marque, Motor Holdings, imported two fully homologated factory-built Škoda 120 S Rallye cars. Only 100 of these special cars were built in Škoda’s competition department at Mladá Boleslav on the outskirts of Prague, in the former Czechoslovakia. The Škoda 120 S Rallye became one of the most controversial competition models, as the requirement for obtaining approval, or the possibility of participation, was the production of at least 1000 cars. Škoda representatives convinced the FIA that they had made another 900 of the cars for the Czech police to improve traffic safety.
Of the two cars that were imported into New Zealand, one went to the team of Morrie Chandler and
Don Campbell, and the other, sponsored by Takapuna Škoda dealer Clifton Motors, was co-driven by Colin and Laurie.
The factory-built 120 S Rallye was a far superior beast to the car that Colin and Laurie were used to competing in. Instead of a five-port cylinder head and an engine bay–mounted radiator, the Rallye sported a much more effective eight-port cylinder head with twin Weber carburettors that had a specially adapted airbox connected to the left side external air vent. The engine was hooked up to a close-ratio gearbox, and better cooling was helped via a front-mounted radiator.
Colin says, “There were many times that I wasn’t quite sure how fast we were going, as it wasn’t unusual to watch the speedometer needle bouncing off the top end of the dial — 105mph [169kph].”
The Evans/waite duo were fairly competitive in the Škoda 120 S and were frequent class winners, with a bestever result of fourth outright at a Waiuku Forest rally.
“The locally built Škoda was especially good in rough conditions,” Colin explains. “When things got slippery, the traction was far superior to some of the rear-wheeldrive Datsun 1200s and Corollas. In some conditions, the 120 S Rallye could outperform some of the much faster BDA Escorts and Mazda RX-3S.”
In the 1973 Heatway International Motor Rally, the Evans/waite pair finished in a disappointing 25th position. The following year, the event was cancelled due to the worldwide oil crisis. During the 1975 Heatway, the pair suffered engine problems and were forced to withdraw from the competition. In 1976, they were off to a fine start, leading their class through the treacherous snow and icy conditions of the deep south. On a long stage near Omakau, in Central Otago, they were caught by a faster rival, who lost control and used the rear end of their Škoda to stop. Being a rear-engined vehicle, the Škoda didn’t take too kindly to being shunted in the back. One of the most vulnerable engine components, the distributor, was pushed into the rear panel, rendering it completely useless and leaving Colin and Laurie stranded in freezing conditions for many hours before help arrived.
When Colin and Laurie retired at the end of that 1976 rally season, the Clifton car was sold in the South Island, and it is believed that a similar fate befell the Chandler car. Colin understands that both cars competed in club events throughout the South Island before eventually disappearing.
“There were many times that I wasn’t quite sure how fast we were going, as it wasn’t unusual to watch the speedometer needle bouncing off the top end of the dial — 105mph [169kph]”
Rare coincidence
Many years later, in 2001, Colin was in the South Island competing in his Formula Junior Stanguellini when he stopped by the Ranfurly museum for afternoon tea. As he was sitting outside on a bench, he struck up a conversation with a local, who was disposing of some rubbish in a bin next to where he was sitting. After they exchanged a few pleasantries, the conversation turned to cars, and Colin explained that he was competing in the Formula Junior.
Colin recalls, “The local asked me what other motor sport I had been involved in, and I told him that I’d once competed in a few rallies around the country driving a Škoda. The local immediately responded by saying that his neighbour in Alexandra had two old Škoda rally cars sitting in his barn.”
Colin couldn’t resist the urge to take a look. He eventually found the cars hidden away in an old barn just out of Alexandra that had once been used as a staging post for the Cobb & Co. stagecoaches back in the 1800s. Colin recognized the cars immediately. Despite the fact that they had suffered the effects of time and the harsh cold, damp Central Otago environment in the barn for 18 years, he knew that he had to buy them. The owner had purchased the Škodas in 1983 with the intent of restoring both cars, but, unfortunately, that plan never eventuated. Colin couldn’t believe that both cars were still fairly intact, with many of the original items, including the magnesium wheels complete with the original Goodyear Ultragrip rally tyres, the additional gauge binnacle that mounts on top of the dashboard, and even the genuine Halda mechanical Tripmasters. After returning to Auckland from his motor racing trip, Colin was soon back in the South Island, where he successfully negotiated a deal to buy both cars.
Rebirth
Once the cars were back in Auckland, Colin realized that, “because the condition of both cars was so bad, we virtually had to build one car out of both bodies”. Once the best car had been chosen for restoration, the first project was to replace the entire floor section, as well as both sill panels. A new oil catch-can and fuel tank were fabricated. Fortunately, Colin was able to source many new Škoda 110L body panels locally, including front guards, bonnet, and boot lid, which were an exact fit to the 120 S.
While the body repairs were taking place, work started on the engine.
John Steward Motors in Howick was given the task of rebuilding an engine using the best parts from both engines, as well as new parts. Despite the temptation to modify, Colin decided that he wanted the motor built to standard specifications.
The Škoda was resprayed in its original bright green colour scheme, and the original reupholstered high-back rally seats refitted. The Czech wiring system took some time to figure out, but, with the help of a semi-retired auto electrician who had once worked at the Motor Holdings plant, Colin was able to sort everything out. The final addition, which Colin managed to find in Germany, was a set of genuine ’70s-style Hella spotlights, to retain the Škoda’s original appearance.
At 90 years of age, Colin still gets a great deal of enjoyment from this wonderful old rally car that holds many fond memories and has such great stories to tell. With a glint in his eyes, he says to us, “While you’re here, you’d better come and have a look at this,” and pulls the cover off his stunning 1954 Mk8 Cooper, which he’s owned since 1981 — but that’s a whole new story.
At 90 years of age, Colin still gets a great deal of enjoyment from this wonderful old rally car that holds many fond memories and has such great stories to tell