GINGER MOLLOY AND THE LASZLO SZABO

Memo on Ginger Molloy. Nice story on Ginger in the last issue, remembering his long and successful career with the ‘continental circus’! As it is with a lot of personal remembering dating far into history, the sight on facts has turned to the very optimistic side, as it is with his leading position at the German GP 1971. He led from Phil Read in the midst of the race just along the straight from the last corner to the first corner, before ignition-problems took him out. But I’m looking to his short ride for MZ. The photo showing him beside a 125 MZ is definitely not at the Sachsenring 1969. The year is 1965 and the location is probably Brünn. The shown MZ is the private built bike of Laszlo Szabo on which he competed in that year after his contract with MZ had ended after 1964. The rolling chassis is an old one from about 1960 and the man working at the bike is Szabo’s long time mechanic Zsigmond Szöllösi. Malloy’s ride on MZ came at Sachsenring 1966, after works rider Derek Woodmann had suffered a broken pelvis at Spa, riding his private 500 Matchless-metisse and crashing in the rain. Molloy had come to the Sachsenring with his 125/250 Bultacos, and there he was offered to ride the 125/250 works-mz of Woodmann. As he had no contract with Bultaco, he was free to take that offer and he qualified in both classes with the MZ. Unfortunately he crashed the 125 MZ during the first lap of the race, injured himself and thus was not able to start with the 250 MZ. The enclosed photo shows him with the 125 MZ practising at the Sachsenring. This was his one and only ride for the East German factory, though with his two-stroke knowledge he might have been first choice for them.

Best wishes Manfred Woll Email

Hello Manfred, I am very sorry for the error and thnk you very much for putting me right on the Laszlo Szabo bike. It’s another fascinating part to the Molloy story that I’m delighted we could put right on these pages. TC