AMC BEST LETTER
What made Amaroo special
Having just read issue #103 of Australia Muscle Car, I really felt that I needed to write something. Seeing those old pictures of Amaroo and the AMSCAR series really brought back memories. I don’t think I missed a meeting throughout that time, living in Sydney, Amaroo and Oran Park were must attends. Sitting on the hill going up Bitupave was just an excellent viewing spot. Then a walk to Dunlop Loop although a bit isolated was still a great place to see the action.
I have visited the old site and if you use your imagination, you can still make out where the track was. On my last visit the parking attendant’s shed for the carpark was still standing, battered, but still there. I could still make out the carpark as well as Stop-Go Corner although there were horses around it and a tennis court up on the rocks. What a waste.
I realise that a lot has been written about the past racing at Amaroo, but I really wanted to highlight something that I feel is missing today.
Amaroo was a natural amphitheatre and as such you could really watch and enjoy the whole race, except for that breather you had when they went out of sight around the loop. Your photo of the startline at Amaroo showed the place’s viewing from the rocks and hills. A really excellent atmosphere and it didn’t cost the national debt to attend. No grandstands, just sitting on the terraces.
Today, I am still a member of the ARDC, but Eastern Creek, although still basically an amphitheatre, the structure in the middle stops you watching the whole race, unless you can see a TV screen from your vantage point, they are out of sight for most of the lap. I feel that the spectator areas are too far from the action to really get the feel of motor racing and even though you can walk all the way around the track, the atmosphere just is not there.
I love your magazine and have most copies. I especially like the in-depth articles on the past and glorious cars as well as drivers. Keep it up. I will keep buying until I die. Bob Macarthur Email
Monaro 1
As a youngster I was a Ford-only kid, until our neighbour down the street brought home his new Warwick Yellow HK GTS Monaro. The neighbour, Colin, gave me and my father a lift up to the local shops. I can still recall the acceleration shoving me back into the backseat. It was awesome!
Of course, as I grew older, I came to appreciate all cars. Well, most cars (Hillman Hunters still make me nauseous) and I just love the Monaro shape.
When it came to the Monaro’s drag racing history in issue #103, I was surprised you didn’t mention ‘The Shaker’. I can still recall gaping open mouthed at the green aked mirage in front of me at the Melbourne Hot Rod Show. Of course, it wasn’t very successful as a drag racer,
but it sure looked the part... Phil Minns Email
Monaro 2
For all the reasons AMC lists in its 50th anniversary tribute to the HK 327 Monaro, it truly was an iconic vehicle. To have been a young petrolhead back then, one was surely blessed. Clever design work had the appearance of changing everything from the windscreen back in a seamless way. Although the HK sedan maintained Holden’s reputation, as a
visually attractive marketing proposition it ran second to the ‘Mustang Bred’ XR. So, yes, the game had changed when Monaro arrived and even the allegiance of many Ford owners was seriously challenged.
The audio/visuals of the GTS 327 from street side were great to take in; impressive! The credibility mirrored that of the XR GT when it was rst released. Eric Waples Albion Park, NSW
Monaro 3
My personal favourite of the politically incorrect advertising for the Monaro was the one that stated, “The Monaro movement is officially open to women.” The last sentence stated: “If you know you’re as good as a man, Monaro will help you prove it.” Even the cinema advertisement starts with a woman shopping and coming out to her “best accessory, a Monaro”. It’s a shame you missed the other HK Monaro advertisement aimed at women, more politically incorrect than any of these. They were also advertising six-cylinder and V8 GTS, not the GTS 327. What is interesting with the advertising is that the sports stripes, in more conservative magazines like Time,The Bulletin, Reader’s Digest and Life, the blue GTS 327 has no bonnet stripe, but in Wheels, Modern Motor, etc it does. Motoring magazines, like you would expect, have adverts showing performance, while newspapers and other magazines emphasise lifestyle, glamour, etc. Warren Turnbull From Facebook
Feature car’s early history
Re the Falcon XT GT featured in issue #102 and a letter from Brian of Wollongong in the previous issue, you will be interested to know that my son, David, was the second owner of this car in the mid 1990s. We have a photo of the car, original owner and his wife and David.
I can’t remember the rst owner’s name now, but the car was bought from McLuskeys at Mt Gravatt. His daughter was with him and picked the colour.
When his family decided to sell it in August 1996, he had almost lost his eyesight and the car had not been used for some time. His daughter was a friend of a friend and whilst we had been looking for an XW, we took one look at it, went ‘WOW’ and bought it for $14,000.
He had used it as a daily and towed a van hence towbar/sunvisr/bonnet ornament/ mud aps/weathershields, etc.
We sold it in Brisbane in late 1999. Jeff Osborne Mt Coolum, QLD