The day the ground shook

This falls in the’ I was there category.’ On the Thursday before the Tourist Trophy race in 1965 a mate came round and said ‘come with me – there is something you need to see!’ So we went in his Morris Cooper down to Coachcraft, one of the two Ford dealers in Brisbane at the time, and there on the turntable in the showroom was this Guardsman Blue Cobra with 427 badges on the side and the biggest set of side exhausts we had seen! The rubber was fairly wide as well…

We were at Lakeside on the day, and it was some race. In the story on that race in AMC #113 you were right – the ground shook as the 427 Cobra went past. Coming out of the Karrussel up the rise to BP Bend on opposite lock trying vainly to control the wheelspin, Miles had his hands full.

I can also remember the look on Frank Gardner’s face when he opened the engine bay of the Mildren Maserati. As we had seen pieces of the crankshaft cartwheeling down the straight after the car, it was a big blow up! There were reports at the time which said that here was the imprint of the head of a piston in the body work of the Cobra. Gardner was beside the Cobra when the Maserati let go.

Only now, more than 50 years later, do we realise how lucky we were to see the only 427 Cobra to race outside the USA.

Re the Surfers 12 hour, my recollection is that the Ford GT40 was driven by Peter Sutcliffe and Frank Matich. As an admirer of Bruce McLaren, I am sure I would have been aware of his presence – and no, I am not a Kiwi, just a fan who appreciated the way he went racing.

Keep up the good work. I have every issue except numbers 2 and 4, must have slipped up there somehow.

Ian Jefferyes

President Bundaberg Vintage Vehicle Club Inc