A
cobbled together passenger’s seat, in the form of a plank
of wood sat over the battery. A third passenger – if
they dared – occasionally straddled the rear axle. Seat
belts? You’ve got to be joking.
Extra
box frames were welded – badly – to
the chassis onto which the steering column and the ignition coil
were mounted. The ‘fuel tank’ – which was no
more than a battered old oil can – was mounted to the left-hand
side of the car, no doubt to ballast the driver.
In
order to get the best handling, the leaf springs were turned
upside down to lower the ride height, while the driver’s
seat was placed low down on the floor. It is also believed that
Peter rebuilt the engine at some stage, although any performance
gains are unknown.
But
perhaps the car’s most alarming modification
is that the brakes were done away with entirely. Brock’s
view on brakes was always that “you don’t want to
use them too much, they just slow you down.” The technique
for slowing down employed by the young Brocks was to change down
gears and put the car into a slide.
The
car also lacked a starter motor; the boys simply used to connect
the battery and away she went. For ease of use and safety,
the restored car now has a starter motor…and brakes.
The
Austin 7 was used by the Brock boys and ‘selected’ relatives
and friends at every available moment at Hurstbridge. It was
kept for five or six years but when young Brock got his licence
he moved on to driving early model Holdens and forgot about
the little paddock bomb that got him started. A collector bought
the car and all its spares and the car disappeared, seemingly
forever.
The
Austin 7’s history after this time is a little
hazy but it is believed a gentleman was gifted the car by a collector
in ‘payment’ for
storing his considerable stable over a lengthy period. In new
hands, it was then stored in the roof of a garage/factory where
it sat unused for years.
It
is amazing that a vehicle of this type has survived and in
its original condition. It still has its original engine, gearbox
and differential; even the tyres are as when Brock steered
it fearlessly around his relo’s
paddock.
The
Austin 7 eventually came to the attention of the Brock family
and investigations were conducted into the car’s
provenance. After the car was authenticated, it was purchased
by a benefactor and gifted to the Peter Brock Foundation where
it will now, thankfully, be preserved for coming generations.
The
Foundation now plans to use the Austin 7 for fundraising purposes
of its own and those of others. Charities and other organisations
interested in loaning the car from the Foundation for a donation
can do so by contacting peterbrockfoundation.com.au
Brock was famously unsentimental about his racing cars. Always
looking for improvement, he waited eagerly for his next car to
arrive, which would hopefully leave any older model in its wake.
It
is believed that later in life Brock was told of the existence
of ‘01’ but strangely made no attempt to retrieve
or even go and look at it. Now owned by the Brock Foundation,
it is the only ex-racing car the Brock family has.
According
to Lewis it was Peter’s first ‘special
car’ so, fittingly, the ‘01’ number has been
registered. |
