Sunday, January 31, 2010

A response from Roo re the Buchanan in the Elfin picture.

It's actually this one http://www.buchananmotorcompany.com/images/Buchanan%20Holden.jpg I believe it's the ex-Jim Wright car that raced at Bathurst in 1958 & 59 before being sold onto SA. http://www.buchananmotorcompany.com/images/buchanan%20tr2%20jim%20wright.jpgYou can tell by the white paint under the front lights and the the lack of cutaway on the front wheel arches. Only a small number were built without the cutaway, this being the first.
Just in case you couldn't view the 2 photos mentioned, I've reproduced them above. I'm still having trouble working out which one it is in the register section in the Buchanan Motor Company website that Roo organises.

3 comments:

Colin said...

Interesting. the Peter De Mac special was built in SA just after that time and did not have the guards cut away. used a narrowed 1959 VW roof to make a coupe. Could the pictured car have formed the basis for the De Mac special? The De Mac special first came to my attention at the 1966 Hot Rod show in the old Chrysler factory on Anzac Highway. This was some 9 years before i owned the car. I was told the car was built on a Morris chassis but for many years it was noted as a Singer Buchanan. Any thoughts John? What chassis and motor did the other car run at Bathurst?

Roo said...

John have a look at the page on race cars http://www.buchananmotorcompany.com/Buchanan%20Racecars.htm It gives more details of the car and the race stats. The car was a TR2 that Jim Wright rolled at Bathurst in 1957 after having an altercation with Bruce Maher in the Buchanan. He had Nat Buchanan build up a body for it and continued to race it until it was sold when Jim bought a real DB3S from David McKay. The car went to Adelaide and may be the Buchanan Triumph owned by a Mr. R. Benger in Adelaide.

John L said...

The Peter De Mac special has been reposted as having a Morris chassis on the website. I had also sent Roo some photos of the car from the SA Bolwell club photo album. I'll post them here shortly.
Steve Rowley also knows of a red Buchanan that lived in Murray Bridge as recently as 7 or 8 years ago. He has a photo I think. It didn;t have the cutaway guards and had an underslung rear end.