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Bacchus Owner's Memoirs
Just a bit of Bacchus/ASP history from owner of several early Bacchus clubmans, Peter Smeets
Hi Rory,
PS. Some of your website needs correcting................
I once bought from Bill Hanson many moons ago, the "prototype" (I was told) unfinished clubman chassis.
It still had the original Colin Rielly fashioned alloy nose. The front suspension had the early Lotus configuration of using the sway bar as the top lateral link. This was different to the other two Bacchus clubmans I have owned/been associated with. It had the early Doug Trengove style composite wheels, with the integral hub, and Standard 10 front drums. I am pretty certain the rear was Morris Minor. It also had heavier tube around the base of the rear body work.
Bob Butcher restored/rebuilt that car for me, and that was/is owned by Mark Robertson. I fitted an MGB motor and Morris Major Elite gearbox, but it could have been set up originally for an "A" Series BMC....I think someone even suggested maybe a Coventry Climax. I upgraded the front end to double wishbones which Bob copied from Blanden's Lotus 23 at the time. (He was restoring that and building an exact replica for himself).
The Peugeot powered car, had a 1400cc 203 or 403 motor and TC gearbox when I first came across it in a farmer's shed in a paddock at Moonta SA. I had seen it advertised on the notice board in the old CAMS office with Peter Wright on Magill Road. My friend, Kevin Wood bought it, restored it raced it very successfully, including winning the Historic Racing and Sports Under 1600 in the Australian Hillclimb Championships one year at Morwell in Victoria.
Kevin moved up to an Elfin 600 F2, so I bought the Bacchus from him. I raced it at AIR in the Historics and at Collingrove a few times. Plus I thrashed it around Blackwood. The TC box was a worry as the rods would drop out of the remote extension when you pulled it back into top gear. This then meant a tricky bit of steering with the knees while you juggled the linkages back with both hands.....real fun at the end of the AIR straight..corner 2 at full stink !! I sold this Bacchus to Chris Lugg ( a Healey Club member), who raced it also in historics - and he on-sold it to Victoria.
In the meantime I discovered behind the Golden Fleece service station in Tanunda a fibreglass sports car which the proprietor thought was an early Bolwell. It was in fact Peter Ivey's first Bacchus/Ausca. I negotiated over it, and eventually tracked the owner to a service station in Victoria and the car was spread through the Barossa Valley around Rowland Flat. Luckily through my association with the Austin Healey Owners Club, I met up with John Veale and Peter and Trevor Liebich of (then) Rovalley Wines. All Healey owners and club members, they helped round up the original bits like the grille, the steering wheel, the "10 tonne" cast iron replica of a leMans style alloy petrol cap - it looked the part but, shit, it was heavy. John Veale finished up with this car, until eventually I bought it from him.
Around this time I became the owner of an ex Ian Richards Cheetah Mk 6 F2 car via a repossession auction. When I advertised it for sale, a chap called Graham Sharley came to view it, and he saw the Ivey Bacchus. He knew about it, saying he made the steering wheel for Peter........he bought the Cheetah and also the Bacchus Ausca. He restored and rebuilt both cars to a high standard.
Around this time too, I became aware of a Dave Winch (another Healey club member) who had a Bacchus clubman . It was originally BMC B Series powered...but he was fitting a Galant motor. Although reluctant to sell at first, he advertised the car in Wheelspin (the Sporting Car Club's magazine, for $800.00 ono. The late Paul Mastrosavis bought it. However very soon after he also bought an ASP clubman, and couldn't keep both. A friend of mine, Neil Sullivan, became the new owner. He restored it, raced it and then sold it to a dentist friend. The dentist died of cancer, and the Bacchus finished up in the Healey factory showrooms in Melbourne.
Somehow Phillip Lane, of Lanes printing, here in Adelaide bought it. He is also a mate of Mark Robertson, who has the original clubman I owned. Phillip has used it extensively in various races and also in the Classic Adelaide Rally.
The Garry Chapman Bacchus finished up in Western Australia, with a Dave Sullivan. I have met with him. He fitted a Datsun 1600 engine at one stage, but I reckon he has gone back to the MG power plant and historic competition. I have some old photos of Garry's car - some taken at Mallala, and some taken out in the street, when his car was a frame only. Also one with his wife in bathers alongside the clubman. The other Bacchus went to David Ballie (or similar name) in Victoria. You have photos of it on your website already. That had a 998cc BMC motor for memory.
On the ASP front, I have some interesting memories also:-
Back in 1972 -1973, I worked at George Patterson Advertising at Kent Town. A co-worker was Paul Hannon who was "building" a sports car. I had a Mk3A Austin Healey Sprite at the time. Paul was the first ASP Clubman road car owner I believe. His car was a Mandarine colour, with Yellow wheels. The roll bar and frame were Blue. A Cortina 1200 motor with SU's I reckon. We used the car for some ads. for the Savings Bank of South Australia and had a model - (my sister infact) sitting on the back and hanging on to the roll bar. It was decided that it looked too dangerous, so the ad. was not used. Ironically I now hang out with the Clubbies SA people who meet at Burnside monthly (as I have a Westfield clubman), and there is a chap called Nigel who has that first ASP road car. And would you believe, he also has the action photo of my sister sitting on the back of the ASP.
Other points of interest, John Scotcher of Scotcher Petroleum/Scotcher Racing Fuels, was my sponsor when I raced the Nganti Group A sportscar in the 70's. John now owns at least 2 ASP road clubmans ( one with a Turboed engine) and has the Formula 2 ASP that I believe Rob Butcher raced. I sold it to him...having bought it from Bob Jennings (the Advertiser motoring journalist). I could not fit in the seat between the chassis frame. He used to keep the cars at Wingfield at Scotcher Racing Fuels. They are up on some racking. I have included photos.
I also have an old photo of the Indy Speed Shop ASP clubman taken at Mallala in the late 60's. Dean Hosking at the wheel. It was a "cacky" green colour.
More coming!!
Peter Smeets
08 8278 6212