The 1968 London to Syndey Marathon - New Book

[mab01uk]

A new book about The 1968 London to Sydney Marathon coming soon......

On November 24, 1968, more than 250 people from 19 nations set off on a 10,000-mile endurance rally from London to Sydney. Crossing 10 countries, competitors encountered officious border guards, gangs of rock-throwing children, treacherous driving conditions, collisions, breakdowns, injuries, wayward dogs, horses, cattle and kangaroos, millions of spectators crowding the roads and even bandits. Some were professional rally drivers but most were amateurs, many of whom had never rallied in their lives!

Drawing from personal recollections of more than 60 participants—many who made it to Sydney and many more who didn’t—and contemporary newspaper and magazine articles, this book tells the full story of the epic, 10,000 endurance rally, from an idea dreamed up over an alcohol-fuelled lunch in 1967, to the last car over the finish line.

ISBN: 9780786495863
ISBN-10: 0786495863
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Publication Date: March 31st, 2016
Pages: 277
Language: English
http://www.eurospanbookstore.com/the-19 ... zontalTab1

[LMM76C]

At the time many considered London-Sydney did irreparable damage to mainstream rallying. It proved not to have done but was the event more hype than substance in terms of the truly competitive element?

One of the great "what ifs" is who would have won the 1968 RAC Rally if the London Sydney had not diverted so many works teams. A works Escort TC? It never did and it took the BDA to eventually win in 72. What if BMC/BL had entered a full works team of "ultimate spec" Cooper S? After all, a private ex-works S came 4th...

[kingfisher]

.............and you're forgetting Paddy Hopkirk almost won this rally! Now if that had happened, perhaps the Comps department might have kept going longer.

Rootes(Hillman Hunter) never really capitalised on their success. Doubtless BMC/Leyland could have made much more of it.

[LMM76C]

I go along with Timo Makinen's feelings about London to Sydney: "count me out".

BMC didn't have a competitive car for general rallying beyond 68 and there was little hope of a new "Homologation Special" to use. Going out with a bang on a proper rally was the only hope and we were denied it. Winning London Sydney could only have generated more messing about with Landcrabs.

Eric Jackson's book debunks some of the myths about L-S. A relative "stroll in the park" until Australia left him with a perfect car then team orders gave his cylinder head to Clark, who promptly wasted it because he had been pushing his too hard and his diff (the weak point of the Lotus Cortina) failed. Author Graham Robson recently showed, on another forum, he still believed the myth about Jackson volunteering his head to Clark. EJ's daughter soon disabused him of that. I cannot even begin to describe how much so many mainstream rally people hated that event (and London Mexico 2 years later).

[kingfisher]

Apart from the 1800's, weren't there also Maxis, 1100's, and I seem to recall a 1300 competing as well. Any idea what happened to them, and if any are still around?

The sole London to Sydney MGB was unearthed very recently and is being rebuilt as we speak.

[surfblue63]

You could always get a copy of Marathon in the Dust by Innes Ireland. Published in 1970 by William Kimber & Co it gives a the first hand account of Innes Ireland, Michael Taylor and Andrew Hedges journey on the 1968 London to Sydney in a Mercedes 280SE.

[kingfisher]

I've read it, its a great read.