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AN IDEAL TARGA
CAR — AND ONE
WITH HISTORY,
TOO.
MORRIS MARINA 1.8
TC COUPÉ
I
f you are looking for a way to take part in
the Targa New Zealand, the tarmac rally
which lets you drive as fast as you can on
closed sections of some of New Zealand’s
best back country roads, then this has to
be the most cost effective way in — with a
genuinely interesting historic car factory-built
for hard-charging, competitive use.
This rally car was built by British Leyland’s
Competitions Department, in Abingdon,
UK. GC2 was one of a pair of Morris
Marinas built for the 1972 Heatway Rally,
along with a pair of Mini Clubmans.
Originally entered for Andrew Cowan
and Jim Scott — who eventually won in a
Clubman — this car was driven in the event
by Jim Richards, with Jim Carney as co-
driver. After winning a special stage early in
the event, and running second overall behind
Andrew Cowan, Jim Richards was forced to
retire midfield with suspension problems and
a failing gearbox.
It’s got a better box
Late in 1972, GC2 was acquired by Chris
Kirk-Burnnand, followed by brother Barry,
who campaigned the Marina in national
rallies, club rallies, and hill-climb events.
During this time the gearbox, which was
not up to the rigours of harsh competition,
was eventually replaced with a Hillman four-
speed gearbox, and the SU carburettors were
replaced with a twin-choke Weber.
From 1977 to 1992, GC2 passed through
a number of owner and registration-plate
changes before it was purchased by Bob
Hulme. Bob campaigned the car in sprints,
hill climbs, and circuit-racing events with the
licence number RR9291. Research revealed
its origins, and Bob personalized the plate to
1 GC2 1.
Bare metal rebuild
The car was passed to Andrew Scott
in October 1997, and was given a bare-
metal rebuild and paint. The roll cage wasuprated for side intrusion, and the
Hillman box was replaced with a five-
speed Rover SD1 unit. The engine was
fully rebuilt — it was not the original by
this time — along with the suspension,
brakes, and many other components.
The current owner, Judith Edwards, has
finally decided to pass this significant piece
of New Zealand rally history to another
custodian by offering it for sale.
The asking price is $12,500, and includes
an assortment of parts. The registration is
on hold.
Contact Judith on 07 825 9973 or Scott on
027 687 8263, or email [email protected].