This was no random attempt at a world record. Frank Reid, Castrol Oil’s Queensland manager, envisioned that the event would become an international speed run from Darwin Alice to Springs, thereby putting Australia and Northern Territory firmly on the world motoring scene. The attempt, therefore, had the full backing of Castrol through Frank Reid.
In the early morning of August 2nd, 1951, Les Taylor (driver) and Rick Rendle (navigator) commenced their epic run from Darwin to Alice Springs, completing the dash of 954 miles in only 10 hours 32 minutes. Their effort was rewarded with the prestigious title of holders of the new Open Road World Record (91.3 mph), a record that stood until 1955.
Taylor and Rendle drove the Jaguar XK120 Open Two Seater, an off-the-showroom-floor car, to which was fitted a small clip-on air scoop above the grille, a long distance fuel tank (which sat on the boot floor), a high pressure pump, and a siren mounted to the bumper area. This siren was used to warn refuellers to hand prime their old pumps at the three stops. They ran through two hundred miles of hilly terrain, coped with thousands of high speed corners, a route they had mostly not seen before, dust, wild horses and kangaroos – not to mention an unsealed road, badly corrugated in parts.
Rendle had been an RAF pilot during the war, and his connections assured that Department of Civil Aviation staff accurately timed the run. When they began at 06:30 on 2nd August, all radio stations, newspapers and even the police knew the attempt was on – but the road was still officially a military one with a speed limit of 40 mph.
Only 12 minutes out of Darwin, they ran into the first of many kangaroo mobs. By Pine Creek they averaged just under 100 mph, but by Adelaide River that had dropped to 74 mph, the car having run into a mob of brumbies. Having hit a dirt bank in that crash a wheel was buckled and some suspension parts bent, forcing Taylor and Rendle to swap a wheel and straighten out the suspension as best they could with the jack and using a penny as a spacing washer.
The pair had yet to encounter the rough and unsealed hilly patch from Katherine through the McDonnell Ranges. Twice in that section the car became airborne for a terrifying 50 metres. They encountered two huge herds of cattle being driven along the road and then a Main Roads crew spraying hot bitumen! That final obstacle was met as they crested a rise.
Against all odds, they arrived in Alice Springs at 17:02 after 10 hours 32 minutes of incredible endurance. It was a wonderful achievement by Les Taylor and Dick Rendle, Taylor personally being rewarded by being arrested and charged with driving offences. The resultant fines having been paid, Taylor and Rendle departed for Brisbane.
Details extracted from an article entitled “Fleeting Star” by Les Hughes, in Australian Jaguar Magazine, with the permission of the author.
The lead car of the Commemorative Run will be Jaguar XK120, chassis number 660569, the car, which set the record. Kees Heybroek, the Queensland architect who, with wife Christina, rebuilt the car over some 25 years, having found it in the country in a very dilapidated state, will drive it.
The Commemorative Run has gained oversees interest, with participants from Denmark and New Zealand, as well as vehicles from every Australian State. With two nights at Katherine and an overnight at Tennant Creek before arrival in Alice Springs, some participants will be visiting places of interest along the way. These will include Springvale Homestead, Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge), Mataranka Homestead, Daly Waters Pub, and the Devils Marbles.
From Alice Springs, many participants will visit Uluru (Ayres Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Kings Canyon, Palm Valley and other sites in the area.
It is anticipated that displays of the vehicles will be arranged in Darwin prior to the commencement of the Run, and after completion of the Run in Alice Springs, where the owners would be pleased to discuss their vehicles with interested motoring enthusiasts. The convoy of Jaguars will be able to be seen passing along the Stuart Highway from Goyder Road in Darwin to the weighbridge in Alice Springs.
Released by the organising committee, XK 50th Anniversary Commemorative Run 2001, XK Register, Jaguar Car Club of Victoria. |
