1968 Hillman Hunter Works Prepared Rally Car

Lot details
Registration No: PRE810F
Chassis No: B011064551H5H30
Mot Expiry: None

Blessed with a strong bodyshell (4650lbft / deg), tough suspension (McPherson-strut front / cart-sprung rear) and 'bomb-proof' mechanicals (1725cc five-bearing crankshaft engine / multi-overdrive four-speed manual gearbox), the Hillman Hunter always had the potential to become a successful rally car. Nevertheless, there was widespread surprise when Andrew Cowan, Brian Coyle and Colin Malkin took the sole Works Hillman Hunter entry ('MKV15G') to outright victory on the 7,000mile 1968 London-Sydney Marathon (vanquishing factory BMC, Ford and Citroen opposition in the process).
No doubt hoping that lightning would strike twice, the well-known JCB company entered this Works-Prepared Hillman Hunter (then registered as 'PRE613F') for the epic 'Daily Mirror' World Cup Rally - so called because it linked the sites of the 1966 and 1970 tournaments via 16,000miles of motoring Armageddon. Phase One progressed from London to Lisbon via Yugoslavia and Spain, while Phase Two journeyed from Rio de Janiero to Mexico City via Buenos Aires, Santiago, Colombia and Panama (the last leg involving a 51-hour sprint). Piloted by racing driver Pete Brown, RAC Rally Champion John Bloxham and Ulster rally star Robert McBurney, the JCB car was one of four privately-owned but works-prepared Hillmans to line-up against factory Ford, British Leyland and Citroen teams as the six-week enduro got underway on April 17th 1970.
With crews being asked to average over 50mph on some of the longer special stages (including the fearsome 560mile Cuzco to Huancayo Peruvian run that climbed to over 12,000feet), the attrition rate was predictably high. Lying 13th overall after Lisbon, 12th at Montevideo and then 11th out of 39 survivors at La Paz, the JCB car was threatening an upset until its propshaft failed between Quito, Ecuador and Cali, Colombia. Running 10th at the time, its retirement was to prove one of the Rally's last and most frustrating. Released from the JCB stable in 1977, chassis BO1106455HSO returned 'home' during the 1990s. Subsequently rejuvenated, it was registered as 'JCB123' for some time before acquiring its current 'PRE810F' number plates. Finished in yellow /white / red with black high-backed seats, we are informed that it is variously in "clean" (1725cc engine, interior trim) or "good" (four-speed overdrive gearbox, electrical equipment, chassis, bodywork, paintwork) condition. Riding on minilite-style alloys shod with rally tyres, it is believed but not warranted to have covered 78,099 miles from new. Covering more miles over the course of the 1970 World Cup Rally than most modern WRC cars manage during their whole careers, proceeds from the sale of this noble warhorse are going to the NSPCC.

PLEASE NOTE: As can be seen from the car's livery it also competed on the 1993 London-Sydney retrospective marathon (an event for which it was prepared by Adrian Hamilton). driven by Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams and Michael Campbell, it sadly retired just north of Bombay but has since been fitted with a replacement gearbox / overdrive.