JAGUAR: A RACING HISTORY IN NEW ZEALAND. PART 4 1957
1957 – Jaguar MKVII, XK120, XK140, D-Type, Bugatti T35A Jaguar, and the ‘Mk1’ 2.4 and 3.4 saloon
Ardmore 12 Jan 57 – Event 1 on the programme at the 1957 NZIGP meeting, held on 12 Jan 57 at Ardmore, was a 25 lap Saloon Car race from a handicap start, where 18 cars faced the starter. In the over 2700cc class were #5 Tom Clark’s Jaguar MKVII saloon, and #6 Frank Cantwell’s XK140 Fixed Head Coupe (FHC) (chassis S804481), which in those days was also classified as a ‘saloon’. D. Lichtenstien’s #15 Jaguar XK120 was withdrawn. Cantwell finished the race in 1st place in the ‘Speed’ section, with a time of 45min 46sec, from A.P. Stringer’s Porsche 356 in 2nd place, with J. Hayes in a Ford Zephyr Mk1 in 3rd, and Tom Clark was 6th in his MkVII on 23 laps. In the over 2700cc class, Cantwell was 1st in his XK140, from Clark’s MKVII. Cantwell’s average speed was 65.5mph/195.412kph, and his best lap time was 1m 46.6s, compared to Clark’s 59.5mph/95.756kph average, and a best lap of 1m 59.1s.
Event 2 was the ‘Ardmore Championship for Sports Cars’, held over 50 laps on handicap. In the over 3000cc class were #6 Frank Cantwell’s XK140 FHC, #42 Tom Dodunski’s XK120, and Jack Shelly’s brand new pale blue #28 Jaguar D-Type (chassis XKD534) driven by Wellington’s Bob Gibbons. Gibbons in the D-Type won the race in a time of 1hr 21m 49.1s, from Jack Brabham in 2nd place on 49 laps in his #65 Cooper T39-‘Bobtail’ Climax. Paul England’s #66 Ausca was 3rd on 48 laps, and Tom Dodunski‘s Jaguar XK120 was 6th on 45 laps. In the over 3000cc class, Bob Gibbons in the D-Type won from Dodunski’s XK120, with #9 D. Avery 3rd in his H.W.M-Cadillac. Sadly, Englishman Ken Wharton in his #64 Ferrari 750 Monza was killed on lap 18 of this race when his car rolled and he was thrown out.
Event 4 at Ardmore, the NZIGP, was next on the programme and Bob Gibbons in the Jaguar D-Type had set a practice time of 1m 38.2sec to qualify 16th on the grid of 24 cars. Peter Gendells drove Ron Roycroft’s Bugatti T35A Jaguar in the GP – Gendells qualified with a time of 1m 39.5 sec to be 19th of 24 cars. The 120 lap race for the NZIGP was won by Englishman, Reg Parnell in 3hrs 7min 55.7sec, being just under three seconds ahead of fellow ‘Brit’, Peter Whitehead, both of whom drove Ferrari Tipo 555 Super Squalos. Australian, Stan Jones, was 3rd on 117 laps in his Maserati 250F, from Ross Jensen who was 4th on 114 laps in the Ferrari 750 Monza sports car he had leased from Peter Whitehead. On 112 laps, Bob Gibbons was 5th in the Jaguar D-Type with a time of 3hr 8m 13.8sec, and Peter Gendells was 11th on 107 laps in Roycroft’s Bugatti T35A Jaguar.
The final race of the day at Ardmore was Event 5 for the ‘Ultimate Ekco Race Car Feature’ held over 25 laps with a handicap start. Jaguar entries were #6 Frank Cantwell XK140 FHC, #42 Tom Dodunski XK120, and #27 Peter Gendells in Roycroft’s R.J.R Special (Bugatti T35A Jaguar) – but as Gendells had just driven in the GP, it is highly doubtful he also started Event 5. Wally Henwood won the race in his Cooper MkIV-JAP 998cc with a fastest lap of 1min 44.7sec. Bob Blackburn’s little Mistral Ford 1172cc sports racing car was 2nd with a best lap of 2min 01sec, and Reg McCutcheon was 3rd in the Normac Special 3870cc on a lap time of 1min 43.2. Frank Cantwell was 7th in his XK140 with a best lap 1min 50.8sec, which was the 5th fastest time of the race.
Levin 19 Jan 57 – At the 1957 Levin Summer meeting held on 19 Jan 57, Frank Cantwell from Christchurch entered his #6 Jaguar XK140 FHC, as did Mrs Sybil Lupp from Dunedin her #27 Jaguar XK140. Cantwell took 3rd place in Race 8 over 8 laps for Saloon cars, and a 2nd place in Race 16 for Sports cars.
Wigram 26 Jan 57 – The Lady Wigram Trophy Race meeting was held on 26 Jan 57. In the 12 lap ‘Open Car Race for Open Cars not in the Trophy race’, drivers started from a handicap start. In a field of 15 cars that faced the starter, Jaguar XK140s were entered by Frank Cantwell and Peter Pinckney in a race that included the very quick Lycoming Special of Ralph Watson. The winner of this handicap race was Barry Kilkelly in his MG 1500cc, from Bob Blackburn in his Mistral Ford 1172cc – but the handicaps proved to be too much for the big cars to work through to the front.
The Redex Sports Car race was held over 36 laps with a Le Mans start and preceded the Lady Wigram Trophy race. Jack Brabham in his Cooper T39 Climax had no trouble leading right from the start to take the overall race win in 58m 2.7s, some 16 seconds ahead of Bob Gibbons in the Jaguar D-Type in 2nd place. Jack Brabham also won the up to 1500cc class, with Ross Jensen in the leased Peter Whitehead-owned Ferrari 750 Monza taking the 1500cc-3000cc class, and Bob Gibbons in the Jack shelly-owned Jaguar D-Type was 1st in the over 3000cc class from Eric Avery’s H.W.M.-Cadillac, and Frank Cantwell’s Jaguar XK140.
Bob Gibbons in the Jaguar D-Type qualified in 5th place of 26 cars on the grid for the 71 lap Lady Wigram Trophy Race. The front row comprised Ron Roycroft on pole in his Ferrari 375, from Peter Whitehead and Reg Parnell in their red Ferrari Tipo 555 Super Squalos, and Jack Brabham in his diminutive green Cooper T41 Climax. Peter Whitehead won the race in his #5 Ferrari Tipo 555 Super Squalo in a race time of 1hr 50min, being 1m 28s ahead of Jack Brabham’s #3 Cooper Climax in 2nd place. Ron Roycroft’s pale blue #19 Ferrari 375 was 3rd on 70 laps. Ross Jensen was 4th in the leased Peter Whitehead Ferrari 750 Monza, and Syd Jensen 5th in his Cooper T41 Climax, both on 68 laps. Bob Gibbons in the D-Type was 6th on 67 of the scheduled 71 laps.
Row 2 – #2 Gould Maserati 250F, #20 S Jensen Cooper T41-Climax, #28 Gibbons Jaguar D-Type
Photo P McFadden Collection in book ‘Wigram 1949-94’
In a 12 lap Saloon Car race that followed the Trophy race, Frank Cantwell in his #13 Jaguar XK140 FHC won in a race time of 27min 1.2s, from #8 Peter Pinckney’s dark green Jaguar XK140 Drophead ‘saloon’, and Ian McKellar’s Armstrong Siddeley.
Dunedin 2 Feb 57 – The Dunedin Road Race meeting was held on 2nd February 1957 on a city street circuit in Dunedin. Results for Frank Cantwell in his Jaguar XK140 FHC are not known – but it is thought that he may have had a puncture, that resulted in the car tipping on its side. Indeed, the current owner of the ex-Cantwell XK140 (Phil Benvin in 2022) advises there is still a crease in the roof of the car that may be attributed to such an accident.
Event 2 on the programme was a 9 lap Formula Libre (free Formula) race for NZ Drivers who were not in the main race of the day. Jaguar entrants were Frank Cantwell in his light blue coloured #6 Jaguar XK140 FHC, and Peter Pinckney in his British Racing Green #11 Jaguar XK140 DHC. Other entries included A.P. Stringer in a #10 Cooper Climax T39 ‘Bobtail’, Arthur Kennard’s #12 Austin Healey, #46 Bruce McLaren’s #46 Austin Healey, D. Campion’s #50 Cooper 500, Phil Kerr ‘s #54 Buckler Mk6. No results are to hand for the race.
In the main race over 43 laps/120km Bob Gibbons qualified the Jaguar D-Type in 10th place of 14 cars, and finished 6th on 39 of the scheduled 43 laps. Reg Parnell won again in his Ferrari T555 Super Squalo in a time of 1hr 8min 32.6sec, ahead of Jack Brabham’s Cooper T41 Climax, and Peter Whitehead’s Ferrari T555 Super Squalo. The fastest lap was set by Parnell in his Ferrari at 1min 32.4.
In the Sports Car race, Jack Brabham won in his Cooper T39 ‘Bobtail’, from Ross Jensen in the Whitehead-owned Ferrari 750 Monza, and Australian Allan McKay in a Cooper T39 ‘Bobtail’ Climax. Brabham and Jensen recorded the fastest lap in 1min 40sec, while Bob Gibbons in the Jaguar D-Type recorded 1min 44sec, and Peter Pinckney in his Jaguar XK140 Drophead 1min 51sec. It is not currently known where Frank Cantwell’s XK140 finished, if indeed he did race.
Event 4 on the programme was the 9 lap Redex Saloon Car handicap race, won by John Windleburn in his grey #26 Austin A30, with Ernie Sprague 2nd in his grey #40 Ford Zephyr, D. Walters was 3rd in his green #16 Renault, Peter Pinckney 4th in his British Racing Green #11 Jaguar XK140 Drophead, and Norm Masters 5th in his green Morris Oxford. Also entered were Frank Cantwell in his light blue Jaguar XK140, and #44 Dr. Dick Langley in his BRG coloured Jaguar 2.4 ‘Mk1’.
Ryal Bush 16 Feb 57 – The 1957 NZ Championship Road race event was held on a road course at Ryal Bush, near Invercargill, on 16th February 1957.
Event 1 of the programme was for NZ Drivers and held over 12 laps/43.8miles/70.49km from a handicap start. Ross Jensen in the Ferrari 750 Monza bear Bob Gibbons in the #28 Jaguar D-Type after a close race, and Tom Clark was 3rd in his HWM-Alta. Peter Pinckney also raced his Jaguar XK140 DHC.
Event 2 was for saloon cars over 8 laps/29miles/46.67km from a handicap start, and in first place att the end of the race was Marian Hayes in her #8 Morris Minor, from Peter Pinckney in his #2 Jaguar XK140 DHC, with Ernie Sprague 3rd in his #11 Ford Zephyr. Other Jaguars entered were #4 Dr. ‘Doc’ Langley in his Jaguar Mk1 2.4, #6 Frank Cantwell in his XK140 FHC, and #12 Scott Robinson in his Mk5 3.4.
Event 3 saw Sports cars line up to race over 12 laps/43.8miles/70.49km from a handicap start. In 1st place was N. Cleland in his #4 Austin Healey, with Frank Cantwell a close 2nd in his #6 XK140, Jack Brabham 3rd in his #47 Cooper T39 Climax, and Allan MacKay 4th in his #48 Cooper T39 Climax. Also entered were Peter Pinckney in his #2 XK140 DHC, I.P. ‘Pop’ Hayes in his #26 XK120, and Bob Gibbons in the Jack Shelly-owned #28 D-Type.
In Event 5 for the NZ Road race Championship over 27 laps/102miles/164km, Bob Gibbons qualified the #28 Jaguar D-Type in 8th of 12 cars – but he did only 11 laps before running a big end in the engine as a result of low oil pressure. #5 Peter Whitehead won the race from #4 Reg Parnell, both of whom drove Ferrari T555 Super Squalos, with Horace Gould 3rd in his #3 Maserati 250F, and Ron Roycroft in his #19 Ferrari 375 was 4th.
Mairehau 23 Feb 57 – The 1957 South Island Championship Road Race meeting was held on a road course at Mairehau, Christchurch, on 23 Feb 57.
In the first event of the day, a 10 lap/40km Allcomers’ Handicap race, Frank Cantwell entered his #6 Jaguar XK140 FHC and was scheduled to start 4th to last in the 20 car field on a handicap of 40 seconds – but the official results sheet showed that Cantwell did not start the race. Tom Clark won from Mrs J.C. (June) Monk in her Triumph TR2, with Syd Jensen 3rd in his Cooper T41 Climax, and Ross Jensen 4th in his leased Ferrari 750 Monza.
Frank Cantwell in his XK140 was also entered in the second event on the programme, a 6 lap/15 mile/24km Sports Car Handicap race, together with Bob Gibbons in the Jaguar D-Type. However, neither Cantwell or Gibbons started the race – Gibbons had earlier run the bearings in the D-Type engine at Ryal Bush on 16 Feb 57 so it is likely the engine was not ready to race. Mrs Monk took 1st place the race in her Triumph TR2, from Ross Jensen in his Ferrari Monza, and Ian McKellar was 3rd in his Cooper T39 Bobtail Climax.
Frank Cantwell was down to race the XK140 again, this time in the third event at Mairehau, a 4-lap/10 mile/16 km Saloon Car Handicap race where he was scheduled to start off ‘scratch’, 3 min 10 sec behind the first car to start, but once again Cantwell was a non-starter. The race was won by Harold Heasley in his Ford Consul Mk1, from Jim Mullins in his Volkswagen, R.K. Crawford in an Austin A30, Vic Neate in a Borgward TS, and Ernie Sprague in a Ford Zephyr Mk1.
In Event 5, the 20 lap/50 mile/80km main event for the day for the South Island Championship Road Race, Jack Tutton entered his #14 Jaguar C-Type, and Bob Gibbons the #28 Jaguar D-Type. Although Tutton was scheduled to start the race on a 4 minute handicap, and Gibbons on 2 minutes, neither car was listed in the official results as even starting the race. Tom Clark, driving his newly acquired ex-Whitehead #22 Ferrari Tipo 555 Super Squalo, won both the J.F. Tutton Trophy scratch race as well as the C.W.F. Hamilton Trophy (for the Handicap section) in a time of 41min 19.2sec. Syd Jensen in his #4 Cooper T41 Climax was 2nd in both sections. John McMillan’s ex-Parnell #1 Ferrari Super Squalo was 3rd in the J.F. Tutton Trophy, and Ian McKellar’s #16 Cooper T39 Bobtail sports racing car was 3rd in the C.W.F. Hamilton Trophy.
Oreti Beach 23 (?) Mar 57 – Ron Roycroft driving his Bugatti T35A Jaguar fulfilled a boyhood dream by winning the 40 mile/64.37km NZ Beach Racing Championship held at a wet and windy Oreti Beach, Invercargill, on, or around, 23rd March 1957. In 2nd place was Bill Crosbie in his CJ Sapphire Armstrong Siddeley 3435cc, and Ron Tucker in his Ransley Riley was 3rd , with Bill Gerrard 4th in his small Vauxhall Special. Both of the favoured cars in Frank Shuter’s BP Cadillac Special, and George Smith’s Cee Cee Ess V8 Special retired.
March 1957 Lake Bryndwr
Levin 30 Mar 57 – At the Victor Hudson Memorial meeting held at Levin on 30th March 1957, Ron Roycroft was the only Jaguar entry in his #88 Bugatti T35A Jaguar single seater. The 15-lap main race was won by Tom Clark in his Ferrari Tipo 555 Super Squalo 3500cc, from Syd Jensen and Arnold Stafford in their 500cc Cooper MkIX Nortons, Wally Henwood who was 4th in his Cooper Vincent 1100cc. Bruce McLaren was 5th in his ex-Brabham Cooper T39 ‘Bobtail’ Climax sports 1490cc, ahead of John McMillan in his Ferrari T555 Super Squalo, Ross Jensen in his Austin Healey 100S sports, and Dave Caldwell in his Alfa Romeo Tipo B ‘P3’.
1956/57 Summer Season Championship Results – Results at the end of the 1956/57 racing season saw Ron Roycroft take second place in the NZ Car Club’s Gold Star Championship. In first place on 35 points was Ross Jensen who used both an Austin Healey 100S and a Ferrari Monza 750 sports. In securing second place on 30 points, Roycroft used both his Ferrari 375 and his Bugatti T35A-Jaguar. Bob Gibbons was fifth on 15 points in the Jaguar D-Type.
Southbridge, Canterbury, 3 Jun 57 – The Canterbury Car Club staged the ‘Southbridge 100’ road race around the township of Southbridge, some 50km south east of Christchurch. Ron Roycroft entered the Bugatti T35A Jaguar and was in third place when the normally reliable Jaguar engine dropped a valve and he retired. George Palmer won on handicap in his Cooper T23 Bristol Mk2, from John McMillan in his Ferrari T555 Super Squalo.
In the Sports Car Handicap race at Southbridge, Frank Cantwell finished 1st in his Jaguar XK140 Coupe, while Ray Archibald, having his last race in his Jaguar XK120, was 3rd, having recorded fastest lap time and fastest race time. Peter Pinckney raced his XK140 Drophead, but did not feature in the results.
Levin 23 Nov 57 – At the Spring meeting at Levin, Gavin Quirk of Te Awamutu entered a Jaguar 3.4 ‘Mk 1’ saloon car and scored a 3rd place in Race 16 held over 6 laps with a handicap start – this was first of the smaller ‘Mk1’ Jaguar saloons to race at Levin. [The 1959 Jaguar Mk2 was a development of the 1955 Jaguar 2.4 and the 1957 Jaguar 3.4 and so, retrospectively, the earlier Jaguar 2.4 and 3.4 models became known as the Jaguar ‘Mk 1’]
There was no annual race at Ohakea in 1957 because the runway at Milson aerodrome, Palmerston North, was being constructed and sealed, which meant that Ohakea was used ‘full time’ by both military and civil aircraft.
Teretonga 30 Nov 57 – The first event on the new Teretonga track at Sandy Point Domain, Invercargill, was held on Saturday 30th November 1957. Event 1 of the programme was a ‘Sports and Racing Car’ handicap race over 20 laps/30 miles/48km. Jaguar entries in the 21-car race were from Peter Pinckney in his #10 Jaguar XK 140 Drophead, and Alf Bell in his #19 ex-Archibald XK120. Race winner was D. Edmiston in his #4 Morgan Plus Four, from K.C. MacMillan’s #7 Austin Healey, with Wally Henwood 3rd in his #16 Cooper Vincent 998cc. Bell and Pinckney started together as 4th -to-last on a 6 minute handicap behind the first car to start, and Bell finished 13th with a fastest lap of 1min 27sec, while Pinckney was 16th, with a fastest lap time of 1min 29.1sec. The fastest lap of the race was set by Merv Neil in his Cooper T39 ‘Bobtail’ Climax 1490cc with a time of 1min 21.4sec.
Event 5 on the programme was the Teretonga Park Championship held over 50 laps for a race distance of 75 miles/120km. The only Jaguar entry was for Peter Pinckney of Waikaia in his #10 XK140 3442cc. Aucklander Merv Neil won the main race in his ex-Brabham/McLaren #47 Cooper T39 ‘Bobtail’ Climax sports, from Ernie Sprague’s #17 Maserati 4CLT/48, with Ron Rutherford’s #3 RA3-Lycoming in 3rd place, three laps behind. In 4th place was Ian McKellar in his #36 Cooper T39 Bobtail 1098cc on 47 laps, with ‘Doc’ Langley 5th in his #22 Austin Healey 2660cc on 45 laps, and after a spin into the sand, Peter Pinckney finished in 6th place in the big XK140 on 45 laps.
Event 6 was the final one for the day at Teretonga and was a 14 lap/21mile/33.79km ‘Saloon Car Handicap Race’. There were four Jaguar entries in the 12-car grid – #10 Peter Pinckney in his XK140 3442cc, #23 Doc Langley in his Mk1 2.4 2483cc, #33 Eric Rillstone in his XK140 3442cc, and #40 Mrs June Monk in her ‘Mk1’ 2.4 2483cc. The race was won by B.B. Keen in his #30 Standard 8 803cc (handicap 20 seconds after the first car to start), from #5 C.W.Erskine’s Morris Minor 800cc in 2nd place (handicap 1.00min), #32 I.N. Herrick 3rd Austin A70 2199cc (handicap 2.00min). Eric Rillstone was 4th in his #33 XK140 (handicap 4min 40s), Doc Langley 5th in his #23 Mk1 2.4 (handicap 3min 50s). June Monk did not start, and Peter Pinckney retired after 5 laps (starting last on a handicap of 5 mins), although he did complete the fastest lap (on lap 2) of 1 min 34 sec.
Lindsay Purvis
Posted at 15:01h, 12 FebruaryI would like to find out more about Peter Pinckney racing his Jag XK140 on behalf of his son Tom . Also how do I go about procuring the photo of Peter in his 140 at Teretonga 23 Nov 57 via Graham Woods
Jim Barclay
Posted at 17:21h, 07 MarchHi Lindsay, I’m sorry I can’t help with any more info on Peter Pinckney – maybe the the Southland Car Club could help? Re the photo of Peter in his XK140 at Teretonga, I’ll send you via email the email address for Graham Woods. Kind Regards, Jim