An Australian rally team in a Holden FX is to retrace the route of its heroic ancestors 60 years ago when it joins about 100 participants on the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique this weekend.
Cheered on by more than 10,000 fans, the car – an exact replica of the FX that all-star Aussie team Lex Davison, Stan Jones and Tony Gaze took to 64th in 1953 – will set off from Glasgow tomorrow (26 January). The 2000km journey will take it down through the UK, before crossing the channel at Dover en route to Monaco.
This year’s crew is headed by five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes, along with the Holden’s owner Gary Poole and Richard Davison, son of Lex. Gaze, the sole survivor from the original crew, is the team's patron.
Poole began restoring the car five years ago and it carries features from the ’53 machine, including the original rally plate. It has also been modernised with components such as additional lighting and heating, plus a Global Positioning System.
Support crew member Lyle Bond said: “We’re all pretty relaxed at the moment and looking forward to setting off tomorrow.
“The dream has been five years in the making, from Gary acquiring a new shell and engine, to the guys training in Finland, and the completed car having its first outing in Adelaide.”
