The Holden Entries
There were four Holdens entered in the Marathon.

Car 36 Sydney Telegraph Car 1, Australia, Holden GTS. D. McKay
Car 68 Sydney Telegraph Car 3, Australia, Holden GTS. D. Whiteford
Car 76 Sydney Telegraph Car 2, Australia, Holden GTS. B. Ferguson
Car 91Maitland Motors, Australia, Holden HK Auto. J. Murray

The Sydney Telegraph entries comprised three Holden GTS Monaros. The fourth was a HK Holden entry sponsored by Maitland Motors in N.S.W.

It needs to be said the three Holden GTS Monaros were not sponsored by GMH but were solely sponsored by the Sydney Telegraph Newspaper Group owned by the co-founder of the Marathon, Sir Frank Packer.

The Holden GTS Monaros were prepared under the watchful and professional eye  of David McKay who was chosen as Team Leader for the Sydney Telegraph.
David McKay
Photo courtesy Daily Express Magazine
Car 76 Barry Ferguson in Australia
Photo courtesy Bill Kneipp
Car 68 Doug Whiteford in Australia
Photo courtesy Bill Kneipp
Car 36 David McKay filling up in Delhi, India
Photo courtesy John Smailes and David McKay
Car 36 David McKay, George Reynolds and David Liddle pass Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on their way to Sydney
Photo courtesy John Smailes and David McKay
Car 68 with Eddie Perkins at the wheel.
See the bulldust... it's got to be in Australia
Photo courtesy John Smailes and David McKay
The Sydney Daily Telegraph selected the Holden Monaro GTS for the Marathon and entered three. Basically the cars we highly modified Holden Monaro GTS 327 sports coupes. The three were identical, but David McKay included air-conditioning in his.

McKay, the Telegraph's motoring editor, wrote that he wanted to make it clear that the Holden entry was entirely the newspaper's responsibility, and not GM-H's. They had built the cars to his specifications, and except for help from Holden dealers along the way, if needed, that was where GM-H's association with the venture ended. The passenger area of the Holdens had been enlarged by the use of lightweight body contour seat with a rest area for the off duty driver in the back.

The transmission was automatic and the final drive ratio 3.08:1. The rear silencer was moved forward to behind the rear axle where it was less likely to receive knocks. McKay reported that the Holden steering would be standard GM-H high-geared 16.7:1 ratio without power steering.

The normal petrol tank was replaced by a special fuel tank made by Firestone in America. McKay said the 52 gallon tank prevented surging and slopping, and also reduced fire danger. The tank was filled from just below the rear window. Heavy duty radiators and batteries were fitted and the bonnet painted matt blue to stop reflection.

BOAC flew the Holdens to London in one aircraft. One of the Telegraph's Marathon team, David Liddle, went with them, keeping an eye on them as if they were thoroughbred race horses.
Alan Sawyer
David McKay, one of Australia's best known drivers, began racing in 1950. He won both the Australian Sports Car and Touring Car championship and held two national speed records.
Alan Sawyer
The Telegraph Holden team led by David McKay asked for petrol drums to be painted bright yellow with GTS in black lettering to match the cars' black and yellow colours for quick recognition during the frantic stops.

When Holdens came into Castrol points, attendants were to clean front and rear windscreens, headlights and tail-lights, refuel the windscreen washer, check oil level, and check around the cars for oil leaks. They were told not to touch the radiator unless requested to do so by a crew member.

David McKay, in Telegraph's Holden Monaro, was going well until 90 miles from Sivas when the studs of the left rear wheel sheared and the car crashed down on its brake drum. McKay put it down to possible too light tensioning of the wheel nuts for the terrain when they stopped at Sivas. On the way to Erzincan, McKay stopped three times to tighten the wheel nuts, but managed to average a near impossible 62 miles an hour to arrive 66 minutes late at Erzincan.
Alan Sawyer
Car 76 Barry Ferguson with a few Arab admirers
Photo courtesy Alan Sawyer
Car 36 with Liddle, McKay and Reynolds
Photo courtesy John Smailes and David McKay
Car 76 with Ferguson, Chivas and Johnson
Photo courtesy John Smailes and David McKay
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The Ladies I How They Finished I BMC I Ford I Holden I Other Marques I Site Map I Memorabilia I Credits/About Us I Links