RS Motorsport :: Classic Speed Restored

OK, here's one for the book worms, I think I know the answer but am happy to be proven wrong.

Who was the FIRST employed works (Ford) driver, employed by Ford Australia to drive one of their cars in a competitive event?

Mmmmmmmm??????

Name, event & car please.

Answers please..

Shaun B

Allan Moffett. In a 68' Mustang at the 1969 Bathurst 1000?

i will have a stab in the dark
maybe ??
george fury
or
greg carr
in a mk1 cortina
for the Alpine rally victoria aprox circa 1968 ????????????
could also be "Harry Firth" bathurst , not sure what year
??

OK here goes.....

I should explain though that none of the drivers of this era were employed by Ford as such. The drivers that were given works or factory backed cars were given the cars, spares and had their preparation and event costs covered....and they still got to keep the prizemoney (although the cars were handed back)!

MK2 RS2000 was pretty close......

On 22 October 1962 Bob Jane & Harry Firth ran in the Armstrong 500 in a factory backed XL Falcon and won (in 1961 Jane also won with Firth but in a Mercedes Benz).

In the same 1962 race however was Geoff Russell and David Anderson in a factory backed Zephyr.

The trick is that Geoff Russell had actually run a factory (Australian) entered Falcon in the East African Safari Rally on in April that same year....I think there were 2 other factory Falcons in that event as well but I cant turn up the details....

So from what I have, my money is on Geoff Russell. Geoff is still around although no longer races. He raced for many many years in historics in a special that he built as a young man, the "Russell Special" which was a pretty well known car.

Let the arguments commence......

Cheers

Shaun B