The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Rob Harcourt, Lancia Meadows, turn 4.
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
Perfect spring weather greeted competitors and spectators in the Barossa Valley for the Sporting Car Club of South Australia’s annual historic hillclimb at Mount McKenzie on October 2, 2022. As well as the Group J and K entries from the twenties and thirties there were classes for Air Cooled, Invited Post-War, Special Interest and Come & Run vehicles. The bikes were back again, arranged into Pre-War and Post-War classes.
Robert Balfour 1909 Stanley Steamer Model Z 9 passenger Mountain Wagon
By Vince Johnson
Photos by Vince Johnson unless othewise marked
It’s been sixty-seven years since the first cars went up the hill at Collingrove in the wine country north-east of the state capital. They’ve been doing it ever since and it doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon. Not even when the morning is wet, cool and windy.
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
Lead image: Richard Creasy, 1985cc Amilcar
Barossa Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, South Australia, 7 October 2018 The oldies were back (the cars, not the drivers) in the wine country north-east of Adelaide for the Sporting Car Club of South Australia’s annual vintage hillclimb near Angaston. Entries had come from across the continent and while most took less than a minute to get to the top, the narrow track is challenging and there’s little room for error.
Gordon’s Amilcar Grand Sport
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
Springtime in South Australia’s Barossa Valley wine district sees the Sporting Car Club of SA’s Vintage Section members in a weekend of pre-war action, centered on the club’s Collingrove hillclimb track near Angaston. Following a Friday evening welcome dinner, the leisurely tour of the neighboring Eden Valley region on Saturday morning left plenty of time for lunch and the annual dinner. On Sunday the competition warmed up after scrutineering, with timed runs up the 700 meter climb. [Read more…] about Barossa Vintage Collingrove Speed Hillclimb 2017
Robert Sales, Fiat 508 is detailed below.
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
Sunday 2 October, 2016
Following an exceptionally damp winter, the Barossa Valley north of Adelaide was at its greenest for the Sporting Car Club of SA’s annual Vintage Hillclimb meet. Festivities got underway with a Welcome Dinner at the Brauhaus Hotel in Angaston on Friday evening, followed by Saturday’s tour of the wine district. Morning tea and a light lunch left plenty of room for the Annual Dinner at the Wanera Wine Bar Restaurant that night, but on Sunday morning it was down to business at the club’s Collingrove track. [Read more…] about Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, 2016
Richard Creasy, Amilcar G.
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
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The first competitive hillclimb in South Australia, held in 1904 on the Norton Summit Road, was won by Ernest Rymill in his 15hp Darracq. The following year he made it two in a row. Sadly, Rymill’s Darracq wasn’t in the Barossa Valley this year for the Sporting Car Club of SA’s Vintage Collingrove, although the French were admirably represented by local stalwart Richard Creasy’s slightly younger Amilcar G.
Richard purchased the car in 1986 as the remains of a Morris powered special built in the 1960’s in Melbourne. It has been rebuilt with Amilcar components. The engine is a 1925 pressure fed 1985cc side valve and drives through its original 4 speed transmission. [Read more…] about Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, South Australia, 6 October
Richard Creasy and the 1925 Amilcar takes on ‘The Wall’.
South Australia, 5 October 2014
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
The British far outnumbered the French and Italians at the Sporting Car Club of South Australia’s annual vintage hillclimb in the Barossa Valley recently. At just under 700 meters in length it doesn’t take long for competitors to get over the crest at the top and most managed seven runs during the day. Perfect spring weather and a holiday weekend saw the drivers almost as relaxed as the spectators. The entry list included some post-WW2 cars but the invited ‘Come & Run’ category maintained the vintage feel with Jim Scammell’s 1922 Essex 4 Special the oldest car on the hill. [Read more…] about Australia’s Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb