1965 - 04 - Racing Car News - Bellett cover & advertisement

[dave]

This copy of Racing Car News from April 1965 features a rally-spec Bellett 1500 sedan with wide steelies and monster-sized driving lights.

Although it is on the cover, there's no actual article about the car anywhere in the magazine! The contents page does mention this: "COVER: This year looks like being the biggest ever for Trials. Our Trials photographer Bruce Upton, captured this graphic action shot of a Bellett in full cry".

1965 - 04 - Racing Car News - Bellett cover & advertisement - 01.jpg (122.55 KiB) Viewed 16992 times

The magazine also includes this full-page advert for Whelan Motors in North Parramatta, NSW. Apparently it's THE car to watch in this year's NSW Senior and Junior Championship.

Featured is a very nice Bellett 1500 road car with whitewalls and hubcaps.... but wait.... look at the rego number!

DNX839 is both the car from the advert AND it's the rally car from the cover. So.... where is it now?

1965 - 04 - Racing Car News - Bellett cover & advertisement - 02.jpg (93.68 KiB) Viewed 16991 times

[BELLQLD]

dave perhaps a bit of useless but is the navigator the same bloke tied up with rally directions if so perhaps if its him you could solve the puzzle ..google john bryson navigator ..great think the internet even im on there google in dave (davo) mitchell ...regards dave

[KJB]

Articles like this had a big influence on me back in the mid 60's when I was looking to buy a new car (especially a car that might have some sporting attributes but not in the price bracket of so called "sports cars"). Belletts seemed like a good choice.The "Wheels" Project Car hot up articles are what sealed the deal for me (the power of advertising!)
KB

[1968GT]

Those members who of NSW origins will very easliy remember the rego number on that cars prefix.
In the 1965 era so many Belletts were registered around that period that at in the original NSW Bellett Club there must have been between 4 to 6 cars at least members of the Club with that prefix number plate.
The sedan I sold to Garry from Bega, the first owner of that car traded in his 1965 car with that rego pre fix on the trade in!
Gees that brings back some GREAT memories!

[1968GT]

Oops I forgot, that Wheels Hot up Project car was owned by a gentleman by the name of John Malcolm, John unfortunately passed away about 18 months ago I think, with cancer, what a great supporter of our marque he was!!
John owned a garage in Newtown, suburb of Sydney, he replaced the clutch in my car and rebuilt the shocky towers rusted out in another car, he knew and loved Belletts as we do!!

His last car was one of the new BMW Cooper S mini's.
John was not cheap, but always did a quality job for me!! May he RIP!!