The Mini Mag. ..... Volume No.3 No.2.... 2001
  February 2001

Volume 3 Index. | Article Index.
ALCHEMY.
A look at the many variations of the Mini and the people who helped make the car “A Legend”

1970 Southern Cross Rally.

To many people who take an interest in motor racing and rallying, the sport can at times be both cruel and heart-breaking. The 1970 Southern Cross Rally was such an event for the supporters of Minis at the time.

Andrew Cowan was the favourite prior to the rally as he was the leading driver of one of the best factory teams. This position was proven to be both right and wrong. While Cowan was leading the rally he missed a control point and tried to recover from hitting a bank, and in doing so ended up damaging the front of the car. This allowed Colin Bond to take the lead before losing it to Barry Ferguson who won under circumstances unfavourable to Mini fans.

Soon after Cowan’s ‘off’, his team-mate Brian Culcheth arrived after losing race time due to a burst water hose and sick engine. He offered parts such as steering and drive shafts from his car in the hope that it would enable Cowan to continue.The offer was accepted, however after the repairs were carried out it was found that the sub-frame was seriously bent and the car was forced to withdraw from the event.

While this was taking place, officials were threatening action over the dangerous entry of the missed control point! In addition to the team’s worries over the two broken Minis, the service vehicle that had been supporting the team cars suffered damage overnight after hitting a kangaroo.

These events left Evan Green to fly the Mini flag. The last stage of the rally was extremely tough, with only fifteen out of seventy-six cars finishing. Evan Green and navigator Peter Brown had moved to outright second.

It was during this section that Green found Ferguson’s Torana stuck in mud. Both he and Brown helped push the stricken Torana out, and according to rally rules, should have been allowed to go first. However, Ferguson took off, leaving the Mini stranded on a stump when Green was forced to stop to avoid the Torana. Although the sump guard and exhaust were damaged, Green and Brown battled on to second.

The 1970 Southern Cross Rally was regarded as one of the toughest ever held in Australia at the time. The participating Mini drivers are still admired for their outstanding sportsmanship under these tough conditions.