March 8, 2011 Longford and Morrie reunited after 43 years ...

March 8, 2011
Longford and Morrie reunited after 43 years
Throughout history there have been some incredible mismatches that defy the odds and
somehow combine effectively, despite being so diametrically opposed.
Take Hollywood stars Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger or comedy legends
Laurel and Hardy.
But modern day motoring enthusiasts would be hard pressed to come up with a more
unlikely amalgamation than a Morris Minor and motor racing.
Yet despite the initial incomprehensible thought of a “Morrie” being thrown around a
race track, fans attending the Longford race track in the 1960s witnessed this many
times.
Between 1966 and 1968 a Morris Minor, once described by Top Gear presenter Jeremy
Clarkson as England's answer to the Volkswagen Beetle, was wheeled out on to the track
ready to rumble.
This unlikely racer, which became the first British car to sell more than 1,000,000 units
world-­‐wide, will reacquaint itself with the famous Longford track when the clock is
wound back to the 1960s for the Longford Revival Festival
The specific car that thrilled fans then, and is now owned by Trevallyn enthusiast,
Andrew Sluce, will be back in action and on display for the three day festival from April
1 to 3. The 1959 Morris Minor holds a special place in Andrew’s heart, as well as the
history of the track.
But let’s face it, the car, which looks like it would be more at home in a church car park
than a race track, is not going to grab fastest time in the Flying Mile demonstrations
when you look at the caliber of high-­‐powered and exotic purpose-­‐built race cars that
have been entered.
But “Morrie”, as the Morris Minor was affectionately called, has been entered by its
owner for specials reasons other than its colourful racing history throughout Tasmania.
The car was definitely not your archetypical race car, considering that Morris Minor
designers had far more demure usages in mind when the blueprints were penned in the
post-­‐World War 2 era.
When the little car debuted at London’s Earl Court Motor Show in September 1948,
Britain’s new economy car was noted more for its thrifty fuel consumption than
performance, a point made even clearer by reading its mechanical specs – engine output
of 21 kW, 53 Nm of torque, powered by an in line side valve 918cc four cylinder motor
which took more than 50 seconds to reach its top speed of 103 kph.

This is hardly the pedigree for a race car but track enthusiasts of the 1950s and 1960s
were an imaginative bunch with limited funds and an abundance of passion,
characteristics which typify Longford’s racing history.
This is a story about the passion that has followed this unlikely racer throughout most of
its 52-­‐year life and what the car has meant in particular to one of its many owners.
This once ordinary car, which was able to achieve extraordinary things on the race
track, offers a somewhat quirky reflection of Longford’s past. It shows that the track
around the Tasmanian town was not just about the motor racing legends such as Sir Jack
Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Stirling Moss, just to name a few of the
international stars of the era that loved racing on this famous track.
Tasmanian John Charlton was the man responsible for creating this unlikely race car.
Having bought the car in 1965, after it had changed hands two of three times, he set
about transforming it into a giant killer of more powerful touring cars competing
throughout the state.
A then 18-­‐year-­‐old John Sluce, who admired all small cars produced by British Motor
Company (BMC), looked on with envy as the modified Morris Minor sat on the Longford
grid for the first time in 1966.
A spark had been struck but it wasn’t until John Sluce heard that the car may have been
for sale soon after it raced for the last time at Longford in 1968, that the seed of a dream
became the start of a long battle to own the vehicle.
After making some inquiries, John Sluce discovered that Charlton did not want to sell,
but the would-­‐be owner maintained his desired to own the “Morrie” for another 35
years before finally he was able to call himself “custodian” of one of the handful of
original 1960s touring cars still remaining in Tasmania.
John Sluce’s dream of purchasing the car spanned more than half his life. He frequently
checked on the car which was parked near the silo at the end of Salamanca each time he
visited Hobart in the late 1960s and early 70s.
When the car was sold to Longford resident Ian “Spider” Johnson, Sluce Snr was
unfortunately not in a position to purchase it. However he and son Andy used to often
drive past the carport where the “Morrie” was parked on their way to see family
members, just to maintain the link with the car.
Spider eventually sold the car to well-­‐known Tasmanian club racing identity Jacque
Sapir after 20 years of ownership, and again John was not able to purchase it.
But four years later in 2003, when the car was displayed in Shannon’s Argyle Street
premises, John Sluce approached Jacque about a deal.
An agreement was eventually done, which saw John acquire a half share with Jacque,
Eventually John bought out Jacque and a dream that took decades to become a reality
was finally complete.
Andy’s first recollections of the car were as a 12-­‐year-­‐old. Little did he know 21 years
after his first sighting, he would inherit the car after the premature passing of his father
two years ago.
Andy is certain that his father would want to see “Morrie” reacquaint itself with the
Longford track and he has asked John Charlton, the man responsible for establishing the
car in Tasmanian touring car history, to once again drive in the Flying Mile
demonstration.
Not surprisingly, John’s empathy with cars has been a major influence on Andy.

“Growing up around somebody with the reputation and admiration from others of his
enthusiasm for cars certainly rubbed off,” Andy said.
“I guess I’m relatively young at 35 to have a love of the historic racing scene but I love
the relaxed old school racing.
“Up until my Dad passed away I suppose I admired the Morris to a degree but I didn’t
have the connection with the car that Dad had.
“I got to know the car a little more after Dad passed away when I undertook a few jobs
on it but the pivotal moment came when I typed up as hand written note that Dad put
together on the Morris Minor’s story.
The realisation of what the car meant to him really hit home. Now, whenever I spend
time with the car, it just seems to sum up everything about my Dad.
“I feel like I’m the custodian of a small piece of Tasmanian motorsport history.
“He loved the way it remained in original condition, faithful to its race history and had
not suffered the same lost history as so many other race cars.”