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

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.