One hundred years ago in March, 1925, the Ford Motor Company set up business in Australia, buying a large area of land at Geelong in Victoria. At first, the total output of the factory was devoted to assembling the T-Model Ford. Before long, however, newer, more powerful Ford models began to emerge from the Geelong factory - including the first Ford V8, which was introduced in 1932.
In the mid-1930s Ossie Cranston, manager of Lynas Motors in Perth, built a unique special based on a brand-new 1935 Ford V8 roadster. This was a new concept in racing cars. Underneath the streamlined body with rear fin this was a standard vehicle, running on Olympic road tyres. Yet this machine was unbeatable on the fearsome two-mile circular clay track on Lake Perkolilli near Kalgoorlie. Here Cranston set an Australian record of 97.61 mph over 10 miles. He also set a record flying quarter mile of 111 mph on a public road near Perth, then recorded fastest time at the 1936 South Australian Centenary Grand Prix at Victor Harbor, near Adelaide.
He would have easily won this race except for the handicap system.
A replica of Ossie’s stylish creation has been built.
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