# 1968 London–Sydney Marathon

The 1968 London–Sydney Marathon, officially Daily Express-Daily Telegraph London-Sydney Marathon was the first running of the London-Sydney Marathon. The rally took place between the 24th of November and the 17th of December 1968. The event covered 10,373 miles (16,694 km) through Europe, Middle East , Asia and Australia. It was won by Andrew Cowan, Colin Malkin and Brian Coyle, driving a Hillman Hunter.

## Background

The original Marathon was the result of a lunch in late 1967, during a period of despondency in Britain caused by the devaluation of the British pound. Sir Max Aitken, proprietor of the Daily Express, and two of his editorial executives, Jocelyn Stevens and Tommy Sopwith, decided to create an event which their newspaper could sponsor, and which would serve to raise the country's spirits. Such an event would, it was felt, act as a showcase for British engineering and would boost export sales in the countries through which it passed.
The initial UK£10,000 winner's prize offered by the Daily Express was soon joined by a £3,000 runners-up award and two £2,000 prizes for the third-placed team and for the highest-placed Australians, all of which were underwritten by the Daily Telegraph newspaper and its proprietor Sir Frank Packer, who was eager to promote the Antipodean leg of the rally.

## The route

An eight-man organising committee was established to create a suitably challenging but navigable route. Jack Sears, organising secretary and himself a former racing driver, plotted a 7,000-mile course covering eleven countries in as many days, and arranged that the P&O liner SS Chusan would ferry the first 72 cars and their crews on the nine-day voyage from India, before the final 2,900 miles across Australia:
Europe and Asia :
| Leg | Date | Start | Finish | Allowed time | Description |
| 1 | 24–25 November | London | Paris | 12h 32m | 2300hrs depart Crystal Palace, London; 0400hrs depart England at Dover on the cross-channel ferry to France; 1132hrs arrive Le Bourget Airport, Paris. |
| 2 | 25–26 November | Paris | Turin | 13h 32m | To Italy via the Mont Blanc Tunnel; 0052hrs arrive Turin. |
| 3 | 26 November | Turin | Belgrade | 21h 12m | Autostrada towards Venice before crossing into Yugoslavia; 2204hrs arrive Belgrade. |
| 4 | 26–27 November | Belgrade | Istanbul | 15h 31m | Through Bulgaria by night into Turkey; 1335hrs arrive Istanbul. |
| 5 | 27–28 November | Istanbul | Sivas | 12h 25m | Crossing the Bosphorus by ferry, through Ankara and the Bolu Pass; 0300hrs arrive Sivas. |
| 6 | 28 November | Sivas | Erzincan | 2h 45m | Heading east across unsurfaced roads; 0445hrs Erzincan. |
| 7 | 28–29 November | Erzincan | Tehran | 22h 01m | Cross border into Iran; 0246hrs arrive Tehran. |
| 8 | 29–30 November | Tehran | Kabul | 23h 33m | Follow one of two routes to Islam Qala in Afghanistan, either the northerly route across the Alburz Mountains skirting the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, or the shorter but more treacherous route along the north edge of the Great Salt Desert; 0219hrs arrive Kabul, where timeous crews can enjoy a 6.5 hour rest before the Khyber Pass opens. |
| 9 | 30 November | Kabul | Sarobi | 1h 00m | 0842hrs depart Kabul across an obsolete, loose-surfaced road through the Lataband Pass; 0942hrs arrive Sarobi. |
| 10 | 30 November – 1 December | Sarobi | Delhi | 17h 55m | Cross Pakistan in a day into India; 0337hrs arrive Delhi. |
| 11 | 1–2 December | Delhi | Bombay | 22h 51m | Pass through Agra and Indore; 0228hrs arrive Bombay. |
The remaining crews departed Bombay at 3 am on Thursday 5 December, arriving in Fremantle at 10 am on Friday 13 December before they restarted in Perth the following evening. Any repairs attempted on the car during the voyage would lead to the crew's exclusion.
Australia :
| Leg | Date | Start | Finish | Allowed time | Description |
| 12 | 14–15 December | Perth | Youanmi | 7h 00m | Depart 1800hrs from Gloucester Park, traversing smooth but unsurfaced road; 0100hrs arrive deserted mining town of Youanmi. |
| 13 | 15 December | Youanmi | Marvel Loch | 4h 03m | Through semi-desert via Diemal to asphalt road at Bullfinch; 0503hrs arrive Marvel Loch. |
| 14 | 15 December | Marvel Loch | Lake King | 1h 59m | Into the Nullarbor Desert; 0702hrs arrive Lake King (crossroads). |
| 15 | 15 December | Lake King | Ceduna | 14h 52m | 2154hrs arrive Ceduna. |
| 16 | 15–16 December | Ceduna | Quorn | 6h 18m | 0412hrs arrive Quorn. |
| 17 | 16 December | Quorn | Moralana Creek | 1h 17m | 0529hrs arrive Moralana Creek. |
| 18 | 16 December | Moralana Creek | Brachina | 1h 30m | 0659hrs arrive Brachina. |
| 19 | 16 December | Brachina | Mingary | 4h 10m | 1109hrs arrive Mingary. |
| 20 | 16 December | Mingary | Menindee | 2h 12m | 1329hrs arrive Menindee. |
| 21 | 16 December | Menindee | Gunbar | 5h 18m | 1839hrs arrive Gunbar. |
| 22 | 16 December | Gunbar | Edi | 4h 26m | 2305hrs arrive Edi. |
| 23 | 16–17 December | Edi | Brookside | 1h 00m | 0005hrs arrive Brookside. |
| 24 | 17 December | Brookside | Omeo | 1h 55m | 0200hrs arrive Omeo. |
| 25 | 17 December | Omeo | Murrindal | 2h 06m | 0406hrs arrive Murrindal. |
| 26 | 17 December | Murrindal | Ingebyra | 1h 31m | 0537hrs arrive Ingebyra. |
| 27 | 17 December | Ingebyra | Numeralla | 1h 29m | 0706hrs arrive Numeralla. |
| 28 | 17 December | Numeralla | Hindmarsh Station | 0h 42m | 0748hrs arrive Hindmarsh Station. |
| 29 | 17 December | Hindmarsh Station | Nowra | 2h 01m | 0949hrs arrive Nowra. |
| 30 | 17 December | Nowra | Warwick Farm | 3h 30m | 1319hrs arrive Warwick Farm. |
| 31 | 18 December | Warwick Farm | Sydney | | Arrive in procession, Sydney. |

## Rally summary

Roger Clark established an early lead through the first genuinely treacherous leg, from Sivas to Erzincan in Turkey, averaging almost 60 mph in his Lotus Cortina for the 170-mile stage. Despite losing time in Pakistan and India, he maintained his lead to the end of the Asian section in Bombay, with Simo Lampinen's Ford Taunus second and Lucien Bianchi's DS21 in third.
However, once into Australia, Clark suffered several setbacks. A piston failure dropped him to third, and would have cost him a finish had he not been able to cannibalise fellow Ford Motor Company driver Eric Jackson's car for parts. After repairs were effected, he suffered what should have been a terminal rear differential failure. Encountering a Cortina by the roadside, he persuaded the initially reluctant owner to sell his rear axle and resumed once more, although at the cost of 80 minutes' delay while it was replaced.
This left Lucien Bianchi and co-driver Jean-Claude Ogier in the Citroën DS in the lead ahead of Gilbert Staepelaere/Simo Lampinen in the German Ford Taunus, with Andrew Cowan in the Hillman Hunter 3rd. Then Staepelaere's Taunus hit a gate post, breaking a track rod. This left Cowan in second position and Paddy Hopkirk's Austin 1800 in third place.
Approaching the Nowra checkpoint at the end of the penultimate stage with only 98 miles (158 km) to Sydney, the leading Frenchmen were involved in a head-on collision with a motorist who mistakenly entered a closed course, wrecking their Citroën DS and hospitalising the pair.
Hopkirk, the first driver on the scene (ahead of Cowan on the road, but behind on penalties) stopped to tend to the injured and extinguish the flames in the burning cars. Andrew Cowan, next on the scene, also slowed but was waved through with the message that everything was under control. Hopkirk rejoined the rally, and neither he nor Cowan lost penalties in this stage. So Andrew Cowan, who had requested "a car to come last" from the Chrysler factory on the assumption that only half a dozen drivers would even reach Sydney, took victory in his Hillman Hunter and claimed the £10,000 prize. Hopkirk finished second, while Australian Ian Vaughan was third in a factory-entered Ford XT Falcon GT. Ford Australia won the Teams' Prize with their three Falcons GTs, placing 3rd, 6th and 8th.

## Results

| Pos | No | Entrant | Drivers | Car | Penalties (Points) |
| 1 | 75 | Rootes Motors Group | Andrew Cowan Colin Malkin Brian Coyle | Hillman Hunter | 50 |
| 2 | 51 | British Leyland Cars | Paddy Hopkirk Tony Nash Alec Poole | BMC Austin 1800 | 56 |
| 3 | 24 | Ford Motor Company of Australia | Ian Vaughan Robert Forsyth Jack Ellis | Ford Falcon XT GT | 62 |
| 4 | 58 | Sobiesław Zasada | Sobiesław Zasada Marek Wachowski | Porsche 911S | 63 |
| 5 | 61 | British Leyland Cars | Rauno Aaltonen Henry Liddon Paul Easter | BMC Austin 1800 | 68 |
| 6 | 29 | Ford Motor Company of Australia | Bruce Hodgson Doug Rutherford | Ford Falcon XT GT | 70 |
| 7 | 92 | Ford Werke Deutschland AG | Herbert Kleint Günther Klapproth | Ford Taunus 20M RS | 91 |
| 8 | 2 | Ford Motor Company of Australia | Harry Firth Graham Hoinville Gary Chapman | Ford Falcon XT GT | 114 |
| 9 | 74 | Citroën Cars | Robert Neyret Jacques Terramorsi [de] | Citroën DS 21 | 123 |
| 10 | 48 | Ford Motor Company Limited | Roger Clark Ove Andersson | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | 144 |
| 11 | 12 | TVW-7, Daily News, Perth | Ken Tubman Jack Forrest | Volvo 144S | 146 |
| 12 | 76 | Sydney Telegraph-Holden Dealer Rally Team | Barry Ferguson Doug Chivas Dave Johnson | Holden Monaro HK GTS 327 | 169 |
| 13 | 43 | AMOCO Australia Limited | Andre Welinski Gerry Lister | Volvo 144S | 171 |
| 14 | 68 | Sydney Telegraph-Holden Dealer Rally Team | Doug Whiteford Eddie Perkins Jim Hawker | Holden Monaro HK GTS 327 | 173 |
| 15 | 55 | E.G. Herrmann | Edgar Herrmann Hans Schüller | Porsche 911T | 195 |
| 16 | 57 | Ford Werke Deutschland AG | Gilbert Staepelaere [nl; fr] Simo Lampinen | Ford Taunus 20M RS | 206 |
| 17 | 30 | Dutch National Team | Rob Slotemaker Rob Janssen | DAF 55 | 208 |
| 18 | 32 | Captain F. Barker | Capt. Fred Barker Capt. David Dollar Capt. John Lewis | Mercedes-Benz 280S | 264 |
| 19 | 64 | Red Arrows-Evan Cook Limited | Flight Lt. Terry Kingsley Flight Lt. Derek Bell Flight Lt. Peter Evans | BMC Austin 1800 | 266 |
| 20 | 19 | Avtoexport | Sergei Tenishev [ru] Valentin Kislyh | Moskvitch 408 | 269 |
| 21 | 31 | BMC Australia | Evan Green Jack 'Gelignite' Murray George Shepheard | BMC Austin 1800 | 332 |
| 22 | 98 | Avtoexport | Uno Aava Jurij Lesovski | Moskvitch 408 | 358 |
| 23 | 1 | RTS Motorway Remoulds | Bill Bengry Arthur Brick John Preddy | Ford Cortina GT Mark II | 360 |
| 24 | 4 | British Leyland Cars | Tony Fall Mike Wood Brian Culcheth | BMC Austin 1800 | 430 |
| 25 | 56 | A.J. Percy | Alister Percy Jeremy Delmar-Morgan | Saab 95 V4 Estate | 438 |
| 26 | 62 | Desmond Praznovsky | Desmond Praznovsky Stan Zovko Ian Inglis | Mercedes-Benz 200D | 455 |
| 27 | 83 | Kentredder (Ireland) Limited | John Cotton Sylvia Kay Paddy McClintock | Peugeot 404 | 470 |
| 28 | 71 | Vantona Eyeware Limited | Brian Field Des Tilley David Jones | BMC Austin 1800 | 570 |
| 29 | 72 | Ernie McMillen | Ernie McMillen John L'Amie Ian Drysdale | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | 587 |
| 30 | 90 | British Army Motoring Association-Ford Motor Co. | Capt. David Harrison Lt. Martin Proudlock | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | 623 |
| 31 | 17 | Royal Navy | Capt. James Hans Hamilton Capt. Ian Lees-Spalding Cmdr. Philip Stearns | BMC Austin 1800 | 656 |
| 32 | 45 | RAF Motorsport Association-Rootes Motors | Flight Lt. David Carrington Squadron Ldr. Anthony King Flight Lt. John Jones | Hillman Hunter | 715 |
| 33 | 7 | Avtoexport | Alexander Ipatenko [ru] Alexander Terehin Eduard Bazhenov | Moskvitch 408 | 776 |
| 34 | 70 | Wilson's Motor Caravan Centre | Anthony Wilson Francis McDonnell Colin Taylor | BMC Austin 1800 | 816 |
| 35 | 60 | Terry-Thomas Team | Peter Capelin Antony Pargeter Tim Baker | Ford Cortina 1600E Mark II | 873 |
| 36 | 77 | Big 'N' Cash & Carry Group | Robert Eaves John Vipond Frank Bainbridge | BMC Austin 1800 | 873 |
| 37 | 54 | British Army Motoring Association | Maj. John Hemsley WO1 Frank Webber | Rover 2000 TC | 894 |
| 38 | 20 | Avtoexport | Victor Schavelev Emmanuil 'Misha' Lifshits Valerij Shirotchenkov | Moskvitch 408 | 942 |
| 39 | 18 | M.A. Colvill | Mike Greenwood Dave Aldridge | Ford Cortina Mark I | 1,075 |
| 40 | 46 | Simca Motors | Bernard Heu Jean-Claude Syda | Simca 1100 | 1,658 |
| 41 | 33 | Miss Elsie Gadd | Elsie Gadd Jenny Tudor-Owen Sheila Kemp Anthea Castell | Volvo 145S Estate | 2,399 |
| 42 | 47 | Nova Magazine | Jean Denton Tom Boyce | MG MGB | 2,408 |
| 43 | 11 | Blick Racing Team | Fritz Reust P. Grazter Axel Béguin | Renault 16 TS | 2,491 |
| 44 | 44 | British Army Motoring Association | Maj. Mike Bailey Maj. Freddie Preston | Rover 2000 TC | 2,848 |
| 45 | 78 | Supersport Engines Limited | Jim Gavin John Maclay Martin Maudling | Ford Escort GT | 3,665 |
| 46 | 53 | S.H. Dickson | Sidney Dickson John Saladin Jerry Sims | Rambler American | 3,746 |
| 47 | 42 | P.G. Graham | Peter Graham Leslie Morrish Michael Wooley | Ford Cortina Savage V6 | 5,925 |
| 48 | 93 | Henry Ford and Son | Rosemary Smith Lucette Pointet | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | 6,139 |
| 49 | 99 | 17th/21st Lancers | Lt. Gavin Thompson Lt. Christopher Marriott Cpl. Charles Skelton Tpr. Melvin Lewis | Land Rover 2WD | 6,787 |
| 50 | 41 | Sydney Telegraph | Eileen Westley Marion 'Minny' Macdonald Jenny Gates | Morris 1100 S | 8,111 |
| 51 | 79 | P.A. Downs | Pat Downs Anthony Downs | Volkswagen 1200 | 9,603 |
| 52 | 40 | Jim Russell Drivers' School | David Walker Brian Jones Doug Morris | Vauxhall Ventora | 9,775 |
| 53 | 82 | D.G. Bray | Duncan Bray Simon Sladen Peter Sugden | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | 11,465 |
| 54 | 91 | Maitland Motors | Bert Madden Jack 'Milko' Murray John Bryson | Holden HK Belmont Automatic | 11,646 |
| 55 | 8 | AMOCO Australia Limited | Max Winkless John Keran | Volvo 144S | 13,350 |
| 56 | 69 | Dutch National Team | David van Lennep Peter Hissink | DAF 55 | 13,790 |
| DNF | 87 | Citroën Cars | Lucien Bianchi Jean-Claude Ogier [fr] | Citroën DS 21 | Retired-TC29 Nowra |
| DNF | 89 | Longlife Group | Robin Clark Martin Pearson Peter Hall | Ford Cortina Mark II | Retired-TC28 Hindmarsh |
| DNF | 52 | John Sprinzel | John Sprinzel Roy Fidler | MG Midget | Retired-TC21 Gunbar |
| DNF | 36 | Sydney Telegraph-Holden Dealer Rally Team | David McKay George Reynolds David Liddle | Holden Monaro HK GTS 327 | Retired-TC20 Menindee |
| DNF | 94 | Automobile Club de France-Citroën Cars | Jean-Louis Lemerle Olivier Turcat Patrick Vanson | Citroën DS 21 | Retired-TC19 Mingary |
| DNF | 10 | Royal Green Jackets | George Yannaghas Lt. Jack Dill | Porsche 911T | Retired-TC19 Mingary |
| DNF | 3 | Avon-RAF Motorsport Association | First Officer Nigel Coleman Flight Lt. Allan Dalgleish Flight Lt. Sean Moloney | Ford Cortina GT Mark II | Retired-TC19 Mingary |
| DNF | 95 | Nobuo Koga | Nobuo Koga Yojiro Terada Kazuhiko Mitsumoto | Vauxhall Viva GT | Retired-TC18 Brachina |
| DNF | 28 | A.N. Gorshenin | Alec Gorshenin Ian Bryson | Mercedes-Benz 280SL | Retired-TC18 Brachina |
| DNF | 100 | Simca Motors | Pierre Boucher Georges Houel | Simca 1100 | Retired-TC17 Moralana |
| DNF | 27 | Frank Goulden | Frank Goulden Barry Goulden Geoffrey Goulden | Triumph 2000 Mark I | Retired-TC17 Moralana |
| DNF | 73 | Ford Motor Company Limited | Eric Jackson Ken Chambers | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | Retired-TC16 Quorn |
| DNF | 26 | M.J.C. Taylor | Michael Taylor Innes Ireland Andrew Hedges | Mercedes-Benz 280SE | Retired-TC16 Quorn |
| DNF | 13 | J.G. Tallis | John Tallis Paul Coltelloni | Volvo 123GT | Retired-TC14 Lake King |
| DNF | 25 | Chesson Lydden Circuit-La Trobe Brafield Stadium | John La Trobe William Chesson G. Warner | Volvo 122S | Retired-TC14 Lake King |
| DNF | 6 | Combined Insurance Company of America | Clyde Hodgins Don Wait Brian Lawler | Ford Fairmont XP | Retired-TC14 Lake King |
| DNF | 88 | Simca Motors | Roger Masson Jean Py | Simca 1100 | Retired-TC11 Bombay |
| DNF | 9 | A.A. Bombelli | Alfredo 'Freddy' Bombelli Tom Belsø | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | Retired-TC11 Bombay |
| DNF | 34 | Keith Brierley | Keith Brierley Dave Skittrall | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | Retired-TC11 Bombay |
| DNF | 63 | AMOCO Australia Limited | Bob Holden Laurie Graham | Volvo 142S | Retired-TC10 Delhi |
| DNF | 96 | Ronald Rogers | Ronald Rogers Alec Sheppard | Ford Cortina 1600E Mark II | Retired-TC10 Delhi |
| DNF | 66 | T.E. Buckingham | T. Buckingham J. Lloyd D. Hackleton | Ford Cortina GT Mark II | Retired-TC9 Sarobi |
| DNF | 14 | Ford Werke Deutschland AG | Dieter Glemser Martin Braungart | Ford Taunus 20M RS | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 39 | Addison Motors | Stewart McLeod Jack Lock Tony Theiler | Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 59 | Porsche Cars GB Limited | Terry Hunter John Davenport | Porsche 911S | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 22 | Giancarlo Baghetti | Giancarlo Baghetti Giorgio Bassi | Lancia Fulvia Rallye 1.3 HF | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 21 | Hillcrest Motor Company | Berwyn Williams Martin Thomas Barry Hughes | BMC Austin 1800 | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 86 | Pan Australian Unit Trust-Southern Cross Management | Colin Forsyth Robbie Uniacke James Rich | BMW 2000 | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 23 | P.R.H. Wilson | Peter Wilson Ian Mackelden Keith Dwyer D. Maxwell | Ford Corsair 2000E | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 35 | R.A. Buchanan-Michaelson | Robert 'Bobby' Buchanan-Michaelson David Seigle-Morris Max Stahl | Mercedes-Benz 280SE | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 81 | Dr. Bomsi Wadia | Bomsi Wadia K. Tarmaster F. Kaka | Ford Cortina GT Mark II | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 50 | Ford Motor Company Limited | Nick Brittan Jenny Brittan | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | Retired-TC8 Kabul |
| DNF | 97 | Lunwin Products Pty. Ltd. | Reg Lunn Clive Tippett Jack Hall | Ford Falcon XT GT | Retired-TC7 Tehran |
| DNF | 15 | G.P. Franklin | Geoffrey Franklin Kim Brassington | Ford Cortina GT Mark I | Retired-TC7 Tehran |
| DNF | 65 | Hydraulic Machinery (GB) Limited | Graham White John Jeffcoat David Dunnell | BMC Austin 1800 | Retired-TC7 Tehran |
| DNF | 84 | C.K.W. Schellenberg | Keith Schellenberg Norman Barclay Hon. Patrick Lindsay | Bentley 1930 Sports Tourer | Retired-TC6 Erzincan |
| DNF | 5 | Redge Lewis | Peter Lumsden Peter Sargent Redge Lewis John Fenton | Chrysler Valiant VE Safari Estate | Retired-TC5 Sivas |
| DNF | 37 | W.D. Cresdee | Dennis Cresdee Bob Freeborough Johnstone Syer | BMC Austin 1300 Countryman | Retired-TC5 Sivas |
| DNF | 38 | Ford Motor Company Limited | Bengt Söderström [fr; it; sv] Gunnar Palm | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | Retired-TC5 Sivas |
| DNF | 85 | Tecalemit Limited | Peter Harper David Pollard | Ford Cortina Lotus Mark II | Retired-TC5 Sivas |
| DNF | 16 | D.A. Corbett | David Corbett Geoffrey Mabbs Tom Fisk | BMC Austin 1800 | Retired-TC3 Belgrade |
| DNF | 67 | C.J. Woodley | Cecil Woodley Steven Green Richard Cullingford | Vauxhall Ventora | Retired-TC3 Belgrade |
| Source: ||||||