The Mildren name was used on a series of racing vehicles constructed for, or acquired by,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n racing team owner

Alec Mildren Alec Graham Mildren (19 August 1915 – 28 August 1998) was active in Australian motor racing as a driver from 1938 to 1961, and subsequently as the owner of Alec Mildren Racing. Racing career Mildren began his racing career in an Austin in 193 ...

during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Mildren Maserati

The Mildren Maserati was a one-off sports car which was built in 1964, utilizing a clone of a

Lotus 19 The Lotus 19 or Monte Carlo is a mid-engine sports-racing car designed by Colin Chapman of Lotus and built from 1960 until 1962. Lotus 19 The 19 is a mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports racer with a fiberglass body over a space frame, original ...

chassis with components from a

Cooper T51 The Cooper T51 was a Formula One and Formula Two racing car designed by Owen Maddock and built by the Cooper Car Company for the 1959 Formula One season. The T51 earned a significant place in motor racing history when Jack Brabham drove the car ...

and a 2.9 litre

Maserati Type 61 The Maserati Tipo 60/61 (commonly referred to as the Maserati Birdcage) are a series of sports racing cars produced between 1959 and 1961 by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati for privateers racing in sports car events including the 24 Hours ...

engine.Rennmax, www.oldracingcars.com
Retrieved on 15 December 2012 The chassis was constructed by Bob Britton, who also produced racing cars under the

Rennmax The Rennmax name was applied to a series of open wheel racing cars and sports racing cars constructed by Rennmax Engineering in Sydney, Australia between 1962 and 1978.Tony Davis, The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, pages 402-403 Rennmax ...

name.Alec Mildren Rennmax Maserati, www.motorsportarchive.com
Retrieved on 15 December 2012 The car was driven to victory in the 1965 Victorian Sports Car Championship by Kevin Bartlett. It was also favoured to win the 1965 Australian Tourist Trophy in the hands of Frank Gardner, but it failed to start the race after an engine failure in a preliminary heat. The Mildren Maserati was sold to

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

n Ross Ambrose in 1966 and was subsequently fitted with a 2.2-litre

Coventry Climax Coventry Climax was a British manufacturer of forklift trucks, fire pumps, racing engines, and other speciality engines. History Pre WWI The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, a joint venture by Jens Stroyer and Pelham Lee. In 1 ...

engine and raced as the Rennmax-Climax. In 1969 Ambrose had the car re-engined with a 4.4 litre Traco-

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile (formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors) was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produc ...

powerplant and then race it as the Traco-Rennmax.

Mildren Waggott (Rennmax BN3)

Max Stewart Waggott TC4V 4 Graham Ruckert

The Mildren Waggott was a

space frame In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure (Three-dimensional space, 3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometry, geometric pattern. Space frames can ...

open wheeler racing car built by Bob Britton for

Alec Mildren Racing Alec Graham Mildren (19 August 1915 – 28 August 1998) was active in Australian motor racing as a driver from 1938 to 1961, and subsequently as the owner of Alec Mildren Racing. Racing career Mildren began his racing career in an Austin in 193 ...

, as one of a number of cars built to the Rennmax BN3 design, which itself was derived from the

Brabham BT23 The Brabham BT23 was a formula racing car built by Brabham in 1967. Development The BT23 was designed as a Formula 2 racing car and most of the vehicles of this type were also used in this racing series. There was also a Tasman version and some ...

.Rennmax BN3, www.oldracingcars.com
Retrieved on 15 December 2012 Originally powered by a 1.6 litre

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, it is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of mu ...

engine, the car was driven by

Max Stewart Malcolm Clarke Stewart (14 March 1935 – 20 March 1977) was an Australian racing driver. He was known as the "Jolly Green Giant" for his disposition and height. Stewart was born in Orange, New South Wales. He began his motorsport career r ...

in the 1969 Tasman Series, but a lack of power and high oil use by the Alfa engine saw the car subsequently fitted with a 1.6 litre

Waggott Waggott Engineering was an Australian automotive engineering company which gained fame for the engines which it produced for motor sport applications from the 1950s through to the 1970s. The company had its origins in a machine shop opened in 1948 b ...

engine. Stewart drove the car to victory in the

1969 Australian Formula 2 Championship The 1969 Australian Formula 2 Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to racing cars complying with Australian Formula 2. The title, which was the third Australian Formula 2 Championship,Records, Titles and Awards ...

, the

1970 Australian Formula 2 Championship The 1970 Australian Formula 2 Championship was an Australian motor racing title for drivers of racing cars complying with Australian Formula 2 regulations. The title, which was recognised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the fo ...

and the

1971 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1971 Australian Drivers’ Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title open to Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 racing cars.Conditions for Australian Titles, 1971 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 79-83 It was the fi ...

,Mildren Waggott information board image, www.flickr.com
Retrieved on 15 December 2012 with a 2.0 litre Waggott engine called the TC4V being used to win the third title. Stewart also won the 1972 Singapore Grand Prix with the car which was

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

powered for this race.

Mildren Mono

The Mildren Mono was a

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

open wheeler racing car which was designed by

Len Bailey Leonard Bailey (25 July 1926 – 23 June 1997) was a British automobile designer. Career Leonard Bailey became an apprentice at Austin at Longbridge in 1942 which at that time were building Short Stirlings for the Royal Air Force of World War ...

and built by

Alan Mann Racing Alan Mann Racing was a British Motor sport, motor racing team organised by Alan Mann (22 August 1936 – 21 March 2012), who was a part-time racing driver and team manager. The team ran a substantial part of the Ford Motor Company, Ford works rac ...

.Old Gold, Racing Car News, May 1989, pages 88 to 91 The Mono, which replaced the teams old

Formula 2 Formula Two (F2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009 to 2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name returned aga ...

chassis, the 1965 model

Brabham BT16 The list below summarizes Brabham racing cars built by Motor Racing Developments in the United Kingdom. Note that many of the earlier models are badged as Repco Brabhams. References

{{reflist British racecar constructors, Brabham Brabham ...

and its 2.5L

engine (the Brabham Climax was sold to race driver Col Green), debuted in late 1968 at

Warwick Farm Raceway Warwick Farm Raceway was a motor racing facility which was in operation from 1960 to 1973. Warwick Farm Raceway hosted numerous major events during its life such as the Australian Grand Prix and rounds of both the Australian Touring Car Champi ...

in the hands of Frank Gardner and was powered by the ,

Tipo 33 V8 engine, the same as which was already in use in the teams other car, a

Brabham BT23D The Brabham BT23 was a formula racing car built by Brabham in 1967. Development The BT23 was designed as a Formula 2 racing car and most of the vehicles of this type were also used in this racing series. There was also a Tasman version and some ...

. As the official Australian Alfa Romeo importer, Alec Mildren was able to obtain the V8 engines from the

Autodelta Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta by Carlo Chiti and Lodovico Chizzola, former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineers, the company was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on Mar ...

which was the same one as used in Alfa's 1967 model T33/2 Daytona 2.5L endurance racing

sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...

. Kevin Bartlett drove the car to victory in the 1969 Australian Drivers' Championship utilizing the Alfa Romeo engine and 4 cylinder, four valve per cylinder

engines of 1850cc and 2 litre capacity. For racing in 1969, the Mildren Mono-Alfa Romeo was fitted with high front and rear wings and Frank Gardner used the car in the 1969 Tasman Series. Although the combination was to prove the fastest of the "local" entries, the Alfa V8 lacked the pace of the

Cosworth DFV The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. The name is an abbreviation of ''Double Four Valve'', the engine being a V8 development of the earlier four-cylinder FVA, which had f ...

derived DFW V8 (rated at ~) and V6 Ferrari's (rated at {{cvt, 300, bhp, kW PS, 0) powered cars. After racing in all 8 series events, Gardner was the highest placed Australian in 6th place. Kevin Bartlett then took over the car and won the

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

Macau Grand Prix The Macau Grand Prix (; ) is an annual motorsport road racing event for automobiles and motorcycles held on the Guia Circuit in Macau. The event includes the Formula Regional and Motorcycle Grand Prix title races, with other races for Touri ...

. In 1969 Bartlett also raced the Mildren Mono-Alfa in the inaugural

JAF Grand Prix The is an auto race held in Japan by the Japan Automobile Federation. History The original JAF Grand Prix was set up in year 1969 as to promoting Formula Car events in Japan, which was the highest ranked race other than the Japanese Grand Prix. ...

held at the

Fuji Speedway is a motorsport race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Shizuoka, Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the ...

(in its original configuration with the 30° banked first turn) in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. There he qualified the car in 4th place, being fastest after the first qualifying session but a burned piston saw him drop to 4th after final qualifying. The race ended early for the Mildren Mono-Alfa after the replacement engine fitted overnight also burned a piston. In winning the

Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category. This category was determined by the Confederation of Australia ...

, defending champion Bartlett (having used the Brabham BT23D-Alfa Romeo V8 in

1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...

) alternated in using the Alfa Romeo V8 and a 2.0L Waggott TC4V engine, with the Alfa in the Mono for the power circuits such as Symmons Plains,

Sandown Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England. The neighbouring resort of Shanklin and the settlement of Lake, Isle of Wight, Lake are sited just to the south of t ...

and

Surfers Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

and the Waggott fitted for Mallala and the team's home track, Warwick Farm in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. By 1970 the Mono was in the hands of

driver Bob Muir. In two known races with the car, he qualified the Mono (fitted with a 2 litre Waggott) 12th for the

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...

Australian Grand Prix The Australian Grand Prix is an annual Formula One motor racing event, taking place in Melbourne, Victoria. The event is contracted to be held at least until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Gran ...

, but his race ended on lap 15 when he crashed the car. He also drove the Mono in the 1971 Australian Grand Prix, also held at Sydney's Warwick Farm. Against the much more powerful

Formula 5000 Formula 5000 (or F5000) was an Open-wheel car, open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel ...

cars, Muir put the Mono-Waggott on the front row of the grid, less than a second behind the F5000 of defending (and eventual) race winner

Frank Matich Francis Anthony Matich (25 January 193511 May 2015) was an Australian racing car driver. A highly successful motor racing competitor in the 1960s and 1970s, Matich built his own range of Matich sports cars and open wheel cars, mainly to sup ...

in his self-designed Matich A50 powered by a

Repco Repco is an Australian automotive engineering/retail company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and was for many years known for reconditioning engines and for specialised manufacturing, for which it gained a high repu ...

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...

V8. His race however was a disaster. Before completing the first lap, Muir was into the pits to retire, the Waggott TC4V engine having a bent valve. The Mono was later raced as a

powered

Australian Formula 2 Australian Formula 2, sometimes abbreviated to AF2 or ANF2, is a "wings and slicks" formula racing category in Australia. The category is one of Australia's oldest, dating back to 1964. The current format of AF2 was introduced in 1978. Brian Shead ...

car by Ray Winter, finishing third in the rain-affected 1975 Australian Grand Prix at

Surfers Paradise Surfing is a list of surface water sports, surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in Glossary of surfing, tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wind wave, wave of water, whic ...

against a field composed primarily of "

" cars. The car was commonly referred to as the "Yellow Submarine", due to the Mildren team cars generally being painted yellow.

Mildren Chevrolet

The Mildren Chevrolet was a

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

powered

racing car, designed by

with assistance from Frank Gardner.1971 Season, www.sergent.com.au
Retrieved on 15 December 2012 The car was driven by Kevin Bartlett in the

1970 Australian Grand Prix The 1970 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Warwick Farm Raceway in New South Wales, Australia on 22 November 1970. The race, which was the thirty fifth Australian Grand Prix, was open to Formula 5000 cars, 2.5-litre Australian For ...

, but failed to finish.The official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix, pages 346 to 352 It was also driven by Bartlett in the 1971 Tasman Series, with Bartlett placing seventh in that series.

References

Australian racecar constructors