Solved - NEH 4178: Repco Record - later version with Holden engine

[foxawy]

Late 50's early 60's and is it 6 cyl or 8 cyl ?

[Carnut]

Late 50's early 60's and is it 6 cyl or 8 cyl ?

Yes, late 1950s.
You should ask me the questions rather than giving me a choice!
But I'll make an exception and tell you it has a 6-cylinder engine.

[foxawy]

oh sorry , ok i found something close but one pic from the back , does it have a middle split bubble glass in the back ?


Sorry the one i found had a fin in the back but very similar , will keep looking.

[foxawy]

Is there a version of it with a fin in the back ?

[Carnut]

Is there a version of it with a fin in the back ?

Yes!
I'll lock it for you until your next reply as I feel you've probably just about solved it..

[foxawy]

got it, 1959 Repco !

[foxawy]

Sorry for the incomplete answer , ok  so i found it twice under two different names , 'Repco Record' , and 'Repco experimental car' , the engine is as far as i can find  the Holden 6cyl "Grey" engine with a 'Hi Powered' headers .

[Carnut]

Sorry for the incomplete answer , ok  so i found it twice under two different names , 'Repco Record' , and 'Repco experimental car' , the engine is as far as i can find  the Holden 6cyl "Grey" engine with a 'Hi Powered' headers .

Yes indeed.
On the site where I found this it's described as the 1959 Repco Experimental Car.  BUT - most pictures show the car with its different rear window treatment and fin and are later than 1959.  So at first I thought this was the original appearance, but there are pictures of the car today (it survives) and it has the same rear window as the puzzle car.  So that would mean it's from later than 1959 and is the Record; the photo doesn't look like a 60's photo though so I'm frankly a bit confused!  Is it the first incarnation or the last?  If it was the first it would have had a Ford Zephyr engine too and I've also read it was called "The Starlet" at that stage..

In view of the evidence of the pictures of the car today Ill assume it's the later version of the car after they'd ditched the rear fin and wraparound rear window.  That version has been puzzled before but I won't merge them as the two bodies look so different.

So, 1 point for you!  Well done.

[pguillem]

Another image

[Carnut]

Another image

Thanks.  I thought about posting that one but it's actually the 'other' version with the split wraparound rear window, so really belongs in the other Repco Record thread..  Still not certain which is the earlier and which is the later version..

[Carnut]

Here's a picture of the car taken in 2014.
You can see from this the different frontal (as well as rear) treatment.  This is largely what my puzzle car looks like, with minor changes like the air outlets on the front wings.