Last weekend I went along to help out at the Club Motori Italia 2012 Domain Hill Climb. It was the 10th Anniversary of the event, which is apparently the only hill climb held in a capital city in Australia.
The Queen’s Domain is a hilltop directly across the highway from Hobart’s city center and a short section near the top of the Domain is used for the hill climb once a year.
Here’s a quick look at the track from the driver’s point of view:
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Whilst CMI is a club for Italian vehicles, events are frequently attended by owners of other makes. CMI is a CAMS affiliated club, meaning there are plenty of timed events throughout the year. Many drivers join because it’s an opportunity to run their Honda – Nissan – Datsun – Mitsubishi – Subaru or other. CMI are happy to have the participation.
Two things I learned from attending on the weekend:
- I need to get something other than my GTV6 in order to participate in events like this. The roof on the GTV6 is quite low and my rather large head – even larger when wearing a helmet – will only fit inside the car if it’s poking out the open sunroof. I was OK about driving this way under controlled conditions on a track, but given the number of trees, logs and ditches lining public roads, it’s just too unsafe.
- Having said that, participation is the main priority here. There was a classic and very rare Lamborghini Uracco 3.0 V8 at the event and it was the second slowest car on the day. The owner probably wore the broadest smile, however, simply pleased to have a chance to get the car out and use the whole road. It wasn’t about being fast. It was about being there.
Conditions varied through the course of the day. Things started quite nicely, with cool temperatures but nice blue skies and no wind. Competitors got two runs in those conditions before the rain set in for the rest of the day. Ironically, the only major accident of the day happened in the sunny conditions – a beautiful Alfa GTV6 in silver going off and being stopped by a tree.
The day’s fastest times came in those first two runs, of course. The quickest car on the day was a Mitsubishi Evo 6. There were multiple class winners, too, including a wonderful Alfasud, a tiny Honda S800 and a stunning Datsun 260Z in blue.
I’ve loaded an album of photos on Facebook. Around half of those, plus a few others are also displayed below. Click to enlarge.
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You can always put in a lower sport seat. Surely there would be 50mm in it.
Quite possibly, Andrew. But any excuse to go car shopping’s a good excuse. Perhaps a house with a larger garage should be on the agenda first as I’d want to keep the GTV6 as well
Myself now needs a proper carport as the Hirsch now needs to be kept under cover methinks.
Sounds quite appropriate.
So the GTV6 lives….
Thanks for the ride.
Why is the Saab 900 a Talladega?
Insurance won,t cover the Alfa, right? I assume the poor devil is totalled.
Gene in CA
Not sure about the Talladega question. If you’re asking what a Talladega is, it’s a special edition they did around the time of the second Talladega challenge in the mid-late 1990′s. The challenge was in 1996 and the Talladega edition was in 1997, IIRC.
Am also unsure on the fate of the GTV6. Some of the guys there thought it looked repairable, but it’ll all come down to cost. The owner’s a young guy and has a friend with a spare body. It might prove more economical to salvage what he can from the car (it has a later model 3.0 engine) and build a new one.
Thanks Swade.
I was at Tom Donney’s in Iowa this february when he brought in his Talladega from the GM Saab collection in Detroit. It’s a 9000, 1986, one of three that did the 100,000 km enduro. The main prizes were a Sonett I (one of 6 made) and carlsson’s 96 GB rally car. Plus a 92 and 93. Last month he got the final three, a ’64 Quantum, a Sonett III and a ’85 SPG. (see vscna Vintage Views.)
Cheers.
An S800 great to see one competing, I had an S600 30 years ao as my competition car, alway swanted an 800 though.
Nothing like a stock engine that codul do 10,000rpm! A good S600 coudl do that in 4th which was 100MPH!!!
never been to tassie, roads always look good, bit flat for a hillclimb?
Plenty of hills here. It’s just a matter of which ones are accessible for a hill climb. The ideal one would be Mt Wellington but you’d never get permits for it. It would be spectacular if you could, though.
This course is a short one. CMI also has one on a public road in one of the fringe-rural suburbs (Collinsvale) as well as one over part of Baskerville race track.
Yer needs a clubman sportscar like the Caterham 7
Hi all,
I’m the owner of the the silver GTV6 that looks somewhat sad in the above photos… which were a result of a frayed throttle cable getting stuck – hence rendering me at full noise for just long enough to put me a few metres closer to the trees than I should have been before braking.
She will definitely live again – although unlikely as a road car. I’ve got access to plenty of spare panels thanks to the guys in the club, however straightening the chassis rail will be the final hurdle. Fingers are certainly crossed as she’s been a faithful companion for the last 4 years (I bought her around my 17th birthday and won this event in her last year).
I’ve got an arsenal of parts and the motor is ok, so that’s all going into another shell. Should commence in a week or three
Some nice shots here, Swade! Do you mind if I save the one of her whilst she’s still in one piece?
You’re most welcome, Alex. In fact, I can email you the original in bigger size. Will do so shortly.