( This is the “new site”… Want to visit the “old site”, then Please click here )
Welcome to the home of the BMH Special AKA “THE COMIC BOOK” Special.
Included is also a page dedicated to Badger’s First Racing Car the “BADGER SPECIAL CHEVROLET” and the mighty 1929 Willys Whippet Ute. The Whippet is the car I learned to drive in. Still going strong some 50+ years later under my custodianship.
The site includes photographs of some other cars we own, including, our Honda Coupe 1300. Other cars include the 1925 Chevrolet we call TOMKIN, The BEE Special under construction in Albany and a couple of wooden boats we tinker with. These (the good ships Wreckless and Naughtyless) are a carry on from our First wooden creation Pointless.
Created in 1952 as Australia’s First Holden powered racing car by the managers of the workshops at Badger Motors Holden the Holden dealer of the Northam District of Western Australia
The Comic Book Special competed at many race tracks in Western Australia including Northam, Bunbury and the Historic Caversham Raceway as well as hill climbs at Bickley, Mundaring and Northam
It is most famous or Infamous for its collision with the Lex Davison Ferrari at Caversham raceway during practice for the 1957 Australian Grand Prix. The car was driven by Aubury Badger the colorful and sometimes bombastic Northam identity who was the dealer principal for Badgers Motors Holden. Aub was the West Australian State Sedan Car Champion for 1955 driving FX and FJ Holden’s as well as the BMH which was built mainly for competition at the Flying Fifty races held in Northam.
The car is powered by that icon engine of early 50s racing the HOLDEN Grey Motor at 138cid it was capable of around 125 horsepower in its initial guise and grew to develop in excess of 150HP in the late 1950s. This car was clocked at 115MPH at Caversham in practice for the AGP in 1957 and was noted as the first car to reach the 110MPH mark very early in its racing at Caversham
The car was returned to racing in 2006 after an extensive and exhaustive rebuild of the car and has competed at Collie Motorplex, Barbagallo Raceway, Northam in the Flying Fifty as well as The Albany Classic, which it has won along side its stable mate the Badger, Wind Farm Sprints and the 50th Anniversary of the 1957 AGP at Caversham in September 2007. In March 2008 it ventured to Victoria to compete in the 2008 Phillip Island Classic.
This started out life as a 1936 FC Chevrolet Sports, it was raced in standard form for some years in the hands of Bob Tomms and Aubury Badger and others until it was crashed heavily. The RHS chassis rail was damaged as was the body so the staff at the local garage removed the body and replaced the chassis rail, Badgers neighbor fabricated the body and they replaced only the necessary sheet metal in an attempt to create a special. It runs near standard 1936 Chevrolet components. The car was rescued from Kellerberrin in 1978 to be used as spares for a 1936 roadster which was then under restoration, It was not until 1997 that it became apparent that the car had a history of racing and was restored. It has competed in Western Australia for more than 10 years and was driven to Victory in the Commemorative Australian Grand Prix at Narrogin in 2001.
Our sentimental favorite restored in 1976 and after having traveled over a million miles it still remains the best car we ever owned
TOMKIN THE 1925 CHEVROLET TOURER
Tomkin is our 1925 Chevy Tourer and our Sunday best car, it is well traveled having crossed all parts of the country. It was originally owned by a doctor based in Fremantle Western Australia and basically an all original car. It has been used by all of the family for too many years taking people to weddings funerals and graduation balls.
This car has been in the family for decades and was originally a fruit picking wagon on an orchard near Perth WA. It is also the car we all learned to drive in a little ones. The car is as received having never been apart for overhaul, but that doesn’t mean that it inst still strong and sees duty on a regular basis, it has attended Dog in a Ute at Corrigin and its a winner.
THE HONDA COUPE 1300 COLLECTION
The Honda (3of them) are just a few of the Honda’s that have been owned by the Family. Surprisingly they are all air cooled cars and date back to the 1970’s. Fantastic cars to drive and they go too!
The site of the 1957 and 1962 AGP in which the BMH Comic Book Special competed.