Volvo 240 Turbo Group-A - Robbie Francevic - 1986
A bit better prepared this week for #mocaroundgang #mocaround57 for 80's touring cars.
This period covered my life ages 7 - 17, so a primetime interest in cars. It helps that I also live in Australia, home to the legendary Bathurst 1000 km Touring car race, held in October.
The 80's started off in Australia running Group-C regulations, with a switch to International Group-A in 1985.
The turbo Volvo had been a revelation when it arrived in 1985 in the hands of the eccentric Kiwi Francevic and his fellow countryman car owner Mark Petch.
They took two wins in the 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship before the factory bought out Petch in early ’86 and formed the Volvo Dealer Team.
Francevic used the original left hand-drive car for the 1985 championship before updating to a newer, later specification RAS Sport right hand-drive car for 1986.
While both of these initial cars were built in Sweden by the factory, the third car was built in Australia utilising the latest Volvo factory racing parts.
It raced on our shores just twice, as the #44 VDT entry at Sandown and Bathurst in 1986 with John Bowe and Alfredo Costanzo driving.
“John Sheppard wanted to run the lightest possible rear-end and ran aluminium trailing arms and that’s what fractured at Sandown, tearing itself out of the rear chassis rail.
“At Bathurst the left hand trailing arm broke, and that was the car’s Australian racing history done.”
At the end of the year Volvo officially withdrew from motorsport worldwide and the team closed its doors.
This mocaround challenge is hosted on instagram by @illuminated_mocs
Volvo 240 Turbo Group-A - Robbie Francevic - 1986
A bit better prepared this week for #mocaroundgang #mocaround57 for 80's touring cars.
This period covered my life ages 7 - 17, so a primetime interest in cars. It helps that I also live in Australia, home to the legendary Bathurst 1000 km Touring car race, held in October.
The 80's started off in Australia running Group-C regulations, with a switch to International Group-A in 1985.
The turbo Volvo had been a revelation when it arrived in 1985 in the hands of the eccentric Kiwi Francevic and his fellow countryman car owner Mark Petch.
They took two wins in the 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship before the factory bought out Petch in early ’86 and formed the Volvo Dealer Team.
Francevic used the original left hand-drive car for the 1985 championship before updating to a newer, later specification RAS Sport right hand-drive car for 1986.
While both of these initial cars were built in Sweden by the factory, the third car was built in Australia utilising the latest Volvo factory racing parts.
It raced on our shores just twice, as the #44 VDT entry at Sandown and Bathurst in 1986 with John Bowe and Alfredo Costanzo driving.
“John Sheppard wanted to run the lightest possible rear-end and ran aluminium trailing arms and that’s what fractured at Sandown, tearing itself out of the rear chassis rail.
“At Bathurst the left hand trailing arm broke, and that was the car’s Australian racing history done.”
At the end of the year Volvo officially withdrew from motorsport worldwide and the team closed its doors.
This mocaround challenge is hosted on instagram by @illuminated_mocs