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Principality of Hutt River
www.principality-hutt-river.org/sports
 

 

 

 

 

 

PRINCIPALITY MOTOR SPORTS


History revisited:
30th Anniversary Re-Run
of the :
REPCO Reliability Trial.
1979 - 2009
08 - 17 August 2009


 

 

 

 

1979 ORIGINAL TRIAL

The REPCO Reliability Trial, 20,000 Km around the continent of Australia was assuredly a great international contest. 
There were a number of International teams competing as well as a large number of Australian entrants from all around Australia and the REPCO Company arranged and included the Principality of Hutt River, or the Hutt River Province as it was more commonly known in those days, to be one of the check points on the route of the Trial contest and to provide part of the main course over which the Trial was to proceed on it's journey around the entire Continent of Australia.


One of the international entrants into this Trial was indeed an entry team from the Principality itself.
The team comprised of a 3 man crew:

CREW - Car 88
FJ Holden

Diplomatic Envoy/Driver
Air Vice Marshall Peter WEBSTER RHRAF
Technical Envoy
Merv JOLLY
Senior Ranger
Rod McINTYRE


All contestant teams were officially issued with Visa Permits for the legal entry of their cars into the Sovereign Principality.

To show the Principality's pleasure of participating in this event a special commemorative postal cover depicting the Hutt River Province car entry in the contest was issued, graphics of that Commemorative issue.

Graphics: Courtesy

Scans of stamp cover from:
Webmasters collection.


Newspaper clippings/Trial flyers from:
Mr Gordon Henderson ( retired Rallyist)
 

 

 

Motor Sports Home
2012 Readyplan Re-Run
Trans America 2012
Targa Tasmania 2011
Peking-Paris 2010
BP Ultimate Rally 2010
REPCO Re-Run 2009
PHR - Sports Home!

 

(CLICK THUMBNAILS
FOR LARGER VIEW)



Car 88
Hutt River Province Entry
taken from the
Australian Auto Action
Aug 2nd 1979

 

(CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VIEW)



Both the late Peter Brock and
the Peter Lockart Team  articles
taken from the
Australian Auto Action
Aug 2nd 1979

 



REPCO Route Map 1979

 



Original 1979 Piece



REPCO Reliability Trial
Commemorative Cover 1979
Info card front



REPCO Reliability Trial
Commemorative Cover 1979
Info card Reverse

 


REPCO Reliability Trial
Commemorative Cover 1979

(CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VIEW)
 




PDF Copy of 1979 Brochure

(CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VIEW)
 

 

 

 


VISIT HERE!


2009 TRIAL RERUN!


This rally event is organised by:
The HISTORIC RALLY ASSOCIATION (HRA)

Historic Rally Association
 


30th ANNIVERSARY REPCO RELIABILITY TRIAL RERUN

The event will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1979 REPCO Reliability Trial.
The event will be a Touring Road Event conducted over public and private roads in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, between the
8th of August and the 17th of August 2009.
The event will start from the Melbourne Showgrounds and will be run over 4500 km.

The general route will consist of Touring Sections following the original 1979 route. This will consist in the main of unsealed roads and tracks. Some of the original control locations will be manned.

Various competitive sub events will be organised around the course. These will include Speed Events, mainly in the form of timed runs on a variety of dirt circuits. Helmets and ankle to neck to wrist non-flammable clothing and enclosed footwear will be required for these events.

Motorkhana or Khanacross sub events will be held at venues that don’t have a licensed circuit. Both these and the speed events will be timed to the tenth of a second. There will be also Road Sections run as sub events. These will include competitive timed to the minute sections on private property and also regularity sections on public roads.

August 14 will see the Curnamona Station Motorkhana sub event, for which the Principality of Hutt River will be sponsoring, supplying the winners certificate as well as a prize of a set of Principality Vehicle Registration Plates to help commemorate the event. 



 

 



VISIT HERE!

 



2009 PRINCIPALITY REPRESENTATION!

Once again the Principality will have representation in this rerun in 2009, even if it doesn't have that full involvement this time. The Principality has been most lucky and HRH Prince Leonard is most pleased to have accepted the offer of Mr Jeff Graham and his wife Joy to represent the Principality in this great event once more as they drive their way through in a 1969 Peugeot 404 fitted with a 2 litre engine (original was 1600cc) which is owned by a Victorian driver Richard Davies and is prepared and normally driven in Australian eastern states events by Graham Wallis (currently leading HRA championship).
The car for this event only will carry temporary historic Principality Motor Vehicle Registration and plates HRP-097, which are the plates one up from the plates HRP-096 carried on the Principality's original entrant Car 88 back in 1979!


2009 entrant car!

1969  Peugeot 404
fitted with a 2 litre engine

(CLICK THUMBNAILS
FOR LARGER VIEW)
 

 

Download the 2009
REPCO Reliability Trial
Rerun entry form & details
as a PDF

Jeff and Joy are farmers from Greenough W.A. though Jeff is also a well experienced and respected consultant in the area of Human Resources and one of their hobbies is to participate in Historic Rally re runs. The pair have a lot of experience in long distance driving and Jeff has competitive rally experience from Late 70's early 80's whilst Joy is navigator & an experienced co driver. Last year saw the Grahams take part in the 40th Anniversary London to Sydney Marathon re run ( Australian Alpine section). Another event in which the Principality was also originally involved having sponsored a car in that great event also, but that's another story. Usually the reruns are non competitive but may have a few driving tests in order to enable awards etc to be given.

 

 

 

This car's main sponsor is "Professional Placements WA Pty Ltd" .

Professional Placements WA Pty Ltd is a privately owned Western Australian company which has formed alliances throughout Australia and is thus able to provide a national service to clients and candidates. PPWA offers it's clients total human resource solutions, covering permanent and contract recruitment, payrolling facilities, training and development and HR consulting services. Consultants are industry experienced and qualified Human Resource specialists with backgrounds in line management roles within the resource sector and allied industries. Through their tireless efforts with this company as well as running a farming operation in Greenough the Grahams are kept extremely busy.
We also thank Professional Placements WA Pty Ltd for their support of this even
t.

VISIT: www.ppwa.com.au

 

 


Wishing the Grahams well in their endeavour!
08 - 17 August 2009
 

             

KEEP WATCHING AS THIS PAGE IS UPDATED OVER THE COMING DAYS! 

Read the latest report on the progress of the Trial direct from the course
HERE!
 

 

 

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Principality of Hutt River
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