Early Funny Cars from Australia and New Zealand

By David Cook and Danny White

Bruce Phillips built this Holden utility (an Australian version of a pick-up, known colloquially as a "ute") with Rick Jones in 1968. With blown small block power, the ‘glass bodied car qualified loosely as a Funny Car. The car behind was a carbed Ford-powered Chevy of Tony Andrew. (Photo & text by David Cook)

Darryl Foulds drove this Holden 6 cylinder powered Torana Funny Car in 1969. The car ran in the altered class. (Photo & text by David Cook)

Melbourne racer Graham Rose joined the FC rush in 1970 with this steel Monaro-bodied creation. The carbed small block car was underpowered and Rose retired it. It still sits under a cover in his garage today. (Photo & text by David Cook)

David Searles had a modern funny car chassis in which to sit his carbed 429 Ford Shotgun Hemi. The Capri bodied car also ran n the gas altered classes. (Photo by David Cook; text by Danny White)

Ray Miles drove the Matin, Miles, and Wileman "Shaker." The car raced on gas but was known to run nitro also. (Photo by David Cook; text by Danny White)

Gary Kim won many races in New Zealand with the "Kokomotion." The Capri was built to run in the gas altered classes. (Photo by Allan Porter and Mike Ashton; text by Danny White)

The "Stripteaser" was as state of the art as you could have gotten in New Zealand. The car began with carbs but later got an injected big block. It was classified as an A/A. (Photo and text by Allan Porter and Mike Ashton)