SOUTHERN Highlands Taxis owner Laurie Stewart is best known for helping others reach their destination, but he recently took himself on a journey down memory lane.
Mr Stewart, who made a name for himself as a race car driver in the 1960s, revisited his days of fast motoring when he was reunited with his former prize winning Mini Cooper S at Wakefield Park near Goulburn.
He was even given the chance to take the vehicle that powered him to motoring success, best known as a Broadspeed, for a spin around the track “for old time’s sake”.
The weekend gathering at Wakefield Park tied in with various 50th anniversary celebrations around the country to mark the arrival of the first Mini in Australia.
And it was not surprising that both Mr Stewart and the Broadspeed were among the featured attractions at the event.
The car was originally built in the 1960s by Mr Stewart, and his business partner of the time Brian Foley, specifically for the race track.
“I spent about 10 years racing cars including Alfa Romeos and MGs, but Minis were very popular at the time and my preferred choice,” he said.
“We built the Broadspeed to be light weight with a fast back design.
“It ended up winning every race and captured a world record speed of 127.8 miles/hour (about 220km/hr) which it held for many years.”
Despite the achievements of the car at the time Mr Stewart said he struggled to find a buyer for it when he decided to stop racing.
“I was eventually paid about $2200 for the car,” he said.
However the vehicle has clearly achieved iconic status and its sale price has skyrocketed in recent years.
Mr Stewart said he learned the car changed hands a few years ago for $70,000 and it was more recently sold again for $100,000.
Its impressive value didn’t surprise Mr Stewart who said the vehicle had not lost any of its grunt or lustre reaching a “leisurely speed” of about 150km/hr when he got behind the wheel at Wakefield Park.
“The car is still painted in a Castrol green colour, although a slightly lighter shade. Everything else on it looks the same as when I owned it,” he said.
“People have clearly spent a lot of money keeping the car in pristine condition.”
And both the Broadspeed and Mr Stewart enjoyed a touch of celebrity status during the Wakefield Park event with many photographs taken and autographs signed.
The former race star was also reunited, after 40 years, with mechanic Frank Verity who worked on the Broadspeed and supported Mr Stewart at the track during his heyday.
Mr Stewart conceded his recent Wakefield Park experience brought back plenty of great memories.
However he said his car racing days were well and truly over.
“I left the sport on a high note having won many of the races I entered – I want to keep it that way,” he said.
“Besides my reflexes are not as quick as the once were – I could be beaten by the young guys today.”
He also dismissed the idea of attending regular race meetings since his retirement from competition.
“I think that would be something like an alcoholic standing in the corner of a pub drinking mineral water,” he said.
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