Begg
New Zealand engineer George Begg was one of the first car builders to adopt
F5000, fitting a Chevy V8 to one of his cars as early as June 1968. For
the 1969/70 domestic season, the first to F5000 rules, Begg and Fred McLean
built a pair of Begg FM2 F5000 cars; a fashionably wedge-shaped monocoque.
With a young Graham McRae at the wheel, the car proved surprisingly competitive
in its early outings.
A more sophisticated FM4 appeared for the 1970/71 season and Begg kept up their momentum with the FM5 design for the 1972/73 season, one car appearing in UK events with David Oxton. McLean then left the firm and Begg produced just one more car, the 1974 '018' design before George Begg decided to retire in 1976. George died in April 2007, still very high regarded in his native country.
All and any further help would be gratefully received. Please e-mail Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com if you can add anything.
| Type | Years | No. built |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| F5000 | 1968 | 1 | Originally built as the 'Begg-Daimler' in June 1967. Later bought back and fitted with Chevy V8 as "semi-prototype F5000". Crashed in practice for its first race at Teretonga in June 1968 and not used in that specification again. Several owners later it was the basis of the Allross F5000. By 2005, the car had been returned to Daimler power and beautifully restored by Brian Grant. |
| FM2 | 1969 | 2 | Monocoque. Raced by Graham McRae, Geoff Mardon, Pierre Phillips and Leo Leonard in the 1969/70 season. |
| FM4 | 1970 | 1 | Monocoque. First raced Wigram in Jan 1971. |
| FM5 | 1972 | 2 | Monocoque. First raced Oct 1972. Dave Oxton won the 1973/74 NZ Gold Star and also raced in the UK in his car. One car now in the Southward Museum and one being raced by Lindsay O'Donnell. |
| 018 | 1974 | 1 | Monocoque. First raced by Jim Murdoch Gold Star late 1974. Owned by Phil Mauger until early 2005 when sold to Noel Atley (Invercargill, NZ). Raced at the Classic Speed Fest at nearby Teretonga on 12/13 Feb 2005. |
Sources
The
principal sources for these histories are: "A Classic World & When
the Engine Roars" by George Begg and "Historic Racing Cars of
New Zealand" by Graham Vercoe.
These histories last updated on 24 April, 2007 .
Total number built: 7.