Bill Flemming

Born in 1925, Bill started work (part time) when he was just 9 years old during the depression. This job gave him pocket money which enabled him to buy his first of many motorcycles.

His first car was a Vauxhall 14/40 which engendered a friendship with a Vauxhall 30/98 owner and subsequent foundation membership of the VSCC. This friend was an ANA pilot, and obviously had a significant influence on Bill later in his life.

Bill got talked into buying his first Bugatti (in bits) for 30 pounds. This car returned to the road after Bill had re made many unobtainable parts including the clutch. He used this car until 1948 when he married Dawn.

Motor sport loomed large in Bill’s life and in the Bugatti he competed far and wide at places such as Mt Tarrengower, and hillclimbs at Anglesea and Cape Schanck.

Along the way Bill purchased a 1923 20HP Rolls Royce, one of few built with a unique centre gear change, when most were had with a right hand change lever.

Scholastically, after the war (WWII) Bill completed a Diploma of Mechanical Engineering at Swinburne, all the time working in the family business which produced as one of its products kitchenware with the brand name “Willow Ware”.

From 1955-59 Bill moved into the used car business – wholesale buying and selling until with a partner they ran a yard on Warragul Rd known as “Chadstone Charlie’s Chariots”. However the 1961 credit squeeze caused their finance company to withdraw its facilities putting the yard out of business.

In the early 50’s Bill recalls competing in a ¼ mile sprint event on dirt at Phillip Island once beating a Jaguar XK 120 driven by Dennis Gowing later of Kevin Dennis fame.

It was his used car partner, who re introduced Bill to the pleasures of flying, commencing in a 1936 Aeronca single engine twin seater. Bill had been flying earlier but now his partner showed him how and Bill started flying with no real lessons. However, the aerobatics performed by his pilot friend in the Gypsy Moth scared Bill off.

Following these early experiences, Bill owned a succession of light aircraft – Proctor, Gypsy Major, Miles Messenger, Tiger Moth, Gypsy Moth and a Moth minor. These were flown out of Moorabbin, Benalla or sometimes Albury, and all of this without the benefit of a pilots licence!!

Not until 1961 did Bill go legal obtaining his licence for the first time in a Tri Pacer.

Subsequently he went to Schutt Aviation as their first pupil in a brand new Cessna 172 and flew over to Bacchus Marsh, when the pilot landed and sent Bill back up solo. Later he obtained his licence for the second time in a Cessna 175.

Unfortunately the 1961 credit squeeze also halted Bill’s flying activities, however not being the type to give up easily, around 1965 he started work at Stillwell Fords “Skipping Girl” used car lot in Abbottsford. Subsequently he became a truck salesman and then Truck Sales Manager.

With a day job selling used cars and trucks Bill was moonlighting driving taxis, recalling that a fare from Flinders St to St Kilda cost 7/6. Not too long after Bill purchased his first taxi leading to a fleet of ___, but holding good drivers for shift work was always a challenge.

Bill moved form Stillwell’s to run the Footscray truck yard for Patterson Cheney and later commenced work with Don Gray at D E Gray Truck Bodies. While here he proudly claims to be the builder of the first flat tray body for the then newly released HQ Holden One Tonner.

In 1976 when driving one day past Essendon Aerodrome, Bill went in and asked to be taught to fly (again) as he wanted to fly his recently purchased Piper Cherokee 140. Because he’d driven all over Australia the navigation test was a breeze. Next he bought a Piper Arrow registered number VH-ARO, but this enjoyment was to be short lived.

Bill’s stroke caused him to sell the Piper Arrow and replace it with another 140 and whilst he had been OK’d to fly by his instructor, the Canberra beauracracy took his licence off him for ever.

After a long day at the truck body works and a lengthy night taxi shift on May 5th, 1980 at 2.30 am, Bill suffered his stroke. Five months of rehabilitation later Bill and Dawn purchased a Ford LTD and took off on a drive around Australia to try to get their lives into order.

Back in Melbourne in his incapacitated condition, Bill asked for and was given a job as a storeman at Grummet Body Works where his experience lead him after seven years to become the company Purchasing Officer.

About this time Bill went looking for a sport scar and tried an E Type Jaguar, but at an asking price of $20,000, an MGB (auto) was much more affordable.

And this is when Bill and Dawn’s lives first came in contact with the MGCC Victoria, and this will form the concluding part (in a subsequent Wheelspin) of the profile of member # 47 – Bill Fleming – A most remarkable man.

Part 2

Club Motorsport Competitor, Car Collector, World traveller…

In 1982, Bill purchased his ’72 MGB which being an auto was a bit of a slug, so Bill got MG Workshops to build a ‘hot’ motor. At the same time he joined the MGCC when it met at Karnak Rd. With competition in mind Bill’s CAMS licence application was significantly assisted by then Competition Director Jeff Lee and CAMS President Ron Parkes. Bill obtained a CAMS Level 2 Licence which in Bill’s words entitled him to compete in all Club events but excluded participation in ‘multi-car start speed events’.

Because of his disability Bill carries as insurance his CAMS approval letter to prove his eligibility should he ever be challenged?

His first Club Competition event was an Autokhana in the car park at the now defunct Templestowe Hill Climb. At a later Motorkhana, Bill struggled with the steering which he found to be simply too heavy, so he had MG Workshops fir power steering, but regrettably this was impractical. Later, calling on his engineering background, Bill sourced an ISEKI tractor ‘torque multiplier’ (2:1) which was fitted to the steering column between the firewall and the dash board. The car now became very useable.

About this time Peter Beasley was winning the ‘Specials Class’ in an ex GP (Wally Mitchell) supercharged monoposto MG TC. Bill wanted one!

Soon Bill found a TC racing car (now owned by Peter Gostelow), for sale by Murray Richards, the car being the property of Ranald McLurkin.

Upon purchase Bill arranged with Charles Singleton of Kallista to modify the car to suit Bill’s needs. The TC engine and gearbox was replaced with an MGB engine and auto transmission, and Bill the car was pretty competitive, but Bill wanted to go faster so he had a USA made B & M supercharger with a Weber carby fitted.

The car was now 40 mph faster then Bill could drive it! Doing 130 mph down the Phillip Island main straight was enough to scare Bill!

This TC special became bill’s main competition car and he competed in every State at MGCC national Meetings earning podium finishes every time. Bill’s best national Meeting was in Newcastle when he took first place in the Specials Class in the speed event and the motorkhana.

In Club events, Bill managed to drive both his MGB and the TC racing car saying doing well driving as a ‘disabled’ driver suited his sense of humour. In those days wife Dawn would drive the MGB to events while Bill would tow the racing car behind his Leyland P76 V8. All the time grandson Adam was being raised by Dawn, who Bill says, taught him all his manners. And Adam was a constant companion at all MGCC events.

To make Dawn more comfortable, Bill negotiated a deal with Wayne Rushton and bought Wayne’s MG 1300, this way Adam could travel safely to events too.

By now Bill had almost too many competition cars, however with his engineering ingenuity Bill had a double decker trailer made which carried the MGB and racing TC behind a ‘daggy’ Fairlane while dawn drove the MG 1300.

During this period Bill proudly claims that he and dawn never missed an EMR, this being just one of the Club activities that they embraced enjoying the friendship and camaraderie of fellow Club members.

When Bill’s truck body building work concluded he took up courier driving using a Daihatsu Charade which even became his competition car one year in the Non-Marque Class.

A ZB Magnette joined the stable and soon was fitted with the mandatory MGB engine and auto transmission, but it gave lots of trouble with the steering causing an uncomfortable vibration as the column was fouling on the engine block. Ultimately Ray Skewes fitted some TC camber bushed to the rear axle which in Bill’s words made that car drive as smooth as silk.

By now Bill was using an ‘A’ bar to tow his racing car behind the ZB. This made loading and unloading the racing car a job Bill could handle on his own with ease. Bill says he had numerous ‘blues’ with the Police over his use of the ‘A’ bar, but he always won because of his (truck/trailer) experience as the ‘A’ bar made the package almost like a 4 wheel dog trailer seen so commonly on the road these days.

Never satisfied,  next a 1982 924 Porsche joined the stable and was promptly modified by the fitment of a turbo charger, 944 brakes, power steering, 911 wheels and $ of other changes. The year Bill competed in the Porsche he announced with disappointment that he ran second in the Class Championship by one solitary point.

After Dawn died, Adam moved in with Bill and Adam being an avid motor magazine reader left a magazine lying around in which Bill noticed an article that MG in the UK were commencing building FWD ZT Station Wagons, however when the Mustang V8 engine was added major re engineering was necessary which lead to the creation of the ZT 260 sedan. This concept was just what Bill wanted so he an auto with ‘the lot’. This car took 14 months to arrive and cost much more than initially planned. Later a ZT V6 joined the garage, but this was subsequently sold (to John Bonney) to fund the ’08 overseas trip to the UK.

Other cars in Bill’s stable are

• 1987 ex Florida USA Chevrolet Corvette
• 1984 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit 11
• VE Commodore 6.0L SS Sedan with extractors which add 40 hp – giving an electric performance….

Bill has been overseas many times, first with Dawn in 2000 on the first ‘Wheels Magazine’ Tour of UK & European car factories after which they toured England, Scotland and Ireland coming home via the USA.

In 2005 with Ray Skewes Bill did the London-Brighton Rally organised by the UK RAC – a real ‘toffy’ affair says Bill.

In 2008 again with Ray, Bill toured the European car factories, Ferrari, Porsche etc and many car museums, finishing at Goodwood, although the highlight was a trip to Brooklands.

These days Bill enjoys attending MGCC meetings and events although the weekly highlight is the Saturday morning tea with the ‘retirees’ at the Greenaway Street Bullen tea room of Ray Skewes Automotive Pty. Ltd.

In closing Bill specifically requested that this member profile include the following words of appreciation. Bill says he is forever grateful to the Club right from his first day of membership; he has never had anything but help and friendship, and that he has made friendships both locally and overseas. In his opinion Bill says “the Club has given him an extra 15 years life that he otherwise would never had”.

In Bill’s opinion there is not another Club like ours anywhere in the world!