In 1959, motoring jounalist Evan Green set a record for driving right around Australia on public roads. He and his co-driver John Thornton drove a Standard Vanguard utility 8,100 miles around Australia in 9 days and 12 hours.

In May 1962 Evan Green returned with Jules Feldman (from Modern Motor magazine), this time driving the new Australian-made six-cylinder Austin Freeway sedan. Driving non-stop, the pair drove the same route in 9 days, 6 hrs 22 min, taking almost 6 hours off their previous record.

Most of the national highway was dirt in those days.

BMC was very quick to use this feat in their advertising. This ad shows a rough map of the route, which is listed as 8,100 miles (13,041 km).

This new record only stood for five months. In October 1962 it was beaten by a Volkswagen.

Rally drivers Ray Christie and Joe Dunlop drove one of the brand-new VW 1200 'Standard' sedans around Australia, on the same 8,100 mile route, in 7 days and 6 hours - two days faster than the six-cylinder Austin.

Ray Christie and Joe Dunlop would gain more fame in 1964, when they won the BP Rally of Victoria in the famous 'Antarctica 1'.

Even the Shell company advertised the VW's success.

Mmmm Methyl Benzine. I use to run my Datsun 1200 coupe on a mixture of that stuff...

Great post Phil, thanks for sharing

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Originally posted by GottaSplit Mmmm Methyl Benzine. I use to run my Datsun 1200 coupe on a mixture of that stuff... Great post Phil, thanks for sharing

We'll never have unlimted speed on our highways; the uproar from the do-gooders would drown out any suggestions. Even suggestions to raise the highway limit to 120 km/h (and reduce the town limits from 60 to 50) are always shouted down. Our driver training and licencing system is not up to high-speed driving anyhow. The system works fine in Germany with their autobahns (not all of which are unlimited), but getting a licence there is much more involved and involves much more training in car control than here.

Nonethless, with today's sealed multi-lane highways, and higher allowed speeds (in the NT anyway), it should be possible with two or three guys to do this trip in a modern VW much faster than these old records. Using the route in the Austin ad above:

Sydney to Melbourne = 890 km
Melbourne to Adelaide = 730 km
Adelaide to Perth = 2695 km
Perth to Port Hedland = 1775 km (via Carnarvon coast route)
Port Hedland to Katherine = 2100 km
Katherine to Townsville = 2190 km
Townsville to Brisbane = 1360 km
Brisbane to Sydney = 980 km (via Armidale and Tamworth)

Total = 12,720 km (slightly less than the 8,100 miles (13,040 km) using the dirt 1960s highways).

At an AVERAGE of 100 km/h, this would be 127.2 hours - or 5 days 7 hrs 12 min. Of course to AVERAGE 100 km/h, which must include refuelling, toilet stops and driver changeovers, you would have to drive rather faster than 100 to make up the time.

Ray Christie and Joe Dunlop did go on to break their 1962 around-Australia record. In 1964 they tried again, this time using a more poweful VW Type 3 1500 sedan. They departed Melbourne’s Southern Cross Hotel at 12:01am on 23 August 1964, and arrived back at 10:18pm on 28 August. 5 days, 22 hours 17 minutes. In those days CAMS used to recognise these records, but they stopped after this one. As a result, this is still the ‘unofficial official’ around-Australia record today.

what are the speeds in NT now? I heard they are back to unlimited from the 130k they were before and before the 130 they were unlimited?

Most of the Stuart Highway is still 130 km/h limit, which was imposed in 2007. However in January this year a 200 km stretch was returned to unlimited as a 12-month trial. There were more people killed with speed limits than without.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2014/01/31/11/36/open-test-speed-limit-tr...

Sadly though the unlimted section is south of Barrow Creek towards Alice Springs, so would not help a record attempt on the route described above (which turns left onto the Barkley Hwy).

Any modern VW could easily maintain the highest legal speeds all around the route, and slightly more when possible. The problems doing it would be keeping two drivers fresh for 24-hour driving for 5 days, and organising refuelling at either planned petrol stations or top-ups from jerry cans. It would be fun to do. VW Australia should have done something like that with the Up! (now discontinued), but with a Golf R it would be fun.

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Originally posted by vlad01 Quote: Originally posted by GottaSplit Mmmm Methyl Benzine. I use to run my Datsun 1200 coupe on a mixture of that stuff... Great post Phil, thanks for sharing mmmm carcinogenic on other thoughts, they need unlimited speed on the highways, then let the records begin!

not all are, but benzine group of chemicals are well documents as being carcinogenic.

Yes, VW Australia is apparently trying to 'simplify' the Australian range. You can still get one now, but when current stocks are sold, no more will be coming. The Eos power-top convertible is also being discontinued, and the Scirocco is also a possibility for the chop.

VW also decided that as the Up was not available with an auto trans (like the Japanese and Korean mini-cars have), it was limiting sales. My 13-year old daughter initially loved the idea of having an Up! in a few years, but at the moment the idea of a manual box scares her. Apparently VW wasn't prepared to wait for the next-generation Up, which will have an auto option. And plus the price of the larger Polo wasn't that much greater.

http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/volkswagen-to-kill-off-up-eos-20140409-36c...

I was thinking later that maybe the Golf R, fast and comfortable as it is (0-100 in 5 sec and 250 km/h limited top speed) may not be the best VW choice for the round-Australia run. As far as I am aware, VW's performance models (R and GTI) still need 98 RON fuel; the normal cars can use 95 (but NOT 91). There may be some difficulty in getting 98 RON fuel in the more remote areas. On the other hand, diesel will be available everywhere. Perhaps a Golf 110 TDI would be a good choice for the 5-day Around Australia drive?

the Up should be killed off, its bloody horrible, a disgrace to the brand, though no more than the twin charge oil consumption/dsg issues i guess.

Motor magazine claims to have done the big lap in 5 days. There's a picture in the latest issue which I now cant find. I hate it when people tidy up, everything gets lost.

I drove my kombi from Wollongong to Valla one year... via NT. It was a great adventure. Met nice people, got free accomodation and discounted fuel. Lost a full day hungover after a huge night at Lasseters. I loved it out there and I would have moved in a heartbeat if there was work and I didnt have a girlfriend here. Adventure turned sour in Mt Isa. Engine was running fine when I pulled in for fuel but when I started it up it dropped a valve seat. I had an hour to organise a McCaffertys bus ticket for me, somewhere to take the kombi to, a Finnemores truck for the kombi, a tow to Finnemores yard, and go to Woolworths and buy a suitcase to put all my shit in. It went to Volksrestore and I continued to Valla. 36 hours on a bus that doubles as the mailman is shit.

I will leave it up to a cleverer person to tell me what speed a kombi with 2 litre box is doing at 6300rpm in top. Tyres were 205/60/15's. Went well up to about 150 when you really start to notice the wind resistance. This kombi ran a 14.6 @ 136kmh. It probably took over a minute to get that extra 50 (?) kms. Thing with open speed limits is that you dont go flat strap after your first five minutes of fun. I think for the rest of the trip I sat on around 130. Any more and there is too much noise and the fuel gauge drops too fast. I took that girlfriend back for our honeymoon a few years later and did the same in the corolla. It maxed out at 180 (while she was asleep) and we cruised on 130-140 the rest of the time. 130 would be about the natural speed limit for most people even without the signs. I'd much rather do it on the hume though. Outback kangaroos are bigger. Wedgetail eagles dont move quick compared to a crow. And outback farms arent fenced and cows walk on roads.

I think the Passat CC is getting a chop top to fill the Eos void

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Originally posted by amazeer the Up should be killed off, its bloody horrible, a disgrace to the brand, though no more than the twin charge oil consumption/dsg issues i guess. Motor magazine claims to have done the big lap in 5 days. There's a picture in the latest issue which I now cant find. I hate it when people tidy up, everything gets lost. I drove my kombi from Wollongong to Valla one year... via NT. It was a great adventure. Met nice people, got free accomodation and discounted fuel. Lost a full day hungover after a huge night at Lasseters. I loved it out there and I would have moved in a heartbeat if there was work and I didnt have a girlfriend here. Adventure turned sour in Mt Isa. Engine was running fine when I pulled in for fuel but when I started it up it dropped a valve seat. I had an hour to organise a McCaffertys bus ticket for me, somewhere to take the kombi to, a Finnemores truck for the kombi, a tow to Finnemores yard, and go to Woolworths and buy a suitcase to put all my shit in. It went to Volksrestore and I continued to Valla. 36 hours on a bus that doubles as the mailman is shit. I will leave it up to a cleverer person to tell me what speed a kombi with 2 litre box is doing at 6300rpm in top. Tyres were 205/60/15's. Went well up to about 150 when you really start to notice the wind resistance. This kombi ran a 14.6 @ 136kmh. It probably took over a minute to get that extra 50 (?) kms. Thing with open speed limits is that you dont go flat strap after your first five minutes of fun. I think for the rest of the trip I sat on around 130. Any more and there is too much noise and the fuel gauge drops too fast. I took that girlfriend back for our honeymoon a few years later and did the same in the corolla. It maxed out at 180 (while she was asleep) and we cruised on 130-140 the rest of the time. 130 would be about the natural speed limit for most people even without the signs. I'd much rather do it on the hume though. Outback kangaroos are bigger. Wedgetail eagles dont move quick compared to a crow. And outback farms arent fenced and cows walk on roads.

Funny stuff. I have done a lot of OUTBACK driving and have hit many an animal. My dream is to do adelaide to darwin in an undisclosed time trying to beat my mate, its gunna be hard, but you have to have goals!

G'day all. I got my licence in 67 & we had a derestricted zone between Neath & Abermain where you could drive at speed as long as you could prove you were in control & the vehicle was of a safe standard. My dad had a 1957 Vauxhall cresta twice the car compared to an fe holden ball joint front end all syncro 7 inches lower overall I got it up to a mighty pace of 106mph in that straight problem was my uncle going the other way spotted me so he was home before me guess what no more 57 cresta but the crappy L6 49 model velox. but many at time the old fella would crank it up in the de zones it stuck to the road.
ernie

Dont have a lap time for driving; however was part of a group that ran around Aus in'86 that took 90 days, including a lap of Tassie.

I did live in Darwin a while. Most of the time was with the unrestricted zones. Had a few fun trips including Darwin to albury return in my XR8, a couple in the XT forester and a couple in a V6 Galant. Good times!

Was talking to a good mate today, Melbourne to Perth in 28hrs in a truck, back in the 80s. Google it!

I found some ads for the 1964 Around-Australia record, set by Ray Christie and Joe Dunlop in the VW 1500.

This is still the 'official' record today. I have never heard of it beaten, even unofficially.

Hahaha! Good old days hey?

Like the bloody idiot (ahem, it MIGHT have been me) who did Darwin to Tennant return in daylight hours.........
I can't imagine doing that pace for days on end, tough stuff.

It took me 4 years to do Mainland Australia in my Beetle!!!

Sorry Amazeer, couldn't disagree more about the VW Up!. My daughter has done 70,000 km in her Up now and it still feels like new and I am amazed every time I take it for a drive how smooth it is to drive. She averages 4.5 lt /100km everyday and has been clocked at 170kph (private road of course). There is an auto option overseas but it has poor reviews so vw australia didn't bother bringing it over. The main problem for poor sales is the car is targeted at young females and less than 10 % of young females have a manual license so its obvious.
I would happily do a lap of oz in an Up! As that whinger Jeremy Clarkson once said "the VW up is the only small car you would not set fire to after a long drive"