Ja n.81 lar: a man By Neil Clarkson Ray Archibald's comeb years' retirement was not undisputed successs. It was 1974 and Mr Archibald, then 52, could not resist the lure of the Irack. It had been 10 years since he raced o a strine of successes driving Jaguars. But it was a Chevrolet Camaro, not a Jaguar. he drove for his comeback. "They had a serles of races at Ruapuna, " says Mr Archibald, who retires this month after 40 years in the motor trade. "They had six races in 1974 and I won all six. Then I retired again." Mr John Fairhall, now the managing director of Archibalds, was behind his return to the track. Mr Fairhall, then the used car sales manager, took the Camaro as a trade-in. "He suggested I drive it because it was a very suitable car. The used car department sponsored me and I drove their car. "Il was quite a successful partnership. JAGUAR "It surprised the younger ones that an older man could still perform. It didn't seem to make any difference that I was 52. 00 "In fact one doesn't really lose 1 one's touch all that much, provided you're physically fit. грохоте "I think perhaps as we get older we lose our ability to keep concentrating for long periods and of course concentration is very important in motor racing. "I would now find it difficult to keep concentrating for the longdistance motor racing!" Mr Archibald, born in Christchurch and educated at Christ's College, did not become involved in his father's business until after World War 2. His father started off as an engineer, mechanic and sales manager. The garage was without an agency for any new car - "we sold a few secondhand cars, none worth more than about 25 quid," Mr Archibald recalls. he was selling venicles such as Model T Fords, Clevelands, Briscoes, Elkharts and Clynos. "There were lots of older makes in those days that have disappeared." Archibalds moved to its present Oxford Tee site in 1920, taking over a building previously a livery stable where patrons from the then neighbouring Royal Hotel could leave their horses. The first agency was Oldsmobile, gained in 1927. It was held until 1940 when World War 2 stopped car imports. JAGUAR The Citroen agency, which the firm still holds, was picked up in 1935 when the first front wheel-drive models of the french car came on the scene. Mr Archibald recalls his father having a gas-producer fitted to a Citroen Light 15 because of the petrol scarcity during the war years. The gas produced by the coke and coal-burning unit was far from pure and cars would not run unless the engine speed was kept up. "You had to keep them going at a fairly good speed." In 1943 his father began a trip from Blenheim to Christchurch and not wishing to stall the engine, was keeping up a good pace. Just south of Kaikoura he missed a turn and hit a rock wall - "one written off Light 15. "They were very Cheap cars in chose days - 380 pounds for a new one." Mr Archibald and his two brothers, Noel and lan; entered their father's ack to car racing after 10 table for its brevity and business about the same time. Their father retired about a year later. In the late 1940s they picked up the Jowett agency, allowing them to sell the commercial Bradford version and the Jowett Javelin. "There was always a great shortage of cars in those days because the import licensing regulations were so tight. The Government didn't stan very big import licences because the balance or payments situation was difficult. "We started off with a staff of about a dozen people. We expanded to around 30 and now our staff is between 40 and 45." Archibalds now has the agencies for Honda, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Citroen and Jaguar. Mr Archibald became interested in car racing about 1946. "My brothers and I were all quite keen. We used to take part hillelimbs on Kennedy's Bush Rd." In 195% he bought a near-new in I2 aguar and in 1955 raced the Mairehau circuit. In those days the ared was not built-up and public roads were closed for the event. The Mairehau race was oniy run two or three years, the last being the year he won it. His first major race was the 1954 New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore, Auckland, in which he entered the same Jaguar. "I got a second in the sports cal race and had to retire in the main race with a hole in the radiator," he recalls. The same year he finished sixth or seventh in the wady Wigram Trophy nace, an event contested by a lot of single-seaters. He also raced in the Dunedin round-the-wharves race, finishing about fourth, and at Teretonga, Invercargill. JAGUAR In 1959 Mr Archibald got a 3.4litre Jaguar saloon and was unbeaten in races at Ardmore and Wigram. A year later he acquired a new 3.8litre Jaguar saloon and in the 1960- 61 season won at Ardmore, Wigram, Teretonga, Dunedin and Waimate all the races then available for him to enter. But the best achievements were yet to come. In 1962 it was another 3.8 Jaguar, lis time specially produced at the vaguar lactory for Mr Archibald to race. It was identical to that put together for the European touring car championship. With this car he won the New Zealand saloon car championship for the 1962-63 and 1963-64 seasons, making a clean sweep at Pukekohe, Ohakea, Wigram, Blenheim, Teretonga and Dunedin. "Of course with the 3.8-litre Jaguar, in those days there was no doubt about it. It was the quickest. saloon on the road." Its top speed was just over 210kmh (130mph). His nearest challenger was Timaru's Ernie Sprague in a highly modified Mark 3 Zephyr. "I used to have some great battles with him. The Jaguar just sneaked in." He recalls a Wigram race in which Sprague spun trying to overtake on a corner: "The 3.8 Jaguar was a very good car for its time but obviously there have been great technological changes in the suspension and the braking systems since then which have improved cars immensely." His decision to retire from racing in the 1960s was influenced by the arrival of the Lotus Cortina, 'lighter and quicker on race circuits than a Jaguar. To next page Ma roue IO Picture: Don f -AQ 5800 Ray Archibald and his well preserved 3.8-litre Jaguar. Action pictures, next page.