Thursday 4 August 2011

Bulanti builder calls in!

Things can go rapidly on the net. I have been trying to find out more about the Bulanti, built Down Under in the early 1970s, for years without much result. But when I posted this article (click), some really cool replies were sent over to here from Kevin Boole (see here) and Henry Draper (see here), unspinning great tales about the dartling Bulantis. This time it gets even better, as Bulanti designer and builder Brian Rawlings calls in from Australia! Brian writes:

"Hi Jeroen. A friend sent me the article on the Bulantis. I am sorry to hear Graham had passed away, he was a really nice bloke and a true gentleman. I built the cars and BAL 551 was the aluminium prototype, Grahams green car was number 2 and I remember making the manifold for the turbo. The photo of the red car was taken the day of the mag article from the control tower at Amaroo Park car track, me in the car I think and my dog Bo." (click here to see both car and dog)

"I have read your book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for including the Bulanti in the book. Incidently the cars before the coupes were called Bulants and a couple of French flower growers I knew saw the prototype being built and said it needed to sound more continental and exotic so hence the 'i' was tacked on. There were only three coupes built; red, green and a brown car which clobbered the wall at Amaroo Park during private practice. It was repaired and then sold. I went back to building clubman sports cars for racing, similar to Lotus 7 type vehicles. I read the three cars went to Melbourne but I don't know any more than that. Regards, Brian"

And a bonus picture of the Bulanti at Amaroo Park raceway 

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