Australian Trans-Am Javelin/Mad Max AMX etc

From the Javelin Register of Australia

1969 Javelin Race Car - (pictures not available) as told by John Caddy's son Andrew.

In 1968 John Caddy of VIS Con Transport in Darwin talked to Harry Tedstone, the American Motors representative at AMI in Port Melbourne.

Harry Tedstone's long time friend Carl Chuckmakian had been involved with the introduction of Trans-Am racing to AMC. John Caddy's idea was to campaign a Javelin in the Australian Touring car championship as two-door cars were allowed to be used and the engine size limit allowed the 390 cu.in. to be used. A car duly arrived, supposedly it was prepared by Ronnie Kaplan. Two 20' containers arrived in Perth and were transported by Vis Con's own trailer by road. When the containers were opened container one had a base line Javelin with optional suspension, 390 engine and T-10, traction bars by factory and heavy duty front sway bar but it was not race prepared in any way.

The second container had a Kaplan prepared 390 engine with headers, cross ram etc., flared front fenders, hood to clear the engine, racing brakes for front and rear, Panhard bar, beefed up suspension arms, quick ratio PS, 15" wheels without tyres.

It was all there but not assembled. This was not what John Caddy had expected to arrive. He had expected a turn key car with spare engine ready to race. After many phone calls to Chuckmakian he agreed to have Kaplan help in any way he could across the pacific. John Caddy had his mechanics assemble the car and near the end of 1969 the Javelin was beginning to look like a race car. Then Ronnie Kaplan quit, Roger Penske took over the team to prepare the cars for 1970. John Caddy did not have an agreement with Penske. His agreement for help was from Kaplan, with Kaplan gone, so was the help.

As the 1970 season began in Australia the car that could have beaten the Jags and maybe the Mustangs sat dejected in a corner of the Vis Con workshop in Darwin. Eventually Caddy had the car de-tuned and painted gold for the street and drove it for 10 years around Darwin still LHD, the hot 390 was raced in a boat in NT and Queensland.

FOOTNOTE: This Javelin is now painted Red, White & Blue and being race prepared by its current owner, Ray Sprague, of Melbourne. Actually Ray has been testing her out around the banked track at Calder Park and isn't giving away any secrets