1962 Bulant Mk 1 Group L Racecar

The very first Bulant, this offset single-seat race car was constructed in 1961 and was the forerunner to a line of very effective sports cars built for clubman racing in Sydney between the 1960s and 1980s and by Brian Rawlings. His first car was built while Rawlings was still an apprentice and, it is said, was ready to race for the princely sum of 37 Pounds and 10 Shillings. Rawlings cut up a bicycle to get frame tubes and robbed his Morris 8/40 to obtain an engine and gearbox. The Mark 1 Bulant was inspired by the front-engined Nota Formula Juniors and like them, had Ford-derived swing-axle front suspension, offset engine and gearbox plus an offset rear axle with the driver sitting on the undertray. The Bulant proved remarkably successful on the track and is a great example of an Australian-made racing car, displaying all the ingenuity and skills of the builder.