Dunno where, dunno when
Coupes des Alpes
Dunno where, dunno when | |
Coupes des Alpes |
7th Aug 1937, Dublin - ....
For results of the Works Imps see the overview (1964-1970). Rosemary Smith's career with Rootes included 21 finishes from 24 starts in Internationals, nine class wins and 12 Coupe des Dames.
From the comment to the video on the 1965 Alpine Rally:
"I have been driving international rallies for five years now, and for the past four years I have been with the Rootes Team as their regular contender for the Lady's Price. And actually, I've won that in about a dozen international events now."
From the comment to the video on the 1965 Scottish Rally:
"[...] a 26 year old dress designer from Dublin."
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| Rosemary Smith 1965 Scottish Rally, 1st stage The photo to the right and the six small photos above were taken from the video. |  |
 At the 1965 Tulip Rally |
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A few weeks after the 1965 Tulip rally, which she won outright, and a few weeks before the Scottish Rally, Ms. Smith was at Silverstone invited to take a round of honour, accompanied by 'Tiny' Lewis. |  |
During the 1960s she won ladies awards in all the top international rallies, including the London-Sydney, the RAC and the Monte Carlo. In 1965 she was the outright winner of the Tulip Rally and was also chosen as the Texaco Sportstar of the Year.
| Rally | des Dames | | ||
| 1965 Tulip Rally | if there was one ;-) | outright winner and first in G.T. category | ||
| 1965 January, Monte Carlo rally | 2nd runner-up to Pat Moss-Carlsson | fourth in class | ||
| 1965 February, Int. Scottish rally | yes | |||
| 1965 November, RAC Int. Rally of Great Britain | 2nd for the Ladies' Award | in the Hillman Imp team that won the Manufacturers Team Prize | ||
| 1966 May, Shell 4000 | yes | 4,100 miles coast-to-coast across Canada She also won her class and finished 8th overall. | ||
| 1966 January, Monte Carlo rally | she did come first | but was disqualified in the controversial headlamps decision. | ||
| 1966 Easter, Circuit of Ireland | yes | 2nd in class, driving an Imp. | ||
| 1966 May, Int. Acropolis Rally | yes |
It was in that Tulip Rally that Rosemary began her winning partnership with co-driver Val Domleo of Leamington Spa. Rosemary has firm views on the value of co-drivers. "They must share the driving," she says. "Four years ago I had my worst crash when I went over a cliff, because of fatigue at the wheel."
 Summer 1966 |
"Driving is all psychological," she says. "You can overcome any difficulty if you set your mind to it."
The success and promiss of last year is carrying her through this year, too. Rosemary Smith came first in the Coupe des Dames in the Monte Carlo Rally, but was disqualified in the controversial headlamps decision.
At Easter, she won the ladies' prize in the Circuit of Ireland and was second in her class, also in an Imp.
A quietly-confident Rosemary, strolling across the tarmac towards a plane for Athens - and the 14th International Acropolis Rally in May - told me: "My only fear is that we might not finish - the heat has made it necessary to fit special carburettors..."
She finished right enough in her Imp - and brought back the Ladies' Prize when her great rival Pat Moss-Carlsson retired.
 photogr.: Jaap ten Hoeve |
With competition no. 9 in JDU 48E, Rosemary Smith and Valerie Domleo. 27 January 1967 in The Netherlands, maybe in The Hague.
They had an accident and didn't finish.
Rosemary Smith was made president of The Imp Club UK. She attends the club's main event every year.
At the International Historic Motor Sport Show (Stoneleigh, February 2004), Ms. Smith drove a Hillman Imp.
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Autosport May 1965
Cover picture and main article on Hillman Imp, Reg. 8305 KV / Rosemary Smith & Valerie Domleo winning the 1965 Tulip Rally.
Report, results and pictures of the rally. Tulip Rally success adverts for Rootes; BMC; Lucas
RAC rally: Susan Reeves and Rosemary Smith. - Autocar 1965, November. - p.1154
Rallye Imp : given the works 4. - Autocar 1966 January 28. - p.190-192
An impression of Hillman Imp Rallye EDU 710C. This was the Imp driven by Rosemary Smith on the 1965 RAC Rally. It had a 998 with twin Strombergs, producing around 65bhp. Extra equipment included an alternator, twin ignition coils, heated windscreen, twin brake servos and an oil cooler mounted on the left-hand side of the engine bay, in front of the radiator and the fan. Performance was 0-60mph in 15 seconds, with a 92 mph top speed.
reprint in Impressions 3 (1983), 6 (July)
Miss Smith (jnr.) keeps an eye on Miss Smith (champ.). - Modern Motoring and Travel 1966, July. - p. 22-23
girl drivers in the news + they share a name + and courage
The editor talks to Rosemary Smith / Martyn Watkins. - Cars and Car Conversions 1966 September. - p.207
Fast Lady / Mark Dixon. - Popular Classics vol. 5 (1994), no. 12 (August). - pp. 66-71
Interview with Rosemary Smith.
Just Another Girl Called Smith? / Tony Dron. - Thoroughbred and Classic Cars vol. 21 (1994), no. 11 (August). - pp. 48-55
Interview with Rosemary Smith
Original Works Rally Imp - by David Finlay (04 Oct 02)
The Imp Site Files elsewhere:
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Franka |
In the 1963 Tour de France Rosemary Smith/ Margaret MacKenzie (Valerie Pirie) finished 10th overall, 3rd in class in a Sunbeam Alpine (car # 151). Ian Lewis/ David Pollard (/Chris Amon) finished 9th, 2nd in class in a Sunbeam Rapier. (car #54)
One of the three Sunbeam Tigers, which were making their competition debut on the 1964 Geneva Rally, was driven by Rosemary Smith (navigator: Margaret MacKenzie). All three cars proved reliable and were the only survivors from their GT class.
She drove, together with Smokey Drolett, a Sunbeam Alpine at the 24-hour race at Daytona, U.S.A., winning the ladies' event, finishing 30th overall.