Les 'Possum' Kipling's epic feats in 1950s Redex trials set up Holden's future in his home state of South Australia
South Australia's Les ”Possum” Kipling in his FX Holden greeted by crowds as one of leaders in the 1953 Redex Round Australia Trial around the eastern half of Australia (see map upper right). Below right: Part of the South Australian town of Port Wakefield's acknowledgement of the epic feat by Kipling who became a local resident.
Les ”Possum” Kipling from South Australia’s Leigh Creek drove from obscurity into motoring folklore with his performance in the gruelling 1953 Redex Round Australia Trial and gave the fledgling Holden car brand the credibility that would have a huge impact on Adelaide industry.
Kipling’s 13th place in the 1953 Redex Trial over 6,500 miles (10,460 kilometres), with the harsh terrain taking a huge toll of dropouts, was followed by high placings (24th in 1954) and (25th in 1955, with navitagor Ken Walker) in the next two longer Redex trials. He also backed up for the 1956 Mobil and Ampol trials the circled the entire continent (with navigators Leigh Stevens and Les March).
John Hughes from Quorn in South Australia’s upper north was navigator for Kipling in their FX Holden among 192 vehicles that left Sydney Showgrounds in August 1953 in what was called the world’s biggest, toughest, most ambitious, demanding, “no-holds-barred” race. With a blaze of media focus and public interest (heightened by characters such as Jack “Gelignite” Murray and radio legend Jack Davey) on the event, car manufacturers, especially the young Holden brand, were very enthusiastic about proving that their largely unmodified cars could to stand up to Australia’s roughest conditions.
After reaching Townsville, the trial cars faced challenging inland sections. For the first of these, Townsville to Mount isa, they were given 16 hours to cover the 609 miles (980 kkilometres). Kilpling’s car was first to reach Mount Isa in 14 hours 12 minutes – so early he had to get the control officials out of bed. Behind him was a nightmare of crashed cars, irate police and horror stories. Half the field was spread across most of Queensland.
The next stage from Alice Springs south to Kingoonya in South Australia was the second horror stretch on 638 miles (1021 kilometres) of unsealed road, throwing up everything from sticky red clay to deep sand drifts, bulldust and corrugations. From Kingoonya, the survivors were only allowed a short rest before covering another gruelling 424 miles to Adelaide where thousands of cheering spectators lined the streets. Kipling was still among the 11 fastest crews without any points lost. The cars were stabled at Norwood Oval in the inner eastern suburbs during their Adelaide break.
Kipling, with four other crews, arrived in Melbourne for the final stage, having travelled a rough and dusty 6,000 miles without losing a solitary penalty point. Kipling was the first to leave Melbourne on the last leg to Sydney, in an especially arranged off-road “secret” stage. On that stage, his Holden broke a U bolt, forcing him to finish a credible 13th.
But Kilpling had helped prove Holden’s endurance and to be acclaimed as up with the world’s best vehicles. Holden’s flagging sales soared overnight. Kipling became a local at South Australian motoring town Port Wakefield where his epic feats were remembered, including with a roadside plaque. Holden's entrenched history in Adelaide was the other memorial to the "Possum" epic tales.