Will Hagon: A “short” chat about Minis, and motor racing heroes and villains

Will Hagon has been broadcasting on motoring and motor racing for more than half a century.

When I was arranging to talk to International race and rally champion Rauno Aaltonen Will was the ideal person to get some back ground information.

Will is, of course more than happy to talk on a range of subjects and in this short interview that goes for over an hour he covered many subjects in his exuberant style.

Subjects covered include:

  • The beginning of his broadcasting career (0:42)
  • His stepfather sold Minis (3:32)
  • The early history of minis racing in Australia (3:53)
  • Issigonis and the design of the early Minis (9:43)
  • In the 1960s Japanese carmakers began competing in the Bathurst race to show their reliability (15:44)
  • Meeting Rauno Aaltonen and doing his anti-terrorist driving course (25:06)
  • Porsche’s in Australia – the Germans were used to being allowed to use a public roads for taking race cars to meetings.  As did Jack Brabham (27:15)
  • Rauno and Bob Holden’s efforts at winning Bathurst (33:55)