Ray Kennedy

When Al Turner arrived in Australia back in 1968, Managing Director, Bill Bourke asked me to help the big fella settle in to life down under which was a lot of fun.  We hit it off immediately talking constantly as our offices shared the same wall.

We would talk for hours about his days of racing, especially drag racing.  He talked about his involvement with ‘funny cars’ and ‘street cars’ and I had no idea what he was talking about because these kinds of beasts had not been seen down here at the time.

A strong friendship developed and stays rigid to this day.

As Publicity Manager, I worked closely with Al to ensure the motoring media got to know him and the role he was given to conquer Bathurst.  I had to ensure positive publicity emerged after race meetings and if Al was not available, team manager John Gowland would face the press.  The toughest role I suppose, was stiff-arming inquisitive journalists wanting to be invited inside Lot 6. 

The birth of the GTHO saw the SuperRoo Logo appear - something never seen before on a production car.  The logo was not confined to the Falcon either.   It was also on the Capri and Escort.  Another marketing initiative was the formation of The Going Thing, a group of young musicians who toured Australia playing at dealership events.  Under the direction of Athol Guy of The Seekers fame, it was hailed as one of the most clever promotions ever staged by a manufacturer. 

The Going Thing was the slug line in Ford Australia’s advertising at the time and the synergy of the band and the company’s advertising message worked superbly.

When I moved across to Ford Asia Pacific Al raced in the Philippines, Macau and Malaysia from memory so local media in those locations were provided with the complete background to Al’s racing career.

I was proud to have been part of what could only be called the halcyon days of Ford Australia.