The Shell 4000 and BC Trans-Canda Rally History Project

This is the second major update since I put this site up in 1997. Not much has happened on the rally front, but I have managed to get copies of all the material I need to meet my major goal: complete documentation of the British Columbia Trans-Canada and Shell 4000 Rallies. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in these events. Part of that interest is from car enthusiasts, particularly those interested in the Team Triumph TR4's from 1964. Quite a bit of interest is also coming from family members of the original competitors seeking information about the accomplishments of their, sadly now deceased, relatives.

I will do my best to provide any information to anyone who asks, but I can only supply what I have. If you have any material from the rallies that would be useful to include on this site, photos, reports, 8mm movies, please contact me. Much of the information on this site has been kindly loaned by many of contacts I have made over the years. They have mailed their treasured history to me, I have scanned everything and paid to have the movies copied to video, then returned everything as soon as possible. For this I am grateful. The Canadian Motor Sport Hall of Fame Archive was the recipient of about half of Jim Gunn's documentation, which they have kindly loaned me to complete this project.

I should make one point clear: I am not collecting Shell 4000 memorabilia. I buy what I have to in order to complete this project, but it serves no one to hoard history and lock it away. I prefer to borrow and return. If you have any motor sports related material you don't know what to do with, please donate it to the archive!

My goal is to make rally people everywhere aware that Canada was host to the worlds longest, most grueling rally in the 60's, and the only FIA sanctioned one in North America. Ultimately, I want someone to take up the torch and re-establish a trans-Canada rally for vintage cars. Our pals on the right coast have shown that it CAN be done with the Targa Newfoundland, so surely it can be done elsewhere.

At this site you can learn more about the history of the Trans-Canada rallies. You'll find published articles from period magazines, results and images from the rallies starting in 1961 through to 1997. It's being built all the time so check back often. My goal is to compile a complete list of entries and have photos of all the entered cars. When it's done it will form the basis of a formal written history of the rally, to be published by Canadian Association of Rally Sport (CARS).

Please excuse the presentation of the material. This site is in an interim state while I figure out how to get Greenstone Digital Library working so all 500 Mb of documentation will be indexed and searchable.

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