Team Issued Hand made Malvern Star 5 Star Track Frame

This is my father’s track frame.

Italian frame builder Tom Dell’Amato built it in 1963 for Malvern Star in Northcote, ₪Melbourne.

It’s made from Reynolds 531, ₪Nervex/Reynolds lugs/ends.

It has the specific design instruction to be made for flat track racing. …as opposed to velodrome racing. Changes the frame geometry.

22.5" top bar, 23" seat tube, 39.5" wheel base, 16.5" rear stay.14.25" forks.

Bill said it was the most stable track frame he ever rode…and i guess that’s why he kept it.

In 1964 at the Wangaratta ANA Carnival in Victoria my father rode this frame to win the International Grand Prix (match race) up against 5 other riders.

Namely Sid Patterson, Jos DeBaker, Jens Sorenson, Ron Grenda and Joe Siovola. Google those boys.

In 1980 the frame was brought back to life by Rupert Bates. Apparently one of the last he worked on before he died.

As far as Bill was concerned there were only 2 blokes to paint it and Tom Wallace (Brisbane) had stopped because his eyes had gone. ₪Rupert did this one personally because of what it was and his long association with Malvern Star he wanted to " bring it back to its former glory…"

And so it was raced for its last track season and retired.

It’s never been crashed…I was never allowed to race it. I had my own Hillman’s and then zullo’s. There used to be stronglight steel cotter pin cranks on it and air light wheels Brooks.

^ Rad. Just chuck some tags around those links and we’ll be laughing.

Shouldn’t laugh at noobs too much eh.

^ Why not? I laugh at you all the time :stuck_out_tongue:

There ya go

Lordy. That’s some history right there.

Love the hand painting along the lugs.

should be built up and put on display

The imperfections are perfect. Love it.

Wow, just wow !! Thanks for sharing.

I was expecting a rad, chuck some tenys on it comment…

that’s awesome!!

thanks for sharing and welcome to FOA :slight_smile:

I’ll find out if he did anything else noteworthy on it in the next few days…

Yeah, this is just great, thanks for sharing!

Ok…talked with bill this morning.
This photo is after the 1963 Wagga Wheelrace.
Bill won it on the 5 star. …2nd was Bill Lawrie and 3rd Herb Longhurst.
He mentioned a few other rides on it…winning his heat in the austral qualifying for the final…except Oscar Platner illegally through on the duck boards and was awarded the win when he should have been disqualified. Officials offered to set him an easy ride to re qualify because they wanted the world sprint champion in the final regardless. Dad told them to stick it up they’re arse because he’d already qualified and if they weren’t going to put him in the final now then he wasn’t going to be there for the next opportunity. …because he’d be in cootamundra racing. And that’s exactly what happened.
He didn’t get the opportunity to race this frame much as while working as a technician for the PMG (telecom/telstra)…He feel out of the roof at Reynolds chains in benalla and broke his back.
and that was game over…paralyzed for 3 months he eventually got to see Henry Crop who performed a laminectomy…with a 50/50 chance of success. …and the odds fell in his favor. Still walking. .Andy hough the first hour of every day is a drag for him.

And yes he raced in the sun tours on the teams with Bill Lawrie. …Peter Panton…Johnny Young…Bill Bevitt on different occasions.

Ok just went through the recording some more.
He said he won the Darling River Wheelrace on it, at Bourke.
That was the first major wheelrace he won on…think he got another picture somewhere with him and as I remember the green satin sash…
He set a half mile track record on it at cootamundra off 5 yards.
Run 2nd in the Bendigo Golden Mile on it.
Led out Ken McCarthy for the last lap and a half holding off Barry Waddell, Graeme Gilmore and Joe Siovola. After the race Tasi Johnson said “you got too much start” bill replied "no they’re not good enough to catch me " he reckons they were still in conflict from the sun tours (there may have been some revenge there because the scratchmen didn’t want to include him in their joke…so bill went fuck you formed up with Ken and took 1st and 2nd giving them a bigger split than the other 3 combined.
The year at the ANA Carnival with the grand prix. …He said there were 6 wheelraces during the carnival. He won 4 of them but didn’t qualify for the major. Wasted energy and he never did that again.
He showed promise early…as a 17 yo he won the QLD Senior 25 mile road title…He remembers Hubert Opperman’s younger brother Bruce being in that one…1954.
He also won the QLD 10 mile track championship at Hawthorne park by more than a lap. …being a paced race…took a lap and hit them again. Obviously not on that frame though.

Ok…update…
I’ve had this frame for 6 months with the directive to sell… and I have been talking to various people over that time…some of which were helpful, supportive to varying degrees.
That describes the majority I spoke with.
She even amazed some MS authorities, coming down off the wall and emerging for the first time into public view since 1981.
Some however were deceitful (out right liars at times…that were easily proved as incorrect/dishonest statements.)
Examples of what I was told…extracts from the few.
“Is it lugged because lugless are worth more.”
“Even the 5 stars that come out of the factory were handmade just like yours…there’s no difference”
“It’s only worth 600, same as the others…I don’t pay any more than that”… I’m not going to add what I think about those statements here … because it’s all very obvious. …
These ‘gentlemen’ probably didn’t realize they were talking to a 2nd gen old pro who knew the significance of the frame itself and more so the artwork which is the paint laid on the metal by Rupert Bates. Being one of the last frames he completed just months before he passed.
Rupert lovingly restored it to its 60’s glory in classic MS style. …just like he said he would.
And so know what this is about is to let you guys know that this frame will be changing hands to a private collector. …here in Australia. …
I’m not prepared to name names just yet but know that it is our intention to get this bike fully restored to its original component configuration…get its production and race history fully documented and have all that info available on a website with pictures of the completed machine.
In his words “It will set the bar for 5 stars”
He’s excited. …I’m excited. …
Found her a good home.
I’ll provide further updates when there’s something significant to report back.

Have a great day. …

I’m really glad to hear that you’ve managed to find the right buyer. Yeah its unfortunate that the secondary market always has that bottomfeeder element, which is always wanting to have one over someone that appears to lack expertise or authority, all in the name of a bargain. I hate it.

A very cool piece of Australian cycling history. I’m glad to hear that its going to be build up period correct. Post some photos of it built up if the new owner send you some. :slight_smile:

A lovely frame that was powered by some talented legs.