Corgi VA11200 Austin A40 Farina – 1959 Monte Carlo Rally – Pat Moss

Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom gave the A40 its international rallying debut on the 1959 Monte Carlo Rally and Pat christened the car, XOE 778, ‘Zoe’. Their only major problem was when the Weber carburettor’s manifold fractured near Chalons, Ann got out to look, and initially had some difficulty convincing Pat that the carburettor had fallen off. They were able to push ‘Zoe’ to a garage whose English proprietress woke her mechanic to weld the aluminium-alloy casting. The repair held and, as well as winning ‘The Ladies Prize’, the pair finished tenth overall, second in class, and won the ‘Concours’ RAC Challenge Trophy.