Sponsor Reg Shepheard (centre) and son George collecting the sponsorship cheque.
An Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire prior to the marathon journey around Australia.
TV personality Jack Davey was a high profile REDeX Trial entry.
It wasn’t a “men only” RedeX – this lady driver chose an Austin A40 to take her over some of Australia’worst roads.
As it had been in England initially, it was a tough struggle, but Shepheard’s enthusiasm and persistence eventually paid off. Once Australian motorists started using it, the word soon spread and before long Shepheard had a winner on his hands.
But there were some problems; getting motorists right around Australia to start using it, and salesmen were reluctant to travel far from home or to remote areas to promote it.
Shepheard believed that car trials were a good way of spreading the word, so it wasn’t long before he started putting his war-time idea to the test.
He was approached by Norm Pleasance from the Australian Sporting Car Club to sponsor an event that was eventually called the Redex 1000, thus linking the REDeX name with car trials and rallies.
Early REDeX 1000s started off as short-distance events, the course gradually lengthened and tougher road conditions found.
Finally, he got together with the Australian Sporting Car Club who were looking for a sponsor for a really long event.
The result was that Shepheard agreed to sponsor the 6,500 mile (10,400km) 1953 Round Australia Trial under the REDeX name.
Pleasance was assisted by Dan McFarlane and Tom Farrell, and there was some input from a new face on the scene, Doug Stewart.
The rest is now history (Redex Trials were run in 1953, 1954 and 1955), thanks to a dream that a young Reg Shepheard had while sitting in a bomb shelter during the Second World War.
His idea launched long-distance rallying in Australia and set the scene for a sport that has continued for nearly 70 years, thanks to a simple oil additive that made his friend’s car run so smoothly.
Reg's grandson, Steve Shepheard, in action in a round of the Australian Rally Championship in the 2000s.
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