CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN

Four times winner of the Bathurst 1000 , four times Australian Touring Car Champion , winner of 132 touring car races 100 of which were in his revered Coca-Cola red Ford Mustang , Canadian born , Australian naturalized Allan Moffat was for two decades ,along with Peter Brock, the gold standard of Australian motor racing.

In an eleven year period from 1973 either Peter or Allan claimed the Australian Touring Car title seven times. Over 18 year they won the Bathurst 1000 – and its 500 mile predecessor, 13 times between them.

Over 20 years they won the Sandown 500 in its various forms 15 times including a stretch of 12 years straight where either one of them claimed victory.

By 1985 Peter and Allan had won 46 percent of all Bathurst races ever held and 43 percent of all Australian Touring Car Championship rounds ever contested. The Brock and Moffat show was the star act of Australian motorsport.

Moffat , reclusive and taciturn , shunned the concept of writing his history. Then one day , prodded by their mutual friend Peter Carpenter ,he invited John Smailes to lunch at his favorite Toorak restaurant Romeos.

“Allan opened up like I’ve never known and when Peter ,on cue, left the table, Allan asked me if I’d write his story, “ John said. “ It was a huge honor.”

Allen & Unwin won a bidding duel for the book but on one condition – it had to be written as an autobiography. “ For six months I channeled Allan , one of the most complex of characters with a huge story to tell of ambition and betrayal , light and dark, “ John said. “I would come home and my wife Jenny would ask – who are you tonight, Allan or John?”

The hard copy of Climbing the Mountain is now out of print. It was in one season one of the top selling sports books , eclipsed only by a couple of footballers and a disgraced cricketer. A&U has now re-released it in paper back – still incredibly distinctive in its feel and cover graphics. Australia Post has purchased thousands for its stores.