- The 1951 Record Run: Driving a Jaguar XK120, Les Taylor (a Brisbane racing driver) and Dick Rendle (a former jet pilot) completed the 954-mile journey from Darwin to Alice Springs in approximately 10 hours and 22 minutes.
- Speeding Fine: Upon arriving in Alice Springs, Taylor was fined £18 for speeding. Despite the fine, the magistrate reportedly remarked that the drive was a “remarkable feat of endurance,” as the pair had averaged nearly 92 mph on what was then a rough northern highway.
- The Vehicle: The Jaguar XK-120 OTC used for the run became a piece of Australian motoring history; it was later found “half restored” in a Brisbane garage decades later.
More on Les Taylor and Dick Rendle’s Record Darwin – Alice Springs Run 1951