Clark

"Chicago real estate investor Sam Zell had been assisting Novelly in negotiating with the banks holding the defaulted Clark debt. Zell kept the banks at bay, assuring them that Novelly would not wind up with control in AOC Holdings. For his part in the deal Zell negotiated the right to buy, and did buy, a 6 percent stake in Horsham for US$20 million."

"With money in his pockets in the 1950s, Clark had taken to car racing, but gave it away after nearly killing himself in his Ferrari Super Squalo at Bathurst in November 1957. He then turned to yacht racing, culminating in 18 months through 1970–72 racing *Buccaneer*. In 1973 he succeeded his brother Malcolm as managing director of the parent company, Consolidated Brick and Pipe, changing its name the following year to Ceramco. By then, as was the fashion, the group was diversifying beyond bricks, ceramics and crockery. Clark plunged his foot harder on the pedal. The conglomerate extended to transport, engineering, hotel catering, distribution and construction."