Monthly Archives: January 2012

Quintessential British Sports Car – MG J2

The MG J series produced from 1932 to 1934 came in 4 distinct models the J1 a 2 door 4 seat open or closed sports car with a 847 cc / 51 cui motor, J2 a two seater open only version, as seen in todays blog, of the J1, J3 similar to a J3 but with a 750 cc / 45 cui supercharged motor and the J4 a pure racing version of the J3 with a 72 hp supercharged motor.

The 1932 J2 is easily distinguishable by the front cycle style mud guards which in 1933 were replaced with front mudguards joined by running boards to the rear wings a feature that was to remain with all subsequent MG sports cars all the way through to the TF model which was manufactured until 1955.

The 36 hp motor, was similar to that used in the earlier M-Type looked at last week, featuring a cross flow cylinder head and twin SU carburetors but only a two bearing crankshaft which had a limited life at maximum rpm. The Castrol GTX oil breather catch tank is a relatively recent requirement for competition.

Lifting the side opening bonnet panels of the J2 reveals the four speed gearbox and foot wells. The steering column operates Marles steering gear and the drivers side front brake cable can be seen emerging from the chassis rail above.

The two humped dash scuttle of the J Series would turn out to be another trade mark MG feature that was continually carried forward over twenty years to the 1955 MG TF. Note the how the potential crankshaft saving engine revolution counter dominates the dash board instrumentation.

Just over 2000 J2’s were built out numbering the combined total of all the other J series MG’s by more than 2 to 1, this particular example, seen at last years Wessex Sprint, was acquired by Mike Hawke for £85 in October 1953, the car cost just short of £200 new in 1932.

Mike is known to have campaigned this car successfully at both Castle Combe and Silverstone before passing the car on to his son Jeremy who won his class at Castle Combe on the day these photo’s were taken.

Thanks for joining me on this Quintessential British Sports Car edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me tomorrow when I’ll be featuring a hot version of “The car you always promised yourself. Don’t forget to come back now !

Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz – Winner & Results

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I’d like to thank everyone who participated in and persevered with the Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz, seems like this was a bit tougher for GALPOT readers than I anticipated.

Mike ‘Jr Cracker’ Mansmith is the clear winner with 67 correct answers. Mike has chosen the Grand Prix Engines of the 1950’s set of cards as his prize and they will be winging their way to him from Paul Chenard in the next week or so.

Of the 120 questions, 17 a) is void because I posted the wrong telephone number and 42 b) is void because I worded the question incorrectly. So Mikes Score was 67 / 118. Below are the answers to all of the questions with high lighted links to some of the places one might have found answers :-

Photo courtesy Geoffrey Horton
Question 1

a) Ole Blue Eyes is said to have owned one of these what is its (full name) ?

a) Dual Ghia

b) One of his rat pack buddies drove another in a film, which rat pack buddy

b) Dean Martin

c) and in which film ?

c), Kiss Me Stupid

3 pts

Question 2 3pts

a) An alien science fiction character took his name from this brand and model after mistaking it for a superior form of life when visiting earth, what was the name of the original name of science fiction character who made the mistake ?

a) Ix

b) What (full) name did he adopt after making the mistake ?

b) Ford Prefect

c) What was the name of the radio series, tv series and film that the science fiction character starred in ?

c) Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy

3 pts

Question 3 2 pts

a) What is the car reg YLR 11 G above (make and model) ?

a) Lamborghini Islero

b) What film did YLR 11 G feature in ?

b) The Man Who Haunted Himself

2 pts

Question 4

a) A car of the same type as CNP 224H above stared alongside YLR 11 G what is it (Manufacturer Model and Variant) ?

a) Rover P5B 3.5 litre Coupé

b) Who purchased the last batch of these cars and put them into storage for future use ?

b) The British Government

Unofficial Quiz consultant Tim Murray has informed me “specifically by the (then) Government Car Service administered by the Department of the Environment. (This has now become the Government Car and Despatch Agency, an executive agency of the Department of Transport.)”

2 pts

Question 5

a) What brand name was SPC 46L marketed under (brand, model number and suffixes) ?

a) Dino 246 GT

b) Which Actor drove a vehicle of the same type as SPC 46L in a TV series known in Sweden as ‘Snobs on the Job’ alongside the actor that starred in the film relating to questions 3 and 4 ?

b) Tony Curtis playing Danny Wilde

2 pts

Question 6

a) What was the original first series full European name of this vehicle (manufacturer, model and variant) ?

a) Lancia Beta Monte Carlo

b) What was the name of the US variant and in which film did it play the love interest ?

b) Lancia Scorpion, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo

2 pts

Question 7

a) David Fitzsimons drove the #7 green car owned by Neil Tolich seen above, what is it make & model ?

a) BRM P57

b) What was Moisés Solana Arciniega’s unique achievement driving this make and model,

b) Only person ever to drive with the #13 in a world championship Grand Prix,

c) where and in what year did Moisés Solana Arciniega’s unique achievement driving this make and model take place ?

c) Mexico, 1963

3 pts

Question 8

a) What is the #4 car in the photo above (Make Model and Suffix)

a) McLaren M7 C

b) What distinguished this car in Monaco practice specification as seen here from Monaco race specification ?

b) The removal of the high front and rear wings. Which were outlawed on safety grounds after Thursday practice.

2 pts

Photo courtesy Barry Boor Collection

Question 9

a) Who is the driver ?

a) François Migault

b) What is the name of the car manufacturer ?

b) Connew

c) Where and were was the photo taken, track and year ?

c) Le Mans, 1972

d) Which item from the car above finds it’s self now attached to the car in Question 8 ?

d) The Ford Cosworth motor, allegedly the motor in the the back of the McLaren M7 C today is the very same one that Peter Connew secured from Phil Kerr at McLaren in 1972.

4 pts

Question 10

a) Who is driving the #1 above ?

a)Mario Andretti

b) What (make, model) is the #1 above ?

b) Lotus 80

c) Where and in what year is the #1 above being driven ?

c) Silverstone, 1979

d) What makes the driver of the #1 above different from all the other winners of ‘The Great American Race’ ?

d) Only winner born on foreign soil. (Italy/Croatia) There are also a number of other unique facts including only driver to win Daytona 500, Indy 500 and World (Drivers) Championship any which would have been okay for the point.

4 pts

Question 11

a) To which Grand Prix Car does the drive shaft in the photograph above belong to is it :-

i) BAR Honda, ii) Brabham Repco, iii) Connew Ford, iv) Lotus Climax, v) Red Bull Renault vi) Super Aguri or vii Torro Rosso ?

a) i) BAR Honda

b) Which driver pairing drove this car was it :-

i) Villeneuve / Button, ii) Vettel / Bourdais, iii) Sato / Davidson, iv) Liuzzi / Speed, v) Coultard / Webber, vi) Button / Sato or vii) Brabham / Hulme ?

b) vi) Button / Sato

2 pts

Question 12

a) What is Wings for Life and which Formula One team ran with their logos ?

a) A charity which supports the examination of fundamental approaches and mechanisms in traumatic spinal cord injuries. One of its founders was Dietrich Mateschitz owner of the Red Bull Formula One Team which ran with the Wings for Life logo’s.

b) In which event and when did said team run this colour scheme ?

b) British GP at Silverstone; 6th – 8th July 2007

2 pts

Photo courtesy Geoffrey Horton

Question 13

a ) What is the #46 above make and model suffixes ?

a) Chevrolet Impala SS

b) Who drove the #46 above and what was his day job ?

b) Roy Mayne, US Airforce Sergeant

2 pts

Question 14

a) What is (manufacturer and model) and who drove the Miller Time #22

a) Buick Regal, Bobby Allison

b) The man responsible for building the Miller Time #22 car is thought to have built of 750 racing vehicles and in 1978 built all of the cars that won all 30 Winston Cup Races, who is he ?

b) Edwin Keith “Banjo” Matthews

2 pts

Question 15

a) Who is seen about to demonstrate the 2000 Talladega winning #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2009 was it :-

i) Landon Cassill, ii) Austin Dillon, iii) Dale Earnhardt Jr, iv) Jeffrey Earnhardt, v) Kelley Earnhardt, vi) Kerry Earnhardt, or vii) Taylor Earnhardt ?

a) vii) Taylor Earnhardt

b) How many positions did Dale Earnhardt make up with four laps to go to the chequers at Talledega in 2000 was it

i) Three, ii) Four, iii) Seven, iv) Nine, v) Seventeen, vi) Twenty Nine, vi) Thirty Three or vii) Thirty Four

b) v) Seventeen

2 pts

Question 16

a) Who recorded a best finish of 37th in the Craftsmen Truck series and is associated with the catch phrase ‘Boogity Boogity Boogity’ ?

a) Darrell Waltrip

b) In which song did Ray Stevens use the phrase “Boogity Boogity” ?

b) The Streak

2 pts

Question 17

a) Which popular NASCAR driver is most commonly associated with the telephone number 0800 55 55 55 ?

a) Dale Earnhardt Jr (QUESTION VOID THE CORRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER SHOULD HAVE READ 1-866-500-5555 SINCEREST APOLOGIES)

b) Until the arrival of Toyota in 2007 what was the last recorded foreign manufacturer to start a NASCAR race and what number did it carry ?

b) #32 MG

c) Who drove it ?

Smokey Cook

d) What was the event and where was it held and when year ?

d) International 200 at the Bowman-Gray Stadium, 1963

e) What race distance did he cover and how much did Smokey take home after finishing 17th and completing 12 laps ?
e) 3 miles, $75

5 pts

Question 18

a) Who is the driver of the #82 above ?

a) Scott Speed

b) Where is the #82 above Track and Race Name ?

b) Talladega, Aarons 499

c) Where and when did the driver of the #82 make his first Formula One Grand Prix start ?

c) Bahrain, 2006

3 pts

Question 19

a) What was Lexie’s Challenge ?

a) Charity Drive for the Kyle Busch Foundation

1 pt

Photo by Ed Arnaudin courtesy Steve Arnaudin

Question 20

a) Seen in what has been described as “the greatest two man on going sustained battle, ever !” who is driving the #4 and #5 over the bricks at the Brickyard ?

a) Jim Rathman and Roger Ward

b) This race holds the record for the most lead changes in Indy 500 history at 29, how many times did the protagonists who finished 1st and 2nd change the lead over the last 100 laps ?

b) Fourteen

2 pts

Photo by Ed Arnaudin courtesy Steve Arnaudin

Question 21

a) Which world Champion drove the #17 above at Indianapolis above ?

a) Jack Brabham

b) By what name was the #17 called, sponsor, manufacturer ?

b) Kimberely Cooper Special

c) Who owns the #17 that Jack drove today ?

c) Phillippe de Lespinay

3 pts

Question 22

a) Who is the driver of and who manufactured the #17 above ?

a) Dick Simon, Vollstedt

b) What and where is the event in which the #17 above is competing ?

b) Daily Express 200, Silverstone UK

2 pts

Question 23

a) Which Indy 500 winner drove the #42 at Castle Combe ?

a) Danny Sullivan

b) Were and for what team (full name) did the driver of the #42 above drive Formula One and ?

Apologise omitted the word ‘first’ from ‘drive formula one’ and ‘where’ ?

b) Tim kindly listed all the Formula One races Danny took part in for me

Jacarepaguá – Brazilian GP
Long Beach – US GP West
Brands Hatch – Race of Champions
Le Castellet – French GP
Imola – San Marino GP
Monte Carlo – Monaco GP
Spa – Belgian GP
Detroit – US GP (Detroit)
Montreal – Canadian GP
Silverstone – British GP
Hockenheim – German GP
Österreichring – Austrian GP
Zandvoort – Dutch GP
Monza – Italian GP
Brands Hatch – European GP
Kyalami – South African GP

He probably also tested at other locations, driving for Benetton Tyrrell Team

2 pts

Question 24

a) Which Indy 500 winner drove the #98 at Goodwood Revival in 2011 ?

a) Eddie Cheever

b) With which team did the driver of the #98 above twice attempt to qualify for a Formula One Grand Prix before succeeding ?

b) Theodore Racing Hong Kong

c) How many IRL Career victories did the driver of the #98 have to his credit ?

c) 5

3 pts

Photo Courtesy Tracey Dickson Zee
Question 25

a) Which IRL Champion is driving the #82 above ( all four given names) ?

a) Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho

b) Where at which event and at which track was the photo of the #82 above taken ?

b) Prelude to a Dream, Eldora Speedway

c) Which former IRL Champion owns Eldora Speedway ?

c) Tony Stewart

3 pts

Question 26

a) Who drove the #59 Dallara Honda in the 2011 Indycar Series ?

b) EJ Viso

1 pt

Photo courtesy Jeff Fuller

Question 27

a) Who co drove with the 2011 Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon, to victory in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (both co drivers full names) ?

a) Scott Ronald Dixon, Casey James Mears

Photo courtesy Geoffrey Horton

Question 28

a) What make & model is the blue car above (manufacturer, numerals, suffix’s and coach builder) ?

a) Ferrari 250 GT Boano

b) Who does it belong to and how much did he pay for it ?

b) Mr Robert Lee, $9,500

2 pts

Question 29

a) Name this car (manufacturer, model and suffix) ?

a) Ferrari 512 S

b) Which film did the car appear in ?

b) Le Mans

c) Who was as the wheel when it burnt to the ground prior to a shoot ?

c) Derek Bell

3 pts

Question 30

a) What model is this ( numerals and suffixes)

a) Ferrari 512 BB / LM

b) Which two French drivers drove it to 5th place over all and 1st in IMSA GTX at Le Mans in 1981

b) Jean-Claude Andruet / Claude Ballot-Léna /

2 pts

Question 31

a) I sat in this one what is it (numerals name and suffix’s)

a) Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS

b) Which three drivers drove it to 10th place over all and a GTS Class win at Le Mans in 2003 ?

b) Thomas Enge, Jamie Davies and Peter Kox

c) Name the female Stewart Haas Racing driver who drove the so called celebrity chassis of this model ?

c) Danica Patrick

3 pts

Question 32

a) What model is the #42 above ?

a) Ferrari 458

b) Who is driving the #42 above ?

b) Phil Dryburgh and John Gaw

c) At which circuit is the #42 seen racing above ?

c) Castle Combe

d) What outright circuit record did the #42 set at the circuit on the day the photograph was taken ?

d) Greatest number of laps covered in a single race at Castle Combe ever. Pete Stowe and Tim Murray have informed me the record set was 96 laps not 97 laps as originally published I’d accepted either answer for the quiz.

4 pts

Question 33

a) What is the #23 being driven by Simon Ashworth model name and motor ?

a) Marina Rolls Royce

b) To which country was the #23 above allegedly exiled for fear the car would be impounded after the engine manufacturer found out what was going on ?

b) Belgium

2 pts

Question 34

a) Who was the original owner of this E-Type Jaguar registration FPL 660 C ?

a) Dennis Jenkinson

b) What was his best known sporting exploit, with whom did he share the cockpit and in what sort of car?

b) Co driving with Stirling Moss to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia in a Mercedes 300 SLR

2 pts

Question 35

a) What type of car is depicted above (manufacturer, model and suffixes)

a) AC 3000 ME

b) Which two designers were responsible for the design ?

b) Peter Bohanna and Robin Stables

2 pts

Question 36

a) What is the full name of the vehicle carrying the #55 above (manufacturer, model and variant suffix/number) ?

a) Porsche 935 K3

b) Which three drivers drove the #55 above in the race depicted ?

b) Claude Bourgoignie, John Cooper, Dudley Wood,

c) Where did the #55 finish the race overall and in class ?

c) 4th OA and 1st in Class

d) What were the names of the three Australian drivers entered for the same race in the #74 ?

d) Colin Bond /Peter Brock /Jim Richards

4pts

Question 37

a) What type of vehicle is being driven by Dave & Chris in The Cross Trophy above (manufacturer, model and variant) ?

a) Scimitar SS1 1600

b) What type of engine was originally fitted to the vehicle above (Manufacturer, and suffixes) ?

b) Ford CVH

2 pts

Question 38

a) What type of GMC is depicted in the photo above 9 (model) ?

a) GMC Cyclone

b) What sports car did Road & Track pit this model against for a road test and found the truck quicker of the two away from the lights (Manufacturer model number and suffixes)

b) Ferrari, 348ts

2pts

Photo courtesy Geoffrey Horton

Question 39

a) What is the car in the above photograph seen at the Peterson Collection (full name) ?

a) Pierce Arrow convertible sedan by Lebaron

b) Which world champion learned to drive in the car above ?

b) Phil Hill

c) what happened when this car was entered at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance after it had been restored by the erstwhile learner and his brother ?

c) Won best in show award.

3 pts

Question 40

a) What is the surname name of the Brothers who designed and built the car above ?

a) Jankowits

b) It was originally built in Italy but what is the part of Italy in which it was originally built now called ?

b) Croatia

c) What is Mr Fusi of the ALFA Romeo Museum reported to have told Colin Crabbe when he found this car in New York ?

c) That it was a special

3 pts

Question 41

a) What is the full name of the vehicle of this vehicle seen at Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance (manufacturer, model, suffix) ?

a) Airmobile Sedan C (Since my quiz post this it has been brought to my attention by Tim Murray that this car was actually known as an Airomobile) either name gets the point in this instance.

b) Who designed the vehicle in the photo above ?

b) Tom Tjaarda (Tim also points out the Tom was born only 3 years before this vehicle was completed and that the design MAY have been influenced by John Tjaarda) point for John or Tom in this instance.

c) How many miles did this car complete on a fruitless promotional drive

c) 45,000 miles

3 pts

Question 42

a) What is the full name of the vehicle depicted in the photo above (manufacturer, model number and variant) ?

a) BMW 327/28 Pillarless Coupé

b) How many others of this exact type are known to exist ?

b) One (Question 42b is VOID SHOULD HAVE READ ‘KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN BUILT’)

2 pts

Question 43

a) Who was the manufacturer and what is the model of the vehicle above ?

a) Bristol 400

b) What is the name of the company that in 2011 bought the assets of the manufacturer of the above vehicle ?

b) Kampkorp Autokraft

2 pts

Question 44

a) What make model and Variant is the vehicle registered TRP 271 F above ?

a) ALFA Romeo 33 Stradale

b) Apart from being fast and based on a racing car what was it’s claim to fame when it was launched ?

b) Most expensive car on the market when launched

2 pts

Question 45

a) What is the make and chassis number of Prince Bira’s #78 depicted competing in the 1936 Coupe de Prince Rainer above ?

a) ERA R2B

b) What did nickname did he give to the car ?

b) Romulus

2 pts

Question 46

a) Dr Guiseppe Farina is seen driving the #2 to victory at the 1950 British Grand Prix, who manufactured the #2 and what model was it ?

a) ALFA Romeo, 158

b) What was significant about the 1950 British Grand Prix ?

b) It was the first round of the first World Drivers Championship

2 pts

Question 47

a) James Dean is depicted above who manufactured the car and what model is it ?

a) Porsche 550 Spyder

b) What script did Dean have painted on the rear cowling of the #130 above ?

b) “Little Bastard”

2 pts

Question 48

a) The chassis number CSX2128 distinguishes the #50 from its English built counterparts what is the correct manufacturers name and model of the #50 ?

a) Shelby Cobra / 289 Sebring Cobra / 289 Cobra BUT NOT AC COBRA

b) This car was sold to Coventry Motors after half a seasons racing in 1963, what prompted the original entrant buy it back in for the 1964 season ?

b) Because it kept on winning.

2 pts

Question 49

a) Graham Hill is depicted winning the Monaco Grand Prix who manufactured the #9 what model and suffix is it ?

a) Lotus 49 B

b) Which American driver practiced with a car similar to the #9 above at the Italian GP but had a clashing commitment with the Hoosier 100 which disqualified him from being allowed to compete the same weekend in Italy ?

94) Mario Andretti

2) pts

Question 50

a) Gilles Villeneuve is depicted driving a Ferrari at Monaco above what is the model number and what are the suffixes ?

a) 126 CK

b) When asked about the handling of the #27 what US manufacturer did he cite in his comparison ?

b) Cadillac

2 pts

I’d like to thank everybody who took part and congratulate Mike again on winning the superb set of Cards, Paul Chenard of Automobiliart for sponsoring the Automobiliart / GALPOT Seasonal Quiz, and not least Tim Murray for his corrections and comments. Look forward to doing something similar again soon. Meantime I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a vintage MG. Don’t forget to come back now !

Torino Transformation – SIATA 400F

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It would appear that the SIATA 400F is a Coupé version of the SIATA 208S which Steve McQueen referred to as his ‘little Ferrari.

SIATA, Societa Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori, an automotive accessory company was founded in 1926 by Giorgio Ambrosini an amateur racing driver to make and sell performance parts for vehicles manufactured by FIAT.

After the Second World War SIATA started manufacturing vehicles with first FIAT 500 cc / 30 cui and then with larger American Crosley Motors.

From 1953 to 1955 SIATA manufactured around 35 208’s sports cars and no more than ten 400 F Coupés, of the type seen here at Goodwood Festival of Speed, all powered by Dante Giacosa designed 2 litre / 122 cui FIAT ‘8V’ motors.

The chassis design is credited to be the work of Austrian Rudolf Hruska who’s cv includes working on a huge variety of vehicles from the original Beetle, Tiger tank Simca 1000, FIAT 124/128 and a variety of ALFA Romeo’s including the ALFA Sud.

The Berlinetta Bodywork of the 400 F is credited to Giovanni Michelotti who was working for Farina at the time, with the body panels manufactured by Carrozzeria Balbo in Turin.

Thanks for joining me on this Torino Transformation edition of ‘Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be announcing the winner of the Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz and publishing the answers. Don’t forget to come back now !

Monocoque Revolution – Lotus 25 #R4 & #R5

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There are some ideas that have to wait until just the right time in order to have an impact, one such case in point is the idea of using a monocoque shell to build a racing car chassis / body rather than the oft used couple of helfty rails or beams welded together or a more intricate space frame built up of small tubes welded together with a body thrown over the top.

The idea of using a monocoque shell made of fabricated sheets of metal to build a racing car can be traced back to 1912 when Howard Blood built a prototype cyclecar called a Cornelian which in 1915 was prepared by the Chevrolet brothers Louis and Albert for an attempt at the Indy 500. The Cornelian reached 12th place before it’s 33hp Sterling motor dropped a valve causing retirement. Around 100 monocoque chassis Cornelian cyclecars are thought to have been built before production came to a halt.

In 1923 aviation pioneer Gabriel Voisin built a team of four extraordinarily underpowered monocoque racing cars to take part in the French Grand Prix at Tours, giving away over 15 mph in top speed just one car survived to finish fifth and last over 1 and a quarter hours behind the winner over the 496 mile race distance.

Despite the success of the D-Type Jaguars at Le Mans in the mid 1950’s which featured a half monocoque design with the engine mounted on a sub frame it was not until 1962 that Colin Chapman revisited the monocoque idea for use in a Grand Prix Car and started to make the advantages of structural rigidity, thanks to the use of innovative steel bulkheads, weight saving and reduced frontal area work in the Lotus 25 design which shares identical suspension and running gear with the 1962 space frame Lotus 24.

The Lotus 25 chassis #R5 was one of seven such vehicles used for Grand Prix Racing from 1962 until models eventual swansong in 1967. The #R5 chassis was completed late in 1962 just in time for Jim Clark to attempt to clinch his first World Drivers title at the South African Grand Prix, unfortunately after starting from pole a tuppenny oil plug came lose and ended Jim’s race twenty laps early allowing Graham Hill to win both the race and the World Championship.

Jim used the car again in 1963 but Trevor Taylor was given #R5 to race at the second event of the season Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francochamps. During practice for this event #R5’s suspension collapsed and the subsequent damage meant Trevor continued participating in the spare car #R3. Thanks to Roger, Rob of The Nostalgia Forum it has emerged that Trevor retired from the 1963 Belgian GP after 5 laps as the result of a severed thigh muscle.

Chassis #R5 was taken back to the Team Lotus Factory and stripped down to the bear monocoque which was put aside awaiting recycling when Lotus mechanic Cedric Selzer was given permission to take the wrecked monocoque, along with some redundant parts, home.

Over the next twenty years Cedric collected enough parts including a correct Coventry Climax V8 engine to ‘recreate’ the written off #R5 in 1984.

With the full knowledge of the story of #R5 being in the public domain this rare vehicle sold for just short of a million US$ at auction in 2007.

This second Lotus 25, chassis #R4 seen above with Andy Middlehurst at the wheel during the Goodwood Revival meeting has an even more amazing tail to tell, it is the remains of the very car which Jim Clark drove to a, for the period, record setting seven Grand Prix victories on his way to securing the 1963 World Drivers Championship and the World Manufacturers Championship for Lotus.

In 1964 #R4 was driven by Formula Junior sensation Peter Arundell who started his first full season in Grand Prix racing with two third place finishes in the opening two races at Monaco and Zandvoort (Holland) and came home 4th in the French Grand Prix which proved to be his last of the 1964 season thanks to an accident in an open wheel Formula 2 race which effectively ended Peter’s career although he did unsuccessfully return to the wheel in 1965.

#R4 was then sold to Reg Parnell who replaced the Coventry Climax V8 with a BRM V8 and then given first to South African Tony Maggs and then Richard Atwood to drive. Richard crashed the car in the Belgian Grand Prix after which the repaired chassis was given the #R13 chassis number by the Parnnel Team in what might be considered a slight of hand to make the car look like it had a later Lotus 33 type chassis number, the #R13 chasssis number having been passed over by Team Lotus. #R13 also acquired the nickname Percy at this time.

Innes Ireland and Bob Bondurant competed in one further race each with ‘Percy’ towards the end of 1965 and in 1966 Mike Spence took over the driving duties scoring 2 season best 5th place finishes in Percy which was now fitted with a larger BRM P60 V8 motor.

Piers Courage and Chris Irwin both took a championship Grand Prix start each in Percy during 1967 Chris recording a 7th place finish in the cars final Grand Prix in Holland.

Peter Yock became the owner of #R13 in 1968 and he raced the car in the Antipodes passing it on to fellow Kiwi Peter Hughes for 1970, Hughes replaced the by now damaged BRM V8 with a dry sumped V8 sourced from a Daimler and when that proved recalcitrant had a Twin Cam 4 cylinder Ford motor fitted.

#R13 then disappeared until Lotus aficionado John Dawson Damer tracked it down for his Lotus Collection in Australia, when John had the car restored it was discovered that #R13 was not a similar later Lotus 33 spec monocoque at all but that it still had all the identifying monocoque features associated with the Lotus 25 and in particular chassis #R4. Like Cedric John also acquired the correct Coventry Climax V8 type motor to restore #R4 to it’s original splendor and in 1997 #R4 returned to Gooodwood for the first time.

Again with all of the details of this car in the public domain this car sold at an Australian Auction for just short of a million US$ in 2008.

It’s a sobering thought that Jim Clark was entered to drive a Lotus 25 in 30 championship Grand Prix races, he won 14 of them, won one world championship (1963) and but for some cheap engine parts might have won two more (1962 & ’64). One thing was for sure, after the advent of the Lotus 25 the writing on the wall was written large that the days of the space frame racing car particularly in open wheel racing was effectively over.

Finally a well known resource states that Lotus driver Trevor Taylor is credited with ‘inventing’ the yellow stripe that ran the length of some Team Lotus racing cars from May 1963 until the Lotus sponsorship deal with Players Gold Leaf Tobacco came into effect in 1968. There is to the best of my knowledge no evidence to support this myth, it would appear the yellow stripe was first used on Jim Clark’s #92 Lotus 29 Indy Car in May 1963 and next appeared on his, and only his, Lotus 25 at the British Grand Prix in July 1963.

My thanks to Barry, Davids McKinie and Lawson, Vicuna, Roger and Rob at The Nostalgia Forum for their help dispelling the Trevor Taylor myth.

Thanks for joining me on this Monocoque Revolution edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

14/01/12 Amendment it has come to light thanks to Roger Clark that Trevor Taylor had his mishap with #R5 during practice for the Belgian GP at Spa not during the race as originally stated in the text above.

World Class – Ferrari 355 Belinetta & Spyder

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From 1987 to 1991 the engine to have if you wanted to win the World Drivers Championship was a Honda during that period of dominance Honda also built a game changing super car that rendered contemporary Ferrari’s and particularly it’s nearest competitor the Ferrari 348 obsolete in price, reliability and handling.

Fortunately Ferrari President Luca di Montezemol had his engineers rise to the challenge presented by the Japanese upstart by commissioning the design of the F355 and in the process Ferrari was transformed into a world class manufacturer of automobiles.

The solution to meeting the Japanese challenge was in part by turning to the latest Formula One technology which included building the first road car to be offered with a ‘paddle shift’ electronically controlled gearbox, and selecting the best ancillaries known to man for the engine, including Japanese starter motors and the latest in German electronic engine management systems.

Out went Ferrari’s fabled indifferent assembly, industrial leather and off the shelf (FIAT) switchgear and in came carefully controlled build quality with bespoke switch gear and the finest leather interiors.

The F355’s motor was taken out from 3.4 to 3.5 liters AND given a pair of five valve per cylinder heads which combined to produce 375 hp which took a whole second off the GMC Syclones 1/4 mile time given by Car & Driver in the famous test between a Syclone Truck and a Ferrari 348ts that saw the GMC product perform surprisingly well.

The outcome of Ferrari’s efforts to match Honda’s super car was rewarded with 11,273 sales of the three basic types between 1994 and 1999 making the F355 one of the commonest of Ferrari’s yet seen, though the significance and legacy of the model lay in the foundations for success that the building and development of the F355 provided for all of the Ferrari road models that were to follow.

Thanks for joining me on the ‘World Class’ edition of ‘Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a very significant Lotus. Don’t forget to come back now !

Racing Dispensation – Mosler MT900 GT3

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Warren Mosler has been at the fore front of automotive production technology ever since he launched the curiously proportioned Consulier GTP in 1985 a car that lays claim to being the worlds first carbon fiber and Kevler bodied vehicle to go into production.

After around 100 Consuliers had been produced Consulier Industries founded by Mosler spun off it’s automotive division and renamed it Mosler Automotive who produced a further Consulier GTP based vehicles up until 2000 when Mosler Automotive turned it’s attentions to the Mosler MT 900 wwich was designed by Rod Trenne who counts work on the Corvette C5 among his credits.

Like the Consulier and low volume Mosler Intruder and Raptor models that followed, the MT900 has a Kevlar body covering a carbon fiber skinned aluminium honeycombe composite monocoque made with bonded laser cut panels.

It is thought that only the prototype MT900 road car was ever produced, in 2001, however it is estimated that 11 MT900R versions were produced for GT2 racing with further GT3 versions like the Strata 21 team car seen here at Castle Combe. The only problem is that GT3 requires a certain number of cars to be built to qualify as a production racing car and this number has never been met, so that the car only races with special dispensation in GT3 spec in the UK, Belgium, Spain and Australia.

The MT900 GT3 is fitted with a dry sumped all alluminium Corvette LS7 motor with titanium valves and connecting rods tuned to give around 520 hp for events lasting between 2 and 24 hours, though 580 hp is available for short periods at higher less enduring rpm.

Despite only running with special dispensation of the 52 events the MT900 GT3 version is known to have participated in it had scored 13 wins and 2 class victories between 2007 and 2011.

Dave Sheard and Steve Scott are responsible for preparing the Strata 21 Mosler MT900 GT 3 for the Britcar Championship with owner Paul White sharing the driving with hired hand Calum Lockie.

After an unspecified mishap during qualifying at Castle Combe Calum Lockie started the 2 hour Britcar race from the back of the grid and with Paul White taking over for the second half of the race the #6 came in 4th overall.

By the seasons end White and Lockie were crowned Britcar Class 1 Champions having beaten Spanish rivals Javier Morcillo and Manuel Cintrano in the older Azteca Motorsport MT900 GT3.

Hope you have enjoyed this Racing Dispensation edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

The Car You Always Promised Yourself – Ford Capri 1600 L

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The concept of the ‘pony car’ is generally agreed to have been formulated by Ford when it popped a sports car body onto saloon / sedan running gear of the Ford Falcon and called the result the Ford Mustang.

By 1969 Ford in Europe emulated their US cousins by plonking a cool coupé body on the running gear of the evergreen Ford Cortina Mk2 Saloon / Sedan and marketing it as the “Car You Always Promised Yourself“.

And for many people it really was over 1 million of the Mk1 versions were sold between 1969 and 1974 with a range of engines from 1.3 litres / 79 cui to eventually 3.1 litres 189 cui with an extremely limited edition homologation racing special having a 24 valve 3.4 litre / 207 cui motor fitted.

The Rostyle steel wheels on this example were identical to those found on the Cortina 1600E and usually fitted to the XL Capri variants, this 1969 1600 L fitted with 4 cylinder ‘Kent’ motor normally would have far more utilitarian steel wheels fitted with hub caps when it left the factory.

The intakes ahead of the rear wheels are dummies, just like those on the original 1964 Ford Mustang which inspired much of the design philosophy of the Capri.

The Capri Mk 1 was sold without the Ford Badges in the United States by Lincoln – Mercury Dealers and was marketed as the ‘Sexy European‘ perhaps reflecting the popularity of this model among the stereo typical hedonist ‘Medallian Men’ of Europe.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Sexy European’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at a rare contemporary American GT racing car. Don’t forget to come back now

Gettin' A Li'l Psycho On Tyres

Art Tidesco blogs on all things motoring

Monthly Archives: January 2012

Quintessential British Sports Car – MG J2

Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz – Winner & Results

Torino Transformation – SIATA 400F

Monocoque Revolution – Lotus 25 #R4 & #R5

World Class – Ferrari 355 Belinetta & Spyder

Racing Dispensation – Mosler MT900 GT3

The Car You Always Promised Yourself – Ford Capri 1600 L