Monthly Archives: January 2012

Irish Grand Prix Winner – 8/33 MG Midget

Cecil Kimber’s Morris Garages blossomed into the car manufacturer when it began producing sports versions of the 4 seat Morris Oxford in 1924. After building around 1100 such vehicles by 1929 the MG Car Company found a new market niche for small engined two seat performance sports cars.

The first such car was the M-Type similar to Alex Peacops 1930/31 example seen at Prescott above which was marketed as the 8/33 M.G. Midget which was based on the Morris Minor chassis featuring lowered suspension with a wheel base of 78″ / 1980 mm and track of 42″ / 1067 mm.

The power for the Midget was provided by a 20 hp overhead cam 4 cylinder motor derived from the Morris Minor and Wolseley 10 cars. In 1930 the Midget design, like all those featured today, was upgraded with the Morris rod braking system replaced with a cable operated system and the 20 hp motor being replaced by a 27 hp version. Roger Glister is seen at Prescott driving his 1931 Midget above.

Competition success with Midgets in 1930 included a Gold Star on the Lands Ends Trial, class victories in the Double 12 (hour) race at Brooklands, and Irish Grand Prix, success which were unashamedly used in subsequent advertising campaigns for the MG Midget.

In standard form, like the 1932 #19 above driven by David Rushton at Loton Park, the Midget was capable of 65 mph and 40 mpg. The popularity of the Midget significantly boosted MG production numbers, by 1932, when production ceased, 3,235 Midgets had been produced which included coupé, supercharged and a one off service van variant.

Thanks for joining me on this M-Type edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again for a look at “The Car You Always Promised Yourself”. Don’t forget to come back now !

Hauling Marbles & Lego – Chevrolet El Camino

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Some of my readers who have been reading my blogs since I started writing blogs at Rowdy.com may remember I once posted a video of myself singing a Joe Diffie song ‘Pick Up Man‘.

The words have always resonated with me in part because when I was a kid, way before I went to school I had a ‘Dinky’ 1/32nd scale two tone bright green and white Chevrolet El Camino pick up truck which I used to delight in filling with marbles and lego and drove at least 100,000 miles on my knees.

I don’t remember that it was big enough to carry a Barbie Doll bed but I am sure I carried plenty of smaller dolls house accessories, for the girl next door.

Last time I recall seeing that Chevy it looked something like this, which might be considered a shame because one in good as new tip top condition is worth about £120 on e-bay but then y’all never met the girl next door !

The concept of using a coupé as the basis for a utility pick up truck came at the suggestion of a farmers wife in Victoria, Australia who wrote to Ford Australia asking for “a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays”.

Lew Brandt at Ford Australia is credited with designing the first such vehicle in 1934 and General Motors Australian division Holden produced a similar vehicle in 1935.

Surprisingly the coupé utility vehicle idea did not transfer across the Pacific Ocean until 1957 when Ford launched the Ranchero, based on the two door Ford Custom/Ranch Wagon/Courier platform and in 1959 Chevrolet followed suit with the El Camino based on the Brookwood platform complete with tail fins.

When Hot Rod magazine conducted a test between the Ranchero and El Comino in 1959 they found the El Camino fitted with the top of the range 5.7 litre / 348 cui motor was capable of accelerating from rest to 60 mph in around 7 seconds and estimated the top speed at an astonishing 130 mph.

The first generation El Camino, like this ’59 model seen at Shakespeare County Raceway, outsold the Ranchero in the first year of production but when sales plummeted in 1960 the model was promptly discontinued, after around 36,409 examples had been built until 1964.

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

Elvis Investigations – The Triumph Detective

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A couple of weeks ago I received a enquiry from Hazen Wardle about reviewing a couple of his self published books the first of which is “The Triumph Detective” a Reche Plimpton Novel, in the spirit of nothing ventured nothing gained I agreed, I must confess life at GALPOT towers rarely leaves me time for engaging in pure fiction, there is enough of it when I am looking into the myths that surround some of the vehicles I blog about.

The Triumph Detective tells the tale of how plaid attired investigator ‘Reche Plimpton’ takes on a case to investigate a temporary abduction by aliens of the ‘up there’ kind of Sarge a German shepherd dog.

In solving the mystery Reche the proprietor of ‘Elvis Investigations’ follows up a number of clues that start with an alleged alien message, alternately using either his own Triumph GT6 which his assistant Laura is not so keen on, or Laura’s Hummer as transportation on the road to solving the mystery.

The story is peppered with entertaining characters such as those from the UFO Church of His illuminated Universe and a ne’er do well neighbour of his client.

The second book ‘Resche Plimpton : Guitar Thief’, which not entirely coincidentally is launched today, carries on nicely from the first and is undoubtedly a more complete volume which sees our plaid dressed hero get framed for the theft of a broken guitar and then employed to find the guitar when it gets stolen a second time.

If I ever had any doubts about Hazen being a first time lucky writer they were completely dispelled by ‘Guitar Thief’ to the point where I am wondering if I can blag a copy of the third Resche Plimpton novel ‘Bigfoot: Triumph Enthusiast’ as and when it appears.

Without wishing to give the plot away I heartily recommend the first two Resche Plimpton Triumph Detective novels ‘The Triumph Detective‘ and ‘Guitar Thief‘ as amusing light reads available in handy e-book formats.

Alongside his writing Hazen describes himself as being ‘in over my head’ rebuilding a Triumph GT6 Coupé using the rear end panels from a Triumph Spitfire convertible.

The process of cleaning repairing and refabracation has given Hazen the opportunity to become familiar with every panel, rivet, nut and bolt of his vehicle.

Hazen has been working on his GT6 project since 1997, since when he has moved 6 times ! Hazen’s dedication to Triumph sheetmetal is faithfully documented on his blog linked here.

I hope you have enjoyed this Elvis Investigations edition of ‘Getting’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS Don’t forget … CLOSING DATE MIDNIGHT GMT TODAY !

Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz

December 26th – January 2nd

Win a set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards

Set 1 Sports & GT Cars

Set 2 Phil Hill World Drivers Championship 50th Anniversary Edition

Set 3 1934 Season

Set 4 Grand Prix Engines of the 1950’s

Set 5 Mike Hawthorn’s Race Cars

The Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will comprise 8 categories.

Overall winner chooses one set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards from the five sets shown above.

The cards measure 15.24cm x 11.43cm, come in packs of 12 with 3 copies of 4 designs in each set, plus A6 envelopes.

Which set will you choose ?

The free to enter Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will run from December 26th – January 2nd Entries close January 8th 2012, Winner announced January 16th 2012.

Full details on December 26th at GALPOT.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Automobiliart, Detective, Elvis, GALPOT, GT6, Guitar, Hazen, Investigations, Plimpton, Quiz, Resche, Seasonal, The, Thief, Triumph, Warden on January 8, 2012 by Ralph.

Customer Grand Prix Car – Lotus Climax 24 #947

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GALPOT Saturday’s will be returning to a potted history of Lotus Cars for the foreseeable future. Picking up the story with the Lotus 24, which although was similar to look at as the preceding Lotus 21, was a fresh space frame design for the 1962 Grand Prix season.

The Lotus 24 was primarily designed as a customer Grand Prix car using many of the same suspension components as the 1962 monocoque chassis Lotus 25 Grand Prix car which was reserved exclusively for use by the works Team Lotus.

Team Lotus entered a Lotus 24 for Jim Clark in five pre season non championship races in which he qualified on pole three times and took two victories, Team Lotus also entered a Lotus 24 for Trevor Taylor in several championship races and he scored a best 2nd place finish in the season opening Dutch Grand Prix.

In all 12 Lotus 24’s were built seven with Coventry Climax V8’s like the example above seen with David Coplowe at the wheel at last years Goodwood Revival, and a further five with BRM V8’s.

Of the customer cars Jack Brabham and Innes Ireland scored a couple of points paying 5th places in 1962 as did Jim Hall in a BRM powered example in 1963. The last appearance of a Lotus 24 in a Championship Grand Prix was in 1964 when Peter Revson drove a BRM powered car in the Italian Grand Prix to a 13th place finish.

The Lotus 24 was the last design that Lotus built specifically for customers, among the customers were Rob Walker who entered his Lotus 24 chassis ‘941’ in the 1962 non championship Mexican Grand Prix for 20 year old Ricardo Rodriguez who met his untimely demise in the car after the rear suspension collapsed causing a fatal accident during practice.

Dupont Team Zerex also entered a Lotus 24 ‘The Captain’ Roger Penske in the earlier 1962 US Grand Prix he came home 9th in his second and final Grand Prix appearance.

David Coplowe’s car shown above is chassis #947 which appears to have been originally purchased by then two time World Champion Jack Brabham who used it while he was completing his first Grand Prix car bearing his own name.

South African National Champion Syd van der Vyver acquired the car from Brabham and he rolled it in the 1962 non championship Natal Grand Prix. After repairing it Syd won several local South African races with the car before it was damaged in a garage fire.

Syd rebuilt the car but retired from the sport and the rebuilt 947 passed through several South African owners before being shipped to the USA in the 1980’s where former Lotus mechanic Cedric Selzer saw this car at Laguna Seca in 1984 when it belonged to Monte Shalett.

By the beginning of the millenium the 947 reappeared in Europe in the ownership of Martin Stretton.

My thanks to Wouter Mellissen of the Ultimatecarage.com who kindly identified the chassis number and to Cedric Selzer at The Nostalgia Forum who filled me in with a significant part of the #947’s history.

Thanks for joining me on this Customer Grand Prix Car edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be celebrating Elvis’s birthday. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS Don’t forget …

Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz

December 26th – January 2nd

Win a set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards

Set 1 Sports & GT Cars

Set 2 Phil Hill World Drivers Championship 50th Anniversary Edition

Set 3 1934 Season

Set 4 Grand Prix Engines of the 1950’s

or

Set 5 Mike Hawthorn’s Race Cars

The Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will comprise 8 categories.

Overall winner chooses one set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards from the five sets shown above.

The cards measure 15.24cm x 11.43cm, come in packs of 12 with 3 copies of 4 designs in each set, plus A6 envelopes.

Which set will you choose ?

The free to enter Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will run from December 26th – January 2nd Entries close January 8th 2012, Winner announced January 16th 2012.

Full details on December 26th at GALPOT.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged 24, Automobiliart, Brabham, BRM, Clark, Climax, Coplowe, GALOT, Goodwood, Ireland, Lotus, Penske, Quiz, Revival, Revson, Seasonal, Taylor on January 7, 2012 by Ralph.

Rosso Kev – Ferrari 250 GTO #3527

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Todays car is the 7th of the original batch of 33 Ferrari 250 GTO’s built in 1962 and quelle surprise it does not belong to the well known drummer of the rock combo Pink Floyd.

Chassis #3527 painted Russo Cina, a colour usually associated with FIAT, was purchased by Austrian Gottfried Koechert in May 1962 who entered it into the 1000 kms at the Nurburgring the same month for himself and Umberto Maglioli. The car retired from its first race with ignition failure and soon after was sold to Ecurie Francorchamps.

Belgian Lucien Bianchi drove the Ecurie Francorchamps #3527 on three occasions in 1962 nearly winning the Tour d’France until he collided with a milk truck necessitating the removal of the nose so that the car could finish the event in 7th place. Bianchi’s final appearance in the car was in the 1962 Angola GP which he won.

The car was then sold to Scuderia Filipinetti in Switzerland before finding it’s way shortly afterwards during 1963 into the hands of Swiss banker Armand Boller who drove the car to 6 class victories in hill climb events up to the end of 1964.

After withdrawing #3527 from the 1000 kms at Monza in 1965 Boller had the car converted into a road friendly spec with wind up windows, leather interior and VW rear lights by the Swiss Garber coach works.

#3527 was sold to building plant magnate Anthony Bamford in 1966 and was sold on in 1973 and again in 1984 to Steve Pilkington who had the Garber modifications removed.

Current owner international conference magnate Baron Laidlaw bought #3527 in 2005 and has recently had the car restored and painted in fetching Rosso Kev as seen here during last years Tour Britannia event as it passed through Castle Combe.

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

PS Don’t forget …

Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz

December 26th – January 2nd

Win a set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards

Set 1 Sports & GT Cars

Set 2 Phil Hill World Drivers Championship 50th Anniversary Edition

Set 3 1934 Season

Set 4 Grand Prix Engines of the 1950’s

or

Set 5 Mike Hawthorn’s Race Cars

The Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will comprise 8 categories.

Overall winner chooses one set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards from the five sets shown above.

The cards measure 15.24cm x 11.43cm, come in packs of 12 with 3 copies of 4 designs in each set, plus A6 envelopes.

Which set will you choose ?

The free to enter Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will run from December 26th – January 2nd Entries close January 8th 2012, Winner announced January 16th 2012.

Full details on December 26th at GALPOT.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged #3527, 250, Automobiliart, Bamford, Bianchi, Boller, Britannia, Ferrari, GALPOT, Garber, GTO, Koechert, Laidlaw, Pilkington, Quiz, Seasonal, Tour on January 6, 2012 by Ralph.

The Biggest, Fastest, and most Expensive – Duesenberg J Derham Tourster

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When E.L. Cord bought the Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc from the Dusenberg brothers in 1926, he appears to have quickly dispensed with the services of Augie and asked Fred Dusenberg to design a vehicle that was to be the biggest, fastest and most expensive car ever made.

Mr Cord rejected several of Fred’s prototypes before agreeing that the Model J powered by a 265hp 6876 cc/419 cui straight 8 motor mounted on a 153 inch chassis was just the thing to challenge the European brands Hispano-Suiza, Isotta-Fraschini, Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce for market share in the premium automotive sector.

Launched in late 1928 at the New York Car Show, the chassis, premium vehicles at the time were sold as powered chassis with bespoke bodies ordered from independent coach builders, was originally priced at US $8,500 a price that might easily be doubled and in some cases nearly tripled once fitted with a bespoke body.

The advanced double overhead cam 4 valves per cylinder motor, designed by Fred Duesenberg but built by E.L.Cords Lycoming company, could power the J from 10 mph to 90 mph in second gear and in supercharged SJ form is reputed to have been capable of 140 mph though roads where such a speed could be attained were far and few between.

Only 8 of the 481 J models produced were originally supplied with the Derham Tourster bodywork seen on this example which resides in the Haynes International Motor Museum.

Despite the success of an advertising campaign that featured an elegantly dressed man or equally elegantly dressed lady under the strap line ‘He/She drives a Duesenberg’ and a who’s who of Royalty and Hollywood stars that counted themselves as customers of the ‘Finest Car In The World’ the target production of 500 J models was never reached thanks to The Great Depression.

Most of the chassis were built between 1929 and 1930 but the model was still being sold in 1937 by which time it had become outdated in it’s operation. This particular vehicle came to the Haynes International Motor Museum via the personal collection of former proprietor of the Los Angeles Times Otis Chandler.

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

PS Don’t forget …

Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz

December 26th – January 2nd

Win a set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards

Set 1 Sports & GT Cars

Set 2 Phil Hill World Drivers Championship 50th Anniversary Edition

Set 3 1934 Season

Set 4 Grand Prix Engines of the 1950’s

or

Set 5 Mike Hawthorn’s Race Cars

The Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will comprise 8 categories.

Overall winner chooses one set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards from the five sets shown above.

The cards measure 15.24cm x 11.43cm, come in packs of 12 with 3 copies of 4 designs in each set, plus A6 envelopes.

Which set will you choose ?

The free to enter Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will run from December 26th – January 2nd Entries close January 8th 2012, Winner announced January 16th 2012.

Full details on December 26th at GALPOT.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Automobiliart, Duesenberg, E.L.Cord, Fred, GALPOT, Haynes, International, J, Motor, Museum, Quiz, Seasonal on January 5, 2012 by Ralph.

New Cortina is more Cortina – Ford Cortina Mk2

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The Roy Haynes designed second incarnation of the Ford Cortina MK2 was launched in 1966 with a range of 4 cylinder ‘Kent’ motors ranging 1.2 litres / 73 cui to 1.5 litres 91 cui.

Above is a 1966 1500GT with a Crayford Cabriolet Conversion seen last year at the Goodwood Revival.

The 1300 cc / 79 cui Cortina above was acquired as a used model by London based Australian Dental Surgeon ‘Doc’ Merfield who raced under the Team Boomerang banner. The ‘Doc’ fitted one of the five prototype Coventry Climax V8 ‘Godiva’ FPE Formula One motors and raced it from 1969 and 1973. In 1979 the car was discovered in East London without the engine and has been restored with a Donovan V8.

In 1967 Ford marketed a performance version of the Mk2 Cortina known as the Cortina Lotus, the reversal of the Mk1’s Lotus Cortina branding signifying that these cars were wholly manufactured by Ford where as manufacture of Mk1 Lotus Cortina was completed on the Lotus premises. The 108 mph Cortina Lotus like the one used the same Lotus developed motor as the Mk1 and the Lotus Elan. Later Cortina Lotus models were rebranded as Cortina Twin Cams. The Cortina Lotus was widely used in racing and rally competition until it was replaced by the smaller Ford Escort competition models in in 1968.

For those not interested in competing with their Cortina’s the 1600 GT powered by a ‘Kent’ motor was the performance Cortina of choice, Blown Hell above started life as a 1600 GT but has since been fitted with a supercharged 3.5 litre / 215 cui Rover V8 for drag racing.

The Cortina Estate / Station Wagon above was highly rated for it’s then unparalleled load space the car seen above at Shakespeare County Raceway started life as a Cortina ‘Super’ but has since also been fitted with a 3.5 litre / 215 cui Rover V8.

The most refined of the New Cortina models was 1600E launched in October 1967, this featured a 1600 GT Kent motor, Rostyle wheels, twin fog lights, bucket seats, sports steering wheel and instrumentation, along with luxury walnut woodgrain trim. I remember when my neighbor’s Dad showed up with a 1600E in 1968 every kid on the block including me could not wait to be taken for a ride in it !

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

PS Don’t forget …

Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz

December 26th – January 2nd

Win a set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards

Set 1 Sports & GT Cars

Set 2 Phil Hill World Drivers Championship 50th Anniversary Edition

Set 3 1934 Season

Set 4 Grand Prix Engines of the 1950’s

or

Set 5 Mike Hawthorn’s Race Cars

The Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will comprise 8 categories.

Overall winner chooses one set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards from the five sets shown above.

The cards measure 15.24cm x 11.43cm, come in packs of 12 with 3 copies of 4 designs in each set, plus A6 envelopes.

Which set will you choose ?

The free to enter Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will run from December 26th – January 2nd Entries close January 8th 2012, Winner announced January 16th 2012.

Full details on December 26th at GALPOT.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged 1300, 1600E, 1600GT, Automobiliart, Cortina, Ford, GALPOT, Haynes, Lotus, MK2, Quiz, Roy, Seasonal, Super on January 4, 2012 by Ralph.

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