Monthly Archives: October 2013

$86 Option And Then Some – Ford Thunderbird

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The styling of the fourth generation Ford Thunderbirds built from 1964 to 1966 took a step back from the round edged styling of the third generation Tunderbirds, built from ’61 to ’63, to the Squarebird styling seen on the second generation models built from 1958 to 1960.

Ford Thunderbird, Frogmill, Andoversford

Initially fourth generation Thunderbirds were offered only with 300 hp 6.4 litre / 390 cui motors which could push the model from rest to 60 mph in around 11 seconds and on to a top speed of 120 mph.

Ford Thunderbird, Frogmill, Andoversford

For 1966 the ‘390’ FE V8 was uprated to 315 hp and a popular larger 345 hp 7 litre / 428 cui FE motor was offered as an $86 option that shaved 2 seconds off the rest to 60 mph time. The ’66 model featured today appears to have been imported into the UK from new in June 1966 and is officially registered as having a 7232 cc / 441 cui motor which does not appear to be a standard size for even the later models which went up to 7.5 litres / 460 cui in 1972.

Ford Thunderbird, Frogmill, Andoversford

Convertible versions of the ’66 Thunderbird were immortalised in the films; The Outsiders (1983), Wild at Heart (1990) and Thelma and Louise (1991).

Ford Thunderbird, Frogmill, Andoversford

In 1965 3 part horizontal sequential rear indicators which flashed in from the inside to the outside was introduced to Thunderbird. This Town Hardtop, seen at Frogmill in Andoversford at the beginning of the year, also features blind quarter panels introduced in 1966 at the cost of reduced rear visibility.

Ford Thunderbird, Frogmill, Andoversford

The fourth generation Thunderbirds were Personal Luxury Car market segment leaders running against the Buick Riviera and Pontiac Grand Prix, however production fell from 92,465 in 1964 to 69,176 in 1966 in part due to the introduction of the new Pony class Ford Mustang.

Thanks for joining me on this “$86 Option And Then Some” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Automotive Treasure – Blackhawk Museum

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While showing his Jaguar at the Danville Concours d’Elegance last month Geoffrey took a wonder around the automotive treasures at the Blackhawk Museum and kindly sent today’s photographs.

Mercedes Benz S Tourer, Blackhawk Museum

In 1927 Mercedes Benz replaced it’s Model K with the Model S which among it’s innovations introduced a chassis that was lowered between the front and rear axles, which dramatically lowered the cars wind resistance and lowered it’s center of gravity which improved the handling. 146 Model S vehicles were built, this 1928 example was bought new by the entertainer Al Jolson.

Minerva Type AM, Blackhawk Museum

Minerva was a Belgian manufacturer started by Dutchman Sylvain de Jong, like many motor manufacturers de Jong started building bicycles and by 1928 when he died had graduated to manufacture high end automobiles. The 1929 Minerva Type AM seen above was supplied as a chassis to which coach builbers Walter M Murphy of Pasadena, CA fitted a “Clear Vision” Convertible Sedan body. The six cylinder car would have been a little cheaper than a contemporary Rolls Royce.

Packard 120 Darrin Convertible Victoria, Blackhawk Museum

After a career working for European coach builders Howard “Dutch” Darrin set up a showroom and bodyshop in Hollywood California called Darrins of Paris to restyle automobiles for Hollywoods rich and famous. Among the cars he restyled was Preston Fosters 1939 Packard 120 seen above with Darrin Convertible Victoria bodywork. This car was later updated with 1941 Packard Super Eight grill, bumpers and headlights.

Fraser Nash 328 Sports, Blackhawk Museum

Fraser Nash were the British importers of BMW cars into Britain prior to the 1939-45 war. Of the 464 BMW 328’s the 1939 example seen above is one of six known to survived the war, it was fitted with a custom Sports 2 seater body by Fraser Nash and driven by Dickie Stoop and Peter Wilson in the 1949 24 hour race at Spa in Belgium where it came home 12th overall sixth in class.

Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mk 1 Bertone Coupé, Blackhawk Museum

The body of the red gem above is by Bertone of Italy while the chassis and engine is 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4. The Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Coupé is a one off prototype, no more were built because Aston Martin refused to supply any more DB2/4 chassis though it is by no means the only DB2/4 to feature unique Italian bodywork.

ALFA Romeo 1500 SSZ, Blackhawk Museum

When ALFA Romeo wanted a 4 cylinder 2 litre 122 cui motor in 1950 they redesigned their twin cam 6 cylinder 6C 2500 with two fewer cylinders and called it the 1900. The 1955 1900 Sprint Speciale SSZ seen above is one of around 40 thought to have been built with coachwork by Zagato featuring a double bubble roof.

Maserati 3500GT Vignale Spider, Blackhawk Museum

The 140 mph 1960 Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spider, above, is one of 243 built between 1957 and 1963. Fitted with drum brakes and a four speed gearbox it was more luxuriously appointed than the Ferrari 250 GT’s against which it competed in the market.

Jaguar XK-E Lightweight, Blackhawk Museum

In 1963 Briggs Cunningham entered 3 factory built Jaguar XK-E’s with hard top alloy bodies in the Le Mans 24 hours. One, 5115 WK qualified 20th and finished 9th, 5116 WK qualified 18th and was destroyed by fire after an accident on lap 40 while the car above driven by Augie Pabst and Walt Hangsen qualified 13th and retired in lap 8 with a broken gearbox.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs, more of which from the Blackhawk Museum will be seen on Friday.

Thanks for joining me on this “Automotive Treasure” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Americana Thursday when I’ll be looking at a Ford Thunderbird. Don’t forget to come back now !

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1975 Marlboro Promotions Dossier – GALPOT Automobillia

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Thanks to the modest success of Automobillia sales on my ‘lightpress’ e-bay page a friend recently told me about today’s featured 1975 Marlboro Promotions Dossier which he acquired with a ‘boot load’ of books some years ago.

Marlboro Promotions Dossier, GALPOT Automobillia

This dossier issued on July 7th by David Bridgman of Phillip Morris & Company Ltd in Maidenhead details the companies plans for promotion of the Marlboro brand and associated hospitality in the run up to and including the 1975 British Grand Prix, an event sponsored by rival brand John Player Special, at Silverstone on the 19th of July.

Marlboro Promotions Dossier, GALPOT Automobillia

Marlboro became involved in Formula One with BRM in 1972, the partnership lasted two years and resulted in just one Grand Prix victory. After an uncompetitive season in 1973 Marlboro hooked up with former Lotus sponsor Texaco and Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the 1972 World Championship with Lotus, to join forces with McLaren for the 1974 season.

Marlboro Promotions Dossier, GALPOT Automobillia

Emerson won 3 Grand Prix and the World Drivers Championship while team mate Denny Hulme won the first race of the Marlboro McLaren alliance to help McLaren secure the World Constructors Championship in 1974.

Marlboro Promotions Dossier, GALPOT Automobillia

For 1975 Emerson, seen modelling Marboro apparel above, was joined by Jochen Mass after Denny Hulme retired from the top echelon of the sport and as detailed in the Promotions dossier Emerson was third in the championship with Jochen 8th going into the 1975 British Grand Prix.

Marlboro Promotions Dossier, GALPOT Automobillia

John Player had exclusive rights to advertising, promotional and merchandising at Silverstone, so according to the dossier Phillip Morris focused their attentions to promotions at partner Texaco garages and shopping centres particularly at the Bull Ring Shopping Centre where a ‘real’ McLaren racing car was to be put on display.

Marlboro Promotions Dossier, GALPOT Automobillia

A third strand of Phillip Morris activities was customer hospitality before and during the race weekend which included a party for 94 guests and their partners, staying at two hotels along with 4 McLaren personnel with their partners on the Friday evening before the race, held on a Saturday. On race day Phillip Morris guests were to be bussed from their hotels, the dossier includes room numbers for the guests, to the circuit. Morning Coffee, Lunch and Afternoon Tea were to be served at the Marlboro Marquee, after the event guests were returned to their hotel by bus in time for an evening meal.

Marlboro Promotions Dossier, GALPOT Automobillia

On lap 55 a hail storm caused four of the top six runners to crash out of the British Grand Prix and the race was declared one lap later with Emerson Fittipaldi, who took the lead on lap 44, was declared the winner.

The win would prove to be Emerson’s last Grand Prix victory, he came second in the 1975 World Drovers Championship behind Ferrari’s Niki Lauda, another Marlboro sponsored driver, and then made the surprise move to his brothers Copersucar team which proved to be a disaster for his career. James Hunt replaced Fittipaldi and went on to become 1976 World Champion as detailed in Ron Howards latest film ‘Rush’.

If you would like to bid for this dossier you can find the e-bay details on this link.

Thanks for joining me on this “1975 Marlboro Promotions Dossier” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for look at some of the cars that appeared at the recent Danville Concours d’Elegance. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The Striped One – Porsche 911 SC Safari

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In 1978 the Martini sponsored works Porsche team produced two variants of the 911 to take outright victories in events which the model had not won, the first was the 750hp Porsche 935 78 known as Moby Dick which was designed to win the Le Mans 24 hours, it finished fourth, and the second was the 300hp Porsche 911 SC Safari, featured today, which was designed to win the Safari Rally in Kenya. The 911 SC Safari that stands nearly one foot off the ground is without question one of my favourite rally cars, it’s the one car in which James Bond’s Martini is guaranteed to arrive well shaken but not stirred.

Porsche 911 SC Safari, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

As we saw on Saturday by 1970 the 911 had proved itself in the snowy conditions of Sweden and the tarmac conditions of a dry Monte Carlo rally with Bjorn Waldegård at the wheel, it’s smaller 912 sibling had won the European Rally Championship with Sobiesław Zasada at the wheel, the only thing missing from the 911’s curriculum vitae was a win a respected ‘loose surface’ rally like the Safari Rally. This absence was not for lack of trying a 911 covered in ‘kanga’roo bars was driven by Sobiesław Zasada in the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon and sensationally worked it’s way up from 13th to 4th position on the final Australian leg of the 7000 mile rally.

Porsche 911 SC Safari, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

In 1971 Waldegård driving a works 911 looked set for a win on the East African Safari Rally until he was blinded by dust from his team mate Zasada while trying to over take him on the road and ended up crashing out while Zsada survived to finish 5th. In 1974 Bjorn came home second in the East African Safari driving a 911 RS and it was not until 1978 that Porsche returned to East Africa with a two car team that included today’s featured #14 car driven by Vic Preston Jnr. Team mate Waldegård, who won the 1977 edition of the Safari driving a Ford, returned to Zuffenhasen to drive the similar #5 911 SC.

Porsche 911 SC Safari, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

The roads used on the Safari in 1978 were mostly graded tracks, tarmac is rarely used because the population is sparsely distributed and the intense daily short bursts of rain in the rainy season would likely as not wash tarmac away in abrasive currents of subsequent surface water drainage. The ’78 Safari was run in wet conditions but the competition between the Porsche, Datsun now Nissan, and Peugeot teams remained close. Waldegård and H Thorszelius led the first leg but then a rock damaged the suspension and they could only recover a 4th place finish.

Porsche 911 SC Safari, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Vic Preston Jnr and J Lyall finished second in today’s featured car behind the Peugeot 504 V6 of Jean Pierre Nicolas and Jean Todt J-C Lefebvre. The winners finished the timed sections with the fastest times overall only to crash in to an unexpectedly U turning vehicle on the untimed road section back to the ceremonial finish line in Niarobi. The Peugeot was badly damaged but the occupants unharmed. After repairs Nicolas managed to drive to the finish with a holed radiator.

Porsche 911 SC Safari, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Ironically Jean Pierre Nicholas with Vincent Laverne win in the 1978 Monte Carlo Rally driving a superceded Porsche 911 Carrera RSR meant that Porsche maintained their lead in the World Rally Championship. By the seasons end a privately entered Porsche in San Remo had scored one additional podium finish for the Zuffenhausen marque in the World Rally Championship as the works team involvement was aimed solely at winning the prestigious Safari. The 4th place final championship placing was edged by 1978 champions FIAT, Ford, for whom Bjorn also drove in 1978 and Opel, each of these teams had elected pass on the extreme endurance test of the Safari in Kenya.

Porsche 911 SC Safari, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

The 1978 Safari was the last World Championship Rally the works team entered although some years later the Porsche name would return with Prodrive prepared cars. With no prospect of rallying regulations turning to favor a Porsche entry it would appear the marque which has dominated so many other area’s of the sport is destined to never win the Safari Rally. In 2011 Waldegård driving a 1972 Porsche 911 2.4 prepared by Francis Tuthill did win the classic version of the Safari Rally, a small consolation for the man and the marque.

The following season Martini shifted the main focus of it’s motorsports sponsorship to the Lotus formula one team.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Striped One” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at some Formula One Automobillia. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The Seriously Flared One – Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0

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Having won the 1970 and 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours and sports car championships with the short lived Porsche 917, Porsche had no suitable motor with which to compete in the top tear of sports car racing which mandated maximum displacement 3 litre / 183 cui motors, of which those designed for and adapted from Formula One dominated the overall honours from 1972 until 1975.

Porsche 911 RSR, Tour Britannia, Castle Combe

To meet the demand from customers running in the GT class Porsche embarked upon a programme of building RSR race cars based on the 911 shell for GT competition in 1973. Initially these cars came with a ‘duck tail’ and motors up to 2.8 litres to 178 cui. Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood scored back to back overall victories at the Daytona 24 hours with this type of car in 1973 and 1975, and were joined by Dave Helmick in 1973 to win the Sebring 12 hours. Perhaps the single most famous victory for any RSR came on the epic Targa Florio where Herbert Müller and Gijs van Lennep won beating the 3 litre / 183 cui protoypes in the process.

Porsche 911 RSR, Tour Britannia, Castle Combe

By the end of 1973 the first RSR’s with 330hp 3 litre / 183 cui motors, coil springs replacing torsion bars, flared wheel arches housing wheels with centre locking nuts and ‘whale tales’ came onto the scene most notably in the first International Race of Champions (IROC) series. The first IROC series ran in the winter of ’73 and ’74 at Riverside and Daytona for which 12 identical Carrera 911 RSR 3.0’s, like the one seen in today’s photographs, were prepared for the likes of, Formula One champions; Emerson Fittipaldi and Denny Hulme, Indy 500 winners; Bobby Unser, AJ Foyt, Gordon Johncock and Mark Donohue, Can Am Champions; Peter Revson and George Follmer, NASCAR Champions; David Pearson, Bobby Allison and Richard Petty with USAC Champ Roger McKlusky. Mark Donohue won three of the series four races to become the first IROC Champion.

Porsche 911 RSR, Tour Britannia, Castle Combe

The RSR remained competitive in the Daytona and Sebring endurance classics until 1977. Haywood, John Graves and Helmick drove an RSR to victory at Daytona in ’77, with Al Holbert and Mike Keyser winning the ’76 race at Sebring then George Dyer and Brad Frissell repeating the feat in another RSR in ’77. In Europe Clemens Schickentanz is thought to have made over 75 starts with at least seven outright victories in RSR’s primarily for the Kremer Brothers.

Porsche 911 RSR, Tour Britannia, Castle Combe

In all 60 RSR 3.0’s were built by Porsche and many more 911’s have been upgraded to RSR spec since the models inception. RSR’s were still being raced regularly in front line competition into 1993 when an all new Carrera RSR was introduced with a 3.8 litre / 231 cui motor.

Porsche 911 RSR, Silverstone Classic

I do not have a history for the 1974 Martini liveried car featured today which, in the 2011 dated pictures, are seen at Castle Combe with Jeremy Cook and Mike Dowd who were taking part in the Tour Britannia, the 2012 and 2015 photo’s were taken at Silverstone Classic where Jeremy and Mike competed in the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car races, if you know anything more about this car please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Porsche 911 RSR, Cooke, Dowd, Silverstone Classic

Thanks for joining me on this “The Seriously Flared One” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Monte Hat-trick – Porsche 911S

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From 1968 to 1970 Porsche scored three 1-2 victories on the fabled Monte Carlo Rally. In 1968 Vic Elford and David Stone driving a Porsche 911T won the event ahead of the 911S driven by Pauli Toivonen and M Tiukkanen, the following year Bjorn Waldegård and Lars Helmer driving a 911S finished ahead of the similar car driven by Gerárd Larrousse and JC Perramond. In 1970 the Porsche hat-trick of wins came when Waaldegård and Helmer drove today’s featured car to victory over Larrousse and M Gélin in another 911S.

Porsche, 911, Advertisement

The 1970 Monte Carlo had featured a concentration run to the Principality starting from eight European cities and was run in mild conditions. Porsche, Ford Alpine Renault and Lancia all entered significant works teams expected to challenge for top honours. British press interest in the, once, prestigious event was so low that Motor Sport correspondent GP, Geraint “Gerry” Phillips, opined, in March 1970, that what the Monte Carlo Rally needed to reengage Fleet Street was “… a bunch of hippies to entrench themselves on the Turini (rally stage) and spray the spectators with LSD.” !

Porsche 911S, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Having won on the dry Monte Carlo Waldegård and Lars Helmer proved the versatility of the 911 by winning the Swedish Rally run on snow by 23 mins, after having a clutch replaced that required the engine to be removed in a freezing lay-by.

Porsche 911S, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

The second 911S model introduced in 1969 features a 2 1/4″ longer wheel base than the original, to improve the handling, though there was no increase in the overall length of the car.

Porsche 911S, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

The motor for the 911S was increased in size from 2 litres / 122 cui to 2.3 litres / 134 cui and with fuel injection this competition car produced 230hp, 50 more than the fuel injected road going version of the 911S.

Porsche 911S, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Swede Bjorn Waldergård was a front line rally driver from 1962 to 1992, the World Rally Championship (WRC) started in 1973 and he won 16 of the 95 WRC events in which he started. His wins included the three toughest events on the WRC Circuit, the Safari, Acroplolis and RAC rallies in 1977 when he was driving for Ford. In 1979 Bjorn won the World Rally Drivers Championship driving for the works Ford and Mercedes Benz rally teams. Winning the Safari Rally for the third time in 1990, with Fred Gallagher, driving a Toyota Bjorn became the oldest person to ever win a World Championship Rally a record he holds to this day.

Porsche 911S, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

In his report on the road going Porsche 911S for Motor Sport in February 1970 Dennis ‘DSJ’ Jenkinson observed that a 911 cost twice as much as the 4.2 E-Type Jaguar he bought in 1966, to replace his Porsche 356, and that by 1970 the 911S had risen in price to become half the cost of a Lamborghini Miura, he concluded “It is all a question of keeping a sense of proportion.”

Thanks for joining me on this “Monte Hat-trick” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a slightly more outrageously flared Porsche 911. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Ferrari Friday – 9th Danville Concours d’Elegance

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Geoffrey Horton attended this years 9th Danville Concours d’Elegance last month and kindly shared today’s collection of Ferrari photographs.

Ferrari 500 Mondial Spyder, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Pride of place belonged to this Ferrari 500 Mondial Spyder PF Series I chassis #0408 MD which featured on this blog some time ago.

Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, Danville Concours d'Elegance

I still have not established if the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso chassis #4237 like the one above is actually missing or not, if anyone has any information about #4237 please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Ferrari F355 Spyder, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Moving forward a couple of decades the Ferrari F355 was fitted with a Japanese starter motor in an attempt to bring the marque up to compete with and beat the Honda NSX on price, reliability and handling when it was launched in 1994.

Ferrari F360 Spyder, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Ferrari’s 20th convertible the 360 Spider was launched in 2000, former Ferrari Formula One Team technical director Ross Brawn had one as his company car.

Ferrari California, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The Ferrari California, launched in 2008, was originally designed as a Maserati but sold only as a Ferrari to recoup the development costs

Ferrari 458 Italia Spider, Danville Concours d'Elegance

If stealth is your rocks your boat I guess matt black is the way to go, but I’m not sure I could ever get used to it, matt black to me looks like the new primer, something unfinished or a work in progress which is I am sure the last thing I’d think of in the event I ever bought a Ferrari 458 Italia Coupé.

Ferrari F12berlinetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Despite being launched last year to replace the Ferrari 599, I still have not come across a Ferrari F12berlinetta like the one above, I must get round to making an appointment with my local stockist.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs more of which will appear in next Wednesday’s blog.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ferrari Friday” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll resume this month’s 50th Anniversary celebration of the Porsche 911. Don’t forget to come back now !

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