Monthly Archives: March 2014

“4535” – Tec Mec F415

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After Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1957 World Drivers Championship driving for Maserati the company turned it’s attention to recouping it’s investment in racing through the sale of road cars and the works racing team turned it’s attention to sports models.

Tec-Mec F415, Goodwood Revival

The remaining 250F racing cars that had been accumulated were dispersed amongst privateer teams, however there was one unnumbered chassis that had been started and 250F designer Valerio Colotti had plans for a revised version of the 250F to be built around the chassis for the 1958 season.

Tec-Mec F415, Goodwood Revival

Colotti managed to secure the unfinished chassis and take it with him along with his drawings and set up his own design business called Studio Tecnica Meccanica where the new car, known officially as the Studio Tec-Mec F415 and unofficially as “4535” was completed with a Maserati 250F motor to power it.

Tec-Mec F415, Barrie Baxter, Goodwood Revival

Funding for the car appears to have come from Gordon Pennington jr and Lloyd Perry Casner who’s Camoraldi team entered the car in the 1959 season ending US Grand Prix run at Sebring for Brazilian Fritz d’Orey to drive in what turned out to be his third and final championship Grand Prix race.

Tec-Mec F415, Tony Wood, Goodwood Revival

The new front engined Tec-Mec had long since been outdated by the rear engined Coopers and Fritz qualified 17th out of 19, possibly the only person more disappointed was Roger Ward who qualified last in his Offy powered Kurtis Kraft midget. Fritz was spared too much humiliation retiring with an oil leak after completing just 6 of the 42 laps in the race which was won by Bruce McLaren driving a Cooper.

Tec-Mec F415, Tony Wood, Silverstone Classic s

Today the Tec-Mec makes a fine racer against other front engined race cars from the same era, above owner Tony Wood leads the, equally uncompetitive in period, Offy powered Scarab of Julian Bailey for honors in a race for front engined Formula One cars run at Silverstone Classic last year. The Tec Mec is also seen sans roll over hoop driven by previous owner Barrie Baxter at Goodwood in 2011.

In 2008 Former Grand Prix driver turned Grand Prix pundit Martin Brundle took the Tec-Mec for spin round Silverstone, he perpetuates the myth that the Tec-Mec is a proper Maserati 250 F which it never was but the wheel cocking footage is worth a watch despite this factual error.

Thanks for joining me on this “4535” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

World Champions At Last – McLaren Cosworth M23 #M23/4

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The final destination of the 1974 World Drivers Championship was in doubt until the lastof the season with Jody Scheckter driving for Tyrrell, Clay Regazzoni driving for Ferrari and Emerson Fittipaldi driving for McLaren all in with a shout.

McLaren Cosworth M23, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Emerson Fittipaldi sealed the deal with a fourth place finish at the US Grand Prix which along with wins in Brazil, Belgium, Canada and six further points scoring finishes gave him a 3 point advantage over Clay Regazzoni who failed to add to his points tally at Watkins Glen.

McLaren Cosworth M23, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

For 1974 McLaren had lengthened the wheel base and widened the track of Gordon Coppucks M23 design which was first seen in South Africa in 1973.

McLaren Cosworth M23, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

McLaren had also attracted Philip Morris sponsorship that had previously gone to BRM and managed to leverage Texaco sponsorship along with 1972 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi from Lotus.

McLaren Cosworth M23, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Denny Hulme was Emerson’s team mate and he contributed to McLaren winning their first World Constructors Championship, at their 9th attempt, by winning the opening race of the 1974 Championship season in Argentina.

McLaren Cosworth M23, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

So far as I have been able to ascertain today’s featured car is the forth M23 chassis, which was first raced in the 1973 German Grand Prix when Jacky Ickx made a one off appearance for the team and drove it to a third place finish behind the Tyrrell’s of Jackie Stewart and Francoise Cevert.

McLaren Cosworth M23, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Peter Revson then drove #M23/4 to a third place finish in the Italian Grand Prix a win in the Canadian Grand Prix, which would prove to his last Grand Prix win, and a 5th place on his final drive for McLaren in the 1973 US Grand Prix.

McLaren Cosworth M23, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Emerson Fittipaldi best results with #M23/4 in 1974 were a 3rd place in the 1974 Race of Champions and a 4th place finish in Sweden, after Mike the Bike Hailwood’s crash at the 1974 German Grand Prix #M23/4 reverted to Yardley colours for the remainder of 1974 to be driven by David Hobbs in Austria and Italy and Jochen Mass in Canada and the United States. With Mass scoring a 7th place at Watkins Glen that matched the older Hobbs 7th place finish in Austria the young German secured himself a ride as Fittipaldi’s team mate to replace the retiring Denny Hulme for the 1975 season.

McLaren Cosworth M23, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

#M23/4 only made two appearances in the 1975 season in the non championship International Trophy at Silverstone where Emerson finished 2nd and in the 1975 German Grand Prix where Jochen retired after an accident on the opening, which is said to have reduced #M23/4 to “vitual scrap”.

At Stonleigh #M23/4 appears in these photographs with the correct 1974 colour scheme and early season airbox, extended side pods as fitted to Jochen’s car in the 1975 German Grand Prix but curiously the extended side pods have orifices which did not appear until the Spanish Grand Prix in 1976.

Note: Jochen took the start of the 1975 German Grand Prix in #23/4, distinguished at this meeting by it’s white front wings and hastily applied black #2 race number on the side pod, according to contemporary reports by Dennis ‘DSJ’ Jenkinson and not #M23/6 as indicated by RacingSportsCars.com

My thanks to BSC at The Nostalgia Forum and Allen Brown at OldRacingCars.com for their help identifying the chassis number of today’s car.

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

50 mpg DIY Sportscar – Liege

In the late 1980’s Peter Leigh Davis set out to design a sporting all rounder which could be driven to work and used for competition at the weekends in much the same way as early Allard, Buckler, Dellow and Lotus cars to name but a few.

The aluminium motor and gearbox for the Liege were taken from a Reliant Robin and a variety of back axles were tried before settling on a Bedford/Suzuki unit from an ultra light commercial van.

Liege Reliant, Trials Car, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

To prove his creation’s reliability Peter took the prototype on a 6500 mile reconnaissance trip for the Liege-Agadir-Liege Endurance Trial to the edge of the Sahara desert. The car carried two people tools and camping gear and ran faultlessly while averaging 50 mpg.

In all 60 Liege kits were built after plans to build a turn key car with Reliant fell through, 45 of these vehicles are thought to be on the road some running twin carbs or superchargers to boost the power while yet more have been fitted with Honda Fireblade, Fiat Fire and various Suzuki motors.

The prototype Liege won a bronze medal on the 1995 Lands End Trial and won the 2 lire class of Le Jog the same year.

The car seen here at last years Castle Combe Autumn Classic is listed as manufactured in 1989 and completed in 2005 with the Reliant power train and Suzuki back axle.

Thanks for joining me on this “50 mpg DIY Sportscar” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the 1974 World Championship Winning McLaren M23. Don’t forget to come back now !

Giordanengo Replica TR – Ferrari 250 GT #0611GT

Sitting on the Coy’s stand at the Autosport International show a couple of months ago was this eye catching Ferrari, the car appears to be part of the Coys showroom stock and acted as eye candy for the Coy’s stand despite not being entered into the auction.

Ferrari 250 GT, Coys, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

This particular 1956 Ferrari chassis #0611GT started out as the 53rd Boano low roof coupé bodied 250GT of a total of 88 built, a left hand drive model originally sold new to Mario Machiarelli of Genova, Italy.

Ferrari 250 GT, Coys, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

By 1988 a Mr Robert Fehlmann, whom I believe once raced a rare, if not unique,Ghia Supersonic bodied Conrero and ran a garage business in Altenhaus Switzerland, owned #0611GT.

Ferrari 250 GT, Coys, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

Fehlmann had the Boano body on #0611GT replaced by highly respected restoration specialist Giovanni Giordanengo of Cuneo Italy with a likeness of a Le Mans winning 250 Testa Rossa Scaglietti pontoon body with right hand drive.

Ferrari 250 GT, Coys, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

It is believed of the 33 original 250TR’s, which can fetch upwards of $10 million, as many as 46 exist today some unsurprisingly with disputed identities.

Ferrari 250 GT, Coys, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

Sources I have seen suggest a car like #0611GT featured today would have cost around #150,000 to build excluding the cost of the donor car.

Ferrari 250 GT, Coys, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

In 1990 #0611GT was bought by Peter Heuberger of Oberramsern in Switzerland.

Ferrari 250 GT, Coys, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

Peter is known to have driven the car at classic events at the Nurburgring and Montreux up until at least 2002.

Ferrari 250 GT, Coys, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

It is unlikely that this car will handle or perform anything like as well as a well maintained original 250TR which it imitates, but at less than 1/50th of the cost of an original it will probably turn just as many heads.

Thanks for joining me on this “Giordanengo Replica TR” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a Liege Trials Car. Don’t forget to come back now !

Floating Power – Plymouth PA Rumble Seat Sport Roadster

In July 1931 Chrysler announced a new Plymouth model for 1932 the PA which apart from dimensions like the 109″ wheel base and 196 cui 4 cylinder motor size shared little with the Model U which it replaced.

Plymouth PA, California,

Despite being Chryslers budget brand the PA model featured a flying lady sculpture adorning the radiator, the item was designed by Herbert V. Henderson and manufactured exclusively for Plymouth by the Jarvis Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Plymouth PA, California,

One significant difference between the Model U and PA was the “Floating Power” mountings for the latter which were developed by Owen Skelton to minimise the inherent vibrations caused by a 4 cylinder motor. Owen found that by using rubber and affixing the mountings along the motors center of gravity axis which slopes from front to rear he could significantly improve the comfort for occupants of a vehicle.

Plymouth PA, California,

Within months of being patented Floating Power was adopted by all Plymouth and Chrysler models and would remain a feature of MOPAR vehicles over the next 28 years.

Plymouth PA, California,

Production of the PA came to an end in July 1932 with 106,896 examples including a variety of 2 and 4 seat body styles.

Plymouth PA, California,

Floating Power and a commitment by former Ford employee, now head of the Plymouth brand Fred L. Rockelman to give his customers more car for their money helped Plymouth reach No:3 in the sales charts replacing Buick in 1931, a position it would only relinquish in 1954 when Buick recaptured 3rd spot.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs, of a 1931 rumble seat “sport” roadster,which he took in a California car park in 2012.

Thanks for joining me on this “Floating Power” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for another edition of Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

Great Western Sprint – Castle Combe

On Saturday I got up at some unseemly hour and braved rain, hail and sunshine on my way over to Castle Combe for the Williams Automobiles Motorsport Specialists Great Western Sprint organised by the Bristol Motor Club.

Volkswagen Golf IV, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

For my sins I volunteered to be a marshal and found myself rather busier than expected by being assigned the paddock gate where my duties included checking competitors competition numbers were visible and that they were wearing mandatory seat belts, gloves and helmet, I was also instructed to make sure each car that passed me had the correct scrutineering sticker attached.

Volvo Amazon, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

Before the action started and during the lunch break I’m managed to take a few snaps, above David Jameson’s 1968 Volvo Amazon basks in the mid day sun.

Hillman Avenger Tiger, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

Looking mean at dawn above is Neville Breach’s 1972 Sunbeam Avenger Tiger Mk II which unfortunately retired early when the motor started seizing up.

Ford Fiesta ST, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

Bristol Pegasus Motor Club’s Pete Goodman only took delivery of his Ford Fiesta ST a couple of weeks ago, but had already put sufficient miles on it for a first service before Saturday, he told me the car was still so new he was circumspect of “really thrashing it”.

Zeus ZR 163, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

Among the open wheelers present was the Formula Ford spec 1980 Zeus ZR 163 shared by Russell and Mark Haynes. Up close the body work bears some resemblance to the 1981 Lotus 88. Little remembered Zeus fact; well known scribe for Motoring News, Autosport and more recently MotorSport, Simon Arron once drove a Zeus into the sleepers at Silverstone.

Ralt Judd RT37, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

The 1993 Ralt RT37 was originally built for 2 litre / 122 cui Formula 3 racing, Peter Howgate’s example above is fitted with a 3.2 litre / 195 cui Judd V8.

Lola Tegra T90/50, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

Slightly older is the 1990 Lola Tegra T90/50 built for the 3 litre / 183 cui Formula 3000 series. The car shared by Graham Porret and Terry Holmes is now fitted with a 3.5 litre / 213 cui V8. On it’s last run the electrics cut out leaving Terry Holmes stranded in gear just short of the finish line.

Gould GR55, Graves, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

Running a top sprint car is fraught with difficulties if the motor gets too warm the electronics take over and cut the motor and will not let it start again until the engine has dropped well below operating temperature, if the engine temperature gets too low damage is guaranteed when the motor is run at maximum revs hence Terry Graves Gould GR55 has a blanket wrapped over it in the near freezing conditions as he waited to go out in the top twelve run offs. Terry who has just acquired this car, still fitted with short hill climb gear ratio’s finished the day with a respectable if breathless 8th fastest time.

Reynard DB Mk1, Sampson, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

With the cars all assembled for the top 12 run offs my enjoyable if a little hectic contribution to the day was over and I had time to watch some of the track action from the pit wall. Above Craig Sampson in the unusual if not unique Reynard DB Mk1 managed forth fastest time while his partner driver Mark Smith recorded the 3rd fastest time of the day.

Gould GR55, Calder, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

The top two spots on the ‘podium’ were reserved for the Calder clan Gould GR55 which had made a 15 hour one way trip from Scotland to Castle Combe. Dad Colin is seen above grinding out the fastest time of the day pipping his daughter Heather by just by a smidgeon over a tenth of a second.

Calder & Calder, Great Western Sprint, Castle Combe

Below father and daughter give each other a hug after the final run’s, to make up for Heather’s disappointment she at least knew the 15 hour journey would be marginally more tolerable than if she had not let her father win.

Thanks for joining me on this “Great Western Sprint” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the last in the present series of vintage American vehicles. Don’t forget to come back now !

Short Stroke Straight Eight – Bugatti Type 39

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In 1925 Bugatti built a series of 5 Type 39’s, confusingly these cars are externally identical to the Type 35’s but the Type 39’s differed by being powered by short stroke straight eight motors of 1.5 litres / 91 cui capacity.

Bugatti Type 39, David Hands, VSCC, Prescott

The Type 39’s first appeared in the a 590 mile touring event run on the Monthlèry GP circuit fitted with full road equipment, including lights, wings and hoods as well as a self-starter. The type 39’s beat all comers including cars fitted with larger motors to secure a 1,2,3,4 result with ‘Meo’ Constantini leading the parade home after nearly 12 hours of racing.

Four weeks later the same five cars divested of their touring appendages appeared in the Italian Grand Prix where they again ran against larger 2 litre competition and finished third, fourth and fifth after Goux in the fifth placed car having led until sidelined near the end with a holed fuel tank.

#4604 featured today, seen driven by David Hands at Prescott, was one of two sold to Australians, it was bought by it’s previous owner in 1936 and sold to the present owner in 2005 who had it recomissioned by Charles Knill-Jones Tula Engineering. One lucky enthusiast saw #4604 at a petrol station not so long ago and was offered a ride in it, see the video above.

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