Monthly Archives: October 2014

Series II Side Vents – Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I #5887

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The Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I was introduced in 1963 with quad headlights and a 4 speed plus overdrive gearbox. 500 examples were manufactured before an interim model was introduced.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

Chassis #5887 seen here at Silverstone last year was built in 1964 and is recorded as being delivered to “Longoni” in Italy.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

Subsequently #5887 is known to have visited Copley Motor Cars in Boston Massachusetts at an unspecified date, in 1996 the motor appears to have been overhauled in Hubbard, Ohio and in 2001 the car was seen in Appleton, Michigan.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

In 2002 #5887 is said to have been imported into the UK by an Aston Martin specialist who kept and maintained it in good condition until 2011.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

Since then #5887 has been stripped and repainted in the correct Ferrari Blue Pozzi.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

The Auction notes that accompanied the car when it was photographed last year noted that the side vents in the wings/fenders first appeared on Series II 330 GT’s in 1965.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

This vehicle sold for GB£89,380 at Silverstone Auctions in May last year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Series II Side Vents” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow, when I’ll be looking at a Petty, but not one from Level Cross, North Carolina. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Brand Presence – Dodge Viper GTS-R #C30

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In order to promote it’s new for 1995 Dodge Viper GTS Coupé and compete in the plethora of GT Championships across the globe in the late 1990’s Chrysler sanctioned the construction of GTS-R race variant to be overseen and maintained by the French Race and Engineering team Oreca.

Chrysler Viper GTS-R, Florent Moulin, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

The bare chassis for the Oreca built GTS-R’s were fabricated by the British company Reynard who had a long established reputation for building open wheelers from Formula Ford all the way up to Indycars. There reputation was enhanced by the fact that every time they entered a new formula they won first time out.

Chrysler Viper GTS-R, Florent Moulin, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

The 8 litre / 488 cui V10 motors were lightly modified to improve output and reliability, in all 5 prototypes and a further 52 Chrylser Viper GTS-R’s were built between 1996 and 2005.

Chrysler Viper GTS-R, Florent Moulin, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

In the USA the cars were run as Dodge Vipers while in Europe where the Dodge brand did not have any official market presence the cars were run as Chrysler Vipers, with the exception being at the 2007 Nurburgring 24 Hour race where ’99,’01 and ’02 winners Zakspeed entered their Viper, which finished second, as a Dodge to mark the arrival of the Dodge brand in Europe.

Chrysler Viper GTS-R, Florent Moulin, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

Today’s featured car chassis #C30, seen at Silverstone in the hands of Classic car dealer Florent Moulin, appears to have been built in for the 2000 season and raced by Viper Team Oreca in the US, as a Dodge and Europe, as a Chrysler, by Jean-Philippe Belloc, Anthony Beltoise, Ni Amorim, Tommy Archer, David Donohue, Marc Duez, Patrick Huisman and Boris Derichebourg.

#C30’s best result was in the 2000 Grand Prix of Sanoma where Tommy Archer and David Donohue recorded a class win and 8th overall in the Dodge branded racer.

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8 Race Card – Autumn Classic Castle Combe

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A couple of weeks ago Castle Combe’s 2014 racing season came to an end with the third Autumn Classic meeting and it has without question grown and flourished in the 36 months since the first one.

Anthony Binnington Cooper T67, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Today I’ll focus on last weekend’s racing and return to some of the other stunning attractions at a future date. First race of the day was for Formula Junior cars which was won by Jonathon Milicevic in his 1962 Cooper T59. During the grid walk about before the start I became acquainted with Anthony Binnington who qualified his ex Peter Revson 1963 Cooper T67 6th, fell to 19th on the opening lap and climbed up to 7th in the remaining 15 laps. Anthony tells me his car originally belonged to Peter Revson, first US born Can Am Champion in 1971, who set an all time lap record for the Formula Junior class at any track of 130 mph at Enna Pergusa, Italy on his way to a second place finish behind Frenchman Jo Schlesser in August 1963.

David Smithies, Bruce Montgomery, Austin Healey Challenge, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The John Gott Memorial Trophy race for Austin Healey’s last year saw an attempt by the leading 5 cars to go into the Bobbies chicane simultaneously, this year the action was not quite so wild, but the race for the lead twixt winner David Smithies, driving the #50, who got the jump on pole man Bruce Montgomery, driving the #177, at the start was entertaining until Bruce was forced to give up his second place to David Grace who finished just over .2 of a second behind Smithies.

David Reed, Chris Jolly Historic Aston Martins, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Simon Hadfield driving an Aston Martin DB3S drove a text book race to win the Historic Aston Martin race by nearly a minute. The second place challengers David Reed, driving the #53 Aston Martin DB2, and Chris Jolly, driving the #16 DB2 were rarely more than spitting distance apart until the final 2 laps when the invited Jaguar XK 150 of Paul de Havilland passed Chris and made it stick to the finish.

Andy Wallace, Les Ely Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

One of the high lights of the Autumn Classic was seeing 1988 Jaguar Le Mans winner Andy Wallace, driving the #61 Jaguar D type seen above after lapping the #31 Jaguar 3.4 litre Saloon of Les Ely, on his first visit to the circuit in 30 years. Andy recorded a dead heat in a Formula Ford (Pinto) 2000 race on his last visit to the circuit, this time he was in third place in the D-type when the safety car came out and trapped him out of position in traffic from which he could only salvage a 5th behind 4 E-type Jaguars driven by Martin Hunt, Mark Russell, Brian Stevens and Grahame Bull.

Patrick Blakeney Edwards, Fraser Nash Owlet, VSCC Pre War Sports Cars, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

I am quite sure if the only competitor in the VSCC Pre War Sports Car Race had been Patrick Blakeney Edwards the crowd would have gone home convinced they had got their money’s worth. Patrick driving the chain driven Fraser Nash Owlet as entertainingly as ever only finished 6th behind winner Frederick Wakeman who was driving a roadster bodied Fraser Nash Super Sports.

Robin Ellis, Simon Hadfield, John Ure, FiSCar 50's Inter Marque, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The FiSCar 50’s Inter Marque challenge lived up to it’s name with the lead contested by a pair of Lotus Elites, the #6 Cooper Bristol driven by John Ure and Nick Wrigley, and the #10 Elva Courier by Simon and Amanda Hadfield, seen above with Simon going into a brief lead ahead of the eventual winning #75 Lotus Elite shared by Robin Ellis and Richard Fores. The Hadfields finished 10th and the Cooper Bristol 3rd behind the Lotus Elite driven solo by Brian Arculus.

Steve Jones, George Shackleton, Cooper, 500 Formula 3, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe,

I reported on the activities of the 500 Association on Saturday, above 500 Formula 3 winner of the BAC MSC Challenge Trophy Steve Jones thanks the track marshals with a wave with second place finisher George Shackleton riding shot gun, driving the #74 Cooper Mk X and #23 Cooper Mk XI respectively.

08 Austin Healey Challenge_2072sc

Light levels were falling as the final race of the day, for the ever entertaining Austin Healey’s, got under way.
David Grace, seen leading on the opening lap into Quarry above, made the best start and kept it to the end from pole sitter David Smithies.

I’ll be revisiting Castle Combe in the coming weeks with further blogs on this great day out.

Thanks for joining me on this “8 Race Card” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow to continue the Dodge centenary celebrations. Don’t forget to come back now !

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1001 Street Legal Horses – Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4

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After the collapse of Bugatti Autombiles SpA the Volkswagen Group purchased the Bugatti trademark rights and set about reviving the brand.

Bugatti EB 16.4, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Bugatti presented 3 Guigiario styled concept vehicles known as EB118 models with 18 cylinder W motors before presenting the Veyron EB 18.4 Concept model in 1999 which also had an 18 cylinder W motor.

Bugatti EB 16.4, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Working under Volkswagen’s Chief Engineer Wolfgang Schreiber designer Hartmut Warkuss and exterior designer Jozef Kabaň finalised the Veyron’s design with a quad turbo 16 cylinder W motor.

Bugatti EB 16.4, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Production of the Veyron EB 16.4 commenced in a new purpose built facility located in Bugatti’s spiritual home Molsheim, France in 2005.

Bugatti EB 16.4, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The 64 valve quad cam, quad turbocharged 8 litre / 488 cui W16, essentially two VR8 blocks bolted together, produces 1001 hp, good enough to power the Veyron EB 16.4 up to 62.5 mph from rest in a fraction under 2.5 seconds and on to a restricted top speed of 213 mph or unrestricted top speed in excess of 250 mph.

Bugatti EB 16.4, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Last year reports emerged that a brokerage firm had “estimated” that each Veyron 16.4, which costs between 1.5 to 2 million US$ was loosing the Volkswagen Group in excess of 4 million US$.

Bugatti’s only comment was that the estimates were incorrect, but with only 40 units thought to have been built up to October 2013 it will be a long time before the Research and Development costs of the technical tour de force that is the Veyron EB 16.4 will, if ever, be recouped.

Thanks for joining me on this “1001 Street Legal Horses” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be returning to the Autumn Classic meeting at Castle Combe. Don’t fprget to come back now !

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Bought In A Sugar Bag – Maserati 300S #3074/3035

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Today’s Maserati started life as chassis #3074 in December 1957 and was shipped to Antonio Mendez de Barros in Brazil for the 1958 season.

Maserati 300S, Silverstone Classic

Antonio raced the car with Luis Milan on it’s racing debut in the 1958 1000kms race in Buenos Aires where the pair finished 7th overall. For some reason the car was sent back to the factory and restamped chassis #3035 before being sent back to Antonio, according to the Maserati factory records. Driving the car now known as #3035 solo he finished 4th overall in the 1959 500kms race at Interlagos.

Maserati 300S, Silverstone Classic

Celso Lara Barberis bought #3035 in 1960 and recorded 3 wins all at various meetings run at Interlagos between 1960 and 1962 including the 1961 500kms race and the chassis last known race in May 1962.

Maserati 300S, Silverstone Classic

#3035 was rebodied in South America by the time Australian Bob Spicer described buying the car in a “sugar bag” in the 1970’s. After sorting out the contents of his sugar bag into a recognisable racing car he sold it to Bob Jane in 1976.

Maserati 300S, Silverstone Classic

Regular readers might remember that at this time Bob Jane still owned the 300S chassis #3059 at this time.

Maserati 300S, Silverstone Classic

#3035 remained in the Antipodes and was restored in Christchurch New Zealand before being returned to Europe via auction in 1994.

Maserati 300S, Silverstone Classic

Mark Knopfler bought the car at auction for over $600,000 and had it restored again with yet another new body as seen in these photographs taken earlier this year at Silverstone Classic.

Thanks for joining me on this “Bought In A Sugar Bag” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again when I’ll be looking at a Bugatti. Don’t forget to come back now !

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All Sizes Including Chevy – ERA R4A

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Continuing the 80th Anniversary Celebration of English Racing Automobiles, ERA, today’s featured vehicle ERA R4A was the first to be built for a customer, South African P G Fairfield and it was the first to be built in 1935.

ERA R4A, James Baxter, VSCC Prescott

ERA R4A was originally painted white and fitted with a 1.1 litre 67 cui supercharged motor and in this form Patrick Fairfield won the Mannin Beg street race on the Isle of Man, the Nuffield Trophy at Donington Park and the Dieppe Grand Prix support race for Voiturettes.

ERA R4A, VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone

After running the car in South African events in early 1936 Patrick returned R4A to the UK where it was fitted with a 1,500 cc / 91.5 cui motor. In this form Patrick and R4A recorded second place finishes in the British Empire Trophy at Donington Park and in the Picardy Grand Prix.

ERA R4A, HGPCA Test Day, Silverstone

Patrick recorded three wins in South African events in 1937 before he was killed during the 1937 Le Mans 24 hours race. R4A was acquired by Norman Wilson with the smaller 1,100 cc / 67 cui motor fitted. Norman raced R4A mostly in South Africa up until the outbreak of the ’39 – ’45 war in which he would loose his life while serving in the South African Air Force.

ERA R4A, James Baxter, VSCC Prescott

Reg Parnell looked after R4A from 1942 to 1945 before selling her to Bob Gerard. When Bob Gerard appeared with R4A at Cockfosters, one of Britains earliest post war motoring events, in July 1945 it had several modifications to the radiator surround which would eventually enclose a smaller radiator.

ERA R4A, James Baxter, VSCC Prescott

In 1948 Bob fitted the 2 litre / 122 cui which is seen in these photographs, at some point he also had radius rods to the rear suspension of R4A, R6B and R14B though these have since been removed from all three cars.

ERA R4A, James Baxter, VSCC Prescott

After ten years of ownership Bob sold R4A to John McAfee in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, and the following year it went to Jimmy de Villiers in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. During this period in Southern Africa up to the mid 1960’s R4A is said to have been fitted with a unspecified Chevrolet motor for a short time.

ERA R4A, Silverstone Classic,

I believe R4A is currently owned by NJ Topliss and is seen in these photo’s with James Baxter at the wheel during last years VSCC Prescott meeting.

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

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BAC MSC Challenge Trophy – Autumn Classic Castle Combe

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It’s not everyday that I get to write a feature about a single 15 min race, but last Sunday 500cc Formula 3 cars returned to their spiritual home to compete in a race solely for the 500cc Formula 3 cars for the first time in 59 years.

Iota Milli Union, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Not all of the cars that turned up were competing, among the static displays with the 500 Owners Association was this Iota Milli Union, considered to be one of the oldest 500cc Formula 3 cars built to the original Iota plans advanced by Dick Caesar.

This particular car was originally built by Bristol Telephone Engineer and motorcycle racer GH Millington in 1946/7. This combination took part in the first closed event at Castle Combe run in July 1950 where Gerry Millington finished second in the first race for the newly internationally recognised formula to be run at the circuit.

Currently the car is in need of a new £600 magneto which the present owner can ill afford at the moment.

Effyh, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The Efflyh above is thought to be one of 10 500cc F3 cars built in Sweden, I believe this particular car built in 1950 found it’s way to Senator T. Newell Wood who drove it on his 960-acre Brynfan Tyddyn estate in Pennsylvania. In 1956 this car is thought to have been fitted with a Norton engine, Cooper suspension and the straight edged bodywork seen here.

BACMSC Challenge Trophy, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The prize for competitors in the 500cc Formula 3 race was the Bristol Aeroplane Company Motor Sports Club’s Challenge Trophy which was commissioned by the same club that is generally regarded as being the home of the 500cc Formula 3, since many of those instrumental in devising it were employees of the Bristol Aeroplane Company during the ’39-’45 war.

The original BAC MSC was reformed as the 500 Club in 1946 an organisation that later morphed into the British Racing and Sports Car Club. Bristol Aeroplane Company revived the BAC MSC as the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club in 1955.

I am afraid my attempt at lashing my video camera to the spectator fence for the start of the BAC MSC Challenge Trophy race was less than successful, but in this clip you get a feel for the sound these cars make en masse, turn up the volume to off the dial !

BACMSC Challenge, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Regular readers may remember that at the beginning of the season I attended the VSCC Spring Start meeting at Silverstone where John Turner driving the #86 Cooper Mk 9 and Richard Bishop Miller driving the #57 Revis ended up in hospital. It was great to see both drivers going at it hammer and tongs with their repaired steeds at Castle Combe. On this occasion John finished 6th Richard 8th with Xavier Kingsland in the Staride Mk 3 I looked at last week 12th.

JP Mk 1, Alan Croft, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

16 different manufacturers were named on the entry list many vehicles were unique others, like the Scottish built JP Mk 1 driven by Alan Croft above, went into production.

Cooper Mk X , Steve Jones, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The BACMSC Challenge Trophy race was won by Steve Jones aboard his Cooper Mk X by just over half a second from George Shackleton, seen popping his head out as they enter Old Paddock, who was driving a Cooper Mk 8.

Thanks for joining me on this “BACMSC Challenge Trophy” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another ERA. Don’t forget to come back now !

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