Monthly Archives: March 2015

The Car With The Silver Wheels – Monarch Curtiss

Leave a Reply

It appears at least two companies attempted to sell cars with the Monarch brand name prior to 1916, the first the Monarch Automobile Company of Aurora Illinois sold runabouts with guaranteed air cooled motors in 1906 and the second Monarch Motor Car Company of Detroit Michigan was founded by Joseph Bloom in 1913.

Monarch Curtiss, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Today’s featured car has a chassis plate identifying it as a product of the later which is said to have used the the strap line “The car with the Silver Wheels”.

Monarch Curtiss, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Joseph Bloom employed his brother in law Robert C Hupp, later of Hupmobile fame, to design at least three models, before the company was bankrupted in 1916, two with four cylinder motors and a third which was designed for a V8 motor.

Monarch Curtiss, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Today’s featured Monarch is believed to have been built up by Mark Walker in the early 1990’s to replicate the Curtiss powered Romano Demon Special which 22 year old Rea Lentz drove to win the first Pikes Peak hillclimb in 20 mins 55.6 seconds.

Monarch Curtiss, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Interestingly it has emerged that the Curtiss V8 motors originally had a life of just 20 mins before they were expected to be replaced in their training aircraft application.

Monarch Curtiss, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

One of motor sports great mysteries is about the fate of Rea Lentz, he has not been heard of since his unexpected triumph on the Pikes Peak Hillclimb.

Monarch Curtiss, Pittaway, Griffin, Bridgeyate,

These photo’s show current owner Duncan Pittaway at the wheel of the Monarch Curtiss in and around Bristol.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Car With Silver Wheels” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at some off road action. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Hot & Dry – Maserati Ghibli

Leave a Reply

The Lybian term for the hot and dry wind known in Greek as Scirocco is Ghibli.

Maserati Ghibli, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Maserati first used the Ghibli name for their 1967 AM115 2 + 2 grand tourer styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro while he was working for the Ghia styling house in 1966.

Maserati Ghibli, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The Ghibli’s steel body was powered by a 310 hp 4 cam V8 which gave the car a rest to 60 mph acceleration time of 6.8 seconds and top speed of 155 mph.

Maserati Ghibli, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

To help cope with the prodigious fuel consumption the Ghibli is fitted with 2 50 litre / 11 imperial gallon / 13.2 US gallon fuel tanks.

Maserati Ghibli, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

With leather sports seats and standard alloy wheels, the rear seats consist of nothing more than a cushion without a back rest, the original 1966 prototype was only equipped as a strict two seater.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hot & Dry” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again far an aircraft powered veteran tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Only Championship Grand Prix Winner – Porsche 804

1 Reply

In 1958 Porsche built their first open wheel racing cars, to compete in Formula 2, based on the successful Porsche RSK sports car.

After experiencing some success with these cars particularly with the likes of Stirling Moss, Jo Bonnier and Graham Hill driving Porsche took the decision to build Formula One car for the 1962 season.

Porsche 804, Goodwood Revival,

As per Porsche tradition at the time the 1.5 litre / 91.5 cui motor is aircooled with 8 cylinders in the classic Porsche two bank flat lay out.

With twin over head cams operating the 2 valves per cylinder and four twin choke carburetors the motor produced around 180 hp.

Porsche 804, Goodwood Revival,

After a disappointing start to the season Dan Gurney came through to win the 1962 French Grand Prix from 6th on the grid to claim to date Porsche’s only championship Grand Prix win as a chassis and engine constructor.

Dan’s 3rd place finish in the German Grand Prix and 5th in the US Grand Prix helped him secure 5th place in the 1962 Drivers Championship standings and Porsche 5th in the Manufacturers Championship standings.

The team withdrew from Formula One at the end of the season having finished 1-2 in the non championship Solitude Grand Prix with Dan finishing ahead of team mate Jo Bonnier.

Thanks for joining me on this “Only Championship Grand Prix Winner” 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 !

Share

Michelotti Zest – Triumph TR4

Leave a Reply

Project Zest was the code name for the Triumph TR4 which was launched in 1961.

Triumph TR4, TNF Herts, Ware,

It turns out that the TR4 gave Giovanni Michelloti a second crack at updating the Triumph TR3A having designed the body for the Italia 2000 GT, which was built on a Triumph TR3A knock down kit, first seen in 1959.

Triumph TR4, TNF Herts, Ware,

Michelotti’s new design did away with the window curtain’s of previous TR’s replacing them with proper glass window’s operated by proper window mechanisms, it was also one of the earliest cars to have a removable roof panel, predating the Porsche 911/912 Targa Top by five years.

Triumph TR4, TNF Herts, Ware,

Mechanically new for the TR4 was synchromesh on all gears, with a Laycock overdrive on 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears and the steering was altered to accommodate a rack and pinion.

Triumph TR4, TNF Herts, Ware,

Two engine options were available for the TR4 one just under 2 litres / 122 cui and the other just over.

Triumph TR4, TNF Herts, Ware,

TR4’s found competition success in the USA where Bob Tullis drove a Kas Kastner prepared example to class victory at Sebring in 1961 and SCCA class championships followed in 1962, ’63 and ’64.

Triumph TR4, TNF Herts, Ware,

This particular TR4 was part of the works rally team and was driven to a 4th place overall finish in the 1962 Alpine Rally by Mike Sutcliffe and Roy Fidler.

Triumph TR4, TNF Herts, Ware,

Sadly of the over 40,000 TR4’s built between 1961 and 1965 less than 1,000 are still registered with British Authorities.

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

Share

13 mpg – Rover T3 Coupé

Leave a Reply

Today’s featured Rover T3 Coupé was Rovers third gas turbine powered car.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

Spencer ‘Spen’ King and Gordon Bashford are credited with the design of the Coupé which first saw the light of day in 1956.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

Among the designs novelties are all wheel drive, all wheel disc brakes and de Dion rear suspension which offers some of the advantages of independent sear suspension, but with additional complexity.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

The T3 was powered by a variant of Rovers 1S gas turbine which produces 60hp that was used for fire pump, auxiliary power for aircraft like the Vulcan B2 nuclear bomb delivery system, hovercraft and as the main engine for light aircraft.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

The motor, mounted behind the passenger cabin, has an operating speed of 46,000 rpm, unfortunately this gave a fuel consumption of 13 – 14 miles per gallon of paraffin.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

Some features of the T3 including the all wheel disc brakes, and de Dion rear suspension found their way into the Rover P6 production model but unfortunately the gas turbine did not.

06 Rover T3 Coupé_6737sc

The T3 is seen in these photographs at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon where it is usually to be found unless it is on loan.

Share

Senior Compact – Oldsmobile F-85 Coupé

Leave a Reply

The Cutlass name was first used by Oldsmobile on a prototype sports coupé designed in 1954.

Oldsmobile F85 Coupé, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

With the introduction of the F-85 series senior compacts in 1961 the Cutlass name appeared as the top trim level for the pillared two door sedan in 1961.

Oldsmobile F85 Coupé, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

Credit for the design of the F-85 was given to Irvin Rybicki who started work on the 215 cui 3.5 litre aluminium V8 powered F-85 model in 1957.

Oldsmobile F85 Coupé, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

The car appeared as a ’61 model year and received facelifts in ’62 and ’63 before the introduction of the second generation F-85 in 1964.

Oldsmobile F85 Coupé, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

The 1963 F-85 seen here features a body that is more squared off and four inches longer than the ’61 and ’62 F-85’s

Oldsmobile F85 Coupé, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

The F-85 jet plane was a still born fighter project, designed to be carried aboard the B-36 heavy bomber, that never got beyond the experimental stage.

Oldsmobile F85 Coupé, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

The all aluminium 215 cui V8 which would become the top line mainstay of Rover, Range Rover, Land Rover and British Kit Car producers until the turn of the millennium was available in two options 155 hp or turbocharged 215 hp Jetfire forms, less than 4,000 of the expensive turbocharged options were built.

Oldsmobile F85 Coupé, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristolt=”444″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-22850″ />

This F-85, seen at an Avenue Drivers Club meeting in Bristol earlier this year, was first registered in the UK in February 2008.

Thanks for joining me on this “Senior Compact” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a jet powered Rover. Don’t for get to come back now !

Share

Light Rally History – Race Retro

Leave a Reply

Today’s blog features some of the tremendously storied rally cars that appeared at the recent Race Retro exhibition.

Austin Healey 3000 Mk1, Race Retro, Stoneleigh,

From 1960 comes this ex BMC works Austin Healey 3000 Mk 1 among it’s achievement’s was a 17th place overall and first in class driven by Pat Moss, Stirling’s younger sister, and Ann Wisdom on the 1961 Tour Of Corsica.

FIAT 131 Abarth, Race Retro, Stoneleigh,

When FIAT introduced the 131 Miafiori Abarth in 1977 the company went on a rampage of the World Rally Championship winning the titles in 1977, with the Olio Fiat colours seen here, 1978 and 1980 winning 20 World Championship Rallies over that period, I am not entirely sure of the history of this car registered in Jersey it appears in 1977 colours but with a 1980 head light and grill arrangement.

Ford Escort RS1800, Race Retro, Stoneleigh,

The original STW201R a works Ford Escort RS1800 was driven to victory in the 1977 East African Safari Rally by Björn Waldegård and Hans Thorszelius, the car was subsequently handed to Ford Heritage only to loose it’s identity original works colour scheme and be crashed at the hands of a TV Journalist. This car appears to be a replacement painted in the Rothmans Rally Team colours as worn by Ari Vatanen’s cars when he won the World Rally Drivers Championship with Dave Richards in 1981.

Toyota Celica TC, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Björn Waldegård and Hans Thorszelius won the Safari Rally again in 1984 and with Fred Gallagher in 1986 driving the Toyota Celica TC models like the 1986 winner seen here, Finlands Juha Kankkunen with Fred Gallagher in the passenger seat won the Safari Rally in 1985 to make it a hat trick for the rear wheel drive Celica TC model.

Peugeot 309 Gti, Race Retro, Stoneleigh,

Englands only World Rally Champion Richard Burns drove this Group A front wheel drive Peugeot 309Gti to a 16th place finish with Robert Reid on his second Lombard RAC Rally start in 1991.

Ford Focus WRC, Race Retro, Stoneleigh,

Finally this 2001 all wheel drive Ford Focus WRC has won four Rallies outright, with Colin McRae winning the 2001 Cyprus and 2002 Acropolis Rallies with Nicky Grist, Jari Matti Latvala the 2003 Tempest Rally with Miikka Anttila and Nejat Avci winning the Pirelli Turkey Rally in 2005 with co driver Memisyazici Batuhan, today this car is owned by Steve Rockingham.

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

Share