Monthly Archives: April 2016

Moorland’s Successor – Gemini Mk 2

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As we saw a couple of weeks ago after the withdrawal of their backers the Moorland Formula Junior project, designed by Len Terry and built by Leslie Redmond, was taken on by Graham Warner of The Checkered Flag.

Len Terry moved on to designing the Terrier Formula Junior car, which would lead him into conflict with one of his other employers Colin Chapman at Lotus.

Gemini Mk II, Graham Barron, Castle Combe,

Leslie Redmond remained as Chief Engineer for Graham Warner who financed the building of a production version of the Moorland, naming it Gemini Mk2 after Gemini House on Edgware Road, where one of his businesses was based.

Thirty Gemini Mk 2’s are believed to have been built all but four being BMC powered with remainder fitted with Ford engines.

Gemini Mk II, Graham Barron, Castle Combe,

Graham Warner is shown as having been entered in a Ford powered Gemini Mk2 at Brands Hatch in October 1959, but he did not attend.

At the John Davy Trophy on the 26th of December, also at Brands Hatch, Graham was entered in a BMC powered Gemini Mk2 but again did not appear.

Gemini Mk II, Graham Barron, Castle Combe,

Jim Clark did however drive a works Ford powered entry in the John Davy Trophy to an 8th place on the models debut with the private Ford powered entry driven by Geoff Williamson failing to finish the same race after a spin.

Graham finally got to the grid in a BMC powered Gemini Mk II in March 1960 at Snetterton where he finished 3rd behind to DKW 2 stroke powered Elva 100’s and the following month Graham recorded his marques first win at Brands Hatch in a Ford powered Gemini Mk 2 this time leading two DKW powered Elva’s home.

Graham Barron is seen at the wheel of today’s featured Gemini Mk II at Castle Combe.

My thanks to Richard Bishop – Miller for filling in some of the gaps in my Moorland / Gemini knowledge with some comments he left on facebook.

Thanks for joining me on this “Moorland’s Successor” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at the last in the present series of Healey’s. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Rubber Mouldings – FIAT 128 Special

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In 1974 FIAT launched the 128 Special version of the 1970 European Car of The Year that Enzo Ferrari drove.

FIAT 128 Special, Hamburg

The specifications of the 128 Special appear to have varied from market to market, but generally they had four doors, either 1100 or 1300 engines and distinctive rubber mouldings down the waist line of the body and on the front and rear bumpers.

The 1974 128 Special 1100, seen in this photo taken in Hamburg, has non standard fog lamps and FIAT X1/9 pattern alloy wheels.

Thanks for joining me on this “Rubber Mouldings” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at the last in the current series of Formula Junior open wheelers. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Thermostatic Shutters And Controlled Body Ventilation – Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster

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In 1932 Packard reintroduced V12 motors to power it’s top of the range products which like it’s V12 powered products sold up until 1923 were marketed as Twin Sixes.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

In 1933 the Packard marketing department opted for the simplified “Twelve” designation for it’s 160 hp 445 cui / 7,456 cc V12 powered models the Tenth Series 1005 and 1006.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The 1005 was built on a chassis with a 142 inch wheelbase and the 1006 on a chassis with a 147 inch wheelbase.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

New for 1933 were twin plane or V shaped in plan radiator cowls with colour coded shells to match the rest of the body, which on the shorter 1005 chassis was available in 10 different styles.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

Also new for ’33 were the thermostatic shutters in the side bonnet / hood panels which helped keep the engine running at optimum temperatures.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The Tenth Series bodies were marketed with new controlled body ventilation to minimise unpleasant drafts within.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

In all 244 Tenth Series were sold in 1933 of which 50 are believed to have been Convertible Roadster’s of which 16 are believed to have survived.

Eight weeks after a complete restoration of today’s featured Twelve was completed by Nick’s Old Car Specialties in Redlands, California it won a Best of Show at the Marin Sonoma Concours in the summer of 2013 and followed that a couple of weeks later with Automotive Best of Show honors at Dana Point, picking up a third Best in Show at the 7th Annual Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance in February 2014.

My thanks once again to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photograph’s taken at the 7th Annual Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, Palm Springs in February 2014.

Thanks for joining me on this “Thermostatic Shutters And Controlled Body Ventilation” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for FIAT Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Test Day – Donington Park

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With a sunny midweek day off last Thursday I popped along to a Test Day run at Donington Park.

Dallara F308 VW, Robbie Watts, Donington Park

Among the large variety of machines being given a workout was the #7 Volkswagen powered 2008 Dallara F308 which is being prepared by Team Fox Racing for three time Monoposto 2000 champion Robbie Watts’s challenge for the F3 Cup.

Ralt RT1 BMW, Rob Hall, Donington Park

In 1977 Eddie Cheever was midway through a three year spell with the Project Four Formula 2 team run by Ron Dennis, that year he drove the BMW powered Ralt RT1 seen above to two top point’s scoring finishes at the Nurburgring and Rouen to finish second in the F2 Championship to Rene Arnoux, 39 years later I believe Rob Hall is seen testing the car above which I believe belongs to Peter Wunsch.

Lamborghini Huracan GT3, Darren Nelson, Adam Carroll, Donington Park

I believe Darren Nelson and Adam Carroll shared the driving of the #18 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 with which they are competing in the 2016 GT Cup, they finished second in Sunday’s opening race of the series.

Tyrrell Ford 001, TBC, Donington Park

So far as I know the Tyrrell family are owners of the original Tyrrell Ford 001 seen above and loaned it to John Delane in exchange for it’s restoration and maintenance. John’s helmet is predominantly white, if you know who is seen at the wheel in this photograph’s please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Aston Martin DB4GT, Simon Hadfield, Donington Park

Simon Hadfield was a busy man driving both Wolfgang Friedrich’s Aston Martin DBR1 and his #10 1961 DB4 GT seen above.

McLaren Ford M23, Scott Walker, Donington Park

Looking for details on who might be driving the 1974 built but now 1976 spec McLaren M23/6 looked after by Hall and Hall I came across someone by the name of Scott Walker who had a similar helmet on what appears to have been his only previous appearance in the car at Jarama way back in 2011, if you know anything else about Scott please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Mini Gen3 F56, James Turkington, Donington Park

All of the above were regularly swamped by many Mini’s in Gen3 F56 spec and earlier JCW R56 spec, James, younger brother of double British Touring Car Champion Colin, Turkington will be completing his first full season of racing in the MINI Challenge with the ExcelR8 Motorsport #61 Gen3 F56 MINI seen three wheeling into Coppice Corner above.

Thanks for joining me on this “Test Day” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Concours winning Packard. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Triple Feature Hollywood Star – Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet

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Today’s featured Delage D8 120 sits on the same Delahaye sourced chassis and is mechanically similar to the Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé” I looked at last week.

Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

However once complete the chassis was sent to the Henri Chapron carrosserie for it’s magnificent Cabriolet body to be fitted in 1939.

Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

An unfortunate French General is said to have shipped the car to the United States, before being denied access to the country because of his alleged Nazi sympathies in 1946.

Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

During the 1950’s this car belonged to the Warner Bros Studio in Hollywood and it stared in three films, when it was still painted it’s original Ocean Blue a shade of green with a white roof; Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye with James Cagney in 1950, An American in Paris with Gene Kelly in 1951 and finally Carmen Jones with Harry Belafonte in 1954.

Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

The Delage seen in these photograph’s at the Goodwood Festival of Speed was acquired, restored and painted Burgundy for it’s current owner Peter Mullins in the 1980’s, when not on tour the car is to be found at the Mullins Museum in Oxnard, California.

Thanks for joining me on this “Triple Feature Hollywood Star” edition of “Gettin’ a little psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be going testing at Donington Park. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Der Adenauer Daimler – Mercedes-Benz (W186 II) 300 Cabriolet D #02905/52

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When Mercedes Benz revived production of automobiles after WW2 it started manufacturing four cylinder vehicles that were a development of the pre war W136 and W153 models which evolved into the short lived W191 in 1952.

The first all new post war Mercedes Benz models were the six cylinder W186 and W187 models launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951.

Mercedes-Benz (W186 II) Typ 300, Quail Lodge, California,

The larger W186 Typ 300 was powered by a 3 litre / 183 cui overhead cam straight six engine with an iron block and an aluminium head that produced 113hp.

Drawing on pre war racing practice the Typ 300 chassis used ovoid tubes with double wishbone independent front suspension and swing axle independent rear suspension.

Mercedes-Benz (W186 II) Typ 300, Quail Lodge, California,

Germany’s first post war Chancellor Konrad Adenauer used the Typ 300 exclusively during his period of office which ended in 1963 and unofficially lent his name to the model.

He famously loaded one into a Lufthansa aeroplane for his 1955 visit to Moscow which ended in the establishment of full diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and the release of the last 10,000 German prisoners of war.

Mercedes-Benz (W186 II) Typ 300, Quail Lodge, California,

Today’s featured 300 Cabriolet D left the production line on New Years Eve 1952 complete with high end option Becker Nurburg III valve radio and shipped to New York importer Max Hoffman.

The cars first owner was Mr. Franklin Eli of Buffalo, New York who drove the car over 60,000 miles before putting it in storage in 1969, upon his death in 1999 the car passed to his nephew who began what turned out to be a 12 year restoration.

Mercedes-Benz (W186 II) Typ 300, Quail Lodge, California,

The cars third owner completed the Concours winning restoration in 2012 and the following year offered it at Bonhams Quail auction with an estimated $275,000 – $325,000 price tag.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs taken at the Bonhams Quail Auction.

Thanks for joining me on this “Der Adenauer Daimler” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at a Delage. Don’t for get to come back now !

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Fifth Abbott – Healey Abbott Drop Head Coupé # BT 2019

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In 1950 Donald Healey replaced the Healey Westland bodied Drop Head Coupé of which 64 examples had been built over the previous 4 post war years and replaced it with a new Drop Head model with bodywork by E & D Abbot of Farnham.

Healey Abbot, Classics At The Castle, Sherborne Castle, Dorset,

The first 14 Healey Abbotts were built on an improved BT chassis featuring Girling dampers and drum brakes.

Healey Abbott, Castle Combe,

Chassis #BT 2019 was the fifth to be built and was supplied new to Brooklands of Bond Street purveyors of a variety of fine cars including Mercedes Benz and Aston Martin in 1951.

#BT 2019 was registered in the UK on the 1st of January 1952 and is seen in the top photograph sixty years later at Sherborne Castle, having spent half that time in a barn, the current owner bought the car from well known Big Austin Healey racer John Chatham.

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

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