Monthly Archives: April 2016

Front Wheel Drive Monocoque – Bond Formula Junior #2

After working for the Blackburn Aircraft Company during the Second World War Lawrence “Lawrie” Bond turned his attention to designing and building a number of light weight vehicles for competition and road use.

Lawrie’s designs including two 500 Formula 3 cars, both of which predated the Killeen K1, the three wheel Bond Minicar manufactured by Sharp’s Commercials Ltd and both three and four wheel and three wheel Berkley sports cars all featured monocoque construction in aluminium and or fibreglass with front wheel drive.

Bond Formula Junior, Mike Walker, Castle Combe

Lawrie’s competition activities always appear to have taken place alongside his commercial activities and in 1959, just as his collaboration with Berkley was running into trouble, he designed and built the Bond Formula Junior with a fibre glass monocoque supported by strategically placed aluminium and steel inserts.

As with his previous competition designs Lawrie spared no effort designing special hubs, brake drums and unique alloy wheels for the unconventional front wheel drive machine, all of which made for a protracted build time.

Bond Formula Junior, Mike Walker, Castle Combe

Jon Goddard-Watts eventually raced the first Ford powered Bond with it’s unique differential transfer box driving the front wheels twice for the works team without any success in 1961.

Subsequently the car was bought and raced by Chris Featherstone, in 1964 Chris crashed the car at Mallory Park and used the back half of the monocoque from the uncompleted second car to repair the damage and continued racing the Bond until at least 1968.

Bond Formula Junior, Mike Walker, Castle Combe

The original Bond was restored by Andrew Tart for Jon Goddard-Watts and raced to it’s first win by Andrew at Mallory Park in 2010.

Today’s featured Bond is the second chassis which was completed, again by Andrew Tart and stood on it’s own wheels for the first time in 2011, only 51 years after work on it was first started.

Bond Formula Junior, Mike Walker, Oulton Park

Mike Walker is seen at the wheel of the second Bond at Castle Combe in the top three photographs and in the middle of an indiscretion on oil at Oulton Park in the bottom photograph.

Thanks for joining me on this “Front Wheel Drive Monocoque” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at another Healey. Don’t forget to come back now !

Alternative Italian 3 Litre – FIAT 130 Berlina Type B

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At the 39th Geneva Motor Show in March 1969 FIAT launched it’s 130 saloon to replace the previous top of the range FIAT 2300 Saloon and Coupé.

FIAT 130 Berlina Type B, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

The straight six engine powering the 2300 series FIAT’s was replaced initially by a new 140hp 60° V6 with rubber belt driven twin overhead cam shafts designed by Aurelio Lampredi.

FIAT 130 Berlina Type B, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

The 2,866 cc / 174.8 cui engine was quickly modified to produce 160hp, by increasing the compression ratio and the size of the carburetor choke and reducing back pressure by extending the portion of the exhaust manifold that used individual pipes, after criticism the saloon was under powered.

FIAT 130 Berlina Type B, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

In 1971 when the Pininfaria designed and built FIAT 130 Coupé was launched the engine power was increased to 165 hp for both 130 models by increasing it’s size to 3,235 cc / 197.4 cui, curiously FIAT resisted ever offering more fuel efficient fuel injection as even an option.

FIAT 130 Berlina Type B, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

Production of the 130 saloon ended in 1976 with just 15,093 units produced, production of the Coupé at Pininfarina lasted until the following year, production of higher end vehicles was strategically left to Lancia within the FIAT group.

Today’s featured 1975 130 Saloon seen at Auto Italia, Brooklands was registered in the UK on the 1st of September 1975.

Thanks for joining me on this “Alternative Italian 3 Litre” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at another front engined Formula Junior open wheeler. Don’t forget to come back now !

Centralised Chassis Lubrication – Packard Model 745 Deluxe Eight Club Sedan

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With sales plummeting in the wake of the Wall Street Crash Packard offered three top of the range Seventh Series models in 1930.

Packard Model 745 Deluxe Eight Club Sedan, Blackhawk Museum, Danville, California,

The 733 Standard 8 and 740 Super 8 powered models were built on a 140″ wheelbase chassis, and the long wheel base 745 with Super 8 power on a 145″ wheelbase chassis as seen on today’s featured Deluxe Eight Club Sedan.

Packard Model 745 Deluxe Eight Club Sedan, Blackhawk Museum, Danville, California,

New features on the Seventh Series Models included laminated shatter proof window’s, thermostatic radiator shutters for the 106hp straight eight engine, Bijur centralised chassis lubrication, Watson shock absorbers and hypoid rear axle for a smoother and quieter ride.

Packard Model 745 Deluxe Eight Club Sedan, Blackhawk Museum, Danville, California,

Today’s featured 745 is one of 3007 such models Packard built and has a body by Ray Dietrich who’s Dietrich Inc was founded in 1925, Ray likened himself to automobiles as an architect to a building.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs taken at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California.

Thanks for joining me on this “Centralised Chassis Lubrication” 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 !

Coffee, Croissant & Cars 04/16 – Avenue Drivers Club

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Finally managed to pop along to another Avenue Drivers Club meeting at Queen Square in Bristol on Sunday, here is a selection of the cars looking for somewhere to park at around 8 am !

Mercedes Benz E280 Auto, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Above a smart low riding 1993 Mercedes Benz E280.

Trabant 601, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Not sure of the age of this low riding Trabant 601, but it looks in way better than new condition.

Rambler American, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Swinging in from 1966 a Rambler American.

Italia 2000, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Only 329 Italia 2000 GT’s were ever built and this 1962 example is only the third I have ever seen.

Ford Popular 327 Chevy, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

I believe Merv Barnett’s 327 Chevrolet V8 powered 1954 Ford Popular Gasser, known as Psychedelic Relic, is usually to be found on the 1/4 mile strips at Santa Pod and Shakespeare County Raceway rather than the cobbled streets of Queen Square, Bristol.

Volkswagen Golf E, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Finally it was great to see some one else in a 2000 Volkswagen Golf Mk IV Estate, this 1,400 cc E example appearing to have bodywork and hubcaps in considerably better condition than my own.

Thanks for joining me on this “Coffee, Croissant & Cars 04/16” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Packard. Don’t forget to come back now !

Short Wheelbase Sport – Delage D8S

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After the successes of winning the 1927 World Manufacturers’ Championship with it’s D15 S8 model Delage urgently needed to turn it’s attention to it’s road car business in order to restore it’s finances.

Delage D8, Mike Hawley, Chateau Impney,

The outcome of it’s endeavors were the D8 available with three different wheelbases as chassis on to which, mostly Parisian, coach builders weaved their magic with exotic designs and the shorter wheelbase D8S optimised for sports car applications such as the example seen in these photographs.

Delage D8, Mike Hawley, Chateau Impney,

Power for all the D8 models came from a 4061 cc / 247.8 cui straight 8 which for the D8 S application was tuned to produce 120hp, the four speed gearbox had synchromesh on 3rd and 4th gear only.

Delage D8, Mike Hawley, Chateau Impney,

Top speed was dependent on the weight and drag of the body fitted, but 82 mph should have been possible for a D8 S.

Delage D8, Mike Hawley, Chateau Impney,

The D8 S like the D8 was manufactured from 1929 to 1933, the example driven by Mike Hawley in these photographs taken at Chateau Impney last year was built in 1930 and first registered in the UK July 1st 2001.

Thanks for joining me on this “Short Wheelbase Sport” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be visiting Queen Square in Bristol.

Don’t forget to come back now !

Noble Character And Distinction – Mercedes Benz W128 220SE Cabriolet

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Looking through my picture library for cars to write about this month I came across Geoffrey Horton’s photograph’s of one more Mercedes Benz 220SE seen here at Palo Alto Concour’s d’Elegance a couple of years ago.

Mercedes 220SE Cabriolet, Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance

The strap line on the US sales literature for the 220SE Cabriolet and Coupé noted that these were “Two Personal Cars of Nobel Character and Distinction”.

Mercedes 220SE Cabriolet, Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance

The literature drew attention to the unitised frame floor with a subframe for the engine, the recirculating ball type steering, which has since been almost universally replaced by rack and pinion steering, and the rear swing axle suspension.

Mercedes 220SE Cabriolet, Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance

UK sales literature concluded “… these modern cars with their perfect matching of beauty, power and roominess are rightly considered favourites in their class.”

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Noble Character And Distinction edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at another Delage. Don’t forget to come back now !

Dropflow Coupé – Healey Sportsmobile #B 1760

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In 1948 Donald Healey added three new models to his existing Elliot Saloon and Westland four seater roadster.