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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Worplesdon Racer – Condor S11

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1959 Le Mans 2 litre Class winner Ted Whiteaway teamed up with Michael Thorburn and Bert Barrett both formerly with Connaught to build a Formula Junior car under the Condor Motor Car Company of Worplesdon, Surrey, name operating from The Grosvenor Garage, Worplesdon Road, Guildford in 1960.

Condor, Oulton Park

The Condor was designed by draughtsman Dick Basher who fitted a modified Triumph engine to the prototype, though later examples were powered by Ford and BMC motors.

Condor SII, Keith Roach, Oulton Park,

While the incomplete records available to me show Ted Whiteaway entered for several events, in a Triumph powered Condor, he did not attend, the earliest start I can find for a Condor was in the 22nd British Empire Race at Silverstone on the 1st of October 1960 from which Mike Thorburn retired in his Ford powered Condor.

Condor SII, Keith Roach, Oulton Park,

At the time of writing I am not sure how many production Condor’s were built, but there appears to be at least one other example currently extent in the United States.

Keith Roach is seen in these photographs at the wheel of his 1960 Condor S11 at Caslte Combe and Oulton Park respectively.

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

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Brazilian Power – FIAT 127 1050/CL

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In 1971 FIAT launched it’s 127 model which was to replace the 850 that was being phased out of production.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

Initially the 127 was only available as a 2 door a, the hatchback was not introduced until 1972, Spanish built variants with 4 and 5 doors were later marketed under the SEAT and FIAT names.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

Unlike the rear engine rear wheel drive 850 model it replaced the 127 had the Dante Giacosa designed 45hp 903 cc FIAT 100 derived engine first seen in the 1955 FIAT 600 mounted in the front with the transmission driving the front wheels.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

European journalists voted the 127 European Car of the Year in 1972 two years after it’s larger sibling the FIAT 128 had won the same accolade.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

FIAT launched it’s restyled second generation 127 with larger window’s and larger tailgate in May 1977 with the a 50hp 1050cc Brazilian developed and built version of the Aurelio Lampredi designed five bearing OHC FIAT 124 engine offered as an option.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

The Brazilian powered 127 seen in these photograph’s was first registered in the UK on the 22nd of January 1979.

Thanks for joining me on this “Brazilian Power” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at a Formula Junior car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Last True Packard Roadster – Packard 840 DeLuxe Rumble Seat Roadster

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With sales still plummeting from 55,000 in 1928 to 28,000 in 1930 Packard had little option but to keep going after the dwindling high end market it knew it catered to well in 1931.

The Eighth Series Packards were offered on the same centrally lubricated chassis as the 1930 Seventh Series.

Packard 840 DeLuxe Rumble Seat Roadster, San Marino Motor Classic,

By using larger intake and exhaust valves with a three-piece manifold that featured a cylindrical heater chamber to preheat the mixture Packard engineers managed to get 15hp power more from the 384.8 cui / 6.3 litre straight eight making 120hp in total.

The 1931 840 Rumble Seat Roadster would be the last to be supplied without door window’s and therefore the last true Packard roadster to be built.

Packard 840 DeLuxe Rumble Seat Roadster, San Marino Motor Classic,

Just 626 840 DeLuxe Rumble Seat Roadsters would be built before the introduction of the Ninth Series in June 1931.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs taken at San Marino Motor Classic, a couple of years ago.

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

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Unique Information Entrepreneur – Haynes International Motor Museum

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Last week I popped down to the Haynes International Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset to look at some of the over 400 cars collected by John H Haynes, OBE.

Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset,

John’s interest in cars started with a Morris on his parent’s tea plantation in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, and by the time he was 15 at school in England he had built himself an Austin Seven Special like the one seen below.

Austin 7 Special, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset,

When he came to sell the car, with a two line advert in MotorSport magazine, he was overwhelmed by the 150 responses he got, after selling the car John wrote a 48 page booklet about building specials with his own illustrations then printed off 250 copies which sold in ten day’s.

Austin Healey Sprite, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset,

Having learned his first lesson in selling unique information John was sent to Aden while serving in the Royal Air Force and there he helped a friend maintain an Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite, like the one seen in the Red Room, above and decided that the British Motor Corporation Manual could be improved upon and ended up photographing all the parts on his kitchen table for his first Haynes Workshop Manual selling all 3,000 copies in just 3 months.

AC Cobra, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset,

Since then Haynes Publishing have published over one thousand different Workshop Manuals which have sold over 7 million copies world wide, among the favorite of the many cars John has owned since then is the 1965 AC Cobra above.

TVR Tuscan, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset,

John had this 1968 TVR Tuscan fitted with a 350hp Holman Moody V8 and competed in it in Sprint events with John Blundell, he recorded a win with it in the last Yeovilton Sprint and a Fastest Time Of The Day (FTD) at the much missed Weston – Super – Mare Speed Trials.

Bentley Continental, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset,

In 1987 John took delivery of his specially ordered Bentely Continental with a Mulliner Park Ward convertible body painted in Royal Blue and Regal Red Connolly leather interior, note the registration number is appropriate for a man who made his fortune in publishing Workshop Manuals.

Bentley Arnage Red Label, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset,

John and I have at least one thing in common we both own cars built in 2000, I maintain mine with the help of one of his excellent manuals his is this Bentley Arange Red Label fitted with a 400hp Cosworth tuned 6.75 litre Rolls Royce V8.

Thanks for joining me on this “Unique Information Entrepreneur” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at another Packard, don’t forget to come back now !

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