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Stabled In The UK – Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A #4008429408386

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Currently taking pride of place in the entrance to the Haynes International Motor Museum in today’s featured Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A.

Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

The 540K is often incorrectly believed to have made it’s public debut at the Paris Motor show in 1936, but in fact the it was first seen in October 1935, i.e 1936 model year.

Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Between 1935 and 1944 Mercedes Benz dedicated 1,500 staff to building just 419 540K’s.

Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Of these just 89 are believed to have been fitted with factory Cabriolet A bodies like the one seen here.

Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

When Motor tested a 540K they found it was capable of reaching 85 mph over a quarter mile without the supercharger engaged and 102 mph over the same distance with the full 115 supercharged horsepower engaged, the journalists also found that the car returned 11 miles to the imperial gallon.

Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Autocar took a 540K to Brooklands for it’s test in 1938 and recorded a top speed of 104mph, with three passengers aboard.

Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Later in 1938 the 540K was given an updated chassis with oval sectioned chassis tubes as per the Silver Arrows Grand Prix cars.

Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Today’s featured 1935 540K is one of at least two formerly owned by King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan, his other was the Erdmann & Rossi bodied car built for show in Barcelona that was commandeered by Adolf Hitler to give as a gift to King Ghazi of Iraq.

Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Today’s featured car was stabled in England in is on loan to the Haynes Museum from His Majesties family.

Thanks for joining me on this “Stabled In The UK” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Delage Coupé. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Clever Canadian – Sadler BMC Formula Junior

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When Clever Canadian Bill Sadlers Dad was ready to junk the family business Sadler Auto Electric 1939 Austin panel van Bill asked to take on the vehicle he had been delivering parts with and turned it into a convertible.

Later he converted his Hillman Minx to take a 150hp flathead Ford V8, the cars original brakes proved too small on his competitive debut at Watkins Glen.

Sadler BMC Formula Junior, Stephen Bulling, Autimn Classic, Castle Combe,

This led Bill to building a number of sports cars to race, he was an early adopter of both the small block Chevy V8 and the engine behind the driver layout which would become part of the formula for any half way decent Can Am car many years later.

By 1959 MENSA International member Bill was producing sports cars in small numbers when he decided to build a batch of 12 open wheel cars to the international Formula Junior specifications that were announced in 1958.

Sadler BMC Formula Junior, Stephen Bulling, Autimn Classic, Castle Combe,

The Sadler Formula Junior’s were built to a tuned version of the 1098 cc / 67 cui 46hp BMC A series engine more commonly found in Austin A35 van’s, Austin A40 Pininfarina Countryman’s, Morris Minors, Austin Healey Sprite’s, BMC’s various badge engineered 1100’s, later Mini Clubmans, Australian built Mini Mokes and Austin Allegro’s.

The engine and similarly sourced 4 speed gearbox sits in a tubular frame and is covered by an aluminium body.

Sadler BMC Formula Junior, Stephen Bulling, Autimn Classic, Castle Combe,

Details of 1959 Formula Junior races in which Sadlers took part are extremely hard to find, but by 1960 G Hag, Vic Yachuk, Ernest Donnan, James Walter and George Roberts, had all recorded starts in Sadler Formula Juniors in North America.

According to Dutchy and Steven W at The Nostalgia Forum, today’s Sadler seen in these photographs with Stephen Bulling driving at Castle Combe, was at one time driven by Canadian Dave Rodgman.

Thanks for joining me on this “Clever Canadian” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the first in a new Sunday Healey series. Don’t forget to come back now !

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A Section Lady Traffic Patrol _ MG A 1600 Roadster #GHN 70453

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MG launched it’s MG A 1600 in May 1959 which was powered by a 78hp 1558 cc / 95 cui four cylinder engine sufficient for a 98 mph top speed.

MG A 1600 Roadster, Goodwood, Revival

From this distance I can’t help but feel that someone at Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters, in Preston, would have had to have had the best interests of road safety at heart, and also a great sense of humour, if he had decided the best way to keep the rule of law on Lancashire’s busy highways and byeways was to procure a fleet of 50 MG A 1600s, split them in to A Section, differentiated with white cars and B Section differentiated with black cars and deployed them on Traffic Patrol’s with only lady police officers at the wheel.

MG A 1600 Roadster, Goodwood, Revival

In this day an age such a scheme would surely be met with howls of derision and a fair amount of protest and in fact looking at the photo linked here it would appear that Bonhams were misinformed about the female officers only policy when today’s featured car came up for auction a few years ago.

Chassis #GHN 70453 is one of the cars from the mythical ‘A Section’ that was delivered on the 8th of July 1959 it was restored by Brown & Cook, of Hoddesdon, Herts back to it’s police specification although the public address megaphone regrettably no longer works.

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

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Out Of Aladdin’s Cave – Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A

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Friedrich Geiger was charged with the design of the straight 8 5 litre / 302 cui W29 500K launched in 1934 and then 5.4 litre / 329 cui Typ W24 540K in 1935.

540K Cabriolet A, Dana Point Concours d'Elegance

The supercharged 180hp W24 540 K motor was fitted to chassis of either 117″, 130″ or 153″ which differed from the 500K predecessor by using oval tubes as used by the Mercedes Benz Silver Arrows racing cars of the period.

540K Cabriolet A, Dana Point Concours d'Elegance

The 540K Cabriolet A seen here sits on the shorter 117″ chassis and would have been capable of 110 mph, production ended in 1944 by which time variants were being built with armored bodies for Gemran Government officials.

The 1937 example seen here at Dana Point Concours d’Elgance belongs to collector Anthony ‘Tony Vincent’ Zehenni who founded the Aladdin Developers Inc property development empire.

My thanks once again to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Out Of Alladin’s Cave edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an off road Matra, don’t forget to come back now !

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Development & Publicity – Mercedes Benz 300 SLR # no.1

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Earlier this year Geoffrey Horton kindly forwarded some of today’s photos taken by Otto A Rentsch a tool and die maker at Adam Stamping in Union, New Jersey.

Mercedes Benz 300 SLR, Adam Stamping, Union, New Jersey.

Adam Stamping was owned by Geoffrey’s uncle George Tilp who was selected by Mercedes Benz to run a highly successful team of works built and supported 300 SL’s driven by Paul O’Shea and Phil Hill from 1955 to 1957.

Mercedes Benz 300 SLR, Otto R Rentsch, Adam Stamping, Union, New Jersey.

In 1958 Mercedes Benz shipped a 1955 World Sports Car Championship winning type 300 SLR complete with the “Blue Wonder Rennwagen Schnelltransporter” to Georges facility in New Jersey prior to the vehicles being loaned to the Ford Museum in Michigan, Otto A’s son Otto R is seen above at the wheel of the car with it’s distinctive sign writing down the side.

Mercedes 300 SLR, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

It turns out that the 300 SLR sent to the USA for the loan to the Ford Museum was none other than the original 300 SLR chassis no.1.

Mercedes 300 SLR, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

No.1 was used for extensive pre 1955 season testing and later for practice on the Mille Miglia, where of course there was no qualifying, but according to Mercedes this car was never raced.

Mercedes 300 SLR, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

Along the side of the car the five one – two victories scored by no.1’s siblings are recorded; the Stirling Moss / Denis Jenkinson partnership beat the solo Jaun Manuel Fangio on the Mille Miglia, Fangio then beat Moss at the Eifelrennen where Karl Kling finished fourth in a third 300 SLR behind a Ferrari 750 Monza driven by Marsten Gregory, Fangio also finished ahead of Moss in the Swedish Grand Prix.

Mercedes 300 SLR, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

Moss partnered by John Fitch beat Fangio and Kling at the Tourist Trophy where Kling was joined by Wolfgang von Trips and André Simon in the third placed 300 SLR, before Moss teamed up with Peter Collins to beat Fangio and Kling again on the Targa Florio where Fitch and Desmond Titterington finished fourth behind the Ferrari 857 S driven by Eugenio Castellotti and Robert Manzon.

Mercedes Benz 300 SLR, Adam Stamping, Union, New Jersey.

The one omission from these results being of course the 1955 Le Mans race where the 300 SLR driven by Fangio and Moss was leading the Jaguars by two clear laps when it was withdrawn on the orders of the board of the Mercedes board of directors after parts of the sister car driven by Levegh ploughed into the spectator enclosures killing 82 spectators and injuring 100 more following an accident involving a slower car.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for initially forwarding Douglas Rentsch’s photographs and to Otto R Rentsch’s son Douglas for kindly giving me permission to use them, the remaining photo’s of no.1 were taken at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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

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Fewer Frills More Thrills – Peugeot 106 Rallye S1

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Launched in 1991 to replace the entry level Peugeot 104 the Peugeot 106 was available with either 3 or 5 door bodies and remained in production until 2003 with 2.7 million units built.

Peugeot 106 Rallye, Bristol

In 1993 Peugeot introduced the 106 Rallye version with the strap line “Less Frills, More Spills” in order that the model could compete in the international Group N and Group A classes.

Peugeot 106 Rallye, Bristol

The Rallye is powered by a 100 hp 1294 cc / 78.9 cui 4 cylinder fuel injected engine which drives the front wheels through a five speed manual gearbox.

Peugeot 106 Rallye, Bristol

Uprated suspension with thicker anti roll bars, were factory fitted on the Rallye as were the strengthened front suspension mounting points, for the competitor the sound insulation materials were easily removable.

Peugeot 106 Rallye, Bristol

Rallye 106 S1’s manufactured between 1993 and 1996 were available with a choice of only three colours Bianco White, Cherry Red or Black with the wheel arch extensions and bumpers all colour coded.

Peugeot 106 Rallye, Bristol

Peugeot Sport strips, shared with the 1992/93 Le Mans winning Peugeot 905’s, red piping and white lightweight steel wheels completed the sporty look and kept the weight down to 825 kgs / 1818 lbs.

Peugeot 106 Rallye, Bristol

Inside the 106 Rallye was fitted with lightweight red carpets and matching red seat belts.

Peugeot 106 Rallye, Bristol

Initially Peugeot imported 1,000 right hand drive 106 Rallye’s but it is believed more were ordered due to unexpected demand, today’s featured Rallye seen in Bristol some years ago was registered in the UK on the 21st of January 1994.

Thanks for joining me on this “Fewer Frills More Thrills” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be visiting Queen Square. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Best Closed Car – Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta #043S

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Any one lucky enough to have attended the 1950 Torino Saloon might have stumbled, across todays featured Ferrari 166 Inter chassis #043S fitted with a Touring Berlinetta chassis body.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta, The Quail

Like the sister 1948 right hand drive chassis #017S I looked at a couple of years ago chassis #043S also went to Milan where a Dr Moretti became the first owner.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta, The Quail

At some point unknown #043S went to the United States an remained there until 1987 when it migrated to The Netherlands for a couple of years.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta, The Quail

Brit Danny Donovan had #043S restored at the turn of the century, he changed the colour from red to dark blue and had the car registered HPP 5, a registration currently assigned in the UK to a 1969 Gold Mercedes 280 SL.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs at The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering a couple of years ago where the car was nominated the Best Closed Car.

Thanks for joining me on this “Best Closed Car” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”. I hope you will join me again when I’ll be looking at a 24 hour race winning Production Saloon car. Don’t forget to come back now.

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