Tag Archives: Autumn Classic

8 Race Card – Autumn Classic Castle Combe

A couple of weeks ago Castle Combe’s 2014 racing season came to an end with the third Autumn Classic meeting and it has without question grown and flourished in the 36 months since the first one.

Anthony Binnington Cooper T67, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Today I’ll focus on last weekend’s racing and return to some of the other stunning attractions at a future date. First race of the day was for Formula Junior cars which was won by Jonathon Milicevic in his 1962 Cooper T59. During the grid walk about before the start I became acquainted with Anthony Binnington who qualified his ex Peter Revson 1963 Cooper T67 6th, fell to 19th on the opening lap and climbed up to 7th in the remaining 15 laps. Anthony tells me his car originally belonged to Peter Revson, first US born Can Am Champion in 1971, who set an all time lap record for the Formula Junior class at any track of 130 mph at Enna Pergusa, Italy on his way to a second place finish behind Frenchman Jo Schlesser in August 1963.

David Smithies, Bruce Montgomery, Austin Healey Challenge, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The John Gott Memorial Trophy race for Austin Healey’s last year saw an attempt by the leading 5 cars to go into the Bobbies chicane simultaneously, this year the action was not quite so wild, but the race for the lead twixt winner David Smithies, driving the #50, who got the jump on pole man Bruce Montgomery, driving the #177, at the start was entertaining until Bruce was forced to give up his second place to David Grace who finished just over .2 of a second behind Smithies.

David Reed, Chris Jolly Historic Aston Martins, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Simon Hadfield driving an Aston Martin DB3S drove a text book race to win the Historic Aston Martin race by nearly a minute. The second place challengers David Reed, driving the #53 Aston Martin DB2, and Chris Jolly, driving the #16 DB2 were rarely more than spitting distance apart until the final 2 laps when the invited Jaguar XK 150 of Paul de Havilland passed Chris and made it stick to the finish.

Andy Wallace, Les Ely Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

One of the high lights of the Autumn Classic was seeing 1988 Jaguar Le Mans winner Andy Wallace, driving the #61 Jaguar D type seen above after lapping the #31 Jaguar 3.4 litre Saloon of Les Ely, on his first visit to the circuit in 30 years. Andy recorded a dead heat in a Formula Ford (Pinto) 2000 race on his last visit to the circuit, this time he was in third place in the D-type when the safety car came out and trapped him out of position in traffic from which he could only salvage a 5th behind 4 E-type Jaguars driven by Martin Hunt, Mark Russell, Brian Stevens and Grahame Bull.

Patrick Blakeney Edwards, Fraser Nash Owlet, VSCC Pre War Sports Cars, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

I am quite sure if the only competitor in the VSCC Pre War Sports Car Race had been Patrick Blakeney Edwards the crowd would have gone home convinced they had got their money’s worth. Patrick driving the chain driven Fraser Nash Owlet as entertainingly as ever only finished 6th behind winner Frederick Wakeman who was driving a roadster bodied Fraser Nash Super Sports.

Robin Ellis, Simon Hadfield, John Ure, FiSCar 50's Inter Marque, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The FiSCar 50’s Inter Marque challenge lived up to it’s name with the lead contested by a pair of Lotus Elites, the #6 Cooper Bristol driven by John Ure and Nick Wrigley, and the #10 Elva Courier by Simon and Amanda Hadfield, seen above with Simon going into a brief lead ahead of the eventual winning #75 Lotus Elite shared by Robin Ellis and Richard Fores. The Hadfields finished 10th and the Cooper Bristol 3rd behind the Lotus Elite driven solo by Brian Arculus.

Steve Jones, George Shackleton, Cooper, 500 Formula 3, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe,

I reported on the activities of the 500 Association on Saturday, above 500 Formula 3 winner of the BAC MSC Challenge Trophy Steve Jones thanks the track marshals with a wave with second place finisher George Shackleton riding shot gun, driving the #74 Cooper Mk X and #23 Cooper Mk XI respectively.

08 Austin Healey Challenge_2072sc

Light levels were falling as the final race of the day, for the ever entertaining Austin Healey’s, got under way.
David Grace, seen leading on the opening lap into Quarry above, made the best start and kept it to the end from pole sitter David Smithies.

I’ll be revisiting Castle Combe in the coming weeks with further blogs on this great day out.

Thanks for joining me on this “8 Race Card” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow to continue the Dodge centenary celebrations. Don’t forget to come back now !

BAC MSC Challenge Trophy – Autumn Classic Castle Combe

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It’s not everyday that I get to write a feature about a single 15 min race, but last Sunday 500cc Formula 3 cars returned to their spiritual home to compete in a race solely for the 500cc Formula 3 cars for the first time in 59 years.

Iota Milli Union, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Not all of the cars that turned up were competing, among the static displays with the 500 Owners Association was this Iota Milli Union, considered to be one of the oldest 500cc Formula 3 cars built to the original Iota plans advanced by Dick Caesar.

This particular car was originally built by Bristol Telephone Engineer and motorcycle racer GH Millington in 1946/7. This combination took part in the first closed event at Castle Combe run in July 1950 where Gerry Millington finished second in the first race for the newly internationally recognised formula to be run at the circuit.

Currently the car is in need of a new £600 magneto which the present owner can ill afford at the moment.

Effyh, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The Efflyh above is thought to be one of 10 500cc F3 cars built in Sweden, I believe this particular car built in 1950 found it’s way to Senator T. Newell Wood who drove it on his 960-acre Brynfan Tyddyn estate in Pennsylvania. In 1956 this car is thought to have been fitted with a Norton engine, Cooper suspension and the straight edged bodywork seen here.

BACMSC Challenge Trophy, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The prize for competitors in the 500cc Formula 3 race was the Bristol Aeroplane Company Motor Sports Club’s Challenge Trophy which was commissioned by the same club that is generally regarded as being the home of the 500cc Formula 3, since many of those instrumental in devising it were employees of the Bristol Aeroplane Company during the ’39-’45 war.

The original BAC MSC was reformed as the 500 Club in 1946 an organisation that later morphed into the British Racing and Sports Car Club. Bristol Aeroplane Company revived the BAC MSC as the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club in 1955.

I am afraid my attempt at lashing my video camera to the spectator fence for the start of the BAC MSC Challenge Trophy race was less than successful, but in this clip you get a feel for the sound these cars make en masse, turn up the volume to off the dial !

BACMSC Challenge, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Regular readers may remember that at the beginning of the season I attended the VSCC Spring Start meeting at Silverstone where John Turner driving the #86 Cooper Mk 9 and Richard Bishop Miller driving the #57 Revis ended up in hospital. It was great to see both drivers going at it hammer and tongs with their repaired steeds at Castle Combe. On this occasion John finished 6th Richard 8th with Xavier Kingsland in the Staride Mk 3 I looked at last week 12th.

JP Mk 1, Alan Croft, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

16 different manufacturers were named on the entry list many vehicles were unique others, like the Scottish built JP Mk 1 driven by Alan Croft above, went into production.

Cooper Mk X , Steve Jones, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The BACMSC Challenge Trophy race was won by Steve Jones aboard his Cooper Mk X by just over half a second from George Shackleton, seen popping his head out as they enter Old Paddock, who was driving a Cooper Mk 8.

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

Why Don’t You ? – LECo MG Mk II

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Back in the 1950’s when the A3 was the main road connecting the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth with London Fred Sturges and Peter Tompkins ran Liss Engineering Company in the village bearing the same name about 1/3rd of the way twixt Portsmouth and London in the Hampshire country side.

After Peter wrote off his 1937 MG TA the pair built a special recycling the engine and gearbox and fitting it to a
chassis frame built from tubing supplied by budding Grand Prix outfit Connaught Engineering. The body was built up from an aluminium nose discarded by the Vanwall Grand Prix Ferrari that had been secured with the help of Mike Hawthorn during a test session at Goodwood.

LECo MG Mk II, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Today’s featured vehicle was commissioned for the 1954 season by Margret and Captain Richard Ashby who after returning from an overseas posting attended a meeting at Goodwood where they were less than impressed with the standard of driving.

ERA and BRM founder Raymond Mays overhearing the Ashby’s derogatory comments asked ” “If you feel you could do better, why don’t you have a go?”

LECo MG Mk II, Quattlebaum, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Like the LECo Mk I The Ashby’s Mk II featured a chassis made from materials supplied by Connaught.

It appears the Mk II was originally powered by a Morris motor but by 1956 this had been replaced by an MG XPAG motor, the final body shape is said to have evolved with “repairs” necessary during it’s competition history.

LECo MG Mk II, Quattlebaum, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The Ashby’s are both known to have competed with the LECo Mk II in events at Goodwood, Crystal Palace, the Brighton Speed Trials and Bo Peep Hill Climb in Firle East Sussex.

Of the cars known results Richard won at least one event at Goodwood in September 1956 while Margret scored 5th places in two races at the same venue in June 1957.

LECo MG Mk II, Quattlebaum, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

American Alex Quattlebaum is seen driving the Ashby’s LECo to victory at Castle Combe at last years Autumn Classic which was the conclusion of a European Tour that included events at Spa, Zolder, Dijon, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Donington, Goodwood and through the streets of Oporto, Portugal.

Alex also owns the third LECo, built in 1956 with a Tojero like body, which is the only other LECo known to exist.

Thanks for joining me on this “Why Don’t You ?” 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 !

Fastest In The Country – Cooper MG #4/4/52

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In 1952 MG tuner Lionel Leonard replaced his first Cooper MG registered JOY 500 with a new one, chassis number #4/4/52 registered KOY 500 which is featured today.

Cooper MG T21, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Peter Morely, who completed a restoration of the car in 2008 tells me the chassis appears to have much in common with the earliest rear engined Cooper 500 Formula 3 cars and suggests it is likely that it was based on a used chassis. Doug Nye, author of Cooper Cars, kindly informed me that the T series numbering system was applied retrospectively to this era of Cooper, it is accepted in some circles that when Lionel bought both JOY 500 and KOY 500, in kit form, that they were both in T14 spec although Cooper would have referred to them simply as Cooper MG’s.

Cooper MG T21, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

The MG XPAG motor, bored out to 1,467cc @ 91 cui, drives the rear wheels through an MG gearbox both of which would have been sourced from the contemporaneous MG TC / TD/ Y series models. Lionel drove KOY 500 to a second place finish on it’s debut at Snetterton in May 1952 and finished the season with a win at RAF Tarrant Rushton in Dorset.

Cooper MG T21, John Paul Mason, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Bristol’s car dealing Horace ‘the Gonzalez of the West Country’ Gould bought KOY 500 for the 1953 season and by fitting it with Mk 1 Cooper Bristol suspension and twin leading edge brake shoes brought the car up to what in some circles is regarded as T21 specification, although again this designation is entirely retrospective. Highlights of Horace’s season included a win in the Queensferry Sprint and 2nd place finish in the Sheena Gray Trophy race at Charterhall.

Cooper MG T21, John Paul Mason, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

According to Roger Clark Horace advertised #4/4/52 in Autosport as “THE FASTEST COOPER MG IN THE COUNTRY”. Brian Naylor bought the car and shared #4/4/52 with Ian Davidson in 1954. Brian drove in most events recording a win at Snetterton and another at Silverstone, while Ian drove the car in just four events and podiumed in each with wins at the Barbon Hillclimb and Croft.

Cooper MG T21, John Paul Mason, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

When the restoration of #4/4/52 was completed in 2008 the car was taken to Monaco and competed in the historic meeting in which it finished 6th. KOY 500 is seen in these photo’s at last years Autumn Classic at Castle Combe with John Paul Mason at the wheel.

Roger Clark discerned from the much missed David McKinney’s note books that “approximately 20 Cooper MG kits were sold”.

My thanks to D-Type, Tim Murray, Roger Clark, Doug Nye and Peter Morley at The Nostalgia Forum for helping me with today’s post.

Thanks for joining me on this “Fastest In The Country” 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 !

50 mpg DIY Sportscar – Liege

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In the late 1980’s Peter Leigh Davis set out to design a sporting all rounder which could be driven to work and used for competition at the weekends in much the same way as early Allard, Buckler, Dellow and Lotus cars to name but a few.

The aluminium motor and gearbox for the Liege were taken from a Reliant Robin and a variety of back axles were tried before settling on a Bedford/Suzuki unit from an ultra light commercial van.

Liege Reliant, Trials Car, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

To prove his creation’s reliability Peter took the prototype on a 6500 mile reconnaissance trip for the Liege-Agadir-Liege Endurance Trial to the edge of the Sahara desert. The car carried two people tools and camping gear and ran faultlessly while averaging 50 mpg.

In all 60 Liege kits were built after plans to build a turn key car with Reliant fell through, 45 of these vehicles are thought to be on the road some running twin carbs or superchargers to boost the power while yet more have been fitted with Honda Fireblade, Fiat Fire and various Suzuki motors.

The prototype Liege won a bronze medal on the 1995 Lands End Trial and won the 2 lire class of Le Jog the same year.

The car seen here at last years Castle Combe Autumn Classic is listed as manufactured in 1989 and completed in 2005 with the Reliant power train and Suzuki back axle.

Thanks for joining me on this “50 mpg DIY Sportscar” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the 1974 World Championship Winning McLaren M23. Don’t forget to come back now !

Importing A Ladder – Maserati 250F #2530/32

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Somewhere around 1980 Pink Floyd Drummer Nick Mason entered into negotiations to purchase ERA 10B and found that he could only buy the car on condition that he bought a Maserati 250F, today’s featured car, as part of the package.

Maserati 250F, Rob Hall, Cholmondeley Pageant Of Power

Nick bought both cars and found that the 250F had a 1957 lightweight chassis which turned out to be #2530 to which people had fitted numerous incorrect parts including a Chevrolet V8.

Maserati 250F, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham

Nick described the car as a “basket case” and recalls the car being described as a ladder for import purposes.

Maserati 250F, Rob Hall, Cholmondeley Pageant Of Power

#2530 was originally fitted with a V12 motor but never raced with it, later in 1958 #2530 was fitted with a six cylinder motor and sent to South America. It appeared in the 1960 Argentinian Grand Prix with the chassis number #2532 where Gino Munaron drove the car to a 13th place finish.

Maserati 250F, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham

To keep you on your toes Antonio Creus drove another 250F in the 1960 Argetinian Grand Prix this was chassis #2526 which carried the #2530 ID tag ! Antonio retired from with driver fatigue.

Maserati 250F, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham

Towards the end of 1960 Brazilian Rugeno Peruzzi bought the car and between 1962/64, according to David McKinney’s Maserati 250F, it appears to have been raced by Camillo Cristofaro with a Chevrolet V8 in the engine bay.

Maserati 250F, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham

Colin Crabbe found the car with out any identity in the early 1970’s and Nick had the frame replaced by a new one to the correct 1957 lightweight specification.

Maserati 250F, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

Rob Hall is seen yumping #2530 at Cholmondeley Pageant Of Power at the top of the post while Charles Knill-Jones, a member of the Ten Tenths team which looks after Nick Mason’s many cars, is seen in period attire hustling Nicks 250F around Castle Combe at last years Autumn Classic meeting.

My thanks to Castle Combe historian Pete Stowe for letting me know who was driving #2530 at Castle Combe.

Thanks for joining me on this “Importing A Ladder” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a vintage Bugatti. Don’t forget to come back now !

Supercharged 100E – Buckler MK 6

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With the sales success of his Buckler MK 5 the earliest example of which was manufactured in 1949 Derek Buckler expanded his range by offering a longer wheel base Buckler Mk 6 in 1953 which could be ordered either as a turn key or car sales tax saving self build model.