Tag Archives: Colin

RIP Eddie Stobart – Ford Escort RS 1800 Replica

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Ford RS1800 Replica, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

No trip along a British or European motorway is complete without seeing one of an immaculate fleet of Eddie Stobart trucks.

Ford RS1800 Replica, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Eddie Stobart (Snr) founded an agricultural business in the 1950’s and his son Eddie Stobart (Jnr) built the company into one of the best known haulage companies in Europe over a period of 30 years.

Ford RS1800 Replica, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Eddie (Jnr) sold the company to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler in 2004. It is sad to record that Eddie (Jnr) predeceased his father aged just 56 last week.

Ford RS1800 Replica, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

This Ford Escort MKII RS1800 Replica appears to have started life as a 1972 Ford Escort MK 1 1100L and been reshelled with a post 1975 style body.

Ford RS1800 Replica, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

This Eddie Stobart sponsored car was successfully campaigned in 2006 and 2007 in selected historic rallies by 5 time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae, father of World Rally Champion Colin McRae.

Ford RS1800 Replica, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Most recently this Escort has been run by Whelan Historic Motorsport in historic rally events for Jim Whelan and co driver John Atherton.

Slightly off topic congratulations to Kevin Harvick who made it two Sprint Cup wins in a row yesterday when he won the traditional Grandfather Clock at Martinsville last night. This was the first time I have ever seen my man win a Cup Race on TV.

I hope you’ll join me again for another edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’. Don’t forget to come back now !

Stop press ! It is with a heavy heart that I have to report Mr Ed Arnaudin contributor of many fabulous photo’s to ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ passed away during the red flag period of the Martinsville race.

A proper appreciation of Ed will follow in due course, in the meantime I hope you join me in honouring and celebrating his life by typing his name in the ‘Search psycho on tyres box’, in death as in life Ed has much to share.

Condolences to the best friend I have never met, Steve Arnaudin and his family.

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Adding Lightness 50 years on – Caterham 7 Superlight

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The Caterham 7 Superlight comes in two sizes regular S3 as the original Lotus 7 and the SV which is 4.3″ wider to accomodate those of us who were not born with jockey size hips.

Colin Chapman’s guiding principle when conceiving his vehicles including the Lotus 7 of which the Caterham 7 is the direct descendent was to add lightness, which in his day meant extensive use of aluminium and on the Superlight shown here means extensive use of carbon fibre including the mudguards and dashboard.

Engine options for the Superlight are 150 hp Ford Sigma, 210 hp or 263 hp Ford Cosworth Duratec. The latter option should be able to propel you from 0 – 60 in 2.88 seconds and if your head is still attached to the rest of your body on to 150 mph.

I’d like to finish by wishing my fellow ‘The Prisoner‘ fan and ‘Rowdy‘ buddy from Brevard, North Carolina, Steve Arnaudin a very Happy Birthday.

Thanks for dropping by, don’t forget to come back now ! BSY !

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A Lesson From Lotus – Elan plus 2

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The elegant Lotus Elan plus 2 was introduced in 1967 .

It was capable of 120 mph powered by a 126 hp 1558 cc / 95 cu inch 4 cylinder engine.

5200 plus 2’s were made between 1967 and 1975. The registration of this model suggests it was made in between 1971 and 1972.

This non standard badge, celebrating all of the Lotus world constructors championships is at least 6 years younger than the rest of the vehicle to which it is affixed. Lotus Team Manager Peter Warr who played a role in the 1970, ’72 and ’73 championship victories passed away yesterday.

Peter should be best remembered for taking Ayrton Senna to Lotus on Ayrton’s own terms and extending the life of the Lotus F1 team by several years after the death of founder Colin Chapman. However he is most well known for saying of Nigel Mansell (above Lotus 87 in 1981) “he’ll never win a Grand Prix as long as I have a hole in my arse”, which was probably all the encouragement Nigel needed to leave the Lotus team and become the winner of the 4th most Grand Prix of all time a World and Indycar champ. The lesson from Lotus must be ‘never speak ill’. RIP Peter Warr.

Thanks for dropping by, don’t forget to come back now.

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