Tag Archives: Elizabeth

Diamond Jubilee – Austin A40 Somerset Coupé

Welcome to the Diamond Jubilee edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”.

Today’s featured car is an Austin A40 Somerset was launched in 1952 built on a chassis with separate body.

The 42 hp motor was described as providing “a virile performance to excite the young enthusiast and a smooth flexibility that enables it to be handled with confidence” in the sales brochure.

Running on the low octane fuel of post war austerity Britain the claimed top speed for the A40 Somerset was 69 mph though a convertible was independently tested in 1953 with a top speed of 74 mph and rest to 60 mph time of 28.6 secs.

This particular vehicle, seen at the Malta Classic Car Collection, was delivered to a customer in Malta and legend has it that in 1952 Queen Elizabeth II drove it, though it is unclear if this was during a state tour or a private visit to Prince Phillip and or his friends who had been stationed on the British Protectorate.

Since finding out that this model was marketed as a ‘Coupé’ I have been unable to find out why. Somethings are obviously set to remain a mystery.

Thanks for joining me on this “Diamond Jubilee” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at one of my favourate models a Citroen 2CV. Don’t forget to come back now !

Poor Mans Roller – Rover P5 Mark II 3 Litre

The P5 was Rovers top of the range saloon / sedan when it was introduced in 1958 .

Initially powered by a 115 hp, 2,995 cc / 182.8 cui straight six with the novel F head featuring an overhead intake valve and side exhaust valve as on the smaller motor used in the P4 series.

In 1962 the Mark II P5 was launched, as seen here, now with 129 hp, a quarter light front window and no glass wind deflectors atop the door windows.

The prototype P5 was fitted with 11 inch drum brakes all round however by the time the car was launched to the public disc brakes were fitted to the front wheels.

This was the vehicle of choice for a succession of British Prime Ministers and UK Government cabinet ministers and it is said Her Majesty the Queen of England preferred her Rover P5 as her daily driver.

When production ceased in 1965 15,676 Rover P5 Mrak II 3 litre saloons had been manufactured.

Thanks for joining me on the poor mans Rolls Royce edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Out of Africa – Noble M12 GTO 3

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After his involvement with replica Ferrari P4’s, Lotus 23’s and original Ultima and Ascari cars Lee Noble founded Noble Automotive in 1999 to build relatively affordable but really fast cars.

Noble M12 GTO3, Piston Heads Sunday Service, Mini Factory, Cowley

He kept the prices of his light weight space framed chassis vehicles down by using the Hi Tech Automotive manufacturing facilities in Port Elizabeth, South Africa to assemble the basic chassis and body and then shipping them to England for drive train installation and testing.

Noble M12 GTO3, Piston Heads Sunday Service, Mini Factory, Cowley

The M12, originally planned in Coupé and Convertible forms, was in production from 2000 to 2008, only one M12 Convertible, a prototype was ever produced.

Noble M12 GTO3, Piston Heads Sunday Service, Mini Factory, Cowley

All M12’s are powered by twin turbo Ford V6 Duratech engines this GTO 3 model is a 3 litre / 185 CUI 365 hp variant the top end M400 left the factory with 425hp.

Noble M12 GTO3, Piston Heads Sunday Service, Mini Factory, Cowley

The Nobel M12 production rights were sold to 1G Racing who manufacture & market their M12 as the Rossion Q1. Salica Cars also manufacture M12 derived vehicles known as the Salica GT, 550hp Salica GTR and Salica GTC convertible.

Noble M12 GTO3, Piston Heads Sunday Service, Mini Factory, Cowley

In 2006 Lee Noble sold Noble Automotive and resigned from the company in 2008, setting up Fenix Automotive in the Meridian Business Park in Leicester, a V8 powered Fenix GT, again using the Hi Tech manufacturing facilities is expected to be launched on the market this year.

My thanks to the Pistonhead who brought this vehicle along to the Sunday Service at the BMW plant back in January.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s Twin Turbo Duratech edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Lynley mystery – Bristol 410

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The Bristol 410 was the fourth Bristol model to use the chassis architecture laid out for the 407 model.

Using the A block Chrysler engine now with a swept volume of 5211 cc / 318 cui for the last time before switching to the larger Chrysler B block for subsequent models the 410 marked a return to a floor mounted shift for the Torqueflight gearbox after US legislation had outlawed the previous push button system.

A Bristol 410 has two chrome strips running the length of the vehicle a feature unique to this Bristol model.

Fitted with ZF power steering as standard the 410 had a lower centre of gravity than the yet to be blogged 409 thanks to smaller 15″ diameter wheels down from 16″ on the previous model.

The 410 was the first Bristol fitted with separate front and rear brake circuits the servo’s. The servo’s were housed in a compartment between the front of the drivers door and the rear of the front wheel arch, the top hinge of which can just be distinguished below the badge in the photo above.

Some of you may recognise this as the model that Inspector Lynley drives in some episodes of the television series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, mysteriously in the novels by Elizabeth George on which some of the episodes are based Lynley is actually described as driving a Bentley.

As ever exclusivity is the watch word for this manufacturer with just 79 Bristol 410’s being built between 1968 and 1969.

With thanks to the PistonHead who kindly brought this car to the recent Sunday Service at the BMW Plant at Cowley and to Cristopher Balfour who’s book ‘Bristol Cars a very British story‘ provided many of the insights in today’s blog.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s TV detective edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !