Tag Archives: Manchester

IRS 7 Beater – Chevron B1 #01

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Born in Manchester in 1933 Derek Bennett took a keen interest in model aircraft before completing an apprenticeship in mechanical and electrical engineering.

Working as a mechanic Derek was soon applying his skills and intuition to motor racing applications that included a V8 powered model Ford Model Y (British) stock car, two JAP powered Midgets for oval racing and Austin 7 specials for 750 Formula events organised by the 750 Motor Club at his local Oulton Park and Aintree Circuits.

Chevron B1, Race Retro, Stoneleigh.

At the same time Derek was building a reputation as a quick driver racing his Formula 750 special which was upgraded to Clubmans spec with a mandatory Ford 1172 engine and was pitted against the ubiquitous Lotus Seven’s and rarer Len Terry designed Terrier a MkII version of which Derek also prepared and raced for Doug Linton.

Derek graduated to a less than successful Formula Junior car of his own devising, allegedly originally conceived on the back of a piece of wall paper, which was replaced by a Gemini FJ and BT9 Brabham F3 car, along with a Lotus Elite and TVR.

Chevron B1, Race Retro, Stoneleigh.

While successfully racing a Formula Libre Lotus Twin Cam powered Brabham BT14 for Robert Ashcroft Derek was approached by accounts clerk Brian Classic, for whom Derek had earlier helped sort out a Daimler SP250 and another Lotus Elite, to build the Clubmans car that kick started Derek Bennett Engineering Ltd as a racing car manufacturer of Chevron Cars with financial help from John Bridges who’s initial B would become synonymous with the Chevron type designations.

Derek decided that he would build two such Clubman’s cars, the first for himself, which were to be Lotus Seven beaters. Using typical for racing practice for the period Derek specified proprietary Triumph suspension uprights and steering rack, a Lotus Elite differential housing and Brabham wheels to save on costs.

Chevron B1, Race Retro, Stoneleigh.

The rest of the car, named B1 after it’s first appearance, was drawn out in chalk on the floor at Derek’s Salford workshop at 31 Church Street with David Willars and featured independent rear suspension (irs) all round unlike the contemporary Lotus which it set out to beat.

Despite not being complete the first Chevron was taken to Ireland for three races in July 1965 where Derek won the first at Kirkistown on the cars debut, setting fastest lap for good measure before his Formula Libre entrant Robert Ashcroft won in the car on it’s second appearance at Dunboyne where he beat future Formula One star John Watson who was driving a Crosslé.

Chevron B1, Race Retro, Stoneleigh.

Back on the mainland Derek is known to have driven his first Chevron to at least two further victories in 1965 at Mallory Park in August and Silverstone in October, successes which set the phone lines at Salford ringing with new orders for 1966.

Chassis #01 is seen in these photographs at Race Retro earlier this year after a full restoration by Vin Malkie who I believe owns or has recently owned 5 of the first 6 Chevrons built.

Note an under powered prototype Chevron B1 Mk II road car project appeared in 2007 but is appears never have gained traction for a production run.

Thanks for joining me on this “IRS 7 Beater” 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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More Fuel – McLaren Ford M14A #M14/2

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Going into 1970 things were looking up as McLaren Cars entered their seventh year. The team had won three consecutive Can Am Championships, 2 for Bruce McLaren and one for Denny Hulme, the inaugural European Formula F5000 championship with Peter Gethin and four championship Formula One races one for Bruce McLaren and three, including the last race of 1969, for Denny Hulme.

In addition to these racing programs for 1970 McLaren were to embark on an Indy program with the new turbocharged McLaren Offy M15 and were contracted to run an Alfa Romeo V8 powered car alongside their new Ford powered M14A Formula One car.

McLaren Ford M14A, Goodwood Revival

The new M14A was an improvement of the 1969 McLaren M7C, itself based on a Formula F5000 M10A chassis with McLaren M7A Grand Prix winning suspension.

The main feature of the new car was the narrower internal dimensions of the monocoque which were necessary to accommodate larger fuel tanks required by the ever more powerful and thirsty Ford Cosworth DFV V8’s.

McLaren Ford M14A, McLaren Manchester, Knutsford

The McLaren M14A was used in all but one race in the 1970 Formula One championship season. It’s best result was on it’s debut in South Africa where Denny Hulme finished second, driving I believe today’s featured car. Bruce McLaren matched that in Spain where he also finished second. After the Monaco Grand Prix where Denny finished forth disaster struck as first Denny was badly burned after his car caught fire in testing at Indianapolis and then a couple of weeks later Bruce was killed while testing the M8D Can Am car at Goodwood.

The team consequently missed the Belgian GP and reappeared at the Dutch Grand Prix with Dan Gurney driving the lead car #M14/1 and 1969 European Formula 5000 champion Peter Gethin making his Formula One championship debut driving today’s featured chassis, both cars retired. Denny Hulme still suffering from burned hands was back in time for the French Grand Prix alongside Dan Gurney and the pair came in 4th and 6th respectively.

#M14/2 is seen at the McLaren Manchester show room in Knutsford above.

McLaren Ford M14A, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Dan Gurney retired from Formula One after retiring from the British Grand Prix where Hulme finished a remarkable 3rd. Peter Gethin was back in the team for the German Grand Prix where Denny again finished 3rd. Denny retired from the Austrian GP but at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix he came home 4th. Peter Gethin scored his first World Championship point at the Canadian Grand Prix where he finished 6th and Denny rounded out a painful year with a third in the Mexican Grand Prix finishing 4th in the Formula One Championship points table.

Incredibly despite his injuries Denny had also won 6 of the 10 Can Am Championship rounds enough to win the 1970 Chamionship his second Can Am Crown and McLaren Cars 4th consecutive championship aided by a further win from Peter Gethin who also won a second consecutive European Formula 5000 title driving a McLaren. The US, New Zealand and South African Formula 5000 thousand championships were won by John Cannon, Graham McRae and Bob Olthof respectively all also driving McLarens.

McLaren Ford M14A, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

For 1971 #M14/2 was driven by Peter Gethin to two second place finishes in non championship races at Oulton Park and Brands Hatch, the best championship result Peter had from 3 championship start in the car was 8th in the 1971 Spanish Grand Prix.

Jackie Oliver joined McLaren for the British Grand Prix where he qualified #M14/2 22nd but a bungled flag drop saw Jackie crash into Graham Hill at the start causing instant retirement for both and a £50 fine for Jackie. The cars final works appearance was at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix where Jackie qualified 13th and finished 7th in a close fought race won by Peter Gethin now driving a BRM.

McLaren Ford M14A, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

#M14/2 next appeared with a Formula 5000 Chevy stock block V8 motor in the hands of Tony Dean who’s best result was a 10th place finish in his first start in the car at Mondello Park. On his seventh and final attempt, which included retirements from races at Elkhart Lake and Brainerd, to race the car Tony failed to qualify for the non championship 1972 John Player Challenge Trophy at Brands Hatch.

In 1973 at the same venue Willie Wood failed to qualify #M14/2 for the Formula F5000 race or non championship Race of Champions and was not classified in a further appearance at Oulton Park. Allan Kayes then bought #M14/2 was also unclassified at Brands Hatch, finished 11th at Oulton Park and then retired, failed to qualify or failed to start in 12 further races most of which were rounds of the 1974 European Formula 5000 championship.

Thanks for joining me on this “More Fuel” 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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English T – Ford Model T

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Ford Motor Company started manufacturing vehicles in 1903 and that same year three Model A’s were exported to Great Britian, by 1909 the Ford Motor Company (England) was established and began working from an Office in London on March 8th 1911.

Ford Model T, 1911, Goodwood Revival

Ford’s first overseas assembly plant was opened in 1911 at Trafford Park in Manchester where Ford Model T’s were assembled with imported chassis, mechanical parts and locally manufactured bodies. The 1911 Model T above has the distinction of being the first car to be driven up Ben Nevis.

22 year old Henry Alexander, on the instruction of his father the first Ford dealer in Scotland, spent six weeks preparing a route to the top Britains highest peak 4,409 ft / 1,344 m above sea level. It then took Mr Alexander 5 days to reach the summit along the precarious route he had prepared. Mr Alexander repeated the feat in 1928 and to mark Centenary of the Model T reaching the top of Ben Nevis, earlier this year a team of 71 volunteers carried a replica model T to the summit assembled it and then disassembled it and brought it back down again !

Ford Model T, Landaulet, 1912, Goodwood Revival

Although the three pedal system for operating motor cars as used in most cars to this day was familiar when the first Model T’s were built in 1908 the Model T relied on a hand throttle operated on the steering wheel a left pedal that when fully depressed engaged a low gear, when part depressed disengaged the gear box and when not depressed engaged a high gear. The centre pedal when depressed engaged reverse and the right pedal operated the brakes which were attached to the rear wheel only.

Above is a 1912 Landaulet offering minimal weather protection to the front seat occupants while giving the rear seat occupants a choice of protection thanks to a folding roof. The Landaulet body style was a hangover from the age of the horse drawn carriage and has largely disappeared only Maybach are known to offer a Landaulet option at the time of writing.

Ford Model T, Huck Starter, 1915, Goodwood Revival

When designing the Model T Henry Ford new that as well as a motor car he wanted his vehicle to be adaptable to the requirements of a great variety of users in agriculture and industry. Amongst the stranger applications of the Model T was the mobile aircraft starter version.

The long pole that extends beyond the front of this 1915 ‘Huck Starter’ Model T can be aligned with the propellor shaft of an aeroplane and then engaged with it. The chain to the left of the operator connects the aeroplane starter shaft to the drive of the Model T which when engaged will rotate the aircraft engine until it fires under its own power.

Ford Model T, Fire Engine, 1923, Goodwood Revival

When production of the Model T started it took around 12 and half hours to assemble one. By the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 production time had been slashed to just 93 minutes , at one time nearly half of all the worlds motor vehicles were thought to be Fords, in the UK in 1919 41% of all new cars registered for the road were Fords.

The Model T was easily adapted into trucks and buses above is a 1923 fire engine that served on the estate of the Earl of Derbyshire from 1924 to 1948.

Ford Model T, 1924, Goodwood Revival

One of the great myths about the Model T was that one could have a Model T any colour one wanted so long as it was black. In fact this was only true after 1914, up until then Model’s T’s were not available in black at all, from 1912 to 1914 Model T’s were only available in Midnight Blue with black wings / fenders. After 1914 over 30 different black paints were developed to satisfy the various means of applying the paint to different parts of the cars.

The 1924 Model T above is little changed from the 1911 example seen at the top of the post.

Ford Model T, 1924, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum

With over 15 million examples produced when production of the Model T ceased in 1927, the Model T held the title of the worlds most popular vehicle until 1972 when it was eclipsed by the VW Beetle, though it should be noted the Beetle had undergone many more changes in it’s life time than the Model T.

The 1924 example above can be seen at the Attwell Wilson Museum.

Thanks for joining me on this English T edition of ‘Getting a li’l pysycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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