Tag Archives: Motors

Go Turbo Or Not – Lola T711 Chevrolet #HU2

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For the 1985 season General Motors ordered two new Lola chassis to compete in the IMSA GTP series against Porsche, Nissan, Mazda and the Jaguar endorsed Group44 XJR5 GTP entries.

The first chassis T710 HU1, better known as the Corvette GTP, was powered by a turbocharged 3.4 litre / 207 cui V6 and was run by Hendricks Motorsports in 1985 and 1986 winning the 1986 Road Atlanta 500 Kilometres with Sarel van der Merve and Doc Bundy at the wheel.

The second car the T711 #HU2 was powered by a normally aspirated 366cui / 6 litre V8 said to produce 800hp, which was considered insufficient to compete against the Porsches Nissans and Jaguars.

Lola T711, Paul Stubber, Silverstone Classic,

After GM decided to go the turbocharged route Lew Price’s Lee Racing acquired the car direct from Lola in time to enter it for the 1985 Daytona 24 Race.

Lew was joined by Carson Baird, Billy Hagan, Terry Labonte in the cockpit, but despite qualifying 13th #HU2 retired with a broken gearbox.

During the remainder of 1985 the cars best result was a 7th place finish for Carson and Chip Mead from 20th on the grid in the Miami 3 Hour race.

Lola T711, Paul Stubber, Silverstone Classic,

Lew took #HU2 back to Daytona in 1986 and with Jim Mullen and Matt Whetstine on the driving strength qualified 19th only to retire from the 24 hour race with suspension failure.

The car made two more appearances in 1986 retiring after an accident with Lew at the wheel from the Miami Grand Prix and retiring from the Sebring 12 Hours, where Lew, Jim and Carson qualified 10th, when the car caught fire.

Australian Paul Stubber seen at the wheel of the car, restored by Damax Engineering, in these photographs taken at Silverstone Classic is the cars fourth owner.

Thanks for joining me on this “Go Turbo Or Not” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Brock’s Fantuzzi Body – de Tomaso Sports 5000 #P70-001

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In 1965 Alejandro de Tomaso turned his attention to building a run of 50 sports racing cars, to be known as the Sport 5000 using the central backbone chassis architecture of his Vallelunga road car as a starting point.

de Tomaso Sport 5000, Modena

Photo Courtesy Bill Noon / Symbolic International.

He replaced the 100 hp 4 cylinder Ford Kent motor used in the road car with a 475 hp 4.7 litre / 289 Ford V8 sourced from Carroll Shelby of the type developed for the Cobra sports racing cars.

de Tomaso Sport 5000, Modena

Photo Courtesy Bill Noon / Symbolic International.

The open top aluminium body work was designed by Pete Brock, who was responsible for designing the Cobra Coupé bodywork for Carroll Shelby, a year earlier and crafted by Fantuzzi.

de Tomaso Sport 5000

Photo Courtesy Bill Noon / Symbolic International.

The cars first public appearances, with rear wheels covered, were in the 1965 Turin Motor Show and 1966 Modena Racing Car Show. Around this time Ghia had stepped in with some financial assistance and the car was known as the Ghia de Tomaso. In March 1966 Pierre Noblet, Franco Bernabei, Umberto Maglioli were entered to drive the car in the Sebring 12 Hours, but it failed to show up.

de Tomaso Sport 5000

Photo Courtesy Bill Noon / Symbolic International.

The Sport 5000 entry for the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours was refused by organisers Automobile Club de l’Ouest, but in July 1966 Roberto Bussinello drove the Sport 5000, on it’s competition debut, in the Cuircuito del Mugello road race where the car retired on the opening, 66 km, lap.

Palm Springs Concours d'Elegance

The only Sport 5000 built at de Tomaso’s Modena factory would never race again, by this time Shelby had turned his attentions to the Ford GT40 programme and production of the Sport 5000 was put on indefinite ice.

Pete Brock used elements of the Sport 5000 design including the adjustable rear wing, in the Suzuki Hino race car, while de Tomaso used the strengthend chassis design in the Ford 289 and later 302 cui V8 powered de Tomaso Mangusta.

The unique Sport 5000, a contemporary of the Ford GT40 and Ferrari P3, did not surface again until after Alejandro de Tomaso died in 2004. In 2006 a second car was built known as a 70P using the original cars panels as a template for the copy.

Earlier this year the de Tomaso Sport 5000, which is now being offered for sale by Bill Noon’s Symbolic International, was seen, above, by Geoffrey Horton at Palm Springs Concours d’Elegance.

My thanks to Bill Noon at Symbolic International for sharing his photographs of the Sport 5000 and to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photograph too !

Thanks for joining me on this “Brock’s Fantuzzi Body” edition of Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an American project that took Jaguar back to Le Mans in the mid 1980’s. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Worlds Best Handling FWD – Lotus M100 Elan SE Turbo

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When General Motors acquired Lotus Cars in 1986 it committed to investing £35m / US$55m in to a new affordable car that was to be built on the reputation of the Lotus Elan which was discontinued in 1973.

Lotus M100 Elan SE Turbo, Classic Sports Car and Action Day, Castle Combe

Unlike the original rear wheel drive Elan the new Peter Stevens designed M100 Elan featured front wheel drive, and was powered by a development of an Isuzu motor that produced 130 horsepower in normally aspirated form and 162 hp in SE Turbo form.

Lotus M100 Elan SE Turbo, Classic Sports Car and Action Day, Castle Combe

The rest to 60 mph time of 6.5 seconds and top speed of 137 mph was matched by the handling described by some sources as ‘the finest front wheel drive car bar none’.

Lotus M100 Elan SE Turbo, Classic Sports Car and Action Day, Castle Combe

Unfortunately as the Lotus M100 Elan came to market in 1989 Europe and the USA were entering a recession and Mazda had already flooded the market with it’s retro ‘Elan’ the MX5/Eunos/Mita series and so Lotus ended up selling just 3,855 M100 Elan’s between Nov 1989 and July 1992.

Lotus M100 Elan SE Turbo, Classic Sports Car and Action Day, Castle Combe

Second series of 800 155 hp Elan’s were built between June 1994 and and July 1995 featuring mandatory catalytic converters and slightly longer and heavier body work to accommodate the latest US spec safety features including airbags.

Lotus M100 Elan SE Turbo, Classic Sports Car and Action Day, Castle Combe

General Motors had sold it’s interest in Lotus to Bugatti by this stage and the new Lotus owners did a deal with Kia Motors to license the manufacture of an updated Kia Elan complete with a Kia sourced power unit. Kia wound up production of it’s M100 Elan in 1999.

Today’s featured M100 Elan SE Turbo seen at last years Classic Sports Car Action Day at Castle Combe was built in 1991.

Thanks for joining me for this “Worlds Best Handling FWD” 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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Hydra-matic – Nash Airflyte Ambassador

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The 1950 Nash Airflytes offered 23 detail improvements of the short wheel base 600 and long wheel base Ambassador models.

Nash Airflyte Ambassador, Classics at the Castle, Sherbourne

The Ambassador seen here is powered by a 115 hp 3.8 litre / 231 cui overhead valve straight 6 motor, 3hp more powerful than the 1949 model and more fuel efficient, according to the manufacturer.

Nash Airflyte Ambassador, Classics at the Castle, Sherbourne

The Airflyte body, first seen in 1949, was developed in a wind tunnel by Nils Wahlberg. The design was so cutting edge it was considered alarming by some.

Nash Airflyte Ambassador, Classics at the Castle, Sherbourne

The closed front wings / fenders benefited aerodynamic efficiency at the cost of a larger turning circle than it’s competitors.

Nash Airflyte Ambassador, Classics at the Castle, Sherbourne

New options included aircraft style reclining front seats and seat belts for the “Super Lounge” interior, the latter a first for US built cars.

Nash Airflyte Ambassador, Classics at the Castle, Sherbourne

The top of the range 1950 Ambassador models also offered Hrydra-matic transmission which was developed by General Motors, which contributed to the cars legendary comfortably smooth ride and annual sales of over 130,000 in 1950.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hydra-matic” 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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Hands Up ! – MG KN Univesity Motors Speed Model Magnette #KN 0440

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Every once in a while I learn something quite shocking, namely how easy it is to deceive myself into thinking I know something only to find with hind sight that I know nothing at all. Today I am sticking both hands up high in the air and admitting I was wrong, quite wrong and I hope you will accept my humble apologies for any confusion caused.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

The instance occurred a couple of days ago when I was trying to identify some MG’s I found that a vehicle I thought was a K Type was actually an Type NA, then to my horror I found out that a Type NA that I wrote a blog about some months ago turns out to be one of 200 type KN’s and a University Motors Speed Model Magnette to boot, that is the car I am featuring today which I incorrectly identified in a September blog as a Type NA.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

The MG KN was a factory built car featuring a K type saloon body and chassis but with a larger 1271 cc motor from the later MG N type.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

Today’s featured car which was seen at Brooklands last year is a variation of the factory built saloon featuring the K type chassis and K1 4 seat tourer body.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

These cars were assembled and sold by Univesity Motors, the main dealer in South East England as the University Motors Speed Model Magnette.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

The enlarged motor aside there are few differences between the original K1 tourer and the University Motors Speed Model Magnette apart from the headlight mountings and some interior trim details.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

In all 171 K1 saloon and four seat tourers were built while 201 KN Saloon’s and University Motors Speed Model Magnettes were built between 1934 and 1936.

Apologies again for any confusion caused.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hands Up” 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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Continental Tourer – MG 18/80 Six Saloonette Mk I

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Today’s featured MG 18/80 Six was through University Motors of, the then very fashionable, Park Lane, London W1 in 1931 for £625 painted black and cream.

MG 18/80 Six Salonette MkI, Bristol Classic Car Show

Technically this car is similar to the Tigress bodied 18/80 featured a couple of weeks ago with a 2468cc / 150 cui six cylinder motor that gives an 80 mph potential.

MG 18/80 Six Salonette MkI, Bristol Classic Car Show

The history of this particular car is unknown between its original sale and the 1960’s when it resurfaced several times as it changed ownership. Since it’s restoration in the 1970’s it has been used for touring in the UK and on the Continent.

Thanks for joining me on this “Continental Tourer” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will loin me tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a classic Messerschmitt. Don’t forget to get to come back now !

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Too Much Added Lightness – Lotus 27 27-JM-22 & 27-JM-2

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The design of the 1963 Lotus 27 Formula Junior car followed the principles of the 1963 Lotus 25 Formula One car featuring a monocoque. Keen to save weight, cost and promote the use of fibre glass which Colin Chapman used extensively in the Lotus Elite and Elan models the 27 monocoque initially differed from the bigger, aluminium skinned, Lotus 25 monocoque by having a fibre glass outer skin.

Former motor cycle racer and film distributor Ron Harris ran the works Lotus Formula Junior team in 1963 for 1962 Formula Junior champion Peter Arundell, Mike Spence and John Fenning. With only one car available for Peter first time out at Oulton Park the team scored a lucky victory after the faster Brabhams including that of Denny Hulme retired with engine problems. The victory was lucky because the monocoque was so weak it badly affected the handling of the Lotus 27.

5 or 6 Lotus 27 chassis are thought to have been constructed with fibre glass outer skins and nearly 4 months past before Peter returned to his winning ways by which time the fibre glass outer skin of his Lotus 27’s monocoque had been replaced by rolled aluminium which stiffened the monocoque and improved the 27’s handling.

With 6 successive late season wins Peter Arundell secured his second successive British Formula Junior title by one point over Denny Hulme.

Lotus 27, Goodwood Revival

Chris Locke is seen above at the Goodwood Revival in his Lotus chassis 27-JM-22. This car was sold originally to one C Haas, better known these days as the racing impresario the multi championship winning Newman/Hass/Lanigan Indycar team.

According to San Anselmo CA resident Lotus aficionado Chris Locke’s website, Carl sold the car to General Motors who wanted to study the monocoque engineering and design, some years later General Motors donated the Lotus to the auto shop department of a Detroit high school. Teacher Pat Nelson liberated the car by substituting a more practical vehicle for his students to learn from before the racer had been dismantled.

Pat raced 27-JM-22 from the late 60’s to mid 70’s before Jim Lloyd took over the car in 1977 and raced it some more. Jim was photographed with his 27 – JM – 22 parked next to Mario Andretti’s championship winning Lotus 79 at the US Grand Prix in 1978. Six successive owners owned and raced the car the last of which had a the tub replaced after an accident in 1999. Chris became the owner in 2001 and has the car looked after John Anderson Racing in the States and Historic Team Lotus in Europe.

Lotus 27, Goodwood Revival

The second Lotus 27, 27-JM-2, featured today driven by Nick Fennell above was acquired for Jean Vinatier by Ecurie Ford France on the 28th May 1963, The team were running tragic future Grand Prix driver Jo Schlesser in a rival Brabham BT6 at the same time.

Of the two Jo scored better and consistent results until the August 18th 1963 when Jean recorded fastest lap on his way to two heat wins and win on aggregate in a French Formula Junior Championship at Nogaro. Jean recorded a further 3rd place at Montlhéry near Paris before the seasons end.

Jean went on to become French National Rally Champion in an Alpine Renault in 1969 and represented the same team at Le Mans a track at which he recorded 15 24 hour race starts between 1950 and 1973.

Thanks to Peter, Pete, willga, and Ron at The Nostalgia Forum for their comments on the 27’s construction.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Too Much Added Lightness’ 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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