Tag Archives: Niven

Super Bug – Volkswagen Trojan Chevrolet Beetle

After successfully racing super saloons that included a race winning Jaguar powered Ford 105E Anglia called “Janglia”, a championship winning Gurney Weslake V8 powered Boss Ford Capri and championship winning 6 litre / 366 cui Capri Mick Hill turned his attention briefly to racing a Formula 5000 March in 1975.

Volkswagen Trojan Chevrolet Beetle, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

On May 9th 1976 Hill announced his return to Super Saloon racing with today’s featured liberal interpretation of a Volkswagen Beetle body which sits atop a chassis fitted with Trojan T102 Formula F5000 front suspension and rear end including a 530hp 5 litre / 302 cui Formula 5000 Chevrolet motor in the back.

Volkswagen Trojan Chevrolet Beetle, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Mick raced the car for two seasons with sponsorship from fellow Super Saloon Competitor Tony Hazelwood’s Templar Tillers business.

Volkswagen Trojan Chevrolet Beetle, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

At the end of 1977 Doug Niven bought the Super Bug who went on a winning rampage recording 47 Super Saloon victories up until the end of 1979 when it was sold on to Jeff Wilson.

Volkswagen Trojan Chevrolet Beetle, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Mick went onto race the ex Tony Hazelwood Can Am powered Jaguar XJ8 before building a championship winning Skoda known as Phoenix using the Can Am engine from the Jaguar and a chassis of his own devising, his last project was a race winning BMW M1 again powered by the Can Am engine now fitted to a Lola T400 Formula 5000 chassis and with a BMW M1 clone body.

Volkswagen Trojan Chevrolet Beetle, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The Super Bug, seen in these photo’s at Goodwood Festival of Speed in it’s original colours in the top three photos and in Doug Niven’s colours in the bottom 2 photos is currently owned and looked after by Dave Taylor who has started a facebook page for the car linked here.

My thanks to Mr Taylor for inadvertently giving me the courage to go with this months Super Saloon Saturday blogs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Super Bug” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Mini Cooper Panda Car. Don’t forget to come back now !

Swapped Identities – Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet #0227EL (#0255EU)

In 1952 British born Paris based clothing tailor John McFadden ordered a new left hand drive Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

For reasons that are not at all clear it appears Ferrari attempted to deliver a right hand drive example of the same model, #0227EL which John refused to accept.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

To rectify the problem Ferrari changed, restamped, the chassis number of today’s featured left hand drive (LHD) Ferrari 212 inter Vignale Cabriolet from #0255EU to #0227EL and at the same time changed the chassis number of the original from #0227EL to #0255EU.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Today’s featured car #0227EL(0255EU) was the only LHD example 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet of the total of four built, when it was delivered it carried black bumpers that were chromed by David G. Seibert in Atlanta during his period of ownership between 1978 and 1980.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

#0227EL (#0255EU) features a unique single rear seat on the passenger side which allows anyone traveling on it to put their feet behind the drivers seat.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Now for some myth busting, no evidence has ever been seen in the public domain that this car was ever owned by suave British actor David Niven; as was claimed by the blurb pertaining to this car at Goodwood Festival of Speed and elsewhere on the internet.

Nor is this car a short wheel base Vignale Export Cabriolet model as clearly incorrectly labelled at Goodwood, only 2 such cars were built, chassis #0106E and #0110E, and neither of them is known to have belonged to David Niven either.

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

Ferrari Concours Highlights – Goodwood Festival Of Speed

There were enough Ferrari’s present on the lawn at Goodwood House during the Festival of House for another short run of Ferrari Friday blogs, here is a preview of what is to come in future weeks.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

From 1952 above is a Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale cabriolet that was erroneously labelled as having belonged to British Actor David Niven and incorrectly labelled as a short wheel base 1952 Ferrari 212 Export with a Cabriolet body by Vignale.

Ferrari 212 Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

One year later Vignale built this Coupé on the longer Inter chassis #0267EU and displayed it at the Turin Auto Show before selling is to Jean-Louis Lafourcade in France.

Ferrari 250 GT Zagato, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Surprisingly Zagato only built bodies for six Ferrari’s during the 1950’s, I believe the 1957 250GT seen above was originally fitted with a Ellena Coupé body until 1989 when Zagato were commissioned to fit a the Double Bubble body seen above.

Ferrari 500 Superfast, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

The 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast chassis s/n 6659SF above was purchased by property tycoon Sir Eric Merton Miller in 1966, 11 years later he committed suicide after being served with four writs seeking restitution of funds he had allegedly misappropriated.

Ferrari 330GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

When Desy the original owner of the 1965 Ferrari 330GT seen above sold the car back to Chinetti Motors in New York in 1967 Luigi’s son Coco and commercial artist Bob Peak came up with the idea for Vignale to fit the car with this unique Shooting Brake body, subsequently it was taken to the 50th Annual Turin Motor Show and currently belongs to Singer Jay Kay.

Ferrari P4/5 By Pininfarina, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Finally James Glickenhaus’s unique Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina has already been featured on this blog, but seeing it in the flesh myself for the first time confirmed it was probably well worth every cent of the $4,000,000 (USD Four Million) it cost the lucky owner.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ferrari Concours Highlights” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Formula Junior racer. Don’t forget to come back now !