Tag Archives: Prescott

Short Stroke Straight Eight – Bugatti Type 39

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In 1925 Bugatti built a series of 5 Type 39’s, confusingly these cars are externally identical to the Type 35’s but the Type 39’s differed by being powered by short stroke straight eight motors of 1.5 litres / 91 cui capacity.

Bugatti Type 39, David Hands, VSCC, Prescott

The Type 39’s first appeared in the a 590 mile touring event run on the Monthlèry GP circuit fitted with full road equipment, including lights, wings and hoods as well as a self-starter. The type 39’s beat all comers including cars fitted with larger motors to secure a 1,2,3,4 result with ‘Meo’ Constantini leading the parade home after nearly 12 hours of racing.

Four weeks later the same five cars divested of their touring appendages appeared in the Italian Grand Prix where they again ran against larger 2 litre competition and finished third, fourth and fifth after Goux in the fifth placed car having led until sidelined near the end with a holed fuel tank.

#4604 featured today, seen driven by David Hands at Prescott, was one of two sold to Australians, it was bought by it’s previous owner in 1936 and sold to the present owner in 2005 who had it recomissioned by Charles Knill-Jones Tula Engineering. One lucky enthusiast saw #4604 at a petrol station not so long ago and was offered a ride in it, see the video above.

Thanks for joining me on this “Short Stroke Straight Eight” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Ettore’s Magnus Opus – Bugatti Type 35B

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In 1924 Ettore Bugatti’s masterpiece the Bugatti Type 35 was seen for the first time at the Grand Prix de Lyon where five of the new cars were entered. Two of them, driven by France Jean Chassagne and Ernest Friderich, came home 7th and 8th on the same lap, but 40 mins behind the winning Alfa Romeo of Giuseppe Campari after 7 hours of racing.

Bugatti Type 35B, Marshall, VSCC, Prescott

Despite the inauspicious start the Type 35, in various guises powered by variations of a development of the 2 litre 8 cylinder 24 valve motor seen on the Type 30, would go on to dominate the top echelons of European racing for nearly 10 years clocking up somewhere between 1000 and 2000 outright victories which at one point were being recorded at 14 per week !

Bugatti Type 35B, Marshall, VSCC, Prescott

Like W.O Bentley, Ettore Bugatti was not a big fan of superchargers but after supercharging 2 litre Type 35C the ultimate form of the Type 35 was the 1927 Type 35B powered by a 2.262 litre, 138 cui 8 cylinder motor, first seen in the Type 35T but supercharged to produce 138 hp.

Bugatti Type 35B, Marshall, VSCC, Prescott

One of the reasons for the success of the Type 35 racing variants was the unusual use of 5 main bearings, at the time three was considered enough by most, that were of the ball bearing type, as against the more common roller type which allowed the motors to revolve at higher rpm than had been hitherto possible.

Bugatti Type 35B, Marshall, VSCC, Prescott

The list of victories that fell to the Type 35B, like the 1927 example featured today driven by Mike Marshall at Prescott Hillclimb, includes the 1928 Targa Florio won by Albert Divo, the first Monaco and 23rd French Grand Prix both won in 1929 by, future British Special Operations Executive agent, William Grover-Williams.

Bugatti Type 35B, Marshall, VSCC, Prescott

Of the 343 Type 35’s, of all versions built, 45 were type 35B’s which like all forced induction Type 35’s featured a radiator mounted closer to the front axle than the normally aspirated variants to accommodate the supercharger.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ettore’s Magnus Opus” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

8 Cylinders 24 Valves – Bugatti Type 30

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Late in 1922 until 1926 Ettore Bugatti offered the 2 litre / 122 cui Type 30

Bugatti T30, Huntley, VSCC, Prescott

The Type 30 was however not all new the horseshoe radiator was carried over from the later Type 13/22/23 Voiturette Brescia models…

Bugatti T30, Huntley, VSCC, Prescott

as was the chassis which was available with 100.4″ or 112.2″ wheelbase and “occasionally” with a 94.5″ wheelbase option, ie the same options as for the earlier models.

Bugatti T30, Huntley, VSCC, Prescott

The front brakes on the early Type 30’s built between 1922 were hydraulic operated but from 1924 to ’26 they were cable operated as were the rear brakes on all Type 30’s.

Bugatti T30, Huntley, VSCC, Prescott

It is believed around 600 Type 30’s were built, the recently restored example seen here at last years VSCC Prescott meeting, driven by Douglas Huntley, was originally built in 1925.

Thanks for joining me on this “8 Cylinders 24 Valves” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at Red Bull’s 2013 season. Don’t forget to come back now !

Do Not Touch The Cars – Bugatti Type 13 Brescia

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This month’s Tuesday blogs will feature some Vintage Bugatti’s starting with today’s featured Type 13 Brescia.

After the success enjoyed by Bugatti following the second place finish in the 1911 French Grand Prix by Ernest Friderich driving a 1368 cc / 83 cui Voiturette Type 13 to the mighty 10 litre / 589 cui winning FIAT S76 driven by Victor Hemery Bugatti future up until the beginning of the Great War hostilities in 1914.

Bugatti Type 13 Brescia, Ward, Prescott

At the out break of hostilities Ettore Bugatti took two Type 13’s to Milan and buried the parts of three more for the duration. In 1918 Ettore returned to his factory in Molsheim with his two Type 13’s and built up three more from the buried parts.

These cars were entered into the 1920 VIII Coupe des Voiturettes at Le Mans where Ernest Friderich drove one of the cars two victory Team mate Pierre de Vizcaya was disqualified from the event after Ettore was observed by officials to have touched the radiator of the #18 which counted as receiving outside assistance.

Bugatti Type 13 Brescia, Ward, Prescott

In September 1921 Ettore sent a team of four cars with slightly larger 1,453cc / 88.6 cui motors to compete in the I Gran Premio delle Vetturette run in Brescia, Northern Italy and after just under 3 hours of racing Ernest Friderich led home a Bugatti sweep of the first four places, subsequently all Bugatti’s with 16 valve heads including the Type 13’s, Type 22’s and Type 23’s fitted with 16 valve head motors, were given the Brescia moniker in memory of the victory.

Bugatti Type 13 Brescia, Ward, Prescott

The Type 13 was manufactured with 8 valve and 16 valve cylinder heads from 1910 to 1926 being fitted with front brakes as standard only in the final year of production, Ettore having oft been quoted as saying “I make cars to go, not to stop.”

Bugatti Type 13 Brescia, Ward, Prescott

The 1921 Type 13 Brescia seen above driven by Michael Ward at Prescott is notable for having front brakes fitted.

My thanks to Michael Fines, Felix Muelas and Barttore at The Nostalgia Forum for their help in determining which cars Ettore sent to Brescia in 1921.

Thanks for joining me on this “Do Not Touch The Cars” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow, when I be looking at how the Mercedes Formula One team got on in 2013. Don’t forget to come back now !

No Enthusiast Should Miss – Ginetta G.15 Coupé

For trade stand No. 157 at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1967 Ginetta prepared a vehicle that they said “No enthusiast should miss”, the new Ginetta G.15 was billed as being capable of 100 mph and achieving 40 mpg with ‘fantastic’ road holding and all for the low price of just £849 in kit form.

Ginetta G15, Prescott

However Ginetta had over sold them selves since they had not sorted out their supply chain out sufficiently to start production until 1968. However once they got going according to Ginetta’s engineer Ivor Walkett “we could not build them fast enough” for a while Ginetta moved into a new factory to cope with the demand which eventually was just short of 800 units.

Ginetta G15, Prescott

Built around a steel space frame with glass fibre pannels the G.15 used proprietary Triumph Spitfire front suspension and like the later Clan proprietary rear mounted engine and suspension from the Hillman Imp. Ginetta also had the car type approved for turn key sales.

Ginetta G15, Russell, Prescott

The G.15 was a big hit on the tracks and hills, Chrysler engineer Brian Tavender used his in sprints with is own specially prepared motor and gearbox, until an accident at Castle Combe in 1975 Barry Wood was successful running a works backed car in the modified sportscar (Modsport) class while 3 years after production had ended in 1974 David Beams became 1977 Production Sports (Prodsports) Champion with his G.15. Two years later Alison Davis repeated the Prodsports feat to become the first woman to win an overall circuit racing championship.

Ginetta G15, Prescott

The end of G.15 production in 1974 was brought about by the usual suspects for the period, dreaded Value Added Tax (VAT), a three day working week due to fuel shortages, with the additional threat of the end of supply of the Hillman Imp motor. Several G.15s were built for the US market with Volkswagen motors and Ginetta considered using a Skoda motor to replace the Hillman unit before cutting their losses and calling it a day for the model. Subsequently Ginetta moved back to their original factory.

Today’s featured G.15 belonging to Andrew Russell was seen at Prescott a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “No Enthusiast Should Miss” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an early turbocharged Bristol. Don’t forget to come back now !

Floreat Lindum – F.L. Automobiles of Paris Sports

Over the last few years I have come across Ron Birkett’s F.L. Sports several times and yesterday it was time to bite the bullet and find out what an F.L. Sports was.

After several hours I came up with not a lot, to be precise plenty of photo’s of today’s featured car, mention of a 1911 F.L. Torpédo that was auctioned so long ago in France there are no longer any photos of it on the web and two adverts the first from June 1912 and another depicting a 1909 12 hp 4 cylinder model that might have some relevance to the subject of this blog.

F.L. Sports, Brooklands Double Twelve

If there is an F.L. Owners club they are keeping a very low web profile. It would appear that the F.L. story begins with an organisation called Compagnie Française de Moteurs à Gaz which for 20 years manufactured stationary Otto 4 stroke motors perfected and designed by Nikolaus Otto and his partner Eugen Langen.

Between 1900 and 1914 Compagnie Française de Moteurs à Gaz got involved in the manufacture of motor cars through a company called Societé Générale des Voitures Automobiles Otto of Paris which were branded Otto, not to be confused with a brand of the same name manufactured in Philadelphia from 1909 to 1912.

F.L. Sports, Birkett, Prescott

A Mr de la Frennaye came across an engineer called M Serex who had designed a simple yet reliable machine and de la Frennaye negotiated a licence for Societé Générale des Voitures Automobiles Otto of Paris to manufacture it.

To differentiate the Serex designed car from the Ottos, which appear to have gone out of production by 1909, Societé Générale des Voitures Automobiles Otto of Paris invented a new brand F.L. Automobiles of Paris, F.L. being a phonetic spelling eff ell of Eiffe, as in the Parisian Tower, a symbol of technological progress which appears on the F.L. badge.

F.L. Sports, Birkett, Prescott

From at least 1908 F.L. manufactured vehicles with 2.4 litre / 146 cui 4 cylinder motors and from 1912 3.6 litre / 219 cui 6 cylinder motors that were fitted to vehicles with Landaulet, Double Phaeton, Coupe de Ville, Roadster bodies.

It would appear Mr de la Frennaye had good connections with Russia so it is possible some of these vehicles may have been sold there. Production of the F.L. marque came to a halt in 1914 with the onset of the 1914-18 Great War.

F.L. Sports, Brooklands Double Twelve

Today’s featured car was originally sold in 1909 and still bearing it’s original licnece plate number was sold to a lady in County Galway she sold it in 1914 and records of its 2nd and 3rd keepers in Ireland are known up until 1919.

When the chassis of today’s car was discovered in Nottinghamshire in 1998 it emerged that the English F.L. Agents RM Wright & Co of Lincoln sold F.L. vehicles with a different badge RM Wright & Co Licence Serex appeared around the out side, the FL letters within, but the Eiffel Tower illustration replaced by one of Lincoln Cathedral, and the Latin words “Floreat Lindum”, Flower Of Lincoln, appeared above and below the overlapping FL letters.

F.L. Sports, Brooklands Double Twelve

Starting with a bare chassis and no motor Ron Birkett has built the car up into a two seater runabout which was completed and put back on the road with it’s original licence plate number in 2001.

This vehicle is officially listed with a 3 litre / 183 cui motor, a size which I have not otherwise heard about in connection with the Marque and given that the chassis was found sans motor in 1998 it is possible the motor is of a similar period but different make. If you can put me out of my misery please do not hesitate to chip in below.

F.L. Sports, Birkett, Prescott

Since starting this article it has emerged that a further circa 1908 F.L. fitted with a four seat tonneau body was known to reside in Australia in 1998. With no known production figures and just three examples known to have survived there may be a simple reason why the F.L. Owners Club keeps such a low profile.

F.L. Sports, Birkett, Prescott

My thanks to TNFer’s Tim Murray, Steven Lines and Udo Leischner for additional information about the Marque and to Udo again for finding this linked period photo of an FL 12/16hp.

Thanks for joining me on this “Floreat Lindum” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you’ll join me tomorrow when I’ll be looking at Force India’s 2013 season. Don’t forget to come back now !

Versatile Winner – Ginetta Zetec G12 by DARE

A contemporary of the similarly mid engined Lotus Europa, the Ginetta G12 launched in 1966 was designed for the club racer which could be bought for £1,200 in component form.

Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

The car was built round a tubular space frame with the fibre glass panels bonded to the frame to make up the cockpit.

Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

Numerous motors were fitted to G12’s including the 1 litre / 61 cui Ford (Cosworth) SCA from formula junior, 1.5 litre 91.5 cui Coventry Climax pre 1966 Formula One Motor, 1.6 litre Lotus Twin cam as used in the Elan and Lotus Cortina models, 2 litre Martin V8 and in at least one instance a 3.5 litre / 214 cui all aluminium Buick V8.

Stephens, Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

In it’s first year of track competition was the most successful G12 driver winning 11 national races and setting 5 fastest laps in 1966. By the following year the new Chevron B6 provided stiff competition for the G12 and by 1968 it had been succeeded by the open G16. G12’s were raced internationally at Spa and the Nurburgring but without any notable results.

Stephens, Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

The G12’s were however good hillclimbers and sprinters with successes by Walter Flückiger won the Swiss Hillclimb championship in his SCA powered example in 1968 and repeated the experience in 1969 after chopping the roof off. Similarly David Render drove his Buick powered example, chassis 05, to the British Sprint Championship title in 1971.

Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

It is thought around 27 of these cars may have been built between 1966 and 1968, it appears several may have ended up in Japan. As with the Ginetta G4 production of the G12 was restarted by DARE.

Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

Today’s featured 2 litre / 122 cui Zetec powered example, built by DARE, is seen at Prescott where it was driven by Nick Stephens, it should be good for rest to 60 mph times in the region of 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph. Last time I saw it in November it was for sale, if you would like to speak to the owner do not hesitate to get in touch.

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