Tag Archives: Southon

Fatal Exhaust – Maserati 8C 3000 #3002

After Alfieri Maserati’s death in March 1932 the remaining Maserati brothers continued to develop his new 3 litre / 183 cui supercharged straight eight motor. Before the end of 1932 Maserati had fitted a 220hp version of the new motor to an 8C chassis #3001 for Luigi Fagioli to drive in the Czechoslovak Grand Prix at Brno where he finished second to Louis Chiron in his Bugatti T51.

Maserati 8C 3000, Goodwood Festival of Speed

With the financial collapse of Bentley in 1931 the Bentley Boys were struggling to find British built vehicles in which to race. A second Maserati 8C chassis #3002, seen here at Goodwood, was bought by former Bentley Boy and 1928 Le Mans winner Bernard Rubin for fellow Bentley Boy and 1929 Le Mans winner Sir Henry Ralph Stanley ‘Tim’ Birkin to drive in the 1933 season.

Maserati 8C 3000, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Unfortunately ‘Tim’ only got to drive #3002 once in the infamous 1933 Tripoli Grand Prix, a race which is best remembered for a story surrounding a legal syndicate which comprised three lottery ticket holders and three drivers who agreed to divide up various prize monies on offer equally in the event that one or more of the syndicate drivers won, came second, third or any conceivable combination thereof.

Maserati 8C 3000, Berend, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Of course being described by W.O. Bentley to be “the greatest Briton of his time” ‘Tim’ would have nothing to do with the syndicate and intended to do his best to ensure they did not get their result and led the opening four laps of the race. On lap 16 ‘Tim’ pitted which, due to his inexperienced pit team, is said to have cost him more time than his rivals and in particular syndicate members Archi Varzi, who did not need to stop and Tazio Nuvolari who did.

Maserati 8C 3000, Berend, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Some sources say it was during this pit stop that ‘Tim’ accidentally burnt his arm on the exhaust of his car, others say it was during practice earlier in the event, but either way ‘Tim’ continued to finish third, 1 and half minuets, behind Archi and Tazio in that order, the same order to which both are alleged to have agreed on the flip of a coin on the morning of the race.

Maserati 8C 3000, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Tragically the burn ‘Tim’ had suffered from the exhaust turned septic and that in combination with his malarial condition put him in hospital six days after the race and five weeks later Britain lost one of it’s most popular and able drivers.

Maserati 8C 3000, Goodwood Festival of Speed

#3002 was driven in 1934 by Hon. Brian Lewis for Noel Rees at Brooklands where it came second in the International trophy to another Maserati driven by Whitney Straight with both cars sharing the lap record.

Maserati 8C 3000, Berend, Goodwood Festival of Speed

By 1937, following a string of ever less competitive performances with a variety of drivers #3002 was retired only for it have a post ’39-’45 war career, starting in 1946 when first Dudley Froy drove the car in the Easter ’46 VSCC Elstree speed trials.

Maserati 8C 3000, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Next future legendary Aston Martin, Ford GT40 and Gulf Racing manager John Wyer prepared #3002 for T.A.S.O. Mathieson drive in some of the earliest post war French races at Bois du Boulogne, St Cloud, where finished a best 5th and GP du Rousillon, where TASO recorded a 6th place finish.

TASO then started converting the 220hp car for road use and registered her for use on the kings highway, but sold her on in 1947 to Mike Oliver before the job was complete.

Once Mike had finished the conversion to road spec he drove #3002 to a seventh place finish in the ’48 Luton Hoo sprint.
Later in 1948 new owner Squadron Leader John Crampton DFC continued competing with the car at the Prescott and Shelsey hillclimbs along with the Brighton Speed trials and at Goodwood up until 1949.

The car was subsequently rebuilt, still in road going trim, by Alan Southon of the Phoenix Green Garage at Hartley Wintney before spending time in the United States.

Cameron Miller then undertook a restoration of #3002 for Peter Kaus of the Bianco Collection which included replacing the body, the remains of the old one subsequently found their way on to another Maserati which I shall be revisiting next Monday.

The Louwman Museum in the Netherlands now owns #3002 which is seen at Goodwood with Hulsoff Berend at the wheel.

My thanks to FailedJourno at The Nostalgia Forum for pointing out that I confused today’s featured #3002 with the car I shall be revisiting next week.

Thanks for joining me on this “Fatal Exhaust” 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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Vintage Splits – Vauxhall 30/98

Two weeks ago I blogged about some Vauxhall 30/98’s that I saw at VSCC meetings on the Hills at Prescott and Loton Park. Todays Photographs are of another 30/98 I saw earlier this year at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Vauxhall 30/98, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The known history of elements of this car date back to the 1949 when Alan Southon built a Vauxhall 30/98, registration HAA 383, from parts that were once on the inventory of the Phoenix Green Garage in Hampshire. Sometime after completion Alan used the car in the Brighton Speed Trials.

Vauxhall 30/98, Goodwood Festival of Speed

During the 1950’s the remains of HAA 383 were found in a field in Scotland and the car was reassembled by Carrick Watson still with the registration HAA 383, body number OE 101, chassis number OE 304 and engine number OE 232.

Vauxhall 30/98, Goodwood Festival of Speed

At some point the body OE 101 was reunited with it’s original OE 101 chassis in return for a new chassis and body. The new body was fitted to chassis OE 304 along with an older OD engine.

Vauxhall 30/98, Goodwood Festival of Speed

While the new chassis received the OE 232 engine, a Peppercorn Tourer style body, a Peugeot front axle, a back axle from a Vauxhall 23/60 and the number plate that was generated when Alan Southon built his car from the parts obtained from the Phoenix Green Garage.

Vauxhall 30/98, Goodwood Festival of Speed

HAA 383 has since competed in a number of VSCC events and taken part on the Fluella Pass Hill Climb near Davos in Switzerland. The car has also recently been fitted with a replacement cylinder head made in Australia where 60% of all 30/98’s were originally sold.

My thanks to Pre War Car on who’s site further details about HAA 383 are to be found.

Thanks for joining me on another Carceology edition of ‘Getting’ 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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