Tag Archives: Speed

Baby Bertha – Vauxhall Holden Repco Firenza

After disposing of “Old Nail” at the end of 1974 Bill Blydenstein received funding from Dealer Team Vauxhall to create a new Super Saloon based on a 4 door Vauxhall Ventora saloon shell and fitted with a 476 hp 5 litre / 302 cui Repco tuned Holden V8, Borg Warner T10 gearbox, Salisbury Power Lock differential, AP racing disc drakes, double wishbone suspension on the front with 12″ x 15″ slicks and de Dion rear suspension with 15″ x 15″ slicks.

Vauxhall Holden Repco Firenza, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Driver Gerry Marshall soon dubbed the car Big Bertha and won three of the six races he started in the beast before it shed some brake pads and ended up in the Silverstone crash barriers, it’s meticulously built shell beyond repair.

Vauxhall Holden Repco Firenza, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Vauxhall had second thoughts about offering a V8 Ventora to the public in light of the fuel crises, so Bill and DTV decided to build today’s featured Droop Snoot Firenza out of all the bits salvaged from the wrecked shell of Big Bertha.

Vauxhall Holden Repco Firenza, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

It was not long before the car became known as Baby Bertha and over the next three years Gerry raced the car in 40 events and won 37 of them, retired from 2 and was beaten only once by a cheeky little 270 hp Hillman Imp driven by Jonathon Buncombe that was built on a 1971 Chevron B19 sports car chassis and known as The Chimp, soon after it’s win The Chimp was effectively banned from Super Saloon events because of protests regarding it’s wheel base which was longer than the mandated standard Imp length.

Vauxhall Holden Repco Firenza, Piers Ward, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Paul Haywood-Halfpenny bought Baby Bertha in 1978 and had a disastrous season with it that he reckoned cost him £1,000 per lap, at a time when the average wage was only £5000.

Vauxhall Holden Repco Firenza, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

In the 1980’s current owner Joe Ward bought Baby Bertha after Gerry Marshall, among others, had owned it and raced it one more time to a second place finish at Thruxton. Joe’s son Piers is seen at the wheel in the photo above at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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

D Modified – Mercedes Benz 300 SLS Replica

Leave a Reply

After 2 successful seasons winning two SCCA Class D Production (DP) championships the Mercedes Benz supplied team of George D Tilp and driver Paul O’Shea were hoping to make it a threepeat even though they were planning on swapping from the 300 SL Gullwing to the new for ’57 300 SL Roadster model.

Mercedes Benz 300 SLS, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

However the SCCA would not mandate running the 300SL Roadster in the DP class in 1957 on the grounds that insufficient numbers of the Roadster had been built.

Mercedes Benz 300 SLS, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

To get around this problem the Mercedes Benz Rennabteilung built two special lightweight SLS Roadsters for George Tilp to run in the SCCA class D modified for Paul O’Shea.

Mercedes Benz 300 SLS, Dario Franchitti, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

Despite sending George Tilp two cars, two Mercedes Benz race mechanics, Erwin Strupp and Karl Bunz with a container load of spares, the plan was to run only one car to give the operation the semblance of a privateer effort, however after Paul crashed one car at Thompson Connecticut and turned up six days later with an apparently completely repaired car at Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin the cat was out of the bag that George Tilp had two cars at his disposal for Paul.

Mercedes Benz 300 SLS, Dario Franchitti, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

Paul went on to threepeat his and Mercedes Benz third SCCA class championship and the two SLS Roadsters were returned to the Mercedes Benz factory where they were scrapped, allegedly over fears the lightweight bodies would deteriorate.

Mercedes Benz 300 SLS, Dario Franchitti, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

Subsequently numerous SLS variations have appeared most notably Chuck Porter built and raced one very successfully, where the second S stood for scrap, from a burned out Gullwing that closely resembled the 1955 300 SLR’s, several roadsters have also been converted to Tilp / O’Shea SLS replica’s more recently using 300 SL Roadster donor cars, including one by Kienle Automobiltechnik, in Heimerdingen, Germany.

Today’s featured replica seen at Goodwood Festival of Speed with Indy Legend Dario Franchitti at the wheel, was converted to SLS spec by Mercedes Benz who used one of their former test 300 SL Roadsters as a starting point.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for information on his Uncle George Tilp’s racing team.

Thanks for joining me on this “D Modified” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a triumph of presence over elegance. Don’t for get to come back now !

Old Nail – Vauxhall Firenza

Leave a Reply

In May 1971 Vauxhall launched a two door coupé version of it’s Viva sedan known as the Firenza and the shell of today’s car started life as one of the prototype Firenza’s on which Vauxhall put through it’s paces to ensure the model met it’s performance and quality criteria.

Vauxhall Firenza, Donington Grand Prix Collection

After Vauxhall had finished with the car they rewarded Bill Blydenstein of Blydenstein Developments who with driver Gerry Marshall had campaigned a success Vauxhall Viva GT with the car and a funding deal which became known as Dealer Team Vauxhall.

01 Vauxhall Firenza_6158sc

Bill Blydenstein and Gerry Johnston prepared the car, which included lowering the front suspension and widening the wheel arches to incorporate wide slick racing tyres, for Gerry Marshall to drive in the 1972 BARC Forward Trust Championship which he promptly won outright.

Vauxhall Firenza, Race Retro,

In 1973 Vauxhall introduced the Firenza HP with its distinctive “droopsnoot” for which Bill Blydenstein claimed some of the credit.

Vauxhall Firenza, Gregor Marshall, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

“Old Nail” as Gerry Marshall dubbed her, was similarly modified and raced to two further Class Championship wins in the BARC Forward Trust Championships in 1973 and 1974 by which time Gerry had clocked up 62 race victories in the car.

Vauxhall Firenza, , Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Bill Dryden acquired Old Nail in 1975 and he drove the car to a further three race victories and a Championship Class win in the 1975 Scottish Saloon Car Championship.

The 250hp 2.3 litre motor fitted with Lotus twin cam heads seen in these photographs, has been in the car since 1973, Gerry’s son Gregor is seen driving the car at Goodwood Festival of Speed a couple of years ago.

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

A Glimmer Of Hope – Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet S2 #1865GT

Leave a Reply

Today’s featured Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet S2, chassis #1865GT seen at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, was initially sent to Ferrari Representatives of California in 1960 before being bought by a former lab assistant, book salesman and piston ring salesman turned successful broadcaster of the Today show David Garroway.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet S2, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

“The Roving Announcer” Garroway was a pioneer of the informal conversational style and tone of television presentation, that had hitherto been more authoritative in the style of public oration, introducing one show thus :- “And how are you about the world today? Let’s see what kind of shape it’s in; there is a glimmer of hope.” in 1957.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet S2, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

David broadcast the Today show from a variety of locations including; Paris, Rome, car shows, technology expos, plays, movies and aboard a B-52 bomber for a practice bombing run, his catch phrase when signing off was “Peace”.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet S2, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

In the 1980’s this cars original engine stamped 326/F was installed in a Ferrari 250 GT Coupé chassis # 2027GT of similar vintage, while the engine from a 250 GTE chassis #2929GT had already been installed in today’s featured car a decade earlier.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet S2, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

#1865GT is the 29th of the 201 Ferrari 250 GT Series 2 Cabriolet’s to be built between 1959 and 1962, it was entered at Goodwood Festival of Speed by John Collins.

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

Queens Abbott – Ford Zephyr 6 Abbott Estate

Leave a Reply

Former Wolseley designer Edward Dixon Abbott turned his attention to coach building after taking over Page and Hunt based in Farnham in 1929. His company Abbott’s of Farnham building bespoke for a range of manufacturers chassis including Bentley, Bristol, Frazer Nash, Healey, Lagonda, Rolls Royce, Sunbeam Talbot and even a one off Ferrari 212 Export, but it is Abbott’s bodies on Ford estate cars, after the ’39-’45 war, which were probably the most accessible.

In 1956 Ford launched the Mk II Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac models which became known as the 3 Graces.

Ford Zephyr 6 Abbott Estate, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The same year Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II took delivery of today’s featured one off Zephyr 6 wagon, which I believe was converted by Abbott’s.

The vehicle with an extra tall roof unusually seats nine and was primarily used for ferrying guests and their luggage around the Queens holiday residence the Sandringham Estate not far from The Royal Stud.

Notice how the wiper blades are set up to give the passenger the best view of the road ahead in inclement weather, I wondered if that was because HRH preferred to let Prince Philip drive, however it seems this odd feature was carried over from the Mk I Ford Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac models to all of the Mk II Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac variants.

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

Look A Like – Ferrari 250 GT/E S2 #4019GT

Leave a Reply

In 1955 Ferrari built the first of four series of Long Wheel Base 250 GT Berlinetta’s the last of which was built in 1959.

Ferrari 250 GTE, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

It is believed seventy nine of these Berlinetta’s were built and all bar five of them with bodies by Scaglietti with either: no, one, three or 14 louvres in the C – pillar.

Ferrari 250 GTE, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The remaining five became the second model, after a one off 166, to receive bodies from Ugo Zagato in Milan that featured Zagato’s signature double bubble roof line.

Ferrari 250 GTE, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

With more billionaires with an interest in Ferrari’s now than ever before and the price of a genuine 250GTZ well into eight figures, in the unlikely event one can find one, it is perhaps not surprising that several lesser Ferrari’s have been fitted with replica Zagato bodies.

Ferrari 250 GTE, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

In 1990 Zagato in Milan even fitted a double bubble body to the Long Wheel Base 250 Berlinetta #0757GT which became a 250 GTZ, with the correct chassis, engine and running gear.

Ferrari 250 GTE, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The look a like Double Bubble body on the 1962 250 GT/E #4019GT, belonging to James Cottingham of DK Engineering, seen in these photographs at Goodwood Festival of Speed is uncredited.

James notes his car does not have the correct running gear and it appears to be devoid of the chrome louvre trim on the bonnet seen on the genuine 250 GTZ’s.

Thanks for joining me on this “Look A Like” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the first in a series of Super Saloons. Don’t forget to come back now !

Twincharged – Lancia Delta S4

Leave a Reply

By 1985 it had become apparent that with the successes being racked up by the latest four wheel drive Audi Sport Quattro and Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Lancia would have to abandon it’s supercharged 2 wheel drive Lancia 037 and join the four wheel drive rallying band wagon if it wanted to remain competitive in World Championship Rallying.