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Tuesday 31 July 2018

Jaguar XJ220

This car was displayed in the paddock at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1993.
It's a 1992 Jaguar XJ220, a car that was developed by Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw Racing in the 1990s for Group C racing and had a 3½ litre twin turbo V6 engine. I did think that the XJ220 numberplate was a false one just to indicate that it was a Jaguar XJ220, but the DVLA record shows that the number XJ 220 belongs to a blue 1992 Jaguar with a 3,498cc engine.

I've shown photographs twice previously of the Jaguar XJ220, on 1 September 2016 and 16 September 2017.

Monday 30 July 2018

Lancia D50

Not a competitor at this meeting, but one of the participants in A Demonstration of Italian Racing Cars at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005.
It's a 1955 2½ litre V8 Lancia D50 recreation, at that time owned by Tom Wheatcroft and kept in his museum at Donington Park.
Following the withdrawal of the Lancia team from racing at the end of the 1955 season all the D50 cars and spares were handed over to Ferrari with the exception of one car which went to the Fiat Museum and one which went to the Biscaretti Museum.
Ferrari raced the cars as Lancia-Ferraris in the 1956 season with some modifications and Juan Fangio won the World Championship that season. For the 1957 season the cars were modified to such an extent that it was redesignated as a Ferrari 801, but didn't enjoy any great success.
At the end of the 1957 season with the introduction of the Ferrari 246 F1 car (with which Mike Hawthorn won the 1958 World Championship title) the cars were broken up and the parts stored at the Ferrari factory.
From the 1990s these parts have been used to recreate, I understand, seven examples of the car, including one to the specification of the 1956 Lancia-Ferrari.
Here's the car during one of the demonstration runs being driven by Kevin Wheatcroft, Tom Wheatcroft's son.

On 2 January 2013 I showed photographs of the original Lancia D50 from the Fiat Museum which was part of a display at Silverstone in 1998.

Sunday 29 July 2018

Jaguar D-Type

I took these photographs in the paddock at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1985.
I can't find the programme for this meeting, but this is the 1954 Jaguar D-Type of Martin Morris, seen here in the cockpit.
It's chassis XKC 404 and took part in the 1954 Le Mans 24 Hour race where it was driven by Peter Whitehead and Ken Wharton, but retired after 13 hours with a broken gearbox.
Originally with the 3,442cc straight-6 Jaguar engine, but the DVLA record says that it now has a 3,781cc unit.
OKV 3 was the third of the three D-Types at the 1954 Le Mans 24 Hour Race. OKV 1 (chassis XKC 402) was driven by Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt and finished in second place. OKV 2 (chassis XKC 403) was driven by Stirling Moss and Peter Walker, but retired after 12 hours with brake problems.

Saturday 28 July 2018

Midtec Spyder

I photographed this car recently on one of the streets I pass on my daily walk to Hyde town centre and back.
It's a Midtec Spyder, and the only information I can find about it is that it was designed by Lee Noble of Noble Sports Cars.
According to the DVLA it was made in 1995 and has a 1,993cc engine, presumably the 4-cylinder inline Ford TL20 unit.

Friday 27 July 2018

Friday's Ferrari

This is one of the F1 Ferraris that was part of the Corse Clienti demonstration at the Ferrari Racing Days event at Silverstone in September 2017.
It's a Ferrari 150° Italia as raced by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa in the 2011 season. The car only managed to finish in first place on one occasion, Alonso winning the British Grand Prix. He finished in fourth place in the Drivers' Championship and Massa sixth, Ferrari taking third place in the Constructors' Championship. The car was powered by the Ferrari 056 2,398cc V8 engine.

Thursday 26 July 2018

Riley 12/4 Sprite Special

This car competed in a team of Rileys in the 3 hour long Pre-War Sports Car Team Relay Race at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2004.
It's George Jepson's 1934 Riley 12/4 Sprite Special with a 4-cylinder inline engine of 1,496cc based on the Riley Nine engine.

Wednesday 25 July 2018

Airbus A320

I took these photographs just after 6.15pm on Sunday 8 July 2018.
The aircraft is passing over Hyde, Cheshire just a few minutes before landing at Manchester Airport
It's an Airbus A320-214, registration OO-SNA
Brussels Airlines flight SN2177 from Brussels to Manchester
It's painted in the 'Red Devils' livery marking the Belgian football team's efforts in the 2018 World Cup

Tuesday 24 July 2018

Talbot Lago T26C

This car competed in the Corporate Jets Historic Grand Prix Car 100-Mile race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.
Seen here at Luffield Corner, it's the 1948 4½ litre Talbot Lago T26C of Belgian François d'Huart, a car which Louis Rosier drove in the 1948 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Originally a Talbot works car it was later raced for Écurie Rosier by Maurice Trintignant.

On 27 September 2015 and 9 January 2016 I showed photographs of this car at Silverstone in 1994 and 1999.

Monday 23 July 2018

Lotus, ERA, Cooper Bristol

The VSCC's Richard Seaman Trophies Meeting at Oulton Park in June 1982 was run on the short circuit which leaves the main circuit just after the Cascades corner, and rejoins it just before Knickerbrook. This photograph was taken during the Cheshire Building Society Allcomers Race at Fosters corner which is between Cascades and Knickerbrook.
In the lead here is Bruce Halford in a 1959 Lotus 16 with a 2,495cc straight-4 Coventry Climax FPF engine. Bruce Halford raced in Formula One from 1956 to 1960, firstly with a Maserati 250F, then a Lotus 16 in 1959 and with Cooper T45 and T51 in 1960. In the mid-1970s he bought this Lotus 16 and competed at Historic meetings for several years. Behind the Lotus is the 1936 ERA R5B 'Remus' of the Hon. Patrick Lindsay with the Straight-6 1,982cc supercharged version of the ERA engine. I showed a photograph of this car, and other ERAs competing at this meeting, on 29 October 2012. Bringing up the rear is Roddy MacPherson in a 1,971cc straight-6 Bristol engined Cooper MkII (or T23). On 30 April 2014 I showed photographs that I had taken at this meeting of three Cooper Bristols, including one of this car.

Sunday 22 July 2018

Maserati A6GCM

On 15 January 2018 I showed a photograph of a Maserati A6GCM in a pit garage at the HGPCA's International Historic Grand Prix meeting at Donington Park in May 2004. Here's a photograph of the car during the HGPCA Race for Pre-1961 Grand Prix Cars at that meeting.
This photograph was taken at McLeans Corner and David Bennett in the 1953/4 Maserati A6GCM is leading the 1927 Bugatti Type 35B of Ian Landy ahead of the 1946 Cisitalia D46 of Richard Pilkington with Dick Smith's 1932 Frazer Nash Nürburg bringing up the rear.

Saturday 21 July 2018

Luigi Villoresi

This is another of the Kodak Brownie 127 photographs taken by my brother at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 1956.
It's the Italian racing driver Luigi Villoresi photographed in the paddock on practice day. Luigi Villoresi started his racing career in 1931 and after driving an Alfa Romeo for Scuderia Ferrari in 1937 he joined the Maserati racing team the following season. When racing recommenced after the Second World War he rejoined the Maserati team and remained with them until 1949 when he signed for Scuderia Ferrari, driving for them in F1 World Championship and sportscar races from 1950 to 1953, his team mate Alberto Ascari winning the World Championship title in 1952 and 1953. In 1954 both he and Ascari joined the Lancia team to drive the new Lancia D50, but Villoresi was loaned to Maserati for the first part of the 1954 season until the new car was ready. During the 1955 season Lancia's financial problems were gradually mounting, and the death of Ascari in an accident at Monza precipitated the team's withdrawal from racing, handing over the assets of Scuderia Lancia to Ferrari at the end of the season. Luigi Villoresi went back to racing Maseratis, first with Scuderia Centro Sud then in Luigi Piotti's 250F, and his final F1 race was for the Maserati works team at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix. He didn't win any major Grand Prix races, but was successful in several minor Grands Prix and sportscar races, but his major success was in winning the 1951 Mille Miglia race with Piero Cassani for Scuderia Ferrari in a Ferrari 340 America Berlinetta Vignale. Luigi Villoresi drove Luigi Piotti's Maserati 250F in the 1956 British Grand Prix, qualifying in nineteenth place on the grid but finishing the race in sixth place.

Friday 20 July 2018

Friday's Ferrari

On 22 June 2018 I showed photographs of the 4,308cc V8 engined Ferrari F430 Challenge of Tony Jones that took part in the GT Challenge race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2018. Here are photographs of another Ferrari that competed in that race.
It's another Ferrari F430 Challenge, not listed in the programme but it was driven in the race by Wayne Marrs and is pictured here in the pit garage.
Another photograph of the car in the pit garage, here being readied for the morning qualifying session.
This is Wayne Marrs at Druids Corner during that qualifying session.....
.....and here's the car exiting Britten's chicane during the race, closely followed by Tony Jones' car.

Thursday 19 July 2018

Reliant Scimitar GTC

This was one of the exhibits at the Footman James Classic Car Show Manchester at EventCity in September 2017.
It's a 1984 Reliant Scimitar GTC, one of 442 cars built between 1980 and 1986.
The GTC was powered by the 2,792cc V6 Ford Cologne engine.
There's a Scimitar Owners' Club for owners of all Reliant Scimitar (and Sabre) cars, and also a Scimitar GTC Register for owners of the GTC.

Wednesday 18 July 2018

Manx Norton

The first race at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Donington Park in May 2001 was a motorcycle race in the Lansdowne Classic Series and this was one of the bikes taking part.
It's Barry Stickland's 1960 350cc Manx Norton - the blue background on the number plate indicate that it's racing in the 350cc class.

Tuesday 17 July 2018

Osella FA1B

This car contested the Grand Prix Masters F1 Cars 1966-1985 race at the Silverstone Classic meeting in July 2010.
It's the 1981 Osella FA1B of Frank Lyons, which is powered by a 2,993cc V8 Ford Cosworth DFV engine. Osella competed in F1 races from 1980 to 1990 using Ford Cosworth and Alfa Romeo engines without any notable success. The FA1B was driven in the 1981 season by Jean-Pierre Jarier, Beppe Gabbiani, Miguel Ángel Guerra, Piercarlo Ghinzani and Giorgio Francia, but amidst a host of 'did not qualify' and retirements only achieved five finishes - a thirteenth place by Piercarlo Ghinzani and two eighth places, a ninth and a tenth by Jean-Pierre Jarier.

Monday 16 July 2018

NSU Ro80

I photographed this car at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2017.
It's a 1975 NSU Ro80, the car with the twin-rotor 995cc Wankel engine that was manufactured by NSU from 1967 to 1977 and was voted Car of the Year in 1968. Unfortunately problems involving failure of the rotor tip seals gave the car a reputation for unreliability and the costs involved in meeting its warranty obligations helped to bring about the downfall of NSU, which was acquired by Volkswagen in 1969 and NSU was merged with Auto Union to become Audi.
The problem of the rotor tip seals had been resolved but some of the cars with seized engines had the rotary engine replaced with a Ford Essex V4 engine, and according to the DVLA record this car has an engine of 1,999cc so it's possibly one of those with a Ford engine.

Sunday 15 July 2018

Buick Electra 225

This car was entered in the 'American Cars' class in the Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.
The Buick Electra 225 was produced from 1959 to 1990, and this is a Third Generation 1970 model. The Third Generation cars had V8 engines of either 6.6, 7.0 or 7.5 litres, but the DVLA record says that the engine capacity of this car is 7.3 litres. The programme of the event says this about the car:

Buick 225 Electra Custom Convertible, 1970               TAW38H
Entered by J.W.Greatbanks, Warrington
Shipped in from North Carolina in 1992. One owner from new.

Saturday 14 July 2018

Brabham Repco BT24

I photographed this car in the museum at Donington Park in September 2014.
It's a 1967 Brabham Repco BT24  a car raced by Brabham for all but the first few races of the 1967 season and which won the World Drivers' Championship for Denny Hulme and the Constructors' Championship for Brabham. It replaced the Brabham Repco BT19 with which Jack Brabham won the 1966 Drivers' Championship and had a new 2,994cc V8 Repco engine replacing the previous year's which was an Oldsmobile based unit. The car above appears to be chassis BT24/2, the one which Denny Hulme drove in his Championship winning year.

Friday 13 July 2018

Friday's Ferrari

This is another of the cars that I photographed at the Ferrari Racing Days event at Silverstone in September 2017.
It's a 2012 Ferrari FF which has a 6,262cc V12 engine, and is the first production Ferrari with four-wheel drive. A total of 2,291 vehicles were produced  between 2011 and 2016.

Thursday 12 July 2018

Porsche Club Championship

Yesterday's photographs were taken in the pits at the qualifying for the Porsche Club Championship race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2017. Today's photographs were taken at Britten's chicane during that race. The car numbers are on the top right of the windscreen.
77 Mark Sumpter, Porsche 996 C2
14 Mike McAleer, Porsche 996 C2
7 Mike Price, Porsche 996 C2
11 Craig Wilkins, Porsche 996 C2
4 Chris Dyer, Porsche Cayman S
9 Gary Duckman, Porsche Cayman S
2 Peter Morris, Porsche 996 C2
15 Peter Erceg, Porsche Cayman S
16 Richard Higgins, Porsche 996 C2
43 Steve Cheetham, Porsche Boxster S
45 Paul Seagrave, Porsche Boxster S

2 Peter Morris, Porsche 996 C2
15 Peter Erceg, Porsche Cayman S
16 Richard Higgins, Porsche 996 C2
43 Steve Cheetham, Porsche Boxster S
45 Paul Seagrave, Porsche Boxster S
46 Trevor Lewis, Porsche Boxster S
8 David Botterill, Porsche 964 C2

13 Chris Whittle, Porsche Boxster S
44 Jake McAleer, Porsche Boxster S
40 Russell Jones, Porsche Boxster S

11 Craig Wilkins, Porsche 996 C2
4 Chris Dyer, Porsche Cayman S
9 Gary Duckman, Porsche Cayman S
2 Peter Morris, Porsche 996 C2
15 Peter Erceg, Porsche Cayman S
16 Richard Higgins, Porsche 996 C2

45 Paul Seagrave, Porsche Boxster S

3 Ross Morris, Porsche Cayman 2.7

Wednesday 11 July 2018

Porsche

I took these three photographs in the pits at Oulton Park during the morning qualifying session for the Porsche Club Championship race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting in May 2017.
Chris Whittle's Porsche Boxster S with a 3.2 litre flat-6 engine
Another 3.2 litre Boxster S, this time Russell Jones' car
This is the 3.4 litre flat-6 Porsche Cayman S of Chris Dyer