Giron Alvis

I took this photograph in the paddock at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1984.

It's Rod Jolley's Giron Alvis, described in the programme of the event as a 1932/37 car with a supercharged 3,500cc engine. I can't find out much about this car, but I suspect it may be a 1932 Speed 20 with the six-cylinder inline 3,571cc engine from a 1937 Speed 25. The only reference to it in the programme notes reads:

'The silver Giron-Alvis is always an unforgettable sight, and it can go very fast, if not always for long.'

Cooper T53 Climax

This car took part in the Innes Ireland Trophy Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997.

It's the 1960 Cooper T53 Climax of Allan Miles, described in the programme of the event as having a 2,495cc engine, presumably the Coventry Climax FPF unit. It appears to be chassis F1-9-61, a car built for French driver Bernard Collomb to use in the 1961 season and was eventually wrecked in practice for the 1962 Brussels Grand Prix. Some parts of the car were acquired by John Harper in the late 1970s and it was reconstructed, later going to Allan Miles who raced it in historic events from 1988 to 1999. The car is painted dark blue with a white nose band, the colours of Rob Walker who had a Cooper T53 in 1961, chassis F1-7-61, that competed in some non-championship events in the early part of that season.

Bugatti T35B

I took the photograph of this car in the paddock being prepared to participate in the Williams Trophy for Pre-1934 Grand Prix Cars at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011. The race celebrates the win of Grover Williams in the first Monaco Grand Prix in 1929 and the trophy that he won in that race is in the custody of the Bugatti Trust, and is given to the winner of this race to hold for one year.

The car is the 1925 Bugatti Type 35B of Chris Hudson and has a supercharged 2,262cc straight-8 engine. It was driven in the race by Michael Hudson.

On 9 December 2015 I showed three photographs of this car being unloaded from its transporter earlier that day.

Rochdale Cars

These cars were on the stand of the Rochdale Owners Club at the Footman James Classic Car Show Manchester at EventCity in September 2018.

This is a 1956 Rochdale Type C, originally with a Ford side valve engine, but now undergoing restoration and has a Ford Kent engine. Its registration number is XUM461, but that doesn't show up on the DVLA database.

This is a 1959 Rochdale GT with a Ford 1,172cc side valve engine.

This car is a 1961 Rochdale Riviera, one of only 5 cars thought to still exist. It also has the Ford 1,172cc side valve engine.

This is a 1961 Rochdale Olympic Phase 1 which the Rochdale Owners Club's website says had a 1,380cc BMC A series engine, but the DVLA record says the car's engine capacity is 1,100cc.

This 1959 Rochdale Olympic Phase 2 also has a BMC A series engine which the DVLA record says has a capacity of 1,114cc.

Connaught A Type

This car took part in the Cheshire Building Society Allcomers Race at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies Meeting at Oulton Park in June 1982.

It's the 1952 Connaught A Type of Gerry Walton, chassis A8, and is pictured here at Knickerbrook Corner during the race. The car was designed and built by Connaught Engineering's Rodney Clarke and Mike Oliver with a 1,960cc engine based on the Lea Francis 4-cylinder 1,767cc unit, and competed in 1952 and 1953 Grand Prix races which were run under the 2-litre capacity formula. 

On 30 May 2016 I showed a photograph of the car in the paddock at this meeting.

Maserati T61

This car competed in the Louis Vuitton 1950s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996.

Listed in the programme of the event as a 1959 Maserati T61 with a 2,890cc engine, but generally known as a Maserati Birdcage on account of its space frame chassis, it was entered for the race by Valentine Lindsay and driven by Stirling Moss. It's chassis #2453, which was totally wrecked in an accident at Daytona in late 1959 but the remains were used to re-create the car in the early 1990s.

On 17 August 2017 I showed photographs of three examples of the Maserati Birdcage, including  this one (then coloured red), at Silverstone in 1992.

Friday's Ferrari

This car is pictured in the pit lane during a practice session at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2004 where it took part in a round of the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge series of races.

It's the 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB TdF of Swiss driver Conrad Ulrich and is chassis #1141GT. Officially known as the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta it began to be known as the LWB - or Long Wheel Base model - after the introduction of a new series with a wheel base 20cm shorter which was referred to as the Short Wheel Base, or SWB. It received the TdF title after its win in the 1956 Tour de France endurance race which allowed it to use that name, as the official Ferrari website says:

'Any manufacturer whose car won the event, was permitted by the organisers to use the event name as part of the model title. Hence, after winning the 1956 running of the event, Ferrari could use the nomenclature. Although never used officially, it has become the general term used to identify this series of berlinettas.'

The car has the Colombo designed 2,953cc V12 engine used by the majority of the 250 series of cars, and is one of the 37 single louvre series of TdF models that were produced between 1957 and 1959.

Morris Oxford

This car took part in the Lancashire Automobile Club's annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1986.

It's a 1927 Morris Oxford, generally known as the 'Flatnose' to differentiate it from the Morris Oxford 'Bullnose' that had ceased production in 1926, and it's pictured moving up to the start line in the Exchange Station car park in Manchester. The only information about the car in the programme of the event is this:

1927 Morris 'Flatnose' Oxford

Reg,  VB 1091  4 cylinder  13.9hp

(Marilyn Rushworth, Sowerby Bridge, W. Yorks)

The DVLA record shows the engine to have a capacity of 1,700cc, though the car should originally have had a 4-cylinder 1,802cc engine.

ERA R5B 'Remus'

I took the photograph of this car rounding Lodge Corner during the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the VSCC's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1981.

It's the Hon. Patrick Lindsay in his 1936 ERA R5B 'Remus', which was originally in HRH Prince Chula of Siam's White Mouse stable and driven by his cousin HRH Prince Birabongse, who raced under the name of B. Bira. The car has the supercharged 6-cylinder ERA 1,980cc engine derived from the Riley 9 unit.

On 3 July 2013 I showed a photograph of R5B at Donington Park in 2001 and provided links to sites giving the history and previous ownership of all the ERA cars.

Bizzarini Corsa

This car took part in the Coys of Kensington GT Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995.

It's a 1965 Bizzarrini Corsa owned by Elviro Govoni who shared the driving in the 50km race with Gianpaolo Benedini, and it appears to be chassis IA3 0252. The car was designed by Giotto Bizzarrini and built by Rivolta as an Iso Grifo A3/C, but when Bizzarrini split with Renzo Rivolta he continued to produce the car using his own name.

I've featured the car three times previously, under both names, on 30 November 2015,  23 October 2017 and 13 May 2018.

Cooper T55

I took this photograph in the paddock during practice for the Aintree 200 race at the Aintree circuit in April 1961.

It's the Cooper T55, chassis F1/10/61, of Jack Brabham in which he qualified in second position on the grid to Graham Hill in a BRM P57. The T55 was making its debut in this race, which Jack Brabham won followed by his team-mate Bruce McLaren in another T55 with Graham Hill in third place. The Cooper T55 was powered by the Coventry Climax 1½ litre 4-cylinder FPF engines which proved no match for the 1½ litre V6 engines of the Ferrari 156 in the 1961 World Championship races. This website shows the full racing history of F1/10/61.

Aston Martin DB3S

This car took part in the 1950s Sports Racing Cars race at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in June 2008.

It's the 1955 Aston Martin DB3S of Hubert Fabri, an ex-Kangaroo Stable car and chassis DB3S/102. Designed by Willie Watson with body by Frank Feely it has the 2,922cc straight-6 Lagonda engine.

I've shown photographs of this car three times before, on 19 December 2012, 23 February 2016 and 22 August 2017.

Bugatti Type 59

This car competed in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1975.

It's Neil Corner's 1934 Bugatti Type 59, chassis 59123, a car formerly owned by Earl Howe. The car was built with a modified Type 54 chassis and had a supercharged Type 57 straight-8 engine of 3,257cc.

Friday's Ferrari

This is another of the cars I photographed at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's a Ferrari GTC4Lusso with a 6.3 litre V12 engine with four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering OR it may be a Ferrari GTC4Lusso T with a 3.9 litre twin-turbo V8 engine with rear-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. The cars are apparently externally identical. The DVLA record usually shows the engine capacity of the vehicle, but it tells me that it has no record of 77 RED.

Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

This car took part in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's the 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza of W.D.A.Black, originally built with a Vittorio Jano designed supercharged 2,336cc straight-8 engine which was increased to 2,557cc for the 1933 8C 2600 model. The programme of the event says that the engine capacity of this car is 2,665cc. The car was named the 'Monza' following its win in the 1931 Italian Grand Prix at Monza driven by Tazio Nuvolari and Giuseppi Campari - co-drivers being necessary as the race was scheduled to last for 10 hours. In those days Grand Prix cars also often took part in sports car racing with the addition of mudguards and lighting equipment, and the Alfa Romeo Monza can lay claim to being one of the most successful racing cars ever with four wins in the Le Mans 24 Hour race and three each at the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, in addition to the 1931 Italian Grand Prix.

Ecurie Ecosse Commer TS3 Transporter

These vehicles were in the paddock at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.

This is the 1960 Ecurie Ecosse Commer TS3 Transporter, on top of which are the 1959 Tojeiro Jaguar and behind it Lynx replica Jaguar D-Type. The car at the side of the Transporter is a Jaguar Lynx Eventer, an early 1990s Jaguar XJS, one of about 67 that were converted to 3-door shooting brakes by coachbuilders Lynx Engineering.

I've shown photographs of the Ecurie Ecosse Transporter twice before, on 16 October 2013 and 16 April 2015.

ERA

I took this photograph at Redgate Corner during the VSCC Historic Seaman Trophy race at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2007.

The 1,980cc supercharged 1936 ERA R7B of Paul Mullins is leading the 1,500cc supercharged 1936 ERA R10B of Paddins Dowling. Following are the 1,492cc supercharged 1938 Maserati 6CM (#1556) of Sean Danaher and the 1,496cc supercharged 1936 Riley Falcon of Pete Candy.

Mercedes-Benz W125

These photographs were taken at the Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1971.

It's the 5,663cc straight-8 supercharged 1937 Mercedes-Benz W125 of Colin Crabbe in which he won the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race that day. Rescued by Colin Crabbe from East Germany in the 1960s, it's the only Mercedes-Benz W125 in private hands and was subsequently owned by Neil Corner and Bernie Ecclestone. A note in the programme had this to say about the car (after discussing the expected duel between the ERAs of Martin Morris and Neil Corner):

'Also on the front row will be one of the fabulous 1937 Grand Prix Mercedes of 5.6 litres, the most powerful Grand Prix car ever built with an engine capable of giving over 600 bhp, perhaps double that of a 2 litre ERA. The driver is Colin Crabbe, whose brave bid to bring one of these formidable cars back into racing after a lapse of over 30 years will be watched with interest.'

Here's Colin Crabbe just past Old Hall Corner during the race.

BRM P15

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1993 featured a tribute to 'British Racing Green', and a display of cars in the paddock included the one shown below.

It's a 1950 BRM V16 Mk1, also known as the P15, with the 1,496cc supercharged V16 engine said to produce some 600bhp. This car was the first BRM to be built and has been with the National Motor Museum for many years. The National Motor Museum's website says this about the car:

British Racing Motors was established in the 1940s to build a British Grand Prix car. The result was the iconic Type 15, powered by a 1½-litre 16-cylinder supercharged engine, and the first car to use disc brakes in road racing. Although ultimately unsuccessful, the BRM was a stepping stone on the path to Britain’s dominance of the sport in later years. Even with drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, BRM V16s met with little success, finishing in only one World Championship event, the 1951 British Grand Prix. This car, chassis 1/01, was driven to fifth place in that race by Reg Parnell.

BRM was founded by Raymond Mays and Peter Berthon, creators of the pre-war ERA car, with backing from the British motor industry. It became part of the Owen Racing Organisation in 1952, gaining 17 Grand Prix victories between 1959 and 1972.

On 1 September 2015 I showed photographs of this car, and other Mk1 and Mk2 V16 cars at Silverstone in 1999.

OSCA FJ

The SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005 included a Celebration Maserati Invitation Race and this is one of the cars that participated in that race.

It's one of two OSCA Formula Junior cars taking part in the race - included because the Maserati brothers established the OSCA company at the end of their 10 year contract with Adolfo Orsi, to whom they had sold the Maserati concern in 1937. Formula Junior racing was initiated in 1958 by Giovanni Lurani as an affordable introduction to single seater racing, and this car is the 1959 OSCA FJ car of Tony Pickering, powered - as were most Italian FJ cars - by a Fiat 1100cc engine.

On 6 Jan 2016 I showed a photograph of this car at Donington Park in 2007.

Friday's Ferrari

I saw this car in a fenced and locked car park behind an apartment block at Salford Quays in December 2018.

It's a 2015 Ferrari California T, with a 3,855cc twin turbo 32-valve V8 engine.

March 717

This car took part in the 30 minute long HSCC Pre'80 Endurance Challenge race at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2018.

It's the 1970 March 717 driven by Calum Lockie and Richard Dodkins.

It's powered by an 8-litre Chevrolet big block V8 engine.

In the photographs above and below the car is seen in the pits during the Saturday morning free practice session.

The car was built as a 707 for the 1970 European Interserie Championship series, updated at the end of that season and renumbered as a 717.

Here the car's at Lodge Corner during the Saturday afternoon qualifying session.

Aston Martin DB2

I took this photograph in the paddock at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's a 1950 Aston Martin DB2 with the 2.6 litre straight-6 Lagonda engine. This was the first DB2 with the Vantage engine, chassis LML/50/21, and was delivered new in December 1950 to Briggs Cunningham who drove it to 17th place in the Sebring 6 Hours race the same month.

AEC Regent

This vehicle was entered in the 'Double Deck Buses Pre 1956' class at the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1998.

It's a 1951 AEC Regent III with a 9.6 litre AEC diesel engine and a Roe H31/25R body. The note in the programme of the event reads as follows:

AEC Regent III 9613A, Charles H Roe, 1951                                                           KDT 393

Entered by    D A Peart, Wheatley Hills, Doncaster

New to Doncaster Corporation as an experimental vehicle and was the only one made to this specification. Sold after only 4 years of operation to Blue Ensign. Wrecked in an accident in 1961 it was re-built by Roe. Used as a driver trainer 1967 - 1971 and then on to preservation. Bought by the present owner in 1980 in a derelict state, restored to original condition by 1986 it has been much rallied since and has won many trophies since.

I've twice previously showed photographs of AEC Regent III buses, on 31 January 2015 and 13 July 2016.

Maserati 250F

This photograph was taken at McLeans Corner during the HGPCA Race for Pre-1961 Grand Prix Cars at the HGPCA's International Historic Grand Prix meeting at Donington Park in May 2004.

Two Maserati 250Fs leading this group. On the left is Burkhard von Schenk in his 1956 model #2521 and on the right José Albuquerque in a 1955 car, #2507. Both cars have the 2½ litre Maserati straight-6 engine.

McLaren 12C

I photographed this car at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2018.

It's a 2012 McLaren 12C, originally called the MP4-12C.

It has a longitudinally-mounted 3,799cc twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

The 12C was produced by McLaren from 2011 to 2014.

It's the first production road car produced by McLaren since the F1 ended production in 1998.

It was succeeded in 2014  by the McLaren 650S.

Hermano da Silva Ramos

My brother took this photograph in the paddock on practice day for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 1956.

It's the Franco-Brazilian driver Hermano da Silva Ramos, popularly known as Nano, who drove in a total of seven World Championship races for Gordini over the 1955 and 1956 seasons. In the 1956 British Grand Prix he drove the new 2,498cc straight-8 Gordini Type 32, having previously competed in the 2½ litre straight-6 Gordini Type 16. He failed to finish the race, retiring after 71 of the 101 laps, and in the seven Grand Prix races in which he drove his best finish was a 5th place in the 1956 Monaco Grand Prix. Nano didn't drive in any more World Championship races after 1956 but continued racing till 1960, competing in minor F1 races and with GT and sports cars, competing in the Le Mans 2 Hour race on 4 occasion - but never managing to finish the race.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph taken at Redgate Corner on the opening lap of a Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge race at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2004.

The Ferrari in second place is the 1952/54 Ferrari 625, #0482, of Alexander Boswell, originally a Ferrari 500 that raced in the World Championship races of 1952 and 1953 when there was a 2-litre capacity limit. When this was increased to 2½ litres in 1954 the cars were lengthened, the engines replaced by 2½ litre units, and it was re-designated a Ferrari 625. On 28 July 2017 I showed a photograph of this car at the HGPCA meeting at Donington Park earlier in 2004. The car on the outside leading the race is the 1937 Maserati 6CM of Stefan Schollwöck and is chassis #1547, a car originally belonging to Austin Dobson. Behind Alexander Boswell is the 1939/50 Alfa Romeo 158 of Carlo Vögele, being driven by Willie Green, and on 24 May 2018 I featured three other photographs of the car at this meeting. Just visible at the rear is the 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa of Carlos Monteverde, #0738TR, which I pictured in the pit lane at this meeting on 29 January 2016.

Triumph TR3

This car was exhibited on the stand of the 'TR Register - Red Rose Group' at the Northern Classic Car Show at the G-Mex Exhibition Centre, Manchester in August 1991.

It's a 1957 Triumph TR3, originally built with a 1,991cc straight-4 engine. This was replaced during a complete rebuild of the car in 1986 with the later 2,138cc engine, which had become available for the TR3 in 1959.

Talbot Lago T26

Although this car bears a number 1 it was actually number 17 in the programme of the Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Donington Park in June 2003, where it took part in the VSCC Ron Flockhart Trophy race.

This is Richard Pilkington's 1950 4,482cc straight-6 Talbot Lago T26 with the offset driving position which meant it could compete in Grand Prix or Sports Car races. It's chassis #110057 and is the car with which Louis Rosier and Juan Manuel Fangio took part in the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hour race, retiring after 9 hours. On 21 September 2017 I showed a photograph of this car that I took at Donington Park in 2006 and gave a bit more of its history.

Guards Trophy Race Oulton Park 2017

Here at Britten's chicane are five of the cars that contested the 40 minute long Guards Trophy Race for Sports Racing Cars at the HSCC's Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2017.

This is the 1966 McLaren M1B driven by Anthony Taylor and Andrew Wareing and is powered by a 5.7 litre Chevrolet  V8 engine.

This 1964 Cooper Maserati driven by Michael O'Shea is a Cooper T61 Monaco chassis with a 5 litre V8 Maserati engine, as found in the Maserati Tipo 151.

The 1964 Elva Mk7S of Nick Pancisi and Rob Wainwright is powered by a 1,991cc BMW engine

The 1968 Lenham P69 of Brian Casey is powered by a 1,594cc Ford engine.

Philip Nelson's 1968 Chevron B8 has a 1,991cc BMW engine.