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Friday 31 May 2019

Friday's Ferrari

This was one of the cars I came across in the car park at Manchester United's football ground on 28 April 2019.
It's a 2010 Ferrari California with a 4,297cc 32 valve V8 engine and body designed by Pininfarina



Thursday 30 May 2019

Maserati 300S

This car competed in the Louis Vuitton 1950s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997.
It's a 1955 Maserati 300S, chassis #3057, then owned by Peter Scott and driven in the race by Martin Stretton. The Maserati 300S was powered by a 2,991cc 6-cylinder engine that was based on the 2½ litre unit of the 250F Grand Prix car with a longer stroke, and took part in the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1957. This car was originally owned by Swiss driver Benoit Musy, then after Peter Scott it was part of the collection of American Peter Giddings. It's now owned by Josef Rettenmaier.

On 31 October 2016 I showed a photograph of the car at the 1996 Coys meeting at Silverstone.

Wednesday 29 May 2019

1930 Crossley 15.7 Coupe

This car took part in the Lancashire Automobile Club's annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1993 and is pictured here before the start of the run at the Village Hotel in Cheadle, Stockport.
The Programme of the event has little information about the car, it just says that it's a 1928 Crossley Sports Coupe entered by A.E.Biondi of Dukinfield, Cheshire. The Crossley Register, however, says that it's a 1930 Crossley 15.7 Coupe, and their website says this about the car:

'In May 1928 Crossley introduced a lighter (26cwt) 6 cylinder model, the 1990cc 15.7hp which in spite of the smaller engine could still make an estimated 70mph but with an improved 25 mpg fuel consumption. The four speed gearbox allowed a minimum in top gear of around 5 mph and maxima in third gear of 50 mph and second gear of 30 mph. These top speeds represent over 4200rpm, a lot for a road engine in those days, but are claimed in more than one road test. The saloon version cost £550. One of the body styles, the fabric saloon, reintroduced the Shelsey name from pre-war days. At the 1930 Motor Show it was relaunched as the Silver model with modifications to the brakes, gearbox and engine. This version continued in production until 1934. About 1800 were made and 24 are known to survive including eleven in Australia and three in New Zealand.'

Tuesday 28 May 2019

Audi Quattro

This car gave several demonstration runs on the Rally Stages circuit at Oulton Park during the Aston Martin Owners Club Race Meeting in May 2018.
It's a 1983 Audi Quattro Group 4 Rally Car with a 2,144cc turbocharged engine and four-wheel-drive
The Audi Quattro was driven for the Audi Sport rally team by several drivers in the 1983 season, the most regular drivers being Hannu Mikkola, Michèle Mouton, Stig Blomqvist and Lasse Lampi.
The 1983 Drivers' Championship was won by Hannu Mikkola.....
.....Stig Blomqvist was in fourth place.....
.....Michèle Mouton in fifth place.....
.....and Lasse Lampi in eighth place.
The Audi team finished second in the Manufacturers' Championship, two points behind the winning Lancia team.

Monday 27 May 2019

Stutz Bearcat

I took this photograph at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996. The only note I made about it at the time is that it was a Stutz Bearcat, though the board at the front of the car probably gives its full history. According to the DVLA record the registration number DS 8689 now belongs to a 1993 Honda motorcycle.
The Stutz Bearcat was introduced in 1912 with a 390 cu in (6.4 litres) straight-4 engine and in 1913 a six-cylinder version of 426 cu in (7 litres) became available. Production of the Bearcat ceased in 1924 although the name was reintroduced with a new model in 1930. The car pictured here seems to be one of the very early models.

Sunday 26 May 2019

ERA R5B

This car took part in the Historic Seaman Trophy race at the VSCC's meeting at Donington Park in May 2001.
It's the 1936 ERA R5B of Ludovic Lindsay, one of the ERAs originally owned by Prince Chula of Siam and his White Mouse stable and driven by his cousin Prince Bira. Prince Chula owned another ERA, R2B, which was also campaigned by Prince Bira, and R2B and R5B were respectively given the names 'Romulus' and 'Remus'. Prince Chula later acquired another ERA, R12B, which was named 'Hanuman'. ERAs competed with engines of 1.1 litres, 1.5 litres and 2 litres, and according to the programme of this event R5B had a 1,987cc supercharged unit. The photograph above was taken during the race at the inside of Coppice Corner.

I've shown photographs of ERA R5B on previous occasions, most recently on 23 January 2019.

Saturday 25 May 2019

1937 Cord 812 Sedan

This car was one of the entrants in the Cheshire Concours d'Esprit at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2017.
It's a 1937 Cord 812, and the information sheet in the windscreen of the car reads as follows:

YSU 476
1937 Cord 812
SUPERCHARGED
WESTCHESTER SEDAN
One of the most distinctive
Cars of the 20th Century

"The single most beautiful American Car"      American Heritage Magazine 1996

The 810 Series was conceived by E L Cord as America's first front-wheel drive auto. The Cord 812 supercharged developed from the 810 as a US design classic, revered to this day.

   Lycoming V-8 engine.   125bhp  289 cu in (4739cc) L-Head
  812 model offered optional Schwitzer-Cummins Supercharger for 170bhp-plus power and 110 mph top speed.
   Four speed Bendix semi-automatic pre-selector transmission (3 + Overdrive) with electric gear change.
   Supercharged cars sported brilliant chrome plated external exhaust pipes on each side of the bonnet.
   Independent front suspension.   Rear semi-elliptical leaf spring suspension.
  Four wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
   The body by Gordon M Buehrig was a thing of beauty.  It's blunt bonnet gave it the nickname 'coffin nose'.
    Hinges were hidden, and the low bodyline meant running boards could be dropped.   The Cord 810/812 set new standards for automotive design.
  Retractable hidden headlights, adapted from aircraft landing lights and raised/lowered by hand cranks.
   Comprehensive instrumentation in engine-turned dashboard included radio as standard.

This futuristic front-wheel-drive supercar was based on the revolutionary Cord 810.
The car's reception at the November 1935 New York Auto Show was enthusiastic, with onlookers standing on the roofs of other cars just to catch a glimpse of the 810, and orders poured in.
Alas, the advanced and complex design was slow and expensive to produce, and components (particularly the semi-automatic gearbox) proved troublesome.   Warranty problems followed.

After an initial flurry of orders, teething troubles delayed deliveries.   Cancellations followed, leading to financial problems and the cessation of production in late 1937.
Only 3000 Cord 810/812s were produced.   Few survive today of this extraordinary cult classic.

YSU 476
  Built in 1937 in supercharged form.   Chassis No 16775.   Engine No FB2111
  Sporting the rare Westchester Sedan body.
  Imported from the USA and first registered in UK 1990.   Owned by a private Cheshire gentleman.
  An occasional visitor to local Cheshire classic car events and displays, YSU 476 won Best Grand Tourer in the 2017 Gawsworth Hall Classic Concours.



Friday 24 May 2019

Friday's Ferrari

This is one of the multitude of Ferraris that were at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.
It's a 1994 Ferrari 348 Spider, a successor to the Ferrari 328 and in turn succeeded by the Ferrari 355. It has a 3,405cc 32 valve V8 engine with twin overhead camshafts per bank, and produces 320 hp at 7,200 rpm.

Thursday 23 May 2019

Scarab

I took this photograph at the Donington Park museum in May 1989.
This is one of the Scarab F1 cars built by American Lance Reventlow's Reventlow Automobiles Inc to contest the 1960 Formula 1 racing season. Like the Aston Martin DBR4 it was virtually obsolete before it turned a wheel in anger - in the 1959 season, and again in 1960 the old front-engined cars were dominated by the rear-engined ones, and the old 2½ litre Formula was due to be replaced by a new 1½ litre limit in 1961. The car had a 2,441cc straight-4 engine designed for Scarab by Leo Goossen, formerly of Offenhauser, and only started in two races in 1960, both Lance Reventlow and Chuck Daigh retiring from the French Grand Prix, and the single entry in the USA Grand Prix finished in 10th place driven by Chuck Daigh.

On 23 May 2015 I showed photographs of one of these cars that I had taken at Silverstone in 1996.

Wednesday 22 May 2019

Austin 10 Ratrod

There are often interesting cars parked outside the Relics 'n' Rust lifestyle shop in Hyde, and I took these photographs there in October 2018.
This car has a Ford badge on the radiator, but the DVLA record says that it's a 1935 Austin with a 2,998cc engine.
An internet search reveals that it's officially a 1935 Austin 10 Ratrod.
It's apparently powered by a 3 litre V6 Ford Essex engine.

Tuesday 21 May 2019

Alta 2-litre

This is one of the cars that took part in the race for Pre-1941 Standard & Modified Racing Cars at the VSCC's Hawthorn Memorial Trophies race meeting at Oulton Park in July 2015.
It's David Baldock's 1938/39 Alta 2-litre, which was driven in the race by Duncan Ricketts. The car has a supercharged twin cam straight-4 1,960cc engine and competed in pre-war voiturette and post-war Formula 2 races.
Here's Duncan Ricketts during the race at Druids Corner

I've featured this car previously, most recently on 23 October 2016
.

Monday 20 May 2019

Alfa Romeo 308

This car competed in the Pre '52 Grand Prix Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995.
It's the 1937 Alfa Romeo 308 of Julian Majzub, driven in the race by Duncan Ricketts. The chassis of the Tipo 308 was developed from the 1935 Tipo C, and the engine from the supercharged straight-8 Tipo 8C 2900 enlarged to 2,991cc. The car was not a great success, unlike the Tipo 158 voiturette that followed it.

On 18 August 2015 I showed photographs that I took of this car at Silverstone in 1996.

Sunday 19 May 2019

Mallock U2 Mk2

This car took part in the race for Front-Engined Formula Junior Racing Cars at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011.
It's the 1960 Mallock U2 Mk 2 of Brian Mitcham, one of the two original U2s built by Major Arthur Mallock. After building a series of specials based on the Austin 7, Arthur Mallock produced the U2 Mk1 with a Ford 1,172cc engine for 1172 Formula racing. The U2 followed, two cars being produced with 1,098cc Ford engines for Formula Junior racing and then a further ten cars for 1172 Formula and Clubmans as well as for Formula Junior racing.


Saturday 18 May 2019

Leyland Tiger PS2/14

This was one of the vehicles taking part in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's annual Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.
It's a 1954 Leyland Tiger PS2/14, originally with a 6-cylinder inline 9.8 litre ohv diesel engine, though the DVLA record says that the capacity of the engine is now 9,675cc. The programme of the event said this about the vehicle:

Leyland Tiger PS2/14, East Lancs B39F, 1954                                                              CHG541
Burnley, Colne and Nelson 41
Entered by R McArdle, Consett, Co. Durham
Originally built with a rear entrance, this vehicle was converted to front entrance for one man operation. It was withdrawn in 1974 and sold to the present owner in 1990.

Friday 17 May 2019

Friday's Ferrari

I photographed this car, parked on the inside of the circuit at Lodge Corner, at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2017.
It's a 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT and has a 2,419cc V6 engine with 2 valves per cylinder and twin overhead camshafts per bank.
Three series of the Dino 246 GT were produced, all the chassis being even numbered, series 1 from 1969 to 1970 - a total of 357 cars the chassis numbers being 00400 to 01116, series 2 from 1970 to 1971 - a total of 506 cars with chassis numbers 01118 to 02130, and series 3 from 1971 to 1974 - a total of 1624 cars with chassis numbers in the range 02132 to 07650. Ferrari also produced 1274 Spyder versions of the car between 1972 and 1974 with chassis numbers in the range 02174 to 08518.

Thursday 16 May 2019

Four Connaughts and an ERA

All these cars lined up in the paddock outside the pit garages took part in the Chopard HGPCA 100-Mile Grand Prix Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.
Number 12 is the 1955 Connaught B-Type of Ean Pugh and is chassis B5. Behind that is car number 24, the 1952 Connaught A-Type of Bob Burrell, chassis A6, then next is the 1955 Connaught B-Type of Paul Burdell which is chassis B4. The fourth Connaught is the 1952 A-Type of Spike Milligan, chassis A7, and in the background car number 32 is the 1934 ERA R1A driven here by Tony Merrick.

Wednesday 15 May 2019

Mercedes-Benz W154

I photographed this car at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Donington Park in June 2008.
It's a 1939 Mercedes-Benz W154 from the Mercedes-Benz museum that had been taken to the event to complete a number of demonstration runs in the hands of Tony Dron.
The rules governing the running of the European Championship races for 1938 had been changed from a 750kg weight limit with no restriction on engine sizes to a maximum engine capacity of 4½ litres unsupercharged or 3 litres with a supercharger. The W154 was designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut based on the chassis of the previous year's W125 and used the 2,962cc supercharged V12 M154 engine. Three of the four European Championship races that year were won by three Mercedes-Benz drivers, Manfred von Brauchitsch, Richard Seaman and Rudolf Caracciola, with Tazio Nuvolari winning the final race in his Auto Union D-Type.
For the 1939 season the engine was modified to use a two-stage supercharger and designated as an M163 - for this reason the 1939 car is sometimes erroneously referred to as a Mercedes-Benz W163. The body was also given a sleeker, less bulbous look. Mercedes-Benz again won three of the four European Championship races, Hermann Lang winning two and Rudolf Caracciola one. The other race was again won by an Auto Union D-Type, this time driven by Hermann Müller.

Tuesday 14 May 2019

Former Police Vehicles

Following on from yesterday's photograph of the ex-Metropolitan Police Daimler SP250 Dart, here are two more of the former Police vehicles that were at the Footman James Classic Car Show Manchester at Event City in September 2018.
This is a 1973 Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico which has a 1,598cc 4-cylinder inline Kent crossflow engine, though the DVLA record gives the capacity as 1,601cc. The car was described at the show as follows:

'HKF 884L is the only known remaining Mk1 Escort Mexico of a fleet of 27 supplied to the former Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary in June 1973. All 27 cars bore the registration mark commencing HKF. The force then amalgamated with other nearby forces and became the Merseyside Police during 1974. The fleet of Mexicos were always driven by Traffic officers - who were trained advanced drivers, and were ideal urban patrol cars to counter the growing problem of ' joy-riders' as they were commonly known. They were fast and agile around the streets of Liverpool.
The car itself was found in a garage in Manchester where it had been left since 1991. It was in a poor condition BUT had retained its original calibrated speedo and zipped roof lining which added credence to its originality. It was bought by its current owner in 2010 and then underwent a complete restoration and returned back to the road in 2012.'


This is a 1993 Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0 SRi with a 4-cylinder inline 1,998cc 16 valve engine and this was the description of the car's history:

'This vehicle was in service with West Yorkshire Police from 1993 to 1997, based at Pudsey Police Station. It was one of a few SRi's purchased to replace their ageing fleet of Ford Sierra Sapphires. The vehicle was the key to the force's fight against the rise in car crime during the 1990's and was regularly in high-speed pursuits. Although the equipment was very sparse by today's standards, it was of the highest specification at the time. This equipment included a Tracker unit that helped locate stolen cars and a Vascar unit that calculated speed between two fixed points.'

Monday 13 May 2019

Daimler SP250 Dart

This is one of the former Police vehicles that were exhibited at the Footman James Classic Car Show Manchester at EventCity in September 2018.
The description of this car at the show read as follows:

'In the late 1950s, the Metropolitan Police had a major problem with what were called café racers. Groups of youths on motorbikes would gather together at a local café, put a record on the jukebox and then race their bikes along a set course getting back to the café before the record stopped playing. Accidents occurred and in an attempt to put a stop to the practice, the Met's proposal was to have a fast car that could actually catch the bikers. The existing fleet of Wolseley saloons was not up to the task so they looked instead at sports cars. The Daimler SP250 was the answer! This had a 2.5 litre lightweight V8 engine, capable of 123 mph and a 0-60 time of just over 10 seconds, which for 1959 was an excellent performance.
The Met bought 26 Darts between 1961 and 1964 and soon got them into service and used as high speed pursuit cars with a result that a number of speeding bikers were caught and the number of fatal road accidents dropped. Unlike today, the idea then was that you see a Police car and thereby slow down... no stealth tactics for these boys. Certainly visual and the start of the white sleeves and hats.
Each car was based at a separate Traffic garage situated over the London area. This particular car is fitted with the optional Borg Warner DG Automatic gearbox, and was originally purchased by the Metropolitan Police on the 1st June 1961. Automatic cars destined for Police use were modified by Daimler with a handle in the centre of the dashboard, which, when pulled locks the gearbox into second gear allowing a speed range from zero to 85 mph in the one gear. The gearbox normally runs in two gears only, with a 'low' ratio for manual selection if required. The top speed is higher than cars fitted with the manual gearbox. This car was fleet number 240T and fitted with the AT Head calibrated speedometer.
Quote: "Wheels were pressed steel not wire. Hubcaps used to fly off so were removed or nicked". It has excellent acceleration and a top speed in excess of 125 mph. The car is fitted with Dunlop disc brakes on all wheels, and was the first production car to be so fitted. The combination of high power and light weight enabled it to start from rest, attain 100 mph and come to rest all within 30 seconds.
This car is a multi award winner and thought to be one of the best examples of the seven or so remaining.'

Sunday 12 May 2019

Jowett Jupiter

I photographed this car in the paddock at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2015.
It's a 1952 Jowett Jupiter, about 900 of which were made between 1950 and 1954. It was powered by a more highly tuned version of the Jowett Javelin's 1,496cc flat-4 engine which produced 60bhp and a maximum speed of 85mph. There's a website for enthusiasts and owners of the Jowett Jupiter.
On 17 August 2016 I showed a photograph of a Jowett Jupiter that I had taken at the Northern Classic Car Show in 1991.

Saturday 11 May 2019

Maserati 250F

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1993 featured a celebration of British Racing Green, with a display of a large number of British racing cars and the appearance of several of the drivers who had raced those cars in period. This is one of those who took part in track demonstrations during the meeting.
This is Roy Salvadori preparing to join one of the track demonstrations in the ex-Gilby Engineering Company's 1954 Maserati 250F, chassis #2507/2 that he drove in the 1955 and 1956 seasons. The car had been damaged in a crash at Oulton Park in August 1954 and given a new chassis at the Maserati facory, retaining the original chassis number 2507.

On 14 August 2016 I showed two photographs that I had taken of this car at Donington Park in 2005.

Friday 10 May 2019

Friday's Ferrari

This car competed in two rounds of the Shell Historic Ferrari Maserati Challenge series of races at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Donington Park in June 2003.
This is the 1981 Ferrari 512 BB LM of Jean Guikas, chassis 35525, which was originally owned by Robert Donner of Rennod Racing in the USA. Rennod Racing entered the car in the 1981 Le Mans 24 Hour race where it was driven by Pierre Dieudonne, Jean Xhenceval and Jean-Paul Libert, finishing in ninth place overall and third-placed in the IMSA GTX class. This is the only contemporary event in which the car competed. Three series of the 512 BB LM were built, a total of 25 cars, and were powered by the 4,943cc flat-12 engine with 24 twin camshafts for each bank and 24 valves. The car is seen here in the pit lane at Donington Park during a practice session.

Thursday 9 May 2019

Archie Scott Brown

A couple of weeks ago I showed a photograph of Archie Scott Brown in a Lister Maserati that my brother had taken at the British Grand Prix meeting at Silverstone in 1956. Here's a photograph of Archie Scott Brown that I took in the Paddock at the British Empire Trophy meeting at Oulton Park in April 1956.
To me the British Empire Trophy and Archie Scott Brown are synonymous. The first race meeting I ever attended was the 1955 British Empire Trophy meeting at Oulton Park which was won by Archie Scott Brown in a Lister Bristol. At the following year's meeting, where the above photograph was taken, he drove the unsuccessful Lister Maserati and failed to finish the race. In 1957 Archie drove the first of the Lister Jaguars, winning the race again, and in 1958 he took his Lister Jaguar to third place behind the Aston Martin DBR2s of Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks. Sadly, this was to be the last time I saw him race at Oulton Park as he lost his life in a race at Spa-Francorchamps the following month.

Wednesday 8 May 2019

Porsche 962C

This car took part in the Group C/GTP Sports Car race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2007.
It's Andy Purdie's 1988 Porsche 962C GTi, a former Richard Lloyd Racing car. Porsche produced 91 examples of the 962 for World Sportscar Championship and IMSA GTP racing, the World Sportscar Championship cars being marked by the 'C' suffix and powered by the Porsche Flat-6 twin turbocharged 3 litre engine.

Tuesday 7 May 2019

Jaguar D-Type

This car was one of the entries in the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association Sports Car Race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.
It's the Jaguar D-Type of Christopher Mann, chassis XKD558, which the programme of the event says was a 1955 model and had a 3,800cc engine, presumably the 3,781cc 6-cylinder inline XK6 engine released in 1958 and which were fitted in some D-Types in place of the original 3,441cc engine. The DVLA record shows the car as a 1956 model and says it now has a 3.4 litre engine. The car was originally supplied to a buyer in Canada. later moving to the USA where it suffered two accidents, being rebuilt after the first one with a 7 litre Ford V8 engine and being virtually written off in the second crash. It was eventually rebuilt and after owners in France, and then the USA again, it found its way to Christopher Mann in the UK.
Here's the car approaching Brooklands corner during a practice session at the Silverstone meeting.

Monday 6 May 2019

Vauxhall Viper Special

This car competed in two scratch races at the VSCC's Hawthorn Memorial Trophies Race Meeting at Oulton Park in June 2008.
It's the 1913/18 Vauxhall Viper Special of Tony Lees, and is pictured here at Britten's chicane during the first of those races. The car was built by David Biggins on a 1913 Vauxhall A-Type chassis and has a 1918 Wolseley Viper 11.8 litre V8 aero engine, which was a Hispano Suiza HS-8 unit built under licence by Wolseley Motors during World War I. The Vauxhall is being followed by the 1931 Invicta S Type of Trevor Swete and the 1935 Riley Nine 12/4 Special of Richard Brightman.

On 20 May 2013 I showed a photograph of this car in the paddock at Donington Park in 2006.

Sunday 5 May 2019

Hudson Super 6

This car is pictured coming up to the start line in the Exchange Station car park in Manchester at the start of the Lancashire Automobile Car Club's annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in May 1992.
It's a 1918 Hudson Super 6 and the only information about it in the programme of the event is that it was entered for the run by William West of Blackpool, Fylde. The Hudson Super 6 was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company between 1915 and 1929 and has a 6-cylinder inline 4,736cc (289 cu in) engine producing 76 hp.

Saturday 4 May 2019

1909 FL Sports Special

This was one of several Edwardian racing cars that collected marshals from their posts around the circuits at the start of the lunch break at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005 and returned them to their posts later.
I've not been able to find out a lot information about the car, and much of it is contradictory. The FL car was originally built by Henri de la Fresnaye of Levallois-Perret, to the north-west of Paris, from 1908 to 1909, and in 1910 production was taken over by Société Générale des Voitures Automobiles Otto of Paris. Presumably the FL name comes from Fresnaye and Levallois-Perret. The first FL car was a 4-cylinder 2,010cc model and in 1911 a larger model was introduced with a 6-cylinder 3,015cc engine. The DVLA record says that FL 290 is a 1909 car but has a 3 litre engine, and all the photographs I've seen of this actual car say that it has a 5 litre unit. There was no race for Edwardian cars so this car didn't compete at the meeting and wasn't listed in the programme, but it had taken part in a commemorative run during the morning about which the programme said this:


THE PIONEER SPIRIT LIVES ON
The commemorative Grand Prix Run is for cars built from 1906 to '14.
The road event will run over approximately 30 miles. The first car will be
flagged away from the Donington Collection at 9.30am on Sunday.
Look out for these cars on track during the lunch break as they circulate 
to collect marshals from their posts.

Friday 3 May 2019

Friday's Ferrari

Ferrari uses the Corse Clienti Ferrari Racing Days meetings at various circuits to allow a group of specially selected customers to test limited edition cars developed exclusively for the track and to provide feedback on the performance of the cars to Corse Clienti engineers, thus helping Ferrari to develop its cars for the future. The Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017 included a series of test sessions involving the Ferrari FXX-K, the 'K' referring to the KERS kinetic energy recovery system with which the car is equipped. Here's one of the cars pictured at Club Corner during one of the sessions.
This is USA driver James Weiland in his Ferrari FXX-K, which is based on the LaFerrari. The car has a 6,262cc V12 engine that develops 848 hp, to which the 140kW electric motor adds 188 hp.

Thursday 2 May 2019

MG-Lola EX257

This was amongst a display of Lola cars at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2008 which celebrated 50 years of Lola Cars.
It's a 2001 MG-Lola EX257 which is powered by the 4-cylinder inline 1,995cc XP20 engine and appears to be chassis HU-03, a car that competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 2001 and 2002, retiring on both occasions.

On 5 October 2015 I showed photographs of another MG-Lola EX257 that was present at this meeting and took part in a parade of Lola cars on the track.

Wednesday 1 May 2019

Maserati T61

I photographed this car in the pit lane at Donington Park during a practice session at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2004.
It's the 1959 Maserati T61 of Carlo Vögele which took part in two rounds of the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge series. The car is chassis #2454 and has a twin overhead camshaft 4-cylinder inline 2,890cc engine, and you can read about it here.

On 25 November 2016 I showed a photograph taken during one of the races showing the car at McLean's Corner.