Handley Page Halifax III (LV907) "Friday the 13th"

This is one of the aircraft I photographed at a display at the Yorkshire Air Museum at RAF Elvington in July 2010.

It's a WWII Handley Page Halifax III, about which the website of the museum says this:

This plane is a reconstruction based on a section of the fuselage of Halifax II, HR792, and the wings came from Hastings, TG536, found at RAF Catterick. The unusual name of "Friday the 13th" was given to the plane after 158 Squadron had several aircraft with the registration F shot down in succession. When their new aircraft arrived with the same letter on it, the Flight Officer decided to try and break the curse. On the bomber's first mission on March 30th, 1944 it saved the life of pilot Joe Hitchman who was swapped from his regular aircraft on to the new one at the last minute. His old plane was shot down, but Friday returned to base unscathed.

The right side has the colours of the 346 French Squadron (Guyenne) based at RAF Elvington from June 1944 to October 1945.

The left side is named “Friday the 13th” in honour of Halifax, LV907, which completed 128 operations with 158 Squadron.

Friday's Ferrari

This is one of the cars that took part in the Corse Clienti Ferrari Challenge series of races at the Ferrari Racing Days event at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's the Ferrari 488 Challenge of Daniele Di Amato, and has a 3,902cc V8 turbocharged F154CB engine. This is what Ferrari say about the Challenge series of races:

'Over 1000 drivers have taken part in it, 100s of races have been disputed, while the overtaking, the thrills and the fun are incalculable. We are talking about the Ferrari Challenge, the most renowned single-marque championship, that has been bringing together dream cars and esteemed clients on the world’s most picturesque tracks since 1993. A competition for those who, not satisfied with just driving their Ferraris on the road, feel the urge to compete in top-level sprint races. The Ferrari Challenge is divided into three continental series: Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific series, which celebrated its inaugural season in 2011. A further English national series was added in 2019.Challenge races are always hard fought and battle-filled, allowing the driver to fully savour the excitement that only the track can give.'

1934 ERA R1A

I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting in June 1961.

It's the 1934 ERA R1A, the first ERA to be built,  with the 6-cylinder inline 1,488cc supercharged engine derived from the Riley 9 engine. The car was driven in the race by A G (Sandy) Murray.

1959 Lotus 16

This was one of the competitors in the HGPCA Pre '60 GP Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996.

It's the 1959 Lotus 16 of Philip Walker and has a 4-cylinder inline 2,495cc Coventry Climax FPF engine. The first Grand Prix race for the Lotus 16 was the 1958 French Grand Prix where the car's 1,964cc Coventry Climax engine proved to be severely underpowered for the very fast Reims circuit and Graham Hill retired the car on lap 19 with an overheating engine. By 1959 the car was fitted with the 2,467cc Coventry Climax FPF engine, but the front-engined cars were now outclassed by the rear-engined ones and the Lotus 16 never achieved great success, the best efforts being Innes Ireland's fourth place in the Dutch Grand Prix and fifth place in the USA Grand Prix. Eight of the cars were built and Philip Walker's car is Chassis 368.

1949 Gordini T15

This was one of the competitors in the Allcomers Scratch Race for Historic Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1971.

It's the 1949 Gordini T15 of Chris Renwick and is pictured on the straight leading up to Hilltop. The car is chassis 0008-GC, which was a works race car till 1950 and was acquired by Chris in 1971. It was later part of the Donington Collection from 1973 to 1994. The engine of the Gordini T15 was based on a Simca 4-cylinder 1,495cc unit, in which form it competed in Formula Two races, and with the addition of a supercharger it could run in Formula One.

1921 Vauxhall 30/98 E Type

This was one of the participants in the Lancashire Automobile Club's annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1990 and is pictured in the Exchange Station car park before the start of the run.

There is no number 43 shown in the programme of the event, but It's a Vauxhall 30/98 it and was in the 1987 Run when the programme had this information:

1921 Vauxhall 30/98 E Type

Reg: XK 8805  4 cylinder  23.8 hp

(John Warburton, Atherton, Manchester)

Chris Shorrock, of Preston, friend and colleague of many famous names in the British motor industry, and designer and manufacturer of the Shorrock supercharger, owned this car for more than 40 years.  He bought it in Southport in 1930 for a fiver, and at the outbreak of war he completely dismantled it to avoid any risk of it being requisitioned. On his retirement, he spent several thousand absorbing hours rebuilding the Tourer to his own exacting standards.

1908 Itala GP

This was one of the cars on display at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995.

It didn't compete in any of the races at the meeting and there's no mention of it in the programme of the event, but it's a 1908 Itala GP car which has a 4-cylinder inline 12 litre engine. The number 61 on the front and side of the car are possibly from when it had competed at a recent VSCC meeting. I remember reading about Cecil Clutton taking part in VSCC events with one of these cars when I was a lot younger, but my motor racing visits at that time were restricted to Oulton Park and Aintree and I never saw the car at either of those circuits. The car next to it is a 1932 Alvis Speed Twenty SA Tourer.

1926 Bentley 3 litre

I took this photograph in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies race meeting at Oulton Park in June 1961.

It's a 1926 Bentley 3 litre which has a 4-cylinder inline 2,996cc engine 1622 of which were produced between 1921 and 1929. Behind the wheel of the car is SCH 'Sammy' Davis who was one of the 'Bentley Boys' of the late 1920s and early 1930s when the Le Mans 24 Hour race was won for four consecutive years from 1927 to 1930. Sammy Davis drove the winning car in 1927 with Dr Dudley Benjafield. He was also President of the Vintage Sports Car Club in 1936 and 1937. I feel that I should know the gentleman in the passenger seat, but the name escapes me.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph I took at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992 which featured a special display of Ferraris in the paddock numbered 1 to 32, and a page in the programme of the event gave details of each of the cars.

The car in the centre is a 1953 Ferrari 375 MM which has a 4,523cc V12 engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi and is chassis #0366AM. The programme of the event says this about the car:

'375 MM Scaglietti

Originally a PF Spyder, this car was rebodied by Scaglietti, probably in 1954/55. It is the only 375 MM ever produced with bodywork by Scaglietti. Raced in Swedish GPs of 1954 and '56, finishing second in '56.'

The car on the left with a number 17 in the windscreen is a 1951 Ferrari 340 MM, chassis #0082A, and is the car with which Luigi Villoresi and Piero Cassani won the 1951 Mille Miglia. On the right with a number 18 is a 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Panamericana, which at various times has had the chassis numbers #0292MM, #0239EU and #0352MM, all to move the car in and out of Italy without paying duty or getting an import permit.

1930 Alvis Silver Eagle

I took these photographs in one of the pit garages at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2019.

It's James Mac Hulbert's 1930 Alvis Silver Eagle receiving some attention early in the morning prior to the start of the day's activities where it was driven by Edward Williams. The programme of the event says that it has a 2,580cc supercharged engine.

1923 Buick 23/35 Tourer

I took this photograph at the Northern Classic Car Show at G-Mex, Manchester in August 1990.

It's a 1923 Buick 23/35, and the number 49 in the windscreen indicates that it was one of the cars due to be sold in the auction on the last day of the show. The car has a 2.8 litre 4-cylinder inline engine and records show that 36,998 vehicles were made, only 63 of which were made for export.

1970 March 717

This was one of the competitors in the 30 minute long HSCC Pre'80 Endurance Challenge race at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2018 and I took this photograph during the Saturday afternoon qualifying session.

It's the 1970 March 717 driven in the race by Calum Lockie and Richard Dodkins and it's powered by an 8-litre Chevrolet big block V8 engine. 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.

1940 BMW 328 Mille Miglia

Here's a car that was on display in the BMW Car Club display area at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.

It's a BMW 328 Mille Miglia and I seem to recall that the notice in the display saying that it was the winner of the Mille Miglia in 1940. The programme of the event says this about the vehicles displayed by the various car clubs:

 

'.....among those well worth visiting is the BMW Car Club's which will include this stunning Type 328 Mille Miglia, which finished fifth at Le Mans in 1939 and won the Mille Miglia (although actually titled the Brescia Grand Prix) in 1940.'

 

Records show, however, that the 1939 fifth place Le Mans car was a BMW 328 Touring Coupe, and the other BMWs in that race resembled the standard BMW 328. The 1940 Mille Miglia winner was also the BMW 328 Touring Coupe and the other BMWs in that race look like the car in the above photograph, which seems to indicate that the car shown here is one of the roadsters that finished in third, fifth and sixth places in the 1940 Mille Miglia.

1960 BRM P48

I took this photograph on a visit to the Donington Park Museum in May 1989.

It's a BRM P48 that was campaigned by the BRM team in 1960 - the last year of the 2½ litre Formula One era. In 1959 it had become clear with the ascendancy of the rear-engined Cooper Climax in F1 that the days of front-engined GP cars was coming to a close and BRM tried to do a 'quick fix' with the P48 which was basically the existing P25 with the engine moved from the front to the rear. The car was a bit of a disaster, the three team drivers (Joakim Bonnier, Graham Hill and Dan Gurney) only managing eight World Championship points all season with a third place for Hill and two fifth places for Bonnier whilst Gurney's best was a single tenth place. Things weren't much better the next season with the P48/57, but in 1962 Graham Hill won the World Championship with the BRM P57.

2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT4

This car took part in the 50 minute long GT Challenge race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's race meeting at Oulton Park in May 2018.

It's the 2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 driven in the race by David and Robert Tinn and is seen here at Druids Corner during the morning qualifying session, after which it ended up in sixth place on the grid. The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 was introduced in 2008 with a 4,735cc V8 engine and an upgraded version followed in 2011.

Here's the car during the race at Britten's chicane during the race which it failed to finish, retiring after 11 laps.

Friday's Ferrari

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

It's a 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider and has a 3,586cc V8 Tipo F131 engine with twin overhead camshafts and five valves per cylinder. The Ferrari 360 was produced from 1999 to 2004, and 7,565 examples of this Spider model were made.

1946 Leyland Beaver

This was one of the vehicles in the 'Commercial Vehicles over 3 tons' class at the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester, in September 1996.

It's a 1946 Leyland Beaver 12IB, and the programme of the event showed this information about the truck:

Leyland Beaver, 1946                                                                                                      AHL 622

Entered by          S Burton, Littleborough

This vehicle, operated new by Beverley's Beers of Wakefield, was obtained in a derelict condition

in 1983. A pictorial description of the major restoration undertaken over a five year period at the

Museum of Transport is contained in the museum's excellent guide book.

1921 Paige Daytona Speedster

This 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 1921 Paige Daytona Speedster, and the information sheet in the windscreen of the car includes these details:

Paige was a Detroit, USA based automobile company, selling luxury cars between 1908 and 1927. In 1919, they planned a new sports-car with a more powerful engine, known as the '6-66' series. To highlight the '6-66' series they built the first 'speedster' , without the Daytona name. In January 1921, Paige took a stripped down version to Daytona Beach.....and shattered the US stock car (production) records. Driven by Ralph Mulford, it set a world speed class record of 102.83 mph, covering a measured mile in 35.1 seconds. 

To celebrate this achievement Paige introduced the limited-edition Daytona Speedster.

• Powered by a Continental six-cylinder 5431cc engine developing over 100 bhp.

• Fitted with a third occasional seat - the ultimate "mother in law seat".

• Guaranteed over 80 mph fully road-equipped.

• 56 are known to have been built, with probably not much more than half a dozen remaining.

• They were advertised by Paige as the "World's Fastest Car".

1972 Brabham BT37

This car took part in the Silverstone International Trophy Race for Pre 1978 Grand Prix Cars at the Silverstone Historic Festival meeting in August 2001.

It's the 1972 Brabham BT37 of Rob Hall, about which the programme of the event says:

'Rob Hall has flown in the sole surviving BT37, which John Watson raced here in the 1973 British GP, an event fabled by the destructive first lap accident triggered by McLaren's new boy Jody Scheckter.'

The Brabham BT37 was designed by Ralph Bellamy and had a 2,993cc V8 Cosworth DFV engine, but wasn't a particularly successful car. Two cars were built and this car is chassis BT37/2, the car with the best two results, fourth place for Carlos Reutemann in the 1972 Canadian Grand Prix, and another fourth place for Andrea de Adamich in the 1973 Belgian Grand Prix.

1987 Reliant Scimitar SS1

I saw this car recently that I'd not spotted before in a street in Hyde not far from where I live.

It's a 1987 Reliant Scimitar SS1, a car that was produced from 1984 to 1990 and was powered by a 4-cylinder inline 1,597cc Ford engine. The body was designed by Giovanni Michelotti, the last car he designed before he died in 1980.

Two Jaguar E-Types

These two cars competed in the 45 minute long Innes Ireland Cup race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2017.

This is the 1961 Jaguar E-Type Low Drag Coupe that was driven in the race by Martin Melling and Jason Minshaw and has the 3,781cc version of the 6-cylinder inline Jaguar XK6 engine.

This is the 1965 Jaguar E-Type of Robert Gate, and also has the 3,781cc version of the 6-cylinder inline Jaguar XJ6 engine.

Here are the two cars at Britten's chicane during the race.

1929 Singer Junior

This was one of the participants in the Lancashire Automobile Club's annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in May 1992.

It's a 1929 Singer Junior with a 4-cylinder inline 972cc engine and is pictured in the Exchange Station car park in Manchester prior to the start of the run. It was entered in the run by Edward Neve of Sale, Cheshire but the programme of the event gives no further information about the car.

Friday's Ferrari

This car is lined up with others in the paddock waiting to go onto the circuit for the HGPCA Pre-61 Front Engine Grand Prix Cars race at the Silverstone Classic meeting in July 2010.

It's Alexander Boswell's 1952 Ferrari 625A, chassis #0482, originally a 2 litre Ferrari 500 that competed in World Championship races in 1952 and 1953 with a 2 litre engine. When the regulations were changed in 1954 to allow engines of 2½ litres the chassis was extended, a 2,498cc engine fitted, and the car was redesignated a Type 625. Later in 1954 a 2,942cc engine from a Ferrari 735 sports car was installed and the car was subsequently acquired by Peter Whitehead who raced the car in Australia in 1956 and 1957. It then found its way to the USA, via Argentina, where it stayed till ending up with Alexander Boswell in 1999.

1970 BRM P153

I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park during practice for the Gold Cup meeting in May 1972.

It's the 1970 BRM P153, chassis 153/03, of Vern Schuppan who qualified the car in sixth position on the grid and ended the race in fifth place. The BRM P153 was designed by Tony Southgate and had BRM's own 2,998cc V12 engine. Its only victory was in the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix driven by Pedro Rodriguez.

1955 Vanwall

The Donington Grand Prix Collection at the Donington Park museum included a comprehensive display of Vanwall F1 cars. This is a photograph of one of those cars that I took on a visit there in September 2014.

It's the 1955 Vanwall that was driven in the 1955 season by Mike Hawthorn, Ken Wharton and Harry Schell. The engine was designed by Norton engineer Leo Kuzmicki, and was basically four Manx single-cylinder 498cc motorcycle engines which by 1955 has been bored out to a capacity of 2489cc. The car only managed one finish in the 1955 World Championship races, a ninth place in the British Grand Prix shared by Ken Wharton and Harry Schell. A couple of wins and a few podium finishes were recorded in minor British events.

Yamaha TZ 250

This is one of the competitors in the 250GP ACU National Championship race at the NG Road Racing meeting at Oulton Park in April 2017.

It's Daniel Jackson preparing to leave the pit garage for the morning qualifying race with his Team Sigie Yamaha TZ 250. He finished in third place in this 6 lap sprint race, and again in third place in the afternoon's 10 lap race.

1970 McLaren M14A

This car took part in the F.O.R.C.E. Pre-1972 Classic Grand Prix Cars Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000.

It's the 1970 McLaren M14A of Graham Willcox and is a car which was raced by the McLaren team in the 1970 and 1971 seasons. It gained several 2nd, 3rd and 4th places in the hands of Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, but Bruce McLaren, who took second place in the Spanish Grand Prix, was unfortunately killed early in the 1970 season when testing an M8D CanAm car at Goodwood. Three cars were built, and this is chassis M14A/2.

1957 Daimler Conquest Drophead Coupé

This is one of the cars that were on display at the Northern Classic Car Show at Belle Vue, Manchester in September 1984.

It's a 1957 Daimler Conquest Drophead Coupé which had the same 6-cylinder inline 2,433cc engine as the Saloon and Roadster models. The DVLA record says that the car has not been taxed since the end of February 1997.

1935 ERA R4A

This car competed in the Premier Cru Race for Pre-1941 Standard and Modified Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Cat Club's Hawthorn Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in July 2015.

It's the 1935 ERA R4A of Nick Topliss and has the 4-cylinder inline 1,980cc supercharged engine, and is seen here during the race at Druids Corner. 

Friday's Ferrari

This was one of the competitors in the Shell Historic Ferrari Maserati Challenge race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It's the 1963 Ferrari 250GTO of Paul Pappalardo, chassis #5111GT with the Gioacchino Colombo 2,953cc V12 engine. The car was originally supplied to French driver Jean Guichet who used it to win the Tour de France in 1963.