1955 Cooper Mk IX

I took this photograph at McLeans Corner during the 5 lap Scratch Race for Formula 3 (500cc) Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011.

Leading is John Turner in his 1955 Cooper Mk IX, followed by Frederick Harper who was competing in the Invited Class in a 1950 Cooper Mk IV with a 1,100cc engine. After the Second World War motor racing in the UK was slow to re-start, partly because of petrol rationing and the cost of running a suitable car. Home-built ‘specials’ powered by 500cc motorcycle were created to provide a reasonably cheap way means of getting involved in the sport. John Cooper and Eric Brandon, with the assistance of John’s father Charles, decided in 1946 to build two cars, and in 1947 in the second post-war race meeting to be held Eric Brandon won the first race to feature 500cc cars. In 1950 this 500cc class of racing was adopted by the FIA as a new Formula 3, and John and Charles Cooper went on to build a series of these 500cc cars, eventually graduating to Formula 2, then Formula 1 culminating in Jack Brabham winning the World Drivers’ Championship in 1959 and 1960 in the 2½ litre Cooper Climax. There's a 500 Owners Association for enthusiasts and owners of these cars.

1971 Lotus 72

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

It's the 1971 Lotus 72 of Mike Littlewood and is chassis R6, the car with which Ronnie Peterson won the French, Austrian, Italian and USA Grands Prix of 1973. The Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Phillippe and had several innovative features including an air intake above the rear engine, inboard brakes, and radiators in side pods instead of the front of he car enabling a wedge shaped and more aerodynamic nose. It was powered by the 2,993cc V8 Ford Cosworth DFV engine and competed in Grand Prix races for six seasons, from 1970 to 1975, winning the World Constructors' Championship three times, in 1970, 1972 and 1973. Lotus Team drivers Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson won 20 Grand Prix races between them in that time, Jochen Rindt winning the World Drivers' Championship in 1970 despite losing his life in an accident during practice for the Italian Grand Prix late in the season. Emerson Fittipaldi won the 1972 World Drivers' Championship in the car, but it became increasingly less competitive over the next three seasons and was replaced in 1976 by the Lotus 77.

1936 Bugatti T57

I photographed this car on the approach to Lodge Corner during a 5 lap handicap race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1982.

It's Mrs Averil Scott-Moncrieff in a 1936 Bugatti T57, chassis 57176, which has a twin overhead camshaft 8-cylinder inline 3,257cc engine. A Bugatti T57G Tank with a streamlined all-enveloping body won the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hour race driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist, and Jean-Pierre Wimille and Pierre Veyron repeated that feat in a similar Bugatti T57C Tank in 1939.

1939 Maserati 4CL

Maserati was the featured marque at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005, and this is one of the Maseratis that took part in the Celebration Maserati Invitation Race.

It's the 1939 Maserati 4CL of Georg Kaufmann and is chassis #1569. The Maserati 4CL was designed for Voiturette racing, and had a supercharged 1,491cc straight-4 engine. The car had some success in its first season until racing was curtailed by the Second World War, and dominated racing in the years immediately following the war in the hands of drivers such as Raymond Sommer, Tazio Nuvolari and Luigi Villoresi, until the arrival of the Alfa Romeo 158. Nine of the cars were built in 1939, and a further sixteen after the war between 1946 and 1947. 1569 was delivered on 29 May 1939 to Johnny Wakefield who campaigned it successfully up to the outbreak of war. After Wakefield's death in 1942 it was purchased by Reg Parnell and raced by him extensively between 1946 and 1948, then was raced by David Murray in 1948/49. It was an Ambrosiana Team spare during 1950 before passing via John Green to Bobby Baird in 1951. It later went to George Weaver in the USA, then via British, Swiss and German owners to Swiss driver Georg Kaufmann.

1925 Talbot 10/23 Coupe

This car took part in the Lancashire Automobile Club's annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in  June 1986. The Run started from the Exchange Station car park in Manchester and is seen here just after the start turning from Victoria Street onto Chapel Street, the A56, to commence its journey.

It's the 1925 Talbot 10/23 Coupe, also known as a 'Doctor's Coupe', of William Barker and a note about the car in the programme of the event reads as follows:

53     1925 Talbot 10/23 Coupe

          Reg:  XX 2957   4 cylinder    1018cc

          (William Barker, Trawden, Colne)

This is a rare and lovely 'Doctor's Coupe' with a 

nifty overhead valve engine. As the mileage

reading of 22,000 mils since new is believed

to be genuine, it couldn't have belonged to a

particularly busy doctor.

Friday's Ferrari

 This car took part in the Italian Historic Car Cup race at the Silverstone Classic meeting in July 2010.

It's the 1969 4,993cc V12 Ferrari 512S of Carlos Monteverde who shared the driving in the hour long race with Gary Pearson. Twenty five examples of the Ferrari 512 were produced, allowing it to be homologated into the FIA's Group 5 Sports Car Category, and this car is chassis 1016. It was developed to challenge the Porsche 917 in the International Championship for Makes but won only one race in the 10 round Championship (Ignazio Giunti/Nino Vacarella/Mario Andretti at Sebring in 1970), although the Ferrari team picked up two second and four third places to finish that season in second place to Porsche.

Alfa Romeo

I took this photograph at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies Meeting at Oulton Park in June 1981.

On the left is a 1925 Alfa Romeo RLSS which has a 6-cylinder inline 2,996cc engine, and on the right a 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza with a supercharged 8-cylinder inline 2,336cc engine. Both cars belonged to David Black who drove the RLSS in a 5 lap handicap race, and the Monza was one of his alternative entries together with his 1934 Maserati 8CM for the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race.