1924 Grand Prix Sunbeam

This is a photograph that I took at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It’s a 1924 Grand Prix Sunbeam which has a supercharged six-cylinder inline 1,988cc engine. Behind it is the 1925 Sunbeam Tiger with a 3,976cc V12 engine.

1937 Frazer Nash BMW 328

This is a photograph that I took at a classic car show organised by car dealers Gordon Ford of Stockport in July 1987.

It’s a 1937 Frazer Nash BMW 328 which has a 6-cylinder inline 1,971cc engine. The Frazer Nash company, AFN Ltd, started to import and assemble BMW cars in 1934 and sold them under the name of Frazer Nash-BMW.

1954 Cooper Mk IX

This is the 1954 Cooper Mk IX of D.Price which competed in a 5 lap Scratch Race for 500cc Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1984.

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 all 500cc Formula Three enthusiasts, with lots of information about the different marques that took part.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph that I took at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

This is a photograph that I took at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017. It's a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and has a 6,262cc V12 Ferrari F140 FC engine with an output of 740PS at 8,250 rpm. It was in production from 2012 to 2017.

1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

This is a photograph that I took at the Broad Street/Cross Lane roundabout in Salford of one of the cars that took part in the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1965.

It's the 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost of  James P. Smith and the programme of the event had this note about the car:

18.   1907 Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost. in Belgium,

Engine and chassis made at Cooke Street, Manchester, in 1907; 4½ in. bore x 4½ in. stroke; overdrive on the 4th speed. The second oldest Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce in Britain. Had two owners since 1907. Has completed numerous rallies in Belgium, Germany, Holland and Italy, driven by the present owner.

1949 Bedford OB Duple Vista

This was one of the vehicles taking part in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1990.

Not listed in the programme of the event, it's a 29 seater 1949 Bedford OB Duple Vista apparently provided new to McKinlays of Prestonpans in 1949 where it had the registration number SS 7376. Later it was with Tours (Isle of Man) where it was given the number 1949 MN and was then acquired by East Yorkshire Motor Services where it was again re-registered as KSU 381. I've also seen a photograph of the vehicle in Shetland taken in 1973 when it was with Sandwick Transport, and still had the original SS 7376 registration number. I believe it again has this original number, though it retains the East Yorkshire livery.

1957 Maserati 250F

This is a photograph that I took in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It’s Neil Corner’s 1957 Maserati 250F which has a 6-cylinder inline 2,493cc engine. The car is chassis #2528 and was campaigned mainly by Jean Behra in the 1957 season, but also driven that year by Juan Fangio and Harry Schell. It has been owned and raced by the Corner family, Neil and his son Nigel, since 1972. The car competed in the Allcomers Scratch Race at this meeting.