1947 Leyland Octopus

This was one of the vehicles entered in the Greater Manchester Transport Society’s Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park in September 1988.

It’s a 1947 Leyland Octopus, and the programme of the event had this note about it:

 

LTN 265 LEYLAND OCTOPUS FLAT. 1947. Entered by B. Brash, Stoke-on-Trent. New to C.W.S. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, passing to a showman and to scrap before restoration by the present owner.

1952 Cooper Bristol Mk1

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 1965.

It's the 1952 Cooper Bristol Mk1 of John Brown which has a 1971cc 6-cylinder inline Bristol engine that was derived from the pre-war BMW 328 unit. Father and son Charles & John Cooper had started the Cooper Car Company in 1946, and at first specialised in building cars for the new 500cc class of racing that British enthusiasts had started as a simple and economical way to go motor racing after the war. This developed into the International Formula 3 class in 1950, and Cooper then ventured into the Formula 2 class by putting a 1,100cc JAP engine into one of these cars, way below the 2 litre limit allowed, but even with the lack of power the car was still reasonably competitive because of its light weight. When the World Championship was run under Formula 2 regulations in 1952 because of a dearth of the larger-engined Formula 1 cars Cooper decided to design a car to compete at that level. The 1,971 Bristol engine was chosen, but the Cooper Bristol Mk1 (later designated the T20) could not really compete with the Ferraris and Maseratis in World Championship races and was much more successful in minor British events. In 1953 the MkII (later T23) car was introduced, having a tubular frame chassis instead of the box section frame of the earlier car and the drive train was altered to lower the driver's seat. Although a better car it wasn't much more successful than the Mk1, and the following season when the new 2½ litre Formula 1 regulations came into force the car was rendered obsolete. They still soldiered on for a few years, mainly in minor British events, and then became regulars in the historic racing scene, where they're still to be seen to this day.

1953/4 Maserati A6GCM

This is a photograph that I took at McLeans Corner during the HGPCA's International Historic Grand Prix meeting at Donington Park in May 2004.

It's David Bennett's 1953/4  Maserati A6GCM. The car is finished in the Siamese colours of Prince Bira who competed in a Maserati A6GCM in the 1954 season. This is a car that that started off life in 1953 as a Maserati A6GCM, chassis number 2044 with a 6-cylinder inline 1,979cc engine, but was converted to a 250F in 1954 with a 6-cylinder inline 2,493cc engine and given the chassis number 2504. Later that year after an accident the chassis 2504 was switched with that of 2509.  Though it's shown in the programme of the event as a Maserati A6GCM it also says that it had a 2,493cc engine, so I suppose it should really have been called a 250F.

Friday's Ferrari

I took this photograph at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's a 2008 Ferrari F430 Spider, a convertible version of the F430 which replaced the Ferrari 360 and was itself succeeded by the Ferrari 458. It was produced between 2005 and 2009 and has the 4,308cc Ferrari F136 E V8 engine.

1994 Porsche 993

This is a photograph that I took at Druids Corner during qualifying for the Intermarque Championship race at the Aston Martin Owners Club’s meeting at Oulton Park in May 2015.

It’s the 1994 Porsche 993 of Stephen and Felix Archer which is a fourth generation model of the Porsche 911 and has a 3,600cc flat-six boxer engine.

1922 Morgan TT Replica

This is a photograph that I took in Manchester before the start of the Lancashire Automobile Club’s Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1977.

It’s a 1922 Morgan TT Replica, and the programme of the event had this note about it:

 

38      G.B. Chivrall, Bacup, Lancs.

           1922 Morgan “TT Replica” 8 h.p.  980 c.c.  2 cylinders

This car has been built up from parts assembled from all over the country. The chassis is a standard one of 1922 but with wider track and modern tyres and rims. The body is a copy of one fitted to a factory special in 1913 which was built for the cyclecar T.T. which was cancelled in favour of World War I. This car is fitted for the moment with a side valve J.A.P. engine with cast-iron pistons.

1959 Cooper Borgward

This is a photograph that I took at the British Empire Trophy meeting at Oulton Park in April 1959.

It’s the 1959 Cooper Borgward of the British Racing Partnership which was driven in the Formula 2 race at the meeting by George Wicken. The car number 2 in the background is the 1959 Lotus 15 of Team Lotus that was driven in the up to 1,500cc sports car race by Alan Stacey.