Guernsey and Granddaughter Eliza

We were back in Guernsey last week for the Christening of our Granddaughter Eliza Gillian Mary at Holy Trinity Church in St Peter Port. This is about the best of the photographs I took during the service.

Eliza seems to have changed such a lot since we saw her before Christmas and is (for the most part) a cheerful and happy soul.

We had quite a bit of sunshine whilst we were there, but also some rain and it was very windy at times which made the seas around the island (as here at Grandes Rocques) rather lively.

The high tides over the weekend made driving round the coastal road rather hazardous - look at the pebbles thrown onto the road at Cobo Bay in the photograph below.

Here's Eliza with Mummy......

......and with Daddy......

......and waiting to be fed.

Edward with Mummy......

......and with Daddy at the airport waiting for the plane coming to take us back home.

Friday's Ferrari

The SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2004 included a round of the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge and one of the cars that took part is the one pictured below.

It's a 1960 Ferrari 250GT SWB, serial number 1993GT, and here it's just leaving the pits during a practice session.

Here's the car, driven by Marc Devis, at McLean's Corner during the race.

Austin York

This is a photograph taken at the Village Hotel in Cheadle, Stockport, the start point of the Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1993.

It's a 1935 Austin 16 York Saloon and details about it in the programme of the event are sparse, the only information given is that it was entered by P Dawson of Leyland, Lancs.

Bugatti Type 44

I featured the Bugatti Type 44 on 29 September 2014, showing a photograph of one at the start of the 1987 Manchester to Blackpool Veteran & Vintage Car Run. Here now is one which took part in the Concours at the VSCC meeting at Oulton Park in August 1996.

It's a 1929 Bugatti Type 44 Berliner, chassis number 44667

Porsche 906 Carrera

This car was entered in a race for the 'Coys of Kensington 80th Anniversary Trophy for Pre-1972 Le Mans Cars' at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It's a 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera, entered by Scuderia Colonia e.V.im Adac and driven in the race by Hans-Peter Richrath.

MG EX181

Yet another of the MG record cars to put in an appearance at the Northern Classic Car Show, this time at Belle Vue, Manchester in September 1984.

This is MG EX181 which broke records at Bonneville Salt Flats in the hands of Stirling Moss in 1957, and Phil Hill in 1959.

Little Cat, Big Cat

I saw this as I was walking down the road the other day and just had to take a photograph.

The Ginger cat couldn't have chosen a more appropriate car to perch on than this Jaguar XK8.

BRM P153

This car took part in the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship race at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006.

It's a 1970 BRM P153, and Mike Littlewood is seen here in the car returning to the pits after a practice run.

Friday's Ferrari

Two Ferraris today on an old Kodak Brownie 127 photograph taken at the Daily Herald International Trophy race at Oulton Park in August 1955.

Number 50 is Tony Parravano's 1954 Ferrari 121 LM which was driven in the race by Carroll Shelby, but did not finish the race. This car has the Ferrari serial number 0484LM. Car number 30 is Masten Gregory's Ferrari 750S Monza, driven by Masten Gregory in the race and is serial number 0554M. This car finished fourth in the race.

Borgward B2000A Heavy Field Car

There are usually a few military vehicles amongst the entries in the Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally and here is one pictured at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.

It's a Borgward B2000A Heavy Field Car, and whilst it isn't listed in the programme of the event I've found this German website describing the vehicle.

A translation of that website into English reads as follows:

(Shu) - Borg Ward is one of the big names in automotive history in post-war Germany. Head of the company was Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Borg Ward, who also owned the trademarks Goliath and Lloyd. Successes in the car and truck-had Borgward can venture into the size class of Opel. He produced the tricycle, the GD750 and a modern car, the Hansa 1500. Soon after, the two-stroke vehicles Lloyd LP300 and Goliath GP700 published. Were supplemented by additional vehicles were passenger cars Hansa 1800 and the 6-cylinder model Prestige Hansa 2400 Pullman. The most famous and most beautiful at the same time Borgward car was certainly the Isabella.

The production of light and medium duty trucks Borgward was carried out in the factory Sebaldsbrück. As of 1956, the truck belonged to diamond on the hood to the existence of the Federal and the race for the initial supply of the Bundeswehr with tactical, off-road trucks NATO-class 1t could Borgward decide for themselves. The Borgward B2000 A / O (wheel / petrol engine) prevailed over the Opel Blitz A.

Between 1955 and 1961, leaving more than 5600 B2000 A / O works on their way Bundeswehr, where they were taken in the truck class 0,75t gl. In addition to the nine-seater jeep with weather roof Borg Ward gave particular 0,75t-flatbed truck. In very small numbers, there was the jeep with solid construction. Must at this point, the big brother of the B2000 A / 0, the Bundeswehr, however due to the extended 20cm chassis in its class 1.5t gl "enrolees" are mentioned.

The Borgward B2000 A / O was 5285mm long, 1900mm wide and 2575mm high in the bucket version. As a flatbed his dimensions (L, W, H) amounted to 5350mm, 1900mm and 2575mm. In both embodiments, the wheelbase was 3200mm. The back of the flatbed truck was 2350mm long and 1700mm wide. The Borgward were driven 0,75t gl of the 2400ccm (82 hp) engine Hansa sedan.

The Borg Ward "bucket" first found a relative prevalence in the troop. The truck fitted with a two-part, nine-seater setup was used with different conversion kits in the military police, the Signal Corps, as well as in the artillery as Feuerleittruppfahrzeug.Later generations of conscripts collected on these vehicles first experience of acquiring the truck driver's license. For transportation of personnel and equipment, the vehicle had a separately mounted on the frame personnel compartment with two benches and an accessible only from the outside rear storage compartment behind the cab. The vehicle came in an early (all door handles at the same height) and a late version (door handles at different heights) for the Bundeswehr.

The much rarer variant with a closed structure served as a radio and command vehicle. The Borgward bunks were to be found primarily in the airborne and mountain units, but were also in units other than supply vehicle.

The Borg Ward were used until at least 1975 of the Bundeswehr. Therefore, only wore a monochrome painting in Gelboliv. The tactical signs were performed according to the Association membership as a circle, diamond or triangle, the common use today rectangular tactical characters were introduced only towards the end use of the vehicles of the Bundeswehr.

Following military service many vehicles were shifted in the event of disaster or fire protection or were privately owned. Due to the similarity of the Borgward bucket with the heavy off-road car of the Wehrmacht (eg listening) some vehicles took roles in war movies.

The Armed Forces led by end use any successor models of 0,75t gl-class, the Unimog 1,5t gl covered this area from. In addition, the Borgward would not have stood for the construction of a successor to disposal, because 1963 was smashed in the context of bankruptcy proceedings.

Lister Jaguar

The HSCC Spring Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1986 included a race for The HSCC Pre '60 Historic Sports Car Championship, albeit with a very small entry list, which included the car shown below.

It's shown in the programme of the event as a 1957 Lister-Jaguar - in those days the hyphen in the name was common, but has now largely disappeared.

The car was driven in the race by Tim Cairns.

McLaren F1 GTR

This is a car that was on display in the paddock at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995.

It's a McLaren F1 GTR and I think it's the car which finished in third place that year at Le Mans driven by Andy Wallace and Derek & Justin Bell. The car just visible, next to it on the right is the McLaren of Yannick Dalmas, Masanori Sekiya and JJ Lehto that won the race.

Cadillac 40-50 Tourer

This is a car photographed in the Exchange Station car park before the start of the Manchester to Blackpool Veteran & Vintage Car Run in June 1990.

It's a 1914 Cadillac 40-50 Tourer and the programme of the event had this note about the car:

22.     1914 Cadillac 40-50 Tourer

           Reg: DS 8446 4 cylinder 50 hp

           (C.R.Unsworth, Ashton-in Makerfield)

Imported from Massachusetts last December,

This model is the largest Edwardian Cadillac

manufactured. It has four separately cast

cylinders, each with its own copper water jacket,

a two-speed rear axle giving a 2.5/1 top ratio -

which means it will do 45 mph at 1,000 rpm.

And it takes 37 in. x 5 in. tyres!

MG EX179

This is another of the MG record-breaking cars that made an appearance at the Northern Classic Car Show, this time at Belle Vue, Manchester in 1985.

It's the 1954 MG EX179 and you can read about its exploits here

.

Two French Cars

These two cars took part in the Pre-War Sports Car Team Relay Race at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2004.

The car on the left is a 1939 Talbot Darracq T150C, entered by B.S.Dollamore and driven in the race by Toby Heelis. On the right is a 1936 Delahaye 135, entered and driven by Sir Ralph Robins.

Friday's Ferrari

This car was amongst the other spectators' cars at the Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1981.

It's a Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. I've gone through all the 250 GT Californias in www.barchetta.cc but I can't find a serial number for this one, although there are gaps in the histories of several of the cars.

Jowett

This is a photograph from the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994, and once again it's one where I didn't, at the time, make a note what the vehicle was. 

After some digging around I've found that it is a 1951 Jowett Jupiter Cabriolet with Richard Mead bodywork and that only six were made, of which four survive.

Pre-Production Land Rovers

Though there are no notes about them in the programme of the event, these two pre-production Land Rovers were at Heaton Park, Manchester at the Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally organised by the Greater Manchester Transport Society in September 1998 - you can see one of them on the back of the Leyland Beaver Transporter which I showed on 29 December 2014. My memory tells me there were more than two of these pre-production Land Rovers present that day, but my memory may not be telling me the truth.

Pre-production model No. 9

Pre-production model No. 12

There were apparently 48 of these pre-production Land Rovers built of which 19 still exist, and you can read something about them on this 4wdonline site.

Derelict Tractors

I took these photographs in October last year of two derelict tractors next to a farm building at the side of a main road not far from where I live.

They are parked one behind the other and appear to have been there for some time.

And here's a close-up of the plate on the side of the first tractor:

It says 'Fordson Major Diesel' and I think that indicates that it's a Fordson E1A, and the one behind it seems to be a Fordson as well. Wikipedia says:

'E1A
Post-war shortages delayed the development of an entirely new tractor. In 1953, the E1A "New Major" entered production with an all new diesel engine. The 4D engine was designed and manufactured in UK at Dagenham and was available as diesel,gasoline, or kerosene. The tractor had a modified version of the E27N transmission. The driver sat significantly lower, which led to the E27N being nicknamed the 'High Major'. In 1958, - the Power Major - was introduced with 51.8 hp and an improved transmission and 'live-drive' hydraulics, and then in 1960 the final version, the Super Major came out with a weight transfer system and differential lock. The Super Major was produced until 1964. These tractors were exported to the US - the first since 1939 - badged as Fords.'

Aston Martin DB3S

This is another of those old 1950s photographs, this time from the Daily Herald International Trophy meeting at Oulton Park on 18 August 1956.

Aston Martin entered a team of four of the DB3S models and No. 8 is the car with which Stirling Moss won the race, here being topped-up with fuel prior to the race. Immediately behind it (No. 10) is Reg Parnell's car which finished third, and beyond that No. 12 is the car with which Roy Salvadori finished fourth. To the right, seen through the bars of the gate is the No. 14 car of Tony Brooks which finished in second place. The car driven by Stirling Moss was chassis number DB3S/9, Parnell's was DB3S/7, Salvadori's DB3S/6, and that of Tony Brooks DB3S/8.

Maserati 250F (times two)

The featured marque at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005 was Maserati with particular emphasis on the 250F as the following note in the programme of the event explained:

'The evocative cars of Maserati will take centre stage at SeeRed this weekend, the main feature being a special race dedicated to the artisan marque.

The glorious 250F Grand Prix car dominates the entry for the Pre-61 Maserati race, the model built between 1954-59 being more common than any other. The rest of the field is made up of cars from the pre-war era.

The 250F is the quintessential front-engined post-war Grand Prix car and was made eligible for the VSCC as early as 1966 when the youngest models were just seven years old! With the oldest now over 50, they will make for a striking comparison with the latest Formula One Ferraris being demonstrated at SeeRed.'

Twelve 250Fs are listed in the Celebration Maserati Invitation Race with a further four being shown as static display or track demonstration cars. Here's a photograph of two of the 250Fs being prepared in the paddock prior to the practice session.

The car at the front is Josef Rettenmaier's and is chassis number 2508, a 1954 car previously owned by Stirling Moss. Its early history is shown in this www.barchetta.cc record, and the programme note about the car says this:

2508

Ordered by Stirling Moss through the Shell-BP company office in Italy. Raced by Moss until he joined Mercedes-Benz, and later loaned to various drivers including Mike Hawthorn, Bob Gerard and John Fitch. Sold to Ross Jensen in New Zealand and returned to the UK in 1964. Now owned by Josef Rettenmaier in Germany.

The car behind is Stefan Rettenmaier's and is chassis number 2520, a 1956 car, and again you can see the early history in the www.barchetta.cc record. This is what the programme note says:

2520

Factory team car for Argentina and raced by Frolian Gonzalez before deal with Stan Jones in Australia. Colin Crabbe brought it to the UK in 1963. Break from historic racing life in the Guido Dubbini collection, and now in Germany with Stefan Rettenmaier.

MG EX135

This is a car displayed by BL Heritage Ltd at the Northern Classic Car Show at Belle Vue, Manchester, in September 1983.

It's the MG EX135 which between 1938 and 1952 in the hands of Goldie Gardner broke numerous world speed records. It started off life in 1933 as a six-cylinder 1087cc supercharged MG K3 Magnette which the owner George Eyston had fitted with a single-seater offset body finished in brown and white stripes, which earned it the nickname 'Humbug'. In 1934 George Eyston took the car to Montlhery where he set 12 Class G records, including a Class record speed of 128.69 mph, after which he sold the car.

Four years later, in 1938, the car re-emerged with its new streamlined body designed by Reid Railton and in the hands of Goldie Gardner who set new Class G records, including 186.6 mph over 1 km and 186.5 mph over 1 mile on the Frankfurt to Darmstadt autobahn. The following year at Dessau, also in Germany, he raised the 1 km, 1 mile and 5km records to 203.5 mph, 203.2 mph and 197.5 mph respectively. Two days later, after an engine rebore taking the capacity to 1105cc he took the Class F records to 204.3 mph, 203.9 mph and 200.6 mph for the same distances.

In 1951 Goldie Gardner took the car to Bonneville Salt Flats, USA, and set 6 International and 10 American records in Class F, and at Bonneville the following year 5 International and 16 American records in Classes E and F.

Friday's Ferrari

One of the cars in the Ferrari Feature at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992 was Nick Mason's 1978 Ferrari 312 T3.

The programme of the event had this to say about the car:

3     312 T3

Mid-engined flat-12; 3 litres; 510bhp at 12,000rpm; four

valves per cylinder; twin ohc; fuel injection; all-round

independent suspension, introduced 1978 as further

development of 312T; transverse gearbox car introduced

1975. Driven by Gilles Villeneuve in many grands prix in

1978; winner Canadian GP.

Here's the car (serial number 034) at Luffield Corner, being driven in a demonstration run by Jody Scheckter. The car behind it is the 1969 Ferrari 246 FL Tasman (serial number 010) being driven by John Surtees.

A Bentley, a Rolls Royce, and Les Dawson

In the Exchange Station car park in Manchester in May 1987 before the start of the Manchester to Blackpool Veteran & Vintage Car Run and I was just about to take a photograph of a 4½ litre Bentley when a chap in a pink jerkin and white trousers wandered into the shot.

It was the late Les Dawson, who was taking part in the run in a Rolls Royce. The Programme of the event says this about the Bentley:

137      1928 Bentley 4.5 litre Tourer

            Reg: YV 9608 4 cylinder 45 hp

            (Thomas James Padden, Manchester)

A much travelled Bentley, this car has won

awards on rallies as far afield as Austria,

Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Italy and Hungary.

There's a history of this car on this www.vintagebentleys.org website.

I saw Les Dawson and the Rolls Royce at several of these runs and he actually suffered his fatal heart attack in 1993 only four days after taking part in that year's run.

Here's Les Dawson being driven past the front of Manchester Cathedral just after the start point.

The Programme said this about the car:

150     1930 Rolls Royce Phantom II

           Reg USV 694 6 cylinder

           (Industrial Control Services, Malden, Essex)

Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS

Here's another Alfa Romeo from Silverstone, this time from the Coys International Historic Festival meeting in July 2000.

It's an 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS, When I took the photograph I knew because of the badge that it was an Alfa Romeo, but it's only by searching the internet that I've found which model it is and that the bodywork is apparently by Umberto de Mola.

Starkeys Bridge

I took this photograph of Starkey's Bridge at Donington Park at the Ferrari & Maserati Festival of Racing meeting in May 2003 from a position on the straight between McLeans Corner and Coppice Corner.

When you think of all the safety features on racing circuits now (and just look at the run-off areas here) it seems unbelievable that on the pre-war circuit the track went through one of the arches of the bridge - as far as I can make out it's the right-most arch of the three shown in the photograph. The photograph on this AboutMyArea website shows a car passing under the bridge at the first car race meeting held at the circuit in 1933.

The blue car on top of the left-hand side of the bridge is the wind tunnel model of the World Land Speed Record car, Project Blue Star, from the 1970s.

Porsche 911 Carrera

This is one of the cars that took part in the two of the races at the Cheshire Cats' Trophy Meeting organised by the Jaguar Drivers' Club at Oulton Park in April 1987.

It's a 3 litre Porsche 911 Carrera entered by C.A.S Motor Sport which as number 27 was driven in the 15 lap Gordon Russell Furniture Inter-Marque Championship Race by Richard Chilton. The notes in the programme of the event for the 36 lap Cheshire Cats' Trophy Race say; 'A 100 mile race for Roadgoing Production Sportscars with a current Road Fund Licence. Co-Drivers are allowed and a pit stop is mandatory between laps five and thirty-two. Refuelling is not allowed.' In that race the Porsche was number 25 and the driving was shared by Richard Chilton and Michael Phillips.

Here's the car in that second race rounding Lodge Corner.

Speedway: Sunday Mirror World Championship Quarter Final (8 May 1976) at Belle Vue Stadium

Heat 2: Gordon Kennett - White City (blue), Steve Weatherley - Eastbourne (white) & Ian Turner - Kings Lynn (yellow/black)

Heat 3: Ted Howgego - Ipswich (yellow/black), Alan Grahame - Birmingham (blue) & Brian Havelock - Newcastle (red)

Heat 4: John Louis - Ipswich (red), Taffy Owen - Workington (yellow/black) , Mick Bell - Reading (white) & Trevor Geer - White City (blue)

Heat 5: Michael Lee - Kings Lynn (blue) & Frank Auffrett - Hull (yellow/black)

Heat 6: Steve Weatherley - Eastbourne

There was a tie for first place on 13 points between No. 1 Mike Lee of Kings Lynn, No. 4 John Davis of Reading, and No. 11 Alan Grahame of Birmingham and the final order in the run-off was:

          1st     Alan Grahame

          2nd    John Davis

          3rd     Mike Lee