1965 McLaren Elva Oldsmobile M1A

I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park at the Tourist Trophy meeting at Oulton Park in 1965.

It was listed in the programme of the event as a McLaren Elva Oldsmobile M1A and was driven in the race by Bruce McLaren. The race was run in two heats each of 2 hours duration and the winner would be the car that covered the greatest distance in total. The winner was Denny Hulme in a Brabham BT8, completing 138 laps, but the 4½ litre Oldsmobile engine in Bruce Mclaren's car developed an oil leak in both of the heats and only managed a total of 30 laps.

1952 Connaught A-Type

This car took part in the two Corporate Jets Historic Grand Prix Cars races over the weekend of 25th and 26th July 1992 at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone.

Gerry Porter and Barrie Williams were listed in the programme of the event as drivers of this 1952 Connaught A-Type which has a 4-cylinder inline engine based on the 1,767cc Lea Francis engine with the capacity increased to 1,960cc in line with the then current Formula 2 regulations. The yellow colour suggests that it is chassis number A4 which was at one time campaigned by the Ecurie Belge team.

1939 Mercedes Benz W154

I took this photograph at the Donington Park Museum in May 1989.

It's a 1939 Mercedes Benz W154, sometimes known as a W163 though it's actually a 1938 W154 with the M154 engine replaced by the 1939 M163 unit.

During the Second World War Mercedes Benz had stored its racing cars in and around the factory at Unterturkheim, but later in the war when the allied bombing became more of a threat many of the cars were taken to other, less targeted places for safety. They were usually stored in pairs and this car, chassis W154/10, together with W154/9, was walled up in the workshops of Czech pre-war racing driver Antonin Vitvar in Stará Paka. After the war W154/9 ended up in the USA and W154/10 was handed over to the National Technical Museum of Prague. Many years later the car was sent to Tom Wheatcroft's workshops at Donington Park for restoration and then had a period on loan at the Museum.

1936 ERA R5B

This car competed in the Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1961.

It's the 1936 ERA R5B 'Remus' of the Hon. Patrick Lindsay, but it's actually a darker blue than appears in the photograph which is from an old colour transparency. The car has the 1,488cc supercharged version of the 6-cylinder ERA engine and it was originally one of the cars in the White Mouse Stable of Siam's Prince Chula and driven by his cousin, Prince Birabongse, known simply as 'Bira'.

Yorkshire Air Museum

I took these photographs on a visit to the Yorkshire Air Museum at RAF Elvington on a rainy and overcast day in July 2010.

It's a Canadair CT-133, a trainer developed from the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star for the Royal Canadian Air Force, and has a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet instead of the T-33's Allison J33.

The aircraft in the background here is the museum's RAF English Electric Canberra T.4 WH846.

Friday's Ferrari

I photographed this car in the Ferrari Owners Club's area at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

It's a 1995 Ferrari F50, chassis #103496, and has a 4,699cc V12 Ferrari Tipo F130B engine. It was bought new by Ian Hetherington and campaigned by him in the Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge races, winning the series in 2000.

1934/35 Riley ERA

This car was entered in the Oulton Park Trophy race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2019.

It's the 1934/35 Riley ERA of David Hawkins and was driven that day by James Baxter. Originally a 4-cylinder inline 1½ litre 1934 Riley 12/4 it was given a 6-cylinder 1,981cc ERA engine at some time in the 1980s.

Here's James Baxter at Knickerbrook during the morning practice session when he qualified in third position on the grid, but unfortunately during the race failed to complete the first lap.

1952 Aston Martin DB3

This car took part in the RAC Woodcote Trophy for Pre 1956 Sports Cars race at the Silverstone Classic meeting in July 2010.

It's a 1952 Aston Martin DB3 with the 6-cylinder inline 2,922cc Lagonda engine, and the driving in the hour-long race was shared by Martin Melling and Richard Hall. The chassis number of this car is DB3/5 and it's the car that Peter Collins and Pat Griffith drove to win the 1952 Goodwood 9 Hour race, and that Reg Parnell and George Abecassis took to second place in the 1953 Sebring 12 Hour race.

1971 Lola T212

This car took part in the HSCC Pre '80 Endurance Challenge race at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2018.

It's the 1971 Lola T212 that was driven by Bob and Vicky Brooks and has a 4-cylinder inline 1,798cc Ford Cosworth FVC engine. It was designed by Lola for the 1971 European 2 Litre Sports Car Championship which it won, thanks to winning drives from Helmut Marko, Vic Elford and Jo Bonnier. The car pictured has the same livery as the only Lola T212 to take part in the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hour race where it was driven by Guy Edwards and Roger Enever, but it retired after 8 hours with a broken flywheel. If it is that car it is chassis HU26.

Here's the car at Lodge Corner during the race.

1964 BRM P261

This is one of the competitors in the Pre 1966 Grand Prix and Tasman Cars race at the Silverstone Historic Festival meeting in August 2001.

It's the 2 litre 1964 BRM P261 of Richard Attwood which is Chassis #2617 and was driven by Jackie Stewart in the 1965 season with a 1½ litre V8 P56 engine then driven by Jackie Stewart and Richard Attwood with a 2 litre engine in the Tasman Series in early 1966. The programme of this Silverstone event says about the BRM P261:

'The wailing 2-litre V8-engined BRM P261s of the evergreen Richard Attwood (his car was built about the remains of Current BRDC chairman Jackie Stewart's '66 Belgian Grand Prix wreck) and Germany's Thomas Bscher may be able to get the better of the Brabham Contingent led by Spencer Flack (BT7) and old pals John Harper and John Beasley in BT4s.'

1928 Crossley 15.7 Coupe

This car took part in the Lancashire Automobile Club's annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1992 and is pictured here before the start of the run in the Exchange Station car park in Manchester.

The Programme of the event has little information about the car, it just says that it's a 1928 Crossley Sports Coupe entered by Anthony Biondi of Haughton Green, Denton. It was also in the 1991 Run when the programme added that: ‘Crossley made only six of this particular model. This is one of three believed to survive.’ The Crossley Register says that it's a 1930 Crossley 15.7 Coupe, and their website says this about the car:

'In May 1928 Crossley introduced a lighter (26cwt) 6 cylinder model, the 1990cc 15.7hp which in spite of the smaller engine could still make an estimated 70mph but with an improved 25 mpg fuel consumption. The four speed gearbox allowed a minimum in top gear of around 5 mph and maxima in third gear of 50 mph and second gear of 30 mph. These top speeds represent over 4200rpm, a lot for a road engine in those days, but are claimed in more than one road test. The saloon version cost £550. One of the body styles, the fabric saloon, reintroduced the Shelsey name from pre-war days. At the 1930 Motor Show it was relaunched as the Silver model with modifications to the brakes, gearbox and engine. This version continued in production until 1934. About 1800 were made and 24 are known to survive including eleven in Australia and three in New Zealand.'

2017 Mercedes Benz-AMG GT R

This car was in the paddock at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2018.

It's a 2017 Mercedes Benz-AMG GT R and has a 3,982cc twin-turbocharged V8 Mercedes Benz M178 engine.

Friday's Ferrari

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997 featured a display of Ferraris in the paddock some of which took part in demonstration runs around the circuit during the meeting.

This is the 1968 Ferrari Dino Tasman of Dudley Mason-Styrron taking part in one of those demonstrations – which in this case was during the most inclement of weather conditions. The car is chassis #0010 which started off as a Formula 2 car with a 1,596cc V6 engine in 1968, taking part in that year's European Formula 2 Championship. Several drivers including Chris Amon, Jackie Ickx, Derek Bell and Ernesto Brambilla drove F2 cars for Ferrari that season, and two of the races were won by Ernesto Brambilla. At the end of that season a 2,405cc V6 engine was installed in two of the cars and they went to Australia to take part in the Tasman Championship that was held in Australia and New Zealand. Derek Bell drove this car and finished in fourth place in the Championship which was won by Chris Amon in the other car - chassis #0008.

1958 Leyland Titan PD2/30

This vehicle took part in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally in Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.

It's a 1958 Leyland Titan PD2/30 that was delivered new to Wigan Corporation in November 1958 with fleet number 115. It is chassis 581260 and has a 9.8 litre diesel engine with bodywork by Northern Counties. It remained in service with Wigan until 1971 and then became a driver training bus. It's not listed in the programme of the event, but when it took part in the Rally in 1996 there was this note in the programme:

Leyland PD2/30, Northern Counties Body, 1958                                                                           DJP 754

Entered by S Lord, Wardle, Rochdale, Lancs

Former operator - Wigan. This 'Tin Front' bus is housed in the Museum of Transport. The style of

bus dates back to a BMMO design and later known as 'An Edinburgh Front'.

1964 Brabham BT11

I took this photograph at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It's USA driver Duncan Dayton leaving the pit lane in his 1964 Brabham BT11 during a qualifying session for the Maserati UK Race for Pre-1966 Grand Prix and Tasman Cars. The BT11 was raced by the Brabham team in the 1964 and 1965 seasons, and was also raced by privateers until the 1968 season. The cars of the Brabham team were powered by a 1½ litre V8 Coventry Climax FWMV  engine, but BRM and Repco engines were also used by other teams. The best results for the car were by Dan Gurney in the 1965 season with two second place and three third place finishes leaving him in fourth position in that year's World Drivers' Championship with the Brabham team ending up in third place in the World Constructors' Championship.

1968 Tecno F2

I took this photograph at Britten's chicane during the FIA Historic Formula 2 International Series race at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Parkin August 2017.

It's Daniel Pyatt in his 1968 Tecno F2 which as a 4-cylinder inline 1,594cc Cosworth FVA engine. The car was campaigned mainly by Clay Regazzoni for the Tecno team in the European Formula 2 Championship that year, and his best result was second place in the Crystal Palace race.

1972 Lancia Fulvia Sport 1600

This was one of the display cars at the Footman James Classic Car Show Manchester at EventCity in September 2018.

It's a 1972 Lancia Fulvia Sport 1600, the last of the range of Fulvias that were produced between 1963 and 1976. All had V4 engines, starting at 1,091cc and gradually increasing in size to the 1,584cc of this car. The Fulvia proved to be a successful rally car, particularly in the hands of Sandro Munari whose most notable win was in the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally.

1955 Cooper Jaguar T38

This car competed in the 1950s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

It's Andrew Garner's 1955 Cooper Jaguar T38, chassis CJ-3-55, with a 6-cylinder inline 3,442cc engine and one of three cars built by Cooper for endurance sports car racing. One of the cars competed in the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hour race, but retired after 4 hours with an oil leak.

Lister Bristol

This car competed in the AMOC 50s Sports Cars race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2017.

It's Stephen Bond's 1955 1,991cc Lister Bristol 'Flat Iron', chassis BHL9, formerly John Horridge's Ecurie Bullfrog car, and is pictured during the race at Druids Corner. The car began life with a Riley engine and was driven by John Horridge and Geoffrey Beeson in the 1955 Bol D'Or 24-hours Grand Prix de Paris but failed to finish. It was given a 1,991cc Bristol engine the following year and raced at national and international level before crashing heavily at Snetterton in July 1957. Subsequently the car was rebuilt by the Works with new 'flatiron' bodywork.

Friday's Ferrari

I took this photograph on the last visit I made to the Donington Collection at the Donington Park museum in September 2014. The museum was closed down in November 2018 and all the vehicles on loan were returned to their owners and as far as I'm aware the rest of them were sent for auction.

This is the 1952 Formula 2 Ferrari 500 (chassis #05) with which Alberto Ascari won the 1952 and 1953 World Drivers' Championships. When Alfa Romeo withdrew from racing after the 1951 season and BRM were seemingly unable to turn their car into a serious contender Ferrari were left as the only team capable of contesting World Championship races in 1952 under the 1½ litre supercharged/4½ litre unsupercharged formula. It was decided, therefore, to run the Championship in 1952 (and 1953) for 2 litre Formula 2 cars. Alberto Ascari won six of the eight races in 1952 and five of the nine races in 1953 and his record of 7 consecutive wins spanning the two seasons  was not beaten until Sebastian Vettel won 9 consecutive races in 2013. Ascari's winning run would have been 9 also, but was interrupted by the 1953 Indianapolis 500 mile race which was at that time included in the World Championship programme, although not contested by the European teams.

The cars behind the Ferrari 500 are the 1950 Ferrari Thin Wall Special, the 1946 ERA E Type GP2 and the 1937 Mercedes Benz W125 replica that Mercedes Benz built for Tom Wheatcroft.

Manchester Metrolink

The first stage of the Manchester Metrolink system opened in 1992, a street level tramway being built in the city centre to join the the existing railway lines from Manchester Victoria to Bury and from Manchester Piccadilly to Altrincham to allow the trams to run from Bury to Altrincham. I took this photograph 2 years later, in August 1994 when I went to the Northern Classic Car Show at the G-Mex Centre - in the background here.

1955 Lotus Mk IX

 I took this photograph in the paddock at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995.

It didn't take part in any of the races at that meeting, but it's a 1955 Lotus Mk IX, and I have a photograph of the car that I took at Donington Park in 2005 when it was owned by Richard Ashmead. About 30 of these cars were built between 1954 and 1955 and several different engines could be provided - 1½ litre MG and Connaught engines and 2 litre Bristol engines were used, but the one most commonly fitted, as in this car, was the 1,098cc Coventry Climax engine. The first Le Mans 24 Hour race contested by Lotus was with a Mk IX in 1955, driven by Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart, but the car was disqualified after 12 hours when Colin Chapman went off the circuit at the Arnage corner into a sandbank and reversed the car back onto the circuit without getting permission from a marshall to do so.

NG Road Racing Oulton Park 2017

I took these photographs during the L & J Fabrication Services and Sapphire Group Powerbike race at the NG Road Racing meeting at Oulton Park in April 2017.

Josh Day, Kawasaki ZX10R

211 Gary Stevens, BMW S1000 RR

27 Peter Carr, Kawasaki ZX10

10 David Irons, Ducati 1198

127 Dan Stewart, BMW S1000 RR

53 Joe Ravenscroft, Kawasaki ZX10

138 Michael Blank, Yamaha R1

121 Chris Barnes, BMW S1000 RR

9 Dave Hewson, BMW S1000 RR

16 Nick Williamson, Kawasaki ZX10R

25 David Manley, Yamaha R1

7 Barry Burrell, BMW S1000 RR

71 George Hindle, Honda Fireblade 1000

4 Colin Thompson, Suzuki GSXR 1000

118 Andrew Sailor, Kawasaki ZX10R

147 Gary Walters, BMW S1000 RR

24 John Denbow, BMW S1000 RR

15 Gavin Martin, BMW HP4 1000

106 Billy Mellor, Yamaha R1

161 Andy Morris, Honda Steelie 900

105, Mark Ball, Kawasaki ZX10R

88 Stephen Li, Ducati 959

51 Paul Messenger, Yamaha R1

Josh Day, Kawasaki ZX10R

Peter Carr, Kawasaki ZX10

Maseratis and ERA

I took this photograph at Luffield corner during the Chopard HGPCA 100 Mile Grand Prix Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.

Leading is Thomas Bscher's 1957 Maserati 250F V12, a car built with a 2,491cc V12 engine instead of the 250F's usual 6-cylinder inline 2,490 unit. It's chassis #2531 and is one of only 2 cars specifically built to take the V12 engine. The car at the rear is Jeffrey Pattinson's 1954 Maserati 250F, chassis #2508, originally owned and raced by Stirling Moss. The blue car appears to have a number 33 which was an ERA  driven by Duncan Ricketts, and although the programme of the event doesn't identify the four ERAs that appeared in this race, it appears to be R12B. The green car in the background is David Baldock's 1938/39 Alta which was driven by Paul Jaye.

1923 Rolls Royce 20 Tourer

This car took part 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 in Manchester before the start of the Run.

It's the 1923 Rolls Royce 20 Tourer of Major A. Pownall of Wilmslow with only this basic entry in the programme of the event:

1923 Rolls Royce 20 Tourer,

Reg:  VK 6701  6 cylinder  20 hp

(Major A. Pownall, Wilmslow, Cheshire)

The car also took part in the Run in 1992, however, when this additional information was given:

'The "smallest" Rolls of its day, the 20 Tourer cost £1,000 in chassis form. Rolls quoted a power figure of 53 bhp at 3000 revs. It was the first Rolls to have a detachable cylinder head.'

1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS

This car competed in the Bill Phillips Trophy Race for Standard and Modified Pre-War Sports-Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in July 2015.

It's the 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS of Nicolas Rossi which has a 6-cylinder inline supercharged 1,752cc engine.

Here's Nicolas Rossi during the race at Druids Corner.

Friday's Ferrari

This car is taking part in the Corse Clienti Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli race at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's the Ferrari 488 Challenge of Dutch driver Fons Scheltema, a car which has a 670hp 3,902cc V8 turbocharged engine developed from that of the Ferrari 488 GTB. The photograph was taken at Club Corner.

1938 Bristol K5G

This is one of the entrants in the Class K Double Deck Buses pre 1950 in the Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1996.

It's a 1938 Bristol K5G with a Roe L27/28R body and was originally in service with Keighley-West Yorkshire Services Ltd. A note about the vehicle in the programme of the event reads as follows:

Bristol K5G, Roe Body, 1938                                                                                                             CWX 671

Keighley and District Travel

Entered by     J.B.Feather, Keighley, West Yorkshire

Delivered in 1938 with an E.C.W. body and rebodied by Roe in 1950. Re-acquired by Keighley and

District Travel in 1993.

1979 Arrows A2

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of the Formula 1 World Championship, which started with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1950. There was a display of a representative selection of Formula 1 cars from those 50 years and here's one which saw action in 1979.

It's the Arrows A2 that replaced the A1 for the latter part of the 1979 season and was driven by Riccardo Patrese and Jochen Mass, but was no more successful than the A1. The car was designed by Tony Southgate and David Wass and was powered by the 2,993cc V8 Cosworth DFV engine. Jochen Mass managed two sixth place finishes with the car, and together with a sixth place finish earlier in the season with the Arrows A1 this gave him 3 points and 18th place in the World Drivers' Championship. Riccardo Patrese didn't have a points-scoring finish with the A2, but a fifth place finish in Belgium in the A1 gave him 2 points and 19th place in the Championship. Arrows finished the season in 9th place in the World Constructors' Championship.

1959 Austin Healey 3000 MkI

This car competed in the Innes Ireland Cup race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2015.

It's the 1959 Austin Healey 3000 MkI of Jack Chatham and has a 6-cylinder inline 2,912cc BMC C-Series engine.

The badge on the nose of the car says 'Austin Healey Sebring', and while the Austin Healey 3000 did compete in the Sebring 12 Hour race the Austin Healey name there is more associated with the Austin Healey Sebring Sprite, starting with a first, second and third in class at the 1959 race.

1958 Lister Monzanapolis

This car competed in the HGPCA Pre '60 GP Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996.

It's the 1958 Lister Monza of Ric Weiland with a 6-cylinder inline 3,781cc Jaguar engine that was built for Ecurie Ecosse to run in the Race of Two Worlds at Monza. The Race of Two Worlds was conceived as an annual exhibition event to be run on the banked oval at Monza and contested by two teams of cars from the USA (USAC cars as in the Indianapolis 500 race) and from Europe (F1 World Championship cars). Because of safety concerns and costs (and a lack of enthusiasm amongst the European F1 teams) the event only lasted for two years, 1957 and 1958, being won by the American cars on both occasions. Ecurie Ecosse entered a team of three Jaguar D-types in the 1957 race, and in 1958 two Jaguar D-types and this single seat Lister Jaguar built especially for the race and consequently known as the Lister Jaguar Monzanapolis. The aluminium body of the car was unpainted for the race, but at some time since then was painted this Ecurie Ecosse blue. It has more recently been returned to the original unpainted finish.