1954 Osca MT4 2AD

I came across this car in the paddock at the Silverstone Historic Festival meeting in August 2001.

It's a 1954 Osca MT4 2AD and didn't take any part in the meeting. O.S.C.A. (Officine Specializate Costruzione Automobili—Fratelli Maserati S.p.A.) was an Italian manufacturer of racing and sports cars established in San Lazzaro di Savena, Bologna, by Ernesto and Bindo Maserati after the Maserati brand was sold to the Orsi family in 1948. OSCA was active from 1949 until it closed down in 1967. Its name is usually abbreviated to OSCA or Osca. Their first car was the MT4, for Maserati Tipo 4 cilindri. The 1092 cc engine (71 bhp at 6000 rpm) had a FIAT-derived block with an alloy head and in 1950 a new DOHC head (MT4-2AD) raised power (to a maximum of 100 bhp) at 6300 rpm

1964 Aston Martin DB5

This car took part in the Post-War Aston Martins race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's Autumn Historic Car Races meeting at Oulton Park in September 1993.

It's the Aston Martin DB5 of Stephen Wakefield, originally with a 6-cylinder inline 4 litre engine that has been increased to 4.2 litres.

1954 MG TF

This car was on the stand of the MG Owners Club at the Northern Classic Car Show at Belle Vue, Manchester in September 1983.

It's a 1954 MG TF, a car that was produced from 1953 to 1955 replacing the MG TD and in turn being succeeded by the MGA. This car, like all the early MG TFs has the 4-cylinder 1,250cc XPAG engine, and from later in 1954 the 1,466cc XPEG engine was used - those cars being designated MG TF1500s.

Friday's Ferrari

This is one of the cars that took part in the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

It’s the 1970 4,993cc V12 Ferrari 512 S of Brandon Wang that was driven in that race by 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.

1913/18 Monarch

This car is at Foulstons chicane during a Four Lap Handicap Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1993.

It's the 1913/18 Monarch of Mark Walker about which the programme of the event says: '.....Mark Walker's 1913 American Monarch with a 1918 V8 Curtiss aero engine was built by Mark himself, with the assistance of the Beaulieu Autojumble, and will undoubtably be one of the fastest cars in the race.' The car also appeared at the Seaman Trophy meeting the previous year when the programme had this to say:

'The 4-lap Handicap for Edwardian Cars features Mark Walker's 1913 Monarch which caused a sensation at Mallory Park last month! Having built the car, Walker made a winning debut but had to battle wheel to wheel with Roger Firth in the 1913 Theophile Schneider.

Monarch was a short-lived marque which built cars designed by Robert Hupp (late of Hupmobile) in Detroit from 1913 to 1916. Into the chassis, which Mark bought in the US, he put an OX5 Curtiss V8 aero-engine of 8.2 litre capacity. This was also acquired in the US and was originally fitted to Curtiss JN4 or 'Jenny' training aircraft, as well as to the British DH6, during the First World War. Plain to see are the exposed rockers, each operating both an exhaust and an inlet valve per cylinder, as on the four-pushrod Salmsons and the Fiat with which Nazzaro won the 1907 French Grand Prix. Walker completed the car with a Panhard-Levassor gearbox and other parts, such as the radiator, sourced from the Beaulieu Autojumble.'

1962 Lola Mk4

This car was driven by Marcus Pye in the Maserati UK Race for Pre-1966 Grand Prix and Tasman Cars at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It's the 1962 Lola Mk4 of Duncan Dayton that was campaigned in the 1962 season by the Bowmaker Racing Team in place of the Cooper T53 cars they had used the previous season. The Lola Mk4, like several of the other teams, used the 1,496cc V8 Coventry Climax FWMV engine and three of these cars were apparently built, this one being chassis BRGP42 that John Surtees drove in most of the Grand Prix races in the 1962 season. Car number 19 behind the Lola is the 1963 Cooper T66 of Sidney Hoole.

1927 Vauxhall 14/40 Tourer

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

It's a 1927 Vauxhall 14/40 Tourer with a 4-cylinder inline 2,297cc engine, about 1,800 of which were produced between 1922 and 1927. The only information about it in the programme of the event is that it was entered by John Lucketti of Rochdale, Lancashire.

1978 Lotus 79

This was in a display of cars by the Historic Lotus Club at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

It's a 1978 Lotus 79, the first car to take full advantage of the superior road-holding made possible by the ground effects aerodynamics developed by Colin Chapman and his team. Colin Chapman had explored the use of ground effects with the previous year's Lotus 78 and the problems encountered were resolved in the Lotus 79. Like the Lotus 78, the Lotus 79 was powered by the 2,993cc Ford Cosworth V8 engine. At the start of the 1978 season the team's two drivers, Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson used the previous year's car for the first few races, Andretti winning the Argentine Grand Prix and Peterson the South African Grand Prix. Mario Andretti drove the Lotus 79 in the Belgian Grand Prix, winning the race, while Ronnie Peterson finished in second place in the Lotus 78 and started with a Lotus 79 in the next race. Mario Andretti won another four races, ending the season as World Drivers' Champion, while Ronnie Peterson won the Austrian Grand Prix to end up in second place in the Championship, though sadly losing his life in a Lotus 78 in an accident at the start of the Italian Grand Prix. Lotus won the World Constructors' Championship in 1978, the last occasion on which they have done so.

1958 Lister Knobbly

This was one of the competitors in the Classic Car Invitation Race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in September 1992.

It's the 1958 Lister Knobbly of David Clark with what the programme of the event says is a 5,300cc engine. Lister Knobblys were produced with both Jaguar and Chevrolet engine and this car may well be chassis BHL127 which had a Chevrolet engine and was owned at one time by David Clark. Behind the Lister is the 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza of Robert Brooks which was driven by Tony Dron in the same race.

1948 Leyland Tiger PS1

This vehicle took part in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1995.

It's a 1948 Leyland Tiger with a Brush body, and was provided new to Burnley, Colne and Nelson.  It was converted to front entrance for one man operation in 1960 and purchased by the then present owner in 1974 who reconverted it to original rear entrance during restoration. The note about it in the programme of the event reads as follows:

Leyland Tiger PS1, Brush bodywork, 1948                                                                                                HG9651

Entered by                                      R Eckersall, Ashton-under-Lyne

New to Burnley, Colne and Nelson whose livery the vehicle currently shows. Further restoration on the

interior is continuing.

Friday's Ferrari

This car competed in the Shell Ferrari Historical Challenge race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997.

It's the 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial of Geoffrey Williams with a 4-cylinder inline 1,985cc engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi and body by Scaglietti. It is chassis #0454MD and was originally provided for US racing driver Bob Said. It was sold in 1955 to Tony Palmer-Morewood and remained in the USA - at one point with a Chevrolet engine - until the early 1990s when it came to the UK and was acquired by Geoffrey Williams.

Salford Quays

These are a few photographs I took in the early evening around Salford Quays on 13 October.

This is an office block on the corner of Central Bay opposite the Salford Watersports Centre.

A Manchester Metrolink tram pulling away from the Wharfside stop and on its way to the Trafford Centre.

A view of Media City and the Millenium Bridge from the opposite side of the Quays.

Central Bay from the side of the Salford Watersports Centre on the right. There's usually a large number of swans and other waterfowl in this area.

Reflections of La Pinta, an Amsterdam clipper that formerly worked as a grain transporter on the Rhine before coming to Salford Quays where it's permanently moored and is apparently a floating furniture shop. Behind it is the former luxury yacht Jacamar which now appears to offer luxury airbnb accommodation.

1927 Bugatti Type 35B

I took this photograph on the approach to Lodge Corner during the Vintage Memorial Trophy race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in August 1992.

It's Julian Mazjub in his 1927 Bugatti Type 35B which has the 8-cylinder inline 2,262cc engine. The Type 35 was the most successful of the pre-war Bugattis and about 35 examples of the Type 35B were produced in the middle and late 1920s.

2000 Jaguar S-Type 3.0 V6

I came across this car when I was doing some shopping in Hyde recently.

It's a 2000 Jaguar S-Type with a 2,967cc V6 engine, nearly 300,000 of which were produced between 1999 and 2007.

The car displays 'ST Racing' markers, but I've been unable to find any concern with that name.

1959 Scarab F1

I took this photograph at Luffield corner during the HGPCA Pre '60 GP Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996.

It's Donald Orosco in his 1951 Scarab F1 which was built by American Lance Reventlow's Reventlow Automobiles Inc to contest the 1960 Formula 1 racing season. Like the Aston Martin DBR4 it was virtually obsolete before it turned a wheel in anger - in the 1959 season, and again in 1960 the old front-engined cars were dominated by the rear-engined ones, and the old 2½ litre Formula was due to be replaced by a new 1½ litre limit in 1961. The car had a 2,441cc straight-4 engine designed for Scarab by Leo Goossen, formerly of Offenhauser, and only started in two races in 1960, both Lance Reventlow and Chuck Daigh retiring from the French Grand Prix, and the single entry in the USA Grand Prix finished in 10th place driven by Chuck Daigh. The programme of the event says this about the car:

 

'Mention should also be made of the F1 Scarab, appearing at the Festival for the first time. This was an ambitious project, the brainchild of Woolworth's heir Lance Reventlow in the wake of resounding national success with his Chevy-powered sportscars. The cars were beautifully built, but by the time they arrived in Europe in 1960, the Formula 1 world had changed, and a front-engined design could no longer be expected to compete. The following year one Scarab F1 was fitted with a 3-litre engine for the short-lived Intercontinental Formula, and it is in this form that it appears this weekend, in the hands of owner Don Orosco.'

Donington Park Museum 2014

This is a photograph I took at Donington Park Museum in September 2014.

On the left is a 1997 Stewart SF01 that was designed by Alan Jenkins and was powered by a 2,998cc Ford JD Zetec-R engine. It was driven that season by Rubens Barrichello and Jan Magnussen but in the midst of a mass of retirements its best result was Barichello's second place in the Monaco Grand Prix - which was also its only points scoring finish. The car next to it is a 1973 Lola T330 which was designed for Formula 5000 racing. It is chassis HU21, originally owned by Jackie Epstein's Shellsport Luxembourg team and has a 5 litre Chevrolet V8 engine. The car on the right is a 1976 Hesketh 308D, uprated by Anthony Horsley from the Hesketh 308 and has a 2,993cc Ford Cosworth V8 engine.

1954 Cooper MkVIII

The Historic Sports Car Club’s meeting at Oulton Park in July 1992 included a Class for 1950s 500cc Formula 3 cars in the Monoposto Formula Junior Championship race which included this one that I photographed on the straight between Foulstons chicane and Knickerbrook.

It's the 1954 Cooper MkVIII of Andrew Garner, one of the 13 different 'Mark' numbers given to the Cooper 500cc machines between 1946 and 1959. The 500 Owners Association has a website which has lots of details of the 500cc Formula 3 cars including details of most of the marques that contested the races in that period.

Friday's Ferrari

This is one of the cars I photographed at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's a 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano which has a 5,999cc V12 F140B engine. It's named after Ferrari's Fiorano test track at Maranello and was produced from 2006 to 2012.

1938 Rover 16 (P2)

This was one of the exhibits at the Footman Janes Classic Car Show Manchester at EventCity in September 2018.

It's a 1938 Rover 16 (P2) and below is a photo of the information sheet that was in the windscreen of the car:

1959 Cooper T51 Maserati

This was one of the competitors in the Pre '61 Grand Prix Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995.

It's the 1959 Cooper T51 Maserati of the late Steve O'Rourke, better known as manager of Pink Floyd. The car is chassis F2/16/59 and was originally supplied with a Coventry Climax 2 litre engine to an Australian customer. After several owners in Australia it went to the USA and then in 1990 to Steve O'Rourke who had a 2 litre Maserati engine fitted.

1934 Talbot 105

This car is rounding Lodge Corner during a Scratch Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in July 1987.

It's the 1934 Talbot 105 of D Rathbone, a car that was developed by Georges Roesch from the Talbot 90, the 6-cylinder inline 2,276cc engine of which was increased to 2,969cc. The Talbot 105 was a prominent competitor at Brooklands and also achieved success in the Alpine Trials.

1955 Mercedes Benz 300SLR

The theme for the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994 was Juan Manuel Fangio, and there was a display of several of the cars he drove during a career in which he won the Formula One Drivers' World Championship five times. He also finished in second place in the 1955 Mille Miglia and on display at Silverstone was the car with which his teammate Stirling Moss won that race - the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR.

The Mille Miglia was run on one lap of a course of almost 1000 miles from Brescia, down the east coast of Italy, across to Rome, then back to Brescia up the west coast. Excluding the wartime 1940 Mille Miglia which took place over nine laps of a course between Brescia, Cremona and Mantua and was won by Huschke von Hanstein and Walter Bäumer in a BMW 328 Berlinetta Touring, the Mille Miglia was only won twice by a non-Italian - in 1931 by Rudolf Caracciola and Wilhelm Sebastian in a Mercedes-Benz SSK, and in 1955 by Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson in the 300 SLR. The cars started at 1 minute intervals and the number 722 on this car indicates that Stirling Moss started the race at 7.22am. Fangio opted not to have a co-driver and his car was only fitted with a single headrest. It was numbered 658 indicating a 6.58am start, 24 minutes before Stirling Moss, but after mechanical problems he finished 8 minutes after the winning car, in second place but 32 minutes behind his team mate. Before the mid 1950s it was compulsory to have a co-driver in the Mille Miglia, but this was changed for the 1954 race which was won by Alberto Ascari driving alone in a Lancia D24.

1927 Austin Chummy

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 1917 Austin Chummy of David Blackburn, and the note about the car in the programme of the event reads as follows:

'1927 Austin Chummy

Reg:  UX 1337   4 cylinder   7 hp

(David Blackburn, Trawden, Colne)

Believed to have been owned for many years by a district nurse in Wales.'

Some 290,000 Austin Sevens were produced between 1923 and 1939 and they had a 4-cylinder inline 747cc engine. It gained the name 'Chummy' as the four seater body on a car with a wheelbase of only 6ft 3in and a track of 3ft 4in meant that the passengers sat very close to each other.

1971 March 712

I took this photograph at the Historic Sports Car Club's Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1987.

Its Trevor Needham in his 1971 March 712 pictured at Lodge Corner during the HSCC Pre '71 Single Seater Championship race. The March 712 was the car favoured by several teams in the European Formula Two Championship in the 1971 season, which was won by Ronnie Peterson in a March Engineering 712 powered by a 4-cylinder inline 1,598cc Cosworth engine.

 

Friday's Ferrari

The Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992 featured a special display of Ferraris in the paddock and demonstration runs of various Ferraris during the meeting. This is a photograph I took during one of the runs.

It's a 1967 Ferrari 246 FL and it is being driven by John Surtees who was a Ferrari team driver from 1963 to until he left the team early in the 1966 season. This is one of the cars that was on display in the paddock that day and a note in the programme of the event says this about it:

'Ferrari 246 FL

Mid-engined V6; 2.4 litres, 300 bhp at 8900 rpm; twin ohc per bank. Lucas fuel injection. All round independent suspension. This car started life with a 2-litre engine as one of the Dino 166 F2's built to meet the 1967 F2 regulations which required engines based on production units. It was used by such by the works until it became one of two cars which fitted with a 2.4-litre engine were prepared by Ferrari to run in the 1969 Tasman series of races in New Zealand/Australia. Its principal driver in the series was Derek Bell.'

1954 Jaguar XK120

I took this photograph at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in September 1986.

It's a 1954 Jaguar XK120 drophead coupé with the 3,442cc 6-cylinder inline Jaguar XK engine. The XK120 was introduced in 1949 as an open 2 seater, followed by the fixed head coupé in 1951 and the drophead coupé in 1953. 12,055 cars were built in total before production ended in 1954.

1937 Citroën V23

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

It's not listed in the programme of the event but it's a 1937 Citroën V23 which also took part in the Rally in 1995 when the programme said this about it:

Citroen V23, 1937

Entered by  B. Longden for Sylvan Brick Ltd, Trafford Park

Found in Brittany in 1991, Renovated and fitted with fairground organ.

1992 Williams FW14B

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of the Formula One World Championship with displays and track demonstration runs featuring cars from each of the five decades since 1950. This car was one from the 1990s.

It's the 1992 Williams FW14B that Nigel Mansell drove to win the World Drivers' Championship (and the World Constructors' Championship for Williams) that year. The FW14 was designed by Adrian Newey with a 3,493cc Renault V10 engine and was driven by Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese in the 1991 season, Mansell finishing in second place in the Drivers' Championship to Ayrton Senna and Patrese in third place with Williams in second place in the Constructors' Championship. With minor alterations the FW14B was almost unbeatable in 1992 with Mansell winning nine races and Patrese's sole victory and a string of second places gave him second place in the Drivers' Championship.

1970 Lotus 72

These two cars competed in the HSCC Seldon Pre '71 Single Seater Championship race at the Historic Sports Car Club's Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1986.

The number 72 car is a 1970 Lotus 72, chassis 72/R4 and in front of it is a 1971 McLaren M19A, chassis M19A/1, both of which belonged to the then owner of the Oulton Park racing circuit (and Brands Hatch and Snetterton), John Foulston, who drove the McLaren in that race whilst his wife Mary drove the Lotus. The Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe and the McLaren M19A was designed by Ralph Bellamy, both cars having the Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993cc V8 engine. The Lotus was the more successful of the two cars, Jochen Rindt winning the World Driver's Championship in 1970  and Emerson Fittipaldi  in 1972, and Lotus winning the World Constructor's Championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973. The McLaren's best results were a third place in the Driver's Championship in 1972 for Denny Hulme and a third place in the Constructor's Championship the same year for McLaren.

2003 Vauxhall VX220

I saw this car recently stopped at some traffic lights on Chester Road in Stretford.

It's a 2003 Vauxhall VX220 with a 4-cylinder inline 1,998cc Vauxhall Astra GSi engine which was marketed in the rest of Europe as an Opel Speedster with a 2,198cc General Motors Ecotec engine. It was built on a Lotus Elise Series II chassis by Lotus Engineering at their Hethel factory in return for funding by General Motors for production of this new Elise.

1964 BRM P67

This is a photograph that I took at the Donington Park Museum in October 1989.

It's the 1964 BRM P67 and was BRM's attempt to build a competitive four-wheel drive F1 car, as did several other teams in the 1960s. This is what the book 'Great Racing Cars of the Donington Collection' has to say about the car.

'During the 1964 season a youthful BRM engineer named Mike Pilbeam was allotted a four-wheel drive research project. He took an obsolete P56 spaceframe chassis, turned the V8 engine about-face to place the flywheel and clutch assembly just behind the driver's seat, and then mated to it a Ferguson centre differential and four-wheel drive system.

The result was a simple, relatively inexpensive test vehicle, and Richard Attwood drove it in practice for the British GP at Brands Hatch, after which it completed its programme in private. BRM decided that the all-wheel drive was not the way to go and the P67 research vehicle was retired, subsequently finding its way into the British Hill-Climb Championship which it won in Peter Lawson's private hands in 1968.'