Drag Racing 1965

In 1964 and 1965 the US National Hot Rod Association in conjunction with the British Drag Racing Association organised an exhibition tour of Britain which in 1965 included a drag race meeting on the runway of RAF Woodvale near Southport. This is a photograph of one of the American dragsters that took part.

I don't recall having a programme at the event, but this is apparently Gary Casady's Ansen Forgings Chevy powered 400 Junior fueler.

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 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider, a convertible version of the F430 and was produced from 2005 to 2009. It has the 4,308cc Ferrari F136 E V8 engine.

Take the Family

I took this photograph on The Avenue, the straight between Old Hall Corner and Cascades during the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1974.

I usually went to race meetings on my own which gave me freedom to wander round the paddock or to outflung corners of the circuit to take photographs without taking the risk of boring the rest of my family who don't share my enthusiasm for the sport. Other people obviously had no problems with taking all the family along. The nearest of the red cars here is David Fletcher-Jones in his 1934/5 1,086cc Lagonda Rapier while the car just disappearing from the shot seems to be Colin Warrington's 1931/4 Appleton Special, a Maserati 8C chassis with a supercharged 1½ litre Riley engine.

1979 McLaren M28C

The Donington Park Museum had a large collection of McLaren F1 cars and this is one that I photographed in September 2014.

It's a McLaren M28C that was driven by John Watson and Patrick Tambay in the 1979 season. The car was designed by Gordon Coppuck and powered by a 2,993cc V8 Ford Cosworth DFV engine but was not a success and was roundly condemned by the two drivers. John Watson had a third place in Argentine, a fourth place in Monaco and a sixth place in Belgium to score 15 points and finish in ninth place in the World Drivers' Championship. Patrick Tambay's best result was a seventh place in the British Grand Prix and he scored no points in the Championship. The McLaren team finished in seventh place in the World Constructors' Championship. The Donington Park car bears the number 7 that marked  John Watson's cars in 1979  and appears to be M28/2.

 

1929 Packard

The Cheshire Life magazine used to sponsor the Concours d'Elegance at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophy Meetings at Oulton Park and there was a parade of the entrants between two of the races during the meeting. This is a photograph I took at Old Hall Corner of one of the cars on the parade at the June 1973 meeting.

The only information in the programme of the event is that it is a 1929 Packard and was entered by H.U.P. Edwards. The DVLA now has no record of 620 WJH and I can only assume that it's been repatriated to the USA at some time in the intervening years. As far as I can ascertain all 1929 Packards were produced with straight-8 engines of either 319 cu in (5.2 litres) or 384 cu in (6.3 litres).

1952 Cooper Bristol

This was one of the competitors in the Maserati UK Race for Pre 1961 Grand Prix Cars at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000.

It’s the 1952 Cooper Bristol MkI of Proby Cautley. The Cooper Bristol had 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 1,971cc Bristol engine was chosen, but the Cooper Bristol MkI (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 MkI, 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.

1924 Thornycroft BX Tipper

This was one of the participants in the Greater Manchester Historic Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally in Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1995.

It's a 1924 Thornycroft BX Tipper, and the programme of the event said this about it:

Thornycroft BX Tipper, 1924                                                                                       TC9816

Entered by          W.H Bowker Limited, Bamber Bridge, Preston

This vehicle was fitted with hydraulic tipping gear and was originally fitted with solid tyres and converted to pneumatic tyres during the 1930's. Withdrawn from service around 1960 and was restored in 1992 and is now finished in the correct period livery of William Bowker Ltd.

1927/39 ERA Delage

This was one of the competitors in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1970.

It's the 1927/39 ERA Delage of Ray Potter which is a 1927 Delage with a 1939 1,488cc supercharged ERA engine. The starting grid for the race had been decided before the programme of the event was printed as all the cars in the race are mentioned in the programme in grid order, which says this about the ERA Delage:

'Next in this row is Ray Potter's beautiful ERA-Delage, which has a twostage supercharged E-type ERA engine in a vintage G.P. Delage chassis, a very potent combination.'

Friday's Ferrari

This was one of the competitors in the 1950s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It's the 1959 Ferrari  250 TR59/60 of Paul Pappalardo, chassis #0774TR, with the Gioacchino Colombo designed 2,953cc V12 engine. The car won the 1960 Buenos Aires 1000km race in the hands of Phil Hill and Cliff Allison and followed that up by winning the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hour race driven by Olivier Gendebien and Paul Frère. Next to the car here is Paul Pappalardo's Ferrari 250 GTO #5111GT.

1930 Rolls Royce Phantom II

This was one of the participants in the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1979.

It's the 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom II of Mr P Keogh of Bolton, and the programme of the event had this note about the vehicle:

Mr P. Keogh, Bolton, Lancs

1930 Rolls Royce Phantom II.  45 hp.  6-cylinder

The car bears its original touring body by Barker. Built for the Maharajah of Parlikeredi including imitation mother of pearl dashboard and white steering wheel. Registered by the Maharaja in England with its present registration GK 1148 and used by him here before being shipped to India in about 1930 where it remained until 1972.

1936 ERA R11B

I took this photograph at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1969.

It's Martin Morris in his 1936 ERA R11B which was named 'Humphrey' by its first owner Reggie Tongue after the ERA founder, Humphrey Cook. It was originally a 1½ litre car in 1936, but was given a 2 litre supercharged engine in the late 1940s. Martin Morris won the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race that day for the first time, and went on to win it with 'Humphrey' nine more times.

1958 Cooper T45

This car competed in the Pre-1966 Grand Prix and Tasman Cars Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

It's Mike Haywood's 1958 Cooper T45 with what the programme of the event said was a 2 litre engine. The Cooper T45 was an improved version of the T43 and was used in both Formula One and Formula Two racing. 

1972 Ford Cortina Mk III 2000E

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

It's a 1972 Ford Cortina Mk III 2000E, originally supplied with a 2 litre Pinto engine though the DVLA record says that this car has a 2,900cc engine.

Maserati 300S

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

It's a Maserati 300S but didn't take part in any of the races that day, nor is it mentioned in the programme of the event and may well be a replica. The Maserati 300S has a 2,991cc 6-cylinder inline engine that was based on the 2½ litre unit of the 250F Grand Prix car with a longer stroke, and took part in the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1957.

1965 Lotus 30

I took this photo of Jim Clark in his Lotus 30 on the approach to Lodge Corner in the early stages of the RAC Tourist Trophy Race at Oulton Park in May 1965.

The race was scheduled to be run in two parts, each part lasting for 2 hours with the winner decided by the aggregate of the two parts. The Lotus 30 was Colin Chapman's first attempt to build a larger displacement car and usually had a 4.7 litre Ford V8 engine, though the programme of this event gives the capacity as 5.3 litres. Jim Clark finished the first part in a lowly 16th place and retired just over halfway through the second part with transmission problems.

Friday's Ferrari

This car competed in the Coys of Kensington Ferrari GT Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997.

It's the 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB of Portuguese driver José Albuquerque, chassis #4037GT, which has the Gioacchino Colombo designed 2,953cc V12 engine which powered most of the Ferrari 250 series of cars. The 250 GT SWB was introduced by Ferrari at the Paris Motor Show in 1959.

1948 Standard 12 Coupé

This was one of the participants in a Vintage and Historic Vehicle Display & Run organised by the Saddleworth Museum in June 1988.

It’s a 1948 Standard 12 Coupé with a 4-cylinder inline 1,608cc side valve engine - 9,959 Standard 12’s were produced between 1945 and 1948.

1927 Bugatti T37A

I took this photograph along The Avenue on the approach to the Cascades corner during the Richard Seaman Memorial Vintage Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1963.

It's Pat Carmichael in his 1927 Bugatti Type 37A which has a 4-cylinder inline 1,496cc supercharged engine and 290 of these cars were built between 1926 and 1930, 67 of them with superchargers.

Aston Martin DB3S

This is a photograph I took at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.

It's three of the Aston Martin DB3S cars that competed in the Classic Car Sports Car Race and all have the 6-cylinder inline 2,922cc Lagonda engine.  Number 29 is the 1955 car of Hubert Fabri, one of the DB3S customer cars, chassis DB3S/102, and was originally one of three cars provided for Australian Tony Gaze's Kangaroo Stable. Next to it is the car driven by Sally Mason-Styrron in the race which is chassis DB3S/9, a 1956 Works car raced by the Aston Martin team in 1956 and 1957. At the end of the 1957 it was sold to Australian David McKay. The red car on the right is Valentine Lindsay's 1955 customer car, chassis DB3S/110.

 

Maserati 250F

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

It wasn't part of a display like the majority of the cars in the museum, just tucked away in a corner as if they didn't know what to do with it. I asked a member of the staff about it and he said that it didn't belong to the museum, but had been "left behind after the previous race meeting at the circuit".

1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

I took this photograph in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1961.

It's a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza and has an 8-cylinder inline 2,336cc engine. The registration number is FYE 7, with a chassis  number 2211130  which was originally owned and raced by the Hon. Brian Lewis who later became Lord Essendon. At the time of this race meeting it seems to have been owned by the Hon. Patrick Lindsay who drove his ERA R5B 'Remus' in the Richard Seaman Historic Memoria Trophy race that day. Between the races at the meeting was a parade by some 20 Pre-War drivers including such names as John Bolster, Louis Chiron, S.C.H. Davis, George Eyston and Lord Essendon 'driving cars with which they have been associated'. I don't specifically remember it, but presumably Lord Essendon drove his old Alfa Romeo during this parade.

1950 AEC Regent III

This is one of the vehicles that took part in the Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.

It's a 1950 AEC Regent III and the note about the vehicle in the programme of the event reads as follows:

'AEC Regent III RT, Weymann H56R, 1950                                                                               LLU613

London Transport RT

Entered by B. Simmons, Baguley

This was one of the famous London buses which was allocated to 'Green Line' express services when new. Subsequently relegated to country area services and latterly a red central area bus.'

Friday's Ferrari

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

It's a 1992 Ferrari Mondial T Cabriolet and has a 3,405cc V8 Ferrari Tipo F119D/G engine. Just over 1,000 of these cars were built between 1989 and 1993.

1953 HWM Jaguar

This was one of the competitors in the 1950s Sports Racing Cars race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in  May 2005.

It's Dr Michael 'Spike' Milligan's 1953 HWM Jaguar and has the 3,442cc straight-6 Jaguar engine that powered the Jaguar XK models, and also the C-Type and D-Type. John Abecassis and John Heath had built and raced their Formula 2 HWM cars since 1950 and in 1953 built their first sports car on a Formula 2 chassis. The team remained involved in sports car racing till 1956 when John Heath was killed during that year's Mille Miglia race.

1914 Crossley

I took this photograph before the start of the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1975.

I no longer have the programme of the event, but it's a 1914 Crossley Staff Car and the 1990 programme of the run gave this information about it:

'1914 Crossley

Reg: NA 557  4 cylinder  20 hp

(G.D.Moores, Denton, Manchester)

This Royal Flying Corps staff car is one of only

two known to exist in Britain. Originally built in

Manchester, it spent much of its life in India,

and returned to the UK in 1969. It has twin-tyred

rear wheels and has been a class winner many

 times on this Run.'

Ecurie Ecosse

I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park at the British Empire Trophy Race meeting in April 1956.

The Ecurie Ecosse team had entered two Jaguar D-Types in the race to be driven by Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson and here are some of the team at the side of one of the D-Types. On the left is Ron Flockhart in conversation with the founder of the team, David Murray, and next to David Murray is chief mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson. The British Empire Trophy Race was run as three preliminary heats (up to 1.5 litres, 1.6 to 2.7 litres and over 2.7 litres) and a final for the qualifying cars run as a handicap race. This proved very advantageous for the smaller capacity cars which finished in the first six places (Stirling Moss winning in a Cooper T39 Bobtail) with Ron Flockhart finishing in seventh place and Ninian Sanderson in ninth place. Three months later Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson won the Le Mans 24 Hour Race in one of these Ecurie Ecosse cars.

1914 Sunbeam Tourist Trophy

This car was part of a collection of older vehicles in the paddock at the Silverstone Classic meeting in July 2010.

Sunbeam

It's a 1914 Sunbeam Tourist Trophy, one of three cars that Louis Coatalen entered for the 600-mile, two-day 1914 Isle of Man TT race. The car was not designed by Louis Coatalen, but he borrowed a 1913 Peugeot and copied it, the only significant difference being an increase in engine capacity to 3,255cc to bring it close to the 3.3 litres allowed by the rules. Two of the cars dropped out of the race but the third car, driven by Kenelm Lee Guinness, went on to win at 56.44 mph from two of the Minervas. His race time was a formidable 10 hr 37 min 49 sec.

Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato

I took this photograph at the Northern Classic Car Show at Belle Vue, Manchester in September 1985

It's an Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato and I don't have any details of the car, but the 'L' at the end of the registration number indicates that it was registered between 1 August 1972 and 31 July 1973. It's a left-hand drive car though, so could have been manufactured earlier than that and imported to this country at a later date. Two versions of the Junior Zagato were produced, both with a 4-cylinder inline engine. From 1969 to 1972 the car had a 1,290cc Twin Cam engine, then in 1972 the 1600 Junior Zagato was introduced with a 1,570cc Twin Cam engine. Production of that car ended in 1975.

1958 Peerless

This car competed in the Equipe Pre-63 race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in 2019 and is pictured at the Knickerbrook chicane during the morning practice session.

It's the 1958 Peerless of Dan and Lucas Smith and is here leading the 1962 Jaguar E-Type of Paul Kennelly. The Peerless was based on the running gear of the Triumph TR3 with the 4-cylinder inline 2,138cc engine and about 325 were produced between 1957 and 1960.

1959 Ferrari Dino 196S

This was one of the competitors in the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association Sports Car Race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's the 1959 Ferrari Dino 196S of Kerry Manolas which has a 1,984cc V6 engine and is chassis #0776S. It's the only example of this model produced and was originally owned by Luigi Chinetti, for whom the Rodriguez brothers Pedro and Ricardo drove the car in the 12 Hours of Sebring Race, the Targa Florio and the Nürburgring 1000km Race in 1960. They were 7th in the Targa Florio but failed to finish the other two races.