1950 AEC Regent III

I took this photograph at the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally in Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.

It's a 1950 AEC Regent III, a former Morecambe and Heysham Corporation bus, and the programme of the event said this about the vehicle:

 

AEC Regent III, park Royal H56R, 1950                                                          LTF254

Morecambe and Heysham Corporation 69

Entered by M. Knott of the Mersey and Calder Bus Preservation Group.

The last closed top survivor of Morecambe’s preselector Regent III’s. Restored to the 1950 Livery featuring the chrome rear bumper.

1951 Cooper Mk V

This was one of the competitors in the Scratch Race for 500cc Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1981.

It's the 1951 Cooper Mk V of R.F.H.Wright with a 4998cc engine. After the Second World War motor racing in the UK was slow to re-start, partly because of petrol rationing and the cost of running a suitable car. Home-built ‘specials’ powered by 500cc motorcycle were created to provide a reasonably cheap way means of getting involved in the sport. John Cooper and Eric Brandon, with the assistance of John’s father Charles, decided in 1946 to build two cars, and in 1947 in the second post-war race meeting to be held Eric Brandon won the first race to feature 500cc cars. In 1950 this 500cc class of racing was adopted by the FIA as a new Formula 3, and John and Charles Cooper went on to build a series of these 500cc cars, eventually graduating to Formula 2, then Formula 1 culminating in Jack Brabham winning the World Drivers’ Championship in 1959 and 1960 in the 2½ litre Cooper Climax. There's a 500 Owners Association for all 500cc Formula Three enthusiasts, with lots of information about the different marques that took part.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph that I took at Silverstone in September 2017 at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting celebrating Ferrari's 70th anniversary. There was a very large number of Ferraris there, with Corse Clienti Challenge races, Ferrari F1 demonstration runs, and displays in the paddock. This is one of the then current range of cars that were in a Passione Ferrari display.

It’s a Ferrari 488 Spider with a 3,902cc twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 670 CV, and was in production from 2016 to 2020.

1912 Delaunay Belleville

This is one of the cars that took part in the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car run in June 1985 and is pictured in Manchester before the start of the run. It's a 1912 Delaunay Belleville which has a 6-cylinder inline 2.7 litre engine.

I no longer have the programme of the event, but it was also in the Run in 1983 when the programme had this note about it:

'1912 Delaunay Belleville

Reg: 9197 EH 6-Cylinder 25hp

(Derek John Casson, Lancaster)

This eye-catching rarity spent most of its life in New York's Grand Central Park. Imported into Britain in the late 1970's, it has a body by Brewster of New York.'

 

Looking for further information about this car I came across a 2019 auction description by H&H Auctions saying that the car is a Type IA6 Phaeton and its first owner was heiress Evalyn Walsh McLean who was apparently the last private individual to acquire the renowned 45-carat Hope Diamond.

1932 Morgan three-wheeler

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 1973.

It's the 1932 Morgan three-wheeler of M.J.Guess which has a V-twin 980cc engine and competed in a 4 lap handicap race for Vintage and P.V.T. Cars and Morgan 3-Wheelers at the meeting.

1926 Bentley 3 litre

This is a photograph that I took at Luffield corner during the Taylor Woodrow Pre-War Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.

Leading is Duncan Wiltshire in his Bentley 3 litre followed by Peterheinz Kern in his 1928 Mercedes Benz SS.

Ford Popular 103E

This is one of the vehicles I photographed at the Footman James Classic Car Show Manchester at EventCity in September 2018.

It’s a customised Ford Popular 103E and the only information about it was a note in the windscreen saying that it was a Ford Popular. The DVLA record says ‘Vehicle details could not be found’.

1991 Mitsubishi 3000 GTO

This is a car that I saw back in October in a supermarket car park in Hyde.

It’s a 1991 Mitsubishi 3000 GTO, a  Series 1 model which was in production from 1990 to 1993. It has a 2,978cc transverse V6 engine with front-wheel drive.

1970 BRM P153

 I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park during practice for the Gold Cup meeting in May 1972.

It's the 1970 BRM P153, chassis 153/03, of Vern Schuppan who qualified the car in sixth position on the grid and ended the race in fifth place. The BRM P153 was designed by Tony Southgate and had BRM's own 2,998cc V12 engine. Its only victory was in the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix driven by Pedro Rodriguez.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph that I took at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's a 2005 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.

1973 Tyrrell 006

 I took this photograph in the Donington Park Museum in October 1989.

It's the Tyrrell 006 that took Jackie Stewart to his third and last World Drivers' Championship title in 1973 and has a 2,993cc V8 Ford Cosworth DFV engine. After driving Tyrrell 005 for the first two races of the 1973 season in Argentina and Brazil, and finishing in third and second places respectively, Jackie Stewart drove Tyrrell 006/2 for the rest of the season, winning five of the races and the World Drivers' Championship before the final race of the season in the USA at Watkins Glen. He had already made his mind up to retire after that race, but after team mate François Cevert was killed in an accident during practice for that race he walked away and announced his retirement.

1955 Austin Healey 100S

This is a photograph that I took in the paddock at the British Empire Trophy meeting at Oulton Park in April 1956.

It's the 1955 Austin Healey 100S of John Dalton, a version of the Austin Healey 100 intended primarily for racing which gained the 'S' suffix after one of the cars won its class in the 1954 Sebring 12 Hour race. It has a tuned version of the Austin Healey 4-cylinder inline 2,660cc engine and only 50 examples of this car were produced, the majority of which were the same two-tone white and dark blue as John Dalton's car. The cars raced in three heats based on the engine size and there was a final in which the cars were handicapped according to the engine size. John Dalton failed to qualify from his heat and the race was won by Stirling Moss in a 1½ litre Cooper T39 Bobtail - the twisty Oulton Park circuit favouring the smaller engined cars.

1955 Maserati 250F

This car was driven by Peter Hannen in the HGPCA Pre’65 Grand Prix Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's indistinguishable from a 1950s Maserati 250F, but it's one of 12 replicas built by Cameron Millar and this one has the chassis number CM8. Cameron Millar acquired a genuine Maserati 250F in 1964 (originally 2501, later renumbered 2523) which he kept and raced for 8 years. In this time he purchased all the remaining cars and spare parts belonging to the Scuderia Centro Sud who had competed with the 250F in the 1950s, and also the chassis jigs from the Maserati factory. He then set about creating this series of replicas, using as far as possible genuine period parts, which are so well crafted that the FIA has allowed them to race alongside the genuine Maserati 250F and its contemporaries in competitive historic racing events. At the time of this Silverstone event CM8 was owned by Robin Lodge.

 

The number 12 car in the background is another of Cameron Millar’s Maserati 250F replicas, CM1, which was owned by Peter Waterman and was driven by Willie Green in this race.

1965 AEC Routemaster

This is a photograph that I took in Heaton Park, Manchester at the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally in September 1990.

It's a 1965 AEC Routemaster and the programme of the event had this note about the vehicle:

 

AEC Routemaster, Park Royal, H64R, 1965                                                                 CUV 116C

London Transport RM2116

Entered by G. Lunn, Egham, Surrey

RM2116 is preserved in the livery of the Jubilee colours as worn when withdrawn in 1984.

1904 De Dion Bouton

This is a photograph that I took during the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1963 at the roundabout that at one time stood at the junction of the A6 and Cross Lane in Pendleton.

It’s a 1904 De Dion Bouton and the programme of the event had this note about the car:

 

7. 1904 De Dion Bouton

      Smithies, John

      Driver: Miss Judith J. Smithies

Successful finisher in 7 Brighton Runs.

1948 Alta 2 litre

This is a photograph I took in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1969.

It’s the 1948 Alta 2 litre of Peter Moores and a note in the programme of the event says: ‘Peter Moores, of immaculate single-seater Austin fame, has now acquired Hugh Clifford’s Alta.’ It seems to be the car that was subsequently part of the Donington Museum Collection, and the book ‘Great Racing Cars of the Donington Collection’ says this about it:

 

'The Alta

Geoffrey Taylor's 'Special'

Geoffrey Taylor was an arch motoring enthusiast. He built his first Alta car in a small workshop behind his home in Kingstone-upon-Thames between 1928 and 30, painstakingly fashioning vital engine parts out of the solid. This was followed by a line of sports and independently-suspended racing cars until he outbreak of the war.

He outlined a design for a 1½ litre supercharged Grand Prix car towards the end of the war, and announced his plans with a flourish in November 1945. But post-war shortages delayed the car's debut until 1948, when 'GP No. 1' appeared in the British Empire Trophy race in Douglas, Isle of Man.

The new Alta used an updated version of Taylor's well-proven twin overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine, supercharged by a Roots-Alta blower driven from the crankshaft nose. He used a special four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox of his own construction with a low drive-line, allowing the driver's seat to be very low-mounted within a rakish and sleek bodyshell, reminiscent of the pre-war Mercedes also copied by ERA in their unsuccessful E-Type.

George Abecassis raced the car throughout 1948 and 1949, while his HW Motors partner John Heath also drove on occasions. Its best performance was in the 1949 British GP, when Abecassis ran fifth before a broken float chamber forced him to stop. He then fought his way back through the field to finish seventh.

For 1950 this duo concentrated on their own Alta-engined HWMs, while the same engine became standard in 2½ litre form in Connaught cars. Tony Brooks won the 1955 Syracuse Grand Prix in one of these Connaughts to score the first all-British Continental GP victory since 1924!

Three of the rubber-block suspended GP Altas were built; the others went to Geoffrey Crossle and Joe Kelly, and the Collection's car includes parts from all three.’

2002 Ferrari 360 Spider

This is a photograph that I took at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's a 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider, a model that was produced between 1999 and 2005 and has a 3,586cc V8 Ferrari F131 engine. The DVLA record says that it currently has a SORN and the last MoT test certificate expired on 4 July 2024.

1934 Austin 7 Ruby

This was one of the cars that took part in a vintage car run from Stockport to Matlock in July 1985 organised by car dealers Gordon Ford of Stockport.

It's a 1934 Austin 7 Ruby saloon which should have a 4-cylinder inline 747cc engine, but the DVLA record says the capacity is 858cc (and the car has been untaxed since May 2025). Production of the Austin 7 started in 1922 and the Ruby was introduced in 1934.

1947 Talbot Lago T26C

This car competed in the Allcomers Scratch Race for Vintage and Historic Racing cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1965.

It’s the 1947 Talbot Lago T26C of Anthony Brooke which has a 6-cylinder inline 4,485cc unsupercharged engine. The Talbot Lagos took part in the 1948 (pre-World Championship) Grand Prix races but were generally outnumbered and outclassed by the Ferraris and Maseratis, although Louis Rosier won the Belgian Grand Prix and Louis Chiron the French Grand Prix in one of these cars.

1968 Ford F3L

This car took part in the World Sports Cars Masters race at the Silverstone Classic meeting at Silverstone in July 2010.

It's the 1968 Ford F3L (also known as a Ford P68) of John Young  which was designed by Len Bailey and built by Alan Mann Racing for them to compete in the Group 6 prototype class in the 1968 season. The car has a 2,993cc V8 Ford Cosworth DFV engine but proved to be very unreliable, not finishing in any of the races in which it competed in 1968.

1971 Triumph Vitesse MkII

This is a photograph that I took at the Footman James Classic Car Show Manchester at EventCity in September 2018.

It's a 1971 Triumph Vitesse MkII, the last of a line of cars that started with the Triumph Herald in 1959. The first Vitesse in 1962 had a 1,596cc 6-cylinder inline (instead of the 4-cylinder engine of the Herald) and this was increased ton1,996cc in 1966. The Vitesse MkII was introduced in 1968 with an uprated 1,996cc 6-cylinder engine and ceased production in 1971, being replaced by the Triumph Dolomite.

1964 Elva Courier

This is a photograph that I took during the Equipe GTS race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2019.

It's the 1964 Elva Courier of Rob Cobden, one of about 400 of the MkI and MkII Couriers produced between 1958 and 1961. Various different engines were used to power the Courier, the most common being the Riley 1.5 or MGA unit, but Rob Cobden's car has the 1,498cc Kent engine from the Ford Cortina.

Zugkraftwagen Famo Half track

I took this photograph at the Donington Park museum in September 2014 in the area set aside for Tom Wheatcroft’s son Kevin’s collection of World War II military vehicles.

It’s a Second World War German Zugkraftwagen Famo Halftrack which was a heavy duty German half track vehicle used for heavy towed guns and for tank recovery. It was powered by  a 10.8 litre V12 Maybach engine.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph that I took at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It’s a Ferrari F355 Challenge model, a modified version of the F355 and was produced from 1995 to 1999 specifically for the Ferrari Challenge race series. It has a 3,496cc V8 engine.

1964 McLaren M1A

This is a photograph that I took on the finishing straight just after Lodge Corner during qualifying for the HSCC Pre’80 Endurance Challenge race at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2018.

It’s Andrew Wareing in his 1964 McLaren M1A, a Group 7 sports prototype car, which has a 5.9 litre V8 Chevrolet engine. The M1 was the first sports car designed and built by McLaren, though after the first couple of cars production was devolved to Elva Cars.

1968 Leyland PD2/47

I took this photograph at the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally in Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1988.

It's a 1968 Leyland PD2/47 and the programme of the event had this note about the Vehicle:

JTF 217F LEYLAND PD2/47, EAST LANCS. Entered by T. Sharples, Preston, Lancashire. Delivered to Darwen Corporation, No. 39 was intended for use as a one man operated vehicle but only ran as such with the top deck blocked off.

1953 Tojeiro Bristol

This is the 1953 Tojeiro Bristol of Nicholas Wigley which was one of the competitors in the 1950s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000.

 In the 1950s Cliff Davies, a London car dealer and enthusiastic club racing driver, asked John Tojeiro to provide him with a chassis into which he could fit a 2 litre Bristol engine. This chassis was given an aluminium body which was very similar in style to the 'Barchetta' bodies which had been popularised by Ferrari, and the car pictured above was the result. It's the car that John Tojeiro showed to the directors of AC Cars Ltd in Thames Ditton who were so impressed that they used the design as the basis for the AC Ace, which later evolved into the AC Cobra.

1959 MGA

This car competed in the Jack Fairman Cup race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2018.

It's David Godwin's MGA, a car that was produced from 1955 to 1962. The MGA had a 4-cylinder inline engine, originally of 1,489cc, increasing in size twice and ending up with the 1,622cc unit of the Mark II. The programme of the event says that David Godwin's car has a 1,654cc engine.

1921 Albert Allweather

This is a photograph that I took at the Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1983.

It’s a 1921 Albert Allweather and the programme of this event had this note about the car:

 

35      1921 Albert Allweather, Tourer,

            Reg: KS 1488 4-Cylinder 12 hp

            (Mr A.T.Craven, Cottam, Preston)

Albert Cars originated in the Vauxhall area of London. The pushrod engine, manufactured by Gwynnes of Chiswick, was of Spanish origin, having first appeared in a sporting Spanish tourer called, appropriately, the Victoria.  Gwynnes eventually took over complete manufacture of the car. (Its Spanish predecessor, in fact, was named after Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, wife of Alonso XIII and a grand-daughter of our own Victoria and Albert).

1971 Lotus 69

This was one of the competitors in the FIA Historic Formula 2 International Series race at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2017.

It's the 1971 Lotus 69 of Roger Bevan which was designed to be used in Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula Ford racing, and this car had a 1600cc engine in accordance with the Formula 2 regulations in 1971 - probably the 4-cylinder Cosworth FVA. The Lotus 69 was also used in Formula B racing in the United States.