1947 Leyland Octopus

This was one of the vehicles entered in the Greater Manchester Transport Society’s Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park in September 1988.

It’s a 1947 Leyland Octopus, and the programme of the event had this note about it:

 

LTN 265 LEYLAND OCTOPUS FLAT. 1947. Entered by B. Brash, Stoke-on-Trent. New to C.W.S. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, passing to a showman and to scrap before restoration by the present owner.

1952 Cooper Bristol Mk1

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 1965.

It's the 1952 Cooper Bristol Mk1 of John Brown which has 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 1,971 Bristol engine was chosen, but the Cooper Bristol Mk1 (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 Mk1, 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.

1953/4 Maserati A6GCM

This is a photograph that I took at McLeans Corner during the HGPCA's International Historic Grand Prix meeting at Donington Park in May 2004.

It's David Bennett's 1953/4  Maserati A6GCM. The car is finished in the Siamese colours of Prince Bira who competed in a Maserati A6GCM in the 1954 season. This is a car that that started off life in 1953 as a Maserati A6GCM, chassis number 2044 with a 6-cylinder inline 1,979cc engine, but was converted to a 250F in 1954 with a 6-cylinder inline 2,493cc engine and given the chassis number 2504. Later that year after an accident the chassis 2504 was switched with that of 2509.  Though it's shown in the programme of the event as a Maserati A6GCM it also says that it had a 2,493cc engine, so I suppose it should really have been called a 250F.

Friday's Ferrari

I took this photograph at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's a 2008 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.

1994 Porsche 993

This is a photograph that I took at Druids Corner during qualifying for the Intermarque Championship race at the Aston Martin Owners Club’s meeting at Oulton Park in May 2015.

It’s the 1994 Porsche 993 of Stephen and Felix Archer which is a fourth generation model of the Porsche 911 and has a 3,600cc flat-six boxer engine.

1922 Morgan TT Replica

This is a photograph that I took in Manchester before the start of the Lancashire Automobile Club’s Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1977.

It’s a 1922 Morgan TT Replica, and the programme of the event had this note about it:

 

38      G.B. Chivrall, Bacup, Lancs.

           1922 Morgan “TT Replica” 8 h.p.  980 c.c.  2 cylinders

This car has been built up from parts assembled from all over the country. The chassis is a standard one of 1922 but with wider track and modern tyres and rims. The body is a copy of one fitted to a factory special in 1913 which was built for the cyclecar T.T. which was cancelled in favour of World War I. This car is fitted for the moment with a side valve J.A.P. engine with cast-iron pistons.

1959 Cooper Borgward

This is a photograph that I took at the British Empire Trophy meeting at Oulton Park in April 1959.

It’s the 1959 Cooper Borgward of the British Racing Partnership which was driven in the Formula 2 race at the meeting by George Wicken. The car number 2 in the background is the 1959 Lotus 15 of Team Lotus that was driven in the up to 1,500cc sports car race by Alan Stacey.

1955 Aston Martin DB3S

This car competed in the 1950s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000.

It’s the 1955 Aston Martin DB3S of USA driver John Romano  and has the 6-cylinder inline 2,922cc Lagonda engine. It is chassis DB3S/113, a customer car which was originally supplied as a fixed head coupé. The original body was retained after it was rebuilt as an open car.

BMW Z4 M40i

Here are two photographs that I took in the car park at Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground in September 2019.

It’s a BMW Z4 M40i which was introduced in 2018 and has a 6-cylinder inline 2,998cc turbocharged engine.

1958 Lotus 15

This is a photograph I took in the paddock at the British Empire Trophy meeting at Oulton Park in April 1958.

It’s the Lotus 15 of Pierre Bercham with a 1,475cc engine and was driven in the race by Roy Salvadori.

Friday's Ferrari

I took this photograph at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017.

It's a 1987 Ferrari 328 GTB which has a 3,185cc V8 engine and was successor to the Ferrari 308. It was produced from 1985 to 1989 and superseded by the Ferrari 348.

1959 Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1

This is a photograph that I took at the Greater Manchester Transport Society’s Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.

It’s a 1959 Leyland Atlantean and the programme of the event had this note about it:

 

‘Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1, MCW H78F, 1959

Manchester City Transport 3629

Entered by T. Greer, Bury

One of the first batch of rear engined buses to enter service in the Greater Manchester Area, 3269 was exported to Australia in 1972. The present owner completed the relatively simple task of returning it to the UK in 1990 for preservation.’

1959 Cooper-Climax T51

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

It's a 1959 Cooper-Climax T51 and the book 'Great Racing Cars of the Donington Collection has this note about it:

The works cars of Brabham and Salvadori began running 2.2-litre Climax engines and Leonard Lee of the Coventry company authorized development of full 2½-litre units for 1959. With 2,495cc, and 240bhp the Cooper-Climax T51s were on a power-to-weight par with the front-engined opposition, and Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren – his youthful New Zealand team-mate – proved them totally competitive. Brabham won the Monaco and British GPs, and when his car ran out of fuel while leading the United States GP at Sebring, McLaren took over to score a victory which assured Brabham and Cooper-Climax of the World Championship titles.

 

There’s also this note about the T51 in the Donington Collection:

 

Cooper-Climax T51

Chassis unnumbered – Collection property – believe to be works No. 2 car, as driven by Bruce McLaren in 1959. To Collection from the late Jo Siffert’s collection of racing cars, Fribourg, Switzerland.

1950 Bristol 400

I took these photographs at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s meeting at Oulton Park in May 2019.

It's a 1950 Bristol 400, one of 487 cars built between 1947 and 1950. After the Second World War the Bristol Aeroplane Company set up a car division, which later became Bristol Cars, and this was the first car they produced. AFN Ltd had reached an agreement with BMW in 1934 to import their cars, and to build and market them in the UK as Frazer Nash BMWs, and Bristol acquired a licence from Frazer Nash to base their car on the box-section frame of the BMW 326 and the engine of the BMW 328. The Bristol's engine was a slightly modified version of the 328's 6-cylinder inline 1,971cc unit.

1958 BRM P25

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998 celebrated the 50th anniversary of racing at the Silverstone circuit with a display of cars representing each of the years from 1948 to 1997, and this is the car that represented 1957.

It's the 1958 BRM P25 of Steve O’Rourke and is a car that was said to be the fastest of the 1954-1960 Formula 1 era, partly due to the oversquare (102.87 mm bore x 74.93 mm stroke) 2,491cc engine allowing for larger valves to be fitted. The car was plagued with reliability problems, however, and the only Grand Prix win was Jo Bonnier's victory in the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix. Behind it is the Ferrari 500TRC of Modi Enav which represented 1958.

1923 Morris Cowley

This was one of the participants in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1976.

It's the 1923 Morris Cowley of a Mr G Whittaker, which has a 1,495cc 4-cylinder inline engine, and about 1,450 of which were built between 1915 and 1920. The programme of the event has this note about the car:

44         Mr. G. Whittaker, Simonstone, Burnley.

              1923 Morris Cowley.

Another Cowley with a Hotchkiss engine, this car was found by the present owner in scrap condition in 1964 and has been a regular on the Run since then.

1961 Cooper T61

This is a photograph that I took at Druids Corner at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2018.

It's Stuart Tizzard in his 1961 Cooper T56 during the Saturday Qualifying for the HSCC/FJHRA Formula Junior Rear Engine race. The T56 was the second Formula Junior car produced by Cooper and was originally provided with a 994cc BMC engine but Stuart Tizzard’s car has a 1,098cc Ford Cosworth engine.

Friday's Ferrari

There were a series of demonstration runs by Corse Cliente drivers in Ferrari F1 cars at the Ferrari Racing Days meeting at Silverstone in September 2017 and this is one of the photographs I took from inside the paddock at Club Corner during one of the runs.

It's the Ferrari F2003-GA that was driven in the 2003 season by Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, the 'GA' being added as a mark of respect to head of Fiat Gianni Agnelli who had died in January 2003. The car was designed by a team headed by chief designer Rory Byrne and was introduced almost half-way through the 2003 season. It was based on the previous season's Ferrari F2002 and was powered by the 2,997cc 40 valve twin overhead camshaft V10 Ferrari 052 engine. Michael Schumacher won six Grands Prix that season and with two more third place podium finishes won the sixth of his seven World Drivers Championships, with Rubens Barrichello winning two Grands Prix to finish in fourth place in the Championship.

1911 Ford Model T

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

It’s a 1911 Ford Model T and has a 4-cylinder inline 2,950cc engine. The DVLA record shows that it is currently taxed up to the end of February 2026.

1935 SS Jaguar 90

This is a photograph that I took in September 1985 at the Northern Classic Car Show at Belle Vue, Manchester.

It's a 1935 SS Jaguar 90 which has a 2,663cc six-cylinder inline Standard engine. In 1936 the SS60 was replaced by the SS100 and car production stopped in 1940. In 1945 'SS' was dropped from the company's name, becoming simply 'Jaguar'. 

1953 Jaguar C-Type

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 Brazell’s 1953 Jaguar C-Type which has the 3,442cc 6-cylinder inline Jaguar XK engine.

It's actually a replica based on a 1952 Jaguar XK120, chassis no. 672178.

1955 Lotus Mk IX

I took this photograph at Luffield corner of one of the competitors in the up to 2 litre class in the Classic Car Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in the in July 1994.

It's Stephen Archer in his 1955 Lotus Mk IX which has a 4-cylinder inline1,098cc Coventry Climax FWA engine. As with the earlier Lotus Mk VIII the Mk IX was offered with a variety of engines of up to 1½ litres, but the Mk IX most usually had this 1,098cc Coventry Climax unit. The car was originally owned by Tony Page who competed with it in various British events including the 1955 Goodwood 9 Hour race where he and Paul Emery finished in eleventh place overall and fourth in class.

1948 Leyland Titan PD2/1

This was one of the participants in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1990.

It's a 1948 Leyland Titan PD2/1 that was provided new to Weardale Motor Services of Frosterley, County Durham and remained with them until 1970. The programme of the event said this about the vehicle:

 

Leyland Titan PD2/1, Leyland L53R, 1948                     KPT909

Weardale Motor Services

Entered by The British Commercial Vehicle Museum, Leyland

New to Weardale MS this bus was withdrawn in 1970. It was donated to BL Heritage after being restored by members of the Severn Valley Railway.