1949 Leyland Octopus

This is a photograph that I took at the Greater Manchester Transport Society’s Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally I Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1988.

It’s a 1949 Leyland Octopus, and the programme of the event had this note about it:

 

KYF 317 LEYLAND OCTOPUS. 1949. Entered by R.Nield, Manchester. A dropside lorry, it spent its life working in London and Sheffield for British Road Services before passing to a showman and ultimately preservation.

1916/17 Laurel-Ford T

This was one of the competitors in a handicap race at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in July 1987.

The programme of the event says that It’s the 1916-17 Laurel-Ford T of B.M.Clarke with a 3,300cc engine (the original model T had a 177 cu in [2.9 litre] engine), but it doesn’t give any more information about the car. An online search for Laurel-Ford doesn’t help much, but it seems that the Laurel Company specialized in modifying Model T Fords for the race circuit. The DVLA record says that registration number DP 696 is now on a 2022 Hyundai.

1936 Ford CX

I took this photograph at a classic car show organised by car dealers Gordon Ford of Stockport in July 1987.

It's a 1936 Ford Model CX, a de-luxe version of the Model C, identifiable by the chrome strips across the radiator. It has the 4-cylinder inline 1,172cc Ford side valve engine that was used by many builders of 1950s 'specials' including the early Lotus cars.

Friday's Ferrari

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

It's a Ferrari California T which was an updated version of the Ferrari California with an improved chassis and a 3,855cc twin-turbo V8 Ferrari F154 BB engine replacing the 4,297cc V8 Ferrari F136 I engine of the earlier car.

1962 Brabham BT2

 

This is a photograph that I took at Lodge Corner during the Lenham Storage Formula Junior Championship  race at the Historic Sports Car Club’s Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1987.

It’s the 1962 Brabham BT2 of Mike Harrison which has a 1,098cc Ford Cosworth engine. Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac founded the MRD, or Motor Racing Developments team in 1961 and produced one car, the MRD1, latter changing the name of the team to ‘Brabham’ (and that car to ‘BT1’) when it was pointed out that the French pronunciation of MRD was a rather rude word. Eleven examples of the BT2 were  built.

1969 Ford Galaxie

This was one of the competitors in the HSCC Big Engine Touring Cars race at the Silverstone Classic meeting in July 2010.

It’s the 1969 Ford Galaxie of Michael Steele, a 4th Generation car and has a 429 cu in (7 litre) V8 engine.

1905 Alldays & Onions

This was one of the participants in the Lancashire Automobile Club's first Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1963 at the Broad Street/Cross Lane roundabout in Salford.

It's a 1905 Alldays & Onions and the programme of the event had this note about it:

 

'21.    1905 Alldays & Onions. Entered by Calder S.C.

Swing Seat Tonneau. Made in Birmingham by Alldays & Onions Ltd., firm founded in 1650 and still operating. Engine: Single cylinder.'

 

I’ve found that  Onions (formed by John Onions in 1650) and William Allday & Co. (formed by William Allday in 1720) joined in 1889 under the ownership of Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering Company Limited and produced its first car in 1898. The company hit commercial success with the 1.6-litre, vertical-twin side-valve 10/12, which was made from 1905 to 1913 and this is presumably one of those cars.