1934 Alfa Romeo P3 and 1938 ERA E-Type GP2

This is a photograph that I took at Foulstons chicane during the Richard Seaman Historic Memorial Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s meeting at Oulton Park in June 1993.

Rodney Felton in his 1934 Alfa Romeo P3 is leading Gordon Chapman’s ERA E-Type GP2, which is being driven by Bill Morris.

1938 ERA E-Type GP2

This car took part in the Historic Memorial Trophy Race and the Allcomers Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in August 1992.

It's Gordon Chapman's 1938 ERA E-Type, GP2 which was the last ERA to be built and didn't make its racing debut till after the Second World War. It has a supercharged 6-cylinder inline 1,488cc ERA engine and was driven that day by Bill Morris. A note about the car in the programme of the event reads as follows:

 

'Bill Morris is down to drive an example of the last ERA pre-war design. Entered by Gordon Chapman, the 1938 E-Type - chassis number GP2 - was not raced until after the war. GP1, incidentally, did run in 1939. The 1.5 litre E-Type had a rather similar career to the post-war V16 BRM car: it showed promise, but recorded few hard results. Lighter, lower and more modern-looking than the previous ERA chassis, the E-Type differed from the earlier cars in having a synchromesh gearbox (instead of a pre-selector) and de Dion rear suspension.'

1938 ERA E-Type GP2

This car took part in the Historic Memorial Trophy Race and the Allcomers Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in August 1992.

It's Gordon Chapman's 1938 ERA E-Type, GP2 which was the last ERA to be built and didn't make its racing debut till after the Second World War. It has a supercharged 6-cylinder inline 1,488cc ERA engine and was driven that day by Bill Morris.

A note about the car in the programme of the event reads as follows:

'Bill Morris is down to drive an example of the last ERA pre-war design. Entered by Gordon Chapman, the 1938 E-Type - chassis number GP2 - was not raced until after the war. GP1, incidentally, did run in 1939. The 1.5 litre E-Type had a rather similar career to the post-war V16 BRM car: it showed promise, but recorded few hard results. Lighter, lower and more modern-looking than the previous ERA chassis, the E-Type differed from the earlier cars in having a synchromesh gearbox (instead of a pre-selector) and de Dion rear suspension.'

ERA

I took this photograph at the Richard Seaman Memorial Trophy meeting at Oulton Park in August 1992.

It's Bill Morris in the Allcomers Race in Gordon Chapman's 1938 ERA E-Type GP2 closely followed by Donald Day in his 1937/36 ERA R14B. The E-Type has a supercharged 1,496cc 6-cylinder inline engine, whilst Donald Day's car has a similar supercharged engine of 2,044cc. The photograph was taken on the entry to Lodge Corner.

ERA E-Type GP2

Motor racing is best enjoyed on a sunny day, or at least one that is dry, and the Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting in August 1992 at Oulton Park took place on a day that was mostly sunny although it did have spells of rain. Here's a photograph taken in the paddock during one of those rainy periods.

It's the 1938 ERA E-Type GP2, owned at that time by Gordon Chapman, which took part in the first of the Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies races that day, the one for Pre-war Historic Racing Cars (the other one is for Vintage Racing Cars). It was driven in that race, and in the later Allcomers Invitation Race, by Bill Morris. I was intrigued by the reflection in the puddle of water, and below is what the reflection looks like if you turn the picture upside-down.