1927 Fowler Traction Engine 'Oriana'

At the historic car meetings at Silverstone in the 1990s there was always a sprinkling of old buses and commercial vehicles on the infield at the far end of the paddock, and this is one that I photographed at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting in July 1994.

It's a 1927 Fowler 5nhp 10 ton DNB tractor, works number 17287, that was built as a road roller and converted to a tractor in 1980.

1983 Triumph Acclaim CD

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

It's a 1983 Triumph Acclaim, and this is the information leaflet that was in the window of the car:

1956/57 Willment Climax

These cars are at Britten's chicane during the 1950s Sports Racing Cars race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Boulogne and Hawthorn Trophies Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 2005.

Leading is the 1956/57 Willment Climax of Barry Cannell with a 4-cylinder inline 1,963cc Coventry Climax FPF engine, driven in period by Graham Hill, Jack Brabham and Stuart Lewis-Evans amongst others. The car behind it is the 1959 Sadler MarkIII of E.D.Butler, driven by Martin Walford, then the 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 of  Alan Minshaw. Following that car is (I think) the 1958 Lister Knobbly of Stephen Gibson, then the 1959 Cooper Monaco of Anthony Ditheridge and the 1958 Devin SS of Ron Gammons.

Friday's Ferrari

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997 featured a Ferrari display in the paddock which included the two cars pictured below.

The car on the left is a 1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico which at that time was owned by Carlos Monteverde and is chassis #0226AT. The car is powered by a 4,102cc V12 engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi and the body designed by Giovanni Michelotti for Carrozzeria Vignale. Only four of these cars were produced, three Berlinattas and one Spyder, and they were built specifically to take part in the Carrera Panamericana race from the south of Mexico near the border with Guatemala to the north of the country near the border with Texas. In the end the Spyder which was entered for the American Bill Spear did not start in the race but the three Berlinettas did. The car above was driven by Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe Scotuzzi and retired after an accident in the early stages of the race. One of the other cars, driven by Luigi Villoresi and Franco Cornacchia, also failed to  finish, but the third Berlinetta, driven by Luigi Chinetti and Jean Lucas, finished the race in third place.

On the right is the 1957 Ferrari 335S of Peter Sachs, which has a 4.023cc V12 engine and is chassis #0700.  Four of these cars were produced, one a converted 315S, as Ferrari's answer to the threat the 4½ litre Maserati 450S posed for the smaller engined Ferrari 315S and 290MM. The first race for the 335S was the 1957 Mille Miglia where two cars were entered, Peter Collins driving #0700 with Louis Klementaski as co-driver, but retiring with a broken drive shaft when in the lead. The second car, chassis #0676, was driven by Alfonso de Portago, partnered by Ed Nelson, but a burst tyre caused the car to leave the road and crash, killing both men together with 10 spectators. As a result of this crash the Italian government banned racing on public roads in Italy so that was the end of the Mille Miglia, though since 1977 the event has been revived as a regularity run for pre-1958 cars that would have been eligible for the original race. The 1957 race was won by Piero Taruffi in a Ferrari 315S, and Ferrari also won the 1957 World Sportscar Championship, with a 290MM winning the 1000km of Buenos Aires, and Peter Collins and Phil Hill winning the last race of the season, the Gran Premio de Venezuela in 335S #0700. The Maserati 450S won two races, the Sebring 12 hour race and the Swedish Grand Prix, and the other two races were won by British cars, Aston Martin winning the Nürburgring 1000 km and Jaguar cleaned up at Le Mans with Ecurie Ecosse D-Types in the first two places with 3 other D-Types in third, fourth and sixth places.

1948 Leyland Titan PD2/1

This is one of the participants in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.

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

Withdrawn in 1970, this vehicle was restored by members of the Severn Valley Railway and

donated to BL Heritage. Now displayed at the British Commercial Vehicle Museum, Leyland.

1935 Austin 7 Twin Cam

I took this photograph on a visit to the Donington Park Museum in September 2014.

It's one of the two remaining very successful Austin 7 single seater racing cars that were built in 1935, and the board next to the car reads as follows:

'1935

Austin 7 Twin Cam

 

These lovely little single seaters were Sir Herbert Austin’s reply

to the successful M.G. Midgets fielded by Sir William Morris in

the 1930s.

Designed by T. Murray-Jamieson, well known for his work on

super chargers, and assisted by W.V. Appleby & T. Brown, the

cars had a troubled debut in 1936, with most of the testing and

development carried out here at Donington Park.

With teething troubles rectified, these cars went from strength

to strength during the 1937/38/39 seasons. Usually driven by

L.P. Driscoll, C.L. Goodacre & “Bert” Hadley they competed in

everything from speed trials and hill climbs through to 500 mile

races at Brooklands. The two “twin cams” made many

appearances at Donington Park winning, along with numerous

sprints and handicap races, the Coronation Trophy here in 1937,

the British Empire Trophy race here in 1938 and the Imperial

Trophy at Crystal Palace in 1939.

Not only were these cars pretty to look at, the 747cc

Engine was an engineering masterpiece, very highly stressed

And reputedly capable of revving to 12,000 R.P.M.'

I understand that this car is now at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon.

1956 Lotus Eleven

This car competed in the BRDC Historic Sports Car Championship Race at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2004.

It's the 1956 Lotus Eleven of Malcolm Ricketts, which the programme of the event says has a 1,500cc engine. The Lotus Eleven was a completely new car, unlike the previous production Lotuses, the Mk VIII, Mk IX and Mk X which were all based on the Lotus Mk VI. The Eleven had a steel tubular space-frame with stressed aluminium panels, and the aerodynamic body was designed by Frank Costin and was hinged at both ends to give complete access to the engine and other mechanical parts. The car was mainly designed to run in the 1,100cc class of racing, but other engines of up to 2½ litres were also used.