Tag Archives: Essex

Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club Autumn Sprint- Debden Airfield

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At the beginning of October I received an e-mail asking for volunteers to marshal at the Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint being run at Debden Airfield in Essex, a couple of days later I received a request to attend an interview in Scunthorpe and proposed to the Clerk of the course Pete Walters that if he could find me somewhere to stay on the night after the event I would be delighted to go up from Bristol to help out.

Ford Escort RS1600_6187sc

Lionel Reeves kindly stepped forward to offer me accommodation and so off I trekked to Debden the day after the Autumn Classic at Castle Combe. Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club established in 1903, the year the Wright Brothers made their first powered flight, is one of the oldest in the county, the Aero refers to the sport of ballooning. Among the random selection of cars I photographed is the immaculate 1974 #62 Ford Escort which finished 3rd in class B10 driven by Howard Lester.

Leyland Mini Clubman, Julian Kirwan, Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

Julian Kirwan finished second in Class A3 driving the 1970 #16 Mini Clubman with a 1400 cc / 85.4 cui engine.

Subaru Impreza WRX Turbo Hatchback, Tim Morrison, Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

Flying the flag for Estates / Wagons was Tim Morrison driving his 2003 #38 Subaru Impreza WRX Turbo Hatchback, who was classified 3rd in class A6.

Ford Escort 1300 GL Auto, Charlie French, Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

Kicking up the dust above in his #63 Ford Escort Mk2, which I believe has been modified from it’s original 1980 1300 GL Auto spec, is Charlie French who finished 4th in class.

Davrian Imp Saloon, John Webster,Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

I’m looking forward to finding out about the history of John Websters #71 Davrian Imp Saloon in the fullness of time, on this occasion he finished second in Class C12.

Merlyn Mk 30, Colin Glass, Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club, Autumn Sprint, Debden Airfield, Essex

Finally Colin Glass won class D16 in his Merlyn Formula Ford with what I believe is 1977 Mk 30 bodywork, fastest time of the day was set by Tony Beesley in his 1 litre / 61 cui Jedi Mk 4.

My thanks to everyone at the Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club who made me feel most welcome and especially Lionel and Margret Reeves for their hospitality.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hertfordshire County Auto & Aero Club Autumn Sprint” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Talbot Matra. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Powered By Holbay – Ginetta G21S

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When it was launched the Ginetta G21 was well received in the British press albeit as the ‘poor mans Porsche’, while one esteemed journalist described it as the best car at the 1970 British Motor Show.

Ginetta 21S, Silverstone Classic

Refined and practical the well finished fibre glass body sits on a steel back bone chassis as pioneered by the Renault Alpine and Lotus Elan models of the early 1960’s.

Ginetta 21S, Silverstone Classic

The double wishbone and coil front suspension is based on items from the Triumph parts bin while the rear suspension is a five link Ginetta design that locates a Hillman Hunter rear axle.

Ginetta 21S, Silverstone Classic

The handling has been compared to the Lotus Elan although the sturdiness and build quality of the Ginetta is said to be far superior. Regular readers might recognise the increasingly famous vertically hinged door handles as coming from the Morris Marina parts bin.

Ginetta 21S, Silverstone Classic

Three engine options were available for the G21 the Ford Kent 1600 cc / 97 cui 4 cylinder, Ford Essex 3 litre / 183 cui V6 and the G21S, as seen here with the Ginetta Owners Club at Silverstone Classic, came with a Hillman based 1750 cc / 106 cui 4 cylinder with Holbay modified alloy cylinder head, Holbay camshaft, twin Weber carburetors lightened and balanced fly wheel to produce 120 hp good enough to go from rest to 60 mph in under 8 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph.

Ginetta 21S, Silverstone Classic

Just short of 70 G21s were produced at in Witham Essex though at least as many again appear to have been produced by later incarnations of the Ginetta marque.

Thanks for joining me on this “Powered By Holbay” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an Allard. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Welsh Shooting Brake – Gilbern Invader Estate Mk II

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In 1969 Gilbern launched the first of series of Invaders which were improved versions of the Gilbern Genie larger brakes and only powered by the larger 140 hp 3 liter / 183 cui of the Ford Essex V6 motor.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

In 1970 the first Estate / Station Wagon or more correctly shooting brake versions of the Invader began to appear and in 1971 a Mk II version of Invader was built of the type featured today which was built in 1972 with a with stiffer chassis and MG C front axle.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

During the period of Invader production owners Ace Capital Holdings Ltd, whose primary business was in slot machines, were sold to Mecca whose portfolio included a large stake in the Bingo Hall and related gambling operations and the Miss World Franchise.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

Car manufacture did not fit in with Mecca’s business plan and so Gilbern was sold in a management buyout to first Maurice Collins 1970 and then to his former co director Mike Leather in 1972. For a very short period in 1972 production reached a break even point of 4 cars a week. In all 212 GT and 104 Estate Invader Mk II’s were built up until September 1972 making the MkII the most successful of all Gilbern models.

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The Only Power Is Essex – Gilbern Genie

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Building on the steady success of the original Gilbern GT, Giles Smith and Bernard Friese launched it’s replacement the Genie at the 1966 London Motor Show.

Gilbern Genie, Cotswold Classic Car Club, Frogmill Andoversford

The all new car was powered by Ford Essex V6 motors as used to power the 1966 – 1972 Ford Zephyr in 2,495 cc / 152 cui form and the 1966-72 Ford Zodiac in 2,994 cc 183 cui form.

Gilbern Genie, Cotswold Classic Car Club, Frogmill Andoversford

The Genie was fitted with an MG B rear axle located originally by Panhard Rod and later by the older but more sophisticated Watts Linkage.

Production of the Genie started in 1967 and the following year Giles Smith left Gilbern, to be replaced by Mike Leather and Maurice Collins as joint managing directors after securing Gilberns future by selling out to slot machine manufacturer Ace Capital Holdings Ltd.

Between 1967 and 197 Genies were built before the Genie’s successor the Invader was introduced, today’s featured Genie is a 3 litre 1968 example seen at last years New Years Day Cotswold Classic Car Club meeting at Frogmill Andoversford.

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Doubling Horse Power – Doe Dual Drive 130

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This month I thought it would be fun to look at a few farm vehicles I have stumbled across in recent years.

In June 1898 Ernest Doe took out a lease on a blacksmiths shop in Ulting near Maldon in Essex. By 1910 the business of shoeing horses and repairing agricultural equipment had been successful enough for Ernest to by the free hold for the business and a neighbouring farm.

11-Doe Dual Drive 130 4094sc

After the Great ’14-’18 war eldest son Ernest Charles persuaded his father to invest in some of the 6000 tractors which had been sent from by the US to help the Allied war effort. By the ’39-’45 war Ernst Doe were distributing Fordson, David Brown, Allis Chalmers and Case tractors with Ransome machinery.

Doe Dual Drive 130 4095sc

Wanting more power from his tractor Essex farmer George Pryor bought two new Fordsons removed the front wheels of both and linked them with a turntable that allowed the enlarged vehicle to be steered with the aid of a pair of hydraulic rams. In 1958 Ernst Doe built an improved version of Pryor’s tractor linking two Fordson Major tractors. With a combined 100 hp and all wheel drive the vehicle outperformed everything else available in the UK with the bonus that it required special equipment because regular farmyard equipment was too flimsy when operated by the Doe Dual Power.

Doe Dual Drive 130 4096sc

The name was later changed to Doe Dual Drive often abbreviated to Triple D. By 1963 Doe built an even more powerful tractor using to a pair Ford 5000’s like the Triple D 130 seen here at Goodwood. The final Triple D 150 variant was built with a pair of Ford Force 5000 units. Eventually more conventional tractors with more powerful single engines caught up with the performance of the Triple D and rendered it obsolete because of the increased maintenance necessitated by having a vehicle with two motors and two gearboxes.

It is thought around 300 Triple D’s were built and today they can fetch over £50,000 at auction. Today Ernst Doe, still a family business, operates from 19 outlets in the east of England distributing a variety of plant and machinery including New Holland tractors.

Thanks for joining me on this “Doubling Horse Power” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the first of this months series of Edwardian vehicles. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Worlds Best Midget – MG Midget 1500

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Regular readers will remember previous blogs on Mr Len Millers MG PA and it’s earlier restoration with storm damage repairs by TJK Repairs in Purfleet in Essex. Today’s featured Federal Spec MG Midget 1500 belongs to Trevor Kirk the proprietor of TJK Repairs and the story of his car was kindly past on by Suzanne Fogg who also works at TJK Repairs.

MG Midget 1500, Essex

His 1976 Midget is seen above in 1995 after Trevor had spent 10 years bringing it up to scratch. After taking it on the Regency Run in 1996 and on a few other events Trevor parked the Midget up in his garden in 2001 and let his MG Owners Club membership lapse.

MG Midget 1500, Essex

Over the next five years the car remained in Trevor’s garden getting covered in moss and filling up with water. In February 2006 Trevor decided he wanted to take his Midget on the Regency Run 12 weeks later and so began a second restoration which required draining out all the water, replacing the bonnet / hood and a new differential.

MG Midget 1500, Essex

The interior had to be completely stripped out all the interior trim, panels, and both seats were cleaned by Suzanne while the car had second bare metal respray in a slightly lighter shade of green. At 6:30 on the morning of the Regency Run from Brooklands to Brighton his car was ready and Trevor completed the run as seen in the photo below.

MG Midget 1500, Regency Run Brighton

In 2010 Treveor changed the gearbox and revamped the motor which can be seen in revamped condition in the second photo above.

MG Midget 1500, International Midget 50, Burghley House

In June 2011 Trevor took his Midget to the International Midget 50 celebration at Burghley House where it weather was so bad he spent almost the entire day inside Burghley House. As Trevor was about to leave a steward flagged him down and asked Trevor to make himself known at the event organisers marquee.

MG Midget 1500, Regency Run, Epsom

When he did so Trevor was surprised to learn his car had not only been voted best in class but also having attracted more votes than each of the 800 other cars put together easily won the best car of the event.

My thanks to Suzanne Fogg and Trevor Kirk of TJK Repairs UNIT 3A, TANK HILL ROAD, PURFLEET, ESSEX, RM19 1SX for sharing the story and photo’s of Trevor’s Midget, TJK Repairs offer customers car and light commercial servicing alongside MOT testing services and can be contacted on 01708 861810.

Thanks for joining me on this “Worlds Best Midget” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Aim Sure The Prequel – MG PA Supercharged Sports #P 0522

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A couple of months ago Suzanne posted a response to last years “Aim Sure” blog about an MG PA that belonged to renowned combat Pilot Len Miller for 59 years from 1943 until his death in 2002.

MG PA, Purfleet, Essex

It turns out that Suzanne her Dad, her brother Paul and Trevor all new Mr Miller through Trevor’s TJK Repairs where he had the car restored after it was damaged in England’s great storm on the night of October 1987.

MG PA, Purfleet, Essex

Suzanne’s Father and brother Paul had carried out a restoration of Mr Miller’s PA prior to that.

MG PA, Essex

After that first restoration Mr Miller lent Paul the MG PA for Paul’s wedding in 1985.

MG PA, TJK Repairs, Purfleet, Essex

On the 15 of October 1987 Mr Miller had his MG booked in at TJK Repairs for some minor paint repairs, but got delayed at his factory and ended up keeping his pride and joy in the in his warehouse overnight.

MG PA, TJK Repairs, Purfleet, Essex

On the morning of the 16th of October Mr Miller returned to his factory to find a warehouse roof beam had collapsed overnight on to his MG PA.

MG PA, Race Retro

TJK Repairs under took a second restoration of Len’s car which included replacing the cracked engine block, to which later Len had a side mounted Arnott supercharger fitted. Lens restored car seen above at Auction in 2012 and can be seen in my “Aim Sure” – MG PA blog linked here.

My Thanks to Suzanne Fogg, Paul Lockyer and Trevor Kirk of T.J.K. REPAIRS for sharing their photo’s and prequel story for today’s blog. Suzanne informs me TJK Repairs no longer does body repairs but continues to offer customers car and light commercial servicing alongside MOT testing services. TJK Repairs can be contacted at UNIT 3A, TANK HILL ROAD, PURFLEET, ESSEX, RM19 1SX or by phone on 01708 861810.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘AIM Sure The Prequel’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS Congratulations to Johnny Martinez who won a trophy for his ’29 Ford Pick Up at the Grand National Roadster Show on Monday, John would also like to thank every one who has voted for him in the Cool Rides Online ® pole at goldeagle.com.

The vote is still incredibly close, YOU CAN VOTE “John’s 1929 Ford Model A” ONCE A DAY ON THIS LINK until poling closes 31st January, please keep your daily votes coming in, thank you.

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