Tag Archives: Fastback

Exciting Grand Touring Car – Marcos Fastback GT

Welcome to the first of a short series of Marcos Monday blogs, featuring the marque that was founded by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin in North Wales in 1959 to manufacture a series of “Ugly Duckling” Xylon one litre / 61 cui GT sports racing cars that featured chassis built from laminated 3mm marine ply, gull wing doors and a four pane windscreen, aimed at 750 Motor Club competitors.

Nine Xylons were produced before a refined model that retained the gullwing doors was introduced in 1960 of which a further 39 powered by a variety of motors up to 1.5 litres / 91.5 cui were produced up until 1963 when Marcos moved to a premises at Bradford Upon Avon in Wiltshire.

Marcos Fastback, David Chaney, Cadwell Park

When brothers Dennis and Peter Adams began to work on a successor to the Gullwing GT they conceived an open roadster, however success on the track with earlier models, future Grand Prix and Le Mans stars Jackie Stewart won his first race with a Xylon and Jackie Oliver raced a Gullwing GT, meant a continued demand for a closed car and so the original design was compromised with the fastback hastily added as an afterthought.

The fast back was launched at the 1963 London Racing Car Show as the “The Most Exciting Grand Touring Car In The World” for a basic price of £775 “including disc brakes.”

Only 18 Fastbacks were produced and future Le Mans legend Derek Bell raced one scoring at least one class win with it at Brands Hatch in September 1965.

David Chaney’s example seen above at Cadwell Park in 1989 was originally built in 1963 and is listed in the 1989 programme as being powered by a 1650cc / 100 cui motor that is probably derived from a 4 cylinder Ford.

Unable to keep up with the initial demand Peter Adams own roadster was converted to the fastback configuration as were a couple more otherwise complete roadsters.

Thanks for joining me on this “Exciting Grand Touring Car” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be celebrating the 60th Anniversary of an aerodynamic Citroën. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The PHD was TNT – Ford Mustang Fastback 302

The first upgrade of the Ford Mustang in 1967 saw Ford deliver more interior space, exterior space and a larger range of motors from 3.3 litre / 200 cui six to to 7 litre / 428 cui V8.

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

For their 1968 advertising campaign Ford was eschewing the value of PHD’s with the wonderful line the PHD was TNT in a ’68 Mustang !

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

The example seen here at Castle Combe was the 8064th scheduled to be built at San Jose. Due to industrial action the car was six months behind schedule.

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

The fist owner ordered a ’68 Windsor White 302 model with black interior, Cruise-o-matic transmission, Selectair conditioning and an AM radio, however because of the industrial action he was offered one in Acapulco Blue which he declined.

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

When Ford offered to repaint the car in Windsor White the owner accepted and so the car was striped down repainted and rebuilt with a new VIN plate showing the correct combination paint code and interior trim. Ford ended up doing this 344 times with this particular non standard paint and interior trim combination.

Ford Mustang Fastback 302, Castle Combe

The car was delivered coincidentally, on the current owners Birthday, to north Hollywood, after a short spell in Seattle from 1995 to 1997 it arrived in the UK, the current owner bought it in 2004 without any evidence of ever having welding repairs.

Thanks for joining me on this “The PHD was TNT” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Ford Mustang Man – Ford Mustang Fastback

Half way through the 1964 Model year Ford launched it’s sensational personal luxury Mustang and in the process created the Pony Car class which swept aside hitherto performance favourites like the Ford Falcon with which the Mustang shared many components including much of the chassis pan, drive train and even the original dash instruments of it’s older sibling.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The power unit’s offered on the original Mustangs offered from 105 hp from the Thriftpower straight six to 271 hp from the 4 barrel Windsor 289. The motor in today’s featured car is officially quoted as 4929 cc a fraction over 300 cui suggesting it might be either over bored or from an altogether later period.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The Falcon strip speedometer was replaced in 1966 with a six round instrument cluster, seat belts were standard in the front, but optional extra’s in the rear.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

This particular vehicle is registered as and I quote from the DVLA, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency – GOV.UK website, a 1968 “Ford Mustang Man” however the grill bearing the chromed cross motif only seen on ’65 models, absence of trim on the faux ducts ahead of the rear wheels, the wheel trim, Falcon style instrument panel and altogether less aggressive styling compared with the mildly face lifted ’68 Fastback immortalised by Steve McQueen point to this car being at least a ’65 car if not an early ’64 and a 1/2 model.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ford Mustang Man” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t for get to come back now !

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Highland Green 302 – Ford Mustang Fastback

In 1968 a Highland Green Mustang GT Fastback running on Torque Thrust alloy wheels with Steve Mcqueen in the drivers seat became one of the motorised film icons of all time when it starred as the pursuit vehicle in a 10 min 53 sec car chase through the streets of San Francisco in the film Bullit. Thanks in no small part to that chase sequence the films editor Frank P Keller won an Academy Award for Best Film Editing.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Brooklands Double Twelve

In 1967 the Mustang was given it’s first face lift with more aggressive styling the Mustang became larger, thanks to a Ford Thunderbird type big block 6.4 litre FE V8 heavier, but now with 320 hp also more powerful.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Brooklands Double Twelve

For 1968 the Mustang gained mandatory side reflectors, the ’67 only brushed steel interior trim was replaced with woodgrain interior trim, 3 point seat belts became standard for the front seats as did seat belt warning and door ajar warning lights. Those last two safety items were way ahead of their time, I did not see those sorts of warning lights on any vehicle at all until I sat inside a brand new Honda while I was working as a car valet at a Honda Dealership during a college break in the summer of 1979.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Brooklands Double Twelve

Unlike Lt Bullit’s Mustang today’s 1968 model is powered by a, then new addition to the Mustang range, 4.9 litre / 302 cui Windsor V8 a motor. The 302 was designed to meet Federal Standards being introduced and would become a regular for the option for mustangs through to the end of third generation Mustang production in 1993.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Brooklands Double Twelve

Although two Mustangs were supplied by Ford Motor Company to the producers of Bullit both cars were debadged of all Mustang lettering logo’s that normally appeared on the model.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Brooklands Double Twelve

If one were foolish enough to steal this Mustang one would be disappointed to find that one could not recreate the double declutching sounds that are a strong aural feature of the Bullit car chase, not only is the motor smaller but this car has an automatic transmission. The Bullit film soundtrack also won an Academy Award.

Ford Mustang Fastback, Brooklands Double Twelve

In the United Kingdom Ford made a promotional film to launch the new Ford Puma in 1997. The film used some of the San Francisco Bullit film sets and edits from the Bullit film to make it look like Steve McQueen, who died in 1980, is driving a Silver Puma, pulling into his garage next to which is parked Lt Bullit’s Highland Green Fastback GT ‘stang, as can be seen in this link.

Thanks for joining me on this “Highland Green 302” 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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Fibreglass Transformer – Austin Healey Sprite #ANJ/6378

Lenahm Sprite, Race Retro, Stoneleigh,

Today I am looking at this Austin Healey Sprite fitted with an Ashley nose and a Lenham Fastback, a body style also apparently known as a Lenham GT which found a new owner at last weekends Race Retro exhibition for £10,450 / $ 17,000 thanks to auctioneers H&H;.

Lenahm Sprite, Race Retro, Stoneleigh,

Sporting a twin carb 1,100cc / 67 cui A series motor up from the original 948 cc / 57 cui fitted to a four speed gearbox which all points to a competition history.

Ausitn Healey Sprite

This undated and uncaptioned photo taken from the H&H; website of a vehicle bearing the same registration number (888 HPA) gives a tantalizing insight into an interesting race history that is said to have included preparation by the ‘Naylor Brothers’ and modification to Sebring Spec prior to the Lenham Fastback bodywork being fitted.

Lenahm Sprite, Race Retro, Stoneleigh,

More recently this vehicle was driven to 5th in class in the 20th Classic Marathon by Peter & Betty Banham along a route from Belgium to the Dolomite mountains of Italy.

I’d like to thank David Birchall over at The Nostalgia Forum who came up with additional information on the identity of the nose type. If you have any interesting info on this vehicle in either of the photographs please add your comments below.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s transformer edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres and that you’ll join me again tomorrow for a look at another Great British sports car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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