Tag Archives: Festival of Speed

Tsar Nicholas – Benz 21/80

For the 1910 Prinz Heinrich Tour Benz built 10 new touring cars with aerodynamic noses and torpedo tails.

Benz 80hp, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Four of the cars were fitted with 80hp 5715 cc / 348.75 cui 16 valve four cylinder motors and the remainder including today’s featured car were fitted with even more powerful 7271 cc / 443 cui motors.

Benz 80hp, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Mercedes Benz who restored this car a couple of years ago believe that this example, one of only two known to remain was driven to an eleventh place finish in the 1910 Prinz Heinrich Tour by Carl Neumaier behind the fifth place team car driven by Fritz Erle and 8th place sister car driven by Arthur Henney.

Benz 80hp, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

After the 1910 Prinz Heinrich the car is said to have had the smaller 80hp 5.7 litre motor fitted with which it remains fitted to this day for the Tsar Nicholas Tour in Russia, results for which I have not been able to ascertain.

Should you have any results for the Tsar Nicholas Tour please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Thanks for joining me on this “Tsar Nicholas” 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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34mm Turbo Restrictor – Mitsubishi Pajero T3 Prototype

The second generation Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero was built between 1991 and 1999, today’s featured 1996 T3 Prototype was built to compete in the Granada Dakar Desert Rally and aside from the name and a few components shares little in common with it’s commercial namesake.

Going into the 1996 Granada Dakar Rally Mitsubishi were looking to win their 4th Dakar Rally 4 wheel title outright, their first since 1993, as were ’91, ’94 and ’95 winners Citroen.

Mitsubishi Pajero T3 Prototype, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The T3 Prototype was built on a space frame competition chassis featuring double wishbone and coil spring suspension all round, the tad over 2m / 6’6″ wide, with a 3m wheel base chassis was covered with a 4m carbon fibre and Kevlar body.

Weighing only 1410 kgs / 3100 lbs the vehicle was powered by a 2.4 litre / 147 cui 4 cylinder 16 valve 4G64 motor fitted with an inter cooled Turbocharger and a new for ’96 mandated 34mm air restrictor that kept the power output down to a claimed 300hp.

Mitsubishi Pajero T3 Prototype, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Thee T3 Prototypes were entered for crews; Bruno Saby/Dominique Serieys who won in 1993, Kenjiro Shinozuka/Henri Magne and Jean-Pierre Fontenay/Bruno Musmarr.

A fourth T3 Prototype with RVR Space Runner bodywork was entered for Hiroshi Masuoka / Andreas Schulz and the whole team was backed up with 9 trucks and 76 personnel led by Ullrich Bremer who were also mandated by the regulations to compete.

Mitsubishi Pajero T3 Prototype, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Pierre Lartigue and Michel Perin completed a hat trick of wins in their Citroën ZX Rallye Raid Evo 5, a car which traces it’s origins back to the Peugeot 205 T16, while Jean-Pierre Fontenay and Bruno Musmarr came home in 3rd, driving today’s featured #206 seen at Goodwood Festival of Speed, ahead of the sister car of Bruno Saby and Dominique Serieys which finished 7th and 17th place Kenjiro Shinozuka and Henri Magne.

Kenjiro and Henri went on to win the event in 1997, Jean-Pierre with Giles Picard won in ’98, Hiroshi and Andreas won in 2003 the year after Hiroshi won the event for the first time with Pascal Maimon, all of these victories counting towards the 12 Dakar overall 4 wheel victories Mitsubishi have won to date.

Thanks for joining me on this “34mm Turbo Restrictor” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Mercedes Monday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Last Vignale Rebody – Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake #7963

As soon as I laid eyes on today’s featured Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake at Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year I thought “what a cool car for Santa.”

Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

In 1963 Ferrari produced it’s first 300hp 4.0 L 244 cui Tipo 209 V12’s for road cars installing them in the 250 GT/E chassis with Pininfarina bodywork naming the model 330 America.

The 330 GT 2+2 launched in January 1964 was the only 330 Ferrari to have a unique to model chassis.

Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The 330 GT 2+2 launched in January 1964 was the only 330 Ferrari to have a unique to 330 engine chassis.

Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Today’s featured car chassis #7963 started life as a red with beige interior 1965 330 GT 2+2 and was shipped to Chinetti in the United States for a client known today only as Desy.

Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

In 1967 Luigi “Coco” Chinetti Jr, son of the US East Coast Ferrari importer sent #7963 to Vignale who built the shooting brake body designed by Coco and commercial artist Bob Peak, that is seen on the car today.

Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Vignale exhibited the unique Shooting Brake on their stand for the 50th Turin Show in 1968, shortly before the company went under, making #7963 the last Ferrari to be rebodied by the Turin coach builder.

Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

#7963 meanwhile was returned to the United States where it spent time in Philidelphia and North Virginia before being acquired by Parisian collector Jean-Claude Paturau.

Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Musician Jay Kay now counts #7963 among his collection of Italian exotica.

Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Thanks for joining me on this “Last Vignale Rebody” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, here’s hoping Santa delivered to all GALPOT readers in a timely fashion and that you will join me again tomorrow, seasons greetings. Don’t forget to come back now !

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No Wings – DAF Oldsmobile 55

In 1967 DAF made a bold move away from the aircooled powered roots for it’s motor cars and introduced it’s passenger car the “goat nimble” DAF 55 powered by a 50hp 1108cc 4 cylinder water cooled Renault engine.

DAF Oldsmobile 55, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

In one of the earliest copies of MotorSport I bought in 1973 this 5 litre / 302 cui 450 hp V8 Oldsmobile powered DAF 55 got a mention when driver Tony Hazelwood recorded a Super Saloon lap record of over 100mph at Thruxton, the year after the DAF 55 model went out of production.

DAF Oldsmobile 55, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Ray Kilminster the builder of this device took a Dutch DAF 55 Coupe shell hooked it up with suspension, brakes and transmission from a March Formula 2 single seat vehicle and then shoehorned the largest available engine into what ever space was remained, then fitted F1 spec wheels and tyres before letting it loose on the race tracks of Britain.

DAF Oldsmobile 55, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Weighing only 700 kgs the vehicle had good weight distribution, because it followed the original DAF 55 pattern of having an engine in the front and transmission in the back, the Super Saloon regulations to which this car was built mandated pretty much anything, except any variation of the original engine and transmission layout which the car was supposed to represent and aerodynamic wings.

Tony Hazelwood the original driver, seen in the top photograph about to enter the car at Goodwood Festival of Speed, restored it with some of it’s other previous owners, due to improvements in tyre technology he has had to fit stiffer springs so that the car is now faster than ever before.

More details about the car and how you could take a stake in it and or drive it are available from Tony’s website linked here.

Thanks for joining me on this “No Wings” 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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Wanted Gofer – Lola Hart THL1 #85-002

It must have been soon after I had helped my school friend Sven by cleaning the windscreen of his Ford Capri during the 1985 Willhire 24 hour race at Snetterton that I realised a year after leaving college my life did not appear to be going anywhere particularly fast and that I ought to expand my horizons when I saw a vacancy for a gopher for Carl Haas’s FORCE Formula One team being run by Teddy Meyer, in Autosport.

Without hesitation and in possession of the aforementioned experience, along with the requisite van driving experience, a clean driving licence and a B.A. Hons in European Business (2,2) from Trent Polytechnic I applied the same day thinking no one on gods great earth could possibly match my credentials… I was of course completely wrong, I got a nice letter from Mr Meyer informing me I had not been selected for interview and wishing me luck for the future, I can’t say I was not disappointed, but at least I had made one attempt, no matter how ill judged, to run away with the circus.

Lola Hart THL1, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Late in 1984 Carl Haas secured sponsorship for his Champ Car Team which won the ’84 Championship with Mario Andretti from Beatrice Foods, part of the agreement included a deal to part fund and expansion by Haas into Formula One with Carl Haas’s FORCE being responsible for the design, Ford for the exclusive supply of a new Cosworth turbocharged V6 motor and 1980 World Champion Alan Jones who was to make his second return to Formula One since officially retiring at the end of 1981.

For some reason probably not unconnected with the fact that Haas had been the long time US importer of Lola, Andretti drove the T800 in 84 and T900 in ’85, Lola was nominated as the car’s manufacturer although they had no input to either it’s design or manufacture, ex Williams employee Neil Oatley designed the THL1 which was initially adapted to take the Hart turbocharged 4 cylinder engine while the Cosworth was readied for the 1986 season.

Lola Hart THL1, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

The THL1 appeared at the Italian, European, South African and Australian Grand Prix at the end of 1985 and retired from all but the South African event where Alan Jones qualified a season high 18th but was unwell and did not take the start.

At the start of the 1986 season the Cosworth V6 was still not ready and so Alan was forced to soldier on with the Hart motor in Brazil and Spain, he qualified 17th for the latter, but was involved in a collision with Jonathon Palmers Zakspeed which saw both cars retire on the opening lap.

Alan, 1978 Can Am2 Champion driving a Haas Lola, was joined in 1986 by Patrick Tambay who had also won Can Am2 championhships with Haas in 1977 and 1980. Like Alan he had to make do with a Hart powered THL1 for his first three starts, Patrick out qualified Alan qualifying a promising 11th at San Remo where he retired, as in Brazil, but he brought his THL1 home to a non points paying 8th from 18th on the grid and in so doing became the only driver to bring a THL1, chassis #85-002 seen in these photographs taken at Goodwood, across the finish line of a Championship Grand Prix.

The teams fortunes improved moderately with the arrival of the new turbocharged Cosworth V6 powered THL2, Alan scored a best 4th at Monza where he was followed home by Patrick in 5th, at the following Belgian Grand Prix Alan finished 6th and by the end of the season a change of management and policy at Beatrice saw them terminate their sponsorship leaving Haas with little option but to close his team down, while Alan sold his Ferrari and headed home to Australia.

Thanks for joining me on this “Gopher Wanted” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the very first Mercedes Benz 300 SLR. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Fury, Gravity And Inertia – Ferrari 312T #024

When the new 3 litre / 183 cui Formula One regulations for 1966 were announced most teams were caught on the hop not least because when Colin Chapman went to meetings to negotiate new post 1.5 litre regulations with the sports authorities he expected that if he asked for 3 litre engines he and the authorities might reasonably settle on a maximum 2 litre / 122 cui size, instead the authorities simply rubber stamped the 3 litre suggestion.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

At this time Ferrari were in the process of securing their second Formula One World Constructors Championship with John Surtees and caught in a ferocious spending war with Ford in the World Sports Car series, short of funds having turned down an offer from Ford, Ferrari were left with little choice to adapt a sports car V12 engine to meet the new regulations and fit it to the 1966 Ferrari 312.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

An internal squabble stymied what should have been a successful couple of years with the 312, as until the arrival of the Ford financed Cosworth DFV in 1967, there were few 3 litre engines of equal power, but without John Surtees the Ferrari team lost out to the reliable Repco powered Brabhams in both 1966 and ’67.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

After Ferrari were thoroughly beaten by Ford at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967 the sporting authorities rashly announced that future sports cars would also be restricted to a maximum 3 litre capacity and Ferrari’s technical Director Mauro “Fury” Forghieri at last time and funding to turn his attentions to building an uncompromised 3 litre / 183 cui racing engine.

Ferrari 312T, Rob Hall, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

His intentions with the new motor were to keep the centre of gravity low and so he chose a 180°, also known as flat, V12 architecture, not a true boxer despite the 312 B, 312 B2 and 312 B3 designations of the first 3 Formula One designs to which they were to be fitted from 1970 to 1974.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

By 1972 “Fury” had turned his attention to reducing the polar moment of inertia to improve the handling of his designs by moving the front radiators behind the front axle line on the unraced curiosity known as the Spazzaneve, snow plough, however Enzo Ferrari’s failing health led to FIAT executives demoting Mauro when taking over the running of the Formula One team and a most disastrous season followed in 1973 until Il Commendatore returned to work midway through the season.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Enzo immediately reinstated Mauro who set about turning the poorly conceived and executed 1973 Ferrari B3 into a winner for the 1974 season.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

For 1975 “Fury” started with a clean sheet and designed today’s featured reliable 510 hp flat 12 powered 312 T that not only had the front radiators mounted behind the front axle, but also had the gearbox mounted transversely ahead of the rear axle so that only the front and rear wings, used to aerodynamically balance the car, protruded from the axles of the car, which when developed with Niki Lauda at the wheel resulted in a superior handling.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

After starting the 1975 season with the older B3 design, the 312T was introduced at the South African Grand Prix, after all of the bugs of the new car had been ironed out Niki Lauda went on a winning streak in Monaco, Belgium and Sweden, finished second to James Hunt in Holland and won again in France and at the season ending US Grand Prix, having rapped up the Drivers World Championship with a third place finish at Monza where team mate Clay Regazzoni took a popular win in today’s featured car chassis #024, which helped Ferrari win their first Formula One Constructors Championship since 1964.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Chassis #024 was the last of of five 312T’s to be built prior to his win at Monza Clay drove this car in France, where he retired, Britain where he finished 13th and Austria where he came home 7th. Subsequent to the race at Monza Clay drove the car to a seventh place finish at the 1976 season opening Brazilian Grand Prix before winning the inaugural US Grand Prix West at Long Beach.

New rules were mandated after this final appearance and the 312T’s were superseded by the 312T2, this particular chassis ended up with British computer leasing magnate John Foulston before his death in 1987 and is seen with Rob Hall of Hall and Hall at the wheel at Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Fury, Gravity And Inertia” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be returning to Oulton Park to wrap up this years Gold Cup coverage. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Diesel Record Breaker – Peugeot 404 Diesel

The Pininfarina styled Peugeot 404 was launched in 1960 and by 1964 it was available with 4 different body styles and a 63hp diesel engine option.

Peugeot 404 Diesel, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

In 1965 Peugeot built today’s featured single seat 2163 cc / 130 cui 4 cylinder diesel powered 404 prototype to help publicise the capabilities of the at the time relatively under used, outside the commercial vehicle arena, alternative to petrol.

Peugeot 404 Diesel, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

In June 1965 Peugeot took the car to Montlhery outside Paris and set a new 5,000 km / 3106 mile diesel record by averaging 99 mph.

Peugeot 404 Diesel, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

One month later the motor was replaced with a smaller 1,948 cc / 118 cui 4 cylinder diesel and the car was driven at an average speed of 100 mph for 11,000 km / 6,835 miles around Montlhery, in all the record breaking car captured 40 world diesel records.

Peugeot 404 Diesel, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

A 1965 group test of diesel powered cars from Peugeot, Mercedes Benz and Austin showed the 63hp diesel Peugeot comfortably out performed it’s competitors in every area except fuel consumption at which the Austin was the more miserly.

The 404 Diesel which still belongs to Peugeot is seen in these photographs at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Thanks for joining me on this “Diesel Record Breaker” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at all 11 Super Saturday winners at this years Silver Jubilee Silverstone Classic. Don’t forget to come back now !

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