Tag Archives: GT

For Sale – Peugeot 206 GT #1335

For reasons that with hind sight defy any common sense while Peugeot was phasing out it’s extremely popular 205 in the early 1990’s Peugeot’s marketing department decided to abandon the 205 super mini market segment in the hope that it’s customers would opt either for the smaller 106 or larger 309.

Peugeot 206 GT, South Glouscestershire,

Needless to say the strategy did not have the desired effect on sales and so belatedly the Peugeot 206 model was launched in September 1998, in the UK with a catchy ad featuring a Hindustan Ambassador being crashed into various walls, sat on by an elephant and otherwise modified until it resembled a new 206.

Peugeot 206 GT, South Glouscestershire,

As with the 205 a WRC Rally version of the 206 was built with which Marcus Grönholm became World Rally Champion in 2000 and 2002.

Peugeot 206 GT, South Glouscestershire,

The 300hp all wheel drive 206 WRC car featured slightly different front and rear bumpers to the production 206’s which increased the length of the vehicle from 3.83m to 4m and to get these parts homologated, certified for competition, Peugeot had to build at least 2,500 copies of these parts for their customers.

Peugeot 206 GT, South Glouscestershire,

So in May 1999 Peugeot announced it would build 4,000 limited edition front wheel drive 206 Grand Tourisme models fitted with the longer bumpers, 137hp 2 litre, 16 valve petrol engines, 5 speed gearbox and 9 spoke alloy wheels available only for this model.

Peugeot 206 GT, South Glouscestershire,

Additional extra’s unique to the Grand Touriseme were numbered identification on the door pillars, body coloured wheel arch extensions, leather trimmed sports seats, a three spoke sports steering wheel, aluminium accelerator pedal and a unique metal finish instrument cluster.

Peugeot 206 GT, South Glouscestershire,

Acceleration times were quoted as 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds with a top speed of 129mph, at the time of writing only 114 of the 588 registered on the road in Britain remain on the road with another 87 being registered SORN, stored off road, with the authorities.

Today’s featured example #1335 first registered for the road on the 27th of September 1999 is for sale with less than 105500 miles on the clock, MOT due 4th May 2017, no advisories, recently rebuilt rear brakes and reconditioned alloy’s.

The owner says #1335, which carries a couple of minor scars on the bonnet and off side rear wheel arch, has fantastic handling and brutal acceleration and would make a great track day car.

If you are interested in purchasing it, through the third party that owns it, please do not hesitate to leave a message below.

Alternatively come and see it at the Avenue Drivers Club Meeting, Queen Square, Bristol on Sunday June 12th 8am sharp, usual disclaimers apply.

Thanks for joining me on this “For Sale” 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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Showcasing Creative Technology – Citroën Survolt

At the Geneva Motor Show in 2010 the Citroën stand showed the Survolt concept sports car, designed showcase the companies Creativity and Technology, to the public for the first time.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

The zero emissions Survolt is based on the Citroën Revolte hybrid concept supermini that was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 with styling influenced by the 2008 GT by Citroen petrol powered concept sports car.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

The cockpit features a large amount of glass, that hides a chrome finished safety cage within the cabin.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

The low slung motorsports heritage of the design means that the vehicle is as difficult to enter and exit as one might expect of any purpose built competition vehicle.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

Unlike the hybrid Revolte the Survolt is only powered by two electric motors with a combined output of 300hp.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

Silently the Survolt will accelerate from rest to 62 mph in less than 5 seconds and on up to a top speed of 160 mph.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

The batteries are believed to give the all wheel drive Survolt a range of 120 miles between recharges.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

It is believed Citroën are looking at founding a one-make racing series based on a production version of the Survolt.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

Limited production of the Survolt is believed to be a possibility from 2018.

Citroën Survolt, Goodwood, Festival of Speed,

If you cannot wait that long to try the Survolt virtual versions are available on the Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, Asphalt 8: Airborne and GT Racing 2 games by Gameloft, on Racing Rivals by Glu Mobile or Driveclub for PlayStation 4.

Thanks for joining me on this “Showcasing Creative Technology” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be going for a test drive. Don’t forget to come back now !

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2016 Bucket List – Autosport International

Every year for the past couple of seasons I have come away from the Autosport International with a few new additions to my bucket list of new things to try before the season is out, if I make it to one or two I am usually happy here are six things I’ll be looking out for in the season ahead.

Ford Fusion, Autosport International, Birmingham NEC,

In 2003/4 my passion for motorsport was reignited after a decades abstinence when I started reading articles by veteran NASCAR writer Jerry Bonkowski.

By 2009 when I visited Talladega Superspeedway I was as hooked as I had been back in the 1970’s when I first discovered it.

I’m under no illusions that having the privilege to drive a non emergency ambulance up to 450 miles in a ten hour day is any kind of training to drive a 500 hp Cup car but top of my bucket list for 2016 is to shell out £150 for a couple of laps in the Ford Fusion above at a Rockingham Performance Driving Day.

Chevrolet Camaro, Autosport International, Birmingham NEC,

Sadly to date the only drag track I have visited is Shakespeare County Raceway which is due to close this year, so as well as making a final visit to Shakey I also hope to make it to Santa Pod where I have been informed the big boys like Andy Robinson go to play.

Andy drives the Pro Mod Chevrolet Camaro above which will reach 239.05 mph from rest in less than six seconds !

Winnebago Tour, Autosport International, Birmingham NEC,

I do not have a licence to drive anything as big as the £249,999 Winnebago Tour® nor the financial credentials to drive one to the end of my street, but I am planing on visiting the 2017 Rolex 24 Hours with a school friend and I have been informed the best way to spectate is to park an RV in the infield.

So if anyone reading this has room for two well bred and groomed Europeans in their RV at the 2017 Rolex 24 Hours please chime in below ?

March Chevrolet 717, Autosport International, Birmingham NEC,

One of the new features of this years Silverstone Classic will be a race for Can Am cars like the March Chevrolet 717 seen above, at the end of the 1980’s these cars were a regular site in historic events and it will be great to see a full field of them for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Sin R1 GT Cup, Autosport International, Birmingham NEC,

A couple of years ago Sin launched their R1 model at the Autosport International this year I hope to so one racing in either the British GT Championship, GT Cup, or if it is legible in the Britcar series.

Ford Focus WRC, Autosport International, Birmingham NEC,

Finally I have been wanting to go and see a rally cross event ever since Ford took a four wheel drive Ford Capri to Croft for Roger Clark to drive in 1969, it has always looked like great sport on TV so maybe this year I’ll finally get to a Rally Cross event, one I will be looking out for is Guy Martin’s debut in the Ford Focus WRC owned by Ollie O’Donovan and prepared by Tony Brady Motorsport seen above which will be at a date towards the end of the British Rally Cross Championship.

Watch this space to see if I achieve any of the above and chime in with your bucket list for 2016 below.

Thanks for joining me on this “2016 Bucket List” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Daytona 24 Hour challenger. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Tom Meade Special – Ferrari 250 GT SWB NeMBo Spyder #3771GT

Today’s featured Ferrari started life as a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta with a steel Berlinetta body that was supplied to E Molozzi.

By this time a Californian Tom Meade had hitched from Norway to Rome in pursuit of a dream to own an Italian exotic car with his savings from a four year stint in the US Navy.

Tom eventually got to the Maserati factory at Modena where he managed to procure an old Maserati 350S sans engine and fit it with a Corvette motor that was surplus to Lloyd “Lucky” Crasners requirements.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Nembo Spyder, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

With input from Gentilini and Fantuzzi Tom’s first special was completed and sent to San Fransisco where Tom briefly settled until some friends landed the car in a Marin County tree top.

With the proceeds from the sale of the wreckage Tom returned to Italy in 1963 where he bought two less than perfect Maserati’s and made them roadworthy before acquiring chassis #3771GT.

It is not clear why #3771GT needed a rebody but it may have been due to flood damage from the 1966 disaster that struck Florence, it appears that a William Dixon was involved in commissioning Tom to rebody the car to his own specifications which included fitting a Ferrari 250 GTO/64 windscreen.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Nembo Spyder, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

My understanding is that Neri & Bonaccini got the car mechanically back on it’s feet by 1968 two years after William Dixon from Seattle bought it.

The contraction of the Neri Mead and BOnaccini names that gives #3771GT it’s NeMBo sorbriquet which coincidentally is also the Italian name given to the Superman cartoon character and equally coincidentally means ‘coat’ in Swahili.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs of #3771GT taken at Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance last year.

“Thanks for joining me on this “Tom Meade Special” 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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Narrowing Down The Options – Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet Series 2

Playing the identify the Ferrari in the picture Geoffrey Horton has sent me has proved a fun challenge over the last 5 or so years and so it was with today’s featured 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet Series 2 seen at the Blackhawk Museum.

Geoffrey kindly sent me a photo of the information board which identified the model but gave no details over which of the 204 Series 2 Cabriolet S2’s built between 1959 and 1962 today’s featured cars is.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet, Blackhawk Museum

To give me a clue as to which car this might be I turned to the on line Register of Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet Series 2’s published by Barchetta, which indicates that only 4 of these cars has been seen with white paintwork in recent years and all have full width front bumpers.

Of those one chassis #2737GT has a hard top and bumper overiders and so can be discounted, of the remaining three chassis #1775GT has it’s fog lights behind the decorative front grill and a tan interior and so can also be discounted.

Of the two remaining white cars chassis #1805GT can be differentiated from today’s car only by it’s tan interior which points to the possibility this car is chassis probably #1779GT which ticks all the identifying boxes available to me short of a photo of the chassis plate.

Barchetta does not have many details on the ownership of #1779GT except that the original owner appears to have been Gianni Agnelli who was of course the head of the FIAT empire.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photo, if you can confirm the identity of the car please do not hesitate to chip in below.

Thanks for joining me on this “Narrowing Down The Options” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at a one off competition car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Finance Chairman’s Choice – Ferrari 250 GT Ellena Coupé #0807GT

Today’s featured Ferrari is the 23rd of 50 250 GT Ellena’s to be built between 1957 and 1958, it is believed to have originally been delivered to Ferrari’s representative in Hollywood California.

Ferrari 250 GT Ellena Coupé, Blackhawk, Museum

It’s ownership trail is not known until Cy Yedor bought the car in the 1990’s and had it restored to regular Concours award winning condition by Gary Thieltges of GT Motors in Glendale.

Cy was best known as a racer, he Ken Miles MG Special R1 against James Dean in the 1950’s, race starter and Competition License Director of the California Sports Car Club, he later also became Finance Director of The Ferrari Club of America.

In 2001 Cy sold #0807GT to Mark Templeton in Florida and Mark in turn sold the car on to Ferrari Connoisseur Diego Ribadeneira by 2004 and a year later it was bought by Inventor Henry P. Camisasca.

#0807GT was sold for $687,500 at RM Auctions to a yet to be identified purchaser in 2013.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photo taken at the Blackhawk Museum last year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Finance Chairman’s Choice” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Wishing all GALPOT readers a prosperous New Year, 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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