Tag Archives: Mk3

4th Autumn Classic – Castle Combe

Last Saturday saw the 4th action packed Autumn Classic at Castle Combe which saw large numbers of fans entertained with nine races and several demonstrations most notable for this observer of which were a pair of BRM P160’s from 1972 and a 1973 which regaled the Wiltshire countryside with the awesome sound of a couple of unsilenced V12’s.

Frazer Nash Super Sports, Patrick Blakeney-Edwards, Castle Combe

Patrick Blakeney-Edwards had a moderately successful day as a driver, above he is seen scampering away from a delightfully varied field to win the VSCC Sports Car Race aboard his Frazer Nash Super Sports.

Jaguar Mk 1, Williams, Butterfield, Dorlin, Castle Combe

The JEC Norman Dewis Trophy for Pre 66 Jaguars was won by Martin Hunt driving a Blakeney Motorsports prepared E-type Jaguar while one of the most entertaining battles of the day was fought by Grant Williams and Richard Butterfield both in Mk 1 Jaguars and Peter Dorlin in his Mk2 after Andy Wallace also in a Mk2 retired from third at the half way stage, Grant hung on to finish first saloon home in the #12 seen above.

Austin Healey 3000 Mk1, David Grace, Castle Combe

David Grace driving the #17 Austin Healey 3000 Mk1 won the first of the two Healey Driver International Challenge 25th Anniversary races from second on the grid beating pole sitting white and blue #46 driven by Healey Specialists Bill and Jack Rawles by just under 4 seconds.

Cooper Bristol T24/25, John Ure, Castle Combe

Steve Brooks starting from third on the grid in the #34 Aston Martin DB3S is seen above about to go into the lead on the opening lap of the Fiscar Historic Intermarque race, he looked set for a win until the race had to be called on lap 12, before the compulsory pit stops had cycled through, which meant Stephen Bond in the #95 Lister Bristol starting from 8th on the grid was declared the winner after an accident involving three cars without injury to the drivers blocked the track at Quarry.

Staride Mk3. Xavier Kingsland, Castle Combe

Andrew Turner in the white and red #2 Cooper Mk VI led the opening 8 laps of the BAC Motor Sports Club Challenge for F3 500’s race from 3rd on the grid until he was caught and passed by Xavier Kingsland in the silver Staride Mk 3 two laps from home, pole sitter Darryl Woods in the Cooper Mk XII kept the two race leaders honest and finished 3rd just less than 1 second behind the winner !

Ford Falcon, Chris Clarkson, Castle Combe

Michael Squire easily won the HSCC/HRSR Historic Touring Cars race from pole driving a flame spitting Ford Mustang, but second place finisher Chris Clarkson had a very busy time keeping eventual third place finisher Chris Saunders in the white #77 Ford Cortina and Bob Bullen in the yellow #69 Ford Anglia behind.

Lotus 20/22, Jack Woodhouse, Castle Combe

Jack Woodhouse made a great start from 2nd to lead the opening 9 laps of the FJHRA/HSCC Millers Oils Formula Junior race in the white #84 Lotus 20/22 before yielding to the faster #53 Lotus 20/22 driven by 3rd place starter Sam Wilson seen in third place at Quarry above. Sam however tripped up behind a back marker on the final lap to let Jack back into the lead which was just .2 of a second over Sam at the finish line.

Elva Courier Mk4T. Sean Kukula, Castle Combe,

Having been unlucky in the Fiscar Historic Intermarque race Stephen Brooks easily won the Jon Gross Memorial race in his DB3S leaving Sean Kukula and Jonathon Loader to squable over second place in their #149 and #46 Elva Courier Mk4T’s respectively, Sean won the Elva battle which was fittingly once raced by American Jon Goss.

Austin Healey Sebring, Richard Woolmer, Castle Combe,

Finally the Healey’s came out for a second race which again provided plenty of thrills with third place starter Marc Campfield making the running for the opening 8 laps until his car ground to a halt which left pole man David Grace to claim a 4.5 second victory over the Healey 3000 shared by 5th place starters Jack and Oliver Chatham, above as in the first race the Healey Sebring of Sprites of Richard Woolmer #38 and Gordon Elwell #33 kept spectators entertained further down the field on their way to 9th and 10th place finishes less than 2 seconds apart.

Thanks for joining me on this “4th Autumn Classic” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a six cylinder Plymouth. Don’t forget to come back now !

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First Australian – TVR Grantura Mk3 #9/686

The MK3 and later TVR Grantura’s, first seen in 1962, featured a new chassis designed by John Thurner to primarily accept either 1622 cc / 98.9 cui or 1798 cc / 109.7 cui four cylinder MG motors.

TVR Grantura Mk3, Oulton Park

It would appear that while enquiries about racing a TVR in Australia Peter Owen inadvertently was appointed TVR’s Australian Agent. In 1964 today’s featured car chassis #9/686 fitted with the larger MG motor became the first TVR to be imported to Australia where Peter registered it for the road and took it to the Sydney Motor Show.

TVR Grantura Mk3, Oulton Park

During 1964 Peter also clocked up a couple of wins at Oran Park and Warwick Farm before employing a rising star, Kevin Bartlett, to drive the car.

TVR Grantura Mk3, Oulton Park

After being campaigned down under until the 1970’s #9/686 was bought by French Journalist Christophe Wilmart just over ten years ago who brought it back to Europe and had it prepared for historic racing.

Current owners Colin and Helen Elstrop bought the car, seen here in the paddock at Oulton Park last weekend, to the UK in 2007 and have raced it regularly since.

Thanks for joining me on this “First Australian” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I be returning to Redhill Village Hall for Breakfast. Don’t for get to come back now !

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Z Cars Edsels English Cousins – Ford Zephyr & Zodiac Mk3

After the humungous sales & marketing flop that was the Ford Edsel debacle Canadian Roy Brown moved on to designing smaller projects in the Ford empire namely the Ford Cortina along with the Zephyr and Zodiac Mk3’s featured today.

Ford Zephyr 6, Mk3, Goodwood Revival

The Consul name was dropped from the Zephyr and Zodiac range and moved to the smaller Cortina range in 1962 while the entry level Zephyr became the 4 cylinder powered Zephyr 4. Seen above at the Goodwood Revival is a 1963 6 cylinder Zephyr 6, a model that became indelibly implanted in my mind thanks to the kitchen sink Police drama known as ‘Z -Cars‘, please do not even think of pronouncing it “Zee”, one of the earliest adult orientated show’s I remember seeing on our very first black and white television in 1966.

Zodiac, Castle Combe

The Zodiac, as seen here at Castle Combe Classic and Sports Car Action Day, was the top of the range Mk3 ‘Z’ range featuring twined head lights to leave no doubt in the minds of purchasers that this car was the one with all the goodies.

Zodiac, Castle Combe

Both the Zephyr 6 and the Zodiac were built with straight 6 2,553 cc / 156 cui motors inherited from the Zephyr and Zodiac Mk 2 models.

Ford Zodiac, Mk3, Castle Combe

The Zodiac Mk3 can also be externally differentiated from the Zephyr Mk3 by the rear quarter light which has been moved from the rear door of the cheaper Zephyr 6 to the C-post of the more expensive Zodiac.

Ford Zodiac, Mk3, Castle Combe

From the rear both the Zephyr and Zodiac Mk3 models clearly owe, even if understated, lines of DNA heritage to the Ghia built Lincoln Futura of 1955.

Thanks for joining me on this Z Car 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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