Tag Archives: Park

Wetherby Record In Perpetuity – GN Wasp

Jack Moor’s original Wasp was a motorcycle combination with a yellow and black stripped petrol tank and cigar shaped sidecar.

In 1923 he bought a 2 seat GN Vitesse which fellow comeptitor Basil Davenport advised be converted to a single seater, while carrying out the conversion Jack shortened the chassis by a foot.

GN Wasp, Winston Teague, Chateau Impney,

Later, to avoid perpetually finishing second to Basil in the 1.5 litre / 91 cui class, Jack enlarged his engine to 1510 cc / 92 cui so that he could compete in the up 122 cui class, which was not so keenly contested.

In 1931 the Vitesse based Wasp was wrecked against a telegraph pole after coming adrift of the towbar on the to Shelsley Walsh and Jack built a new vehicle based on a GN Akela.

GN Wasp, Winston Teague, Loton Park

After winning the 1.1 litre / 67 cui class at Shelsley Jack replaced the 4 valve cylinder heads with a pair of Norton motorcycle cylinder heads which involved building a new crankcase using pattern borrowed from Basil.

With the Norton heads fitted Jack set a new record at the Wetherby Speed Trials which will remain in perpetuity since the venue is now defunct.

GN Wasp, Winston Teague, Loton Park

After the 1939 – 45 hostilities Jack reassembled Wasp in just 33 days so that he could compete at Shelsley in 1946, but Jacks event ended with an impressive fire.

He rebuilt Wasp yet again with a box section chassis Morgan independent front suspension and Rudge motorcycle wheels.

GN Wasp, Winston Teague, Chateau Impney,

In August 1948 the engine blew up after a drive chain broke but once again the car, seen as the fore runner of G.N.A.T. which I looked at last week and Spider which I shall be looking at next week, was repaired.

Winston Teague is the current custodian of Wasp, seen in these photographs with him at the wheel at Chateau Impney and Loton Park, and he drives it no less enthusiastically than did Jack Moor, setting a record that still stands at Prescott in 2011.

My thanks to Tim Murray for lending me his copy of the 1971 edition of Special by John Bolster.

Thanks for joining me on this “Wetherby Record In Perpetuity” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow, when I’ll be looking at another ERA. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Aero Engined Rennwagen – Mercedes 20.1

Confusingly in 1913 there was a French Grand Prix run at Amiens where Mercedes were absent and a Grand Prix de France run at Le Mans where the Mercedes cars finished in 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th places.

Mercedes 20.1, VSCC, Loton Park,

To the best of my knowledge today’s featured car listed in event programmes as a Daimler Mercedes Rennwagen GP was not one of the 1913 Grand Prix de France team cars.

Mercedes 20.1, David Biggins, Chateau Impney

David Biggins’s car is shown in the same programmes to have been built in 1913 and I believe the 7,247 cc / 442 cui motor dates from 1914.

Mercedes 20.1, David Biggins, VSCC, Prescott

The six cylinder DF80 was originally designed for aircraft applications, but Paul Daimler had the idea of turning the engine back to front and installing it in the 28/95 model first seen in 1914.

Mercedes 20.1, David Biggins, VSCC, Loton Park,

After the 1914-18 hostilities Max Sailer won the 1921 Targa Florio with a 28/95 a model which remained in production until 1924.

Mercedes 20.1, VSCC, Loton Park,

If one enters the registration number LL4535 into this linked website one discovers that the car is officially registered a Mercedes 20.1.

Mercedes 20.1, David Biggins, VSCC, Loton Park,

Using the registration number and Mercedes 20.1 manufacturer name one discovers from the DVLA Vehicle Check site that the car or some part there of was first registered in the UK on 19th January 1921.

Mercedes 20.1, VSCC, Loton Park,

The detail shots of this car were taken at Loton Park while the most recent shot with David Biggins at the wheel was taken at Chateau Impney with the remainder taken at Prescott.

Thanks for joining me on this “Aero Engined Rennwagen” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a mid range Citroën. Don’t forget to come back now !

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No Body One Brake – GN G.N.A.T.

GN cars founded by H.R. Godfrey and Archibald Frazer-Nash in 1910 were were made in London up until 1923 and were initially notable for being built with wooden chassis with chain driven JAP engines or belt driven Peugeot engines.

GN G.N.A.T., John Wiseman, Chateau Impney,

By 1919 GN adopted steel chassis and engines of their own design, I believe today’s featured GN G.N.A.T. special has a 1919 steel chassis that was lightened, shortened and lowered by E.G.Sharp who fitted a front axle with a wider track than the rear starting the work in 1925.

GN G.N.A.T., Richard Wiseman, VSCC, Prescott,

Sharp acquired an unusual 1088 cc / 66 cui aircooled V twin JAP engine for the car that featured modified Vitesse cylinder heads that dispensed with the original overhead cam shafts in favour of pushrod operated overhead valves.

GN G.N.A.T., John Wiseman, Chateau Impney,

It was only after the valve gear had been redesigned by E.G.Sharp that the twin carburetor engine produced any useful power.

GN G.N.A.T., John Wiseman, VSCC, Loton Park,

Since the chassis had been lowered a much smaller diameter clutch was fitted with a length of rope tied to the clutch pedal for the driver to pull if the clutch failed to engage properly.

GN G.N.A.T., John Wiseman, Chateau Impney,

Originally E.G.Sharp omitted any bodywork as was common practice in the period and had only one break drum operational on the rear axle to slow the car down.

GN G.N.A.T., Richard Wiseman, VSCC, Prescott,

The car is described in “Specials” by John Bolster as “Very fast, but only moderately reliable” with it’s most notable achievements being a fatest time of the day, FTD, recorded at Stalybridge in 1928 and a class win at Shelsley Walsh in 1930.

Richard Wiseman is seen driving the GN G.N.A.T wearing blue overalls at Prescott while John Wisemann wearing white overalls is seen driving the car at Chateau Impney and on the start line at Loton Park.

My thanks to Tim Murray for kindly lending me his copy of “Specials” 1971 edition by John Bolster.

Thanks for joining me on this “No Body One Brake 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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Brean Stages Rally – Brean Leisure Park,

A couple of weeks ago I popped along to Brean Leisure Park where Club Rally Sport West were celebrating the 20th Anniversary edition of the 2 day Brean Stages Rally which was the first round of the Subaru WRC Spares ASWMC Sealed Surface Stage Rally Championship, the AWMMC Heart of England Rally Championship and BP Motor Bodybuilders & Engineers CMSG Stage Rally Championship which between them attracted 96 entries.

Ford Anglia, Andrew Phipp / Colin Silvester, Brean Stages Rally, Brean Leisure Park,

Cars of all ages were competing above the #22 1966 Ford Anglia Super with a decidedly non standard 2 litre / 122 cui engine was built in 1966, Andrew Phipp and Colin Silvester retired on stage ten of 12.

MG Maestro, Kevin/Megan McCarron, Brean Stages Rally, Brean Leisure Park,

The 1984 MG Maestro driven by Kevin and Megan McCarron was classified 63rd overall one spot ahead of an MG Metro driven by Stewart Wood and Bryony Edmund.

Proton Compact GTi, Ryan Fagan, Jordan Joines, Brean Stages Rally, Brean Leisure Park,

Ryan Fagan and Jordan Joines failed to get a full day’s competition in on either of the two day’s of the even in their 2001 Proton Compact GTi.

Darrian T9, John Lewis / Paul Jones, Brean Stages Rally, Brean Leisure Park,

At the sharper end of the field John Lewis and Paul Jones guided their #33 Darrian T9 into 22nd place.

Ford Escort Mk2, Josh Payton / Marcus Mizen, Brean Stages Rally, Brean Leisure Park,

Having entertained us with his car control at the wheel of a BMW in the Bristol Pegasus Motorsport December Auto Test at Aust Sevrvices Josh Payton and Marcus Mizen were still ‘avin the crack in their 2 litre / 122cui Vauxhall Red Top powered 1981 Ford Escort Mk2 on their way to a Class win and a highly respectable 8th place overall.

Subaru Impreza WRC, Ian Godney / Chrstopher Gifford, Brean Stages Rally, Brean Leisure Park,

Try as they might Godspeed and even Godspeed brakes were not enough to get Ian Godney and Christopher Gifford in contention of the win of the two day event, by the end of which their 1998 Subaru Impreza WRC was looking particularly second hand.

Subaru Impreza S12 WRC, Steve / Yvonne Furzeland, Brean Stages Rally, Brean Leisure Park,

Comfortable winners of the 2016 Brean Rally Stages for the second year running were Steve and Yvonne Furzeland in their 2006 Subaru Impreza S12 WRX.

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

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“03” – Chevron Cosworth B19 #CH-DBE-03

On the 6th of September 1970 Chevron Cars turned up at the Nurburgring for the 500km race with an open cockpit Spyder version of their B16 Coupe, known as the B16S, for Brian Redman to drive. Brian qualified on pole but retired from the race after a fuel line broke causing a minor fire, two weeks later Brian qualified the same Escuderia Montjuich sponsored car on pole again at Spa and this time came home first.

For 1971 Chevron’s production version of the B16S became the B19 and indeed the original B16S after a phenomenally successful career in Southern Africa where at least five victories were recorded, running in Team Gunston colours and a one off appearance for Jo Siffert’s team at Paul Ricard the B16S was stripped down, the frame refurbished by Arch Motors and the car resold as a B19 for Peter Humble to race.

Chevron Cosworth B19, Ross Maxwell, Oulton Park,

B19’s hit the decks running at all levels in 1971 with John Bridges scoring an early class victory for the model in a club event at Oulton Park in March with John Miles and Gerry Birrell scoring a class victory driving another B19 in the BOAC 1000 Kilometres World Championship Sports Car Race at Brands Hatch two weeks later.

The history of today’s featured car #CH-DBE-03 according to the Chevron Heritage website is complicated because another B19 chassis #B19-71-3 claims exactly the same early history on the RM Auctions Sotherby’s website.

Chevron Cosworth B19, Ross Maxwell, Oulton Park,

For clarity on the subject one must turn to Allen Brown’s OldRacingCar.com website where the owner of #B19-71-3 in 1972 Jörg Zaborowski advises that the car was “totally destroyed” in an accident on the at ADAC Bergrennen Detmold in April 1973 and twenty years later the chassis number B19-71-3 was reassigned to the new chassis built by Vin Malkie in 1993 that is seen in the RM Auctions Southerby’s website.

The “chassis number” #CH-DBE-03 is believed to actually be a “frame number” designated by Chevron contractor Arch Motors and as Allen points out in his introduction to the B19 “the number on the frame (stamped by chassis manufacturer Arch Motors) is being mistaken for a chassis number” assigned by Chevron Cars, leading to some cars inadvertently claiming an incorrect provenance.

Chevron Cosworth B19, Ross Maxwell, Oulton Park,

Allen has found that the provenance of today’s featured car, seen being driven in these photographs by Ross Maxwell at Oulton Park, can be traced back to 1981, but it is possible the frame has an older provenance that has yet to reveal itself, Chris Chiles drove this car to International Supersports Championship victories in 1991 and 1994.

In all 35 B19’s were built, including the recycled B16S, and B19 victories were recorded in the 1971 European 2 litre Sports Car Championship by Niki Lauda, Toine Hezemans, and John Hine, but consistent Lola driver Helmut Marko won the drivers championship and Lola the constructors championship.

Thanks for joining me on this “03” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Formula One Car that tragically never got the opportunity to be raced in period. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Twincharged – Lancia Delta S4

By 1985 it had become apparent that with the successes being racked up by the latest four wheel drive Audi Sport Quattro and Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Lancia would have to abandon it’s supercharged 2 wheel drive Lancia 037 and join the four wheel drive rallying band wagon if it wanted to remain competitive in World Championship Rallying.

Lancia Delta S4, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Over the course of 1985/86 Lancia built 200 Lancia Delta S4 Stradales with CroMo tube frame chassis, covered with epoxy and fiberglass 2 door body panels, vaguely reminiscent of the Lancia Delta 4 door hatch back but hinged in the roof for easy access to the rear.

Lancia Delta S4, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Like the Peugeot Turbo 16 the engine was mounted transversely behind the passenger seat but it was not only supercharged as per Lancia 037 but also turbocharged to improve overall power, while the S4’s four wheel drive system was developed with Hewland.

Lancia Delta S4, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Power out put for the motor at 5 bar boost was said to be 1000hp but in Staradale, road spec, 250 hp was deemed sufficient while in Corsa, competition spec between 500hp and 600hp was more likely.

Lancia Delta S4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The competition version of the S4 made it’s debut on the RAC Rally in November 1985 and Henri Toivonen with Neil Wilson navigating came home first ahead of team mates Markku Alén and Ilkka Kivimäki.

Lancia Delta S4, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

The following season the S4 scored four victories; Monte Carlo for Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto, Acropolis for Miki Biasion and Tiziano Siviero with Markku Alén and Ilkka Kivimäki winning the Sanreno and Olympus Rallys.

Lancia Delta S4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Markku and Lancia might have been crowned World Rally Champions, but that was before the governing body the FIA found that the organisers of the San Remo Rally had been wrong to disqualify the Peugeot team from a commanding lead of the rally for using skirts to aid the handling of their cars and so the FIA had little option but to annul the San Remo results which handed the world titles to Juha Kankkunen and Peugeot.

Lancia Delta S4, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

However the season was clouded and the course of rallying was changed after first three spectators were killed and another 30 were injured when a Group B Ford RS200 plunged into a crowd in Portugal and later Henri and Sergio lost their lives after their S4 plunged into a ravine and burst into flames in Corsica.

Lancia Delta S4, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

In the aftermath of these events Group B was cancelled from the end of 1986 and Audi withdrew from the Ford curtailed it’s Rally RS200 programme while Audi immediately withdrew from international rallying completely.

Lancia Delta S4, Alén, Kivimäki, RAC Rally, Wollaton Park, Nottingham

The photo above show’s Markku and Ilkka on the opening Wollaton Park stage of the 1985 RAC Rally while the remaining photographs show S4 Replica’s at Race Retro and Goodwood Festival of Speed built I believe by Rally Legend Replica’s in Blackburn.

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

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The Terror Of Poissy – Simca 1000 Rallye 2

Afrer a varied career, that started aged just 14 when his father disappeared, that included running the family transport business, selling war surplus motorcycles, experience in the coal import business and founding a business importing scrap steel from France to be recycled into FIAT’s in Italy Henri Théodore Pigozzi was appointed as FIAT’s man in France responsible for the distribution of, and later assembly of, FIAT’s for the French market aged just 28.

Henri founded Société Anonyme Français des Automobiles FIAT (SAFAF) to handle the work and purchased premises formerly used by Donnet to establish manufacturing operations in 1934 for a new entity the Société Industrielle de Mécanique et de Carrosserie Automobile (SIMCA) of which FIAT was the major share holder.

The “Simca Mille” was primarily designed by a team headed by Dante Giacosa and was chosen with FIAT’s blessing by Henri from a variety of four door concepts FIAT were exploring to expand the FIAT 500 and 600 series range into the up to 1 litre / 61.5 cui market segment.

Simca 1000 Rallye 2, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Former GM employee Mario Revelli de Beaumont and Felice Mario Boano were responsible for developing the Simca 1000 to production readiness in time for it’s launch in 1961, by which time FIAT had given up on the idea of launching it’s own four door model electing instead to go with another two door vehicle the FIAT 850 which was launched in 1964.

The Simca Mille remained in production until 1978 by which times variants had been built in France, Spain, Colombia and Morroco with 4 cylinder engines in the boot / trunk varying from 777cc / 47 cui to 1294 cui / 79 cui which were sold at a rate of over 100,000 a year up until 1974 with over 2 million examples built by 1978.

FIAT tuner Abarth started producing modified versions of the Simca Mille but they never went into regular production after SIMCA first bought Ford’s French interests and then itself came under the control of Chrysler’s European arm, however Simca started offering the 53hp, red only, Simca 1000 Rallye in 1970, which became known as the The terror from Poissy, where it was built, to fill the rear engine rear wheel drive gap left by the popular Renault 8 Gordini that was replaced by the front engine front wheel drive Renault 12 Gordini.

Simca 1000 Rallye 2, Frank Breidenstein, Oulton Park,

The next evolution of the Mille was the 60hp Rallye 1 which had a top speed of 96mph that was launched in 1972, today’s featured model the twin carburetor 82 hp Rallye 2 was built alongside the Rallye 1 and had a top speed of 100 mph and was the first Rallye to be fitted with 4 discs brakes as standard.

The Rallye 2 was used in touring car racing from 1973 to 1981 particularly in France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Spain and Germany during which time it recorded at least 11 class (1.3 litre / 79.3 cui) victories.

The #31 Rallye 2 seen in these photographs is driven by Daniel Burrows while I believe President of ”Simca Heckmotor (rear engine) Deutschland, Frank Breidenstein is seen at the wheel of the #131 during a track day at Oulton Park a few years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Terror Of Poissy” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a Concours d’Elegance edition of Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”. Don’t for get to come back now !

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