Tag Archives: V12

Worth Travelling 200 miles To Hear – Autumn Classic Castle Combe Preview

Next Saturday Castle Combe will be marking the 60th Anniversary of it’s one and only International Formula One race that was won by Harry Schell driving a Vanwall with some of the cars that took part in that race present for a fantastic selection of displays, demonstrations and and most importantly races.

The track will also be celebrating the 60th Anniversary since the last in period Formula 500 F3 race was run at the track.

Blue Bird Sunbeam 350hp, Don Wales, Pendine Sands

The National Motor Museum will be bringing along a mouth watering selection of vehicles including Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Blue Bird Sunbeam V12 which 90 years ago became the first car to set a World Land Speed Record of over 150 mph, seen above with his grandson Don Wales at the wheel earlier this year, the NMM will also be bringing along the 1955 Connaught Type B Tony Brooks drove at Castle Combe in 1955 prior to winning the 1955 Syracuse Grand Prix and a 1966 Lotus 49 chassis R3.

Other exhibits and vehicles to look out for will be Nick Mason’s 1957 Maserati 250F, of the type Bristols Horace Gould drove to second place at Castle Combe in 1955, and the Pink Floyd drummers distinctive 1953 Ferrari 250MM.

Gordon Keeble, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe,

Expect to see many motor clubs in attendance with pre 1970’s vehicles, a rare Gordon Keeble is seen on the Bristol Pegasus Motor Clubs stand last year, this year their stand will feature a couple of Abarth’s from Tony Castle Millers Middle Barton Garage.

Owners clubs confirmed this year will represent Alvis, Bristol celebrating 60 years since the marques last 1-2-3 class victory at Le Mans, Gordon Keeble, Lotus, Marcos and Reliant.

Cooper Mk X, Steve Jones, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

60 years after the very last all 500 F3 race run at Castle Combe in period, the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club will again be sponsoring the BAC MSC Challenge Trophy, won last year by Steve Jones driving the #74 Cooper Mk X after a close race with the pursuing George Shackleton driving a slightly older Cooper Mk 8.

Look out for some rare cars to take part in the races like Richard Bishop Miller’s successful in period Revis and other on display only including the locally built 1950 Milli Union and the Swedish built Effly the owners of these cars all have wonderful stores to tell about them.

Volvo 122, Gavin Watson, Oulton Park

New for this year at the Autumn Classic meeting will be the Terry Sanger Trophy for pre 1966 Saloons like the Lotus Cortina of the type the much missed Terry drove back in the day and the Volvo 122 seen above driven Gavin Watson seen at Oulton Park last year.

Terry drove some incredible machinery including a Ford GT40 V8 powered Cortina with outsize wheels and the 1971 Harrier F5000 car which he designed and built, the latter will be present next as a static display next Saturday, other races will be for fifties sports cars, VSCC pre war sports cars, look out for the ever entertaining Patrick Blakeney Edwards in his Fraser Nash, the ever popular Healey Challenge, Formula Junior and Historic Aston Martin’s in which Nick Mason’s daughters Holly and Chloe driving a pair of Aston Martin Ulsters were stars last year.

05-Jaguar D-type_1947sc

The life and times of two time Le Mans winner Ivor Beub will also be celebrated at the event Ivor born in East Ham but later resident from nearby Cheltenham won Le Mans driving Jaguar D types in 1955 with Mike Hawthorn and 1957 with Ron Flockhart, cars present in the ‘Danco Dream Garage’ that Ivor drove will include a 1955 Cooper T39 Bobtail sports car 1959 Cooper T51 formula two car along with some of the cars already mentioned.

Other cars present in the dream garage will include event sponsor Bristol Forklifts Julian Bronson’s Scarab which has been rendered hors d’combat after it’s recent outing at Goodwood Revival, also lookout for Andy Wallace in the The Norman Dewis Trophy race for pre ’66 Jaguars, last year the 1988 Le Mans winner drove a Jaguar D-type, at Oulton Park Andy was seen at the wheel of a rather more pedestrian but equally effective class winning Mk 1.

BRM Type 15, Doug Hill, BRM Day, Bourne,

Finally the piece de resistance of the day, and worth making a 400 mile round trip to hear in my opinion will be the National Motor Museum’s BRM Type 15, the sound of which is quite unlike any other you will hear in motor racing and will be demonstrated on the track where such a machine was last raced in anger in a Formula Libre event at Castle Combe 60 years ago.

Castle Combes charity of the day will be the National Motor Museum Trust’s BRM Preservation Appeal which will go toward’s keeping the Type 15 in full running order.

Full details of the action packed Autumn Classic day can be found on this link where tickets can also be purchased online, for those who want a sneak preview of the racing action there is usually a test day for competitors on the Thursday before the event.

Hope to see you there.

Thanks for joining me on this “Worth Travelling 200 Miles For” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a hot Mercury Convertible. Don’t forget to come back now !

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150.87 mph / 242.80 kph – Sunbeam V12

These day’s if one had just £500 to spare it would probably not be too difficult to scan a few classified car ads and find a car that was still capable of reaching 150 mph.

Sunbeam V12, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

When Sunbeam’s chief engineer and racing team manager Louis Coatalen conceived today’s featured Sunbeam V12 in 1920 the World Land Speed Record stood at 124.09mph / 199.70kph set by Lydston Hornsted driving a 200hp Benz at Brooklands in June 1914.

Sunbeam V12, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

Louis’s idea was to fit a 350 hp 18.3 litre / 1116 cui V12 Sunbeam Manitou V12 aero engine in to a chassis and clad the vehicle in the most aerodynamically slippery shape that could be devised.

Sunbeam V12, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

Harry Hawker was given the task of driving the Sunbeam V12 at two Brooklands race meetings in 1920, but the car suffered from damage after a tyre blew on the Whitsun Weekend and then could not start after the engine stalled in August, but René Thomas drove the car to a new 108 mph course record on the Gaillon Hill Climb in France.

Sunbeam V12, Doug Hill, Goodwood Festival of Speed

In 1921 Kenelm Lee Guinness drove the car at Brooklands recording a top speed of 140 mph and an average lap speed of 116 mph at the Autumn meeting, the following year Kenelm set a one way flying kilometer record of 133 mph, but this was never recognised as a World Land Speed record for which the speed is determined by the average of two runs in opposite directions.

Sunbeam V12, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

Malcolm Campbell borrowed the Sunbeam V12 to compete in the 1923 Saltburn Speed Trials and recorded a one way run of 138 mph which was enough to convince him that he should purchase the car for further Land Speed Record attempts in 1924.

Sunbeam V12, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

After Ernest Eldridge raised the official Land Speed Record to just over 145 mph aboard the FIAT Mephistopheles, a vehicle I shall be looking at next week, in June 1924 at in Arpajon in France, Malcolm took his now blue and silver, previously green and silver, Sunbeam to the Pendine Sands in September 1924 and recorded a two way average speed of just over 146 mph for his and the Sunbeams first World Land Speed Record.

In July 1925 the combination returned to Pendine Sands and raised the World Land Speed Record to 150.87 mph / 242.80 kph a record that stood for just under a year when a car that I shall be looking at in two weeks took the record up to 170 mph.

Thanks for joining me on this “150.87 mph / 242.80 kph” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Maserati Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Formula One Cabriolet – Ferrari 342 America, Vignale Cabriolet, #0232AL

Between late 1952 and early 1953 Ferrari built six 342 America chassis powered by a 200hp 4.1 litre / 341 cui version of Ferrari’s latest atmospheric induction V12 designed by Aurelio Lampredi and raced with success in the Ferrari 375 Formula One cars.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale, Blackhawk Museum

Five of the 342 chassis went to Pininfarina where 3 were fitted with coupé bodies and two with cabriolet bodies, the first chassis #0232AL, featured in today’s photographs by Geoffrey Horton taken at the Blackhawk Museum, was sent to Vignale where it was fitted with a cabriolet body.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale, Blackhawk Museum

Upon completion Herr Otto Wild of Muri in Switzerland. Before the end of the 1950’s were out the car is thought to have made it’s way to the USA, from 1971 until at least 2000 the car was kept in single ownership.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale, Blackhawk Museum

The 342 America was said to be capable of 115 mph, not quite on a par with the contemporary Jaguar XK120 in it’s original aluminium bodied form.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale, Blackhawk Museum

The Lampredi V12 motor would continue in production until the 1960’s powering Ferrari’s large engine America series cars up to and including the 500 Superfast of which the last was built in 1966.

Thanks for joining me on this “Formula One Cabriolet” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be loocking at the first of this months big banger Formula 5000/A open wheel racing cars.. Don’t forget to come back now.

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Abundant Noise – MATRA MS11

Last Tuesday I looked at the prototype Ford Cosworth powered MATRA MS9 Primer Car driven by Jackie Stewart for the Ken Tyrrell run Matra International team in the 1968 South African Grand Prix.

MATRA MS11, Donington Park Museum

This weeks car is the MATRA V12 powered MATRA MS 11 run by the works MATRA Sport team, what turned out to be the second prong of MATRA’s bid to win the World Constructors Championship in 1968.

MATRA MS11, Donington Park Museum

The Ford powered MS 10 and MS 11 had similar chassis however unlike the Ford DFV V8 the MATRA V12 was not a stressed member of the chassis meaning that the V12 was carried on a separate subframe for which two pontoons were built behind the rear chassis bulkhead as had been used on the 1967 MS7 Formula 2 car.

MATRA MS11, Donington Park Museum

Jean Pierre Beltoise was chosen to drive the car initially and he was joined later in the season by Henri Pescarolo in a second MS11 for the last three races of the season.

MATRA MS11, Donington Park Museum

The 390hp 60° V12 features 4 valves per cylinder and double over head camshafts per bank that are driven by a train of straight cut gears from the front. Disappointingly the V12 could not match the horsepower of the Ford Cosworth DFV first seen in 1967.

MATRA MS11, Donington Park Museum

The elaborate exhausts are said to make “abundant noise” described as either music or a shriek depending on your tastes when mechanical mayhem is unleashed.

MATRA MS11, Donington Park Museum

Beltoise tried the MS11 at the ’68 Spanish Grand but ended up driving Jackie Stewarts Cosworth V8 powered Matra MS10, in which he finished 5th, after the Scot had damaged his wrist ligaments in an earlier Formula 2 race.

Beltoise gave the MS11 it’s debut race at the following Monaco Grand Prix where he retired with bent suspension having qualified 8th 6 places behind the Ford powered MS10 which was now driven by Johnny Servoz Gavin, who also retired with accident damage.

The MS11’s best result came in the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix where Beltoise qualified 16th 11 places behind Jackie Stewart’s MS 10 and ended up finishing 2nd over 30 seconds behind the Scotsman on the occasion of MATRA’s first Formula One Championship win.

The MS11 never did beat the Cosworth powered MS10 in qualifying and in the races only beat the Ford powered car when it lasted longer. Henri Pescarolo’s best result in his MS11 was 9th in Mexico.

At the end of the 1968 season MATRA CEO Jean-Luc Lagardère made the wise choice to drop the V12, pending future development, and the works team and put all of it’s efforts behind Jackie Stewart and the Ford Powered MATRA run by Ken Tyrrell’s MATRA International that I’ll be looking at next Tuesday.

Thanks for joining me on this “Abundant Noise” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at the weekends Goodwood Festival Of Speed. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Streamline Dream Car – Lincoln Zephyr V12

One of many WOW ! moments I had last year was at the Summer Classics meeting held at Easter Compton when I turned round and saw today’s featured 1936 Lincoln Zephyr V12 purring up the main drag carrying two adults two children and a large black and white TV all the way from Dresden, Germany.

Lincoln Zephyr V12, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Edsel Ford is credited with conceiving the Zephyr V12 to slot in between the top of the range Lincoln K Series and top of the Ford brand V8 Deluxe.

Lincoln Zephyr V12, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Edsels initial choice was for a design based on the Biggs Dream Car designed by Jonn Tjaarda and Howard Bonbright a rear engined concept vehicle that was first shown by Ford at the The Century of Progress Exhibition in 1933-1934

Lincoln Zephyr V12, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

High school drop out and head of Ford’s design department Eugene Turenne Gregorie is credited with turning the Biggs Dream Car concept into the finalised front engined streamline design, which must have been seen as something of a gamble in the light of the failure of the Chrysler Airflow model built between 1934 and 1937.

Lincoln Zephyr V12, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

The 110hp 75º degree V12 motor was a development of the Ford flathead V8, not related in anyway to the Lincoln K series V12 motors, top speed for the Zephyr was 90 mph.

Lincoln Zephyr V12, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Standard on the 1936 Zephyr was the locking glove box, options included the radio and satellite navigation.

Lincoln Zephyr V12, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

During the first year of production the Zephyr V12 was available in 4 door and 2 door saloon / sedan versions.

Lincoln Zephyr V12, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Note the bullet shaped tail light lenses which would become a notable feature along with tall tail fins on several GM products 22 years later.

Lincoln Zephyr V12, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

The Lincoln Zephyr V12 proved to be a big hit with 15,000 vehicles sold in the first year of production which accounted for 80% of all Lincoln sales in 1936, and remained in production until 1940.

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Measured & Realistic – Rolls Royce Ghost V12

The 2.5 tonne steel bodied Rolls Royce Ghost V12 is a smaller 150lbs lighter “more realistic, more measured” car that the aluminium bodied range topping Rolls Royce Phantom.

Rolls Royce Ghost V12, Piston Heads, BMW Group Plant, Cowley

At it’s heart lies a 6.6 litre / 402 cui twin turbo charged V12 BMW N74 motor that produces 540hp and 500 lbs/ft torque, which is transmitted through an 8 speed automatic gearbox, sufficient to propel the Ghost V12 from rest to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds with top speed is limited to 155 mph.

Rolls Royce Ghost V12, Piston Heads, BMW Group Plant, Cowley

Designed by Andreas Thurner and engineered by Helmut Riedl the Ghost V12 sits on a modified 7 Series platform.

Rolls Royce Ghost V12, Piston Heads, BMW Group Plant, Cowley

20% of the Ghost V12’s parts are said to be common to the BMW 7 Series,

Rolls Royce Ghost V12, Piston Heads, BMW Group Plant, Cowley

including the iDrive user interface which is used to control climate, radio/CD, navigation and communication systems.

Rolls Royce Ghost V12, Piston Heads, BMW Group Plant, Cowley

The Ghost V12 is fitted with an active four corner air suspension with Active Roll Stabilisation and Variable Damping Control operating the air springs.

Rolls Royce Ghost V12, Piston Heads, BMW Group Plant, Cowley

Since its’s launch in 2009 a number of special editions have been built still today available are the Mansory White with led daytime running lights, Extended Wheel Base, China Edition with red interior gold coach lines and gold mascot, Two Tone and Art Deco which features an illuminated mascot.

Thanks for joining me on this “Measured & Realistic” 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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Same Body Bigger Motor – Ferrari 365 GTC

In 1966 Ferrari launched the 330 GTC of which some 600 hundred were built up until 1968.

Ferrari 365 GTC, BIAMF

The body of the 365 GTC which replaced the 330 GTC in 1968 was almost identical apart from the absence of the large cooling ducts in the front wings/fenders which vented air from the engine bay.

Ferrari 365 GTC, BIAMF

Ferrari’s 4 litre / 244 cui V12 from the 330 cars was upgraded to a 4.4 litre / 268 cui V12 for the 365 series cars which increased the horsepower from 300 to 320.

Ferrari 365 GTC, BIAMF

One other significant difference between the 330 GTC and 365 GTC was that the later car had the gearbox moved from behind the motor to in front of the rear axle to improve the weight distribution.

Ferrari 365 GTC, BIAMF

Alloy wheels came as standard Borrani wire wheels were an optional extra.

Ferrari 365 GTC, BIAMF

This 1969 car has covered over 80,000 miles and is one of 150 that were built up until 1970 when it was superseded by the elegantly understated Ferrari 365 GTC/4.

28 04 12, date for your diary, this car and several others featured on ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ over the past year was seen at the Bristol Italian Auto Moto Festival (BIAMF) last year. This years BIAMF event, the largest annual participatory automotive event in Bristol will be on Saturday April 28th. Event details can be found on the BAIMF website linked here. If your planing on going leave a message below or e-mail me see address at the very bottom of this page and we will see if we can’t organise a GALPOT meeting.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Same Body Bigger Motor’ 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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