Tag Archives: Baker

Pillarless Millennium Benz – Mercedes Benz C140 CL500

The first generation Mercedes Benz pillarless SEC / S-Coupé / CL Class Coupé, based on the SWB W140 SE floor pan was designed under the direction of Bruno Sacco and went into production in 1992 with either 389 hp 6.0 litre / 366 cui 48 valve V12, 322hp, 5 litre / 302 cui V8 or in a few markets with 275hp 4.2 litre / 256 cui V8 engine options.

From 1992 – 93 the model was known as the SEC, in 1994 it became the S-Coupé and from 1996 to the end of production the model was known as the CL CLass.

These exclusive Coupés along with the larger SE and SEC saloon / sedan variants were incredibly well appointed with double glazed window’s being a particular novelty when the model was first seen in public.

Today’s featured CL with the smaller and lighter 5 litre V8 engine, that improved the handling over the more powerful V12 was purchased in 1996 by Kenny Baker, the diminutive actor had a length of rope fitted to the boot so that he could pull it shut.

Kenny sold the car to his friend the giant former bodybuilder, weightlifter, face of road safety and actor David Prowse, hence the car, seen in these photographs taken at the Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol a few years ago, that has been passed on from the Star Wars R2D2 actor to the Darth Vader actor has become known as the Millennium Benz.

Thanks for joining me on this “Pillarless Millennium Benz” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. May the Force be with you.

Anny-Charlotte Ralph And Bob – Porsche 935 K3/80 #009 00030

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It is quite perverse to try and write a comprehensive story about today’s featured Porsche 935 chassis #009 00030 which took part in 6 Daytona and 4 Le Mans 24 hour races, winning the former with Bob Garretson, Bobby Rahal and Brian Redman at the wheel in 1981 and hitting headlines around the world when Rolf Stommelen, Dick Barbour and a certain Paul Newman drove the car to a second place finish at Le Mans in 1979 in a single blog, so I will focus on some of the cars highlights, owners and star drivers for now.

Porsche 935 K3/80, Verney, Kent-Cooke, Garretson, Le Mans

Rolf, Dick and Paul proved their result at Le Mans was no fluke when they finished second on the cars second appearance in the ’79 Watkins Glen 6 Hour race.

French driver Anny-Charlotte Verney shared #009 00030 for the first timeApple, on it’s final appearance carrying customer Porsche 935/77A bodywork, with Bob Garretson and Skeeter McKitterick for a 9th place finish in the 1980 Daytona 24 hour race.

At the Sebring 12 Hour race #009 00030 was fitted with Kremer Brothers K3 bodywork which carried sponsorship from Apple Computer and was driven to a 7th place finish by Bob, Bobby Rahal and Canadian Kees Nierop.

At Le Mans in 1980 Bob and Bobby were joined by Australian Alan Moffat to qualify 14th on the grid but piston failure led to the cars only Le Mans retirement after it had completed 134 laps.

After winning the Daytona 24 hours in 1981 the same winning Bob, Bobby and Brian trio finished 17th from 4th on the grid in the 1981 Sebring 12 Hours.

Part owner Bob Garrettson, with Ralph Kent-Wood, stepped back from the driving seat to allow Bobby and Brian to share the wheel to finish 3rd and 4th at Riverside and Laguna Seca.

The #009 00030 was then shipped to Le Mans where owners Bob and Ralph teamed up with British Petrolium (BP) sponsored Anny-Charlotte Verney to set a qualifying time of 3 min 55.150, good enough for 33rd spot on the grid.

Anny-Charlotte sharing the car for the second time with Bob and Ralph drove the car, seen above 23 hours into the race, to 6th place finish.

The car remained competitive for the remainder of the 1981 IMSA season which included a 3rd place finish with Bob, Rick Mears and Johnny Rutherford in the 1981 Watkins Glen 6 hour race.

In 1982 Bob was joined at the wheel of #009 00030 by Columbian Mauricio DeNarvaez and Jeff Wood at Daytona where they finished 3rd in the season opening 24 hours race.

Bob teamed up with Anny-Charlotte for a third time in #009 00030 for the 1982 Le Mans 24 Hours and they were joined by Ray Ratcliff for the cars final Le Mans start, from 43rd on the grid they salvaged an 11th place finish.

Wayne Baker bought #009 00030 for the 1983 season and converted it from twin turbo 935 spec to single turbo 934 spec and ran it with a loose interpretation of 934 bodywork at Daytona where he drove the car with Bob and Jim Mullen to a 9th place finish and in the 1983 Sebring 12 hours where Kees replace Bob and with Wayne and Jim scored the cars second and final outright victory.

At the end of 1983 #009 00030 was returned to full twin turbo 935 K3 spec and on it’s fifth appearance in the Daytona 24 hours was driven by Wayne, Jim and Tom Blackaller to a 5th place finish from 12th on the grid, from the same position on the grid at Sebring the same trio finished a season high 4th.

#009 00030’s final appearance in the Daytona 24 hours was in 1985 when Jack Newsum, Chip Mead and Ren Tilton joined Wayne for a 9th place finish from 28th on the grid.

Midway through 1985 Chester Vincentz bought the car and converted it back to single turbo 934 spec and ran it IMSA GTO events with a 934 type body in 1985 and a hybrid 935 body in 1986 and ’87 as a 930 S.

On the October 4th 1987Chester drove #009 00030 to a 12th place finish from 12th on the grid on the cars 72nd and final known in period appearance.

Thanks for joining me on this Anny-Charlotte, Bob and Ralph edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when Ferrari Friday will be making a month long return. Don’t forget to come back now !

Major Reliability Leap – Hispano Amilcar Special

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The motor powering Robin Baker’s 2 speed, chain drive 1930 Hispano Amilcar Special is a 1916 Hispano Suiza V8 aircraft engine.

Hispano Amilcar Special, Robin Baker, VSCC Prescott

Marc Birkigt’s HS8 design with a swept volume of 11,760 cc / 717 cui originally produced 140hp and was only accepted for use by the French Military after it had passed a 50 hour full speed test, more than three times longer than any comparable test held hitherto.

Hispano Amilcar Special, Robin Baker, VSCC Loton Park,

After demonstrating it’s major leap in reliability a new SPAD S.VII fighter was quickly designed around the new motor which helped the Entente, British, French and Russian, air forces regain air superiority during the 1914-18 war.

Hispano Amilcar Special, Robin Baker, VSCC Prescott

By the time production of HS8 motors ceased in the mid 1920’s they were producing 300hp and they had been built under licence in 21 different factories under licence in Spain, France, Britain, Italy, and in the United States where they were recognised as superior to the Curtiss OX5 V8.

Hispano Amilcar Special, Robin Baker, VSCC Loton Park

By 1930 I believe the only Amilcar chassis being built large and substantial enough to carry a 185 kg / 407 lbs HS8 would probably have been a C8 which would have originally been fitted with a 2 liter / 122 cui or 2.3 litre / 140 cui straight 8.

Thanks for joining me on this “Major Reliability Leap” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be visiting the Avenue Drivers Club. Don’t forget to come back now !

Je N’est Pas Brian Culcheth – Triumph 2500 PI Mk2

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A couple of weeks ago I went to a highly entertaining talk given by Rally Champion Brian Culcheth who with Johnstone Syer finished second in the 1970 Daily Mirror World Cup Rally as celebrated in today’s featured French Triumph ad.

As the talk progressed it soon become apparent that the Quadrant ad agency had somehow managed to select the wrong car for the bottom photo because Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Syer started the 1970 World Cup Rally in a white #88 Triumph 2500 PI Mk2.

Triumph 2500 PI Mk2, Lloyd Hirst, Englefield, Baker, 1970 Daily Mirror World Cup Rally,

The #39 depicted was infact a ‘private’ entry crewed by Adrian Lloyd-Hirst, Brian Englefield and Keith Baker. With the perspective of nearly 50 years there are numerous accounts about this entry which I shall attempt to sumarise below.

Ordnance Survey employee Peter Dyer and fellow employee Keith Baker appear to have got the ball rolling when Peter mentioned the rally to Keith and his friend Adrian Lloyd- Hirst over a couple of beers at a motor club meeting somewhere north of Southampton.

According to Brian Engelfield Adrian managed to persuade a Graham Robinson to buy the left hand drive car which is believed to have come through John McCartney at the Triumph Dealership in Berkley Square London, thought the ‘KV’ part of the registration belies the fact that this car was originally registered in Triumph’s home town of Coventry.

While there has never been any suggestion UKV701H was prepared by the works Triumph team at Abingdon or at the Special Tuning department next door the #39 appears to have been fitted with numerous parts supplied by the works team which include the sump guard, spot light arrangement, 15″ Minilites, air intake scoop on bonnet, roof ventilator, bag tanks (see the fuel filler in the r/h rear wing which suggests that like the Austin Maxi I looked at last week this car was given a good deal of works assistance.

The #39 was officially entered by Adrian Lloyd-Hirst who is described variously as a scrap dealer, a publican and there is also a possibility that he was a Royal Naval Commander and Author.

Having survived the European leg of the rally the #39 appears to have retired near Montevideo in Uruguay with suspension problems. Brian Englefield had hoped to acquire the car from Graham Robinson but it was sold by Grahams estate after he died unexpectedly to Peter Barker in Jersey who had the car given the Jersey licence plate J 6749.

Brian drove the car twice more with Peter Barker in the 1972 Scottish Rally and with Ian McKean on the 1972 TAP Rally in Portugal.

According to Brian Engelfield the car ended up rusting away in Cornwall.

My thanks to Peter Dyer, Brian Engelfield and Jason Chinn for their comments about UKW701H at The Nostalgia Forum.

Thanks for joining me on this “Je N’est Pas Brian Culcheth” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Aircooled Aero Power – Amilcar CGSs

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The chassis for today’s featured Amilcar CGSs was built in 1926, it was probably supplied with a 35hp 1,074 cc / 65 cui 4-cylinder engine.

Amilcar CGSs, David Baker, VSCC, Prescott,

It would appear that some where prior to September 2012 owner David Baker acquired a 2,986 cc / 182 cui aircooled Glode Dayton aero engine and had it fitted to the Amilcar CGSs he is seen driving at Prescott in these photographs.

Amilcar CGSs, David Baker, VSCC, Prescott,

The 50hp aircooled Globe Dayton was built in Dayton Ohio in 1930. It uses a number of proprietary parts including a Ford Model A crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons, 1928 Nash rocker arms and was equiped with either a Ford A or an aero carburetor.

Amilcar CGSs, David Baker, VSCC, Prescott,

It would appear that there are only two known examples of the Globe Dayton which is also known as a Dayton Aero Four-In-Line, Globe Motors of Dayton Ohio today is better known for the production of subfractional horsepower electric motors.

Amilcar CGSs, David Baker, VSCC, Prescott,

David Baker competes with his aircooled Amilcar in VSCC events both on the track and off road.

My thanks to Onelung at H.A.M.B. for pointing me in the direction of information about the Globe Dayton Motor on the Memaerobillia site.

Thanks for joining me on this “Aircooled Aero Power – Amilcar CGSs” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

NASCAR’s Oldest Survivor – #87 Oldsmobile Rocket 88

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As another NASCAR season winds up I thought it would be fun to look at some survivors from the series glorious past.