Tag Archives: Birmingham

Heart Breaker – Mercedes Benz W121 B2 190 SL Roadster

When Mercedes Benz US importer Max Hoffman suggested that Mercedes Benz build the 300 SL Gullwing Coupé for an exclusive US clientele in 1953 he also suggested they build a more affordable Roadster which became the 190 SL Roadster like the one seen here at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham a few years ago.

Mercedes Benz 190 SL Roadster, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The 190 SL was built on a modified W121 Saloon platform unlike the 300 SL which had a space frame chassis, but used similar double wishbone front and swing axle rear independent suspension.

Power came from a short stroke 1897 cc / 115.7 cui 4 cylinder variant of the 300 SL’s 3 litre / 183 cui over head cam six cylinder engine that produced 120 hp.

Production of the 190 SL commenced in 1955 and continued until 1963 by which time 25,881 examples had been built.

Renowned for melting the hearts of the proudest women the 190 SL included amongst it’s star studded clientele Grace Kelly, Gina Lollobrigida and Bibi Johns.

Thanks for joining me on this “Heart Breaker” 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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Unit Beat Policing Panda – Morris Minor 1000

In 1968 the City of Bristol Constabulary bought a fleet of Morris Minor 1000s to implement a new Unit Beat Policing Policy that was being rolled out by Constabularies across the country, where by a single officer in a Panda car was to cover an area previously covered by several “bobbies” on the beat.

Morris Minor, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

The withdrawal of foot patrols, to save man power, marked the end of Community Policing in Bristol until it was reintroduced by the renamed and merged Avon and Somerset Police decades later.

Morris Minor, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Today’s featured “Moggie Thou”, registered on the 1st of February, served in Bristol for three years and is believed by the The Police Vehicle Enthusiasts Club, to be the only survivor of the batch bought in 1968.

Morris Minor, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

In 1971 a second batch of Minor 1000s was bought by the City of Bristol Constabulary to replace the first and it is believed only one of that batch also still exists, note cheaper two door Minor 1000s were used for the new unitary beat policing, presumably in the event of an arrest a Black Maria had to be called to haul arrested suspects away.

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

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Minivan SUV – Talbot Matra Rancho

Having established it’s sports car credentials with Simca on the collaborative Bagheera, Matra’s next joint effort with Simca was to build a front wheel drive off road version of the little 5 door Simca 1100 hatchback which became known as the Rancho.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

The design used the front end of the front wheel drive Simca 1100 fourgonette van with an extended chassis on to which Matra’s fibreglass and polyester body, designed by Antonis Volanis, was grafted.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Unusually the vehicle had three rows of seats not unlike later popular minivans, the interior was largely taken directly from the Simca 1100 parts bins including seats and instrumentation.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

The car’s ground clearance was raised for off road use and an 80 hp 1.4 litre / 87.9 cui version of the Poissey engine shared with the Simca 1307 and Matra Bagheera models was fitted.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

The Matra Simca was launched in 1977 and was rebranded Talbot Matra Rancho in 1979 after Peugeot merged Chrysler Europe’s brands into it’s portfolio, in all 57,792 Rancho’s were built with Minivan SUV, as seen here, detachable canvas and commercial van bodie styles until 1985 when the model was discontinued.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Matra went on to develop a Minivan with three row’s of seats for it’s next concept which Peugeot turned down but Renault accepted with open arms leading Matra to becoming part of the Renault industrial complex and the launch of the Renault Espace in 1984.

Thanks for joining me on this “Minivan SUV” 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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Classic Competition Cars – Classic Motor Show NEC Birmingham

Today’s blog is all about some of the classic competition vehicles at last weekends Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

Rosemary Smith,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

A couple of weeks ago I went to a talk at which Rosemary Smith, winner of the 1965 Tulip Rally driving the Hillamn Imp above, was to be the guest of honour, unfortunatley she had a fall and so could not make it so it was great to see her on her feet again at the Classic Motor Show despite the fact that some of her bones were still on the mend.

MG B Roadster,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Rosemary drove a Ford Cortina Lotus on the 1968 London to Sydney Rally and finished 48th six places behind Jean Denton who drove the MGB GT Roadster seen above in need of some tlc, who finished 42nd.

Discovery Beetle,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Among the taller vehicles at the show was the road legal Gulf liveried Discovery Beetle, above, built on a shortened 1996 Land Rover Discovery chassis and fitted with a 300 TDi which being lighter and more aerodynamic than a standard Discovey goes well on the road and is perfect for off road trials.

Cooper Daimler T87,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Having acquired a 1966 Cooper T81 formula one car and fitted it with a 7.2 litre / 440 cui wedge engine for hill climbing Martin Brain acquired a 1967 Cooper T87 Formula 2 chassis and had it fitted with a 2.5 litre / 152 cui Daimler hemi V8, more commonly found in the SP250 and V8 250 Daimler models, for hill climbing on tracks with tighter corners. The car was rescued from a Swedish Museum in 2011 by Gillian Goldsmith better known as a successful equestrian and car racer Gillian Fortescue-Thomas who has since competed with the Cooper Daimler as has her daughter Samantha.

Gould NME GR61X,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Powered by a 650 hp Nicholson McLaren Engines (NME) 3.5 litre / 213 cui development of the Cosworth HB Indy car engine the Gould NME GR61X is the most successful car ever to compete in British Hill Climbing with Scott Moran claiming 133 wins and Roger Moran claiming a further 16 and Alex Summers 8 since the cars first appearance in April 2005.

Empire Wraith,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Successful Trike hill climber and Empire Racing Cars founder Bill Chaplin called Dutch born Formula One aerodynamicist Willem Toet, most recently at Sauber, to work on the Empire Wraith hill climb challenger which is powered by a 180hp Suzuki GSR K8 motor. This example built at the Empire factory in Stathe Somerset in 2013 is the first of three built to date and is driven by Clive Austin and Chris Aspinall.

Healey Westland,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

In 1948 Donald Healey and Geoffrey Healey drove the Healey Westland above to a ninth place finish on the Mille Miglia, the following year Tommy Wisdom and Geoffrey finished 10th in the same event in the same car.

Marcos Prototype,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

By 1959 former de Haviland aircraft engineer Frank Costin had a CV that included designing the Vanwall Grand Prix challenger that won the inaugural World Constructors Championship in 1958 and subsequent demand for his attention included that of Jem Marsh with whom he founded Marcos Engineering in Dolgellau, North Wales. The prototype Marcos, using the same plywood construction techniques de Haviland used to build the Mosquito fighter bomber the Vampire jet fighter, built in 1959 powered by a Ford 100E engine is seen above awaiting some well earned tlc having disappeared in Lincoln for many years.

Italia 2000GT,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Only 329 Italia 2000 GT’s were built by Vignale and in 1996 Jorg Von Appen had #210, one of five Italia’s he owned converted to race spec to take part in the TR Race series, it survived four races and was recently purchased by the proprietor of Patterson’s Original Pickles.

Porsche 904 Carrera GTS,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

After withdrawing from Formula One at the end of 1962 Porsche built their first tube framed fiberglass bodied sports car which would culminate in the development of the 917 and later 936 models, originally known as the 904 Porsche badged the car Carrera GTS in deference to Peugeot’s ‘digit “0” digit’ numbering system. The GTS seen here was I believe used in competition by Claude Barbier and possibly later by Cyr Febbrairo.

BMW GTP,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

No doubt much to the annoyance of Formula Ring Meister Bernie Ecclestone the manufacturer who supplied the engines for his Formula One Brabham team split it’s efforts in 1986 between Formula One and the IMSA GTP series and invested in four March 86G chassis and fitted them with a 2 litre / 122 cui version of the BMW engine that had powered Nelson Piquet to the World Championship in 1983. A BMW GTP was driven to it’s only victory by Davy Jones and John Andretti in the Watkins Glen 500, while the Brabham BMW team scored on 2 championship points in the worst season for the team up to that time.

Eagle HF89,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Dan Gurney’s All American Racers graduated to the IMSA GTP class in 1989, after claiming the driver’s and constructors’ championships in the GTO division Chris Cord in 1987, the teams all new HF89 was designed by Ron Hopkins and Hiro Fujimori and the following year Argentina’s Juan Manuel Fangio II drove HF89’s to three victories in the Topeka 300, Sears Point 300 with Rocky Moran and Del Mar Fairgrounds Road Circuit in November 1990.

Thanks for joining me on this “Classic Competition Cars” edition of Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Carrera Panamericana challenger. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Baby Urraco – Matra Simca Bagheera

After Matra entered an agreement with Chrysler Europe to distribute it’s Ford V4 powered 530 through the Simca dealer network in 1969 the two companies agreed to work on a new Chrysler Simca powered replacement which became the Matra Simca Bagheera which was launched in 1973.

Matra Simca Bagheera,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Designed by Antonis Volanis the Bagheera, named after Rudyard Kiplings panther character in The Jungle Book, retained the mid engine layout of it’s 530 and Djet antecedents, but unusually featured three seats abreast in the cockpit.

Matra Simca Bagheera,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Originally the Bagheera was powered by an 84 hp 1294 cc / 78.9 cui 4 cylinder engine, sourced from the Simca 1100 TI 5 door hatchback, which gave the car a top speed of 101 mph, in 1975 a Bagheera S with a 90 bhp version of the Simca 1308 1442cc / 87.9 cui engine raised the top speed up to 109 mph. Three prototype Bagheera’s were built with two transverse engines driving a common prop shaft to make a U configuration, as seen on the Bugatti T45, but never got beyond the evaluation stage

Matra Simca Bagheera,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

British motoring LJK Streight was so impressed with the Bagheera when he tested it that he likened it to a “baby Lamborghini Urraco”, the only downside to the model was that the steel chassis beneath the fibre glass body had no rust protection and was prone to rot.

Matra Simca Bagheera,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

The Bagheera’s body was updated in 1976 and the interior in 1978, the model seen here at the Classic Motor Show was built in 1979, in July 1979 the model was rebranded as a Talbot Matra Bagheera, and was first registered in the UK in April 1984.

In all 47,802 Bagheeras were built between 1973 and 1980 when the model was replaced by the Talbot Matra Murena a model I shall be looking at next Tuesday.

Thanks for joining me on this “Baby Urraco” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be visiting the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Left In Dar es Salaam – Mercedes Benz W18 Typ 290 Cabriolet

The Mercedes Benz W18 Typ 290 series cars were powered by a 60 hp 2,867 cc / 174 cui straight six side valve engine and first seen in 1933 was capable of 67mph.

Mercedes Benz W18 290 Tourer, Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

The W18 was initially offered only with a 113″ chassis which was supplemented from 1934 with a 130″ chassis option, the front suspension was by transverse leaf and coil springs while the rear wheels were attached to swing axles, hydraulic breaks were fitted all round.

Mercedes Benz W18 290 Tourer, Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Among the body options offered on the original short wheel base chassis were three cabriolets, 4 door 4 seat as seen here, 2 door 4 seat and 2 door 2 seat which was supplemented by a fourth 2 door 2 seat cabriolet with a lower body in 1936.

Mercedes Benz W18 290 Tourer, Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

This particular right hand drive Cabriolet was built for the German Consul in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika Territory which had been handed over to British Colonial rule, where driving on the left was the norm, from German Colonial Rule, where driving on the right was the norm, by a League of Nations Mandate in 1922.

Mercedes Benz W18 290 Tourer, Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

The Consul did not have long to enjoy the car before Adolph Hitler, who had no interest in the British colony, became the Chancellor and recalled the Consul and his staff back to Germany in 1934.

Mercedes Benz W18 290 Tourer, Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

The car appears to have remained warehoused in Africa until 1987 when it was shipped from Durban in South Africa to the UK with just 3,678 documented miles on the clock.

In all 3,566 short wheel base models, 3,929 long wheel base models and 719 military variants of the W18 were built between 1933 and 1937 when the 290 was replaced by the W142 Typ 320.

Thanks for joining me on this “Left In Dar es Salaam” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a three seat sports car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Coventry Dealer Car – Peugeot 205 T16 EVO 1

In 1983 Peugeot launched the Gerard Welter styled 205 front engined front wheel drive hatchback that would be declared Car of the Decade by CAR magazine in 1990.

Peugeot 205 T16 EVO 1, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

In 1984 Peugeot built two hundred 205 Turbo 16’s with a turbocharged transverse petrol engine, using the the cast iron block of the Diesel version of the XU engine with a 16 valve cylinder head, mounted behind the passenger seat that powered all four wheels through a Citroen SM sourced gearbox.

Peugeot 205 T16 EVO 1, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Having built the 200 Turbo 16’s Peugeot had a vehicle with which they could compete in the top Group B Rally class with an evolution of the car known as the 205 Turbo EVO 1, or T16 EVO 1 in the UK.

Peugeot 205 T16 EVO 1, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Today’s featured 205 T16 EVO was built from factory supplied parts by the Peugeot UK dealer funded Peugeot Sport UK at their base in Coventry for Finns Mikael Sundström and co driver Voito Silander to drive in the British Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986, it was registered on the 1st of June 1985.

Peugeot 205 T16 EVO 1, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Mikael’s best result in this car came in the 1986 Scottish Rally which he won from the Ford RS200 driven by Mark Lovell with co driver Roger Freeman, Mikael finished 4th in the World Championship RAC Rally at the end of the season.

Peugeot 205 T16 EVO 1, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Mikael went on to win the 1986, ’87 and ’88 Finnish Rally Championships driving a Group A Mazda 323, he retired from driving Rally cars in 1992. While running his own Rally team in Finland in 2001 Mikael died unexpectedly of a heart attack aged just 43.

Peugeot 205 T16 EVO 1, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

206 Turbo 16’s in EVO 1 and EVO2 form would become the most successful of the Group B cars that entered Rally events from 1984 to 1986 when the class was abruptly abandoned in the interests of safety.

Peugeot 205 T16 EVO 1, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

The model claimed 16 World Rally Championship wins, seven for Timo Salonen partnered with Seppo Harjanne, five for Ari Vatanen and Terry Harryman, three for Juha Kankkunen and Juha Piironen and one for Frenchman Bruno Saby and Jean-François Fauchille, Peugeot also finished the 1985 and 1986 seasons as World Rally Manufacturers Champions.

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