Tag Archives: Brooklands

Hooded Fuel Consumption – Bentley 3 litre #1138

Le Mans is not so well remembered by numerous teams for quirky rules which have seen them retire if not be outright disqualified from the 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race.

Bentley 3 litre, Brooklands Double 12, Brooklands Museum

1925 saw the organisers of the third running of the 24 hour endurance classic introduce a rule that cars had to run the first 20 laps of the race with the hood, convertible roof, up.

Bentley 3 litre, Brooklands Double 12, Brooklands Museum

After winning the twice round the clock race in 1924, Bentley Motors Ltd had two 3 litre cars entered in the 1925 event one of which is chassis #1138, seen here at last years Brooklands Double 12 meeting, which was to have Herbert Kensington-Moir and Dudley Benjafield at the wheel.

Bentley 3 litre, Brooklands Double 12, Brooklands Museum

It appears that Bentley aimed to make their fuel stop at 20 laps to coincide with being able to lower the hood and put in just enough fuel to cover the distance. Herbert Kensington-Moir is said to have made a good start and was timed at speeds of over 90 mph, however on the 19th lap the car ground to a halt out of fuel.

Bentley 3 litre, Brooklands Double 12, Brooklands Museum

It would appear no one had factored in the additional fuel consumption created by the additional drag created by the hood and so Dudley Benjafield never got to race the car. The sister car chassis #1040 driven by 1924 Le Mans winners Captain John Duff and Frank Clement ground to a halt just short of half distance after a carburetor fire.

Bentley 3 litre, Brooklands Double 12, Brooklands Museum

The following year Bentley returned to Le Mans with 3 cars but all three retired but in 1927 Dudley Benjafield joined Sammy Davis and their 3 litre Sport known as Old No. 7 delivered Bentley a second victory in the French endurance classic.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hooded Fuel Consumption” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t for get to come back now !

Pit Bike Replica – Piaggio NRG Ferrari Scooter

Leave a Reply

From 1996 to 1999 Piaggio were licensed by Ferrari SpA to manufacture limited pit bike edition of the NRG model used by the firms Grand Prix team.

Piaggio NRG, Brooklands Museum

The 49 cc / 2.9 cui motor is liquid cooled and restricted to 32 mph for use in the UK, derestricted the NRG is capable of a reliable 50 mph.

Piaggio NRG, Brooklands Museum

Handling is said to be equal to that of a motor cycle 5 times the price. Last year one of these machines came up for auction in the UK with an estimated price of £4,000 to £6,000 pounds, perhaps unsurprisingly it failed to reach it’s reserve price.

Piaggio NRG, Brooklands Museum

Maranello Concessionaires in Egham are thought to have imported just six of these machines into the UK.

Piaggio NRG, Brooklands Museum

Not only did the NRG match the Ferrari team pit bikes but they also supplied matching helmets like the one worn by Michael Schumacher in the photo above.

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

PS Are your wondering who is going to win at Monaco this weekend ?

Check out my predictions on this Lets Play Dice – Monaco Grand Prix Preview link.

Worlds Best Midget – MG Midget 1500

Leave a Reply

Regular readers will remember previous blogs on Mr Len Millers MG PA and it’s earlier restoration with storm damage repairs by TJK Repairs in Purfleet in Essex. Today’s featured Federal Spec MG Midget 1500 belongs to Trevor Kirk the proprietor of TJK Repairs and the story of his car was kindly past on by Suzanne Fogg who also works at TJK Repairs.

MG Midget 1500, Essex

His 1976 Midget is seen above in 1995 after Trevor had spent 10 years bringing it up to scratch. After taking it on the Regency Run in 1996 and on a few other events Trevor parked the Midget up in his garden in 2001 and let his MG Owners Club membership lapse.

MG Midget 1500, Essex

Over the next five years the car remained in Trevor’s garden getting covered in moss and filling up with water. In February 2006 Trevor decided he wanted to take his Midget on the Regency Run 12 weeks later and so began a second restoration which required draining out all the water, replacing the bonnet / hood and a new differential.

MG Midget 1500, Essex

The interior had to be completely stripped out all the interior trim, panels, and both seats were cleaned by Suzanne while the car had second bare metal respray in a slightly lighter shade of green. At 6:30 on the morning of the Regency Run from Brooklands to Brighton his car was ready and Trevor completed the run as seen in the photo below.

MG Midget 1500, Regency Run Brighton

In 2010 Treveor changed the gearbox and revamped the motor which can be seen in revamped condition in the second photo above.

MG Midget 1500, International Midget 50, Burghley House

In June 2011 Trevor took his Midget to the International Midget 50 celebration at Burghley House where it weather was so bad he spent almost the entire day inside Burghley House. As Trevor was about to leave a steward flagged him down and asked Trevor to make himself known at the event organisers marquee.

MG Midget 1500, Regency Run, Epsom

When he did so Trevor was surprised to learn his car had not only been voted best in class but also having attracted more votes than each of the 800 other cars put together easily won the best car of the event.

My thanks to Suzanne Fogg and Trevor Kirk of TJK Repairs UNIT 3A, TANK HILL ROAD, PURFLEET, ESSEX, RM19 1SX for sharing the story and photo’s of Trevor’s Midget, TJK Repairs offer customers car and light commercial servicing alongside MOT testing services and can be contacted on 01708 861810.

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

Designed By Fura Built By Fissore – Monteverdi High Speed 375L

1 Reply

At the end of the 1960’s and beginning of the 1970’s there was no shortage of choice in the Luxury 2+2 automobile market segment from the UK alone came the Chrysler powered Bristol 411, for the traditionalist, the similarly powered Jensen Interceptor for the futurist and the Aston Martin DBS for the international man of mystery.

Contemporary to the desirable vehicles mentioned above was the Monteverdi High Speed 375L a 2+2 Coupé designed originally by Fura who built two examples before an acrimonious split left Monteverdi taking his business to Fissori.

Fissori redesigned coupé and delivered complete bodies to Monteverdi in Basel in Switzerland for final assembly.

Power for the Monteverdi High Speed 375L was provided by a 375hp 7120cc / 440 cui Chrsyler Magnum similar to those being used for the Britol 411 and the Jensen Interceptor.

Peter Monteverdi designed his first car, a special, when he was just sixteen and had it ready to roll in time for his eighteenth birthday when he was allowed to drive it.

There were three versions of the 375, 375L like the coupé seen here, 375 S a short wheel base 2 seater and 375 C a short wheelbase drop head also known as the “Palm Beach”.

Around 30 375 4 door saloon / sedans were also built.

The 375 L was continuously upgraded from 1967 to 1976 when Monteverdi stopped making luxury cars and started making “boutique” using proprietary motors and chassis around which to build his creations. The vehicle seen here at last years Auto Italia at Brooklands was built in 1972.

Thanks for joining me on this “Designed By Fura Built By Fissore” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Parts Bin Racer – MG Q-Type Replica

Leave a Reply

One of the cars that attracted my attention at the very first Avenue Drivers Club meeting I attended in April last year was today’s featured MG. I had no idea which model it was and it took me until this January to finally catch up with the owner who kindly told me that “it’s a replica, look up Q-type”.

MG Q Type Replica, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

It turns out that in 1934 MG produced 8 or 9 Q-Type racing cars.

MG Q Type Replica, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The chassis were based on that of the MG K3 frame but narrower.

MG Q Type Replica, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

While the standard 113 hp overhead cam supercharged motors used MG PA blocks with crankshafts that reduced the swept volume of the cylinders to 746cc / 45.5 cui. A 149 hp sprint version of the motor was also available that had the highest specific out put per litre (just under 200 hp) in the world at that time.

MG Q Type Replica, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Rigid MG N-Type axles, which had some difficulty coping with the power, were fitted to the Q-types.

MG Q Type Replica, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

In single seater form George Harvey-Nobel lapped Brooklands at 122 mph in his Q-Type while a two seater achieved 120 mph on the same circuit.

MG Q Type Replica, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The replica Q-Type seen here uses a 1936 chassis and a more recent engine, it was originally intended that the owners wife should race the car but it took a little longer to complete than anticipated.

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

Series E Tourer – Hupmobile Eight Tourer

Leave a Reply

By 1925 Hupmobile was ready to ditch it’s Model R which had been in production since 1917 and move up market with the Series E.