Tag Archives: Comet

More Homemade Than Most – Trenberth Vincent

In 1951 Murray Trenberth set out to design and build today’s featured competition car from his premises in South Australia.

Trenberth Vincent, Kerry Horan, VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone

The 35lb frame was built from 3 inch tubes, with a wheel base of 86″ front track 50″ and rear track 49″.

Trenberth Vincent, VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone

The lower front wishbones were made from square tubing while the top were fabricated from sheet metal, Murray also fabricated his own uprights which are connected to the wishbones by rose joints and the tiny one off rack and pinion steering.

Trenberth Vincent, VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone

The rear swing axle suspension was fabricated from tubes and originally suspended by rubber cut from 6″ by 16″ inner tubes, today bands from truck tarpaulin fasteners are used, Murray incorporated roller bearings into his rear hubs, he was also responsible for devising all of the drive components.

Trenberth Vincent, Kerry Horan, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe,

Murray based the braking system on photograph’s of pre war Mercedes Benz Grand Prix cars which includes four specially cast nickle chrome brake drums with alloy wheel centres, cast alloy brake shoes, dural wheel cylinders and stainless steel pistons, he even made the chromed steel copies of Renault wheel rims that bolt to the brake drums.

Trenberth Vincent, VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone

Adelaide Vincent agent, Sven Kallins was given the responsibility of supplying a new 80hp Vincent Black Lightning V twin engine and gearbox for running in the up to 1 litre / 61 cui class and a Vincent Comet engine was upgraded to 35hp competition Series C Grey Flash spec and coupled with a Norton gearbox for the up to 500cc / 30.5 cui class as seen in these photographs.

Trenberth Vincent, VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone

All of this hard work paid off, on his debut in the car Murray recorded fastest time of the day at Collingrove Hillclimb in South Australia and went on to win the South Australian Hillclimb championship, finish second in the Australian Hillclimb championship, record the out right lap record at Port Wakefield Circuit in South Australia, finish fifth in the 1955 Australian Grand Prix, 1st in the 1956 Reno Trophy Altona Circuit, Victoria, among 150 race, sprint and hillclimb wins.

Trenberth Vincent, VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone

In 1960 Australian Speedway Sidecar champion Don Willison bought the Trenberth Vincent and raced her up until his death in 1973, Kerry Horan, seen driving the car in these photographs at Silverstone and Castle Combe, became the Trenberth Vincents sixth owner in 1990.

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Continental Falcon – Mercury Comet Cyclone #4T27K546286

In 1964 Mercury introduced the second generation Mercury Comet which featured a few front and rear end Lincoln Continental styling queues on a body that does not differ greatly from the second generation Ford Falcon also introduced in 1964.

A Cyclone performance package was offered for the Comet which included a 4,736 cc / 289 cui V8 producing 210 hp in 1964, but only 200 hp the following year despite an upgrade to a four barrel carburetor for the latter.

Mercury Comet Cyclone, Silverstone Classic,

Bill Stroppe and partner Clay Smith got started running a manufacturer sanctioned Lincoln / Mercury west coast race shop after impressing Ford’s top brass at the 1947 Henry Ford Memorial Regatta with their Miss Art Hall a Mercury flat head six power boat.

Bill won an SCCA championship with a Mercury powered Kurtis 500S in 1952 and prepared four car teams of Lincoln Capri’s which swept their class on the Carrera Panamerica in 1952 and 1953.

Mercury Comet Cyclone, Silverstone Classic,

After producing police packages for Mercury’s and working with Autolite during the 1957 to 1963 ban on manufacturer involvement in racing Bill Stroppe returned to the tracks with his stock car team who’s drivers included Parnelli Jones, Dave MacDonald and Darel Dieringer that found most of it’s success on the USAC circuit and at Pikes Peak.

Bill also produced a string of successful drag racers for Frank Christman and others and even convinced Parnelli – Jones to extend his career into the 1970’s to drive his successful Baja Bronco off road vehicles.

Mercury Comet Cyclone, Silverstone Classic,

Exactly what Bill Stroppe Racing Associates involvement with Roger Wills ’65 Cyclone historic racer chassis #4T27K546286, seen in these photographs, was is not clear at this time, if you know please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Roger has shared his Comet Cyclone in historic endurance events with 2 time European GT Champion and IMSA GT Champion John Fitzpatrick, 5 times Le Mans winner Emmanuele Pirro and current works Porsche driver and fellow New Zealander Brendon Hartley.

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

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Not A de Havilland – Comet JAP

In 1950 Brian Heyward bought the Rudge powered Aikens 500 Formula 3 car from Wing Commander Frank Aikens, Brian only had the opportunity to drive it twice before he was called up to serve His Majesty King George V in the Royal Air Force for two years in Germany.

During his national service Brian’s father Charles bought a Cooper Mark IV which he already found was far too overweight to be competitive.

Comet, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Upon completion of his National Service Brian and Charles used parts of the Cooper Mk 4 and some, lighter, cast magnesium components off a Cooper Mk VI to build the Cooper Heyward Special more commonly known as the C.H.S..

Brian raced the C.H.S. from 1953 to 1957 and is known to have finished 5th at the wheel of the car in a final at Brands Hatch in December 1954.

Comet, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Brian found employment at de Havilland alongside future Lotus designer Maurice Philipe, future Lotus driver Alan Stacey, the Costin brothers Frank and future Cosworth partner Mike, and Brian Hart who would also make an enviable name for himself in the field of race engine production.

Soon after in 1953 Brian and Charles began construction of their second car, today’s featured Comet, named after the the jet powered de Havilland airliner.

Comet, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

With machining help from fellow 500 F3 racer Don Parker in it’s original form the Comet featured Kieft castings and wishbone suspension at the front, with swing axles and bungee cord springs on the rear.

The Comet was developed up until 1958; receiving a Norton engine in 1955, glass fiber body in 1956 and at some point a rear transverse spring, as had been employed by Cooper since 1946, replaced the bungee cords at the back.

Comet, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Construction of a Comet II was started, but never completed, both Comet’s were sold on in 1964 to Brixham Lifeboat Coxwain Arthur Curnow who entered the Comet for Ivor Churchill to race.

Since then the Comet, seen in these photographs at Race Retro, has been restored twice; by Sandy Skinner who fitted the JAP engine along with a new aluminium body in the early 1980’s and by Neil Hodges for Peter Becker in 2003, today the Comet belongs to and is run by James Gray.

Thanks for joining me on this “Not A de Havilland” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the first of this month’s series of cars that ran in the Indianapolis 500. Don’t forget to come back now !

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SoCal TV Hustler – Ford Falcon

25 years after Edsel Ford allegedly passed on the Falcon name in favour of Mercury, for a new brand in 1935, Ford under the direction of Robert McNamara finally brought the Falcon name into the market for it’s new mid size car range in 1960.

Ford Falcon, Edenbridge Fun Day

The first generation Falcon’s, like the ’62 4 door station wagon seen here at Edenbridge earlier this year, were primarily designed as second cars for families who already had a full size land yacht on the drive and needed a second vehicle for the wife to drive.

Ford Falcon, Edenbridge Fun Day

By 1962 the four door station wagon was available with a Squire options package that included faux wood paneling which gave the car car a quasi woody look.

Ford Falcon, Edenbridge Fun Day

Part of Fords marketing strategy for the Falcon from 1961 to 1965 was to include Charles Schulz peanuts characters Charlie Brown and Lucy in the sales literature for the Falcon models.

Ford Falcon, Edenbridge Fun Day

Look closely again at the number plate holders in the top photo and you’ll see they bear the legend “Encino Ralph Williams”. Ralph Williams was a Southern California TV Car Hustler, a born motor mouth who lived by the ABS moto, ALWAYS BE SELLING. It appears he did not always play his audience with straight dice and he was moved on by local authorities for a variety of violations. I found this linked footage, presumably an out take, of Ralph in action to give you an idea of what colourful legend he was. WARNING DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK IF YOUR EARS ARE EASILY OFFENDED.

Ford Falcon, Edenbridge Fun Day

The first series Falcon’s were also badged as Mercury Comets and in Canada as Ford Frontenacs until 1963 when the second generation Falcons were introduced.

Thanks for joining me on this “SoCal TV Hustler” 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 !

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