Tag Archives: Exeter

Race On Sunday Work On Monday – Ginetta G4 Coupé by DARE

In 1958 brothers Bob, Ivor, Trevers and Douglas Walkett built their first car the Ginetta G1 based on a pre 1939 Wolsey Hornet in 1958, the car never went into production but a range of successive road/race vehicles, both turn key and self builds, gained a reputation for sporting prowess that has continued to this day despite the original company failing after the Walketts retired in 1989.

Ginetta G4 By DARE, Castle Combe

One of the companies most successful models was the race on Sunday work on Monday Ginetta G4 which was launched 1961 powered by a 1 litre / 61 cui motor sourced from the Ford 105E Anglia, of the type recently made famous by the Harry Potter films.

Coote, Ginetta Zetec G4 By DARE, Wiscombe Park

G4 production continued in both Roadster and, from 1963, Coupé forms until 1968. The Series III variant introduced in 1966 featured pop-up headlights, powered by a 1500cc / 90.5 cui motor a G4 was capable of 120 mph.

Ginetta Zetec G4 By DARE, Castle Combe

In 1981 a slightly longer and wider Series VI Ginetta G4 was launched. After the company had been sold in 1989 to Martin Phaff and moved to Scunthorpe it appears that continued demand for the G4 persuaded DARE UK a company based in Colchester Essex to take up production of the G4 in the mid 1990’s.

Ginetta Zetec G4 By DARE, Castle Combe

Today’s featured G4 was built by DARE UK in 2000 and is powered by a 1796cc / 109 cui Ford Zetec engine which will produce a minimum of 165 hp. The car is seen in the paddock at Castle Combe and returning to the paddock at Wiscombe Park with Exeter’s Roger Coote at the wheel.

Thanks for joining me on this “Race On Sunday Work On Monday” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Bristol. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Last On Sunday – Singer 9 Special Speed

At the very first Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1923 Maurice Boutmy and France Jérôme Marcandanti covered 89 laps to finish 18th to become the first 1 litre / 61 cui normally aspirated car to finish the race in an Amilcar CV. Remarkably it was not until 1933 that Singer Competition Manager FS Barnes and Alf Langley were to finish the classic endurance race in a similar sized British built car a Singer 9 Sports which completed 140 laps came 13th and last overall and second in class 21 laps behind a French built Tracta driven by Félix Quinault and Pierre Padrault.

Singer 9 Special Speed, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

The achievement of simply finishing the 1933 Le Mans 24 Hour race at an average speed of 49.4 miles per hour was enough to encourage Singer to build a two seat version of the Singer 9 Sports, nominally the Singer 9 Sports was a 4 seater however the car used at Le Mans had a large fuel tank that occupied the space for the rear seats, called the Singer Le Mans. In 1934 Norman Black and J.R.H. Baker finish fifteenth overall 7th in class in a Singer Le Mans covering 163 laps.

Singer 9 Special Speed, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

The popular Singer Le Mans is not to be confused with either the six cylinder 1 1/2 litre Singer Le Mans, or the four Singer Le Mans Replica’s built in 1939 which were out and out 2 seat racing cars. In 1935 a Special Speed version of the Singer Le Mans was introduced, distinguished by the running boards between the front and rear wings and it is this model that is seen here at last years Summer Classics Meeting at Easter Compton.

Singer 9 Special Speed, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Power for the Singer Super Speed comes from a 38 hp 972 cc / 59 cui 4 cylinder overhead cam motor still running on a two bearing crank as did the Singer 8 I looked at last week.

Singer 9 Special Speed, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

This particular car was delivered in December 1935 to HD Acres who a few weeks later used it to compete on the Exeter Trials in January 1936. Acres car can be seen being helped out of a little difficulty on the Simms test by those very nice men from the Automobile Association on this link.

Singer 9 Special Speed, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

By 1939 this Singer 9 Special Speed had passed into the ownership of RJW Appleton who is known to have driven the car on the Lands End Trial the same year. RJW Appleton was responsible for building the Riley powered Maserati called the Appleton Special which achieved and 1100cc / 67 cui standing mile record of 91.3 mph in 1937.

Singer 9 Special Speed, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

The current owner of today’s featured car acquired it as a large box of ‘bits’ and has spent many years returning it to it’s present condition.

Thanks for joining me on this “Last On Sunday” 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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