Tag Archives: Lanfranchi

Down The Hatch – Healey Silverstone #D 6

In 1948 the British Government, desperately short of funds in the wake of the Second World War decided to increase the purchase tax on luxury vehicles costing more than £1,000 from 33.33% to 66.66% a move that was disastrous for small luxury vehicle manufactures like Healey.

However just as necessity is the mother of invention, Donald Healey saw the new tax as an opportunity to build a vehicle for less than £1,000 using the latest version of the chassis seen and Riley engines as used to built the Westland, Elliot, Sportsmobile and Duncan models.

Healey Silverstone, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Len Hodges was responsible for the paired down body with head lights mounted behind the radiator grill and for which the spare tyre, mounted horizontally at the back of the car acted as a rear bumper.

Weighing only 2,100 pounds / 952 kgs the 104hp Silverstone’s power to weight ratio gave a rest to 60 mph time of 11 seconds and top speed of 110 mph.

Healey Silverstone, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Notable early successes for the Silverstone in competition included Donald Healey with Ian Appleyard navigating, winning the 1949 Alpine Rally in a Silverstone as did Edgar Wadsworth and Cyril Corbishley in 1951 in the same year Peter Riley and Bill Lamb drove another Silverstone to victory in Liège-Rome-Liège Rally.

51 D Type Silverstones were built between 1949 and 1950 when an updated “E Type” Silverstone with a wider body was introduced.

Healey Silverstone, Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset

Today’s featured Healey Silverstone #D6 was owned by Carlo Castelbarco in 1950, Carlo with F Mosters at the wheel finished the 1950 Mille Miglia in 38th place.

In 1952 R Nabun drove #D6 on the Scottish Rally and according to the Healey Silverstone Register #D6 was the first car to be raced by Tony Lanfranchi, at Brands Hatch on Boxing Day 1957, who after narrowly avoiding becoming a full time Formula One driver in the 1960’s became a very well known championship winning club driver in the 1970’s and 1980’s who raced a diverse range of vehicles from a Muskovich to the famous National Organs Plymouth Barracuda.

Some of Tony’s exploits on the track and in the bar afterwards can be read in his eminently collectible biography “Down The Hatch”, written with Mark Kahn.

Before being acquired by the Haynes International Motor Museum, where the car is seen in these photographs, #D 6 belonged to Danish music producer Flemming Rasmussen, who collaborated with Rainbow, Metallica, Morbid Angel and Blind Guardian among many others, and the car still carries the same paint and decals as when Flemming drove the car on the 1987 retrospective Mille Miglia.

Thanks for joining me on this “Down The Hatch” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for another visit to the Haynes International Motor Museum for Mercedes Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Shiny Sundance Yellow For Sale – Hillman 998 Rally Imp

In 1964 allegedly unknown to the management of the Rootes Group Rootes Group competition manager Des O’Dell homologated a competition version of the Hillman Imp known as the Rally Imp by braking into the factory every Sunday.

Des then replaced the pistons and cylinder linings on 20 motors so that on the following Monday 20 Imps would be fitted with 998cc / 61 cui motors instead of the regular 875 cc / 60 cui motors.

Hillman Rally Imp,

Once sufficient numbers had been built Des submitted his list of modified cars to the sporting authorities who accepted that the larger engines had been built in sufficient numbers to be considered legible for competition.

Imps were subsequently used for track racing on behalf of Rootes by Alan Fraser racing who entered their cars for Rootes Mechanic Bernard Unett, Ray Calcutt, Nick Brittan and Tony Lanfranchi in a successful campaigns in 1966 and 1967 against numerous Mini’s.

Hillman Rally Imp,

In Rally events works Imps were regular class winners in the hands of numerous drivers including Rosemary Smith who along with Valerie Domleo scored the Imps biggest rally victory an outright win on the Tulip Rally in the Netherlands in April 1965.

The Imp also helped Rootes secure the team prize on the 1965 and ’66 RAC Rally in the UK.

Hillman Rally Imp,

A couple of weeks ago I spent the day marshalling with Ian Fisher of the Craven Motor Club at the Craven Hullavington Sprint.

During the day Ian told me that until this event Craven has primarily been a club for Rally enthusiasts and that his start in motorsport in the 1960’s had been with a Hillman Imp and that he had converted a second hand automatic transmission Rover SD1 to a manual Group A competition spec for Rallying in the UK, Belgium and Ireland during the 1980’s.

Hillman Rally Imp,

While we were talking Ian also mentioned that he had today’s featured Historic 998cc / 61 cui Rally Imp for sale and so I naturally asked him to send me these photographs and volunteered to write a blog about it.

This 1966 Sundance Yellow Imp was built up on a low mileage Imp Sport shell in 2011 and has HRVIF papers for historic rallying and the steel boot, bonnet and front bumper necessary for acquiring FIA papers if needed.

Hillman Rally Imp,

Safety equipment includes a full cage, plumbed in and hand held fire extinguishers and five point harness harnesses valid until 2015.

As seen here to keep the weight down the car has fibreglass bonnet and boot lids with the rear side and rear windows in perspex.

Hillman Rally Imp,

The Chesman 998 cc / 61 cui motor is fitted with twin carburetors, stainless steel manifold, big valve head and competition cam and clutch for the strengthened Dave Weedon close ratio transaxle that has raised first and lowered 3rd and 4th gear ratio’s.

Suspension with Koni shock absorbers front and rear is described as ‘almost like new’ the Vauxhall Viva brake discs are fitted with Mintex pads and the car comes with six Minilite lookalike wheels fitted with Kumho tyres.

If you would are interested in buying this car, all the usual disclaimers apply, please send a personal message to the facebook account linked to this site with your contact details and I will gladly forward them to Ian.

Thanks for joining me on this “Shiny Sundance Yellow For Sale” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at a Cooper Formula One car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Forty Inches Tall But Not A Ford – Elva GT 160 #70/GT/3

For 1964 a plan was hatched for Elva to build 100 2 litre / 122 cui GT cars capable of 160 mph, after the unexpected death of David Ogle, who had originally intended to design the car, Trevor Fiore was commissioned to design the bodywork which ended up with a roof line just 40 inches off the ground much like the Ford GT40 announced the same year.

Elva GT160, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

The two GT 160’s displayed at the London Racing Car Show and Turin Motor show caused a sensation, but even before either car had turned a wheel in anger there were many problems, the GT 160 did not have sufficient ground clearance to meet the regulations and the cars were well over the targeted weight of 600 kgs.

Elva GT160, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Additionally the aluminium bodies manufactured by Fissore in Italy attracted an unexpected 15% tax railing the cost of manufacture and sales price, furthermore Elva was in the process of being swallowed up by Trojan who at the same time were doing a deal with Bruce McLaren to manufacture McLaren sports racing cars for customers.

Elva GT160, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

So the GT 160 was eventually shelved after just three cars had been completed, all of which still exist today, two them being seen in historic racing circles including what I believe to be the third and final BMW powered chassis featured today which was seen at Race Retro a couple of years ago.

Elva GT160, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

In 1965 Sir Richard Wrottesley raced the first GT 160 chassis as a prototype at the Le Mans test weekend, the Nurburgring 1000 kms and Le Mans 24 hours.

Elva GT160, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Sir Richard recorded the cars only finish, 17th place, in the Le Mans test and though the car was not a strong competitor against its intended Porsche 904 and ALFA Romeo TZ rivals in the GT class it did record a top speed of 165 mph on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans.

Thanks for joining me on this “Forty Inches High But Not A Ford” 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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Perfect Car For A Wedding #7 – Ford Escort Mexico

Today’s Ford Escort is has a multipurpose history going back to 1973 when it was built along with 19 others for Motor Circuit Developments (MCD) to take part in an ad hock celebrity series of races.

Ford Escort Mexico, Oulton Park, Gold Cup

The Ford Escort Mexico was a not so limited edition special built to celebrate the success of Hannu Mikkola driving FEV 1H, which I looked at last week, and his team mates in the 1970 Daily Mirror World Cup Rally that covered 16,000 miles in 25 days.

Ford Escort Mexico, Oulton Park, Gold Cup

Built at Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) plant in Aveley Mexico’s came with a strengthened competition spec unitary body shell known as the type 49, by all accounts a much copied item these days. The Mexico like FEV 1H was powered by the Kent cross flow motor albeit only the 1600 cc / 97 cui version with an 8 valve head which produced 96 hp.

Ford Escort Mexico, Oulton Park, Gold Cup

Ford of Britain and John Webb of MCD introduced the idea of celebrity racing in 1970 inviting pro’s and celebrities alike to race Ford Capri’s which helped broaden the appeal of motor racing well beyond seasoned anoraks like your truely. When I was first taken to a race meeting at Brands Hatch in 1973 Ford were promoting the 3 litre / 183 cui Ford Consul GT executive saloon in celebrity races, round the world yachtsman Chay Blyth winning on that occasion.

Ford Escort Mexico, Oulton Park, Gold Cup

For the 1974 season a batch of 20 Celebrity Escort Mexico’s, all registered in 1973 was upgraded at AVO to racing spec with a safety cage, three point harnesses on both front seats, battery cut off switch, fire proof rear bulkhead with the only concessions to performance being uprated Bilstein dampers and RS 4 spoke alloy wheels.

Ford Escort Mexico, Oulton Park, Gold Cup

This particular Celebrity car is known to have been driven to a win by Radio and Television presenter Noel Edmonds. Lella Lombardi, Tony Lanfranchi, Patrick Neve and Richard Lloyd also drove XNO272L through the course of the 1974/1975 seasons.

Ford Escort Mexico, Oulton Park, Gold Cup

After it’s celebrity racing career was over MCD director John Webb took the car over and used it until the early 1980’s, even used it on his wedding day. For a period during the 1980’s this car was kept in storage until it was dusted off and put on display. John sold the car in 1990 and the current owner acquired it in 1992 since when he has used it on classic car tours, holidays with an occasional sprint and hillclimb thrown in for good measure.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Perfect Car For A Wedding #7’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be marking the 500th edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ with a look at a Kurtis. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS Just noticed that according to the WordPress Post Counter this is my 500th blog. I’d like to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to, followed and especially recommended what has become the GALPOT journey of discovery.

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