Tag Archives: NEC

Next Generation – MG6 GT

The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) dates back to 1958 when Jack Sears won the first contest, then known as the British Saloon Car Championship in an unlikely Austin A105 Westminster. Last year 2 time champion Jason Plato brought his MG6 GT featured here home in third place in the now Chinese owned MG Marque’s return to the Championship.

MG6 GT, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Plato’s team Triple 8 Motorsport which runs under the MG KX Momentum team banner was one of just two teams running with works support the other was the Championship winning Honda Yuasa Racing Team which clinched the top two championship spots with Gordon Shedden snatching the 2012 title from 2011 champion Matt Neal running Civic bodies.

MG6 GT, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

All of the runners in the 2012 BTCC were running with the Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) motor, a turbocharged crate motor that produces around 300 hp, depending on the performance of a particular team this can be increased or decreased by the series organisers TOCA to even out the playing field.

MG6 GT, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The cars all run with standard spec 6 speed sequential gearboxes, racing clutches, front subframe incorporating the the suspension, transmission and motor, rear suspension, turbo inter cooler and aerodynamic aids front and rear.

MG6 GT, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Jason Plato started racing in karts and progressed through Formula Ford, Formula Renault and Formula Three open wheelers before winning the 1996 Renault Spider championship, he then manged to land a drive in the works Renault Touring Car team which was run by Frank Williams, he moved to Vauxhall, run by Triple 8 Motorsport, in 2000 an won his first BTCC title in 2001. Since then he has won more BTCC races than any other driver with stints at SEAT 2004 – 2008 and Chevrolet 2009 to 2011 winning the BTCC title for a second time in 2010.

MG6 GT, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The BTCC series comprises ten weekends racing at different tracks starting at the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit and finishing at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, each meeting comprises three races, qualifying for the first is by timed practice while the top ten finishers are reversed on the grid for the second race and pole for the third is determined from from between 6th and 10th place finishers in the second race by lucky dip with 1st to 5th finishers from the second race going to the back of the grid ! Jason won 6 of the thirty qualifying races last season on his way to third in the championship.

MG6 GT, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

To celebrate their successful return to the BTCC MG recently launched a fully loaded with go faster equipment and graphics MG6 BTCC Special Edition.

For 2013 MG and Honda will be joined by privateers running Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Avensis, BMW 125i, Ford Focus ST, Audi A4, Vauxhall Insignia VXR-R, Volkswagen Passat CC, and Proton Persona bodies. 1st meeting of the season will be at Brands Hatch on the 31st of March.

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

Fully Loaded Rare Breed – Zastava Type 102 / Yugo 65AGLX

Wheels & Ears – Lotus Esprit S2 Type 79

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The pace of innovation and development at Lotus was far too high for organised record keeping to be a strong point and some how the Lotus Type 79 number ended up being given to both the 1978 World Championship winning Formula One car and the otherwise unrelated Lotus Esprit S1 & S2 variations.

The second iteration of the Giugiaro designed Esprit, launched in 1978, featured a wrap around bumper which brought down the aerodynamic measure to Cd 0.355 and improved the handling in cross winds.

The Gotti alloy wheels of the original Elite were replaced by Lotus designed alloy wheels manufactured by Speedline. Inside wider seats were fitted along side new instrumentation and switch gear illuminated by fibre optics, the external rear view mirrors became remotely operated too.

Ears behind the rear 3/4 window were used to feed air into the carburetor on the left and into the engine bay on the right.

The Rover SD1 sourced rear lights now incorporated high intensity fog lamps. 1061 Esprit S2’s were built with the original Type 907 2 litre / 122 cui motor that gave the car a top speed of 124 mph. A further 88 S2.2’s were built with the an identical body, galvanised chassis and Type 912 motors of 2.2 litre / 134 cui with the same 160 hp but much improved torque which made the Esprit much easier to drive around town.

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

Stojadin – Zastava Type 101 / Yugo 511

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Zastava, Serbian for flag according to Google Translator, was a Yugoslavian, now Serbian manufacturer that was born out of a Army Technical Institute founded in 1851 that in turn became a firearms manufacturer in the 1880’s. From 1939 to 1941 the vehicle arm of Vojno-Tehnicki Zavod assembled 400, Chevrolet according to some sources and Ford according to others, trucks before the ’39/’45 war closed operations down. In 1953 the renamed Zavodi Crvena Zastava, Red Flag Institutes 96% of the employees voted to resume vehicle manufacture and 162 Willy’s Jeeps were built. If you know have information pertaining to the first Zastava trucks being Ford or Chevrolet please chime in below.

In 1954 Zavodi Crvena Zastava entered an agreement to assemble FIAT’s under license which led to the production of FIAT 128’s called Zastava 128’s in 1971. In 1972 a hatchback version of the 128 was introduced and it is a 1986 version of the hatch back known as the Type 101 that is featured today.

The front end is indistinguishable from the revamped 1976 FIAT 128, voted 1970 European Car of the Year, minor differences to the bumper and manufacturers badges not withstanding.

Power for todays featured car comes from a 1116 cc / 68 cui with an aluminium cylinder head and overhead cam, originally designed by the legendary Aurelio Lampredi, which produces 55 hp.

The Zastava 101, known colloquially in Serbia as the “Stojadin”, was sold under a variety of names in different markets, these include Yugo 311/313/511/513 and Skala 55 in its most recent 2008 incarnation when production ceased after 1,045,258 of the hatchbacks had been built. Production of the hatch backs was also licensed by the Polish FSO company and sold as the Zastava 1100p.

Like just about every other passenger vehicle built under the communist regieme in the 1970’s and 1980’s some Zastava 101’s were used for competition with a class win on the 1973 Tour d’Europe probably counting as it’s most significant achievement.

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

Hot Rover #3 – MG ZT-T

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Like the MG ZR and MG ZS models the MG ZT was based on a Rover model in this case the Rover 75 and like the smaller ZR and ZS it was launched in 2001 and face lifted in 2004.

The ZT-T is the estate / station wagon version of the ZT and today’s face lifted car is said to have been completed on the 20th of January at 13:19 making it the 11th ZT to be built in 2004.

The cars chassis plate shows this car to have been intended to be biomorphic green however it was finished in shot silk chromescent, like only two other ZT-T models, one of which also has a chassis plate showing the intended colour was biomorphic green.

On 5th April 2004 the car was registered to MG Rovers Press Fleet and was subsequently used by MG Director Dr Chris Millard who had many updates and extras retro fitted to keep the car up to date with all the latest developments barring an electric sunroof.

Shot Silk Chromescent paintwork was part of MG Rovers Monogram Personalisation Programme which offered customers an exclusive opportunity for MG and Rover customers to realise their personality through automotive style.

Power for this car comes from a 129hp Turbo Diesel motor which is connected to a 5 speed automatic transmission which gives a rest to 60 mph time of 11.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 117 mph.

Just over a month after MG Rover called in the receivers in April 2005 ownership of this ZT-T transferred to the Royal Bank of Scotland before being sold on to a salesman.

My thanks to The Rover 75 and MG ZT Owners Club for the details about today’s car which is seen at the The Classic Motor Show held at the NEC, Birmingham a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for joining me on this Hot Rover #3 edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

The Footman James Classic Motor Show – NEC Birmingham

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Thanks to the generosity of Ted Walker I found myself making a trip to the National Exhibition Centre at Birmingham at the weekend for The Footman James Classic Motor Show, billed as ‘The place to share your passion for cars”, today’s blog features a random selection of some of the 1500 motor vehicles that were on display.

On the Daimler SP250 Owners Club stand was this unique 1960 AHC Daimler SP250 was rebodied by King & Taylor so that it could be used for a prototype electro hydraulic operated rigid roof that was patented by Anthony H Croucher in 1964.

After a six year hiatus in car production Lea Francis prepared the Lynx Roadster in 6 months using a chassis which dated back to the 1948 14hp Sports, a Ford Zephyr Mk II 6 cylinder motor with new rack and pinion steering and disc brakes in time for the 1960 Earls Court Motor Show. Seen on the Lea Francis Owners Club stand is the 2nd car of three built, which appeared on the Earls Court stand in this colour but sans motor. No orders for the ‘new’ car were taken and the Company went into receivership in 1963.

Whilst I have never been a motor cycle man I do hope at some time in my life I might get to ride a Triton like this 1959 750 example, on a suitable piece of open track, these café racer specials combine a Norton frame said to be the best handling at the time, with a Triumph twin motor said to be amongst the most reliable at the time.

What do Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari have in common ? These names all appear on agricultural vehicles. Here on the Lamborghini Club UK stand is a 1960 Lamborghini 2241 R.

The Peel P50 was designed to take carry one person and a brief case to work, indeed a 6′ 5″ TV presenter once did exactly that droving through office corridors and driving into a lift to reach his office, in the worlds smallest production car a record it has held since 1962. I am not sure if the one seen here is a replica, one of the new one built since 2011 or one of the 27 known survivors from the original batch of 50 built on the Isle of Man, but it was used earlier this year for a chocolate TV advertisement.

The de Tomaso Guará was the last project brought to fruition by founder Alejandro de Tomaso. Between 1993 and 2004 around 50 are thought to have been built the one seen here on the de Tomaso Drivers Club stand being one of no more than 12 Barchetta’s.

Unfortunately when I was visiting the show was still not open to the public so many of the stands were unmanned so I did not find out anything about this Bubble Top Hot Road on the National Street Rod Association stand. If you know anything about the bubble top please chime in below.

A couple of weeks I made my first ever e-bay bid for a Wartburg 353, albeit for a 1/32 scale slot car racer. Seeing the real thing I regret not being more experienced at the time, the slot car went for just £8.00. This particular model on the Wartburg Trabant IFA Club stand started out life as a taxi in East Germany and has been restored to original colour and condition.

Perhaps the ultimate in bling is this 1931 Cadiallac 355 on the American Auto Club North West stand, according to the description it is covered in 23.5 carat gold leaf, has a mink over carpet, and 7 diamonds in each wheel ! The car spent many years in a German motor museum where it is described as having been the property of the pianist Liberace, who was very popular in Germany, however no one is able to verify the veracity of the claim but on the other hand who else could possibly have anything approaching such chintzy taste in motor vehicles ? If this floats your boat the car was for sale.

Several rare and storied Sunbeam Tigers were on the Sunbeam Tiger Owners Club stand, the one seen here is one of only 10 Right Hand Drive Mk II models built, the first 6 went to police traffic enforcement agencies and four more went to dealers, this one went to the Hatfield Rootes Group dealers W Waters & Sons and remained in the family until 2009.

This 1958 Elva Mk III is usually on view in The Technology Collection at the Bexhill Museum. Bexhill on Sea has a ‘disputed’ claim to being the birth place of British Motor Racing and was home to Elva until the company moved to bigger premises in Hastings where I believe this Mk III would have been built.

This March 75A Formula 5000 has gone through many changes the original ’75 Formula 2 chassis tub was swapped for a ’76 Formula 1 chassis tub in 1977, the engine was originally a 3.4 litre / 207 cui Ford GAA V6 before it got swapped for a 3.0 litre /183 cui Ford DFV V8 and then a 5 litre / 305 cui Repco V8 it has won races driven by yet to be World Champion Alan Jones in ’75, Damien Magee in ’76, Guy Edwards in ’77 and to sprint victories Terry Smith Brighton and on the Isle of Man in ’79 and ’82 respectively. 75A/1 is now fitted with an original spec Ford GAA V6 motor and the March 761 formula 1 chassis tub from it’s second 1977 incarnation.

On the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club stand there were several cut away items on display including this Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II.

This 1987 Ford P100, on The Mk III Cortina Owners Club stand, would originally have carried a Ford Sierra front end but it has been modified to carry older Cortina Mark III wings and bonnet and nose. It is fitted with a Ford Cologne 2.9 litre / 176 cui V6.

Austin’s Allegro replaced the various badge engineered ADO16s in 1973 with its curiously for the time rounded styling and a novelty ‘quartic’ steering wheel that was subject of much period derision. The ‘quartic’ steering wheel was quickly and quietly dropped. In 1975 Series 2 Allegros, like the 1977 HL seen here were introduced. I was recently at a talk given by Mike Nicholson who was a works British Leyland co driver who took part in the 1975 RAC Rally with Pat Ryan and he reckoned reliability issues aside it was not a bad car. The car above seen on the Allegro Club International stand was bought for parts in 2007 and when it was realised the body was still solid it was repaired and sold by the current owner to friend, requiring further repair the current owner bought it back fixed it up and took it on last years Rat Rod Rally2Romania, to find out what happens next you will have to read the Allegro Club International newsletter, Quartic.

On the Ford Sidevalve Owners Club stand I found a manufacturer I have never heard of. Shirleys were built at the Monks Path Garage at Shilrley, Solihull outside Birmingham. Originally these GRP bodies were known as Kenmars. This Mark II with revised nose was purchased as a body believed never to have been fitted to a chassis in 2007, it now sits atop 1949 Ford Anglia chassis and running gear. Production of Shirleys came to a halt in 1962.

Silverstone Classic were represented by this 2012 Volkswagen Type 2 (T2c) production of which will be coming to a halt in Brazil next year.

On the MotorSport Magazine stand I found this Connaught Type A Formula 2 car, I’m not sure of it’s history but it will give me something to work on. If you know the history of this car please chime in below.

Finally on the Classic of the Year stand this Bristol 411 was on display voting is closed and the winner will be announced on November 21st. The Bristol was bought and restored by the present owner in time for him to take it to Amsterdam where he celebrated his 50th Birthday.

My thanks again to Ted Walker of Ferret Photographic for facilitating today’s blog.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Footman James Classic Motor Show” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Wolly Bulli – Volkswagen Type 2 (T2)

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In the Autumn turn of 1982 twenty odd college class mates and I made our way from the Untied Kingdom to Paderborn University for the first half of the third year of our European Business Studies course. I overslept on the train and ended up a hundred kilometers further east than intended in Kassel having missed my stop, but I digress.

Once in Paderborn we soon made friends with our fellow German students some of whom had banded funds together to buy a late bay VW Type 2 (T2b) Kombi seen above, in Germany these vehicles are known locally as “Bulli”. The Type T2 (T2) was first seen in 1967, it was wider and longer than it predecessor the Type 2 (T1) which I looked at last week. The motor was slightly larger starting at 47 hp wich increased to 70 hp by the mid 1970’s, but the real improvements were in low end torque which helped this heavy vehicle keep pace with the rest of the traffic.

Above I can be seen sitting at the wheel of my friends Type 2 wrapped in a blanket in the middle of February as I was about to return from Wolsburg where I had a placement at Volkswagen to Paderborn. To reduce the intake of exhaust fumes, because the heat exchangers were breaking up, the heating pipes were blocked up and the windows were kept open hence the blanket was necessary to keep warm in the well ventilated unheated bus.

Type 2s went through three distinctive body developments from ’67 to ’71 the early bay T2a was characterised by low front indicators and rear light clusters inherited from the Type 2 (T1), from ’71 to the early 1990’s the late bay Type 2 (T2b) is characterised by high front indicators and larger vertical oblong rear light clusters. By the early 1990’s production in Mexico and Brazil moved to the Type 2 (T2c) which has a raised roof and the latest models now built only in Brazil have duel fuel water cooled engines which run on petrol or ethanol.

Chris Maddog Antell’s VW Type 2 camper van seen above at Shalespeare County Raceway is an early bay Type 2 (T2a) with low front indicators and small rounded rear light clusters he runs it with a 2276 cc / 138 cui motor of yet to be determined origin, if you know please do not hesitate to chime in below.

The Type 2 (T2c) as seen above at The Classic Motor Show is still in production in Brazil a couple of years ago they were being manufactured at a rate of 100 a day, some of these vehicles can be seen in Europe where they are often used as camper vans. The latest news courtesy of mariner at The Nostalgia Forum is that Type 2 (T2c) production is planned to come to a halt in Brazil next year.

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

Gettin' A Li'l Psycho On Tyres

Art Tidesco blogs on all things motoring

Tag Archives: NEC

Next Generation – MG6 GT

Fully Loaded Rare Breed – Zastava Type 102 / Yugo 65AGLX

Wheels & Ears – Lotus Esprit S2 Type 79

Stojadin – Zastava Type 101 / Yugo 511

Hot Rover #3 – MG ZT-T

The Footman James Classic Motor Show – NEC Birmingham

Wolly Bulli – Volkswagen Type 2 (T2)