Tag Archives: Nissan

Ashes To Ashes – Audi Quattro

I have to confess I have not watched a whole episode the British Broadcasting Corporations (BBC) science fiction police drama ‘Ashes to Ashes’ which ran from 2008 to 2010, I never seemed to be at the right place at the right time, but I have enjoyed some of the trailers which feature a bright red early version of the Audi Quattro.

According to official records the registration JLY751V as seen on the Ashes to Ashes Quattro actually belongs to a 1979 Nissan New Sunny quite the opposite of the 200 hp performance beast seen here at Sherborne Castle last year which is a slightly later version of the car seen in the TV series.

The Audi Quattro was launched in 1980 featuring a great rumbling 200 hp five cylinder turbo charged motor and permanent all wheel drive which at the time was a novelty reserved almost exclusively for off road vehicles, however with the strap line “Vorsprung Durch Technick” “Forward Through Technology” Audi almost single handedly, with the aid of a healthy competition program, convinced the public of the benefits of permanent all wheel drive to traction, handling and safety. As DCI Gene Hunt says in this linked trailer for the third and final Ashes to Ashes series “You’ve either got it my friend, or you haven’t.”

I was surprised to learn that only 11,452 Quattro’s were built between 1980 and 1991, but this was the niché model aimed at the performance market that opened up the permanent all wheel drive concept up to a much wider public. I’ll leave you with a link to a funny clip that shows the Ashes to Ashes Quattro in action with a sound track taken from a 1980 edition of Top Gear soon after the car was launched which starts at 30 seconds in.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ashes to Ashes” 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 Sunlight Textile Services – Pegasus Sprint

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Last Saturday I had another 6am start, but this time not to go and spectate at an event but to act as a marshall for the The Sunlight Textile Services Pegasus Sprint run by the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club. Despite a healthy breakfast which included melon, tangerine, kiwi and a banana by the time I got through signing on I was ready to wolf down a traditional Full English Heart Attack in the Castle Combe Canteen. Even with long johns double layer trousers, three fleeces and a coat I was going to get cold under the cloudless skies with temperatures peaking at 8 degress C but with the wind chill factor making it feel like 9 below zero.

In between my second breakfast and the marshalls briefing I managed to snap Jack Taylors 1954 Lotus MG Mk VI this car is chassis #6-18 in theory the 24th Lotus ever built, it’s powered by an MG XPAG motor and appears to have a one off body, quite possibly by Williams and Pritchard though I have yet to confirm that.

Wondering around the pits during the half hour lunch break I managed to take a few more photo’s including John Marshall’s Lotus Mk VI, followers of my blogs at the much missed Rowdy.com, and I know there are one or two of you, will remember me originally mis recognising this car as a Lotus 7. Many mis recognitions since I have found out it was also originally supplied with an MG motor and gearbox which has since been swapped for a Ford 100E motor and Triumph gearbox. In John’s hands this car has won at least 54 trophy’s most no bigger than egg cups.

Perhaps the most extraordinary car and for my money cor of the day was Jeremy Hawkes 1933 MG K3, built as on offset single seater to compete at Brooklands where like the 24 litre “Napier Railton” it holds a record in perpetuity, for vehicles up 1100 cc / 67.126 cui having recorded laps in excess of 120 mph.

Anthony Smith brought his 1937 MG TA along to compete in the production road going A2 class.

This was only the second occasion on which I have ever seen a contemporary MG A Coupé this one was driven by Martin Wollacot in Class A2.

Regular readers might recognise this Bristol 403, which was not competing from the first Coffee Croissant and Cars blog I posted back in April.

SEAT’s León Cupra R (Typ 1M) was voted 7th best hatch back of all time in a poll conducted by Autocar in 2010, four years after production had switched to the newer Typ 1P. This 2004 Tdi Cupra R shows signs of how tricky the conditions were forcing the brothers who competed with it to go home after the practice sessions were completed to repair the damage which was incurred some where between Avon Rise and Quarry Corner during the second practice runs.

Richard Girling was running his 1st generation 2009 all wheel drive Nissan GTR R35 in the most powerful A4 road going series production class, his car left the factory with 478 hp and a conservative 193 mph capability matched by a rest to 60 mph of 3.2 seconds. Needless to say the car looked quick on the track.

Micheal Kason was running his 2 litre / 122 cui FIAT X1/9 in the modified limited prodiction class C3, notice it sits on slick tyres which would not have been easy to heat up in the prevailing conditions.

Running in the largest C4 modified production class were Andrew Fraser and Tim Painter in this 2004 Porsche (996) 911 GT3. This car is for sale at £37,500, if you would like Andrew and Tim’s phone numbers send me an e-mail and I’ll gladly forward the details, usual disclaimers apply.

Last runners of the day were David Hardcastle and Simon Allaby who were competing in the Revington TR / TR Register Sprint & Hillclimb Championship.

I did not manage to get many photographs of the on track action but while taking a break from marshaling duties I did get a photo of Ian Hall’s 5.2 litre / Darrian T98 GTR which set fastest time of the day by nearly ten seconds.

Thanks to a combination of few too many thrills and spills with short hours of sunlight competitors only got one timed run in before the event started to get too far behind schedule for everyone to get a second time in. Out at Tower we were great full for the hour or so this spared us standing in the delightful sunshine but freezing wind.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Sunlight Textile Services – Pegasus Sprint” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Coffee, Croissant & Cars #5 – Avenue Drivers Club

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Last Sunday I was due to take part in a production trial however for the second time this season heavy rain the week before saw the event canceled so I trundled down the hill to Queen Square in Bristol on Sunday for a morning of Coffee, Croissant & Cars, well actually Rooisbos Tea, Lemon Cake and Cars but I’m sure you’ll forgive the truth getting in the way of a good headline.

Adding to the collection of vehicle manufacturers I have never heard of before, above is a Robin Hood S7, a kit car made, quelle surprise, in Nottingham, unlike the Caterham 7 the Robin Hood uses a steel monocoque chassis in place of the space frame chassis of it’s better known competitor.

Nissan’s 100NX is a small sports orientated vehicle alongside the 200SX and larger 300ZX that was built from 1991 to 1996. The Targa top is a factory option unlike the wild body panels on the front and sides.

A law student friend of mine had a Triumph Stag back in the early 1980’s and he used to take great delight in filling it with five people and going into town for a wild night out on the tiles in it. Regrettably it was in nowhere near as good condition as this example built in 1971.

Easily the most fun car I have ever driven is Citroen’s 2CV this one dates from 1989 just over a year before production came to an end after 42 years.

In 1992 Marcos abandoned the kit car market in favour of manufacturing complete vehicles like the Mantara, this 1996 model is powered by a 3.9 litre / 240.7 cui all aluminium Rover V8 that dates back to Buick in 1960.

This 1961 Series II Wolseley 1500 share it’s chassis and running gear with the Morris Minor but shares its body with the Riley 1.5.

This 1956 Jensen 541 is powered by a 125 hp Austin Sheerline six cylinder limousine motor enough to give glass fibre the four seater a 120 mph plus performance.

The sort of car one might have expected to see taking part in Production car trials in 1938 is this Austin Seven, probably nearly as much driving one of these as a 2CV judging by the smile on the drivers face.

The BMW M3 was primarily devised as a production car on which to base racing versions to run against the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and Mercedes 190 2.3-16V. It had 12 body panels that differed to the stand 3 series E30 body shell including the high boot / trunk lid and spoiler. This completely original 1987 example looks like is a sure Concours d’Elegance winner.

Launched in 1967 with an 88 hp Ford Kent motor the glass fibre bodied TVR Vixen easily out performed mass produced sports cars like the large engined MGB GT, the example above is a 1969 Vixen S2.

The Austin 1800 was voted Car of the Year in 1965 when it was launched, it’s odd dimensions are the result of it having a transverse mounted motor and front wheel drive. Over the years it was steadily improved the car above appears to be a 1973 Series 3 version.

Finally just as the morning came to a close a couple of US 8 foot beds that never have to be made turned up including this 1971 fifth Generation Ford F100 which comes with a 5.9 litre / 359 cui V8 motor.

Thanks for joining me on this “Coffee, Croissant & Cars #5” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a little pick up. Don’t forget to come back now !

Coffee, Croissant & Cars – Avenue Drivers Club

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Last Sunday I went to my third meeting with the Avenue Drivers Club meeting which took place just a stones throw from GALPOT Towers in Queens Square.

While I have heard of and seen a few Soviet Built UAZ’s in my travels to foreign climbs but this is the first one I have dared to see up close let alone photograph. I am not sure of it’s age but I am guessing it was originally supplied for military service which would make the model either a UAZ 469 or more likely a post 1985 UAZ 31512, these vehicles had a great reputation for reliability until first the factory started using cheaper materials for construction and then counterfeit spare parts flooded the market.

Among the many vintage vehicles present was this ‘long rad’ 1935 Model Y Ford one of around 1300 survivors of the of 170,000 built between 1933 and 1937.

Present at many of the show’s and meetings I have been to this summer has been this 1991 Nissan Figaro a retro styled vehicle that takes it’s design queue’s from the seven iterations of the Datsun Sports / Fairlady roadsters produced between 1959 and 1970.

Looking tres cool on it’s non factory alloy wheels was this 1957 Chevrolet Corvette C1, the interior if which was as immaculate as the exterior.

Vauxhall 30/90, Avenue Drivers Club, Bristol

Car of the day for me was this 1922 Vauxhall 30/90 a work in progress that was repatriated from a former British Colony in the 1970’s. Where as in Britain such vehicles exterior panels will have corroded away in the former colony, where this car spent the first fifty years of it’s life, the metal work remained in good shape but the extensive original wooden body frame had been completely munched away by termites !

This 1963 Trojan 200 three wheeler complete with single door opening forwards from the front and a soft top was built under licence from the German aircraft manufacturer Heinkel. Trojan went on to become a manufacturer of many racing cars including under licence several Mclarens models powered by Chevrolet V8’s for both Can Am and Formula 5000 and a one off Formula One car.

The 1974 Vauxhall Victor above was being offered for sale for £1,000 if your interested I have the phone number, usual disclaimers apply.

Close second in my favorite cars of the day was this Sunbeam Pick Up which started life as a 1929 Sunbeam 20/9. The vintage cars alone have made my outings to the Avenue Drivers Clubs meetings on the second Sunday of every month more than worth the effort.

Gracie above is a 1972 SAAB 96V4 which had less than 10,000 miles on the clock in 2006 due to the original owners putting it in storage two years after they bought after giving up driving. The car was found in a wooden garage 25 years later and underwent a thorough restoration of it’s mechanical parts which had deteriorated through lack of use.

Not sure at the time of writing weather the 3 litre / 183 cui twin cam powered 1927 Sunbeam 2 seater is a 20 hp or 35 hp model but it looks and sounds very purposeful with its tail faired in like the hull of a boat.

Personifying the gentrification of Bristol’s Queens Square was this elegant 1958 Jaguar MkIII, the car is powered by the same 190 hp motor as used in the Jaguar XK140 launched two years earlier.

Finally I had a long chat with Rich who owns the 1963 Volvo 121 above and his friend Matt, turns out they spotted this left hooker on the internet and then went to Sweden to go and get it. Their journey back through Germany was enlivened by a perished connection between the steering shafts. Rich has all the original documentation for his pride and joy and reckons it has covered over 300,000 kilometers about 240,000 miles.

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

Jubilee Bangers & Smash – Aldershot Raceway

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One of the stranger things I have found out over the last couple of years is that right next to the Ceasers Camp Army Training grounds just outside Aldershot where for three or four years I used to regularly go Mountain Biking there is a small 350 metre oval racing circuit.

Ever since I went to the Rare Breeds show at the Haynes International Motor Museum last year, I have been keeping an eye open for an opportunity to see some Heritage Stock Car (UK Style) action and with an event for 7.5 Tonne Trucks on the same bill I could not resist returning to the home of the British Army for the first time in twenty years for my first visit to Aldershot Raceway last Sunday.

I got there just in time to catch the second event of the day the Junior Rods heat which was won by Eric Walker in the #5 Vauxhall Nova above.

Next up were the 7.5 Tonne ‘Racing’ Trucks, entries were a little thin in fact there were only three of them but they provided a fair amount of entertainment, The Team Sheep FIAT Eurocargo of Billy Wood seen leading here was having a lot of difficulty moving under it’s own steam and was pushed by the ever helpful #614 Ford for much of the ‘race’ while the yellow #800 Ford Low Loader of Tony Rudge took a comfortable win.

There was a full grid for the banger race which was packed full of understeering (push) action as represented above by the #829 Nissan, #296 Team Shep Saab of Paul Shepard and #469 Rover 200 Coupé of Paul Quinnell. The race was won by Danny Lucas in the #706 his coupé of so far undetermined origin.

The Heritage F2 race was a cracker like the Junior Rods not so much contact is involved in this series and the #505 of Mike Whittle sliced through the rain and field from the back of the grid to take a fine win. I must confess I am not at all sure what make or model the body of Mikes #505 is based on but he is seen above having just passed the #722 of Clive Beales which I am guessing is based on an early 1950’s Ford Popular.

With a lap to go of the Junior Rods final it looked like Farnham’s Lacey-May Joyce was going to take the win in her #271 Nova but she left the door open coming out of turn one and that was all Jack Grandon and Eric Walker, in the #207 and #5 Nova’s respectively needed to demote her to third. Jack managed to hang on for the rest of the final lap to take the win from Eric and Lacey-May.

The bangers final proved to be another wild race for all competitors, it’s amazing just how much damage and punishment a car can take and still keep rolling, amazingly none of the wheels from the seriously tortured axles of these vehicles ever seems to become detached despite the cambers and castors being well beyond the manufacturers would have recognised when these vehicles first left their respective factories. Above the #567 Mazda get pushed into a spin that ended going back wards into the wall trapping the #390 Ford Escort of Michel Turner and the #358 Escort with the #258 Honda of Ashley Wallace joining in the fun. The ‘race’ was won by Danny Lucas who’s undetermined coupé somehow got through both Bangers races relatively unscathed.

The Heritage F2 Final was another barnstormer with the result uncertain until after the final corner of the final lap as seen above. Andy Webb, in the #274 Ford Popular, followed by team mate Andy Bateman, hidden from view, managed to pass the wrapped from neck to toe in plastic #869 of Mike Walmsley while lapping the #773 Austin A40 Farina of Nick Whitney and #722 of Clive Beales.

The final event of the day was the 7.5 Tonne demolition derby which started with the #355 FIAT Eurocargo of Billy Wood being pushed into the ring by the #614 Ford such was Billy’s difficulty selecting any forward or even reverse gear. Much comedy ensued as the Union Jack bedecked Tony Rudge ran rings around his opposition until becoming beached on some tyres after a helpful nudge from the #614 Ford. The FIAT was first out and after some receiving some help getting free Tony set about reducing the #614 to pulp, once it’s batteries had become dislodged the #614 had no power left to defend itself from the patriotically decorated all conquering Ford low loader and Tony was duly declared the winner. As we left the track we were promised a bigger 7.5 Tonne Truck grid for next year. I can’t wait !

If you can fill in any details about the unidentified vehicles and or drivers please chime in below, your comments will be most welcome.

Thanks for joining me on this “Jubilee Bangers & Smash edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me tomorrow for some Jubilee Weekend circuit racing action from Castle Combe. Don’t forget to come back now !

Bella Bella – Auto Italia Brooklands

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Last Saturday I was privileged to find my self at Brooklands for the Auto Italia Italian Car Day where a substantial group of enthusiasts gathered to celebrate all things Italian except perhaps the weather and the food.

Focused under the new Chairmanship of former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Europe General Sir Jeremy Mackenzie, GCB, OBE, DL, AC Cars launched the AC Zagato 378 GT at Geneva in March with plans to build the car in factory where Noble cars used to be built and for them to be sold initially in Europe. After the 1950’s AC Ace Bristol Zagato and 1960’s AC Fura the 434 hp Chevy powered 378 GT, seen above, becomes AC’s third collaboration with Zagato.

Despite having first been seen in Frankfurt a decade ago the ALFA Romeo 8C Competizione looks as fresh to day as it did then, this is only the second of the 500 Coupés built I have ever seen.

I featured a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso a couple weeks ago seeing one in red on Saturday convinced me this is the colour to go for.

There were many interesting FIAT’s on display the first of two to really grab my attention was this FIAT 128 Rallye, my first very first car was a slightly lesser FIAT 128 1100.

The second FIAT to really grab my attention was this FIAT Coupé Pickup, which the lads sitting in the back had spent all week converting just in time for the show ! While not the absolute fastest Pickup on the planet the 20V Turbo motor powering it should easily make this a 150 mph vehicle.

Smoking it’s tyres, courtesy of it’s Chevy V8, all the way to the 1 in 4 gradient of the famous Brooklands Hill was this 1960’s Bertone designed Iso Rivolta IR 300. First time I recall seeing such a car.

Cool as cucumber I’d never seen a Lamborghini Jarama S before either given that only 152 of them had ever been built perhaps this was not surprising, what was surprising is that the covers that partially conceal the headlights do not pop up but fold down to reveal the head lights when required, the proud owner has just finished fixing the electric motors that make this possible.

During the course of the morning many of the cars present were driven at a moderate pace for demonstration laps on the adjacent Mercedes Benz world test track which was lined four or more deep along the accessible half of the circuit. Above a 40 year old Lancia Beta is put through it’s paces.

A ‘you could have knocked me down with a feather’ moment came when I saw the badge on this 50cc mottoette, Maserati who the expletive puts Maserati badges on the petrol / gas tank of a moped I asked myself, Wiki informs me that the heir to part of the Orsi family fortune Ida Orsi who inherited the electrical components manufacturing division of Fabbrica Candele Accumulatori Maserati S.p.A. and promptly bought the Italmoto company of Bologna and moved it lock stock and barrel and began manufacturing motorcylces in 1956 the company which sold it’s motorcycles with the Maserati brand name and trident trade mark developed a 50 cc / 3 cui range of mopeds which included one aimed at the male market another at the female market and a third like the 1959 50/T2/SS seen above for sports enthusiasts. These 2.3 hp trident branded novelties sell for UK £ 5,000 at auction.

Above is probably only the second Montiverdi I have ever seen this 1972 High Speed 375L is powered by a 7.2 litre 440 cui 400 hp Chrysler Magnum motor much like the contemporary Jenson Interceptor and Bristol 412. The 375L was originally designed and the body manufactured by Fura but after a dispute in 1969 design and production of the bodies moved to Carozzeria Fissore in Italy with the chassis construction and final assembly taking place in Basel, Switzerland.

I’d never heard of a Nissan Zagato Autech Stelvio much less the Nissan F31 Leopard upon which it is based, power comes from a twin turbo V6 which was found in the ZX300, this hand made car, the bulges in the bonnet / hood house the rear view mirrors. By all accounts 200 of these ¥ 18,000,000 (Japanese ¥en Eighteen Million) / £ 139,0000 / US$ 225,000 machines were built in 1989.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Bella Bella’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow, when I’ll be reviewing last Sundays racing at Castle Combe. Don’t forget to come back now !

Blingin’, Slamin’, Surfin’ ‘n’ Driftin’ – Spring Performance Car Action Day Castle Combe

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A week ago on Saturday immediately after the Bristol Italian Auto Moto Festival I proceeded to Castle Combe thanks to David Roots who gave me a couple of tickets to go to the Performance Car Action Day.

On arrival aft Castle Combe I couldn’t help but notice a lot of bling on an otherwise cold and rainy day dry and shiny metal work stands out like a sore thumb as can be seen from the Mitsubishi Evo above.

Slammers, car with lowered suspension like the 1989 Volkswagen Golf Driver above were picking their way carefully through the mud,

while the surfers had to be the only ones dreaming of a wetter environment than that experienced at Castle Combe last weekend. Note the F, denoting France on the European Union Style number plate, on the 2005 Peugeot 206 GTi above, an odd choice for a car registered in, and that may well have been at Ryton, in the United Kingdom.

I have kept an open mind on drifting, never having seen it in person before last Saturday, until then I had the feeling drifting was akin to sheer hooliganism but with some entertainment value. Saturdays demonstrations of varying degrees of skill included a hand full of cars like the Nissan Skylines above running the wrong way round part of the Castle Combe track. With temperatures barely above freezing the entertainment value of the drifting demonstration was significantly diminished by the absence of smoking tyres which are usually associated with the ‘sport’.

Further delights to be found in the car included vehicles of antipodean GM descent inclding this 2004 HSV Maloo.

Back in the day when I worked in the motor trade I used to delight in taking on near worthless cars and seeing how far I could drive them. My best effort was to drive 10,000 miles in a £50 Volvo, the legend on the door of this 1993 Vauxhall Carlton Club Estate asks “How far can a £250 car take you ?” and points readers in the direction www.streetsafari.com worth a visit if you have ever had an inkling to take part in a banger rally. Something I have filled away in my to do before I die list.

The 1991 Mazda MX5 Le Mans Special above celebrates what was probably the nosiest victory, certainly the noisiest I have ever witnessed, at Le Mans in 1991 by the Wankel rotary powered Mazda 787B driven by Volker Weidler, Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot.

Sadly there were not many in need of engines needing their engines cooled down last Sunday but this Cars themed 1993 Ford Transit D 100 SWB ice cream van was a nice touch.

Among the 111 cars clubs present at Castle Combe was the Ford Cougar Owners Club, several with cars displaying Mercury brand badges as these New Edge styled cars were marketed in the USA. Was it really 14 years ago that Denis Hopper appeared in the Cougar television advertisement seems like only yesterday ?

Another club with a large number of members present was Briskoda.net the Bristol based Skoda Forum and Community, could be handy folks to know when I get round to participating in a banger rally if there are any £100 Skoda’s left.

Ampng the predictable masses of Subaru’s one might expect to see at a Performance Car Action Day, this Impreza Sport AWD combo really caught my attention, I wonder how difficult it would be to add drive to the trailer wheels ?

I left the Spring Performance Car Action Day with a head full of ideas as to how I might personalise my recently acquired Golf Estate.

My thanks to David Roots for passing on the tickets so that I could attend the Spring Performance Action Day at Castle Combe.

Thanks for joining me on this “Blingin’, Slamin’ ‘n’ Drifting” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an early monocoque racing car. Don’t forget to come back now !

Gettin' A Li'l Psycho On Tyres

Art Tidesco blogs on all things motoring

Tag Archives: Nissan

Ashes To Ashes – Audi Quattro

The Sunlight Textile Services – Pegasus Sprint

Coffee, Croissant & Cars #5 – Avenue Drivers Club

Coffee, Croissant & Cars – Avenue Drivers Club

Jubilee Bangers & Smash – Aldershot Raceway

Bella Bella – Auto Italia Brooklands

Blingin’, Slamin’, Surfin’ ‘n’ Driftin’ – Spring Performance Car Action Day Castle Combe