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The Spy Who Loved Me – Wet Nellie

The Spy Who Loved Me is a 1977 action thriller staring Roger Moore as British Agent James Bond alias 007 and Barbra Bach as Anya Amasova, alias Agent Triple X from the KGB, who investigate the disappearance of British and Russian nuclear armed submarines.

Lotus Esprit 007 Wet Nellie

James and Anya find themselves pursuing the reclusive megalomaniac Karl Stromberg played by Curd Jürgens in a film that was shot on location in Egypt, Italy and the Bahamas.

Lotus Esprit 007 Wet Nellie

For this film Q the man with the unenviable of task of supplying toys to help 007 keep an edge on his dastardly rivals kits out a Lotus Esprit Series I, without the ears, with a myriad of gadgets and capabilities that include missiles, cement dispensers and submersible capabilities as required by the plot.

Lotus Esprit 007 Wet Nellie

The submersible Esprit seen in The Spy Who Loved Me was known as Wet Nellie and was built by midget sub specialist Perry Submarines in Florida. It was capable of 15 knots but for some reason the motors were not reversible which made controlling the vehicle somewhat precarious.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Spy Who Loved Me” edition of “Getting’ 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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Hot Rover #3 – MG ZT-T

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.

MG ZT-T, The Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

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.

MG ZT-T, The Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

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.

MG ZT-T, The Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

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.

MG ZT-T, The Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

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.

MG ZT-T, The Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

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.

MG ZT-T, The Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

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 !

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Last Rear Engined Dubs – Volkswagen Type 2 (T3)

The Type 2 (T3) was the last all new rear engined design from Volkswagen who’s reputation had been founded on the rear engined Beetle stretching back to 1945. By 1979 the water cooled Golf was already rewritting Volkswagen history when the Type 2 (T3) with it’s distinctive squared features appeared on the market.

Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), Classics at the Castle, Sherbourne

The Scooby Doo Mystery Machine above belongs to RRElite Ltd and has been kitted out with customised ‘Scooby Doo’ seats for six passengers, flat panel TV screens for the DVD player, state of the art sound system and LED ambient lighting. Of course ‘Scooby Snacks’ can be ordered when hiring this vehicle.

Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), Summer Classics, Easter Compton

German production of the Type 2 (T3) came to a halt in 1992, above is #2494 of the Last Limited Edition of which 2500 were produced in Hannover. This vehicle now boasts a handy 230 hp Subaru flat six motor coupled to a Porsche gearbox and fitted with Porsche brakes to keep it under control.

Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Variations of the Type 2 (T3) include one fitted with a Porsche Carrera motor to support the Porsche 959 Paris Dakar entry, and a water cooled fuel injected alloy six cylinder version which started as a Volkswagen Project but was completed by the German Tuning Firm Oettinger known as the WBX6.

In 1990 production of Type 2 (T3)’s started in South Africa, these were powered by the famous Volkswagen Audi Group fuel injected 5 cylinder Audi motors. The last South African Type 2 (T3) rolled off the assembley line in 2002.

Back in 1992 my then girlfriend and I acquired a 1983 vintage Type 2 (T3) that had served as a builders van and had been fully insulated and paneled inside. We bought it for £950 with one years MOT and tax drove it over 12,000 miles in a year and had so much fun with it we never had time to take a photo and sold it one year later for £1200 with no MOT or Tax and an exhaust that needed repair !

Thanks for joining me on this “Last Rear Engined Dub” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when the blog will be going purple for Americana Thursday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Wolly Bulli – Volkswagen Type 2 (T2)

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.

VW Type 2 (T2) Kombi, Paderborn, Germany

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.

VW Type 2 (T2) Kombi, Paderborn, Germany

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.

Type 2 (T2) Camper, Shakespeare County Raceway

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.

Volkswagen Type 2 (T2c), The Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

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 !

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Multi Formula Open Wheeler – Lotus 69

For the 1970 season Lotus used the catch all Lotus 69 type number for cars designed, by Dave Baldwin, to compete in four different open wheel Formula.

Namely Formula Ford which used prescribed narrow tyres and 95 hp single carburetor Ford Kent 4 cylinder engines, Formula 3 which used heavily modified 1 litre / 61 cui production block 4 cylinder motors in 1970 and modified 1600 cc / 97.6 cui production block motors in 1971, Formula B with 1600cc / 97.6 cui motors tuned somewhere between Formula Ford and Formula 3, and finally Formula 2 which ran with the most powerful 200 plus hp 1600 cc / 97.6 cui motors with production blocks of which at least 5000 copies had been made.

Lotus 69, Spirit of the 60′s, Dyrham Park

Today’s featured car, seen at Dyrham Park and belonging to Tony Wallens, is a 1971 Formula 3 spec Lotus 69 with a modified 1600 cc / 97.6 cui production block motor, the space frame chassis is derived from the Lotus 59 open wheelers and it shares many components with it’s Lotus 69 siblings, although the Formula 2 Lotus 69 was built around a monocoque to meet the requirements for a bag fuel tank.

In 1971 Dave Walker flew and swept the board in his Gold Leaf Team Lotus 69 winning 25 races Formula 3 races from 32 starts.

Despite these successes, Emerson Fittipaldi also won three races in his Formula 2 Lotus 69, while in Formula Ford Stan Matthews placed forth in the 1971 British Oxygen Formula Ford championship with his 69, Lotus took the decision to withdraw from the customer racing car market and focus on works Formula 3, and Formula 1 efforts in 1972, Formula 2 and Formula 1 campaigns in 1973 and solely Formula One campaigns from 1974 on.

Thanks for joining me on this “Multi Formula Open Wheeler” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a day at the races. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Racin’ ‘n’ Climbin’ – Ferrari 212 Export Touring Barchetta

In 1951 Ferrari produced two 212 models the Grand Touring Inter with either a 150 or a 165 hp and the competition orientated Export with 170 hp from it’s high compression V12 which was mounted on a shorter chassis than the Inter.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The 212 Export was quick right out of the box, Vittorio Marzotto and Paolo Fontana won the 1951 Giro di Sicilia in chassis #0086E while “Pagnibon” and Alfred Barraquet led home a 212 Export 1,2,3 finish in the 1951 Tour de France. Among 212 Export winners in the States were Phil Hill, who won at Torrey Pines in 1952 driving chassis #0078E and Ernie McAfee at Palm Springs in 1953, driving chassis #0092E with a coupé body by Vignale.

Kirk Douglas drove a specially rebodied 212 Export chassis #0102 to a fictitious victory in the the 1955 film “The Racers“.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Chassis #0158ED, seen here at the Danville Concours d’Elegance dinner, was supplied new to Luigi Bordonaro di Chiaramonte of Palermo, Italy for the 1952 season. He used it to good effect scoring at least 7 overall wins in both race and hillclimb competition between 1952 and 1955.

Swiss driver Edouard Margairaz continued to compete with the car until 1956 when he came 1st in class at the Verbois hillclimb.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

In all 28 212 Export models were built and chassis #0158 is thought to be the last of the seven built with Barchetta bodywork by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing todays photographs from Danville Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Racin”n’ Climbin'” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a multipurpose open wheel racer from Lotus. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Merry Christmas – Lola T70 #SL70/10

Today’s Americana Thursday blog remembers Jerry Grant the first man to be credited with a 200 mph closed circuit lap in an open wheel car at Ontario in September 1972.

Lola Ford T70, Concours on the Avenue, Carmel by the Sea

Among the many cars Jerry drove was this 1965 Lola Ford T70 chassis #SL70/10 that was run by Dan Gurney’s All American Racers team in 1966.

Lola Ford T70, Concours on the Avenue, Carmel by the Sea

Jerry qualified on pole first time out at the USRRC Stardust Grand Prix held in Las Vegas as he did on at least two other occasions for USRRC events at Riverside and Watkins Glen.

Lola Ford T70, Concours on the Avenue, Carmel by the Sea

Known for always answering the phone “Merry Christmas this is Jerry Grant” what ever time of year, Jerry won the USRRC event at Bridgehampton with this car in May 1965.

Lola Ford T70, Concours on the Avenue, Carmel by the Sea

After an accident during practice for the Can Am race at Mosport in September 1966 the car was given a new lighter Mark 2 T70 chassis which it carries to this day. Although the Ford V8 could pull higher revs than the Chevrolet motor used by everyone else in the 1966 Can Am season it lacked the torque of the Chevy and team owner Dan Gurney is the only man to have won a Can Am race with Ford Power in a similar Lola T70.

Lola Ford T70, Concours on the Avenue, Carmel by the Sea

Allegedly on one occasion when his Ford failed Jerry pulled his car up to a stop along the pit wall jumped over the wall picked up a revolver and emptied it’s contents into the motor saying “Well you shoot injured horses, don’t you?”. Jerry conceded that leaving the AAR team at the end of the season was a mistake, AAR went on to become winners of the Indy 500 with Bobby Unser in 1968.

Lola Ford T70, Concours on the Avenue, Carmel by the Sea

Despite many wins driving sports cars, a close call with Victory Lane at Indy in 1972 when a puncture forced him to pit from a comfortable lead in 1972 and another in the 1966 Sebring 12 Hours when the GT 40 he was sharing with Dan Gurney was pushed over the line for the for the win and subsequently disqualified, Jerry’s most notable achievement was his 200 mph lap at Ontario in 1972 driving an Eagle for Dan Gurney again. Jerry passed away on August 12th, 2012 aged 77.

RIP Mr Grant.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for today’s photographs taken at Carmel By The Sea Concours on the Avenue.

Thanks for joining me on this “Merry Christmas” 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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