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February 2012 - Issue 12
Ford Capri Brooklands 280
Reconstructing A Legend - Ace Of Base - who needs ryanair? - And Much More!
Ford - Chevrolet - Cobra Engine Crate Specialist - Camaro - Corvette
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Ford - Chevrolet - Cobra Engine Crate Specialist - Camaro - Corvette
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Editorial You might have noticed that there has been a bit of a gap between this issue and the last Classic, Performance & Retro magazine, and for that we sincerely apologise. Unfortunately an unexpected bereavement put the brakes on our publishing schedule just before Christmas, so the magazine and other work related stuff had to be put on hold for a while. However, now we are back and raring to go, and once again we think we have brought you a great issue packed with all the best from the Classic, Performance & Retro worlds. Make sure you check out our Autosport feature showcasing some of the best cars from the world of motorsport. This year’s show was huge (as it always is!) and the standard of displays was high. We also have a two-page photospread featuring some of the ‘Grid Girls’ from the show, and while this might not be what everybody wants to see in a motoring magazine, we are simply bowing to the many requests we got after last year’s report. If you don’t like it…turn the page. While we are on the subject of motorsport, make sure you check out our sensational feature on Aston Martin Racing’s Darren Turner. In this frank interview, Darren explains what it takes to become a successful racing driver and tells how he got started with no money and no experience. It’s an amazing story and a ‘must read’ for anyone who is interested in becoming a professional driver. At the other end of the scale, we also have a superb feature on Richard Snowdon’s stunning Brooklands 280 Capri. The car is great fun to drive, but Richard prefers to use it to raise money for disadvantaged children and has raised several thousand pounds to date using the iconic Ford. I guess there is a message there to anyone who has a classic car sitting in their garage and wants something worthwhile to do with it. Well, we hope you enjoy this issue of Classic, Performance & Retro magazine; we also hope that 2012 is kind to you, but if nothing else, you can look forward to some exciting new features here at your favourite online car magazine, but if you want to know what they are…you’ll just have to wait and see! Drive Safe!
The Classic, Performance & Retro team.
Editor: Simon Hazeldine- Designer: Chris Peacock - Sub Editor: Alan Simpson - Advertising: Tom Saunders - Web ‘Geek’: Luke Mowatt - Marketing: Peter Allinson. The entire contents of Classic, Performance & Retro magazine are copyright. No part of it may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Classic, Performance & Retro Magazine is a FREE monthly publication produced by AV8 Publishing Ltd, Cambridge, England. Contact Details: PO Box 280, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 9DH. Website - www.cprmag.com - E-mail - info@cprmag.com - Telephone +44 (0)1353 777519. We are happy to accept photographs and articles with a view to including them in Classic, Performance & Retro Magazine, but please note: all submissions are sent at contributors own risk and we will not be liable for any loss or damage.
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Ford Capri Brooklands 280
Who Needs RyanAir?
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Autosport International Show Report
CONTENTS www.cprmag.com Issue 12 February 2011 018
Ace Of Base: What does it take to become a professional racing driver? That’s a question Simon Hazeldine put to Aston Martin Racing’s Darren Turner, in this revealing, in-depth interview.
034
Who Needs RyanAir?: Four guys, Meatloaf and an aging Jaguar XJ6 set off on an epic thousand mile drive from England to Norway. Rich Duisberg discusses the merits of Danish crash barriers, beer and winter tyres.
046
Reconstructing A Legend: When Andrew Komosa came across a Ford GT40 that required a complete restoration, he acquired it and set about reconstructing a legend with as many original parts as he could find.
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Ford Capri Brooklands 280: The iconic Ford Capri. Over one million were produced, but the last of the breed were the Brookalnds 280 limited edition cars. Richard Snowdon talks to Simon Hazeldine about his example.
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Surf’s Up!: The staff at the Coventry Transport Museum seem to have thing about sunglasses and flip-flops. Maybe it has something to do with the current Wheels & Waves Exhibition? David Harrison went to find out.
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Autosport International - Show Report: Autosport International - The Racing Car Show acts as an unofficial curtain raiser to the new racing season. Simon Hazeldine reports from the show.
RegularFeatures:
018
Ace Of Base! Darren Turner.
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News: All the latest news and gossip from the Classic, Performance & Retro worlds.
016
Club News: A round-up of news from some of the best car clubs in the world.
056
Reviews: A look at what’s hot...and what’s not in the automotive marketplace.
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What’s On: Never miss another race meeting or car show with our comprehensive events guide.
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Auction News: A round up of what’s been happening in the auctions rooms around the world.
Classic, Performance & Retro magazine is a FREE monthly online publication produced by AV8 Publishing Ltd, Cambridge, England.
February 2012 5
News
The Latest Automotive News From Around The World!
Under Starters’ Orders for the 2012 Coventry Festival of Motoring
Entry for the 2012 Coventry Festival of Motoring Historic Vehicle Run has opened today Thursday 26th January, and organisers are aiming to attract around 600 cars and motorbikes and their owners to take part in the revamped event, as well as up to 20,000 visitors who will come to enjoy the spectacle. In a change from previous years, the 2012 Coventry Festival of Motoring will be held at Stoneleigh Park over the August Bank Holiday weekend, 25 & 26 August 2012. Organisers are putting together a range of new events and activities for the whole family to enjoy on both the Saturday and Sunday, including motorbike stunt shows, fairground rides, historic and exotic vehicle rides, driving skills competitions and the all-new “Future of Transport Expo”. The indoor “Future of Transport Expo” will showcase the incredible range of transport innovations that are being developed and produced across the Coventry and Warwickshire region, and companies are currently being approached to take part in this exhibition. The flagship element of the Festival of Motoring, the Historic Vehicle Run, will depart from Stoneleigh on the Sunday morning and will enjoy an all-new route through the stunning South Warwickshire countryside, taking in glorious countryside and picturesque towns and villages. A number of weekend packages are available, to encourage participants taking part in the Sunday morning run to stay at Stoneleigh for the whole weekend. These include a range of on-site accommodation options, a Saturday evening gala dinner with guest speaker Ian Callum, Design Director at Jaguar Cars, and all of the new activities and entertainment happening at Stoneleigh throughout Saturday and Sunday. Anyone who would like to apply to take their car or motorbike on the Historic Vehicle Run is encouraged to apply online at www.festival-of-motoring.co.uk from today. Entry will remain open until Friday 4 May 2012, or until all places are filled, whichever comes soonest. 6 CPR Magazine
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Lotus Takes On Regent Street Group Lotus says that it plans to open a brand new ‘Lotus Originals’ store in London’s prestigious Regent Street - Number 52 Regent Street to be exact! Situated in London’s Piccadilly, the building will host a brand new Lotus experience: a 4,800 sq/ft store situated in a Grade II-listed former ‘Café Royal’ with exciting displays and a full stock of apparel, accessories, gifts, toys, and limited edition collectables. The ‘Lotus Originals’ line made its debut at the 2010 Paris motor show alongside five new Lotus cars as a preview to the new Lotus lifestyle that the future Lotus car line-up reflects. Debuting with high-quality apparel, accessories and gifts, the move to Regent Street affords the space to showcase a much expanded collection. In the 16 months since the collections’ preview, it has grown to include exclusive sporting items such as bikes and helmets, toys and even stationery. The development of the Lotus Originals retail concept has been rapid, upon its launch in September 2010 its dedicated website was the only retail outlet for the collection. The first shops soon followed with a store at Lotus’ Hethel HQ and Norwich City Football Club’s Carrow Road stadium opening in Late 2011. Dealer shops have also recently opened in China at new Beijing and Chengdu showrooms and a Shanghai store is imminent. Lotus says that the London flagship store is the next step in a “fully integrated, international retail strategy for noncar Lotus products.” Wiebke Bauer Director of Licensing & Retail for Group Lotus said, “We are delighted to secure this iconic location; it’s the result of many months of careful planning and negotiations - the completion of this milestone really demonstrates the success of the Lotus Originals offering and the potential we have for the future. This is the cornerstone of our global retail strategy and we have lots to look forward to.”
First Auction For Footman James Classic Motor Show Silverstone Auctions has teamed up with the organisers of the Footman James Classic Motor Show to hold a prestige car auction at this year’s event at Birmingham’s NEC on Saturday November 17, 2012. It’s the first auction of its type in the show’s history and promises to be one of the highlights for classic car lovers. Show Manager Andy Rouse said: “We are extremely excited at the prospect of the UK’s biggest and most popular classic motoring show now also hosting a quality auction. We have been hugely impressed with the energy and enthusiasm of the team at Silverstone Auctions and their commitment to and vision for this feature going forward.” February 2012 7
News
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Greenwood 2012 Diary Confirmed Greenwood Exhibitions has released its event list for 2012 and there are some exciting new shows added to the schedule. Stephen Smith, the man behind Greenwood, said “We have had a great first year since we took over the helm in March last year and I am proud to say that we will continue to run the business as a family concern. We already have some ideas to develop the shows we have inherited and want to see our Knebworth Show back in the top league of classic motor shows,” he stated. “It made sense for us to re-visit some of the venues that Greenwood Exhibitions used in previous years and we have also been looking at new venues, but we want to be known for doing a few shows well, not lots of shows which are average” The list of events includes: 6th & 7th May-15th Bedfordshire Classic Motor Show at Woburn Abbey; 20th May-Classic Rally & Autojumble at Old Warden Park, Beds; 10th June 24th London to Brighton Run; 17th June-Father’s Classic Day Out Location Woburn Abbey, Beds; 7th & 8th July-Festival of Transport, Billericay ,Essex; 12th August-The Classic Kit & Performance Show Location Old Warden Park, Beds; 19th August- Hampshire Classic Motor Show, Breamore Countryside Museum, Hants; 26th & 27th August The Annual Knebworth Classic Motor Show at Knebworth Park, Herts. For more info see: www.classiccarrun.com
Falcon F7 Revealed At Detroit Motor Show The stylish Falcon F7 made its debut appearance at this year’s Detroit Motor Show held on January 9-22. The car’s manufacturer – Falcon Motor Sports – only received its US Department of Transportation certification as an automobile manufacturer as recently as December 2011. The car has an impressive spec list and is fitted with a V8 longitudinal, 7-litre engine producing 620hp at 6,600rpm and 585lb/ft torque at 5,400rpm. Coupled to a 6-speed transaxle gearbox, the end result is a car which the maker claims will do 0-60 mph in 3.3 to 3.6 seconds and return a top speed of 190-200mph. A spokesperson for Falcon said: “Some enthusiasts believe modern supercars have lost their edge. Some current supercars coddle their drivers with a supple ride and automated gearboxes. Electronic safety nets reduce the driving skill needed to push the limits. The end result can be an abject absence of personality. The Falcon F7 Series I rebels against this trend. It personifies a thoroughly modern performance machine with the soul of a classic supercar.”
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News
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‘HERO’ BRINGS ‘ARRIVE AND DRIVE’ TO RACE RETRO 2012 Visitors to Race Retro are to be given the chance to drive a rally car, thanks to HERO, The Historic Endurance Rallying organisation. For just £20, visitors to the event, which takes place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th February, will be given the chance ‘arrive and drive’ one of HERO’s rally prepared cars, put it through its paces and get a feel for rally driving on a purpose built course adjacent to the Live Rally Stage. Hero’s ‘arrive and drive’ fleet consists of classic vehicles that have undergone extensive restoration and are maintained daily by a team of in house mechanics. Each car is prepared to meet the requirements of endurance rallying as they can be hired for use at events all over the world. Visitors can either book on the day or contact enquiries@heroevents.eu to reserve a time slot that fits in with the rest of their time at the show. In the halls, Hero will not only have the extremely rare low-drag lightweight 1964 Jaguar E-Type Lindner Nocker on display, but will also reveal the Hero Village featuring key partners such as CES and Autosessive, Classic Motor Cars Limited, Bob Watson Engineering, bodywork specialist C&N Customs and Puzzle Ltd. These companies will be offering exclusive show offers throughout the weekend. There will be the usual selection of competition cars and clubs – the backbone of the sport – making Race Retro the place to be for anything to do with classic motor sport. Looking to invest in a piece of racing history? Visit Silverstone Auctions where you will find cars, bikes and memorabilia on offer. As well as an array or cars and motorcycles, scour the autojumble for that elusive part or spare or visit the hundreds of traders offering everything from helmets and racewear to stunning artwork, rare books and signed motorsport memorabilia. Adult ticket prices are £20 when booking in advance, £25 on the gate. Children’s tickets are £5 on Friday or Saturday and free on Sunday. Parking is also free throughout and for 2012, the parking areas have been moved to hard surface areas within close proximity to the halls. The show is open from 9.30am each day and closes at 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday. To book tickets and for the latest updates, visit www.raceretro.com.
10 CPR Magazine
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News, Gossip & Views From The World Of Motorsport
Single-Seater Allcomers Race For Oulton Park Masters Raceday Masters Historic Racing is planning a Formula Libre-style Allcomers race for its Oulton Park raceday on March 17th. To be open for all single-seater race cars below Formula 1, Masters is confident of a healthy entry for the first historic race meeting of the season and the first opportunity for many of the cars to be run after the winter. “Single-seater racing has a huge history at Oulton Park, especially when Formula 1 cars raced for the Gold Cup,” says Masters Event Manager Rachel Bailey. “What we want to do is encourage cars to come and race that don’t fit into a current category, whilst at the same time welcoming cars from historic single-seater racing or from the Monoposto Racing Club, for example.” The Masters Historic Racing event at Oulton Park was a popular season-opener in 2011 and the Single-Seater Allcomers race will be a welcome addition to the programme with competitors having a 20-minute qualifying session and a 20-minute race on the full International circuit.
New Races Add To Spectacular Silverstone Classic Line-Up The 2012 Silverstone Classic powered by the AA will showcase an even greater spectrum of motor sport history following confirmation today (Thursday 12 January) that two exciting new races will be adding to this summer’s on-track action. With more than 1100 of the world’s finest classic competition cars entering a remarkable mix of the superb races on Grand Prix circuit, last year’s Silverstone Classic was the biggest motor sport event ever staged on earth. Now the introduction of two new grids will broaden the festival’s appeal still further with special showdowns for super touring cars and evocative F5000 and F2 single-seaters lining up alongside established crowd favourites such as Group C sports prototypes and DFV-powered F1 cars. The popularity of touring car racing has spiralled in recent decades and this year’s Silverstone Classic will feature two unique races – one on Saturday and one on Sunday – starring many of the famous cars that have fuelled this escalating appeal. The line-up will include the cream of front-runners from European, British and German Touring Car Championships spanning the years from 1975 to 1999. The result will be a spectacular entry celebrating Group 2, Group A, Super Touring and DTM eras including Jaguar XJ-Cs, BMW CSLs, Ford Sierra Cosworths and Rover SD1s alongside a more modern generation of BTCC classics from the Nineties. It will be the first time in history that such a comprehensive display of modern touring car classics has raced together and is certain to be an instant success with owners, enthusiasts and fans.
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News, Gossip & Views From The World Of Motorsport
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The ‘Return to Power’ for 1966 – 1971 3 litre F1 cars The ‘Return to Power’ is a new series for 3 litre Formula1 cars from 1966 to 1971 and is set to kick off by taking centre stage at Brands Hatch on May 26/27 with the ‘Historic Race of Champions.’ The race is being promoted by historic racers Andrew Smith, Joe Twyman and Roger Wills together with Masters Historic Racing. It will provide an opportunity for owners of earlier F1 cars from this highly evocative era to race competitively, away from the later winged and ground-effect cars. The Historic Race of Champions will be run at the Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch, just two weeks after the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Leading preparation company Hall & Hall is sponsoring the race and will add further weight since it has several customers with eligible cars. Two races will be run for the cars over the weekend and Joe Twyman is confident of a healthy entry. “We are aiming for 20 cars, maybe more. The event will be two weeks after Monaco meaning that many cars will be race-ready and in Europe already, and we want to gauge the competitor response before looking at more races.” Andrew Smith and Roger Wills are both set to race their March 701s, Smith’s car being the exJackie Stewart Tyrrell March that won the Daily Mail Race of Champions in 1970, and Wills’ being the ex-Chris Amon works car that won the Daily Express International Trophy in the same year. “We want to provide a platform for these cars to race competitively on their own,” stresses Twyman. “Apart from Monaco every two years, there is no other race for this era of car and we want to change that.” The race will run under Masters regulations with DFV-engined cars restricted to 10,000rpm and tyres will be cut slicks. Due to the sponsorship provided by Hall & Hall the entry fees will be very competitive. Plans are also underway to recreate the traditional award for pole position: 100 bottles of champagne to the driver who sets the fastest lap time in qualifying. “We really want this to be a success,” says Masters Series boss Ron Maydon. “We are working hard to encourage owners of these cars to take to the track and we want this to be the start of something big.”
14 CPR Magazine
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Chilly Measham Rally Gets VSCC 2012 season underway
Cape To Cairo & Beyond! MG fanatic Dave Godwin has confirmed that 22 Adventurers in two MGAs and 9 MGBs have committed to drive the route from Cape Town to Cairo and Beyond to Abingdon and Longbridge, Birmingham. the group will leave on September 1, this year. Nine couples hail from Australia and one each are from South Africa and the UK – with a Swiss connection from Nairobi to Cairo. All owners are currently working feverously on their cars, not only to ensure they are in tip-top mechanical condition, but also to beef them up to withstand the conditions expected along the way. Of particular concern to the Adventurers is the 450km of dirt road – described as ‘The Road from Hell’ by many – between northern Kenya and the Ethiopian border. In addition, the route chosen includes another approximately 1500km of unknown dirt roads so the trip sure has the ingredients to be a Trip of a Life Time! mgcc.co.uk
51 teams of drivers and navigators braved the elements on the night of January 14, and ventured forth to tackle the 195 mile Measham Rally, the first VSCC event of 2012. With temperatures dropping as low as -4 oC overnight, the challenge of Robert Ellis and Chris Leach’s route in Oxfordshire and the Chilterns lay await for competitors in a superb array of Pre-war cars. Saloons were a popular choice, Mike Holt and navigator Nick Cooper won the ‘Semi-Expert’ Class 2 in Mike’s 1928 Mathias MY Saloon. Michael Brown and navigator, Jo White collected a 3rd Class award having enjoyed an evening’s competition in a warm 1937 Riley Adelphi saloon. Paul Martin enjoyed his first event in his new Model A Ford saloon, partnered by Colin Talbot they won a 3rd class award in the Novices Class. www.vscc.co.uk
Aston Martin Owners’ Club
Aston Martin Owners’ Club Race Series Dates Announced The Aston Martin Owners’ Club has released the dates for its popular club racing series for 2012. The events will take place at five different venues across the UK with the first round being held at Silverstone on April 28. If you fancy watching some seriously impressive metal being hurled around the track in anger, then please contact the individual venues for spectator information and tickets. The dates and venues are: April 28th May 12th June 4th & 5th July 29th September 29th www.amoc.org
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1973 Ferrari 250 GTO Replica. Gleaming Ferrari coachwork. Ferrari badges, luxury leather. Almost indistinguishable from the £30 million original. with reliability & economy. Datsun 2.6 Ltr straight six -“Samurai” spec. Triple Webbers, 5 speed. Adjustable suspension. Z Farm checked. Borrani style wheels. £39,995.
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Porsche 914 in desirable 70’s Porsche Orange. Fuchs Alloys. Subaru N/a EJ 2.2 Ltr,160 BHP f/rebuilt costing £3K. Non restrict exhaust. Arches OEM Steel costing £2K. Brakes upgraded, new r/discs+ pads by Porsche Rennsport. Car mistaken for an original 914-6 GT many times Inc (Goodwood Breakfast Club). True Classic. £12500
Ferrari F430 Spider replica. Beautiful ex DNA show car. All Singing, all dancing & all options. Based on Toyota MR2 Roadster so reliable, economical & easy to maintain.1.8 Ltr. 5 speed. Alloys. Luxury Leather, Full Dash & S/wheel conv. Lots of Ferrari parts used. Magazine featured & front cover of Kit car. Show stopper &fantastic in every way. £31500
Martin & Walker 356 Porsche Speedster Replica 1971. Manual. Stunning Ice blue coachwork with contrasting blue interior. Chrome Wheels/Chrome hubcaps. 4 exhaust pipes. Wet weather equipment. Fun/Economical car with bags of Character £16,995
Black Beauty Dax 427 Cobra. 1999 Finished in Gleaming Black Coachwork with White Le Mans stripes, Full Red Leather. 5.7 Litre. 5 speed manual. 16,500 miles. Halibrand Replica Alloys, Full Wet Weather Gear, Absolutely Stunning Performance. £29,995
Ford GT40 Mk1 by RCR. 2010. Aluminium monocoque chassis. Only 800 miles. Inc registration GT10 WOW (fully IVA’d). Professionally built!. Original 1968 Ford 302 V8, Edelbrock alloy heads. Genuine knock-off wheels. Ice cold air conditioning. Best 40 replica I have ever owned & possibly seen. £49995
Porsche Spyder replica by Chamonix. Tubular Chassis. Front discs. Powered by flat four 2 litre Injected engine. Tan leather. Full weather equip, heater, elec door locks. Immobilizer. Aluminium dash/controls. Only covered 158 miles since built. We cannot stress how beautiful this car is. Absolutely stunning in as new condition. £19,995
Pilgrim Cobra Sumo 5.7 Chevy. Built 2000. Gleaming metallic blue, contrasting luxury cream & blue pipe. Chevy 5.7 litre V8 with all the chrome trimmings. 4 barrel carb, chrome sidepipes with overcovers. Looks & sounds amazing. T5 type gearbox, Halibrand replicas, Hood, sidescreens, heater. Only 12,000 miles. £19,995.
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Ace Of Base What does it take to become a professional racing driver? That’s a question Simon Hazeldine put to Aston Martin Racing’s Darren Turner, who also talks about his time as a Formula1 test driver and his amazing career in GT racing in this in-depth interview.
R
Championship. Now, as a egular readers driver for Aston Martin Racing, of Classic, Performance he can be found behind the wheel of the Aston Martin & Retro might DBR9 GT1 ‘Young Driver’ car remember that last October and also the AMR-One LMP1 we ran a feature on the car. amazing racing simulator at Base Performance, a These days, it’s not company run by racing driver uncommon to hear about drivers ‘buying’ their ‘seat’ and entrepreneur Darren in top racing teams and you Turner. We also promised to take a closer look at Darren’s could be forgiven for thinking racing career and give you an that a bulging bank account or lucrative sponsorship deal insight into how he became one of the most successful might be more important than raw talent. In fact, British sports car drivers of some team owners openly the last decade. admit that certain drivers are Darren has had a hugely only in the car because they successful career in sports car racing, taking part in paid to be there, although the wording they use to say that GT1, GT2 and LMP classes, and has also campaigned might be a little less direct! Which ever way you look in the British Touring Car 18 CPR Magazine
at it, motor racing is an expensive business, and if you happen to be one of the many young drivers who think it is impossible to become successful in this business without huge financial backing, then think again. Darren’s story is both remarkable and inspirational, not just because of his dedication and determination, but because when he started out he had no financial backing at all. “I guess it all started when I was about 13 years old. There was a kart track near where I lived at Blackbushe
Airport and I used to go down there and watch the karting. I decided that I really wanted to get into karting, so my parents told me to find out how much it would cost. It turned out I could get a second-hand kart for £500, so I spent the next year doing paper rounds, washing cars and saving birthday money until I had enough to buy my own kart. Obviously I had shown quite a bit of commitment by doing all the jobs and saving the money, and my dad could see that, so I started doing club racing. Dad had access to a transit van through his work; we’d rock up, do a race, and it might only be one race every other month or so, but we did what we could with the money that was available. I gradually got more competitive and a few people helped out with some funding and bits and bobs, although I’d have to say it was mostly my dad, but we could never really do anything more than club competitions. At the same time I wanted to become more involved in racing so I managed to get a Saturday and after-school job with a local racing team. When I left school I went and worked for the team fulltime, and then when I was 17 I put my C.V. together and must have sent it to every race team in the country. Luckily, Jordan Grand Prix were looking for a young kid they could train up in one of their departments and I was invited up to Silverstone for an interview. It went well and I got the job, so I packed my bags, left home February 2012 19
Darren Turner and the Aston Martin LMP1 car.
Darren’s Prodrive Racing Ferrari. 20 CPR Magazine
and moved to Silverstone. I worked at Jordan for three years, and at the same time I was still karting and would meet my dad at a track during the weekends and go and do some racing. I also took part in kart races with other mechanics at Silverstone and someone told me that as I was winning all the time I should look into racing cars. I could only just afford karting, but I was told about the Jim Russell Racing School at Donington Park
Darren at McLaren.
where a week long racing course cost £1,000. I was only on about £60 a week at the time, but I really wanted to do the course.”
Darren in the Aston Martin DBR9.
Going To Race School Okay, so this is where you landed your first big sponsorship deal and got the lucrative corporate backing that launched your career, eh Darren? “Well, not quite! I was a bit of a cheeky chap back then and I went round everybody I had already met February 2012 21
at Silverstone and asked them for money. I got a fiver of some people, others gave me twenty or even fifty pounds; I told them that if I ever got to F1 that I would pay them back double! I eventually raised the £1,000 I needed and went off to the Jim Russell school. When I got to Donington, I found out that I was up against some other kids who were really good at karting, but I did well and won the race at the end of the week. It all snowballed from there; the most achievable class of racing after that was Formula First, so I convinced one of the designers at Jordan GP to lend me some money on the basis that I would pay it back at the end of the year along with more interest than his bank would give him. He gave me £4,000 and I went off and bought a Formula First car. I built it, prepared it and ran it from Jordan GP and my dad would come up with a trailer and we would go off with the car and do the races. The car
22 CPR Magazine
Always one to stand out from the crowd! was pretty bad when I got it, but we turned it into a competitive car by the end of the year and eventually I was picked up by a team for the winter series. I never really looked back from there as I started picking up sponsors, and things were going in the right direction. In 1995 I was picked up by Redgrave Racing and got into Formula Renault. The following year I had a really good season in Formula Renault and won the young driver of the year award. That was really
the turning point for me because now I wasn’t doing any other work, I was just concentrating on being a race driver. Winning the Young Driver award started my relationship with McLaren who got me in with Mercedes for the DTM touring car series, and ever since then I have been with a manufacturer.”
So Far...So Good It’s a fascinating story and I can’t help but admire Darren’s sheer determination
Signing autographs at Barcelona in 2009. to become a racing driver, despite not really having the money to do it with. Resorting to paper rounds and car washing in the early days, and then begging and borrowing cash later on, really shows what can be done if you have the desire and commitment to do it. Raw talent will get you noticed, but you need to put yourself in a position where the right people will notice you, and that is where the hard graft pays off. The way Darren tells the story makes it sound like he just springboarded from one thing to another. Is that how it was? “Well, there’s never been a plan because there’s never been any money! I’ve always just done whatever I could to make sure I go racing and that’s always opened up another door. It’s always worked like that, and so far so good, as I have now
The awesome Aston Martin LMP1 car. been a professional driver since 1999. I think I have always made the most of every opportunity that came along. When one door shut I have always managed to find another two that opened up somewhere else. By not having a plan and just going with the opportunities that came along, it’s has always
managed to work and it kept me going up the ladder. A lot of it is making the most of relationships you have with people, or I suppose you could call it networking. One thing I did learn quite quickly is that it really pays off to keep people on your side. Some of the kids I used to race with went on February 2012 23
that is really down to natural ability…you’ve either got it, or you haven’t. Reactions don’t come into it so much; intelligence is more a factor these days because of the things you have to do in the car, and then of course desire plays a big part too. If you really want to be good at it, and you’re prepared to work hard at it, then you’ll certainly give yourself a better chance.”
Driving F1 Cars
Darren racing at Silverstone.
to become race engineers or mechanics. One guy I knew when I was 19 or 20 is now a team manager, and they are the guys who give the jobs out! If you act like a fool when you’re starting out, people will remember and it will come back to bite you. Thankfully, I think I must have somehow made the right impression. I guess it’s a case of what goes around, comes around.” With his combination of talent and determination, it seems that Darren has everything he needs to be 24 CPR Magazine
successful out on the track, but I was keen to find out what he thought made a good racing driver. “That’s an interesting one. When I started out there wasn’t so much telemetry so everything was done mainly with a stopwatch. Now that telemetry is more accessible it is easier for drivers to ‘copy and paste’ and get to a reasonable level, but there are more people at the top level so it is harder to stand out from the crowd. It’s a case of having that extra 2% over the other drivers and
While Darren is well known for his success behind the wheel of sports cars, he also played a pivotal role at McLaren where he worked as a test driver on the manufacturer’s Formula1 cars. Darren would take the cars out on track and try out new settings and changes to the cars and provide vital feedback to the engineers and designers. He worked alongside names like Häkkinen, Coulthard, Räikkönen and Montoya and it must have been an exciting time to put it mildly. “It was amazing. In 1997 I did my first test drive and I left in 2006, so I got quite a few years of F1 testing under my belt. When I started out racing I never dreamed that I would get to sit in a Grand Prix car, so to get the opportunity to actually drive one was just incredible.” So what does it feel like to drive a McLaren F1 car flat out then Darren? “Amazing! There isn’t anything else quite like it. An LMP1 car is getting close, but still only about 75% of what a Grand Prix car is. It’s just amazing because you know you are in
A touch of glamour!
the fastest racing car around and you’re working with the best teams in the sport, the cleverest engineers and the most focused personnel. Just to sit in some of the World Championship winning cars and test them and be involved in it all was just incredible.”
Senna’s Car Darren pointed to a picture of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/8 hanging on the wall behind me. “Being with McLaren also gave me some fantastic opportunities. That is my ultimate Grand Prix car, and because I was at McLaren I got to drive that car. It’s like…well, you have to pinch yourself because it was just so unreal!” So what have been the highlights of your career so
far then Darren? “I guess winning Le Mans in 07/08 with Aston Martin in the GT1 category and probably the first ever test drive I had with McLaren at Silverstone in March 1997, and then of course driving Senna’s car; they are the ones that really stand out for me. You may
not appreciate them fully at the time, but when I look back they will be the things that stand out the most.” Of course there have been low points too. At this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour Race his Aston Martin AMR-One retired with mechanical problems after February 2012 25
completing just two and a half laps. “You’d have to say it was a horrendous Le Mans experience. After all the effort from the team and the people back at the factory, to get that result from the weekend was really upsetting for everyone, but it just means you comes back stronger next time. You also know that is probably going to be the lowest you feel from a race weekend, but at least experiencing the low points mean you appreciate the highs a lot more.”
The DBR9 With Darren having driven so many exotic and desirable cars, it would probably be difficult for him to pick a particular favourite. I assumed it would be one of the McLaren F1 cars, but 26 CPR Magazine
his answer surprised me a little. “I’d have to say my favourite car was the Aston Martin DBR9 from the 2008 Le Mans race. It was when the car was in its most advance configuration and I loved that car! If I could buy a race car, that would be it. The car that had the most sentimental appeal was Senna’s MP4/8, just because it is a car that I adore…and because it’s Senna’s. For my generation he was the ultimate driver and he is still an inspiration to younger drivers who were perhaps not even born when he was racing, so to get to drive his car and see his set-up within it was pretty special.”
Le Mans Having been behind the scenes at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour Race myself, I had a good insight into what’s involved for the competitors of this iconic event. You often hear people praising the F1 drivers for their race stamina, but they are only out there for about 90 minutes tops, but Le Mans drivers have to keep going for 24 hours and might be in the car for two or three sessions lasting anything up to four hours! That’s a long time to keep concentrating… and don’t forget that half the race is at night with no
track lighting. I wondered how Darren coped with the massive demands of the 24 hour race. “The first one you do you tend to be so wrapped up in what’s going on that you don’t leave the garage, but the more you do, the more relaxed you become. You’re focused fully when you’re in the car, but when you’re not racing you know that there is nothing you can do to help the other drivers, so the best thing you can do is pull yourself away and get
some down time and relax, then come back and be fully on it, instead of slowly deteriorating as the race goes on. Sure, it’s tiring, but the drivers get a better deal than the race engineers who are awake for the whole race. In fact they are awake for something like 40 hours, as they have to be there at 7.00am before the race and they are still there at 10.00pm the following night packing all the equipment
away. They do not stop at any time, so really the drivers get the easy part.” Another thing that I have become aware of is the sense of camaraderie among racing drivers. I had always assumed that being rivals on the track would mean that friendships off track would be rare, but that is not the case. There is a problem though; some drivers have a February 2012 27
It’s a tough job...but someone’s gotta do it! rather strange idea of what constitutes friendship as Darren found out at Le Mans this year. “Johnny Herbert (ex-Formula1 driver) is a friend of mine and I foolishly told him where my motorhome was parked. When I went back there later that night, it had been completely trashed! Nothing was actually damaged, but it was a right mess in there. I later found out that it was Johnny who was responsible. There are two really nice ladies who work with Eurosport TV who Johnny was working with, and they told me that I might not like what I find at the trailer when I get back…and it was the ‘short fella’ that 28 CPR Magazine
had done it! I did get my revenge though. He came back the following morning to do some filming by the motorhome and I climbed on the roof and got him with a bucket of water!” So apart from Johnny, how do you get on with the other drivers? “When you are doing a World Championship you do a lot of travelling and you see the same people at airports, the hotels and at the circuits. Sometimes, if something has happened on the track, you might not want to see a certain person, because at the time you are pretty annoyed with them, but there’s also a lot of time when you’re just hanging
around. That’s especially true with drivers at race weekends; there is a lot of hanging around, and if you can’t enjoy each others company then it makes the time go a lot slower.”
Varied Career Looking at Darren’s career notes, one thing that strikes me is the many different types of racing he has been involved in. He has done single-seater stuff, touring cars, sports cars and endurance racing, so I asked him which he enjoyed the most. “I really enjoyed the singleseaters because it is very
much the ultimate type of racing, but if you don’t make it to F1 or IndyCar then you’re not going to make a living out of it. I’ve really enjoyed my sports car career because I like the longevity of the races which means you get more driving time and that is ultimately what you enjoy as a driver. Touring cars were good, I enjoyed it, but the racing is much shorter. The DTM cars are much more error dependant; people don’t tend to crash into each other so much because there are more consequences on your performance, so I probably enjoyed that more than I did BTCC which is a different type of racing. The good guys in BTCC know how to get away with stuff that you normally wouldn’t get away with, and they are the best at their game in that sport. But for me it lacked the level of ‘swordsmanship’ that you get in sports car racing where you’ve got to make sure you overtake. There is more overtaking in a sports car race than in a BTCC race because of all the different classes, but you can’t afford to damage your car so you have to make very clean, accurate manoeuvres. In BTCC it was more of a…‘give someone a tap and away you go’ sort of thing. Adapting to front wheel drive was something else I had to get used to, but driving with Seat for three years was a great experience.”
Aston Martin So, it looks like sports car racing gets the nod then, and when it comes to sports
Heavy rain in Beijing.
The ‘Young Driver’ Aston Martin teams wins in Beijing.
Darren just loves Minis! car manufacturers they don’t get much bigger than Aston Martin. The British car company has become one of the most iconic brands in the automotive world, so driving for them must be quite a responsibility, as a
great performance on track can mean good sales in the showrooms. Of course, it also means that Darren gets to drive an Aston Martin in the Le Mans 24 Hour Race with the number 007 on the side…and it doesn’t get much February 2012 29
“Reckon you can fix it guys?”
cooler than that! So how did the association with Aston Martin come about? “Prodrive who run Aston Martin Racing initially had two Ferraris that they were racing in America and Europe, and I ended up doing a race or two with them. Gradually I did more and more with them and steadily built that relationship up. Then Aston Martin Racing started up in 2004, and I have been with them since the very first time that
30 CPR Magazine
the DBR9 turned a wheel which was the first cars they produced. It’s a great relationship; they’ve stuck with me when I’ve had bad races, and I’ve been with them for the good races and there is a lot of trust between us. The factory is on my doorstep too, so I probably pop in there two or three times a week and have a cup of tea, speak to the guys and see what’s happening with the cars. It’s a great team and hopefully I
will be driving for them again next year.”
Historic Racing While Darren seems to be right at home behind the wheel of the very latest cars in the motorsport world, he also likes to get back to basics every now and then and is a big fan of historic racing. His exploits at this year’s Goodwood Revival in a Mini Cooper were nothing short of astounding, and
while the little Mini couldn’t quite match some of the big American V8 ‘muscle’ cars on the straights, Darren was running rings around them on the corners. His battle with Anthony Reid in the MkII Jaguar is epic stuff and easily as good as anything you’ll see in modern races. In fact, he enjoyed the historic racing so much that he went out and bought a 1959 Ford Zodiac MkII with friend James Turner and the car made its debut at
Licenced to giggle!
February 2012 31
Snetterton on October 1, in the HRDC ‘Touring Greats’ event. “I did the Goodwood Revival for the first time in 2009 where I drove a Mini and a Cobra and I really got bitten by the bug. I’m looking forward to getting out on the track in the Zodiac and I hope to be doing around three or four events each year in it. I’ll be sharing the driving with James; it’s the social side I like and there’s no pressure. I can just enjoy driving the car and it doesn’t really matter where we come… well, it probably matters more to James! I just love old cars; I’ve had a 1965 Fiat 500 for nearly ten years, I’ve got a DB2/4 Drophead which needs
32 CPR Magazine
restoring and I’m always hunting on eBay for other cars. The problem is that I haven’t got enough storage space at the moment so all my cars are dotted around friend’s houses or where ever I can find space.”
The Future? It’s great to see that the older cars are still appealing to modern drivers and that is certainly a good sign for the future of historic racing. Talking of the future, I finished off my meeting with Darren by asking him what his plans are for the future. “I have been with Aston Martin Racing for the last six or seven years and
hopefully I will be with them again next year. I’m 37 now, so I think I have got about another five years of professional driving ahead of me, and then we’ll see what happens. I think I’ll always be racing something, not necessarily at a professional level, maybe just for fun, but if I’m not racing professionally in five years, then I’m sure I will be coaching drivers or whatever, just because it gives me a chance to be out there in a car. “Of course, hopefully the simulator business will continue to grow and maybe I might even start my own team, but whatever I do it will be something involving
motorsport because that is the only thing I have done since I was 13.” I really enjoyed chatting to Darren and I loved the way he has built his career up from nothing, using his charm – or some would say his head – to beg and borrow the funding he needed in the early days. This is a story anyone entering the sport today should read, because it proves that it can be done, even if you don’t have good financial backing. Want to be a racing driver? Then get a paper round, wash some cars and don’t lose sight of your dreams. Nothing is guaranteed…but with a lot of hard work, you just never know!
February 2012 33
Who Needs RyanAir? ) ! g a J A t o G e v ’ u (When Yo
Four guys, Meatloaf and an aging Jaguar XJ6 set off through the snow and ice on an epic thousand mile drive from England to Norway. Rich Duisberg from www.s2b2.net discusses the merits of Danish crash barriers, beer and winter tyres.
I
n order to keep the bank from the door, my job often takes me to various places in continental Europe, and as I’m self-employed I am often economically obliged to suffer budget airline Ryanair. When a recent meeting in Norway came up, I just couldn’t face giving that smarmy, grinning boss of Ryanair any more 34 www.cprmag.com
of my hard-earned money. As it happened though, the guy I was destined to meet had grumbled about the high cost of spares for his XJ6 up in Norway and then I had a brainwave… One eBay session later and I was collecting a deep red ’96 3.2 XJ6 from a Pirate Radio DJ in Grantham. He even left a
Meatloaf tape in the car. What he didn’t leave was much fuel, any tread on the tyres, or any life in the suspension. The alarm was also suffering from epiltectrics, causing it to freak out at random times. Like 2am. And 3am. Outside my house. Still, for the price of an XJ6 aircon pump in Norway, we had got a complete car
that my Viking mate could cannibalise, not to mention a quality transport alternative to Ryanair.
It’s All Lies! Norway doesn’t look that far away on a map, and you can (if you don’t get violently seasick, like me), take a ferry from Immingham. However,
after a 6am start, ‘TomTom’ told me it was only a thousand miles or so to drive there instead. The first week of January should be quiet on the roads, and the weather forecast didn’t look that bad. Scrawny Luke and Mr Tipex had decided to join Dr Octane and I as there was plenty of room in the Jag. I’d told
them all kinds of lies about promiscuous Scandiwegian women and cheap booze, but the real reason for inviting them was that I couldn’t afford breakdown cover and I’m not strong enough to push a 2.2 ton Jag on my own. Southern England and France were despatched in no time (Eurotunnel beats bi-curious February 2012 35
Air-conditioned luxury, but would the XJ6 survive the drive to Norway? SeaFrance sailors anyday), but in Belgium we had to stop for fuel. Already. €106 of the bloody stuff. I had chronically underestimated the Jag’s fuel consumption, thinking that with the cruise set at 1.1 leptons, we could waft economically across the continent, looking down our noses at the
36 www.cprmag.com
budget airline plebs. Not so. I had also chronically underestimated the amount of booze and junk food my passengers could consume; the classy old-school wood and leather interior quickly started to resemble a living room on Shameless. We left Belgium quicker than a
disgraced Catholic priest, entered Holland and then on into Germany. We sadly didn’t have time to sample the delights of the bordertown of Wankum, tempted as we were.
Arthur Daley The Autobahn was clear and dry and a great place to
The Jag arrives on mainland Europe! stretch the Jag’s legs. It drove beautifully up to 50mph, and at anything over 100mph, but at anything inbetween it had a disconcerting rhythmical vibration. And now, the obligatory Jag clichés : Purring engine, feline ride, gentlemen’s club interior, old school money, relaxed J-gate
‘box, Arthur Daley, shotgun in the boot and pharmaceuticals in the glovebox. It was getting dark now, and a bit snowy, so we drove faster aiming to reach a pub before last orders. The last time something from Brown’s Lane crossed the Ruhr valley at these speeds, it was being pursued
Running on fumes!
February 2012 37
Some of the driving conditions could best be described as ‘challenging!’.
would take to make ourselves sick the following morning. Quite a lot, as it turns out.
Clearing ice from the Jag’s glass is not a job for the faint-hearted!
Snow & Ice
by Messerschmitts. The snow started to fall. Faster, pussycat! We made it as far as the Etap Hotel in Flensburg, a nice old harbour town on the 38 www.cprmag.com
border between Germany and Denmark, and with the snow falling heavily we decided to see how much beer, sausage, sauerkraut and aquavit it
Hangovers were the least of our worries in the morning. A huge snowfall had covered everything, including the Jag, which had been abandoned in a bike park the night before. I was worried about my poor passengers getting cold fingers, so kindly agreed to let them sit on their fat arses in the warm car listening to MC Hammer and eating Murray mints whilst I froze my bastard fingers off de-icing three square kilometres of Jag glass. Getting out of Flensburg was a nightmare. Narrow hilly roads, huge amounts of snow, and a Jag doing its best to turn around if I so much as brushed
The Jag cruised down the European motorways at a sedate 99mph!
the ‘go pedal’ with the frozen stump that used to be my foot. We refuelled and unfroze the single wiper. Again.
alive & screaming The Motorway in Denmark was down to one lane and we passed numerous crashes. I hadn’t bothered with winter tyres, despite reading about their seemingly miraculous virtues on the internet. I had three hungover mates to help if we got stuck, although Luke’s hand-stitched pointy leather shoes looked more at home in Soho than Oslo. We had a midday appointment with the ferry in Hirtshals at the top of Denmark, so had to press on. As the weather got even worse we stopped to invest in a new wiper blade, having driven with ‘burqa vision’ for the last few miles. Mr Tipex kindly offered to drive for a bit as Dr Octane
‘doesn’t do autos’ (the poof!) and Luke was getting some beauty sleep in the back. I snoozed off in the passenger seat, safe in the hands of a
guy I’d known on the trackday and roadtrip circuit for many years, a ‘cabbie’ with a million miles under his belt and generally a steady hand. I
There was even time to take in the scenery!
Tom Ingram’s championship winning Ginetta G50 on the Race Drivers Inc stand. February 2012 39
The car had dug in on one side at speed, Tipex was gingerly trying to heave it straight and not clip the HGV on the inside lane. I would have binned it for sure. He didn’t.
hint of royalty
awoke to the screams of my fellow passengers, and frantically tried to focus my bleary eyes on the Danish crash barrier whizzing by, millimetres from my window.
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The Ferry from Denmark to Norway takes around four hours and costs about €50. It is friendly, clean, and reliable (O’Leary, take note). The Jag safely lashed down we retired to the lounge and I explained Norway’s draconian Customs, Police and driving laws. Zero alcohol tolerance and jail for anyone over the limit. Illegal
to drive on summer tyres in Winter. It was a white out when we docked in Larvik. The Ferry’s off-ramp was downhill, so I knew we could at least hit Norway before getting stuck/ killed/arrested. I followed a dodgy looking Polish Merc through customs, knowing he would get stopped, and he did. We got safely waved through with a smile. There’s a hint of obscure minor Royal about this Jag in the right colour, it is one of those rare cars everyone seems to like, I’m sure that helped. So, we got as far as the carpark, the Jag refused to move any
more. Luckily my local contact (Bjørn) had correctly predicted the weather, met us with a set of winter tyres, a trolley jack and a look in his eye that said ‘You drove here?...You daft bastards!’ Even on the winter tyres, the XJ6 was very very sideways, it wasn’t fun anymore, thankfully we didn’t have to take it far. The sea was frozen, it was snowing like crazy and Meatloaf was wearing thin. A short see-saw up the E18 and we reached our destination, a run up required to get enough momentum to slither up a steep track and through the
Amazing artwork on the Ultimate-Airbrush stand.
Above: The Ferry from Denmark to Norway takes around four hours and costs about €50. According to Rich, it is friendly, clean, and reliable...and great for transporting aging Jaguars!
February 2012 41
When the sea freezes over... you know it’s cold!
(Main pic) High speed crusing on snow and ice! 42 www.cprmag.com
Bjørn’s garage and his collection of cars. doors of Bjørn’s garage. The remaining booze was necked as we admired his Corvette, classic Cortina and Anglia and an XJ6 requiring an aircon pump transplant. A night on the lash in the pleasant town of Tønsberg (while a blizzard raged outside) gave us time to reflect
on the Jag. On these roadtrips we often form an emotional bond to charismatic cars like these, and I was rather sad to hand over the keys, although happy to get paid in full for the car and fuel. Thanks to the exorbitant cost of spares in Scandinavia,
we had been able to do the entire journey across seven countries, in air conditioned luxury, effectively for free. Stuff Ryanair! Holding the folding, I realised that a grand doesn’t go far in a bar charging £7 for a pint of beer called ‘Aass.’ And we still have to get home somehow…
Frozen...and slightly hung-over, but mission accomplished!
February 2012 43
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he GT40 bug hit me about thirty years ago, while reading an old magazine road test, Autocar I believe. I can vividly recall being thrilled by a white GT40 being driven at 175mph on some English dual carriageway in the 1960s 46 CPR Magazine
and how the test driver sped passed a waiting Police car, only laughing to himself how they couldn’t ever catch him; how times have changed! Following a succession of replica GT40s, I realised that nothing but an original would satisfy my craving, so I began
looking around for a suitable car. It soon became apparent that even those cars built using Tenant panels during the 1990s by Brian Wingfield, but wearing original GT40 VINs were not within my reach. One of these cars was offered to me for “an offer North of
number of my car is ‘P/1042’ and declared on the official records as “manufactured 1966”. For legal reasons, I must differentiate between my car and ‘GT40P/1042,’ although both cars were painted yellow around 2000 and might have some Franco Sbarro connection. I can say nothing more, other than I can prove provenance dating back to 1994 when P/1042 was imported into the UK. Uncovering The Past
$3.5 million”! A deal with a fellow club member sadly fell through, so I was left looking at a possible Mirage, Gox, Gelsco or Holman tub. None of these options were really open to me because it looked as if they’d take too long to construct or were outside of my budget. I can’t recall how I came across Classic Car Developments in New Zealand, but a deal was struck in November
2009. This had the added benefit that they had built a number of tubs for original cars when their chassis’s were either rusted through or crash damaged. Although I’m not at liberty to reveal which GT40s, my tub does include a number of renovated panels from cars which have undergone restoration. I am not certain whether this is down to good planning or pure coincidence, but the chassis
Interestingly, “word on the street” reports that GT40 P/1042 was rebuilt following the fire which consumed it back in 1968/69 and ran through various owners being painted blue, yellow then more lately returned to the striking red & white livery of the Scudery Filipinetti team, taking part in historic races from the early 1990s to present. One such owner was Jean Blaton, a Belgian racing driver, who owned GT40P/1042 in the early 1990s and who painted it Belgium racing yellow. However, I needed a shell to clothe my monocoque chassis in, when Frank Catt of Wealdon Engineering said he knew where an original shell was for sale. This was swiftly purchased, and my car was, hence, reconstructed using the fibreglass body shell off GT40 P/1001, the 1965 New York Motor Salon and World’s Fair show car, it being one of the most campaigned GT40s, taking part in no less than 29 races between 1966 and 1969. In June 1966 the car took part in the 24 hours of Le Mans, being driven by Jacky Ickx & Jochen Neerpasch. Numbered car ‘60’, resplendent in the white with red & black stripes February 2012 47
Front chassis section.
The rear part of the chassis with engine block fitted.
Engine block minus heads. 48 CPR Magazine
of the Essex Wire company, it failed to complete the race, but as all GT40 aficionados will recall, Ford GT40s took the most historic of wins that year, placing 1st, 2nd & 3rd overall, in a well documented photo finish. African Challenge In August 1966 The car, numbered ‘109,’ driven by Alan Rees, failed to finish at Brands Hatch, but managed a creditable 10th place at Zeltweg, driven by Innes Ireland & Mike Spence. However, it failed again to finish its next couple of races at Kyalami, with David Hobbs & Mike Spence and at Killarney, with David Hobbs & Mike Hailwood, during the month of November. The car ended the 1966 season out in South Africa being campaigned in the Springbox series, now painted white with green stripes, it recorded the following results; Kumalo, driven by Hobbs finishing 1st, Kumalo, driven by Hailwood
Blyton Park track layout. Park) Koni dampers waiting to (Blyton be fitted to the car.
finishing 1st, Lourenco Marques, driven by Hobbs finishing 2nd, Pietermaritzburg, driven by Hobbs & Hailwood, again finishing 1st, thus ending 1966 with a string of successes under its belt. Over the next three years the car saw action at Snetterton, Silverstone, Crystal Palace, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Croft, Zeltweg, Monza, Zandvoort, Nuerburgring, Spa, Vila Real, Hockenheim, and its final event in August 1969 at Thruxton, where Matt Daghorn steered it into 7th place, a worthy conclusion to this GT40s racing career. Illustrious Career Thus, during 1966 to 1969, the car found itself being raced by a number of well known personalities such as; Jacky Ickx, Jochan Nerpasche, Allan Rees, Innes Ireland, Mike Spence, Mike Hailwood, David Hobbs, Denis Hulme, Frank Gardner, Charles Lucas, Roy Pike, John Raeburn, Martin Shenken, Andrew Cox, Ian Williams, Nicholas GranvilleSmith and the aforesaid Matt Daghorn.
One of the heads under restoration.
The genuine GT40 cylinder heads bear the tell-tale ‘1079’ stamp. February 2012 49
The GT40 can just be seen in this line-up at Spa in May 1968. 50 CPR Magazine
I have a series of monochrome photographs taken by a friend of the then owner, Terry Smith of Tunbridge Wells who, along with the current secretary of the GT40 Enthusiasts Club, David Scaif, drove 1001 to Maidstone Police Station for road registration in 1970. One point of interest is the wide rear grill which first appeared on the car in 1967. The reason for this unusual
modification is unknown, but at least it is a significant feature to look out for in period photographs. The other slightly less unusual detail is the fact this is a ‘cross over’ car, meaning that while it has two fuel tanks, they are both interconnected, resulting in only one, offside, fuel filler; a Le Mans 1966 modification I believe. Another point of interest, is that as GT40P/1000 was
Port SPA in May 1968.
February 2012 51
Left: Boxes of original parts waiting to be restored and fitted to the author’s car.
minor items such as: period Fispa fuel regulator, Italian 48 IDA Webbers, FAV inlet Manifold, and even original, rapidly decaying magnesium suspension uprights. Original Parts
destroyed in Bob MacLean’s fatal accident, when his Comstock-sponsored GT40 exploded in a fiery crash during the 1966 race at Sebring in Florida, means that the bodywork off 1001 is probably the oldest surviving GT40 shell around today. ‘JFL 97D’ was, hence, reconstructed using one of the most original and historic body shells available.
overlooked, and the vast majority of parts haven’t only come from GT40s, but are, in themselves, over 45 years old; from the 1965 DS25/ZF-0 gearbox, 1965 289 cu/ins HiPo-GT40 V8, single nostril panel from P/1020 (the ex-Le Mans museum car), original GT40 BRM magnesium wheels shod with Dunlop racing crossply tyres, to the
Revealing The Past As the restoration of the rear clip started, it was interesting to see archaeology of paint layers reflecting the various race teams the car had raced with. It surprised me to think that paint was simply applied on top of other layers, thus entombing the history of the car until revealed in Lee Dawson’s workshop. During reconstruction of ‘JFL 97D,’ no period detail was
Even the fire extinguisher is a genuine GT40 part.
52 CPR Magazine
As the reconstruction progressed, more and more original & period parts became available to me via suppliers and I soon found myself ditching reproduction parts, replacing them with somewhat tired originals, ones which had seen real ‘life.’ An example of this is my radiator which came from a retired JW Automotive engineer. The radiator had been built by Serck Services of London back in the day. It needed repairing, so I had the modern reincarnation of the company, now called Serck of Hayes, Middx’ repair it, a nice touch with continuing provenance I feel. One of the biggest coincidences happened during a conversation about my 1965 289 cu/ins engine, which had come from Mathwall Engineering. The cylinder heads are genuine C6FE ones and came from GT40P/1079, but the short motor was unknown. That is before
The author (Right) pictured during the ‘hand-over’ ceremony. Stuart Mathieson checked his records, informing me that my engine had come from a yellow GT40 in the early 1990s. Only Jean Blaton’s 1042 for heaven’s sake! Hence, my GT40 is a ‘mongrel’ of not only original, but period parts coming from the following cars: GT40P/1001, 1002, 1005, 1009, 1017, 1020, 1026, 1029, 1042, 1045, 1064 and 1088. The hundreds of other parts come from unknown GT40s although perhaps, one day, each of them will reveal themselves!
Passport inspection, in order to make sure it complies with 1966 homologation standards and be thus, eligible for the European classic sports racing series. I’m sure you can imagine how
excited I’ll be when my wife, Debbie, and I, travel down to Southampton in order to collect my fully reconstructed 1966 Ford GT40 from the docks. I am not sure I will sleep a wink that night!
An original GT40 fuel tank selector.
Amost Ready! This project began in November 2009 and is hoped to be completed by late Spring 2012, ready for the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Le Mans Classic, although it will still have to go through the FIA’s Historic Technical February 2012 53
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ford capri Brooklands 280
The iconic Ford Capri. Over one million were produced, but the last of the breed were the Brookalnds 280 limited edition cars, of which just over a thousand were built. Richard Snowdon talks to Simon Hazeldine about his example.
E
veryone has an opinion on Ford’s iconic Capri. It’s a bit of a ‘Marmite’ car – you either love it…or you hate it. Thing is, I love Marmite, so to me, the Capri is a wonderful car and one that 60 CPR Magazine
deserves every accolade that has ever been bestowed upon it. My own personal love affair with the Capri started during my childhood. On roads that were crammed with Vauxhall
Cavaliers and Ford Cortinas, the Capri stood out and really caught my developing imagination, thanks to its curvaceous lines and sporty looks. It is a well used cliché in the automotive world, but
Richard S
nowdon an
the car really did look like it was going fast even when it was standing still! My dad was a Sales Director for Sellotape at the time, and while there was never any shortage of sticky tape in our household, his company cars barely moved the needle on my ‘excite-o-meter.’ That was until the day that he
d his Capri
280.
came home from work and announced that he was to get a new company car. Not only would he get a nice, shiny new motor, he could also choose from one of three models; a Cortina (Saloon or Estate), a Vauxhall of some description… or a Capri. Suddenly he had my attention. A Capri…now you’re talking!
How cool would I look being dropped off at the school gates in a Capri? Not only that, but when the playground conversation turned to cars, as it invariably did, I could chip in with “well…my dad’s got a Capri” and win just about any argument. It was a no-brainer – it simply had to be the Capri. I set about starting a oneFebruary 2012 61
Classic car - classy setting!
Discrete vinyl badges are the only clue to the car’s rarity. man (or boy) Capri promotion campaign in my household, telling my dad exactly why he should pick the curvy coupe, but to my utter dismay, he was thinking of getting a Cortina Estate because (wait for it) he could “fit more boxes of tape in it.” 62 CPR Magazine
The concept of practicality was lost on me; who cares how many boxes would fit in it! I unleashed every psychological weapon in my inventory: crying, screaming, sulking and tantrums, until he eventually gave in and said he would get the Capri.
Coolest Dad! A few weeks later and a beautiful bright red 1.6L Capri MkIII sat on the driveway. Inside it was trimmed with lashings of tan vinyl with matching cloth covered seats. Apparently it had ‘bucket seats’ too – I had no idea what that meant at the time, but it sounded pretty cool. Outside, it had four circular headlights and that aggressive looking radiator grill, a massive tailgate and a bonnet that seemed to go on forever. I now officially had the coolest dad in the village! I used to love being chauffeured around in the Capri and I often wonder where that car ended up. Probably turned into saucepans by now. Maybe it’s a good thing that I don’t know. Years later my obsession with
the Capri would come back for a second bite. When I was 19 I went out and bought myself a Triumph Spitfire which was a superb little car, but due to the fact it was getting on a bit, it wasn’t terribly reliable. I didn’t have the money to restore it properly, so I was constantly fixing it or patching it up. I learned a lot about cars from the Spitfire, but unfortunately, every time it broke down, usually in the early hours of the morning in the middle of nowhere, I would have to call my dad and ask him to tow me home. “Why can’t you get a proper car?” he would say as I tied the tow rope to the chassis of the Spitfire. Proper Car As much as I loved the little Triumph, he had a point. A car is only useful if it can get you from A to B…and then back to A again without breaking down. Eventually I parted with the Spitfire and started looking for a ‘proper car.’ According to my dad, that meant something reasonably modern with lowish mileage, reliable and preferably with some sort of warranty. Hmmm…what about a Capri? Soon I had my own 1.6 Capri sitting on the driveway, and while I missed the little Spitfire, the comfort and reliability of the newer car made the separation a little less painful. The car was three years old when I bought it and had 28,000 miles on the clock. When I eventually parted with the car, it had done over 200,000 miles…and I had enjoyed every single one of them. There followed a succession of rather dull, uninteresting cars, but my passion for the Capri
The Capri is still fitted with the original factory 7-spoke alloy wheels. never went away. One of the cars I lusted after was the last of Capri line – the Brooklands 280. This limited edition version of the Ford coupe was a near mythical beast, even when it was new, and when I spotted one for sale at the local Ford dealership, it was going for crazy money and well out of my reach as I was in the process of buying my
first house at the time. One person who was slightly more fortunate than I is Capri enthusiast Richard Snowden. Richard is a member of the Sporting Bear’s Motor Club and I first spotted his immaculate Capri 280 when I attended the club’s recent track day at Aintree in Liverpool. Despite being surrounded by Ferraris,
Twin headlights at the front are a neat styling point. February 2012 63
The V6 engine seems to fill the huge engine bay. will surely agree that Richard was true to his word on that last point…and then some.
Richard has all the original service books and hand books
Astons and Lamborghinis, I was immediately drawn to the humble Ford and instantly recognized it as one of the much sought after 280s. Richard found the car back in 2004. It was lying unused under a dust sheet not far from his Macclesfield home 64 CPR Magazine
and when he saw it he knew at once that he had to have it. The owner initially appeared reluctant to sell his treasured car, but Richard persevered and assured the vendor that he would look after it. If you look through the photos accompanying this article, you
Raising Money The car was in what Richard describes as ‘show condition’ when he bought it, although it wasn’t a concours car. Despite this, he spent the next five years entering the car into lots of competitions and has won a small mountain of plaques and silverware with the spotless Ford. While many of us would be content to have an award winning car in our garage, Richard decided to use the car for a very different purpose as he explains. “In 2009 I wanted a change and I began to use the car to raise money for children’s charities, and so far it has
Spacious boot area.
Spare wheel well. raised in excess of £1,700 for The Children’s Adventure Farm in Cheshire (CAFT). I also had the privilege of ‘garaging’ her in the main bar of The James Braid Suite at The Mere Golf and Country Club in December 2010, again for CAFT, as the centre piece at their Annual Ball. The car was displayed complete with her own lighting rig, and I am glad to say we came out of that unscathed. I then found out about the Sporting Bears club and it sounded like an excellent way to help me further my aim of helping children’s charities. My most recent outing with the ‘Bears’ was at the ‘Dream Ride’ event at Aintree; the most worthwhile and thought provoking event I have ever done.”
Snowmobile Richard’s Capri is very much reserved for fair weather usage and charity work; it isn’t his every day car and he doesn’t take it out in the rain. He has only broken that selfimposed rule once and that was when I asked him if he
could take some more photos for this feature. It didn’t rain on the day he took it out…it snowed! Of course, I now feel terribly guilty, more so when he explained just how much effort he puts into keeping the car immaculate. “Most weekends I can be found
Right: A close-up of the stainless-steel exhaust system and rear axle.
February 2012 65
66 CPR Magazine
The Capri’s interior is surprisingly roomy and trimmed to a high standard. in the garage working on the Capri, much to the amusement of my neighbours and long suffering wife. They often ask why I spend all day cleaning and maintaining an already clean and mechanically sound car! “Why do I do it? In short, I now like to use, and some say abuse, my car and drive it for the benefit of others, getting her out there and seen on the road, or in the odd Country Club. “In order to keep her feeling loved and in pristine condition, I spend countless hours in the garage so that hopefully she can continue to bring enjoyment, not only to me, but also to the others she has helped via the charity work.”
Heater controls and radio. Note the ‘280’ on the radio display. ‘Autosessive’ Richard’s most recent accolade was winning a competition which saw him being crowned the country’s top ‘Autosessive’ after the entering a contest on the Autosessive website which
is run by CES Ltd. Users of the website had to vote on their favourite car from a vast selection of entries and it was Richard’s Capri which came out on top. For winning the competition, Richard was awarded a prize February 2012 67
package that included an exclusive track day, vouchers for Autosessive and a host of goodies from the website itself. Autosessive’s marketing manager Simon Moore, presented Richard with his prize at the start of the Classic Rally Winter Challenge in Chester. Richard said: “I saw the competition and was encouraged by friends to enter. I’ve spent a lot of time 68 CPR Magazine
in my garage, working hard to keep my car in pristine condition, so I was happy to send in my photos. I didn’t expect to win at all, so I was truly speechless when I found out I had won. It’s a wonderful feeling to be recognised for a past time you enjoy so much.” Stage Star! As if that wasn’t enough, Richard’s Capri also grabbed
its own ’15 minutes of fame’ at last November’s Classic Motor Show, when it became a star of the prestigious Wheeler Dealers live show. “It was my first visit to The Classic Motorshow at The NEC. Not as an exhibitor but as a member of The Sporting Bears Motor Club offering Dream Rides to members of the public in exchange for a donation to charity. We had,
a ‘Cool Wall’ that detailed the cars on offer and how much of a donation was required to secure a ten mile ‘Dream Ride.’ In all, over the three days, we raised an impressive £37,075. I attended for all three days with my Capri 280 and although not as busy as some of the more exotic cars on offer, such as the Bentley Mulsanne and Supersports, Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s
Above: Richard likes to take his Capri on the track to raise money for charity. Right: The sumptuous leather seat covers give the interior a luxury feel. February 2012 69
The classic blue oval.
The glovebox is a generous size. be worth the effort. He gave the Capri a great build up and Mike’s request to have a Capri on stage made me feel better than ever about being one of the select group of people who have the privilege to own and drive a Capri.”
The Capri on show at the Mere Golf & Country Club. (including Countach),Jaguar XJ220, Lola, Shelby GT500 and Ultima GTR to name but a few, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “On the Friday, I set off to drive the route so that I wouldn’t get lost when giving the ‘Dream Rides’ and when I returned to the garage I was informed that I was due on stage at 12.15 with Mike Brewer and Edd China. A hectic two hours 70 CPR Magazine
followed to get the car looking its best as it was far from presentable after the previous day’s journey down from Cheshire. Mike had been around the hall first thing that morning and chose the Capri (along with four other cars) to go on the Live Stage. It would be driven on stage and used to highlight the work that the Sporting Bears do, so it would certainly
‘Dell-Boy’ It’s certainly a heart-warming story, but there may be some people who wonder why the humble Capri is given so much attention. After all, this is the same model of car that was made infamous by a certain ‘Dell Boy’ on the TV series ‘Only Fools & Horses,’ with all subsequent Capri owners (including myself!) being lumbered with the same nickname for many years after. But the Brooklands 280 is no ordinary Capri; with a total of just 1,038 rolling of the
production line, it is in fact a rarer car than a Ferrari 308. It could have been ever rarer; Ford had originally intended to make just 500 examples of the 280, but such was the demand that it doubled the intended run. It’s great to see car like this being preserved for future generations, even more so as it is being used to raise much needed funds for children’s charities. Richard says he plans to keep using the car to raise money and is planning to run the car at several Sporting Bears events this year, including one in Teeside and also a return visit to Aintree. Ford Capris – you’ve gotta love ‘em. A “proper car” as my Dad would call it, and I’m sure he would approve. I certainly do, and as for Richard, well he’s just obsessed...and who can blame him? Right, now where’s my Marmite gone?
Richard, the Capri and Mike Brewer on stage at the Classic Motor Show.
Richard’s Capri at the Classic Rally Winter Challenge in Chester.
Classic curves - rear window on the Capri.
February 2012 71
Brooklands Capri 280 Specifications Engine Gearbox Wheelbase Length Width Height 0-60mph Maximum Speed Quantity Built
72 CPR Magazine
6-Cylinder V6 2,972cc 5-speed Manual 2,563mm (100.9in) 4,376mm (172.8 in) 1,698mm (66.9 in) 1,298mm (51.1 in) 7.8 Seconds 130mph 1,038
February 2012 73
autodrome
The Preservation Of Automotive History
Surf’s Up! The staff at the Coventry Transport Museum have been going around calling each other ‘Dude’ and seem to have thing about sunglasses and flip-flops. Maybe it has something to do with the current Wheels & Waves Exhibition? David Harrison went to find out.
74 CPR Magazine
The surf scene just wouldn’t be the same without the VW camper!
When ever I am in Coventry and have an hour or two to spare, I always make a point of dropping in to the Coventry Transport Museum. Not just because it is a superb museum, which it is, but mainly because the exhibits are constantly changing so there is always something new to see.
A ‘Beach Buggy’ poses in front of the beach huts.
Part of this exhibit shuffling policy involves hosting different exhibitions in the museum’s large gallery just next to the entrance hall. The previous exhibition showcases Le Mans racers and features cars from the 1930s up to the 1990s. The latest exhibition to occupy the space is called ‘Wheels &
Waves’ and looks at some of the iconic cars and vans that have become icons of the surfing scene on both sides of the Atlantic. Some of the vehicles on display will need little introduction, such as the venerable Volkswagen Beetle and the Type 2 vans from the same maker. There almost seems to be some unwritten rule that says if you buy a surf board, you also have to buy a product of the German manufacturer. Apart from the V-Dubs, there is a great collection of ‘Woody’s and ‘Hot Rods’ of show and the cars are displayed among realistic ‘surf shacks’ and mock sand dunes. The overall effect is quite impressive. Even the information for each vehicle is displayed on individual miniature surf boards and February 2012 75
autodrome
Of course, surfers don’t do normal paint jobs!
It seems that some surfers actually live on the beach! 76 CPR Magazine
The Preservation Of Automotive History traditional wood and wire fencing – as found on many British beaches – surrounds some of the exhibits to complete the seaside feel. One of the cars on display is perhaps not one you would automatically associate with the surfing scene. It is a black 1960 Sunbeam Rapier Mark 3, and while it might seem out of place to some, many of these cars were adopted by the ‘surf brigade’ during the 1960s and 70s. As if to prove the point the car is fitted with a roof rack which carries…yep, you’ve guessed it, a surf board. The attention to detail is superb, and a considerable amount of research must have gone into planning the display. Apart from the cars, there is also a great collection of surfing memorabilia which includes surf boards, posters,
beach towels and wetsuits. Peter Robinson from the British Museum of Surfing said: “Alongside the vehicles are 18 vintage British surfboards dating right back to the 1960s which all feature really special artwork. There’s also a series of canvasses from our collection which date back to the early 1900s and they show some of the amazing art which has been involved with surfing, so it really is a celebration of our culture. Steve Bagley, the museum’s Head of Collections, said “when you come into the exhibition you can see the surf shack and the whole thing looks like fun, and I hope people enjoy it in that way.” Admission is free, and the exhibition runs until March 18, 2012, so you still have time to see it. If you happen to be in Coventry, make sure you grab your ‘shades’ and head over to the museum. You won’t regret it Dude!
Retro ‘Hot Rod’ California style! More VW Type 2s on display.
The VW Beetle - perfect for carrying surf boards! February 2012 77
What’son
Find Out What’s On Near You!
Each month, Classic, Performance & Retro magazine brings you some of the best motoring events from around the world in our comprehensive ‘What’s On’ guide. Each listing features a live website link, so if you want know more a single click of the mouse is all you need. If you would like us to include your event, just send an e-mail with the details to: info@cprmag.com
Expect some impressive vintage racing machines at Race Retro on February 24-26.
February 2012 Date Event
Website/Tel
1-5
Rétromobile Show, Paris, France
www.retromobile.fr
4-8
Neige et Glace, Malsuisson, France
www.zaniroli.com
10-12
Automotoretro Show, Lingotto Fiere, Turin, Italy
www.automotoretro.it
15-18
Kuwait Concours d’Elegance, Kuwait
www.kuwait-concours.com
19
www.brooklandsmuseum.com
19
Brooklands Breakfast Club,Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey, UK International MG Spares day Stoneleigh Park, UK
24-26
24 Heures Sur Glace Revival, Quebec, Canada
www.24heures-sur-glace.com
24-26
Race Retro, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, UK
www.raceretro.com
25
Lincoln Autojumble, Hemswell, Lincs, UK
www.lincolnautojumble.com
78 CPR Magazine
http://mg-show.co.uk
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Show Report
‘Autosport International - The Racing Car Show’ acts as an unofficial curtain raiser to the new racing season. Simon Hazeldine reports from the show.
S
o, here we are again. The annual Autosport show - held between January 12-15 - acts as an unofficial starting point for 80 CPR Magazine
the UK’s motorsport season and gives drivers, teams and racing enthusiasts an excuse to drag themselves out of winter hibernation. It is the
22nd year that the show has been held and during that time it has become probably the biggest single motorsport exhibition in Europe. However,
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A dazzling display of vintage F1 cars on display at Autosport International. racing cars is an expensive business, and these are economically trying times, so the key to making a show like this a success is to offer value for money, at least as far as the public visitors are concerned.
For the trade visitors, it’s a different agenda. For them the show is all about networking and meeting new suppliers; they also get to attend the ‘Engineering Show’ in Hall 9 which is only open on the specific trade days, and if
the exhibitors are really lucky, they might even spend a large chunk of their team’s budget at the show. The Autosport show is very much split into separate ‘trade’ and ’public’ days, and I‘m still not sure if this is a good February 2012 81
Above: Ferrari 458 Italia attracted large crowds of visitors. Left: The ‘supercars’ were displayed with heavy posts and thick rope around them.
of the sport that this event represents. On the other hand, the serious trade guys don’t want to be inundated by F1 fans who have no interest in their CNC machines, and would almost certainly resent staying an extra two days just to keep ’Joe Public’ happy. I guess it’s a case of ‘you can’t please all the people all the time.’
Huge Complex thing or not. The Thursday and Friday are set aside for trade only, while the doors are thrown open to the general public over the weekend. Having a specific ‘trade day’ is great, but unfortunately the vast majority of amateur drivers and team mechanics also hold down regular day jobs, which means taking time off work if they want to 82 CPR Magazine
attend the Engineering Show during the trade days. I’m sure it’s unintentional, but to an outsider looking in it could seem like elitism. It’s a bit like saying “sorry, but we only want professional full-time teams and drivers at our show,” and it might seem like the show is sticking two fingers up to the amateur racers who are the foundation
Anyway, now I have got that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at what was on offer. Apart from the previously mentioned Engineering Show in Hall 9 (trade only) the rest of the event was spread across eight further halls of the giant NEC complex. The organisers had given each hall a theme of sorts, among which were
The McLaren MP4-12C.
TVRs on the club stand. Trade & Technical Area, National Motorsport, Careers in Motorsport, The Karting Pavilion, Historic Motorsport and Oval Racing.
Ultima track car.
them, walk around and get some nice photos of the cars. The reality was that the cars just got swallowed up in a sea of people and you couldn’t get a good photo due to the thick Performance Car Show black fence posts and chunky There was also the rope wrapped around the cars. Performance Car Show in Hall It’s a shame, because there 19, which among other things, was some amazing metal on promised to show-off a mouth- display. watering collection of exotic Apart from that though, The supercars. Performance Car Show didn’t Sadly, reality doesn’t always seem to offer much, other match the hype, and that was than the beautiful cars on certainly the case in Hall 19. the TVR Car Club display and Yes, there was a collection of some impressive kit cars on ’supercars’ which even included the Road Track Race stand. the McLaren MP4-12C, but That said, it was great if you sadly they were displayed were looking for car wax, car rather unimaginatively on alarms or racing games. individual plinths. I think I Senna can see what the organisers were trying to do here; display Thankfully, things were a little better in Hall 6 and the the cars individually so that adjoining Hall 20 where the visitors can get up close to
three main attractions were the Ayrton Senna Tribute, the Autosport Stage and the F1 Racing Grid. Interest in Senna seems to be at an all-time high, thanks mainly to the release of last year’s much-hyped documentary about the late Brazilian driver. While I have huge respect for Senna as a
February 2012 83
Sebastian Vettal’s championship winning 2012 Red Bull F1 car.
display alongside photographs and other Senna memorabilia.
Force India F1 car.
F1 Grid
Bugatti club stand.
driver, I personally thought the film was rather poor. I won’t go into the reasons here, but suffice to say I found it rather bizarre that such a film could renew interest in Senna to such a degree. The display at the Autosport show was unashamedly riding to the film’s ‘coat-tail’ with the film’s screenwriter Manish Pandley even making an appearance, but the display enclosed 84 CPR Magazine
behind the sombre black walls was second to none. Visitors prepared to spend up to one hour queuing were treated to a display of Senna’s most famous cars, including the first car Senna drove in F1 the Toleman TG 183B, and two of his McLaren cars, the MP4/4 and the MP4/8. Some of the karts which helped the charismatic Brazilian launch his driving career were also on
Across the hall was a line-up of more recent F1 machinery on the F1 Racing grid. A selection of 2011 F1 cars were lined up on an eye-catching display, with machines from Red Bull, Force India, Mercedes-Benz, Lotus-Renault, Torro Rosso, Virgin Racing and Williams. It was a great display, although how many of the cars actually ever raced is anyone’s guess, as quite often the teams send life-size mock-ups of their cars to events such as this. Still, the cars looked great; the only negative comment (and you know me…there always has to be one!) is that the display was between the ’audience’ and the main stage which meant that there was
The electric powered Lola-Drayson B12/69EV LMP Le Mans car. very little interaction between visitors and some of the guests being interviewed. Still, can’t have it all eh?
Porsche 918 RSR It was interesting to see that Porsche had a major presence at this year’s show with the Stuttgart based manufacturer having a sizable stand in Hall 20. The centre-piece of that stand was a circular turntable on which was the stunning Porsche 918RSR. It’s a stunning car, and the blade aerofoil glued to the rear end is reminiscent of many Le Mans GT racers. Also on display was the new Porsche 911 Carrera which will form the backbone of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB series. Two other German manufacturers were also present at the show, complete
Chevron GT3. with some very impressive metal. Mercedes-AMG brought along the eye-catching SLS AMG GT3 which is currently one of the most competitive cars in endurance racing. The SLS clinched 22 victories during the 2011 race season along with the FIA GT3
European Championship, so it was more than worthy of its place at the show.
Chrome Bullet Just around the corner was a BMW M3. This wasn’t just any M3 though; this one had been chrome plated all over February 2012 85
Ian Cook from Pop-Bang Colour creates a stunning piece of Senna artwork.
takes yer choice!
Bloodhound
to give it a highly reflective appearance. It certainly sparkled under the sodium lighting in the hall, but I’m not sure how practical that finish would be on the road, especially on a sunny day! I guess we will never find out since a small disclaimer on the information board next to the car said that the finish is “Not available on production cars.” The ’Chrome Bullet’ - as it is known - was shown alongside a rather more sedate looking M5 finished in dark blue. The M5’s performance is 86 CPR Magazine
impressive, with a 560hp 4.3 litre V8 engine under the bonnet returning a blistering 0-60mph time of 4.4 seconds, but to me it still looks like an average ‘sales rep-mobile’ on the outside and I wouldn’t give it a second look if one passed me on the motorway. With a book price of just over £73,000 it is considerably cheaper that most Italian exotics, but slightly more than a Porsche 911 Carrera, but that only has two seats and a lower level of comfort. Still, you pays yer money…you
Talking of performance, one car on display left all others behind when it came to speed. Even the F1 cars are slow compared this beast. I am of course talking about the World Land Speed Record contender - Bloodhound SSC. There was a full-scale mock-up of the ’car’ at Autosport and it certainly attracted a lot of attention. The Bloodhound will be fitted with an EJ200 jet engine which is the same power plant that is fitted to the RAF’s Typhoon fighter aircraft, and the team hopes that this will propel the car to over 1,000mph, or in other words, Mach 1.4 - faster than the speed of sound! The team is aiming to have the car running and making record attempts by 2013, so it should be an interesting couple of years.
Stars On Stage Over on the main stage a number of motorsport personalities were being interviewed, among whom were current Force India driver Paul Di Resta, Aston Martin Racing’s Darren Turner and BBC F1 pundits Jake Humphrey and David Coulthard. The latter two gave a couple of entertaining chats but were obviously briefed to ’talk up’ the BBC’s
F1 coverage in 2012. With their former colleague Martin Brundle defecting to Sky TV to work alongside the likes of Damon Hill, it could become a fascinating battle to see who can attract the most viewers.
Electric Racer One car that really caught my eye – and my imagination – was the Lola-Drayson B12/69EV electric-powered Le Mans prototype racing car. Yep, I’ll say that again… electric-powered Le Mans prototype racing car! If, like me, you immediately think of quirky looking three-wheelers or even the much maligned Gee Whiz when ever you hear electric cars being mentioned, then this will be something of an eye-opener. The new car was unveiled at the show during the 2012 Low Carbon Racing Conference by Motorsports Industry Association President, Lord Drayson. When the Union Jack wrap came off the car, it was obvious that this was no quirky three-wheeler! It looked every inch a Le Mans LMP1 car and it wouldn’t have looked out of place on last year’s 24 Hour Race grid. Speaking at the unveiling, project pioneer Lord Drayson, former Minister of Science and Innovation, Managing Partner at Drayson Racing Technologies said: “Electric racing represents a considerable new business opportunity for motorsport and underlines the growing commercial potential of ‘green racing’ and technology. Electric-powered racing is really taking off with the launch of the new FIA Formula E world championship for
Porsche 918 RSR.
TV’s ‘Wheeler Dealers’ Mike Brewer and Edd China on the ‘Live Stage.’
BMW ‘Chrome Bullet’ M3. February 2012 87
Another stunning collection of veteran F1 cars on display.
88 CPR Magazine
Nick Mason’s Ferrari 250 GTO. electric racing cars planned for 2013 and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of the push for innovation at such an exciting time for the sport and industry. “Indeed, the B12/69EV racing car showcases advances such as inductive charging, composite battery power, moveable aerodynamics and electrical regenerative damping, making it one of the most innovative cleantech motorsport project in the world. With over 850 horsepower, it aims to be the fastest electric-powered racecar to lap a circuit.” It remains to be seen how competitive it would be if it were to go up against other current LMP cars, but the team plans to find out when it starts testing in the Spring. Lord Drayson added: “When the weather’s good here in the UK we will start a development programme and learn how to optimise an electric car. Then we plan to go for ‘time-attack’ and electric world records with the car; certainly on paper this car should be able to set some new records and that what we
Radical Road Racer! will aim to do during 2012.” Another impressive car of
The new Caterham 2012 F1 car.
display was the Radical Racing SR3 SL. Okay, it looks much like all the other racing cars produced by the Peterborough-based company, but the ‘SL’ in its name happens to stand for ‘Street legal.’ Yep, this is a serious race or track day car that you can legally drive on UK roads. The car comes loaded
with a 300bhp RPE-Ford 2000cc,turbocharged engine with split-event direct injection, twin-independent variable cam timing, ‘fly-bywire’ throttle and a bespoke engine management system. Connecting that to the wheels is a six-speed sequential gearbox and transaxle with Quaife ATB differential. February 2012 89
Winged warrior! The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 is one amazing looking car!
90 CPR Magazine
The new ‘road-legal’ Radical SR3 SL.
Amazingly, this ‘race’ car also comes with electricallyadjustable wing mirrors, cockpit heating, courtesy lighting, and a 12V auxiliary socket. It looks like a great car, but I’m not sure what the Radical marketing guys have been smoking. A quick glance at the SR3 SL brochure left me wondering as it starts with: “Mist hugs the valleys, the roads are empty, sweeping ‘bad show’ or ‘must try harder’ corners await your arrival as but on reflection, any show the day breaks. The crunch of of this size will have its good a gravel driveway underfoot is and bad points. Overall, I’d the prelude to a day in driving ecstasy. Why? You’re in control say that this year’s Autosport of a Radical SR3 SL.” Hmmmm. International show got it just about right, although some Jolly Good Show! of the visitors I spoke to did I usually round off these mention that it seemed pretty reports by saying ‘good show, much the same show they saw
Ex-works 1964 MGB Roadster. last year. However, if you are in the market for a racing car, parts or accessories, then this show is perfect. All the suppliers under one roof, and many offering cut-price ‘show-only’ deals to get you to part with your money. What more could you want? February 2012 91
The Racing Car Show is famous for its attractive ‘grid girls’ who add a touch of glamour to some of the stands. When we published photos of the girls in last year’s report, we were swamped with requests for more, so here, as requested, are some of the young ladys at this year’s event.
92 CPR Magazine
Grid Girls!
February 2012 93
Young visitors admire Timo Glock’s VR-01 F1 car.
Kartmania 2011 Kartmania – the UK’s biggest karting show – was held at the Ricoh Arena last on December 3-4, 2011, and we thought we would pay a visit since nearly all the greatest racing drivers cut their teeth on these tiny machines. If you know nothing about karting, you might be surprised to learn just how popular it has become, with drivers young and old racing on tracks all over the British Isles on a regular basis. Some of the karts are amazingly fast too, with some easily exceeding 100mph and one or two can even get close to F1 speeds! Now that’s a scary thought! The show itself is run by Martin Capenhurst, a keen kart driver himself, but also organiser of last year’s Motorsport UK show which was held at the same venue. Martin brings together many of the leading kart manufacturers along with parts and equipment suppliers to make Kartmania a one-stop shop for anyone looking to get into karting. It is also a great event for any other racing drivers since you can meet companies that supply helmets, race-suits, garage equipment, tools and lots of other racing paraphernalia which can be applied to cars as well as karts. If the karts on display represented the starting point of many a racing driver’s career, then one of the machines at the event represented what most are aiming for. A Virgin Racing F1 car took pride of place on one of the stands and was keenly eyed by many of the young drivers who were at the show. Rather than give you a full run-down of what was there, we will let the pictures do the talking, so if you are planning to go this year, you’ll know what to expect. 94 CPR Magazine
February 2012 95
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auctionnews
Latest News From The Auction Rooms
Top seller was this beautiful Jaguar XK120 Roadster at £133,200.
Jaguar XK120 Tops H&H Buxton Sale H&H Auctions Buxton Sale Derbyshire, UK. December 7, 2011. H&H Auctions - Buxton, UK. Type
Year
Price
Jaguar XK120 Roadster
1951
£133,200
Aston Martin DB6 Vantage
1966
£121,000
Aston Martin DB6
1968
£74,166
Vauxhall Chevette HSR Works Car
1981
£63,270
Kieft 1100 Sports Racer
1954
£57,200
Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Cabriolet
1965
£57,200
Talbot BI 105 Sports Saloon
1936
£53,900
Aston Martin Vantage
1973
£38,500
Sunbeam Alpine MKIII Roadster
1955
£33,000
Mercedes-Benz 300 Saloon
1954
£27,500
Vauxhall Chevette HSR Works car sold for £63,270.
Even Buxton’s first snow and ice of the winter failed to dampen spirits at H&H’s last 2011 sale of collectors’ cars, motorcycles and related memorablia (December 9), and another string of impressive results saw the Cheshire-based company finish the year on a typically high note. The auction’s feature car was the 1951 ex-Walter Grant-Norton Jaguar XK120 Roadster, ‘PPE 101’, and it did not disappoint. A veteran of the Alpine, London and RAC rallies, it was without question one of the most historically important 120s to come to market in recent years. In the end, it fell to a UK buyer for £133,200. H&H has enjoyed notable success for the Aston Martin marque this year and found new homes for no less than five from this sale alone. They included: a high specification DB5 Vantage that was one of four Aston Martins to star in the opening of the M6 Toll Road; a well presented Pacific Blue 1966 DB6 Vantage (£121,000); a 1968 Silver-coloured DB6 (£75,000); a 1973 Red DBS 100 CPR Magazine
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This stunning Aston Martin DB6 Vantage sold for £121,000.
Rare Kieft 1100 fetched £57,200.
This tidy 1975 Ford Escort RS2000 sold for £17,600.
Vantage (£38,500); and a very pretty 1999 DB7 Vantage Volante (£26,400). Works rally cars continue to attract plenty of interest from collectors, and the 1981 Vauxhall Chevette HSR in which Tony Pond captured both the Circuit of Ireland and Manx Trophy events had little trouble acquiring a new keeper for £63,270. No more than six Coventry Climax-engined Kieft 1100 Sports Racing Cars were sold complete by the Wolverhampton-based manufacture, of which ‘NJW 60’ was the second of the series and raced in period by both Don Parker and David Boshier-Jones. Coming to the market for the first
time in fifty-four years it represented a very rare opportunity for aficionados of the marque and made over estimate at £57,200. Other car results of note included the: rare right-hand drive 1964 Mercedes-Benz 300SE Cabriolet (£57,200); nicely restored 1936 Talbot BI 105 Sports Saloon (£53,900); stunning-looking 1955 Sunbeam Alpine MIII Roadster (£33,000); mighty 571bhp 1998/2009 Magnum 427 Cobra Evocation finished in head-turning Polynesian Turquoise and rare 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 ‘Adenauer’ Saloon, both of which cost their new keepers £27,500. February 2012 101
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Jaguar E-Type A Celebration Format: PAL/Colour Running Time: 88 Minutes Price: £16.99 Available From: www.dukevideo.com
Since it rolled off the Jaguar production line in 1961, the iconic E-Type has been one of the most desirable cars in the world, a heady mixture of style, elegance, performance, passion, good looks and engineering excellence. Jaguar E-Type - A Celebration marks the E-Type’s 50th anniversary and recalls the history and sporting pedigree of the British masterpiece. It also revisits the legendary machines, meets the experts and discovers how the E-type is being readied for another five decades of automotive distinction. Archive film and glorious modern footage of meticulously maintained surviving examples charts the story of Jaguar and the racing successes of the 1950s which paved the way for the ultimate road-going sportscar, the E-Type. We hear from leading expert Philip Porter about his E-type collection, which includes the famous 9600 HP which was hurriedly driven from Coventry to Geneva for car’s launch and a roadster film buffs may recognise from The Italian Job. Notably, this DVD includes the recollections of former Jaguar chief development test engineer Norman Dewis about his epic overnight drive from the factory to the Geneva Motor Show in 1961 – covering the distance in just 11 hours at an average speed of 68mph! We also join some of the special events held in 2011 to mark the E-Type’s 50th anniversary, including a journey from Coventry to Geneva by 50 special E-Types, the E-Type Challenge racing series and the Silverstone Classic,
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attended by more than 1,000 E-Types and including a record-breaking parade involving hundreds of these marvellous machines. Finally, we hear from Henry Pearman, whose company Eagle E-Type is giving this classic a whole new lease of life. Renowned for its ‘ground up’ restorations, Eagle returns E-Types to their former glory and, building on the existing design excellence, makes this 50-year-old icon an essential for modern driving – described by Jeremy Clarkson as his ‘car of the century’! A must for any Jaguar fan!
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Team Lotus - My View From The Pit Wall Author: Peter Warr Price: £19.99 Format: Hardback. ISBN: 9780857331236 Available From: www.haynes.co.uk Peter Warr is a legendary figure in Formula 1 where he was involved in the running of Team Lotus throughout the 70s and 80s. However were it not for his son Andrew searching on his computer weeks after his death, this candid and beautifully written memoir, Team Lotus: My View from the Pit Wall, may not have seen the light of day. Having spent a majority of his working life at the heart of Formula 1, Peter Warr’s fascinating biography remembers his time at Team Lotus and offers a unique insight into the drivers, designers, engineers and mechanics that made up one of the greatest teams in the history of Motorsport. His son Andrew was looking for a completely unrelated document, and only stumbled upon the memoir by chance: “We spent ages trying to log onto Dad’s computer and when we eventually managed to work out his password and log on, we found a folder called Book. We knew he had been working on something but were not sure how much had been completed. I found that he had completed six chapters and quickly realised that it was a great set of memoirs. We spoke to the people at Haynes and they jumped at the chance to publish.’ Warr was one of Colin Chapman’s closest allies, as well as the man who nurtured the early Formula 1 careers of Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell. Although his book was unfinished at the time of his death in 2010, the bulk of his work was done and Motorsport journalist Simon Taylor added his own insight about Warr to complete the work. Around half of Team Lotus: My View from the Pit Wall covers the drivers that Peter worked with and he provides incredible insight into the characters and achievements of the true greats of the 70s and 80s. However his son Andrew, who works as a Programme Manager at Cosworth, feels the chapters about the engineers and mechanics are amongst the most rewarding: ‘The unique thing about the book is that my Dad understood the importance of the engineers, designers and mechanics. The drivers obviously play a huge part in the success of a racing team, but the designers and mechanics are the people that make it a team, and who often get little credit and he wanted to tell their story.’ This book is a fascinating account of what it was like to be part of the ‘golden age’ of Formula 1 and will appeal to team mechanics and engineers, as well as fans of motorsport. A compelling read. The Official Formula 1™ Season Review Author: Compilation Price: £30.00 Format: Hardback. ISBN: 9780857331083 Available From: www.haynes.co.uk This 280-page book, which includes over 500 stunning photographs, comprehensive race reports and in-depth technical analysis, catalogues the thrilling 2011 F1 season. It provides an unrivalled ‘access-all-areas’ pass to learn first-hand the details behind the stories of the season’s 19 races and Sebastian Vettel’s second successive World Championship title. The key personalities involved, including the drivers, plus senior team personnel, throw new light on many of the season’s headlines and incidents, presenting an authoritative account of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship. In addition to comprehensive race reports, superb feature content includes a look behind the scenes at the development of each of the 12 teams’ cars over the year, an appraisal by each of the 28 drivers of his own season, and a discussion by a ‘round table’ of paddock insiders who get together to debate the leading trends and topics of the 2011 season. Analysis of each race includes an ‘Inside Line’ from a driver, senior team member or official, such as that of McLaren’s Jenson Button, following his stunning victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, fighting through the field to win after lying in last place at half-distance. The dramatic, rain-affected race saw him pass Sebastian Vettel on the last lap, having recovered from an earlier collision with team-mate Lewis Hamilton: “The incident with Lewis... I couldn’t see anything when he was alongside me. I couldn’t see anything in my mirrors. It was one of those things. Then it was really a fight. I got a drive-through penalty for speeding behind the safety car and I had to fight my way through about three times. As we always say, the last lap is the important one to be leading and I led the right half of it!” The Official Formula 1 Season Review captures a stunning season of on-track battles and off-track wrangles and controversies, where despite an increasing emphasis on technology and regulation, the performance of a champion demonstrates that Formula One is still about the driver.
106 CPR Magazine
www.cprmag.com Porsche and Me Author: Hans Mezger, Peter Morgan RRP: £40.00 Format: Hardback. ISBN: 978 1 906712 082 Available From: www.motorbooks.co.uk The autobiography of one of the most prolific automobile engineers of the twentieth century. Hans Mezger joined Porsche in 1956 and became a principal contributor to the Stuttgart auto manufacturer’s unmatched success over the following 37 years. This richly personal account of a dedicated and loyal Porsche engineer will quicken every enthusiast’s heart and underline why the name of Porsche is so respected today. It is an excellent account of life at Porsche from the 1950s to the 1990s. Ford Cleveland 335-Series V8 engine 1970 to 1982 Author: Des Hammill RRP: £14.99 Format: Paperback. ISBN: 9781845843496 Available From: www.veloce.co.uk Years of meticulous research have resulted in this unique history, technical appraisal (including tuning and motorsports) and data book of the Ford V8 Cleveland 335 engines produced in the USA, Canada and Australia, including input from the engineers involved in the design, development and subsequent manufacture of this highly-prized engine from its inception in 1968 until production ceased in 1982. The definitive history of 335-Series Cleveland Small Block Ford V8 Engines produced in the USA, Canada and Australia between 1970-1982. Years of meticulous and dedicated research have allowed Des Hammill to collate extensive and accurate information to produce this fully comprehensive and unique technical appraisal of the Ford V8 Cleveland engines, including previously undocumented knowledge of both the engineers and engine plants involved in the design, development and subsequent manufacture of this highly prized engine from its inception in 1968 until production ceased in 1982. Coverage includes Ford engine plants, all Cleveland 335 variants, cylinder heads, preparation for racing, camshafts, technical data, racing history in NASCAR and Pro-Stock; in fact, just about everything you could wish to know about this classic engine. Alfa Romeo V6 Engine High-Performance Manual Author: Jim Kartalamakis RRP: £27.00 Format: Paperback. ISBN: 9781845840211 Available From: www.motorbooks.co.uk Alfa Romeo V6 engines and cars have been around for a good 25 years now, so it is about time enthusiasts of these great cars were offered a tuning/performance manual leading to more power, pleasure and excitement from the last high performance rwd Alfas. Here is the first ever Alfa V6 tuning book covering all aspects of engine/chassis improvements. Cylinder head mods, flowbench diagrams and dyno plots, big-brake conversions and suspension mods as well as electrical system improvements. Following in the tracks of the author’s well-known DOHC tuning manual this new book is the result of much research and firsthand experience gained through many projects concerning Alfa V6 rear-wheel drive models, from the GTV6 series to the last of the 75 3.0 models. A wealth of completely new information can be found here regarding cylinder head modifications, big brake modifications, LSD adjustment procedure, suspension modifications for road and track, electrical system improvements, flowbench diagrams, dyno plots, and much more! The Alfa V6 has been around for nearly three decades, so this comprehensive performance-enhancing guide for the Alfa V6 is long overdue. V6 enthusiasts everywhere now have a perfect guide for preserving, improving and modifying these excellent cars. Covers Alfa Romeo 1981-1993 on GTV6 and 75 2.5 and 3.0-litre rear-wheel drive models and all 3-litre Alfa Romeo 164 models. With over 150 photographs, comprehensive diagrams and covering the peripheral modifications necessary to deal with the massive increase in power, this book is a must-have for any Alfista.
February 2012 107
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1973 MIDGET 1275cc, tax / MoT May 2012, tax exempt, restored 1990s, garaged, SS exhaust, some spares and accessories, condition 3. £2200ono Tel: 02380 813654 (Southampton)
TR6 1973. Original UK fuel-injected car with overdrive. Emerald green with black interior. Full body off chassis restoration carried out in 2003 with detailed photographic record, including engine rebuild. Extensive history file, £1000’s spent, 12 month MOT. Call Gary on 01487 842168 (T)
NISSAN 200SX 1991 1.8 16v AUTO SILVER 6 MONTHS MOT CAR IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. NO RUST. OWNED FOR 8 YEARS PART OF MY CAR COLLECTION BUT I NEED THE GARAGE SPACE. CAR IS IN PLYMOUTH £999 phone 07710872016
108 CPR Magazine
MGA 1500 ROADSTER 1958 Old English White. 12 months MoT, Wire Wheels, Heritage Certificate. Many books and spares. Only 8000 miles since restoration in mid 1990s. £13,950ono Tel: 01779 81575
JAGUAR XKR 2001 SUPERCHARGED. PACIFIC BLUE WITH IVORY INTERIOR. 62,000 MILES, FSH, AUTO LIGHTS AND WIPERS. MEMORY PACK. CATS SUSPENSION. CRUISE CONTROL. IT IS IN OUTSTANDING CONDITION THROUGHOUT. NUMBER PLATE NOT INCLUDED IN SALE. £8,995. CONTACT MR KIM PITTAMS (07808 060080) OR 01487 842168.
Be Wise When You Advertise! When you advertise always take steps to guard against identity fraud. Do not place personal details in your adverts. If you are selling a car, remember that there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there who will use every trick in the book to part you from your car or your money. Take sensible precautions. If you are buying a car; make sure you check it thoroughly. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! Never meet a vendor on the street or at service stations. Research the type of car you are buying so you know what to look for. If you are unsure, take an expert along with you.
MGBGT. Taxed/moted, my lightly restored Gt is for sale at £2500. Old English white, Webasco roof, woodrim, overdrive, Kenwood stereo/cd. New battery and tyres. Retro push button start and immobiliser. Mot history and full ownership record support mileage 522080. Very smooth engine and gearbox, full soundproofing, waxoyled. Retired engineers 6th mgb project. m.tomkinson@o2.co.uk or mobile 07802 449822. View Enfield, by appointment.
MK1 ESCORT, 1973 2door, no sunroof, Good condition MK1 Capri interior, Chrome quarter bumpers, Bullet mirrors, Old skool Revolutions. Fuel filler hole professionally blocked. Car starts and Drives. No Mot/tax as planned to upgrade first to type 49/Twin cam replica. Needs welding n/s top strut and passenger floor(these would have been done anyway). Loss of workshop and further commitments reason for sale. Shipping UK/Abroad at your expense. UK Transport can be arranged due to it not being Road legal. Happy to answer any questions. £4,100. Tel: 07043 227171
1956 MGA ROADSTER, Red, complete nut and bolt restoration with all invoices, MGB 1800cc engine, 5 speed box, 1,100 miles, excellent condition. Genuine reason for sale, £21,950, 07595 037932 (Hampshire)
TVR Chimaera 4.0 Litre, 1999 V reg, Navy Blue, Tan Interior, Power Steering, CD player, Alloys, Full Service History, 67,666 miles. As featured in Classic, Performance & Retro magazine October 2011. £10,995. Contact Mark on 01354 638678
MG Midget 1500cc Unleaded Engine Full/Half Tonneau Cover, Rollover Bar. MOT December 2010, Tax April 2011. Good Condition Some Service History. 64000 Miles, Tahiti Blue £2,650.00 ono (Somerset)Tel 01458445806 Or email: peter.b10@tiscali.co.uk
TR6 1974 SAFIRE BLUE WITH BLACK INTERIOR. EX CALIFORNIAN CAR WITH EXCEPTIONAL BODY AND CHASSIS. GOOD HISTORY FILE. LONG MOT. OVERDRIVE. RUNNING ON TWIN SU CARBS AND CONVERTED TO RIGHT HAND DRIVE. STAINLESS TWIN PIPE EXHAUST. £6,995 OFFERS CONSIDERED. Call 01487 842168.
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MG MIDGET, WHITE, RUBBER BUMPER, 1979, 1500cc, 16,771 miles, luggage rack and radio, 12 months MOT and 6 months Tax. Very good condition. £2,500. Tel: 07947 551006 W.Sussex
1962 MG MIDGET midnight blue, 3 owners from new, 64k, Original delivery paperwork etc. Rebuilt 96, MOT July. Always garaged/used in dry. Condition 2/3. £5000 Tel: 01580 830237
TVR Griffith 5.0 litre, 1996, Yellow, Black Leather Interior, Walnut Dash, Power Steering, Full Service History, 35,079 miles. £19,995. Call Mark on 01354 638678
Morris Minor Traveller (1967)Almond green. Fairly good condition, good runner, well-maintained + garaged. Owned since 1997. MOT’d until Oct ‘12. Tax exempt. Respray, reconditioned engine, radiator + exhaust in 2006, gearbox (‘07), converted to unleaded, seat belts + engine isolator switch, complete new wood (‘03) just been re-varnished. Buyer collects. £3,450. 07043 242550
1963 Morris Minor convertible. Delightful little convertible Minor. Finished in deep black (recently re-sprayed) with brand new interior including seats recovered, new door and quarter trims recovered over new hard board. Nice red carpets and red hood really make this car stand out. 1098cc engine starts on the button and pulls very well. Full MOT and service when sold. £5,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs)
1986 Mini Cooper recreation. Stunning car finished in grey with white roof. Full rebuild with a rust free shell, and is fitted with many period MK1 parts including MK1 boot lid, rear lights, cooper front grill, full wood dash and cooper alloys and wheel arch spats. 1275 GTA engine fitted runs perfect. All in all this mini is as close to perfect as they come. £5,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs)
TR4 1964 Full body off restored rally style TR4. 89mm Omega pistons, with fast road cam running on Webbers with very quick engine (reputed 180bhp!) Extensive engine upgrades. Rebuilt & uprated A-Type overdrive, Alloy Surrey top. Great fun to drive. Full photographic history file of the restoration. £27,500. Call Gary on 01487 842168 (T)
1976 MGB GT V8 factory car, flame red with black leather interior. Dry use only. Professionally restored (1998). FSH. A superb example of this rare model. Condition 2. £5995. Tel: 01642 750877
1974 Triumph Stag £6,995 This manual, overdrive car still retains its original factory hard top and has a good soft top. On the road the car performs very well with a super strong, responsive engine and a smooth, quiet gearbox. 01944 758000
1980 MGB GT Yellow, 110,965 miles, SORN / garaged, since 2000, taxed 6 months, year MoT. Lady owner since 1986, one pervious owner. £2750ono. Ideal Christmas present?! Condition 3. Tel: 02392 732837 jwilsonmather@yahoo.co.uk (Portsmouth)
MGB ROADSTER 1973 Flame red, superb condition, walnut dashboard, wire wheels, overdrive,, comprehensive restoration history, bm/ht certificate taxed long MoT last 10 years low dry mileage. Condition 2. £7,500ono Tel: 01702 588089 (Essex)
1963 Ford Classic Consul, MOT, new paintwork, brand new tyres including the spare, drives like a dream - no knocking or screeching, tax exempt, cheap on classic car insurance. £3,250, 01302 560096
MG TF 160vvc, 2003, 70,700 miles. Service history includes: MG new design cylinder head, new clutch and cambelt, waxoyled. MoT 22/07/12 tax 31/01/12 medical condition forces sale. Condition 3. £1995ono. Tel: 01736 366606 (Cornwall)
MGB ROADSTER 1965, with overdrive, Red, Seebring bodykit, flared arches, Wolfrace wheels, wide tyres. Solid car. T&T. 5-bearing crank. Runs well, stiff suspension. Does need TLC. £3250 ono. 07817 850022 Day. 01895 236747 Eve
February 2012 December 2010 109
Smallads
ZT-T 260SE 4.6LTR V8 mustang, 2004/54, facelift, one of 70. 5 speed manual, FMGSH, MOT, Tax, traction, ABS, climate control, sunroof, GPS/TV, half leather, 47,400 miles, brilliant. £10870 ono. 01296 770450 Bucks
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MGF 1.8i, THAITIT BLUE, 2000 W plate 62k. Leather upholstery. New hood, cylinder head/timing Mini Red Hot (1988) in Flame Red belt. FSH. Garaged/covered. (Manual) with Grey interior trim. MOT and Tax until April 2011. This car has just undergone a full VGC, great fun. £2300. Telephone mechanical overhaul including 07768 323558 (Hampshire) new subframe and components. It’s a very tidy, presentable example and an ideal starter car for a young person. £4,995. 01325 311232
1971 RACING GREEN MIDGET for restoration. Off road for 12 years following MOT failure on body work. £500.00 Tel: 01590 644616, Hampshire.
1961 Austin Healey 3000 MKII Works Replica RHD. Colorado red, old English white works hard-top. Road/race/rally, full FIA papers past and present available. A fortune has been spent with leading race Healey specialists. Massive spec. Very fast. Please contact Martin Daly for full and detailed mechanical spec. Stunning machine. £48,950. 01663 733209
Jaguar 3.8 S Type. 1966. Manual, with Overdrive. Gun Metal Grey with Red interior. This is a top example of this famous Marque. This Jaguar 3.8 S Type comes with the original Service History from the 60’s and 70’s, also the wall maintenance sheet, and the original Log Book. Thick files of very detailed Service History from later periods. This Jaguar totally lives up to its pedigree. Sleek, fast, stunningly beautiful. Very special top condition. £16,900. 0114 231 5000
MGF, 1.8 VVC 2003. Silver, MGB ROADSTER 1977, black leather, air-con. Alloys, CD Flamenco red. Lady owner last player, central-locking/alarm, 84K, 29 years, all history, not used last serviced regularly (condition 3), 6 years. Mechanically excellent removable boot luggage rack/ but work needed for MOT. Ideal weather-proof suitcase. MOT restoration project, £1,750. Aug11, Tax Feb11. 01844 351211 Nottingham 0115 9261175. £1,950 ono
110 CPR Magazine
1967 mustang, 289 V-8 with Flowmaster headers and C-4 automatic transmission giving power to the ground. Beautiful red exterior with handsome black vinyl top and red interior. Its stunning appearance is enhanced by 2008 16 inch GT wheels with optional spinners. Options include: power steering, power brakes, windshield washers, remote control exterior door mirror, console, vinyl top, selfretracting seat belt package, with new radiator, new bumpers, and has a Panasonic CD player, Vin # 7F01C214697. 43500 miles on odometer (unconfirmed). This is a clean Texas car. 001 336-7658312 (USA)
This superb example had a full engine rebuild to 250BHP by leading engineer Simon Armstrong of Ultimate Performance Ltd (a full page write-up can be seen in the Club-Lotus Magazine). Finished in Brooklands green with magnolia leather trim, alloys, sunroof, aircond, uprated brakes, suspension, stainless sportsexhaust. Presented in near Concours condition after a recent, full, re-commission. A very special Ferrari 2004 Ferrari Enzo Esprit. £18,950. 01663 733209 £875,000. Beautifully presented example of this amazing car that was a classic from inception. Finished in red with bespoke black alcantara with red quilted stitching. Contact Joe Macari Tel: +44(0)20 8870 9007 Email: sales@joemacari.com Joe Macari MGC ROADSTER with triple carb Downton Conversion. 1968 Old English White with Red leather interior, Red hood, boot rack. Good runner £14,995 contact Keith 07889 805432 keith@classicmobilia.co.uk MG ZA, 1956, RED lots of time and money spent restoring but now unable to finish. Engine running, interior needs refurbish. Modified gearbox, front disc brakes. Offers considered. Tel: 01638 660665 Newmarket
MIDGET 1973 RWA, 1275 engine, gearbox overhauled, complete clutch assembly, everything works! Professionaly maintained, garaged, tripod headlamps, bumper included, duck hood, leather seats, Taxed Oct11, MOT Oct11. 07930 521335. £4750 ovno. Lancs. Condition 2
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MG TF VVC 160 SPRINT SPECIAL EDITION (52). Chrome TR5 FULL RESTORATION TO pack, luggage rack. Gunsmoke, b/ EXCEPTIONAL STANDARD. part/leather seats, e/mirrors, PAS, PROFESSIONAL DETAILED 16” Alloy, brand new hood, grey BODY OFF CHASSIS BUILD TO CONCOURS STANDARD AND tonneau cover, 28k miles. £4995. VIRTUALLY NO MILES SINCE. 07766 167521 CHROME WIRE WHEELS FULL LEATHER AND WALNUT INTERIOR. THIS CAR IS AS BEAUTIFUL ON THE UNDERSIDE AS IT IS THE TOP! VIRTUALLY READY TO SHOW OR ENJOY. Telephone: 01487 842168
TRIUMPH TR4 - 2.5 1963 Signal Red fitted CP TR6 stage 2 engine, on triple SU’s. TR5 performance, superb drive. Body-off chassis/ suspension/engine upgrades by TR specialist. Strong and reliable £15,950 ono. For spec & photos call Mike 07979 531877 or e-mail mike@chadinman.com
MGB V8 3.5EFI ROADSTER Vitesse 3.5 big valve engine + R/Rover EFI. Very fast! New 15” polished wheels. Yokohamas. MGC axle. Professional respray 2010. New leather. Full MOT. A/ value £14K, accept £12,500. 1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500, This MGB ROADSTER 1967, 01332 833889 is a good solid little 1500cc Midnight Blue, wire wheels. Rust gray.geoff@virgin.net Spitfire. Finished in green with free. Reconditioned engine, 4 light beige seats. Drives and runs syncromesh overdrive gearbox, very well, also fitted with a roll bar. black carpet, new dashboard, New MOT and service when sold. black leather seats, moto-lita £2495.00. 01733 270227 / 07841 steering wheel, new hood. £9,500. 718715 (T) T: 07802 255555 London. Cond 2
TRIUMPH VITESSE MKII 2LTR CONVERTIBLE. OVERDRIVE. FULL BODY OFF RESTORATION WITH DETAILED PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD. EXTENSIVE HISTORY, REBUILT ENGINE LOTS OF BILLS AND OLD MOT’S ETC. RUNS AND DRIVES REALLY WELL, STAINLESS EXHAUST. HAS THE ODD PAINT BLEMISH WHICH YOU WILL FORGIVE ONCE YOU HAVE SEEN THE UNDERSIDE! LAST OWNER FOR 6 YEARS, WILL COME WITH 12 MONTHS MOT. £6,495. Telephone: 01487 842168
1970 Triumph TR6, good solid car, this is the 150bhp model with the 2.5L injection engine. Finished in red with black interior. Original TR6 wheels. MOT’d till May 2011 & tax excempt so ready to go!!! Good history file. Good early 6 at the right money! £7,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs)
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Austin Healey 100/6 BN4 1957 early longbridge car. Ex north america LHD. Structurally superb. Very original black car fitted with front disc brakes and louvered bonnet, running and driving. Easy project. 01723 361227
Sebring SX, 2008 registration, 3.9 Rover V8 with fast road cams, 1986 Porsche 928S, 4.7 litre V8 Gas flowed cylinder heads, Holly engine and automatic gearbox. 360 carbs,offenhauser manifold, Finished in Guards Red with 5 speed gearbox. Electronic half leather red seats and grey ignition, uprated oil pump, Oil carpets. Lovely looking 928 cooler and remote filter system. with the wedge front and early Roll bar, 3 point seat belt harness, style rear lights. Body is in great 16” Image alloy wheels, fast road condition and shines beautifully. model. As featured in Classic, Good history file with this car, Full Performance & Retro June 2011. MOT when sold. £5,995. 01733 Reduced to sell at £25,000. Call 270227 / 07841 718715 (T) Mark on 01354 638678.
Just E-mail a photo and the details to: info@cprmag.com February 2012 111
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