GALPOT Weekly #63

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #63 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a lil psycho on tyres" a blog about all things motoring. On Christmas Eve I looked at this Ford F-750 Super Duty XLT which features a F-350 Super Duty rear bed big enough for Santa to make his annual deliveries. Jeremy Hawkes MG K3 #3007 was the subject of Christmas Days blog, it was the first 1100cc /67 cui vehicle to lap Brooklands at 120 mph in 1934 with Ron Horton at the wheel and in 1937 Goldie Gardener drove it on a one way timed run at over 150 mph. John Surtees first Formula One car the Surtees Ford TS7 featured on Boxing Day. The TS7 was designed by Surtees, Sahab Ahmed and Peter Connew. Its best result was a win at the non championship 1970 Oulton Park Gold Cup, with Big John at the wheel. Thursdays post featured the non standard Ford Mustang Mach 1 notchback seen above. A celebrity race car featured on Ferrari Friday, this Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS has been driven by a host of rally and touring car champions and a couple of IRL drivers including NASCAR 'legend' Danica Patrick. Yesterdays post featured a couple of Lotus Ford 87's raced in the 1981 season after the twin chassis Lotus 88 was outlawed before ever being allowed to race. Todays post features this amazing Rolls Royce 40/50 which has spent 29 years serving as a fire engine in Sweden. I hope you have enjoyed catching up with the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" and that you will join me again daily during the week ahead. Wishing all GALPOT readers and contributors a Happy, psycho on tyres, New Year. Don't for get to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #62

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #62 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin a li'l psycho on tyres" a blog on all things motoring. The week started with a spot of Festive window shopping at Hall & Hall in Bourne, Lincs where this 1970 Yardley BRM P153 chassis #3 was one of many fascinating vehicles on display. MG's TF model, like the one featured above on Tuesday, proved to be the last British 2 seat MG built before MG Rover collapsed in 2005 wich saw most of the assets being transferred to Chinese owners Nanjing. Wednesdays Continental Curiosities blog featured one of just 83 Zastava / Yugo of all types known to remain on British roads. The Zastava 102 above was marketed as the Yugo 65AGLX. Americana Thursday featured the 1990 25th Anniversary Ford Mustang seen above which was fitted with airbags as standard for the first time. Ferrari Friday featured the first of two of this weeks prototype Formula One Cars that never raced in anger, the Ferrari 312 B3 Spazzaneve, snow plough, was designed to test theories of low polar moments of inertia by Mauro ‘Fury’ Forghieri in 1972 in preparation for the 1973 season. Yesterdays post featured the Lotus Ford 86 another prototype Formula One car that never raced, due to a change in regulations. Today's post features this extraordinary 1921 Rolls Royce Brockman 40/50, one of at least three Royces known to have been fitted with a copper body. My thanks to everyone who has supported GALPOT over the last year be that materially, photographically, by interview, as a reader, or through face book and twitter, with out all of your support there would not have been much to blog about, I wish you all Seasons Greetings and best wishes for the New Year. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #61

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #61 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres". The week started in festive spirit with my seventh visit this year to the Avenue Drivers Club meeting at Queen Square in Bristol, where mince pies were substituted for the usual croissant. Among the vehicular attractions was this seasonal Morris Marina Estate. The 2001 MG TF XPower 500, featured on Tuesday, was likened by one journalist as a rocket powered unicycle. Wednesdays featured car was the Zastava Type 102 known in some markets as the Yugo 45, which was based on FIAT 127 running gear. The face lifted fourth generation 1999 Ford Mustang above with "new edge" styling was the subject of Thursdays post. Ferrari Friday featured one of 14 Ferrari 365 California Spyder's built between 1966 and 1967. Yesterdays featured car was the 210hp Lotus Esprit Turbo, launched in 1980 which featured a new back bone chassis designed to carry a new V8 that did not see the light of day until 1996. Today's post features one of a pair of Rolls Royce Boattail Speedsters built by "Retro Designer" Gary L Wales, the chassis for this car was found as a termite demolished derelict in Puerto Rico in the mid 1980's. I hope you have enjoyed catching up with the last seven posts on "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" using the links provided and that you will join me during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #60

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #60 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" A converted Hillman Imp Super Pick Up was featured on Monday's blog, the donor car was given to the owner after the body work was found to be a little less than solid in some areas. Last of the current schedule of Hot Rover series was this shot silk chromescent MG ZT-T estate / station which was featured on Tuesday. Wednesdays continental curiosity was the Fiat 128 based Zastava Type 101, which has been marketed with many names including the Yugo 511 in the UK. On Americana Thursday I stepped up the pace with a look at this 2010 supercharged Shelby GT 500. Ferrari Friday's post was about this two owner 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza which has been raced by the likes of 1961 World Champion Phil Hill, Carol Shelby and it's current owner Jim Hall of Chaparral fame. Yesterday's Lotus blog was about the Lotus S2 Type 79 note to be confused with the Lotus 79 Formula One racing car. Todays post features this Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé designed for convivial motoring. Thanks for joining me on this " GALPOT Weekly #60" edition of 'Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" I hope you have enjoyed catching up with the last seven posts using the highlighted links and that you will join me daily during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #59

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #59 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres". The week started with a look at a 1989 Volvo 740 GL that has been converted into a pick up with the intention of carrying a Royal Enfield Motor Cycle to show's and rallies. The second of three Hot Rovers in the form of a 139 mph 2001 MG ZS was featured on Tuesday. On Wednesday I looked at the Volkswagen Type 181 utility vehicle curiously marketed in the USA only as "Thing". My irregular Perfect Car For A Wedding feature returned on Thursday with this 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT/8, of the retro muscle cars currently on offer without a doubt my favorite. "No Hay Dos" provided the introduction into the ins and outs of the Mexican language and domestic product market on Friday as I explored the meaning of the unusual strap line painted on this Ferrari 250MM. Yesterdays featured Talbot Sunbeam Lotus shares it's Lotus Type 81 number with the 1980 Team Lotus Formula One car, but it was much more successful winning the 1981 World Rally Manufacturers Championship. Today's featured Rolls Royce Ghost V12 is described in Rolls own words as “more realistic, more measured”. Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #59 edition of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" I hope you have enjoyed catching up using the links provided and that you will join me daily in the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #58

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #58 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres". This week started at The Classic Motor Show held at Birmingham's National Exhibition Center where over 1500 treasured vehicles were on display, of which this 1977 Austin Allegro HL was amongst my favorites simply because the owner took part in the Rat Rod Rally2Romania with it, an act of supreme bravery in my humble opinion. Tuesday's post was the first of three Tuesday posts featuring Hot Rovers badged as MG's the one above is the Rover 25 based MG ZR 105. On Wednesday I went for a rare test drive in this Volkswagen Sharan and quite enjoyed the experience of driving a modern MPV which despite not coming with shovels and rakes or implements of destruction could easily serve as a command centre from which to run a war. Featured on Americana Thursday was this Chrysler Viper Phase II RT/10 a European spec better known in it's country of origin as a Dodge model. Ferrari Fridays post featured a 1953 Pininfarina bodied Ferrari 250MM which served as Limo for Italian movie stars in 1953 and is thought not to have seen a race track until 1984. Yesterday's post featured the first of two projects given numbered Type 81 namely the Lotus Ford 81 Formula One car built for the 1980 Grand Prix season. Today's post features the unique Huispano Suiza H6C Xenia commissioned in Andre Dubonnet in 1938 and named after his wife. Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #58" edition, I hope you have enjoyed catching up with last weeks blogs using the links provided. Join me daily at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #57

Welcome to GALPOT Weekley #57 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres". The week started with a meeting of the Avenue Drivers Club at Queen Square in Bristol, where this 1959 Lancia Appia was my car of the day. On Tuesday I looked at this MG Maestro 1600 which took part in a thrilling race for pro drivers event at the end of the 1983 season driven by rally ace Tony Pond who came home third with the front passenger door hanging off. Wednesdays post featured the last all new rear engined design from Volkswagen the Type 2 (T3)s which were manufactured between 1979 and 2003. This Plum Crazy Dodge Challenger R/T was the feature of Americana Thursdays post, probably my all time favorite Muscle Car. Ferrari Friday featured a Ferrari F60 Formula One car of the type that Kimi Räikkönen used to win the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix his last before winning the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for the Genii team's Lotus branded challenger. Yesterday's post featured the Lotus Ford 80 probably one of the most visually sensual Formula One cars never to win a Grand Prix. Thanks to Geoffrey Horton today's featured car is a Huispano Suiza K6 convertible with body work designed by former dentist Georges Paulin who worked for Carrosserie Pourtout. Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #57" edition of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" I hope you have enjoyed catching up with the last seven posts on "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" using the links and that you will join me daily during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now.

GALPOT Weekly #56

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #56 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin'a li'l psycho on tyres". The week started at Brooklands where I had a look at an unusual FIAT Coupé that was converted into a Pick Up by FCSS (Fiat Coupe Service Specialist). On Tuesday the blog popped over the the Silverstone Classic to have a look at an MG badged ADO16 known as a MG 1300 Mk II. Wednesdays European curiosity was the Type 2 (T2) the last versions of which are being built in Brazil until next year. From the Good Guys in White Hats came the 1968 Dodge Charger which I looked at on Thursday. For Ferrari Friday GALPOT revisted the Danville Concours d'Elegance with Geoffry Horton for a look at a Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series I Cabriolet. Yesterday I had a look at Mario Andretti's 1978 World Championship Winning Lotus Ford 79 with which he and Ronnie Peterson walked away with 5 1-2 finishes in what proved to be another winning if tragic season for the Team Lotus. Today's blog looks at some of the legends surrounding Huispano Suiza and the H6 seen above. Thanks for joining me on this 'GALPOT Weekly #56' edtion of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" I hope you have enjoyed catching up with the last seven posts using the links provided and that you will join me again daily in the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !