Out Of Obscurity

Elva FJ 100

GALPOT Weekly #05/13

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #05/13 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin a li'l psycho on tyres". The week started with a look at a recently rebodied Elva Mk III that is usually on view at the Bexhill Museum. On Tuesday I returned to Len Miller's MG PA that first featured at GALPOT several months ago, the car is seen above on the premises of TLK Repairs, Purfleet, Essex after the great storm in October 1987. January's Avenue Drivers Club meeting was the subject of Wednesday's blog, where the Mercedes CL 500 once owned by R2-D2 and later by Darth Vader was on display. Americana Thursday's blog featured this 1926 Hupmobile Eight Tourer powered by an eight cylinder L-head motor and fitted with double tilt beam headlights. A 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione was the subject of Ferrari Friday's blog, one with a competition history spanning the 1960 Tour de France to the 1964 Dakar 6 Hours. Yesterday's post was about the Lotus Ford T 91 of the type that would be the last Lotus that Colin Chapman saw score a Grand Prix victory. Today's blog is about a vehicle built by the almost forgotten make Paramount who used an aluminium over ash construction technique that is still found on Morgan cars. Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #05/13" edition of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" I hope you have enjoyed catching up with the last seven posts using the linked text, and that you will join me daily during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #04/13

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #04/13 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres". The week started with a look at the 40" tall Elva GT160 with bodywork designed by Trevor Fiore, that came along to late to impact on Elva's fortunes from a new coperate strategy. This MG KN University Motors Speed Model Magnette was the subject of Tuesdays blog, if it looks familiar that is because I originally incorrectly identified the car as an MG Type NA. A visit to the Sinsational Autosport International held at the NEC in Birmingham recently was the subject of Wednesdays blog, above the Sin 01 was one of several new cars to make it's public debut. Featuring 23 detail improvements over the previous model this 1950 Nash Airflyte Ambassador was the subject of Thursday's blog. Ferrari Friday featured an example of the very first road going Ferrari model a Ferrari 166 Inter Coupé with Superleggera bodywork by Touring of Milan built in 1949. Yesterday's I looked at some of the improvement introduced to the Lotus Excel models introduced between 1982 and 1987. Panels gaps were not a big concern in the late 1950's but a top speed of 120 mph made this Daimler Majestic Major a sports saloon and it had new fangled disc brakes to match it's potential for speed. Thanks for joining me on this GALPOT Weekly #04/13 edition of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" I hope you have enjoyed catching up using the links and that you will join me daily during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #03/13

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #03/13 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres". This week started with a look at a look at an Elva Porsche in need of some TLC, Porsche were so impressed with this model they bought one for Herbert Muller to drive as a Porsche works entry in the 1963 European Hillclimb Championship. Jason Plato finished third in last years British Touring Car Championship driving this MG6 GT which I looked at on Tuesday. Wednesdays blog was about my adventures at the beginning of the month as a navigator for Alan Spencer on the Exeter Trial in the unique Parsons seen above. On Thursday I made an appeal for GALPOT readers to vote for Johnny Martinez '29 Ford in the Gold Eagle car of the month pole, please check out the link in the blog and vote DAILY until the end of the month, your votes will be much appreciated in what is turning out to be a neck and neck contest, thank you. This Ferrari 512S, which I looked at on Friday was pretty battered and beaten up when it finished the 1971 Daytona 24 Hours, Ronnie Buchnum and Tony Adamowicz still managed to bring it home in second place behind Pedro Rodriguez and Jackie Oliver in their Porsche 917K. On Saturday I looked at this Lotus Excel which is the prototype distinguished by having an the older Eclat name on the boot lid and many other distinguishing features within. 20/01/13 Correction today's post features this magnificent Daimler Consort with built in jacking. ( Thanks to Ryan for pointing out the error, the Daimler Majestic Major originally shown hear will feature next Sunday.) Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #03/13" 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 during the week ahead. Don't for get to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #02/13

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #02/13 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres", this week there has been a cinematic/tv theme running through all the posts. The week started celebrating Elvis Presley's 78th Birthday with a look at an Elva Mk6 of the type that stared in Viva Las Vegas alongside Elvis and Ann Margret. On Tuesday I had a look at an MG TF 1500 of the type that Rock Hudson had a little difficulty getting in and out of in the 1959 sexcapade Pillow Talk. An Audi Quattro of the type featured on Thursday played a staring role in the Ashes to Ashes TV series which ran from 2008 to 2010. Around thirty Knight Industries Two Thousand's were built for the filming of the Knight Rider series, the one featured on Thursday has a Targa Top built for the 1985 series starring David 'The Hoff' Hasselhoff. Ferrari Friday featured this Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder of the type driven by Faye Dunaway in the Thomas Crown Affair in which she starred alongside Steve McQueen. Yesterdays post featured one of the Lotus Esprit's, known as Wet Nellie, used in the underwater sequences of the "Spy Who Loved Me" James Bond thriller from 1977. Star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the Paragon Panther is today's featured car a magical vehicle that came into the mind of James Bond author Ian Flemming when he was writing a story for his son. Thanks for joining me on this weeks "GALPOT Weekly #02/13" edition of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" I hope you have enjoyed catching up with last weeks posts using the links provided and that you will join me again daily during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

Goodwood Revival #1 - Track Action

After four all to brief hours sleep I woke up at 4:30 am on Friday and got togged up in swinging sixtyish accessorized fancy dress which included button collard shirt, period scarf, flat hat and a pair of round blue shades.



By 5.30 am I was headed back towards Lord Marches renowned Goodwood estate, this time to visit his private race track which I had not seen since in 1987. Back then I was visiting to take part in a track day, the circuit had not been used for racing since 1966 and the facilities were in a sad state of disrepair.



Five years after the runaway success of the inaugural 1993 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held on a special hill climb track round the main buildings of his estate, Lord March decided to revive events on his racing circuit with an event dedicated to vehicles that raced in the Circuits halcyon days from 1948 to 1966.



The Revival has become a huge fancy dress party covering possibly the most optimistic two decades the Western World has ever known. More on the fancy dress side of the Revival will follow with a special blog on Saturday. Like the Festival of Speed the Goodwood Revival has also become a runaway success both racing days this year were completely sold out. Seen here a Standard 6CWT Pickup, XK140 and a Mk2 Jaguar.



I got to the track in plenty of time to catch all the practice sesions which were held on the Friday, but I had not counted on spending well over an hour dribbling around the car park reserved for those spectators arriving in classic cars ! The first action I caught on track came courtesy of the touring cars, here Brian Redman in his Mercedes Benz 300SE leads another former Grand Prix driver and, in my humble opinion, one of the better former Top Gear presenters, Tiff Needell driving a Ford Anglia through Woodcote.



Organisers hoped to gather 15 Supermarine Spitfires at last weekends event here a Mk5, short wing 5 blade screw Mk 15 and two seater Mk9 fly past these awesome machines are powered by 24 litre / 1465 cui Rolls Royce Merlin motors.



Ford of Britain celebrated it's centenary with a stupendous collection of passenger, military and commercial vehicles, none quite as breathtaking as the Ford 3 litre / 183 cui formula 1 DFV powered Ford P68 /F3L designed by Len Bailey and built by Alan Mann Racing. Jim Clark was to have driven this car on it's debut at Brands Hatch but because of conflicting tyre contracts Jim ended up racing a Formula 2 car at Hockenheim with fatal consequences.



Surprise car of the meeting that I had never heard of before is the #23 Marina Special powered by Rolls Royce V8 driven by Mark Ashworth, turns out this car was built by Alan MacDonald at the Beagle Aircraft Hanger in Shoreham for Alan Mann who would later be responsible for the Ford P68. Rolls Royce were not in the least impressed with the Marina RR and the car appears to have been exiled in Belgium for fear that it might be impounded.



Ueber Formula One aerodynamicist Adrian Newey has an important day job at with reigning Formula One Champions Red Bull Racing, during this rare weekend off he teamed up to drive the #25 E-type Jagaur with 10 time Grand Prix winner Gerhard Berger. Some interesting tweaks to the boot lid helped the pair stick this car on pole over 2 seconds clear of the rest of the field for Saturdays Fordwater Trophy Race.



I had never seen or heard a screaming formula Junior car before Friday and their 1100 cc / 67 cui 4 cylinder scream enough to make your eyes water. The #9 Elfin Ford above of Bill Hemming was one of two Antipodean designed and built Formula Junior cars entered in the Chichester Cup.



Among the many features was a display of cars driven by the first five time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio. The #1 Maserati 250 F seen above was driven by Fangio to his last and perhaps the most masterful Grand Prix victory of all time at the Nurburging in 1957, after a botched pit stop Fangio made up over 50 seconds on two Ferrari's over taking them on the penultimate lap and holding on to win by three seconds. Seen at the wheel of a 250F for the first time in his trade mark hat is Sir Jackie Stewart, who by his own admission also drove his finest race at the Nurburgring winning a wet and foggy 1968 German Grand Prix by four minutes despite driving round the torturous 14 mile track with a broken wrist !



Among many evocative vehicles of US origin at Goodwood was this 1953 Chrsyler Hemi powered Cunningham C4R replica roadster, initially designed to compete at Le Mans, driven by Ben Shuckburgh during practice for the in the Freddie March Memorial Race.



The Madgwick Cup for under 3 litre / 183 cui sports cars built between 1960 and 1966 featured this rare Elva Porsche Mk 7P driven by Helmut Ries. Most Elva's entered for the Madgwick Cup were BMW powered.



The Richmond Trophy of the last front engined Grand Prix Cars had a fittingly international entry of vehicles, Hubert Fabri is seen here at the wheel of his Aston Martin DBR4.



The one and only Stig Blomquvist, 1984 World Rally Champion, mercifully no relation to the poor imitation on Top Gear, shared the 2 stroke #28 1963 Saab 96 Sport with Anders Jensen seen here at the wheel during the second touring car practice for the St Mary's Trophy.



I made time to take a break from the on track action to catch fellow blogger artist Paul Chenard who came all the way from Nova Scotia to promote his latest publication the illustrated story of the 1934 Grand Prix season "Silver Clouds". Apparently the Daimler Benz Museum were so impressed with this hand bound limited edition they have acquired two copies. Going fast, act now ! To avoid forthcoming seasonal disappointment you can contact Paul to order your copy on his blog here.



A number of incidents during the days qualifying sessions for the races held on Saturday and Sunday conspired to delay the proceedings by up to an hour. Gerhard Berger, sharing Grahame Bryant's #1 AC Cobra entered in the Glover RAC TT Celebration race, left the course going into Woodcote,



the resultant damage precluded the vehicles participation in the rest of the weekends proceedings.



Fortunately Gerhard was not seriously injured and finished second sharing Adrian Newey's E-type Jaguar in the Fordwater Trophy Race on the Saturday.



The 1.5 litre / 91.5 cui era of Formula One goes back to the heyday of British driver participation in Grand Prix racing when Graham Hill, Jim Clark and John Surtees took three consecutive World titles from 1962 to 1964 and Jim Clark won his second title in 1965. Above Kurt DelBene in the 1964 #29 BRP-BRM, Roy Walzer the 1964 #1 Brabham Climax BT11 and Paul Drayson in the 1962 #18 Lotus BRM during qualifying for the Glover Trophy. This era of cars were immortalised in the film Grand Prix, though many of the chassis used in the film are actually cheaper Formula Juniors.



For romantic dreamers like myself there is a sad tale to relate to the prototype E2A 'VKV 752' seen here being driven by Tony Dron. This was the second of two E type Jaguar prototypes featuring components including the independent rear suspension that would be carried over into the production 'E-Type' model.

E2A was driven at Le Mans by Hangsen & Gurney without success in 1960 and used by the Cunningham team in the USA with Sir Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren amongst others at the wheel scoring a single minor victory against weak opposition. In 1961 Jaguar used E2A as a test mule back in England.

Roger Woodley Jaguar's customer competition manager at the time was allowed to save E2A from the scrap heap on condition that the car would not be raced again. Sadly the first thing new owner Stefan Ziegler did after acquiring E2A for US$4,957,000 was turn E2A into a weapons grade racer and disregard Jaguars request that the car not be raced again.

Seems rather pointless when any number of weapons grade 'D-types' can be acquired for a fraction of the cost of E2A. More on the 'to race or not to race E2A' argument can be seen on this Nostalgia Forum thread.



After the qualifying sessions were over it was time to head back through the spectators Classic Car Park, I could have stayed longer but it was getting to the dark end of an already long day.

Thanks for joining me on this Goodwood Revival edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres', I will continue to bring you more stories from Goodwood all week, I hope you will join me again for the first anniversary edition of 'Gettin a lil' psycho on tyres' tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !