GALPOT Weekly #6

A week of comic discovery has passed here at GALPOT.



Starting with the Monster Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT who's purpose seems to be to carry a giant ghetto blaster and a couple of tins of cafeinated beverages.



On Tuesday GALPOT got serious about speed with the Pro ET Race Ventora, Britains equivalent of a 1970's Chevy Impala built for drag racing.



The 'Three Graces' were the subject of Wednesday's edition of GALPOT including the delightful Abbot bodied Farnham camping combination.



GALPOT turned comic on Thursday with the discovery that this 1935 Hudson Suburban Sedan once belonged to the managing editor of DC Thompson in Dundee responsible for the Beano and The Dandy publications that had touched the lives of many youngsters in post war Britain.



For Ferrari Friday GALPOT looked at a 1990 Mondial t the last incarnation of the V8 2+2.



Yesterday there was an element of Irish comedy as GALPOT discovered the reason behind the curiously high mounted mirrors on his recently acquired Formula Junior Lotus 20.



Today GALPOT goes French Revolutionary with a look at a 1966 Matra Bonnet Djet VS, which I was surprised to discover lays claim to being the worlds first mid rear engine production sports car in the world.

My sincerest thanks as always to everyone who has made the first two months of GALPOT's new home such a tremendous success. Looking at the sitemeter stats after two months on line on the new wordpress home it looks like GALPOT will receive it's 10,000th hit in the next day or so.

Thanks for joining me on this weeks GALPOT round up if you have not already had a look at the full blogs summarized here I hope you'll find time to click on the links down lighted in grey.

There are some exciting developments planned for the week ahead at GALPOT which will start with a look at the recent Phil Hill Tribute night held at the Peterson Museum. Tuesday GALPOT will be looking at one of three Vauxhall XVR concept cars built in the middle of the swinging sixties, and on Wednesday a British built Ford that could be said to be related to the Edsel. GALPOT has an important announcement to make on Thursday in preparation for the festive season of goodwill.

I hope you will join me daily for all this and more to come in the week ahead at GALPOT. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #5

Another busy week at GALPOT, thank goodness I got the spam filter fixed somehow I'm attracting between 500 and 2000 spam posts a day !



The week started with a beat up old pick up truck from FIAT the Fiorino.



On Tuesday I looked at the Lincolnesque Vauxhall which is said to have over 101 improvements over the previous Victor model from which it takes its name.



The Abbot bodied 1953 Ford Zephyr Farnham estate / station wagon was the star of the GALPOT show on Wednesday, as Kim said on the GALPOT Facebook page the front of the Zephyr looks a little like a Mercedes Benz 180, though the Ford is actually the older car.



On Americana Thursday GALPOT had a look a humungous 1958 Dodge Sierra, just the kind of monster I'd love to take on a leisurely cruise along Route 66 in.



Bertone only designed one Ferrari the 308 Dino which was featured on Ferrari Friday.



The Ferrari theme continued yesterday with a look at possibly the only Lotus ever to race with a Ferrari engine the Lotus 19B chassis 952 which now has an original spec Climax engine installed.



I rounded out the week today with some photo's by Geoffrey Horton of the BMW 327/28 Pillarless Coupé one of only two such cars known to have been built.

I've just finished watching Tony Stewart round out a tremendous victory at Homestead Miami over his championship rival Carl Edwards. Kudos to all the fans of the Big 14 what an achievement to win the Cup as an owner driver. Commiserations to Carl who has earned my admiration for the way he competed and handled his defeat having drawn with Tony on points and lost on tie braking victories. Can't wait until the new season starts at Daytona in February.

Thanks for joining me on this weeks GALPOT round up if you have not already had a look at the full blogs summarized here I hope you'll find time to click on the links down lighted in grey.

Tomorrow the GALPOT week will start with a look at a Monster Silverado, on Tuesday I'll be looking at a Pro ET Vauxhall Ventora and at Ford's Three Graces and on Wednesday and look out for a truly Comic Discovery on Thursday.

All this and more to come in the week ahead at GALPOT, I look forward to you joining me daily. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #4

Gosh how time flies when your having fun, it's been another busy week on GALPOT not least because it would appear that spammers have found the site. I seem have found away to stay on top of the situation for now I hope it stays that way.



Of the cars I looked at this week started with the tiny Reliant Fox Pick Up which started life as a concept designed in Greece, type approved in the UK, built in Greece and then finally had it's life extended with a production run in the UK !



On Tuesday I had a look at the highest interpretation of the 1950's US Dream Car concept built in Britain namely the Vauxhall Cresta PA a big for the UK 6 seater that would look quite comfortable if a little small barreling along US highways at 89 mph.



Maurice ‘Maus’ Gatsonides and Peter Worledge drove the Ford Zephyr 6, the subject of Wednesdays blog to victory on the Monte Carlo Rally in 1953, such was his search for perfection in his driving technique that he delivered the GATSO camera to the world.



Staying on the 50's theme on Thursday I looked at a '54 Chevrolet Bel Air used as a support vehicle by the GAS Racing drag team at Shakespeare County Raceway.



On Friday I had a dig at a television presenter who not only once destroyed a Routemaster Bus but also described the Ferrari 400i as 'Awful in every way !'. I spent the whole day yesterday writing "If I can't say anything good, I will not say it at all" as penance.



It was a great pleasure to retell how British Treasure Sir Stirling Moss won the Monte Carlo GP not once but twice in Rob Walkers privately entered Lotus 18 yesterday.



I have rounded out the week with a second helping of Italian eye candy the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, billed as the most expensive car in the world when it was launched on the market in 1968.

Thanks for joining me on this weeks GALPOT round up if you have not already had a look at the full blogs summarized here I hope you'll find to click on he links down lighted in grey.

Coming up next week I'll be starting with an Italian pickup truck, looking at a British interpretation of the 1960 Lincoln Continental, and looking at UK and US interpretations of the Estate / Station Wagon concepts.

All this and more to come in the week ahead at GALPOT, I look forward to you joining me daily. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #3

Just noticed I got the dates completely wrong on last weeks GALPOT Weekly so I'll just number them for the time being. This week was highlighted by two Birthday Editions of Galpot.



Monday started with Racer 187's birthday edition looking at a RHD Daimler Sovereign Coupé from Remscheid, Germany that is/was looking for a new home.



On Tuesday I concluded a series on vintage Vauxhalls with a brief look at a Vauxhall Bearcat a 14/40 chassis fitted with a Stutz motor.



A trip to Shakespeare County Raceway on Wednesday revealed a dinky li'l hot rod in the form of a Ford Anglia sibling of the Ford Prefect I looked at a week earlier.



Returning to the mean streets of Bristol for Americana Thursday I had took a look at a 1975 Plymouth Voyager Sport probably as rare a sighting in this country as a Ferrari in the USA.



Continuing with another prancing horse saddled for carrying extra cases of beer, on Ferrari Friday I looked at the stylishly understated 365 GTC/4 2+2.



Yesterday it was off to Silverstone and Oulton Park for a look at a couple of 2 foot tall low riding Lotus 15's.



Today GALPOT rounds out the week as it started this time with the Jeff Fuller Birthday edition featuring some street and competition Lancia Beta Monte Carlo's.

Thanks for joining me on this weeks GALPOT round up if you have not already had a look at the full blogs summarized here I hope you'll find to click on he links down lighted in grey.

Coming up next week I'll be starting with a cute li'l pickup truck designed in Greece, looking at a British interpretation of the 50's American Dream Car concept and looking at the remains of the car that carried the inventor of the Gatso speed camera to victory in the Monte Carlo Rally, in 1953.

All this and more to come in the week ahead at GALPOT, I look forward to you joining me daily. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly 24/11 - 30/11

Another busy week at GALPOT started with a days marshalling at The Regency Landry Pegasus Sprint where John Dando in his Volvo 144 above was among nearly 120 competitors taking part.



On Tuesday GALPOT covered the story behind a vintage Vauxhall 30/98 with a new chassis and a known history of some of it's parts that goes back only to 1949.



GALPOT then looked at a Ford Prefect which appeared to be in roadworthy condition despite the evidence that it had not been taxed since 1979.



'Why Worry' a 40 mph Scammell Highwayman used by John Carter & Sons steam fair was the surreal subject of Thursdays blog that heralded the start of Steve Arnaudin's birthday.



Moving up a few gears for Ferrari Friday GALPOT looked at Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 possibly one of just 54 Right Hand Drive examples built.



One of '6 ot 7' Lotus Mk X's was the subject of yesterdays blog this one Bristol powered is seen in the hands of Nick Adams at the Silverstone Classic back in July.



The GALPOT week finishes today with a look at a Jensen Interceptor seen in some circles as a plagiarised Brasanica Uiraputu.

Thanks for joining me on this weekly summary edition of 'Getting' a lil' psycho on tyres' I hope you will follow some of the links to get the full stories on these vehicles.

Coming up next week we start the week celebrating Racer 187's Birthday no guessing what the make of car will be then. On Tuesday a brief look at a one off Vauxhall 14/40 and Wednesday a look at the two door sibling of the Ford Prefect. All this and more can be found everyday on this link.

I hope you'll join me again, don't forget to come back now !

Daily GALPOT Blog Has Moved - Summary

Some months ago I decided that with the amount of time I was spending writing GALPOT blogs I probably was generating enough material to start a stand alone GALPOT website, and with the help of my friend Mike Stuart at disphoria.co.uk I finally got the GALPOT site started last week. So if you have been missing my daily posts and in case your wondering what happened the blog continues on THIS LINK. For the time being I plan to keep this Blogger hosted page active with a weekly summary of what has been going on at the new GALPOT Home Page with links to the full blogs.



I started the week by going back to my own motoring roots with a look at an Austin A40 Countryman of the same type that was our very first family car back in 1964.



Dan Wheldon photograph courtesy Jeff Fuller.

With thanks to Jeff Fuller for his photograph Tuesdays blog was dedicated to the memory of Dan Wheldon.



I'd like to thank Racer 187 for pointing out that I had some link buttons for making comments missing and for testing them once they were up on Wednesdays Ford Model A blog.

To make a comment on the new GALPOT blogs write your comment in the 'Leave a Reply' comment box press 'Post Comment' and on the Word Press sign in page press the 'facebook' button and your comment should get posted without any further ado, so long as you are signed in to facebook.



On Thursday I looked at the Kellison J4 Grand Turismo a kit car recently acquired, sans windscreen wipers, by Lord March.



For Ferrari Friday, a feature that seems to come round every three days but is actually 'only' weekly I looked at one of a mystery batch of 12 Ferrari 196S models allegedly built in Modena by some 'Old Timers' that had worked for the Fantuzzi coach works.



Yesterday I looked at the Lotus 12 designed for the 2nd tier Formula 2 series that after an engine upgrade also became Colin Chapman's first Formula One design.



Today's blog is about a Jaguar that was conceived out of hours in 'The Saturday Club' and eventually made it into production.

The week ahead will start with a visit to The Regency Laundry Pegasus Sprint where I was a marshall last week, continue with a look at a Vintage Vauxhall and a classic Ford.

Thanks to everyone who has supported the GALPOT blog, I hope you will find time to continue to support me on the stand alone GALPOT site.

Don't forget to come back now !

A Clockwork Orange - Adams Probe 16 AB/4

For anyone, like me, who was a kid during the fierce competition to conquer space through the 1960's part of the vision for the future included mandatory white jump suits, jet packs and incredibly cool cars like the Adams Probe 16 seen here at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year.



This design came about as a result of an investigation into the extremes of styling by Dennis and Peter Adams who are credited as having introducing a number of modifications to the Marcos GT which became the Marcos Fastback GT.



With a roof line at just 34" above the ground, that is a full 6" shorter than the Le Mans winning Ford GT 40 which took it's name from it's 40" height, access to the Probe 16 is effected through a slide back glass roof panel.



It would appear that the three Probe 16's were manufactured at the the old Marcos factory at Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, power came from a mid mounted 4 cylinder motor sourced from, an at the time very common, front wheel drive Austin 1800.



Winning the award for the best British Styling Exercise at the London Motor Show in 1969 did not raise the public profile of this vehicle enough for it to go into volume production. Though four similar Probe 2001's were manufactured by the Probe Motor Company and WT Nugent Engineering between 1970 and 1972. Up to 48 further vehicles which used some of the Probe 16 body moulds are thought to have been built under the Centaur brand.



Of the three original Probe 16's one went to Wichita Lineman singer song writer Jim Webb, by way of complete contrast another Probe 16 went to Sunshine Of Your Love singer song writer Jack Bruce. Jack passed his Probe 16 on to Mountain drummer on the Nantucket Sleigh Ride Cody Laing.



However AB/4 seen here is arguably the most famous of the trio of Probe 16's having played the role of Durango 95 in the Stanley Kubric ultra violence shock flic A Clockwork Orange. After its flirtation with the silver screen AB/4 spent many years in the Pollock Auto Showcase.



AB/4 still painted it's original yellow, was repatriated in 1987 and featured in the pseudo comedy television series Top Gear at the beginning of the century.

More detailed information about all of the Probe 16 related cars can be found on the probe2001.com website, on the linked page some photos of AB/4 can be seen of the car being driven around Brands Hatch. Thanks to The Nostalgia Forum reader MCS the driver of the car at Brands Hatch has been identified as most likely being Ray Allen who immortalised his place in the annals of motor racing history for winning the worlds very first Formula Ford race.

My thanks to MCS abd everyone else who contributed to the Adams Probe 16 thread at The Nostalgia Forum.

Thanks for joining me on this A Clockwork Orange edition of 'Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres', I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !

POST SCRIPT, this will be my last daily post from this site all future daily posts will be made from a new dedicated site, linked here, with the hope that it will be much easier to leave comments than is presently possible with this particular web page.

I really can't thank everyone who has contributed to the success of this particular page enough, however I hope moving on to the new GALPOT site serves as a small token of my appreciation for now. Please do not forget to come back here now !