GALPOT Weekly #14/13

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #14/13 a review of the seven blogs posted at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" from April 1st to April 7th. . Monday's post featured this Chevrolet AK Pickup, sans the anti rattle tailgate fastening that was mentioned in the Sales literature. 2013 marks the centenary of Morris car production so on Tuesdays this month I'll be celebrating with a look at some Morris Models which began with this 1925 Morris Oxford. On Easter Monday I visited the Thruxton Circuit for the first time in way too many years for their Easter Revival Meeting, Bristol Veterinarian Nelson Rowe, seen above driving the #87 1971 Crosslé 20F in second place was a two time winner on the day winning the Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Ford 2000 events. If your a fan of silky smooth engines you'll probably want to be driving a V12, the 1936 Lincoln Zephyr V12 featured on Thursday has some interesting options. Two wins were recorded by the Ferrari 750 Monza chassis #0504, featured on Ferrari Friday, the first was by Mike Sparken on on the cars debut in the gadir Grand Prix for sport cars and the second was in the hands of Marsten Gregory who won a race at the Portuguese track Monsanto in 1955. There were five Lotus Esprit X180R's built between 1990 and 1991 the one featured on Saturday is fitted with 1991 bodywork of the type that Doc Bundy used to win the IMSA Bridgestone Super Car Championship in 1992. This month's Sunday posts will feature four McLaren's, the manufacturer is celebrating it's fiftieth anniversary this year and is now the second oldest, behind Ferrari on the Formula One grid. The first car McLaren built was an upgrade on Roger Penske's Zerex Special sports car featuring a new chassis that was last seen in Venezuela. Bruce followed that up with another sports car the McLaren M1A which was produced in limited numbers by Trojan's subsidiary Elva who built the chassis I looked at on Sunday. Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #14/13" edition of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" and thanks to all those who have spread the word by sharing by blogs on fb, Ryan ;-), and pressed the "Like" button when the blogs have appeared on the "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" facebook page. 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 #13/13

Welcome to GALPOT Weekley 13/13 a review of the seven blogs posted at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" from March 25th to March 31st. First up on the Monday was this cool metallic blue '51 Bonus Built Facelift Ford F1 Pickup. The Singer B37 Sports, as featured on Tuesday, was a victim of a change in corporate strategy in 1937 which meant only 12 of these 6 cylinder cars got built. I can pretend otherwise I froze my backside off marshaling at The Great Western Sprint, Wednesdays post tells what else happened. If you'd asked me before last year I'd never have guessed that the Cadillac Catera was built in Germany quite simply because I had never heard of much less seen one before. Ferrari Friday's blog featured this 250 GTO chassis #4153GT which was driven to victory in the 1964 Tour de France by Lucian Bianchi and Georges Berger. Saturday's post featured this Peter Stevens styled '88 Lotus Esprit fitted with a post '93 Julian Thompson styled bumper/spoiler. Jackie Stewart drove this Tyrrell #006, featured on Sunday to victory in the 1973 South African GP after crashing his own car and taking it over from his team mate Francois Cevert. Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #13/13" edition of "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" and thanks to all those who have spread the word by sharing by blogs on fb, Ryan ;-), and pressed the "Like" button when the blogs have appeared on the "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" facebook page. I hope you will join me daily during the week ahead, don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #11/13

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #11/13 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres". Monday's post featured this 1941 Prow Front Ford F1 1/2 ton Pickup styled by Ford's chief designer E.T. "Bob" Gregorie. This 1928 Singer 8 Junior Sport was the subject of Tuesday's blog, one just like it was observed by the Royal Automobile Club to have climbed the 1:4 Porlock Hill in Devon 100 times in 15 hours. Land locked Switzerland is better known for skiing in it's alpine mountains than manufacturing motor vehicles or the presence of any sharks but that did not stop Swiss Peter Monteverdi building four Dodge V8 powered super cars, one of which I looked at on Wednesday and giving them the Monteverdi Hai (Shark) model name. On Americana Thursday I looked at the history of the Cadillac Coupé de Ville and on the Cannonball Run. The Ferrari 250 GTO, above, that I looked at on Ferrari Friday had been raced on three continents before being purchased by the current owners family in 1974. Satoru Nakajima parted with Team Lotus after three relatively unremarkable years with a forth place finish and fastest lap at the 1989 Australian Grand Prix driving a Lotus Judd 101 similar to the one above that featured in yesterday's blog. The 1973 BRM P160 E which features today was shared 50 50 by Clay Regazzoni and Jean Pierre Beltoise it's best finish was in it's first race at the non Championship International Trophy at Silverstone where Clay scored a third place finish from an eighth place start. Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #11/13" edition 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 during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

GALPOT Weekly #10/13

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly 10/13 a review of the seven blogs at "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" posted between March 4th and 11th. The week started with a look at this 1939 Ford One Ton Pick Up the first Blue Oval pick up to be fitted with hydraulic brakes. Tuesday's post featured this li'l 1928 Singer 8 Saloon powered by a 16.5 hp motor who's crankshaft runs in just two bearings. Thanks to Geoffrey Horton Wednesday's post featured some California sunshine as seen at the Palm Springs Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance where this 1931 Chrysler Imperial was one of the stars of the show. Cadillac's 1941 Series 62 Coupé which quadrupled was the subject of Thursday's blog. Annie Soisbault drove this 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which was the subject of Ferrari Friday's blog, to a win in the 1965 Grand Prix of Paris. Thanks to US$ 35 million of funding from General Motors Lotus developed the Lotus M100 Elan which was launched in 1989, the 1991 Elan Turbo SE version seen here was the subject of Saturdays blog. The final post of the week featured two 1973 Surtees Ford TS14 Formula One cars which were hampered by their Firestone Tyres thanks to the suppliers imminent withdrawal from the sport and consequent lack of development. Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #10/13" edition 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 !

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 !

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 #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 !

Rare Mini Variation - Ogle SX 1000

After serving as a decorated and honoured Supermarine Seafire pilot in the Second World War David Ogle DSC MBE attended the Central School of Art to study Industrial Design.



On completion of his studies he worked for Murphy Radio and later Bush Radio where he was credited with the design of the TR82 transistor radio.



In 1954 David founded his own industrial design studio which has been credited with the design of all manor of wheeled transport from Chopper Bicycles (1970), through the Reliant Scimitar, to award wining truck cabs for Leyland Road Train vehicles.



In 1959 Ogle design started building the first of three series of glass fibre bodied cars the 1.5 built on a Riley Chassis with a BMC (British Motor Corporation) motor of which eight were built.



In 1962 Ogle launched the SX1000, as seen here at Goodwood, initially as a conversion built around a customer supplied Mini.



It is thought 66 of these vehicles were built with the last one leaving the factory in 1964. The slippery Coupé was capable of 110 mph when fitted with a top of the range Mini Cooper S engine.



After David Ogle died driving an SX1000 on the way to Brands Hatch and car production at Ogle had been wound up the SX1000 body moulds were sold to a boat builder in the Midlands who exhibited his self named Fletcher GT at the Racing Car Show in 1967.

Today with only 26 of the original SX1000's thought to have survived Nostalgia Cars in Taunton Somerset produce identical replica SX1275 models as kits for Mini enthusiasts.

Thanks for joining me on todays SX1000 edition of 'Gettin a li'l psycho on tyres' I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !