The Crumpled Cup Auto Solo

Rolls Royce Car Park Filton

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 #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 #47

Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #47 a review of the last seven posts at "Gettin a li'l psycho on tyres"



The week started with a visit to Dunsfold Aerodrome for Wings and Wheels, my favorite surprise from the show was this 1970 Surtees TS7 Grand Prix designed by Sahab Ahmed and Peter Connew.



On Tuesday I celebrated the 55th Aniversary of E Day with a look at a 1958 Edsel Ranger.



W.O. Bentley described Wednesdays featured car seen above as a Pervesion and Corruption, he also inadvertently created an incorrect myth about these cars never having won a race.



Thursdays post was about this one and a quarter litre MG YB, a pre '39/45 war design that did not go into production until 1947. MG posts will be returning to Tuesday as usual next week.



Among the most alluring of prototype sports car designs is the 1969 Ferrari 312P Berlinetta, chassis #0872 as seen above has a class winning history.



Yesterday's post featured a more humble design from 1969 the wedge shaped Lotus 61 Formula Ford racer belonging to hill climber Les Buck.



Unique amongst Rolls Royce Silver Ghosts must be this 1921 copper bodied example with coachwork by Brockman which was seen by Geoffrey Horton at Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for joining me on this "GALPOT Weekly #47" blog, I hope you have enjoyed catching up with the last seven posts from the "Gettin' a li'l psycho on tyres" blog with the links provided and that you will join me daily during the week ahead. Don't forget to come back now !

Perfect Car For A Wedding #6 - Rolls Royce Corniche

I am off to a wedding today, the first one I have attended where my friends children are the ones getting married, so it seems appropriate to feature another Perfect Car for a wedding on today's blog.



Today's Rolls Royce is known as the Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward Drop Head Coupé which first appeared in 1967 was renamed Corniche in 1971 when this model scene at the Haynes International Motor Museum was built.



The Corniche assembled and finished in London by Mulliner Park Ward is based on the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow / Bentley T floor plan with the same 'adequate' aluminium 6230 cc / 380 cui Rolls Royce motor.



The Corniche name was first used by Rolls Royce in the 1930's for a Mark V prototype with Parisian coach work by van Vooren, legend has it that after 15,000 miles of Continental testing in Europe was awaiting repatriation to England when it was hit by a bomb at Dieppe docks.

In the UK it would probably take a particularly brave couple to opt for a convertible on their wedding day but then as they used to say in Rome 'Fortes fortuna adiuvat'. For the brave this Corniche can be hired from the Haynes International Motor Museum.

Wishing Lotti & Ronnie and all those getting married today all the best and many happy years together.

Thanks for joining me on this Corniche edition of 'Gettin a lil' psycho on tyres', I hope you'll join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !

Feeding the Need - Goodwood Festival of Speed

On Thursday I managed to pop in to the Goodwood Festival in the early morning and afternoon.



It was one of those mornings when even a the Renault Magnum transporter held a good deal of visual allure.



The truck certainly held more allure to my eyes than this 28 m 175 tonne steel macaroni E-Type Jaguar by Gerry Judah but I am no judge of 'art'. (08 12 11 Update turns out this sculture was illuminated at night, whih I have say in the photo's I have seen did give it a far more interesting appeal.)



Jaguar was very much the manufacturer under the spotlight of this years Festival, with not only the 50th Anniversary of the E- Type but also the 60th anniversary of Jaguars first victory at Le Mans being celebrated. Above the private XK 140 entered at Le Mans in 1956 for Roger Walshaw and Peter Bolton did not finish despite recording 1 lap less than 14th and last classified finisher.



Jaguars senior ambassador and former test driver Norman Dewis, extreme right facing camera above, was in evidence amongst the Jaguar exhibits, Norman competed in numerous races for Jaguar and most amazingly IMHO in 1953 he was bolted into an XK 120 and then proceeded to set a production car speed record of 176 mph in it !



There appeared to be a lot of emphasis on manufacturers efforts to go electric, among the more feasibly stylish concepts was the SEAT IBE, while I am all in favour of zero emissions travel I seriously believe we would be doing our great great grand children a great favour if we talked about these vehicles being 'DISPLACED EMISSION VEHICLES' since the power to recharge batteries has to come from somewhere.



I wonder if it was a coincidence that in the week when Porsche announced that they were planning to return to Le Mans with a hybrid car in 2014 what must rank as one of the original hybrid vehicles a, Porsche AG built, replica of a 1900 Lohner - Porsche Semprus Vivus powered by two de Dion petrol motors which charge the batteries that drive the front electric hub motors, one of which can be seen above, should appear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ?



Former Jaguar apprentice Richard Attwood, left with green bottle above, who won the Le Mans 24 hours in 1970 with Hans Hermman driving a Porsche 917 was down to drive the 1965 #9 BRM P261 this weekend, seen also on the left, similar apart from it's engine size to the BRM he drove to a win at Levin in the 1966 Tasman Series.



The action on the hillclimb track at Goodwood on Thursday was restricted to a huge range of road cars being tested by prospective clients in an event known as the moving Moving Motor Show. Returning after a lunchtime meeting the tempo of the day was picked up by the Red Arrows who's display of airpersonship is nothing short of staggering.



While the Red Arrow's Hawk trainer aircraft usually fly around 350 mph during displays and have a top speed of 630 mph they will be left standing by the Bloodhound SSC if all goes to plan when it is completed. Project founder Richard Noble hopes to have the 14,000 lb 42 foot long car powered by a Eurofighter Jet engine to 350 mph and a rocket, fed oxidiser by a pump connected to Cosworth Formula One motor ready to attempt to take the LAND SPEED RECORD up to 1,000 mph in 2013.



The Centenary of the first running of the Indianapolis 500 was celebrated by a large selection of vehicles from the past 100 years including the Grant King Piston Ring Special Ferrari 375 from the Louwman Museum seen being given the once over by two latter day Ferrari technicians with over 23 years experience working at Marranello between them.



I was advised to look out for the Dayton Steel Foundry Special a Kurtis Kraft - Offenhausser by GALPOT regular and soon to be contributor Dave Wolin, this car was unsuccessful in the hands of Juan Fangio at Indy who withdrew from qualification after trying this car in 1958. Indy Winner Scott Dixon was down to drive the car during the Festival of Speed.



Some of you may remember my blog on The Kimberely Cooper Special a Cooper T54 driven by Jack Brabham at Indy in 1961. Today the car is owned by Philippe de Lespinay, it was a treat to see this car in the flesh and to meet Philippe and his wife Kathryn.



There were a handful of vehicles representing manufacturers that have or at least attempted to have been revived including this 1996 Audi V8 Turbo powered Spyker Silvestris V8 Prototype, which looks like it has been kept in a barn for 15 years while still retaining many of the hall marks although with a tad less testosterone of the current Spyler models.



Seeing the Jankowitz Special was a wonderful surprise, though it was very disappointing to see the owner Georg Gebhard embarrass himself by still repeating the myth that discredits the ingenious Jankowits brothers by incorrectly claiming this special was an Alfa Romeo project.



I soon lightened up when I saw this Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible in the car park on the way out. My need for speed satiated by a near perfect day at Goodwood I enjoyed a slow amble home taking the back roads into the sunset through West Sussex, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

Thanks for joining me on this Festival Speed edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres', I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I'll be looking at a European bodied one off special owned and driven by a life long competitor. Don't forget to come back now !

Sunday Service - MINI Plant Car Park

I took the 191,000 mile Passat out for a 180 mile spin yesterday to the MINI plant in Cowley just outside Oxford where the PistonHeads had organised a Sunday Service, a free gathering of 800 folks who like to worship their cars.



When I read through the list of vehicles that were booked to attend including a Ferrari California at the top of the list, my sceptical, if it's too good to be true on the internet it is, side imagined some of those hoping to attend might be having a laugh.



However as evidenced by this very expensive tax disc, many people did in fact turn up in the vehicles promised, of the 50 plus vehicles from 28 manufacturers I photographed there were two current different model Rolling Royces, five Ferraris, helping to secure Ferrari Fridays for a while yet (!), 5 Bristols in 4 flavours a couple of Chevrolets and a 1938 Ford Deluxe Hotrod.



On an absolutely freezing morning the MINI visitor provided a welcome shelter with a completely eclectic collection of Mini's both originals and Retro models photo's of which I look forward to sharing in the fullness of time.



The meeting started at 9 am prompt and we were asked to clear the area by 1 pm. Ironically the afternoon drive home was in brilliant sunshine which would have been very welcome while I was taking these pix, but I guess we can't have everything, certainly not in January.



With over 400 photographs to sort out I thought I'd share a handful of details to give you a flavour of what is to come here at Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres !'



I'd like to thank everyone at Pistonheads and the MINI visitor centre who made my first Sunday Service so much fun and finally I'd like to thank all the PistonHeads who brought such a fascinating collection of vehicles.

Hope you enjoyed some of the details in today's edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you'll join me again tomorrow for a trip inside the MINI Visitor centre. Don't forget to come back now !

Comfortable presence or large and in charge - Bentley Azure

This was the first time I saw and indeed heard of a Bentley Azure, though all I heard when I first became acquainted with this one was a faint whisper of a seemingly far off air conditioning unit, I was surprised when I turned around and found this gargantuan vehicle pulling up right next to me.



Since 1998 Volkswagen have been the owners of the Bentley marque having purchased it from Vickers and in the process separated Bentley from, former owner since 1931, Rolls Royce which was sold to the Bavarian Motor Works.



This second generation (2006 - 2009) Azure is powered by a 450 hp 6,750 cc / 411 cui, twin turbo V8, with origins that can be traced to the V8's used in the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II, Phantom V and Bentley S2 of 1959. The power is transmitted to the rear wheels with the aid of a 6 speed automatic gearbox made for this model only.



Handling of this 2,801 kg / 6,175 lb vehicle is said to be free of pitch and roll.



The engine is capable of propelling the Azure up to 60 mph from rest in just 5.6 seconds, and on to 168 mph. Unsurprisingly the Azures fuel consumption is amongst the worst on record at between 9 - 15 miles per US gallon, if you need to ask these figures I guess you do not own the requisite oil field or two to keep the Bentley Azure in motion anyway.



This vehicle is longer wider and obviously taller than an Audi R10 TDI Le Mans race car in fact it is larger than several mini buses with an overall length of 5.342 m / 210 inches, a width of 2.057 m / 81 inches, and wheelbase of 3.061 m / 120 inches. More than comfortable for four adults and their luggage to waft down to the South of France for a weekend on the beach.

Hope you have enjoyed today's XXXL edition of Gettin' a lil psycho on tyres and that you'll join me for a look at a slightly more modest black model built in the foot hills of the Zhiguli Height mountains in Toliatti tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !