Non Championship Contender

Surtees Cosworth TS16

Arise Sir John ? Pt 2

Ferrari 158

Arise Sir John ? Pt 1

Ferrari 158 

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 #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 #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 !

Sweet dreams are made of this - Connew PC1 02

Imagine a recently graduated 24 year old industrial designer, who knows nothing about motor sport, but with a passing interest in large American chromed land yachts sitting in an office designing record players in East London, i pods if your not sure of what a record player is, and the phone rings. His friends are calling to see if he would like to join them on holiday with the intention of taking in the 1969 Italian Grand Prix.



When his boss tells our hero that it is not okay to take the time of work to go on holiday our hero offers his resignation, and joins his friends anyway.



At the Italian GP our hero falls in love with the sound of V12 engines as they accelerate between the corners of the Monza track.



Upon returning to England he finds out about a vacancy in the drawing office of a newly established Grand Prix team owned by a former multiple World Motor Cycle champion and one time World Grand Prix champion.



Our hero's attitude 'that there was no problem in this world that common sense and application with half an ounce of intelligence can not overcome' wins him the job, starting out knowing absolutely zero about the design of racing cars within months he is working on the design of a Grand Prix car.



When our hero sees the red car his new design is going to replace wheeled out into the sunshine for the first time, in that very instant he decides he is going to build a Grand Prix vehicle of his very own.



Our hero starts working from home, his parents home that is, on his own Grand Prix challenger, a friend tells our hero he may use a spare bedroom and lock up to start building his car, other friends chip in with time, suppliers 'lend' him various bits and pieces to be getting on with. As the design our hero then takes a job with an engineering company where he uses his and colleagues lunch hours to fabricate parts he cannot otherwise afford for his own Grand Prix challenger.



12 months after deciding to build his very own Grand Prix car our hero completes his chassis and he shows it to his cousin, a wood work teacher, who agrees to to join the team to make the bodywork using materials he has never used before.



Using only our heros own wages, friends time, goodwill and what can be scrounged including a dummy engine, once used by Jochen Rindt to win the 1969 US Grand Prix, gearbox and wheels our heros team push their improbably completed Grand Prix car one Sunday night out of it's lock up, down the London Rd in Chadwell Heath to the only place with enough light to take a photo of their pride and joy, the forecourt of their local petrol station.



If this story sounds incredible then I'd like to welcome you to the incredible story of Peter Connew who in 36 months made the transition from record player designer to Formula One designer and constructor of the Connew PC1 02 Grand Prix car seen here in late 1971. To be continued....


With thanks to Peters cousin Barry Boor for the photographs if you'd like to read the whole story of how the Connew team came together over a period of two years and it's trials and tribulations the year after please read Barry's account of his part in this 'Boys Own' adventure here.

Hope you enjoyed part one of my all time favourate Formula One story which will be continued at some future date, and that you'll join me tomorrow for a look at some teutonic efficiency at 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres'. Don't forget to come back now !