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Singer 1 1/2 LitreLe Mans

May 2011 - Issue 6

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ROAd TO LE MANS - GT40S ON TRACk - GRANd PRIx COLLECTION - ANd MUCH MORE!

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Editor: Simon Hazeldine- Designer: Chris Peacock - Sub Editor: Alan Simpson - Advertising: Gareth McFarlane - Web ‘Geek’: Luke Mowatt - Marketing: Peter Allinson. The entire contents of Classic, Performance & Retro magazine are copyright. No part of it may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Classic, Performance & Retro Magazine is a FREE monthly publication produced by AV8 Publishing Ltd, Cambridge, England. Contact Details: PO Box 280, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 9DH. Website - www.cprmag.com - E-mail - info@cprmag.com - Telephone +44 (0)1353 777519. We are happy to accept photographs and articles with a view to including them in Classic, Performance & Retro Magazine, but please note: all submissions are sent at contributors own risk and we will not be liable for any loss or damage.

Well, the latest issue of Classic, Performance & Retro is finally here! It’s a little later than planned, thanks mainly to the recent Bank Holidays, and of course Wills and Kate getting married. That said, we think that we have put a cracking issue together for you this month and there are no prizes for spotting that there is a very strong Le Mans theme running through the magazine. This theme wasn’t planned; it just kind of happened. First there was the Singer Le Mans article, then the Robertson Racing Team which is racing its Ford GTs at this year’s Le Mans 24hr, and then of course the ‘GT40s on Track’ story which features the Ford GT40…which became famous for its Le Mans wins. There was some fantastic weather here in the UK during April and it is great to see many classic cars emerging once again from their winter hibernation. Many of these cars are taking part in club organised rallies or events, and one of these was the recent GT40 Enthusiasts’ Club track day at Donington Park. We were lucky enough to be invited along and you can read our report on this excellent event elsewhere in this issue. What a great day though! We were thoroughly impressed with both the organisation of the event and the general approach taken by the club to the cars and its members. Obviously the original Ford GT40s are extremely rare and expensive cars, so it was perhaps not surprising that most of the cars at Donington were kit-built replicas. However, the club caters for owners of both the real cars and the replicas, yet there seems to be no divisions between the two groups; all are treated equally and that is a very commendable attitude indeed.There was a great atmosphere during the day with owners swapping rides in each other’s cars and exchanging stories about their various ‘on-track’ exploits, and the addition of the 289 Register’s Cobras and a selection of other interesting machines made for some fascinating viewing. We hope you enjoy reading this issue of Classic, Performance & Retro as much as we did putting it together. As always, we love to hear your comments and thoughts, so if there is anything particular you would like to see in the magazine, please let us know.

Drive Safe!

The Classic, Performance & Retro team.

Classic Showcase - Singer 11/2 Litre Le Mans

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The Road To Le Mans032 Autodrome - The Donington

Grand Prix Collection074

CONTENTS

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Classic Showcase - Singer 11/2 Litre Le Mans: The Singer 11/2 Litre Le Mans was designed with competition driving in mind, so perhaps it’s lively performance and crisp handling shouldn’t come as a surprise, but as Simon Hazeldine finds out, there’s much more to this pretty little car

The Road To Le Mans: David and Andrea Robertson formed their own racing team which has been competing successfully in the popular American Le Mans Series, but 2011 will mark the realisation of the couple’s greatest ambition…to run in the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Simon Hazeldine takes up the story.

Autodrome - Donington: If you are a fan of Formula1 racing, you’ll just love the Donington Grand Prix Collection at Donington Park, Leicestershire. It houses some very famous cars and gives the visitor a great opportunity to get up close to them, as David Harrison discovered.

Virtual Training Session: The Robertson Racing Team flew to the UK recently to use the Base Performance racing simulator in Banbury, Oxfordshire, to help prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hour Race.

GT40s On Track: Few cars have gained legendary status as quickly as the Ford GT40, thanks mainly to its four successive Le Mans wins in the 1960s. Nearly 50 years later, the UK’s GT40 Enthusiasts’ Club is keeping the legend alive and we were invited along to one of its track days to see the cars in action!

RegularFeatures:

What’s On: Never miss another race meeting or car show with our comprehensive events guide.

Club News: A round-up of news from some of the best car clubs in the world.

Auction News: A round up of what’s been happening in the auctions rooms around the world.

Reviews: A look at what’s hot...and what’s not in the automotive marketplace.

006 News: All the latest news and gossip from the Classic, Performance & Retro worlds.

May 2011 5

GT40s OnThe Track!058 Classic, Performance & Retro magazine is a FREE monthly online publication

produced by AV8 Publishing Ltd, Cambridge, England.

First Donington Historic Festival A ‘Huge Success’

The Latest Automotive News From Around The World!

The first ever Donington Historic Festival held at Donington Park race circuit on April 30 – May 1 has been hailed as a huge success by the organisers. The event saw over 200 historic racing cars, some dating back to the 1930s, take to the track to compete in a series of highly competitive races.“This was the first time we’d run the Festival, so we couldn’t be absolutely certain how it would turn out,” said event organiser Duncan Wiltshire, “but it exceeded our most optimistic expectations in every way: the spectators, the weather, the revitalised circuit, but above all the racing. “We saw huge grids of some of the best historic cars in Europe, with racing that was incredibly close and unbelievably exciting. The advantage of Donington, of course, is that it’s such a spectacular circuit for watching the action: from the restructured infield you have a fabulous view of the twists, turns and gradients. There are few places in Europe which offer such a superb ‘amphitheatre’ from which to watch a race.“The Group B rally cars and historic karts in action on the Grand Prix loop also proved

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News

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May 2011 7

enormously popular. We’ve had the most fantastic feedback from spectators – and from the 38 car clubs who took part, bringing their treasured classics to park in the infield and provide yet another attraction for visitors. We’re already discussing possible dates for the 2012 Festival, and hope to announce these as soon as possible.”We will be bringing you a full report from the Donington Historic Festival in the next issue of Classic, Performance & Retro - don’t miss it!

Rumours currently circulating the performance car world suggest that German manufacturer Porsche is planning to call its forthcoming ‘918 Coupe’ the Porsche 961, a number last used on one of its 1980s Le Mans entries.German magazine Autobild suggests that the historic number will feature on a new V8 ‘Halo’ series production model. No details have been officially confirmed, but it’s believed that the new 961 will be a V8 powered coupe with styling lifted from the 918 Spyder/RSR project. The 918 has already been confirmed for limited production run, but it will be heading for a fairly exclusive market considering it will have a price tag of around £500,000.

New Porsche Badged With Historic Number?

New 918 Coupe To Use Le Mans 961 Tag?

The Latest Automotive News From Around The World!News

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Italian styling house Zagato has unveiled its TZ3 Stradale as part of Alfa Romeo’s centenary celebrations. Although it looks unmistakably like an Alfa Romeo, the new car is in fact based on a Dodge Viper and powered by a US-built 4.2 V8 engine driving a six-speed sequential gearbox. The attractive body is constructed from carbon fibre and incorporates the distinctive ‘Kamm’ tail which has long been a feature of Zagato cars.Only nine examples will be made and the first TZ3 Stradale has been delivered to USA-based Alfa Romeo and Zagato collector (and Saratoga Automobile Museum board member) Eric King. The second and third examples of the TZ3 Stradale will be delivered in Japan and Europe to as yet unnamed customers.

Zagato TZ3 Stradale Unveiled

News In Brief...

An Austin-Healey 100 that set 12 National and six International speed records at Millbrook in November 2009 is being offered for sale. The car - built by Austin-Healey specialist Denis Welch Motorsport -

clocked up a speed of 153.22mph at the Bedfordshire test track, the fastest speed ever recorded for a Healey 100. The records were set when the team attempted to beat the 132.81mph speed set for non-supercharged four-cylinder cars by the Healey works team

Classic car parts specialist Moss Europe has introduced an electronic distributor for classic Minis. The unit was originally fitted to all standard Cooper 1275cc carb models. It can also be used on any A+ 1275cc car using a carburettor! No

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CLASSIC CARS - AMERICAN CLASSICS - KIT CARS - 4X4 - EX-MILITARY VEHICLES - MOTOR HOMES - CAMPER VANS - CLASSIC TRACTORS

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The GAZ Gold coil over suspension kit for the Ford Escort II is now available with a brand new steel hub, which is precisely machined before being added to the Gold Coilover. This means that GAZ Gold coilovers are available off the shelf and no longer require the customer’s donor units in exchange. The new hub will provide a dimensionally perfect mount for the wheel bearings.For more info, check out the GAZ website.www.gazshocks.com

GAZ ‘Gold’ Coil Overs for Ford Escort II

MARTIN CHISHOLM COLLECTORS CARS LTD

For further information on the above and other motorcars in stock please contact us on:01242 821 600

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secure bespoke car storage facility now available www.carstoring.com

1971 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 – Works Team CarA genuine Works entry for the 1971 World Sportscar Championship and driven to an historic 2nd place

in the 1971 Targa Florio by the lead Works driver Andrea de Adamich. With just four private owners from new, it is accompanied by original correspondence and notes from Autodelta test driver Teodoro

Zeccoli and an extensive spares package and history file.

www.martinchisholm.com

May 2011 9

The Latest Automotive News From Around The World!News

Team Lotus Buys CaterhamThe Lotus Seven; first it was a Lotus, then it was a Caterham, and now apparently it’s a Lotus again! Well, sort of… Surrey-based manufacturer Caterham has been bought by Team Lotus Enterprise - the organisation behind the Team Lotus Formula 1 team, but not the Hethel-based sports car manufacturer called Lotus which also happens to have an F1 team. Confused? We know how you feel!Team Lotus was formed by Malaysian entrepreneur and Air Asia boss Tony Fernandes and first appeared on the F1 scene in 2010. The move represents a 100% buyout by Fernandes’ company although previous Caterham boss Ansar Ali will retain his position as Managing Director.Speaking about the acquisition, Tony Fernandes said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to use the Formula 1 platform to promote a car company. Ansar has done a great job with the company through some tough times, but now I think we bring in two things; we give them some liquidity and we release them out of their cages, so all those pent up ideas and aggression can be released and Caterham can now go out there and deliver what they are capable of.”Fernandes added that the take-over would give Caterham access to F1 technology such as advanced composite structuring and aerodynamics.

“Caterham is uniquely British and we intend to keep it that way,” said Fernandes. “We are not trying to produce an Asian car or an Italian car, it is a British car and we will just allow the management to develop a car that they fully believe in.”

Chance To See Vauxhall’s Classic Collection

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The Bromley Pageant of Motoring returns to Norman Park, Bromley, on Sunday June 12. Celebrating all aspects of classic motoring, the Pageant attracts more than 3,000 classic cars and bikes to the show along with around 30,000 visitors.The organisers say that the pageant is the biggest one-day classic vehicle show in the world and features an automotive extravaganza of classic cars, bikes, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, stationary engines and much more. See website for details: www.bromleypageant.co.uk

Bromley Pageant Returns!

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News, Gossip & Views From The World Of Motorsport

STRETTON AND WATTS SHARE HISTORIC FORmULA 2 WINS AT DONINGTON

For the second time this season, Matthew Watts and Martin Stretton shared the victories as the Historic Formula 2 Championship starred at the Donington Historic Festival over the weekend (30 April/1 May).From a fabulous 32-car entry, Watts (March 772) and Stretton (March 742) were again the class of the field to take a win apiece, while Andrew Smith (March 79B) drove superbly to twice take the Formula Atlantic category and even claim an overall podium.The tone for the weekend was set in qualifying when Stretton pipped Watts to pole by just a tenth of a second. Peter Meyrick (March 782) and David Methley (Chevron B35) were within half a second of the pole time as Smith, in seventh overall, headed the Formula Atlantic class and Diogo Ferrao (March 712) topped the 1600cc F2 cars.With a monster opening lap, Stretton led the first race for 11 laps with Watts a constant shadow. However, Stretton was then forced into the pits and retirement with a damaged nose cone, which left Watts away clear for victory. Through to second with a strong run came Frank Sytner (March 782), but only after a tremendous battle with Andrew Smith, who finished just a quarter of a second behind to win the Formula Atlantic class. Steve Maxted (Lola T360) had a good run to fourth, while Ferrao took eighth overall and the 1600cc F2 class victory.With his car repaired for the second race of the weekend, Stretton made certain of victory with a commanding performance as Watts led the chase. Eventually Watts dropped away in a secure second and Andrew Smith ran a superb third overall until the last mile of the race. Then, as his car ran short of fuel, Andrew lost three places on the run the line as the battling trio of David Methley (Chevron B35), Maxted and David Gathercole (Chevron B25) all swept past.Despite losing out on an overall podium, Smith salvaged sixth overall to win the Formula Atlantic class, finishing well clear of the similar car of Ian Ashley. Ferrao completed a good weekend for the Stretton team by wrapping up the 1600cc class again in the team’s March 712.The next date on the Historic Formula 2 Championship calendar is at the fabulous and historic Monza track in Italy over the weekend of 4/5 June.

32 Cars Take Part In Epic Race At Donington Festival

trackNews

Martin Stretton in his March 742 starts another lap at Donington.

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JD Classics knows classic cars inside out, particularly Jaguars; it builds, restores, upgrades, services and even races them. It has an international reputation for concours winning restorations and for rebuilds enhanced with special sports upgrades.

Following the company’s slogan “When only the best will do”, it is only natural that JD Classics should choose Autoglym car care products to finish and protect its stunning vehicles which include Aston Martins, Bentleys and Ferraris as well as Jaguars.

Autoglym offers the most comprehensive range of car care products available. All are fast, effective and will provide a perfect result, inside or out.

For the ultimate shine, our recently introduced High Definition Wax is supplied as a complete kit and is quite simply our finest polish ever.

Follow JD Classics’ example and use the best care and protection for your car. Find out more about the award winning Autoglym range by visiting our website at www.autoglym.com

Classics in the making

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SUPPLIER OF CAR CARE PRODUCTSAUTOGLYM, LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND

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SUPPLIER OF CAR CARE PRODUCTSAUTOGLYM, LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND

For product and local stockist information, visit our website or telephone 0800 515 779.

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News, Gossip & Views From The World Of MotorsporttrackNews

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Bernie Ecclestone says there is no truth to the rumours that he has been in discussions with officials from the Fiat/Ferrari group about a potential takeover of formula one. There had been recent reports stating that News Corporation and Carlos Slim were interested in buying the commercial rights for F1 from Ecclestone’s CVC group, and that Ferrari may also be involved in the consortium.Speaking to a German newspaper, Ecclestone said: “I can assure you that none of those you have referred to as allegedly interested have spoken on this matter with CVC or with me. CVC has no intention of selling F1. We haven’t had races as exciting as this for a long time,” he added. “We have contracts for grands prix in twenty countries and six other countries who want a race. F1 is stronger, more stable and successful than ever before.”Asked about rumours that he is planning to retire, Ecclestone responded: “I don’t know where that came from but it’s true that I don’t work for the money. In the past few decades with all the people who have supported me we have achieved a lot and it still gives me a lot of joy. It’s my life.”

FORMULA1 ‘NOT FOR SALE’ SAyS

ECCLESTONEDenies Talks With Possible Buyers Australian F1 driver Mark Webber has contradicted Christian

Horner’s claims that he will retire if he leaves Red Bull. Red Bull principal Horner has said that Webber has no desire to switch to another team when his current contract expires at the end of the 2011 season. Webber, 34, who has had a tough start to the season, told Italian newspaper La Stampa:

“When this championship ends my contract with Red Bull does as well, but I don’t think it depends on the results; I want to win for me. We’ll see. If the team doesn’t want me any more, I will have to ask myself a question - hang up my helmet or change teams?”

Webber keeps Options OpenTeam Change A Possibility For 2012

Recent reports suggesting that Mercedes F1 driver Nico Rosberg could switch to Ferrari have been played down by team boss Norbert Haug. Italian magazine Autosprint ran a story claiming that Ferrari had recently made contact with Rosberg about pairing up with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso next year. However, Haug responded: “Last weekend it was the first of May, not the first of April, so this joke is a month too late.” Rosberg wouldn’t comment on the rumours.

Rosberg To Ferrari Story Rejected By mercedes Boss

bAHRAIN RACE bACk ON? A senior Bahraini official says that he is confident the kingdom’s grand prix will be rescheduled for later in 2011. The Formula1 governing body has given the Bahrain race organisers one month to decide if conditions in the country are stable enough for the race to go ahead. Recent civil unrest forced the postponement of the race which was scheduled as the season opener.

“It’s not cancelled, it’s only postponed. We will hear good news soon,” said Bahrain tourism’s acting assistant undersecretary Nada Ahmed Yaseen in Gulf News.Yaseen played down reports that Bahrain is still unstable saying that the country is now back to normal. She added: “I think the race will happen this year, we are very optimistic about it.”

NEWS FROM CASTLE COMBE ACTION DAYSClassics & Sports Car Action Day - Saturday 11th June 2011A blend of displays and all out track action

DRIVE YOU CLASSIC ON TRACKNEW IDEAS FOR CLUBSCLASSIC AUCTIONPRICES HELD – ADMISSION £10, TRACK PASS £35

Castle Combe Circuit probably invented Club driving days almost 30 years ago when, in conjunction withClassic & Sports Car Magazine we launched what have become the very successful Action Days.

But for 2011, we are bringing in some new opportunities plus the good news that all ticket and track passprices are being held.

These include:

An established venue and event to use as the base for a National Rally.

Special Club Parades at strictly controlled speeds

A dedicated area for individual drivers to display their cars appropriate to the day in a central area

The segregation of modern sports cars from genuine classics

A central traffic free zone to soak up the Castle Combe atmosphere without using the circuit

Special track session for ‘tax exempt’ classics

A New Style Display and Drive PassFor Clubs with 15 or more cars you can take advantage of the free passes and free display space, plus, nowfor the first time pay a small additional charge per car and book one of four dedicated club parade passes.

New Modern Sports Car SessionsThis is for any sportscar produced after 1995 and can range from a Caterham through to the latest ‘supercar’providing they meet our sound regulations.

Special Owner Display AreaThis area will be situated in the Camp Corner display area adjacent to the Race Paddock.

New AttractionsTo give the long established Classics and Sports Cars Action Day even more appeal we are delighted thatRichard Edmonds Auctions, have chosen the day to host another of their fast growing auctions of classic andcollectable cars, motorcycles and auto memorabilia.

Local AttractionsRemember that Castle Combe Circuit is situated just a short drive from the famous village, we aresurrounded, to the south west by the city of Bath, a renowned World Heritage Site. To the east is the AtwellWilson Motor Museum at Calne, a little further to the east the amazing stones of Avebury and the famousSilsbury Hill. Whilst to the south a little further afield is Stonehenge and if you venture north, then you are inthe glorious Cotswolds.

All in all an ideal base for a National Rally – or just a great day out for the classic owner.

For more information, to book or keep up to date on all news why not register on our Classics and SportsCars Club list. Just e-mail maria@castlecombecircuit.co.uk. We will keep you informed on events and newsat Castle Combe Circuit but will not pass your details onto any other company or organisation.

Website www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk Phone 01249 782417

A CAMPAIGN to raise £600,000 to save the ‘time capsule’ home of the man who made motoring affordable for the British masses was launched by the National Trust on May 4. The Morris Motor Company was started in 1910 when bicycle manufacturer William Morris, later Lord Nuffield, turned his attention to cars.Three years later the two-seat Morris Oxford ‘Bullnose’ was introduced, helping change the lives of thousands of ordinary people with the dawn of mass-produced vehicles. Nuffield Place in Oxfordshire was his home from 1933 until his death in 1963.He left the house to Nuffield College in Oxford, which he founded. The College has carefully preserved the house and until recently it has been opened to the public by volunteers from the Friends of Nuffield Place on a limited

basis. Nuffield College has now offered it to the National Trust. However, in order to open this unique house to the public, and secure its future, the Trust urgently needs to raise £600,000.The MG Car Club has been involved with the campaign to raise the money by helping raise awareness of the project in the past couple of months.Richard Henderson, National Trust General Manager, said: “Despite Lord Nuffield’s extraordinary philanthropy and achievements, he remains relatively unknown. His home is a wonderful time capsule without any of the ‘show’ of a multi-millionaire and reveals so much about the man who changed many people’s lives for the better.

“We are determined to open the house as soon as possible and to celebrate Lord Nuffield’s remarkable story. But we need to raise the funds to get the necessary visitor facilities in place and we hope our supporters will help us to meet our target.”Despite considerable personal wealth, Lord Nuffield lived a modest life and the house and its contents reflect the simple, unassuming home that he shared with his wife. Many of Lord and Lady Nuffield’s possessions are still where they left them, offering an intimate glimpse into their world. Robes worn to official functions, personal letters and books, and framed cartoons and photographs can be seen throughout the house.To make a donation to the appeal and to enable the National Trust to open Nuffield Place to the public, visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/savenuffieldplace or telephone 0844 800 1895.www.mgcc.co.uk

MGCC Helping To Save Nuffield House

ClubNews

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mG Car Club

Triumph Sports Six Club

The Triumph Sports Six Club will hold its annual Family International Weekend at the County Show Ground in Staffordshire on August 19-21, and it sounds like it could be quite an event. The main event takes place in Bingley Hall covering 5,900 square metres where there will be over 100 cars on display, alongside many trade stands from some of

the biggest names in the Triumph world. There is also a concours competition planned for the event covering 15 categories, which will provide an opportunity for all types of cars receive an award, with the most prestigious being the Car of Show. The club says that the competition attracts the finest cars from all over the UK and beyond making an award from the TSSC-International a real achievement. For more information, visit the club’s website at: www.tssc-international.co.uk

Tell Us About Your Club!Want to tell us about your club or event? Then send details into Club News at: info@cprmag.com

TSSC International Weekend Planned

Time to get somework done to YOURclassic car?

TRGB are now established as one of the leading Triumphspecialists in the country and have extensive and almostunrivalled experience on the restoration and maintenanceof these cars. Along the way we have also gained years ofexperience working on other classic cars. Work and personalprojects aside from our Triumphs include: full restoration ofan E-type 4.2 Jaguar, full restoration of a ‘Healey 3000’, fullengine build on a V12-E and full and detailed restoration of aFerrari Dino (including full engine build).

Our workshop is always very busy and to this end we havedecided to expand this side of the business and are delightedto announce a new member of staff: Mr Jason Wright. Jasonbrings with him a wealth of experience and has worked onmany TRs as well as Jaguar and TVR from a well-knownleading dealership, and so will add his knowledge to theextensive experience of both Tim and Richard. To promotethis new expansion we are offering a 10% discount(£40.50/hr + VAT) on all work booked in during thefirst three months of 2011.

If you require any work on YOUR classic car, please call Garyat TRGB.

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www.trgb.co.uk

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

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Singer 1 1/2 Litre Le MansThe Singer 11/2 Litre Le Mans was designed with competition driving in mind, so perhaps it’s lively performance and crisp handling shouldn’t come as a surprise, but as Simon Hazeldine finds out, there’s much more to this pretty little car than meets the eye.

Classicshowcase

The Singer 11/2 Litre Le Mans is a very attractive car from any angle.

May 2011 19

The problem with classic cars is that they can be so damn addictive. Take

Martyn Wray for example. Not content with owning a rather nice Singer, he had to buy another one and rebuild it from the ground up. Then there was the owners’ club; not satisfied with just being a

just member, Martyn became Club Secretary. Then came his car’s history. Not only did Martyn research the history of his own car, he also recorded the history of every other Singer Le Mans ever built, including photos and details of the car’s current location. Now if that isn’t obsession, I

don’t know what is!The story of the Singer 1½ Litre Le Mans started way back in 1926 when the manufacturer introduced the Singer Junior. The new car was a small, compact vehicle powered by an 8hp engine which featured an overhead camshaft, a revolutionary

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May 2011 21

development at the time. The first cars to roll off the production line were all four-seat tourers, although a variety of bodies were later fitted, including a stylish two-seat ‘boat-tailed’ design named the Porlock, after one of the cars completed 100 consecutive climbs and descents of the famous Somerset hill which it was named after.

Singer JuniorThe Junior was a great success and remained in production for five years before the new Singer Nine was introduced. The Nine used the same basic engine as the Junior but benefited from improved lubrication and an increase in power to 9hp. Its sprightly performance made the car an attractive

The two spare tyres were standard equipment thanks to the car’s competition background.

Chrome grille topped with famous Singer badge.

Tiny Singer Le Mans badge is fitted to front valance.

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proposition to those with a passion for speed, and in 1933, a four-seater car based on the Singer Nine chassis took part in the famous Le Mans race and finished in a creditable 13th place. This success meant that it also became the first un-supercharged British car under 1,100cc to qualify for

the Rudge Whitworth cup.These sporting achievements were not lost on the manufacturer and in 1934 it introduced the Singer 1½ Litre Le Mans which was powered by a six cylinder engine producing 63hp. It featured an exceptionally pretty two-seat body with sweeping

front wings flanking a chrome radiator shroud with a wire mesh inset. At the rear the car carried two spare wheels strapped to a ‘slab’ style 15 gallon fuel tank which was protected by two chrome mesh stoneguards.

Lighter ChassisUnderneath, the chassis was a development of the one used on the Singer Nine, although it was considerably strengthened and lightened and one inch was added to the wheelbase. The problem of how to accommodate the larger six-cylinder engine was solved by moving the seats rearwards by several inches. For such an attractive car with such rewarding performance, it is perhaps surprising to learn

The engine bay on Martyn’s car has been restored to factory spec.

Small marker lights are mounted on the front wings.

May 2011 23

that only 71 cars were ever built and it is one of these is the star of this feature.

to own one myself. That eventually happened in 1976 when I bought a Singer Nine that needed restoring. Then shortly after that, I was offered a 1½ Litre Le Mans; the owner was selling to get some money to buy a vintage bicycle. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford it at the time and I though I was going to miss out on it. Luckily, the owner managed to buy the bicycle with out having to sell the car.A few years later in 1984, the

same owner called me and asked if I was still interested in buying his car as he was now looking to buy a whole collection of bicycles. At that point I had finished restoring my own Singer, so I sold it and bought his 1½ Litre Le Mans.”

Still Looking GoodI first came across Martyn Wray’s beautiful example of the Singer 1½ Litre Le Mans at a show at Panshanger aerodrome last August. It was a bright sunny day and the little Singer immediately caught my eye as its glorious red paintwork and chrome sparkled in the sunshine.I’m pleased to say that when I caught up with Martyn recently his Singer looked as good as when I first saw it, if not better. Yet again the sun was shining down on it and I’m now starting to wonder if this car somehow attracts good weather!I asked Martyn how he came to be the owner of such a desirable car. “I guess it all started back in 1966 when I bought a car from a chap who owned a Singer 1½ Litre Le Mans. His car made an instant impression on me and before long I had joined the Singer Owners’ Club despite not having one of my own. At that time, the club was very competitive and involved in all sorts of motorsport, and that was something that appealed to me. Anyway, the chap – who incidentally became a life-long friend – eventually sold his Le Mans for £90.00 and went and bought an ever better example for £120.00. I eventually restored that car for him in the 1970s and that taught me a lot about Singers and how rare and unusual they are. It also convinced me that I would really like

A New ChallengeNow you might be sitting there thinking that having just sold a fully restored car that the vehicle Martyn was buying

The Singer six-cyliner engine.

A neat storage box under the bonnet is ideal for carrying small spares.

24 CPR Magazine

May 2011 25

was also in a similar desirable state, but you would be wrong. He had bought yet another car that needed fully restoring.“When I first got the car it was pretty much in pieces. The car was more or less complete and looked like it was in one piece when I first saw it, but it turned out that the body was just resting on the chassis and most of the parts were just loosely bolted in place. The car was stuck at the back of his garage and he was rebuilding two other cars that prevented us from getting to the main door. We ended up just taking it apart and removing it piece by piece through the side door! The only bits missing were a large spotlight from the front and another lamp from the rear.”Not being one to duck out

of a challenge, Martyn took the plunge and started the restoration. He did all the work himself, including the welding and paintwork and the finished product is outstanding.“The rear axle was in a terrible state,” said Martyn. “Many 1½ Litre Le Mans were used as

trials cars and for ‘hill-climb’ events, and judging by the state of the axle I thought that my car might have some competition history, but so far I haven’t found any record of it.”With the car in pieces, Martyn turned his attention to the bodywork which is constructed

For a competition car, the interior is very well appointed.

26 CPR Magazine

from a wooden frame covered with a mix of steel and aluminium panels. “I prefer to repair the wood rather than replace it, so I splice in new sections where ever needed. I did make a few new parts, but most of it was just repaired.

way he makes constructing the door skins sound like a five minute job, when in reality the curved top of the door makes it far more complex that it might seem.The restoration took about six years to complete and the car took to the road again in 1989. Martyn says that the car handles very well. Since it was designed with competition use in mind, the car feels very solid and lively as it rolls through the country lanes. With a gearbox absent of any syncro-mesh whatsoever, the

driver is required to double de-clutch for every gear change and the gear stick itself looks surprisingly short for a car of its era. “It’s a very precise box,” says Martyn. “Although it lacks syncro-mesh, Singer designed it with what they called ‘Perma-mesh’ which is a sort of ‘half-way house’ to syncro-mesh, but it doesn’t really do much for you The ride is firm but certainly not uncomfortable and is very similar to my own Triumph TR4. That’s quite an impressive statement in itself,

Repair or Replace?Most of the body panels were just repaired too. I had to fabricate new aluminium door skins, but as they are just flat panels it was a fairly straight-forward job.”I like Martyn’s modesty; the

The Singer 11/2 Litre Le Mans - perfect for summer afternoon drives!

May 2011 27

considering there is a 30 gap between the two cars. Either the Singer was way ahead of its time with its handling characteristics or the TR was dated, but as the TR4 was successfully campaigned as a works rally car and is generally highly regarded for its ride qualities, you would have to conclude that the Singer factory did a great job.One aspect of the car’s suspension that surprised me was that it has adjustable dampers. These are not from one of the modern conversion

kits that are often fitted to classic cars, they are the original factory parts. The method is incredibly simple too; the damper is basically a long arm with a hinge in the middle. The hinge part is made up from a series of friction plates sandwiched together and held in place with a large central bolt. To adjust the damper you simply loosen or tighten the bolt to increase or decrease the friction. The car stops well too, thanks to its hydraulically operated 13in brake drums on each

wheel. Probably just as well since the Singer can keep up with modern traffic and will cruise quite happily at around 55mph, although the original factory figures quoted a top speed of 83mph.

Parts SupplyOne aspect that can cause problems when running a car of this age is parts supply. When you think that only 71 were ever made and of that number probably less than 50 are still know to exist, there

just isn’t the same spares back-up enjoyed by owners of mass produced cars. I asked Martyn if he had problems obtaining spare parts.“Generally it isn’t too much of a problem. The Singer Owners’ Club has three spares registrars that supply parts for each model. If I need something I can usually get it through the club and there are a number of small specialist companies that produce some of the parts. Certain things like engine blocks are almost impossible to find and until recently some of the lights were unavailable, but overall I have been able to get most of what I need.”

Covering UpWeather equipment comes in the form of a removable

28 CPR Magazine

The Singer 11/2 Litre Le Mans is fitted with these clever adjustable dampers.

This small tap allows fuel to be drawn from the reserve tank.

The original windscreen wiper switch is still fitted.

hood, which is held in place over a detachable frame, and side-screens. There is very little room in the Le Mans for carrying the hood around, but the side-screens are discreetly tucked away in a specially constructed pocket underneath the dashboard. The interior of the Le Mans is well appointed too, especially for a car that was designed with competition and trials driving in mind. Behind the cockpit is the slab-shaped fuel tank which also has a couple of interesting features. The most obvious is the pair of chrome mesh stone guards; one fitted to each side of the tank. It is difficult to see what these are meant to protect the tank from, since there is a more than adequate steel arch covering each rear wheel and the front wheels

provide no threat whatsoever. I assumed the chrome finish was something Martyn had opted for, but he told me that this was how they were finished at the factory.The other feature of note is what looks like a small tap on top of the tank. This is in fact a valve which allows you to switch to the reserve fuel tank in the unlikely event that you were ever to run out of petrol. Like everything else on the Singer, it is incredibly simple. The fuel pick-up pipe which draws fuel from the tank is actually two pipes, only one is about two inches longer than the other. The shorter pipe is used as the main feed from the tank. Once the petrol drops below the short pipe, obviously the engine cuts out,

but pulling the valve switches to the longer pipe and gives access to the last two inches of petrol in the tank which equates to about two gallons. Like I said, simple…but very clever!The Singer 1½ Litre Le Mans is a very pretty little car which is very pleasant to drive. I was impressed by its robust construction and its lively performance and surprised at just how good its spec list was. Martyn’s car in particular is a very worthy tribute to the model, such is the quality of finish and attention to detail. He is currently restoring a Singer saloon, but once that is finished he says that he will probably restore the Le Mans all over again. If you ever wanted to meet a ‘perfectionist,’ look no further!

May 2011 29

Singer Owners’ ClubAll Singer cars are supported by the excellent Singer Owners’ Club. The club can offer help and advice on all aspects of owning a Singer and can even provide or source spares for some of the models. If you would like to join, or obtain more information about the club, please contact them via their website at: www.singeroc.free-online.co.uk

Martyn’s car needed a lot of work to make it look as good as it does today. The photos above show the car when he first acquired it (top) and part way through the restoration with the rebuilt wooden frame in place. As you can see, the end result is stunning.

The Restoration

30 CPR Magazine

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Sometimes, dreaming just isn’t enough. If you have the passion, desire and commitment, you can make those dreams come true, and that’s exactly what David and Andrea Robertson have done. They formed their own racing team which has been competing successfully in the popular American Le Mans Series, but 2011 will mark the realisation of the couple’s greatest ambition…to run in the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Simon Hazeldine takes up the story.

The Road To

Just about anyone who has sat behind the wheel of a car has

probably fantasised about racing at one of the world’s most prestigious motorsport events. Whether it’s Monaco or Daytona, Silverstone or Sepang, if you were given the

opportunity to drive on one of these great racing circuits you would grasp it with both hands. Then of course there is Le Mans. While it might not benefit from the same public exposure granted to the famous Formula 1 tracks, the French circuit is still one of the

best known in motorsport.While many of the other well known tracks have relied on Formula 1, NASCAR or IndyCar to make them famous, Le Mans owes its near legendary status to just one race – the Le Mans 24 Hour. First held in 1923, the ’24

May 2011 33

Hours of Le Mans’ to give it its proper title, is designed to test the endurance of both drivers and cars as they race around the 13.6km ‘Circuit De La Sarthe.’ Past winners include Graham Hill, Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori, Jochen Rindt, Mike Hawthorne and Derek

Bell, while winning cars were built by manufacturers such as Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. In the 1960s American automotive giant Ford reigned supreme when its GT40s won the race in four successive years.

It was this US domination that caught the attention of a young David Robertson, setting off what would become a life-long dream to race at Le Mans. Winding the clock forward 42 years, David is now owner/driver of the Robertson Racing Team (RRT) which

34 CPR Magazine

has spent the last three years competing in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). With his wife Andrea, the couple put together a plan which would see them racing an all-new car bearing the Ford badge, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it looks remarkably like the Ford GT40s that proved so dominant in the 60s. The end result was the Ford GT Mk7; a car based on a brand new chassis powered by an Elan-built 5-litre Ford DOHC engine

punching out a whopping 500bhp.

team across the Atlantic would be enough to frighten off all but the most dedicated. Undeterred, the Robertsons submitted their entry for the 2011 ‘24 Hours of Le Mans’ and sat back and waited. The news arrived in March. Their entry had been accepted! One of the team’s cars would be racing in the LM GTE-Am class while the second car was listed as first reserve, to be used if any other entries dropped out.

Going To Le Mans!With a competitive car and three successful ALMS seasons under their collective belts, David Robertson found himself still dreaming of a drive at Le Mans, a dream now also shared by Andrea. They had the team, the cars and even the drivers, but one look at the logistics involved in shipping an entire race

Ford GT No040 thunders down a straight during an ALMS race. (All pics - RRT)

May 2011 35

Naturally the Robertsons were delighted with the news, but there was little time to celebrate as the enormity of the task ahead began to sink in. Not only would the team have to ship all its staff and equipment to France for the race, they also had to send it over for the mandatory practice session at Le Mans on April 24.Preparations began on both sides of the Atlantic. One man who would play a major role

Le Mans racers in waiting!

36 CPR Magazine

in these preparations is Lee Penn, Chief Engineer for RRT. Lee – who is based in England – could perhaps be described as the team ‘mastermind’ as he is the guy who sits on the pit wall and works out the race strategy, calculates the fuel load and calls the pit stops. He flies out to the US for each of the ALMS races and will of course be in France for the 24 hour Race too.

never raced there before they are not familiar with the circuit layout. To get around this problem, Lee came up with an ingenious idea. He called up Darren Turner at Base Performance in Banbury, UK, and asked if it would be possible to recreate the Le Mans circuit on one of the company’s racing simulators. “No problem,” said Darren, who is no stranger to Le Mans himself as a driver for the Aston Martin works team. To assist with the familiarization session, Darren enlisted the help of another experienced Le Mans driver, Rob Bell who

will be competing in a Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 in this year’s 24 Hour Race. A date was set to meet at Base Performance on April 20, just three days before the Le Mans practice session…and yours truly was invited along to watch the virtual action and meet the team.

Learning The CircuitBeing ‘newbies’ to the Le Mans race means that the Robertsons could be at a slight disadvantage, since having

Lee PennThe first person I bumped into on my arrival was Lee Penn, who was busy checking the telemetry data being fed back to the console from the simulator. Lee was comparing the data from one of Andrea’s laps to a blisteringly fast lap time set earlier by Rob Bell. He was able to highlight exactly where vital seconds could be gained and where the drivers were too early/late on the brakes or throttle or taking the wrong line on the track. He pointed out some of the key areas to me, and while I nodded and tried my best not to look confused, I must admit that the squiggles on the screen could have been the reading from a Seismograph for all I knew. Still, I guess that is why Lee is one of the top race engineers in his field and I’m sitting here writing this.Before long David Robertson emerged from the simulator room as his wife climbed into the chassis for several more laps of the Le Mans circuit. Lee introduced us and I wasted no time in firing a few questions at David since I knew his next ‘sim session’ would come around all too soon.

‘Airplane Guy’I was curious to find out how David had got into racing and why he had started his own racing team. “Both myself

The famous 24hr circuit at Le Mans, France.

May 2011 37

and Andrea have been into racing since our college days. Andrea started out with a Plymouth Roadrunner and raced dragsters and in stock classes from High School. I was an airplane guy and grew up flying and racing

gliders, although I always had an interest in cars. My Dad had done a lot of drag racing in his younger days and he was the first guy west of the Mississippi to break 120mph over the quarter mile, so that’s how far I’m going back. When

I was eleven or 12, I remember watching the Jim Hall Chaparrals on TV and thinking how beautiful they were. Then I saw the Ford GT40s win Le Mans on the ‘Wide World of Sport’ TV programme and that certainly made an impression on me, but I stayed an airplane guy. I ended up flying for the airlines, but it was always in the back of my mind that I would someday get involved in car racing when I had time.“I started with sports cars while I was at college when bought a Lotus Europa; it was my ‘hey girls…look at me’ car, but it didn’t work because they didn’t know what it was! However, it was a SCCA legal race car in the Class D for road racing. I joined SCCA in 1973 and bought a roll-bar kit for the car, but I soon

It might look like a Ford GT40 on the outside, but underneath it is a very different car!

Head of Robertson Racing Team - David Robertson.

38 CPR Magazine

A rarely seen view of underneath the car.

May 2011 39

realized that with college work and hanging around airports that I just wouldn’t have time to race it. The following 25 years were spent working for the airlines which took up all my time, but it was while I was at the airlines that I met Andrea in April 1993. We soon discovered that we shared a passion for car racing and started thinking that someday we may be able to do it. Then in 1999, I went over to Waterford hills Road Racing Club, which is near where we live, as they were holding some historic races. I just went along to watch, but I realized that they didn’t have enough help so I volunteered to assist with the timing and scoring. That helped me learn about racing and before long I had joined the club and decided to buy a Spec Racer Ford which looks a bit like a scaled down Can-Am car. We ran the car at Waterford in 99 and shared the driving, so Andrea would drive a race, then I would drive and so on. It was cheap and doable; I had an 18ft trailer and used to pull the car behind my Land Rover and we had a lot of fun racing with it. Then we decided to race two cars and I bought a Formula Ford which is about the dumbest thing you can do at my size! We put a lot of thought into the Spec Racer, but I went for the Formula Ford because I had seen the British Formula Ford Championship on TV when I was a kid, and I thought ‘I’m going to do that when I’m a big kid!’ It was fun but we had to give up on it because I’m just too damn big; I got beaten to a pulp when driving it and ended up battered and bruised

The team meets the fans!

Car 040 at one of the ALMS races.

Chief Engineer Lee Penn (centre) talks tactics with RRT driver David Murray (right).

40 CPR Magazine

and walked with a limp and bent over for two days after each race. I sold the Formula Ford and bought a Panoz GTS which could run in SCCA GT2 class…and then we started winning. We started running other SCCA regionals and nationals and got all the licenses, and then raced in the Panoz Development Series. In 2006 we ran in the Panoz opening act for Sebring and we watched what we were doing verses what they [ALMS cars] were doing and decided that it wasn’t that big a step to go from where we were to doing the real thing. We decided to go for it, and because we already knew the Panoz people, we went with them. We watched the factory GTLM car race in 2006 and of course they had David Brabham, Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junqueira and it was a class act, so we knew it was a good car and we knew

Above left: One of the team’s spare engines gets a check over before a race. Top Right: Spaceman or racing driver? Above Right: Regulations state that the rear wing must be four inches below the roof line of the car. On the Ford GT, this means it is not as effective as it could be.Below: David Modderman ensures that the teams has the correct tyres for each race. For the 24hr race, each car will use 24 sets of tyres!

May 2011 41

the people at the factory, so we bought one.”

we went to Laguna Seca so we would still get a third race. We finished that one and it was our first finish and first point. At Petit Le Mans the drive shaft snapped and the Ferrari behind, not realising what was going on, slammed into the rear end. Overall we didn’t have a lot of success and we decided that the Panoz car was the wrong approach, but we also decided we can do this, so we started looking

for a ‘Plan B.’ We looked at the Ferrari options but soon ruled them out for two reasons. First, I’m a huge guy! We concluded maybe I could race the car, but miserably and uncomfortably. Secondly, I don’t believe that starting as late as we did we were never going to beat the Mika Salos of this world at their own game; they’re 25 years ahead of us even though they are younger than we are, so

Racing The PanozOkay, so just five years ago Robertson Racing looked like it would be running Panoz cars in the ALMS races, so I asked David what happened with the Panoz and why does the team now have the Ford GTs?“The Panoz didn’t work well. I quickly learned that there is a difference in being a factory team and a customer team, in that the factory team can do a lot of neat things to develop the car and make their car run much better than ours. We started the 2007 season with the Panoz and intended to run at Sebring, Detroit and Petit Le Mans to ‘get our feet wet’ and figure out if this is completely insane or if we should try to do it. We blew up in Detroit, so

The Ford GT makes a pit stop as the sun goes down.

42 CPR Magazine

we figured that our best shot at accomplishing something would be to develop a new car, and maybe find a way to make it better. That way, at least we would have a chance. If we went for a Porsche or Ferrari, we wouldn’t get the same chance because we would be lower down the pecking order than the teams connected to the factory. They get the developments, they get the good parts and you never catch up with them.”

cars. The regulations say that it must be four inches below the height of the roof, and with the deck covering the engine being so high, it is a little bit less than efficient. Apart from the shape the new car has nothing in common with the older cars; not one single part is interchangeable. We are basically racing a brand new design” It seems like a bold move. Even an established race team might think twice before developing a brand new model to race in ALMS when other cars are available ‘off the shelf,’ so how did the Ford GT become the car of choice for the RRT? “We didn’t start the Ford GT programme. It was conceived by Kevin Doran; I never asked how or why it came about as I figured it was none of my business, but when I looked at the proposition, and remembering what the Ford GT40s did at Le Mans back in the 60s, I could see it was a very exciting prospect. We thought maybe it will work…maybe it wont, but at least it has a chance. We sent our Team Manager Andrew ‘H’ Smith to help with the project. ‘H’ is one of the best craftsmen I have ever met; we sent him in there to help and he got that car built. He picked up all the loose ends from where Kevin had started designing something and hadn’t finished or hadn’t had time to get to, and ‘H’ helped get the car done. We got the car in time for Sebring 2008,

“you can get out of here as soon as you can tell me what day of the week it is and what track you’re at!”

All-New CarJust about anyone with an interest in cars will know all about the Ford GT40. It gained almost legendary status thanks to its Le Mans victories back in the 1960s and genuine examples of the car fetch big money on today’s market. The design was so popular that several kit car manufacturers have made copies of the famous racer, some of which you would struggle to tell apart from the real thing. So how does the RRT Ford GT compare to the original GT40? “Our Ford GT is a completely different car; it looks similar to the GT40 but that’s about it. Our car has about a 10% bigger interior volume than the original cars; I have sat in a GT40 and I am just too big for it. Our car is also safer and has a much stiffer chassis which is one of the things that makes it such a great platform for a race car. One negative is that I wish the rear wing had more air to operate in on our

May 2011 43

and although it was by no means the finished product, at least we were able to run. The early signs were good and any problems that we encountered looked easily solvable.”

wasn’t working, the power-steering had failed, the water drink system had packed up and all this really increased the work load. I started getting really incompetent with about 12 laps to go and I started missing apexes and getting really sloppy. I knew it was probably down to dehydration, but I didn’t want to quit at the first hint of trouble. If you do that you never win anything, so I pushed on and toughed it out. I just thought that when the race was over I’d down about 40 water bottles and I’d be fine. I don’t really remember the last six laps, but I do remember the adrenaline kicking in my senses just as I was sliding off the track towards the wall. I came to life

just enough to look and control the slide angle and make sure nobody was going to get hurt, and that’s it. Next thing I recall is sitting in the car and telling the marshals that I would get out in a minute and just to let me sit there for a while. The second thing I remember I was lying in the infirmary with them pouring water bottles down my throat and me telling them that I’d be up and out of there once I’d had a second water bottle. They said ‘what do you mean second bottle…count them!’ There must have been about 40 empty bottles! The Doc said ‘you can get out of here as soon as you can tell me what day of the week it is and what track you’re at.’ “We have got gradually more

Promising StartSo with the new Ford GT now in action, David could at least say he had realised part of his dream as he was now competing in a car that looked just like the Le Mans winning GT40s that captured his imagination four decades earlier. So how did that first race go?“We didn’t finish Sebring which was my doing,” David admitted graciously. “By the time I got in for my second stint, the sequential shifting

44 CPR Magazine

competitive since then and at this year’s Sebring we finished 8th in class and actually beat all the factory Ferraris; our two Fords together were ahead on points of the entire factory contingent. Unfortunately we couldn’t be at Long Beach for the second race as we had to come over here for the mandatory Le Mans practice day and we just don’t have the resources to be in two places at once.”

be an excellent PR opportunity for the manufacturer. Lets face it, the company’s greatest sporting success was those stunning Le Mans wins with the GT40s, and now, here we are 40 years on and we have another Ford badged GT about to do battle on the French circuit once again. Surely they wouldn’t miss out on this?“Ford is welcome to get involved,” Said David, “but they’re not involved and they’re not very interested because Ford Racing didn’t develop this car. Ford Racing is currently involved in the Mustang racing program and they’ve got a lot of neat stuff going on, but they have little interest in what we are

doing. They have helped out by letting us use their wind tunnel twice and also their suspension shaker rig, but I would certainly welcome a lot more involvement to put this on a firm financial setting through a long-term deal. I’d like there to be a long-term business relationship between Ford and Robertson Racing and that can happen in two ways; either sponsorship revenue has to go way up or the factory has to get involved. I have politely tried to tell Ford that they are involved whether they like it or not because we are going to do it whether they want to or not. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m hoping a decent result at Le Mans might help change their

So, Where Is Ford?I was keen to learn if Ford Motor Company was involved with RRT. With the cars performing so well in the ALMS and the potential for a competitive drive in the 24 Hour Race, it would seem to

May 2011 45

attitude. If we win our class at Le Mans having spent less than 100th of what they did in the 60s, that ought to get their attention.”I found it staggering that a commercially minded company like Ford would miss out on such a golden opportunity. If ever there was a time to remind a new generation of just what the company could achieve in sporting terms, this is it. Of course, if RRT does win its class at Le Mans there will be a lot of media attention and no doubt some embarrassment when the Ford Marketing Department has to admit that it had nothing to do with the team. Hopefully someone at the company will wake up to what’s going on here and do the right thing. One thing you have to remember is that RRT is completely financed by the

Robertsons, and of course through the generosity of its sponsors, but when it comes to money, the team simply can’t compete with the manufacturer supported cars. With that in mind, I asked David about the logistics of bringing an entire team across the Atlantic, including two cars, support trucks, spare parts and crew.“One word – paperwork! It was a massive time-wasting operation. The French wanted a letter of credit to prevent us from selling or leaving anything there and the US Homeland Security people wanted all the paperwork turned in two weeks before the equipment leaves so everything can be inspected by the FBI if they want, but you can’t file the paperwork before everything else is resolved and it all took

forever! It was a nightmare. The logistics are easy in comparison because you just call a company that has done the job before. We shipped our trailer containing all the spares and everything by sea, but the paperwork for the cars got delayed so we had to send them over by freight aeroplane. The crew are in Le Mans right now setting them up for the practice. We have about ten or twelve guys over there. We have an excellent crew and I have been amazed at the calibre of people we have been able to get. For example, Lee Penn has worked with the Ferrari factory teams, ‘H’ worked with the Jordan F1 team, as did Graham Wace – who is better known as ‘Snake’ although I have no idea why!”So what are the team’s objectives for the Le Mans 24 Hour Race? It would be

46 CPR Magazine

easy to dismiss this as just a token rookie entry to the race, but nothing could be further from the truth. These are experienced drivers and they have a competitive car. It is just the track itself that is something of an unknown quantity.“They have created a class where we have a very realistic shot of winning and we are ready to do everything we possibly can to make that happen. Having said that, we could hire a team of highly experienced Le Mans drivers which might give us an even better chance, but this team exists so that Andrea and I can go racing, so our driver line-up will be the two of us and Boris Said who is a very experienced and successful race driver. We close the gap each year so I think we have a very realistic

chance and could surprise a few people.”

from the next room, much to the amusement of those in earshot. “Yeah, she’s pretty fast,” admitted David. “She is faster at night, but I guess it varies overall.” Having seen Andrea’s lap times on the simulator, I can certainly confirm that she is one very fast lady!What the Robertsons are doing is the culmination of a dream that started many years ago, but anybody who thinks that means they are not taking this seriously would be way off the mark. This is a highly motivated and professional race team that has put everything into reaching the very top of the sport in which they compete. This isn’t an outfit made up of faceless employees that change each season; it is more like a family where each team member is held in the highest regard and treated accordingly. I was seriously impressed by what I saw and David and Andrea must surely be two of the nicest people you could hope to meet in the world of motorsport. The road to Le Mans starts here – we’ll see you at the chequered flag!

Race StrategyEven with three drivers sharing the load, the Le Mans 24 Hour Race is one of the most physical tests in motorsport, with concentration levels having to be maintained despite exhaustion and lack of sleep. I wondered if the RRT had already worked out a race strategy and asked David how long each member of the team would drive for.“It just happens that a tank of gas lasts for about one hour, and a set of tyres also lasts around an hour, so that is the usual time between pit stops and driver changes. Driving for an hour is pretty comfortable so we have the option to do a double stint if we want to let someone get some sleep for a while.”So one final question to David: who is quicker – you or Andrea? Before David could answer, Andrea shouted “Me!”

May 2011 47

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Le MansThe aim of RRT’s visit to

the Base Performance simulator was to learn the

Le Mans circuit in preparation for both the practice/qualifying, and of course the race itself. There was no intension to use

‘Virtual’

The Robertson Racing Team flew to the UK recently to use the Base Performance racing simulator in Banbury, Oxfordshire, to help prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. Simon Hazeldine went along and had a go himself!

it to improve driving technique, although with such an experienced driver as Rob Bell talking them through every twist and turn, I’m sure the experience proved to be a very worthwhile exercise.

I asked Andrea Robertson how the sim compared to the real thing. “The simulator is perfect for our requirements, but it doesn’t quite recreate what it’s like to actually drive the car. For example, there

50 CPR Magazine

are no G forces to contend with which makes it a lot easier to handle. Another major difference is that the danger is removed; if you crash, you just push the restart button and off you go again. That tends to make you push the ‘car’ harder than you would in the real car because there are no consequences. If you crash into a wall at 170mph during a race, it’s going to hurt!”Watching the Robertsons from the console room, it seemed that the most challenging sections of the track were the Porsche curves and the Mulsanne corner. Vital

Left: Rob Bell talks David Robertson through the circuit. Above: The simulator cockpit. Right: All data from the simulator is fed to the control panel on the console.

seconds were being lost through either braking in the wrong zone or taking the wrong line through the bends, but with Rob Bell’s coaching, the times got consistently quicker as the day went on, so learning the track on the sim was already starting to pay off.David Robertson kindly invited me to have a go in the simulator, something I accepted rather nervously since I didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of such talented drivers!It was quite an honour to climb into the simulator with someone like Rob Bell

alongside me. Rob is a former LMS series champion and will compete in this year’s 24 Hour Race in a Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 – driving instructors don’t come much better than that!As someone not used to ‘flappy paddle’ gear changing, the simulator felt rather alien. I tried to look like I knew what I was doing, even when I was searching for the non-existent clutch pedal. ‘This could get interesting,’ I thought to myself. Once sat comfortably and with a quick brief from Rob, the sim rumbled into life and I could feel the vibrations from the ‘virtual’

May 2011 51

engine through the steering wheel. I squeezed the throttle and eased the car out of the garage into the pit lane. “You can floor it,” said Rob, “because you still have the pit limiter on.” Once clear of the pits, I pressed the red button on the steering wheel to switch off the limiter and suddenly things got fast…very fast! It really did feel like a real car. The pedal pressures seemed right, as did the weight on the steering, but it was all happening much faster than I could think. Before long the inevitable screech of tyres accompanied by the rapidly approaching barrier signalled my first crash. Not bad, considering I was still on my

‘out lap.’Gradually, I started to get the hang of it, and as I roared down the start/finish straight to start my proper lap, I felt more confident. Rob talked me through each corner, telling me exactly where to position the car. I still struggled with the gear changes, but felt surprisingly comfortable steering the car. Each time I crossed the centre white line, the steering wheel shook as the tyres made contact with the road studs on the street sections of the track.Rob urged me on as the finish line came into sight and I nailed the throttle as I came off the last corner. I could hear the virtual fans cheering in the virtual stands as I

crossed the virtual line with my dignity more or less intact. My time? I lapped Le Mans in 5min 4sec which I was fairly pleased with as I had only had the out lap to get used to a very unfamiliar ‘car.’ David and Andrea were hitting times of around 4min 10sec so I was just under a minute slower than they were. I guess I won’t be getting that third seat in the Ford GT after all.

For more information about the Base Performance simulators, visit the

company’s website at: www.baseperformance.net

52 CPR Magazine

Lee Penn talks Andrea Robertson through the telemetery data.

The pit lane at ‘virtual’ Le Mans.

David Robertson thunders down the Mulsanne Straight.

High performance computers power the simulator.

www.moss-europe.co.ukfrom a spire nut to a supercharger

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Laser 4462 Stud Remover Set - 5 PieceAvailable from: machinemartPrice From: £32.34 inc VATSee: www.machinemart.co.uk

This neat stud extractor set from Machinemart would make a great addition to any tool box. Supplied in a tough plastic case, the set is designed to be used in tight, restricted areas and comes complete with a well-made 14/17mm ratchet ring spanner. The set contains four different sized stud removers ranging from 6mm to 12mm which should be adequate for all but the most specialized jobs.We tried the set on a fairly solid stud that felt like it had been welded in place and we were surprised at how easily the stud shifted. Unlike some similar tools, the jaws in this extractor didn’t damage the metal surface of the stud and after a good clean it was ready for refitting. Overall a very good product!

54 CPR Magazine

Cool Stuff To Spend Your Money On!

Webcon 32/36 DGV manifold for Ford PintoAvailable from: Webcon UK Price: £165 plus VATSee: www.webcon.co.uk

Webcon have updated and returned to production the down draft inlet manifold for the legendary Ford Pinto engine. This manifold will allow fitment of a single Weber 32/36 DGVDGAV, 38 DGAS/DGMS or DCD type two-barrel progressive carburettors. The Webcon manifold for the Ford Pinto can be ordered as part number MM4232A and many original linkage parts are also available. This part is an ideal replacement for those crusty only manifolds often found on older cars and it looks pretty snazzy too!

Reviews

Classic mini Brake Calipers Available from: mini SparesPrice: £90.10 incl VAT eachSee: www.minispares.com

For some time now it has been impossible to buy OE Spec brake calipers for ‘classic’ Minis fitted with 8.4” discs from the manufacturers, but thanks to those very nice people at Mini Spares a solution is now available. The Hertfordshire based company has had these components remanufactured to the original specification. The brand new, two piston calipers come in a gold finish and fit as direct replacements for the original calipers. Pistons and seal kits are already fitted so no assembly is required; just fit, bleed and away you go! The calipers can be ordered by their original factory part numbers: for right hand order as 37H8128 and for left hand order as 37H8129.

WWW.CPRMAG.COM

GAZ ‘Gold’ Suspension for Ford Fiesta XR2Available From: GazPrice: £834.75 inc VATSee: www.gaz-shocks.co.uk

Leading suspension specialists GAZ are now offering a special version of their GAZ Gold coilover suspension kit for the Ford Fiesta XR2. The front struts now have a flat recess on the side to allow extra wide wheels/tyres to be fitted without fouling the strut. The lower mounting flange features elongated slots and eccentric cam nuts to allow the camber to be adjusted.The GAZ Gold kit is intended for full race use but can also be specified for fast road and trackday use and GAZ will supply them with appropriate damper rates and springs for the intended purpose.

Viper Performance is well known for its silicone hoses but the company also produces stainless steel brake hose kits such as this one for the LotusElise and Exige. Quality stainless steel braided brake line hoses offer a far superior performance and reliability compared to cheap rubber hoses or mild steel fittings. Rubber hoses can bulge under pressure and perish over time and mild steel fittings will eventually rust.This kit on the other hand has stainless steel braiding, Teflon hoses, CNC machined stainless steel fittings, banjo bolts, copper washers (where applicable), PVC protective wipe-clean sleeves, and a lifetime warranty. The end connectors are permanently swaged on to the pipes to ensure a secure fitment. A choice of colours is available for the PVC sleeves and you can choose from solid blue, solid black, solid red, solid yellow, solid orange, solid pink, solid silver, solid white, solid green, clear cover, translucent blue, translucent red, translucent yellow and a carbon effect. They work well and look good too and with a lifetime warranty this is a great fit and forget product!

Stainless Steel Brake Hose Set for Lotus Elise and ExigeAvailable from: Viper Performance Price: £69.95 inc VAT See: www.viper-performance.co.uk

May 2011 55

Want to see your product reviewed here? Just

call us on +44 (0)1353 777519 or e-mail us at:

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Cool Stuff To Spend Your Money On!Reviews

Restoration specialists Frost have just added Eastwood Brake Gray spray paint to its range which is a heavy-duty coating containing pure stainless steel pigment in an ultra durable epoxy ester resin. According to the supplier, Brake Gray is resistant to DOT 3 brake fluid, can withstand temperatures up to 200°C and has excellent corrosion resistance properties. It can also be applied on to metal, ceramics, wood and leather and is ideal for use on master cylinders, disc brake callipers, brake drums, spindles, mounting brackets and hardware.

Piper has been producing high performance racing cams for many years, including John Minshaw’s competitive Jaguar Lightweight E Type. Now the company is offering several different profiles for the general market. Among these are cams for Mild Road, Fast Road, Rally, Race Special Ultimate Road and Ultimate Race applications for the classic Jaguar six cylinder engine.Fast Road cams are suitable for road/track day use and Ultimate Road profile is for extensively modified (Stage 3) engines with machined, ported and polished cylinder heads, up-rated pistons and carburettor/

Piper Performance Chill Cast Camshafts ForClassic Jaguar 6 cylinder EnginesAvailable from: Piper CamsPrice: From £504.00 plus VATSee: www.pipercams.co.uk

Brake Gray Paint (368gr)Available from: FrostPrice: £17.36 inc VATSee: www.frost.co.uk

56 CPR Magazine

Alloy Water Pump Pulleys for mGBAvailable from: Cambridge motorsports Parts Price: From £47.40 inc VATSee: www.cambridgemotorsport.com

Cambridge Motorsports Parts now have alloy water pump pulleys for MGB engines. Two versions are available. The long type is for 18GB-18GG engines and the shorter type is for 18V onwards engines. Both versions are made from HE30 aluminium and hard anodised for extreme wear resistance. If your pulley is starting to look a bit tatty, why not treat your car to one of these? They look great and won’t put too much strain on your bank account either! Prices start at £47.40 including VAT. Contact Cambridge Motorsport Parts for more details.

throttle body upgrades. The engine will provide the best power in the 2,500 - 7,500rpm rev range, but will still be drivable on the street. The Ultimate Race version moves the optimum rev band up to the 3,500-8,000rpm range and is only suitable for race cars. Prices for a pair of chill cast cams for the classic Jaguar six cylinder start at £504.00 plus VAT while reprofiled cams are also available for the road profiles at £273.00 plus VAT.

WWW.CPRMAG.COM

One of the drawbacks of working on your own car is that you often have to kneel or lie on a hard, grubby garage floor which isn’t a particularly pleasant experience at the best of times. Well, tool specialists Gunson have just released this useful mechanic’s work mat that should make working on your car more comfortable. The mat can be folded up when not in use and features a carry handle for hassle-free transportation. The waterproof fabric is easy to wipe clean and there is even a small head rest section which adds to your comfort when working underneath a vehicle.Thanks to its compact dimensions the mat can be easily carried in the boot of your car and is perfect for roadside use if you ever have to change a wheel.

Folding Work mat Available from: GunsonPrice: From £30.46See: www.gunson.co.uk

I remember staring for ages at the warning lamp bezels on the dash of a TR4, trying to figure how to undo them without causing damage to the part or the surrounding dashboard. Eventually I managed to tap them loose with a small hammer and screwdriver but I damaged the chrome rim in the process. All that is a thing of the past as Moss is now supplying a tool specifically designed to do the job with the minimum of fuss. We tried it out on several lamp and switch bezels and it worked well every time. There isn’t much more I can say about it; it works and it doesn’t cost a fortune, so if you have these Lucas switch bezels on your car this tool is a great investment. The set includes tools for .75” diameter and 1” diameter bezel nuts.

Switch Bezel Tool Available from: moss Europe LtdPrice: From £17.30See: www.moss-europe.co.uk

May 2011 57

mGB Brake Disc KitAvailable from: mGOC Spares LtdPrice: From £99.96See: www.mgocspares.co.uk

The MGOC Spares & Accessories department is offering MGB owners the chance to upgrade the braking system on their cars for less than £100.00. The club is supplying a brake disc and pad kit which includes two slotted brake discs and a set of Green Stuff pads for just £99.96 including VAT. If you are still running with the standard MGB front brakes, fitting this kit will offer a significant improvement and far superior stopping power and it won’t break the bank either.

GT40sOn Track

58 CPR Magazine

Few cars have gained legendary status as quickly as the Ford GT40, thanks mainly to its four successive Le Mans wins in the 1960s. Nearly 50 years later, the UK’s GT40 Enthusiasts’ Club is keeping the legend alive and we were invited along to one of its track days to see the cars in action!

As word about our magazine has gradually spread around the

automotive world, we have been invited to more and more events. One invitation in particular got us rather excited as it came from the UK-based GT40 Enthusiasts’ Club and asked

if we would like to go along to their track day on April 25, at Donington Park race circuit.As invitations go, that was a hard one to resist! The GT40 is one of those cars that just looks right. It looks like its going fast even when it’s standing still, and the noise…oh that noise! The whole package is pretty much

what any serious ‘petrolhead’ dreams about. You have great looks, awesome power and fantastic handling all wrapped under one bodyshell – what more could you possibly want?Of course, the GT40 owes its existence to a row between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari. The story is long and complicated, but in a

May 2011 59

nutshell, Ford was looking to buy Ferrari back in 1963. The deal looked like it would go through until Henry Ford II blocked Enzo Ferrari’s request to maintain control of Ferrari’s motor sports division. Agreement couldn’t be reached and Ferrari pulled out. An enraged Ford set out to build a car that could break

the Italian manufacturer’s dominance of the Le Mans 24 Hour Race and the result was the GT40.

joys of ownership to a wider audience. With genuine examples of the GT40 fetching prices resembling telephone numbers, you might think that this is a rather exclusive club, but far from it. The club caters for both the original cars and also the wide variety of replicas that have been produced by kit manufacturers

A queue of GT40s wait in the pit lane at Donington Park.

Present DayBack to the present day and the GT40 Enthusiasts’ Club is a thriving group dedicated to preserving these iconic cars and promoting the

A GT40 rolls into the pit lane after another track session.

60 CPR Magazine

worldwide. It is a refreshing outlook; there is no ‘them and us’ and no snobbery in the club. Everybody just gets along and enjoys the cars for what they are, and that is exactly what this track day event was all about. The club

had organised the day with BookaTrack.com and had also invited members of The 289 Register along with their stunning replica Cobras to make up the numbers.The club had decided to hold the event on the Bank Holiday Monday at the end of

April. “It always rains on Bank Holidays,” I thought to myself when I saw the date, “it will be a washout!” Well, let’s hope I never get a job with the Met Office because it turned out to be a beautiful warm, sunny spring day.I met up with Desmond Finnan,

Drivers were even allowed to take passengers around the track.

A Noble M12 GTO also took part in the track sessions.

May 2011 61

A pit lane full of GT40s - what an incredible sight!

my host for the day and the chap largely responsible for organising the event. Desmond was running his beautiful Tornado GT40, a car which he built himself over a four year period. It is finished in the famous sky blue and orange ‘Gulf Racing’

scheme that looks so right on any GT40, and this car was no exception. It sounded wonderful too (sorry if I keep banging on about the noise…but you should have been there!) as the deep low burble from the powerful 5.0 litre V8 turned into a thunderous roar

with a single squeeze of the throttle.

62 CPR Magazine

There isn’t a lot of space inside the GT40 and some taller drivers have a ‘blister bubble’ in their door to give a little extra head room.

Members of The 289 Register brought their Cobras along. Nice Variety

As well as the GT40s and Cobras, there was a scattering of other makes taking part as well. One of the rarer machines was a Ford RS200 Group B rally car that looked vary quick. The car is owned by Alistair Nuttall and the owner was sharing driving duties with his son.Also taking to the circuit was Ian Eccles in his stunning Ultima GTR, a car which looked seriously fast, and there was also half a dozen Westfields and a few Lotus Elises clocking up some impressive lap times.Not to be outdone, a few ‘supercars’ turned up to

take to the Donington track. Two Ferrari 308s brought something of an 80s revival to the track, while a Ferrari 360 Modena went fast and sounded great, just like every Ferrari should! I should also mention that there was a nice, but rather understated Noble M12 GTO wearing rather subdued gunmetal silver paint.The drivers were split into groups based on experience. This meant that novice drivers wouldn’t get in the way of the experts and those who were new to track driving could get advice from an instructor. The system seemed to work well.

and this was checked by a marshal before the car was allowed on track. Once on the circuit, each session lasted 20 minutes before the chequered flag was waved and the cars returned to the pit lane.During a lull in the morning’s activities, Desmond kindly

asked if I would like a ride around the track in his car. Naturally I was more than happy to accept his offer, and soon I was strapped into his GT40. For once I was grateful to be wearing a crash helmet as the powerful V8 engine was located just inches

May 2011 63

The Ultima GTR is a serious track day car!

Ferrari 360 Modena on track.

The GT40s look great in Gulf Racing colours.

The immaculate engine bay of a Tornado GT40.

Wanna Ride?Each driver was allocated a coloured wristband denoting his or her experience level

64 CPR Magazine

Desmond Finnan’s stunning GT40 in the pit garage.

behind me. I was impressed with the car’s acceleration and loved the way it gripped the track on the bends, with the G pushing me from one side to the other. The track itself seemed surprisingly straightforward with no hairpin bends or anything that seemed particularly nasty. Perhaps the only exception was the chicane just before the pit straight. Having said that, tracks like this can be tougher than they look because you are tempted to go just that little bit faster and leave the braking just a touch later, simply because you are not too worried about the bends. It is this combination of excess speed and late braking that sometimes catches drivers out and sure enough there

May 2011 65

were a few spins and a small number of ‘off-road’ excursions during the course of the day. Thankfully, no serious damage was done and nobody got hurt. I was very impressed with the organisation of the track day and the club, along with

BookaTrack, deserve praise for putting on an excellent event. The cars were simply superb and all the club members I spoke to were extremely friendly and welcoming. Now, where can I get one of these GT40s from?

Cobras from The 289 Register line up in the pit lane for a group photo.

A rare machine! The Ford RS200 was designed specifically for rallying.

December 2010 47

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TR2-4A TR5-6 Spitfire Classic Mini Restoration Tools

2011 free parts & accessories cataloguesEither complete & return the form, call 0800 281 182, email catalogues@moss-europe.co.uk or visit www.moss-europe.co.uk

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

Parts & Accessories for Classic British CarsEst. 1975

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RetroSound radio230-316 £214.96

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Moss Europe will not share your information with any other party. Moss may use it to send you product and special offer information. If you would prefer not to receive this please tick hereProduct prices include UK VAT and are correct at time of going to print. For the latest prices please visit our website. Moss Europe Ltd. E&O.E. 2011

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Find Out What’s On Near You!

70 CPR Magazine

Each month, Classic, Performance & Retro magazine brings you some of the best motoring events from around the world in our comprehensive ‘What’s On’ guide. Each listing features a live website link, so if you want know more a single click of the mouse is all you need. If you would like us to include your event, just send an e-mail with the details to: info@cprmag.com

What’son

April/May 2011

Date Event Website

April

24 Test day at Le Mans, Le Mans, France www.lemansrace.com

28-30 Manx Classic, Isle of Man, UK www.manxmotorracing.com

30-May 1 Bristol Classic Car Show, Royal Bath and West Showground, Somerset, UK.

www.longfordrevival.com.au

1-3 The 3rd Flying Scotsman, London to Edinburgh, UK www.endurorally.com

3 La Jolla Motor Car Classic, California, USA www.lajollamotorcarclassic.com

5-12 Loire Valley Spring Tour, Provence, France www.classiccartoursinternational.co.uk

5-10 Targa Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia www.targa.org.au

7-10 XK and E-type Isle of Wight Tour, Isle of Wight, UK www.classictravelling.com

8-11 Monaco Motor Legend, Monte-Carlo, Monaco www.monaco-motor-legend.com

8-10 Spirit of Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain www.espiritudemontjuic.com

11-16 Tour Auto Optic 2000, Paris to the Riviera, France www.tourauto.com

14-17 D1 Ultimate-GT Supercar Ice Driving, Finland www.ultimate-gt.com

16 Bristol Italian Auto Moto Festival, Bristol, UK www.italianautomotoclub.co.uk

20-28 Dordogne Easter Tour, Dordogne, France www.classiccartoursinternational.co.uk

24 Le Mans Test day, Le Mans, France www.lemansrace.com

28-30 Manx Classic, Isle of Man, UK www.manxmotorracing.com

29-May 1 Donington Historic Festival, Leicestershire, UK www.doningtonhistoric.com

December 2010 75

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Keeping Automotive History Aliveautodrome

The DoningtonGrand Prix Collection

Have you ever wondered what happens to last year’s Formula

1 cars? You know, the ones that performed brilliantly for a season but have now been superseded by a new improved model with even more curvy bits and mind-bending electronics. If you

74 CPR Magazine

think about it, there must be hundreds, possibly even thousands, of these ex-racers that have campaigned in anger since Formula 1 began way back in 1950, but where have they all gone? Well, many are kept by the manufacturers and teams that built the cars; just wander into

the entrance foyer of McLaren or Ferrari and you are bound to trip over a few legendary machines. Others are sold off to private collectors and hidden away from view in equally private museums and a few cars end up in enthusiastic hands and are driven as intended in historic

If you are a fan of Formula1 racing, you’ll just love the Donington Grand Prix Collection at Donington Park, Leicestershire. It houses some very famous cars and gives the visitor a great opportunity to get up close to them, as David Harrison discovered.

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motorsport competitions.However, if you want to see the “largest showcase of Grand Prix cars in the world,” just head to Donington Park in Leicestershire, home to the Donington Grand Prix Collection.This fascinating museum began life back in 1973 and was the brainchild of the late Tom Wheatcroft. Originally it was set up to house Tom’s own collection of cars, but

May 2011 75

Jackie Stewart’s Matra.

before long, many additional cars were added to the museum and placed on public display.

Over the ensuing years, the Donington Grand Prix Collection has grown both in size and stature and is now

run by Tom’s son Kevin. It houses the largest collections of McLaren and Williams cars in the world (outside their respective factories) as well as numerous championship and race winning machines.

Senna and Fangio immortalised in stone at Donington.

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Easy Access

Getting to Donington couldn’t be easier. Simply find your way to the M1 Motorway and follow it to Junction 23a. From there just follow the signs to East Midlands Airport and Donington Park. It is very well sign-posted and the GP Collection is housed in the first buildings you see as you drive through the main gate to the

circuit. There is also plenty of parking space too. A winding pathway lined with flagpoles leads from the car park to the museum. It also takes you past an attractive memorial dedicated to Ayrton Senna and Juan Manuel Fangio which lists each one of the drivers’ victories. The main foyer is open a spacious and a centrepiece display is made up of two cars; one the former Jackie Stewart Matra MS-10 from 1968 and the Shadow DN-5 from 1975. A small ticket desk occupies one corner of the foyer, while on the other side is the museum bar and restaurant. I

May 2011 77

Above: A Shadow DNS in the foyer at Donington.Right: Military motorcycles from the Wheatcroft Collection.Below Right: 1930 Isotta-Fraschini Mode 8A Convertible Sedan.

like the fact that visitors can access the restaurant without having to pay for a museum ticket. It is an ideal place to stop off for a coffee or snack if you happen to be travelling on

the M1 and the surroundings are far more pleasing than the average motorway services.Just across from the restaurant is the museum shop which is operated by Grand

Prix Collectables and it is stocked with a wide range of motorsport related items from caps and t-shirts to signed pictures and even car parts.

A 1931 Citroen Kegresse Half-Track.

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The Ferrari 500 was on show in Hall 1 during our visit.

War Museum?

Once you have paid your admission, you make your way through a less than obvious door which leads you into Hall 1. Almost immediately I started checking to see if I was in the right place. In front of me was an admittedly very nice collection of military motorcycles, army vehicles and vintage cars, but only one car in the entire hall – a Ferrari 500 – was a racer. Had I inadvertently strayed into some sort of war museum? Apparently not. According to Garry Rankin, Manager

One of two Auto Union cars at Donington.

May 2011 79

Historic karts.

A German Kettenkrad.

The quality of exhibits on display is superb!

of the GP Collection, what I was looking at was just a small part of the Wheatcroft Collection, which is one of the largest collections of military memorabilia in the world. Garry also described Hall 1 as a “bitsa hall” as it is

used to house many of the odds and ends that would look out of place in the rest of the museum.One of the vintage cars on display in this hall was a stunning 1930 Isotta-Fraschini Mode 8A Convertible Sedan.

With its huge running-boards, it wouldn’t look out of place in a ‘gangster’ movie and the quality of finish is superb.Moving into Hall 2 you get to see the first cars in the actual GP Collection. First up is an extremely rare Mercedes-Benz W194 complete with a bizarre roof-mounted airbrake. The car was restored by Mercedes in Stuttgart and is on display to the public for the first time. Next to it is a pair of Auto Union single seaters, also restored to a very high standard.A real treat is in store for racing fans as you round the next corner. James Hunt’s McLaren M23 in which he won his only F1 championship sits between a Lotus 24 and a Tyrrell 010. The famous orange and white car looks

James Hunt’s McLaren M23.

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The remains of David Purley’s LEC/Ford which came to a dead stop from 110mph in just 66cm.

like it has just finished a race and shows heavy graining on its tyres.

1968 Lotus Cosworth 49B.

Impressive line-up in Hall 2.

May 2011 81

Days Gone By

Most of the other cars in this area of the museum are from the 1950s or 60s and many of them take the same form; long, slim, cigar-shaped bodies with exposed engines behind an equally exposed cockpit. They bear very little resemblance to the F1 cars of today. When these cars did battle in anger, there were no adjustable wings, KERS or traction control; the winner would be the team that had the fastest car or the best driver and it was as simple as that. Racing was a much simpler affair back then, and some would say all the better for it.However, further up the same

hall is a reminder as to why things are better now, and you can sum it up in one word – safety. Among all the gleaming cars is a small pile of wreckage. This is what all that’s left of David Purley’s LEC/Ford after the throttle stuck fully open during practice for the 1977 British GP at Silverstone. Purley survived despite sustaining serious injuries and the crash earned him a world record as the ‘civilian who had suffered and survived the highest recorded deceleration of G-force’ after his car came to a dead stop from 110mph in just 66cm (26in).Purley was also known for his attempt to save a fellow driver from the wreckage of his burning, overturned car. Sadly he was unable to free the driver who died from his injuries, but Purley

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The very un-PC Hesketh 308.

Nice line-up of 60s and 70s cars.

was awarded the George Medal for his efforts. In those days, such accidents were a common occurrence in motorsport, but thankfully, modern technology has brought with it the highest advances in driver safety to make similar tragedies largely a thing of the past. Among other gems in this hall are a 1966 McLaren M2B, a 1968 McLaren Ford Cosworth M7A, a 1961 Lotus Climax 18, a 1959 Cooper T51 Coventry Climax, a 1968 Lotus Cosworth 49B and a 1975 Embassy Hill GH1.5. At the end of the hall is a group of five cars parked on a carpeted, stepped platform. One of these is an Alfa-Romeo Tipo 179 that was driven by Andrea De Cesaris in the 1980 USA Grand Prix. The car looks good in its Marlboro colour scheme, but ultimately

May 2011 83

Mika Hakkinen’s 1994 McLaren MP4/9.

The cockpit of Kimi Raikkonen’s 2002 McLaren MP4-17A.

1985 Williams Honda FW10.

A great feature of the museum is that you can get close enough to see inside many of the cars.

David Coulthard’s McLaren MP4-16 from 2001.

had little success on the track.

84 CPR Magazine

Not ‘PC’

Another eye-catching car in this line-up is a 1975 Hesketh 308D. The team was sponsored by the…er… ‘gentleman’s publication’ Penthouse, and also by cigarette paper manufacturer Rizla. As a result, the car has a scantily clad lady holding a packet of Rizlas painted on its nose! I got me wondering how such artwork would be received in these ‘politically correct’ times. It would of course almost certainly be banned as the ‘Rizla’ logo would fall foul of the tobacco advertising laws. Ironically, advertising the porn magazine would probably be okay!As I round the next corner another old favourite comes into view. It is the bright yellow 1998 Jordan Mugen Honda 198 which was driven by Damon Hill. The actual car on display is the one Hill drove to victory in the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, giving the team its

Williams FW30-6 from the 2008.

The McLaren Hall at Donington.

Damon Hill’s Jordan Mugen-Honda 198 from 1998.

May 2011 85

Ayrton Senna’s racing helmet..

The McLaren MP4/21A6 driven by Pedro De La Rosa in 2006.

1955 Vanwall VW2.

Veteran racers on display.

David Coulthard’s race suit and helmet.

first ever win in Formula 1. I always had a soft spot for the Jordan team; Eddie Jordan was always great value and the cars always looked great in their wasp inspired paint

schemes.It is amazing how seeing some of these cars is like discovering a long lost friend again. Near the Jordan car is another name from the past

– Stewart Racing. This was the team started by Jackie Stewart along with his son Paul. The 1997 Stewart Ford SF1 on display still carries the distinctive tartan banding across its white bodywork and was driven by Jan Magnussen. The team never quite made it to the upper echelons of F1 and its cars usually made up the ‘best of the rest’ after the Ferraris, McLarens and Williams car had snatched

Left: 1997 Stewart Ford SF1 driven by Jan Magnussen. Above: Donnington has the largest collection of Williams cars outside the factory.

86 CPR Magazine

Garage scene from the 1930s.

most of the points. Johnny Herbert would later race a Stewart Ford to victory for the team’s only win during the rain soaked 1999 European Grand Prix at the new Nürburgring.

Stewart Grand Prix was later bought by Ford and rebranded as Jaguar Racing. That lasted until 2005 when Ford pulled out of F1 and sold the team on yet again. This time

it became Red Bull Racing, and the rest as they say, is history! The museum also has a superb collection of Williams F1 cars, nearly all of which

are painted in the famous blue, white and yellow livery that characterised the cars during the team’s most dominate years. Among these is the 1985 Williams FW10 driven by Nigel Mansell and Keke Rosberg as well as the FW11 from 1986 and the FW11B from 1987.

May 2011 87

Tyrell P34 ‘six-wheeler’ F1 car.

Yep, that really is a green Ferrari!

The cockpit of the McLaren MP4/21A6.

Helmet Collection

Moving away from the cars for a moment, the collection also houses some

fascinating motorsport related memorabilia. For example, you can see the world’s largest collection of drivers’ helmets which include ‘lids’ from Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Ayrton Senna, Eddie Irvine, Niki Lauda and Alain Prost. Some of these are easy to miss as they are located in the corridors that link some of the halls. There are racing suits too, along with

some of the equipment worn by pits crews from various teams.

88 CPR Magazine

99.9% Still Run

I asked Garry Rankin how many of the cars still run. “About 99.9% are still in running order and we have a company called Hall & Hall Ltd which looks after many of the cars.” Garry also added that the exhibits are constantly changing with cars coming in and out on a regular basis. He advised visitors to call before setting off if they were coming to see one particular car, just to make sure it was there. I found the Donington Grand Prix Collection to be exceptionally interesting and its gathering of F1 cars is simply exquisite. If you are passing, or are looking for a great day out with a motoring theme, make sure you call in and see it for yourself.

Inside the well-stocked shop.

Michael Schumacher’s helmet.

May 2011 89

The Coventry Transport Museum Hales Street, Coventry. CV1 1JD

Telephone: 02476 234270E-mail: enquiries@transport-museum.comWebsite: www.transport-museum.com

Open 7 Days A Week 10am until 5pm

Visitor Info

The collection has an excellent restaurant.

A 1969 BRM P139.

Latest News From The Auction Roomsauctionnews

H&H classic auctionBuxton, Derbyshire, UK.April 13, 2011.

H&H - Buxton, Derbyshire

Type Year PriceAston Martin DB4 Series 5 1963 £103,400Aston Martin DB2/4 1954 £72,600 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Roadster 1964 £45,100 Bentley 3.5 Litre Special 1936 £41,800 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII 1964 £41,800Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Roadster 1967 £40,150 Alvis TD21 Drophead Coupe 1961 £32,450 Austin-Healey 100 1954 £31,350 Daimler SP250 Dart 1961 £29,415 Austin-Healey 3000 MkI 1960 £29,150

90 CPR Magazine

Aston martins Star at H&H Buxton Auction1964 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Roadster Sold For £45,100

1960 Triumph TR3A went for £17,050.

This ‘barn find’ Aston Martin DB2/4 sold for £72,600.

The first sale of the season at H&H’s spiritual home in Buxton, Derbyshire, should arguably have been accompanied by waved Union Jacks and the strains of ‘Rule Britiannia’ – such were the notable prices achieved for a string of British classics. Topping the results was a charmingly patinated 1963 Maroon-coloured Aston Martin DB4 Series 5, that had formed part of a large private collection for the last eighteen years and lain unused for the last four. It fetched £103,400 and will now require some light recommissioning before returning to the road. The ‘barn find’ 1954 DB2/4 was, however, the Aston that really set the saleroom humming. Opportunities to purchase such completely unmolested early David Brown cars are now few and far between, and the hammer eventually fell at £72,600 – double the estimated price.Jaguar E-Types are strong currency at present; as befits an automotive icon celebrating its 50th anniversary. The pretty 1964 3.8 Roadster in Carmen Red found a new home for £45,100 while the 1967 Metallic Blue ‘Series 1.5’ 4.2 Roadster was not far behind at £40,150. Healey 3000s are

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also flying pretty high, and the delightfully original Green MKIII example from 1964 made £41,800. The same figure was achieved for the one-off rakish two-door, four-seat Tourer based on a 1936 Bentley 3½ Litre chassis. Recently completed and finished in a graceful combination of Burgundy over Oyster Grey, it should provide its new keeper with pleasure for years to come.Other notable car results included: the £32,450 paid for the tidy Green 1961 Alvis TD21 Drophead Coupe; the White over Blue 1954 Healey 100 that had been upgraded in the style of a 100M (£31,350) and the Red, former concours-winning 1960 3000 MK1 (£29,150) - not to mention the beautifully-presented 1961 Daimler SP250, for which the vendor found he was too tall (£29,415). The 1952 Barker-bodied Daimler DB18 Special Sports fetched well above its estimate (despite breaking down on the way to the sale!) and new homes were found for all three of the Model T Fords entered.The company’s next auction of collectors’ cars, motorcycles, automobilia will take place at the Pavilion Gardens Buxton on June 8 and is headed by a 1923 Bentley 3 Litre TT Replica Tourer.

May 2011 91

1967 Jaguar E-Type Roadster sold for £40,150

Bargain of the day? This 1983 Ferrari Mondial was a non-runner, but seemed good value for only £3,520.

Attractive Aston Martin DB4 fetched £103,400.

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December 2010 89

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1980 MG B GT £3950, Located in Scottish Borders TD6. Full restoration 2005 with work done since total over £11000 spent including full respray in original Vermillion. Rubber bumpers removed & lowered to chrome bumper height with uprated springs & pollybushes and spax rears. Complete ownership history known & full file of all receipts for work done.Unleaded conversion with K&N’s, AAA needles, s/s manifold & system & elctronic ignigtion. All new carpets with full leather interior. A great car always reliable and with MOT until June 2011, currently on SORN for winter but can be taxed for new owner at cost to make it a drive away purchase.Contact Philip Titley on 07795 400022 or email philtitley@aol.com

Beautifully presented 1994 Sebring International TMX sports car having glorious body work with spotless cream leather red piped interior, racing harnesses and a 3.9 V8 engine, 5 speed gearbox, electronic ignition. This car has won recent show events and looks stunning having registered mileage of just 12500 A car for those who seek the beauty of classics with modern technology, taxed until August with MOT’s, ready to drive away.Priced to match to days market, a real buy at £15,875 inc registration.Contact Geoff Goodspeed on 01254 812558 or 07968 254883

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You can advertise you car for sale in Classic, Performance & Retro and it will cost you nothing! Just send us a photograph of the car, along with up to 50 words, and we will include it in the next issue. We will advertise the car in subsequent issues free of charge until you advise us that the vehicle is sold. If you have not contacted us after three months, the advert will be removed. Send advertisements to:classifieds@cprmag.com

The Online Marketplace for Classic, Performance & Retro cars!Smallads

Be Wise When You Advertise!When you advertise always take steps to guard against identity fraud. Do not place personal details in your adverts.If you are selling a car, remember that there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there who will use every trick in the book to part you from your car or your money. Take sensible precautions. If you are buying a car; make sure you check it thoroughly. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! Never meet a vendor on the street or at service stations. Research the type of car you are buying so you know what to look for. If you are unsure, take an expert along with you.

1956 MGA ROADSTER, Red, complete nut and bolt restoration with all invoices, MGB 1800cc engine, 5 speed box, 1,100 miles, excellent condition. Genuine reason for sale, £21,950, 07595 037932 (Hampshire)

DAIMLER DS420 LIMOUSINE £8995 ONO. 7 SEAT WEDDING CARS. 75.000 MILES. MOT August 14th 2011. Black over ivory. Beautiful car inside and out. Must see car ready for next wedding. Lots of photo just ring with email address. Price for quick sale. 01977-645034.

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Chevrolet Corvette 1992 Auto Red LT1 47,000 miles always garaged. MOT till Oct 2011, Tax till Apr 2011. vgc. Reg Plate C20 VET incl. Unmarked black leather electric seats t/c, c/c, e/w, e/m, Bose cd/radio included is car cover and GM Manuals. £8000 ono.tel 01242 574083. Glos.

1963 Morris Minor convertible. Delightful little convertible Minor. Finished in deep black (recently re-sprayed) with brand new interior including seats recovered, new door and quarter trims recovered over new hard board. Nice red carpets and red hood really make this car stand out. 1098cc engine starts on the button and pulls very well. Full MOT and service when sold. £5,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs)

1986 Mini Cooper recreation. Stunning car finished in grey with white roof. Full rebuild with a rust free shell, and is fitted with many period MK1 parts including MK1 boot lid, rear lights, cooper front grill, full wood dash and cooper alloys and wheel arch spats. 1275 GTA engine fitted - runs perfect. All in all this mini is as close to perfect as they come. £5,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs)

MGB GT 1971, British Racing Green, chrome bumpers, MOT June 2011. One previous owner, excellent condition, full history. £4,500 ono. Tel: 01580 819 209 (East Sussex)

74 MGB GT, 60k, 1800cc, overdrive, SSE, undersealed, SORN, no MOT, 2.5k spent since Dec04, good SH, spare tyre, CD, very reliable when in use, £750 ono for quick sale. Contact owner by e-mail at titchierichie@sky.com for more info

Triumph TR4A. U.K. Car with Overdrive in Royal Blue with Blue Interior and Painted Wire Wheels. The paint has extensive micro blistering but the body including the floors and sills is generally sound. The interior is faded, the hood is not torn and still fits well but is also faded. The dashboard has suffered from de-lamination. Te chassis is in very good condition with the exception of one small repair needed on the left hand T-Shirt panel, this has not effected the outrigger which is sound. A car that would make a good rolling restoration or could be just used as is. £7,500. Call 01925 756 000 (Cheshire)

MGB GT 1976, O/D, W/W, webasto. Tax 31/01/11, full MOT. Recent black leather seats, radio/cd, speakers. 27k this engine gearbox, 1990s rebuild £13,000 bills. Tahiti blue. Valuation £6000 accept £4995. 01736 755148 Cornwall. Condition 2

1972 MGB ROADSTER, condition 1-2, Brooklands Green, original shell restoration, new carpets, leather/green piping, 1k dry miles, stored 13 years. FSH, full MOT, O/D, http://mgb.jonnyboy1.fastmail.fm/pics/ £8000 ono T: 07590 364631

MGB GT 1979 1800cc, rubber bumpers, restored, good engine and gear box, alloy wheels, spare set of steel wheels, no tax or MOT, viewing recommended, Carlisle 07584 067490

1972 MIDGET RWA WHITE. W/W. MOT Sept 2011, Tax exempt. Garaged, restored 2001, 500 dry miles since. Some history and books. Reliable, good condition £3250. Tel 01525 385645. Bedfordshire.

1974 BGT BLUE, O/D, gearbox, starts and drives, bodywork sound but requires paint, interior and trim work, no Tax or MOT. 07807 158816 evenings £1200 Devon

MG MIDGET, WHITE, RUBBER BUMPER, 1979, 1500cc, 16,771 miles, luggage rack and radio, 12 months MOT and 6 months Tax. Very good condition. £2,500. Tel: 07947 551006 W.Sussex

Austin Healey 3000 Mk 3 BJ8 Phase 2 1966. Original Healey blue RHD home market car 1st registered in Surrey. Older but extensive restoration with only summer use since. Large history file. Finished in Healey blue with blue trim, hood and tonneau. Fitted chrome wire wheels, overdrive, period spot lamps and works style luggage rack. £43,000. For more information please call 01723 361227.

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MGB ROADSTER 1965, with overdrive, Red, Seebring bodykit, flared arches, Wolfrace wheels, wide tyres. Solid car. T&T. 5-bearing crank. Runs well, stiff suspension. Does need TLC. £3250 ono. 07817 850022 Day. 01895 236747 Eve

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The Online Marketplace for Classic, Performance & Retro cars!Smallads

1961 Austin Healey 3000 MKII Works Replica RHD.Colorado red, old English white works hard-top. Road/race/rally, full FIA papers past and present available. A fortune has been spent with leading race Healey specialists. Massive spec. Very fast. Please contact Martin Daly for full and detailed mechanical spec. Stunning machine. £48,950. 01663 733209

MGB ROADSTER 1977, Flamenco red. Lady owner last 29 years, all history, not used last 6 years. Mechanically excellent but work needed for MOT. Ideal restoration project, £1,750. Nottingham 0115 9261175.

MGF, 1.8 VVC 2003. Silver, black leather, air-con. Alloys, CD player, central-locking/alarm, 84K, serviced regularly (condition 3), removable boot luggage rack/weather-proof suitcase. MOT Aug11, Tax Feb11. 01844 351211 £1,950 ono

MG ZA, 1956, RED lots of time and money spent restoring but now unable to finish. Engine running, interior needs refurbish. Modified gearbox, front disc brakes. Offers considered. Tel: 01638 660665 Newmarket

This superb example had a full engine rebuild to 250BHP by leading engineer Simon Armstrong of Ultimate Performance Ltd (a full page write-up can be seen in the Club-Lotus Magazine). Finished in Brooklands green with magnolia leather trim, alloys, sunroof, aircond, uprated brakes, suspension, stainless sports-exhaust. Presented in near Concours condition after a recent, full, re-commission. A very special Esprit. £18,950. 01663 733209

MGC ROADSTER with triple carb Downton Conversion. 1968 Old English White with Red leather interior, Red hood, boot rack. Good runner £14,995 contact Keith 07889 805432 keith@classicmobilia.co.uk

Ferrari 2004 Ferrari Enzo - £875,000. Beautifully presented example of this amazing car that was a classic from inception. Finished in red with bespoke black alcantara with red quilted stitching. Contact Joe Macari Tel: +44(0)20 8870 9007 Email: sales@joemacari.com Joe Macari

MIDGET 1973 RWA, 1275 engine, gearbox overhauled, complete clutch assembly, everything works! Professionaly maintained, garaged, tripod headlamps, bumper included, duck hood, leather seats, Taxed Oct11, MOT Oct11. 07930 521335. £4750 ovno. Lancs. Condition 2

MGF 1.8i, THAITIT BLUE, 2000 W plate 62k. Leather upholstery. New hood, cylinder head/timing belt. FSH. Garaged/covered. MOT and Tax until April 2011. VGC, great fun. £2300. Telephone 07768 323558 (Hampshire)

1967 mustang, 289 V-8 with Flowmaster headers and C-4 automatic transmission giving power to the ground. Beautiful red exterior with handsome black vinyl top and red interior. Its stunning appearance is enhanced by 2008 16 inch GT wheels with optional spinners. Options include: power steering, power brakes, windshield washers, remote control exterior door mirror, console, vinyl top, self-retracting seat belt package, with new radiator, new bumpers, and has a Panasonic CD player, Vin # 7F01C214697. 43500 miles on odometer (unconfirmed). This is a clean Texas car. 001 336-765-8312 (USA)

1971 RACING GREEN MIDGET for restoration. Off road for 12 years following MOT failure on body work. £500.00 Tel: 01590 644616, Hampshire.

Jaguar 3.8 S Type. 1966. Manual, with Overdrive. Gun Metal Grey with Red interior. This is a top example of this famous Marque. This Jaguar 3.8 S Type comes with the original Service History from the 60’s and 70’s, also the wall maintenance sheet, and the original Log Book. Thick files of very detailed Service History from later periods.This Jaguar totally lives up to its pedigree. Sleek, fast, stunningly beautiful. Very special top condition. £16,900. 0114 231 5000

ZT-T 260SE 4.6LTR V8 mustang, 2004/54, facelift, one of 70. 5 speed manual, FMGSH, MOT, Tax, traction, ABS, climate control, sunroof, GPS/TV, half leather, 47,400 miles, brilliant. £10870 ono. 01296 770450 Bucks

Mini Red Hot (1988) in Flame Red (Manual) with Grey interior trim. This car has just undergone a full mechanical overhaul including new subframe and components. It’s a very tidy, presentable example and an ideal starter car for a young person. £4,995. 01325 311232

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MGB ROADSTER 1967, Midnight Blue, wire wheels. Rust free. Reconditioned engine, 4 syncromesh overdrive gearbox, black carpet, new dashboard, black leather seats, moto-lita steering wheel, new hood. £9,500. T: 07802 255555 London. Cond 2

TR6 1975 MIMOSA YELLOW WITH BLACK INTERIOR. OUTSTANDING CONDITION. EXTENSIVE BODY REBUILD AND RESPRAY OVER LAST 3 YEARS AND MANY EXTRAS INCLUDING STAINLESS STEEL EXHAUST BOSCH PUMP AND PLASTIC WHEEL ARCH LINERS. BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL DASH, POWDER COATED WHEELS. WILL COME WITH 12 MONTHS MOT. £10,995. Telephone: 01487 842168

Austin Healey 100/6 BN4 1957 early longbridge car. Ex north america LHD. Structurally superb. Very original black car fitted with front disc brakes and louvered bonnet, running and driving. Easy project. 01723 361227

MGB Roadster 1972 Free road tax RHD UK car. Full body restoration by ourselves in 2003 with only summer use since. Finished in flame red, new black leather seats piped in red and new black carpets. Recent lead free cylinder head, clutch and brake servo. Fitted overdrive and wire wheels. £POA. 01723 361227

Austin Healey 3000 Mk 3 BJ8 Phase 2 1966 LHD EX Southern Californian car. Delivered new in Orange County, last owner for 36 years and 2 previous owners . It has documentation going back to the early 70’s. The car is in incredibly original, structurally superb condition with no accidents, mechanically excellent with everything working correctly as it should. Finished in British Racing Green with original black trim without splits or tears, black hood and original tonneau cover. Fitted with overdrive, wire wheels and complete with original drivers handbook, spare wheel, tonneau support bars and wheel hammer. Call 01723 361227.

Austin Healey 100/4 BN1 1955. Original RHD car fitted with Le Mans spec H6 carburettors and cold air box. Finished in Ivory White with Black trim, black weather equipment, wire wheels and overdrive. £ 39,950. Call 01723 361227.

1970 Triumph TR6, good solid car, this is the 150bhp model with the 2.5L injection engine. Finished in red with black interior. Original TR6 wheels. MOT’d till May 2011 & tax excempt so ready to go!!! Good history file. Good early 6 at the right money! £7,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs)

MGB V8 3.5EFI ROADSTER Vitesse 3.5 big valve engine + R/Rover EFI. Very fast! New 15” polished wheels. Yokohamas. MGC axle. Professional respray 2010. New leather. Full MOT. A/value £14K, accept £12,500. 01332 833889 gray.geoff@virgin.net

GT6 MKII 1969 SIGNAL RED WITH BLACK INTERIOR. EXCELLENT CONDITION AND FITTED WITH A 2.5LTR FUEL INJECTED ENGINE! OVERDRIVE GEARBOX. MINILITE WHEELS AND TWIN STAINLESS EXHAUST. VERY QUICK AND A PLEASURE TO DRIVE. £8,495. Telephone: 01487 842168

MG TF VVC 160 SPRINT SPECIAL EDITION (52). Chrome pack, luggage rack. Gunsmoke, b/part/leather seats, e/mirrors, PAS, 16” Alloy, brand new hood, grey tonneau cover, 28k miles. £4995. 07766 167521

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TRIUMPH TR4 - 2.5 1963 Signal Red fitted CP TR6 stage 2 engine, on triple SU’s. TR5 performance, superb drive. Body-off chassis/suspension/engine upgrades by TR specialist. Strong and reliable £15,950 ono. For spec & photos call Mike 07979 531877 or e-mail mike@chadinman.com

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TR2-8, SPITFIRE, GT6, STAG, 2000/2500,HERALD/VITESSE, DOLOMITE/SPRINT.

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