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Mystery Tojeiro Jaguar


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#1 RAP

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Posted 16 December 2003 - 16:50

There was a Tojeiro Jaguar at the August BankHoliday 1955 Crystal Palace meeting entered by "B Bira" for M Prasom, although some reports indicate that the car was driven by W Morrice who was associated with Equipe Devone. This car isn't mentioned to Doug Nye's book "Powered by Jaguar" and I have not seen any other record of it racing. This entry seems very odd.
Why was B Bira entering a Tojeiro. He had given up racing by then?
Who was M Prasum?
What happened to the car?
Can anyone help with more info?

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#2 Paul Parker

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Posted 20 December 2003 - 15:00

I am currently far away from all my source material, but as far as I know having interviewed and spoken to John Tojeiro a few years ago I do not think there was a Jaguar powered Tojeiro built before 1956/7. The best known early car was 7 GNO but as for Crystal Palace 1955 I have no idea.

Of course somewhere out there in the ether will be the answer!

#3 Milan Fistonic

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Posted 20 December 2003 - 19:05

The Autosport report of the Crystal Palace meeting does say that Morrice was driving Bira's Tojeiro-Jaguar.

#4 humphries

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Posted 21 December 2003 - 19:46

Just a check through my records for what it is worth.

The Tojeiro-Jaguar was #85 at Crystal Palace. In the programme Prasom's name was deleted and that of Morrice substituted. After practice the car was on the back row of the grid according to the person who filled in the grid positions of the programme; a photocopy of which I have. Morrice spun off and at Crystal Palace was likely to have damaged the car.

An entry for the car was made for the Tourist Trophy at Dundrod and it appeared on the reserve list. It was now entered by H.H.Gould. As Horace had bought Bira's 250F earlier in the year there seems to be some connection between this Tojeiro, Bira and Gould.

The car was again entered for the Castle Combe meeting held on 1/10/55. Again it was entered by Gould, #29, but appears to have been a non-starter. I feel sure that if Gould had appeared in the sports car race some mention would have been made in one of the contemporary magazines as Gould was a popular driver then.

I suspect this car was returned to John Tojeiro, probably after Crystal Palace, and re-fettled. At the beginning of 1956 various entries were made for this car with either Peter Blond or John Ogier as the driver. It non-started and Peter Blond substituted his new red D-type on a couple of occasions. Eventually John Ogier got to race the car but it was not particularly successful.

Doug refers to the Tojeiro-Jaguar of 1956 as the Mk2. Possibly the mysterious 1955 car was Mk1 and after repairs became the "new" Mk2.

John

#5 Doug Nye

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Posted 21 December 2003 - 22:24

W.F. Morice - if 'Morrice' was truly he - was a an ex-RNZAF wartime Stirling bomber pilot who was a great buddy of Horace Gould's and who accompanied him to the New Zealand Grand Prix the year they took a pair of Cooper-Bristols there...

DCN

#6 RAP

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Posted 22 December 2003 - 11:10

Thanks to all who have posted replies, especially Humphries. I had failed to pick up the other entries in '55. The B Bira connection still seems odd, my only thought is that Halford & Co were from Devon and Bira spent the war years down that way but it seems VERY tenuous!

On a similar vein, at Crystal Palace 10/6/57 a Cooper Jag (CJ-2-54?) was entered by Bernie Ecclestone for himself or his mate Stuart Lewis Evans to drive. I beleive the car came sixth out of seven. My programme isn't marked to say who drove but the fairly lowly result points to Bernie ?? Does anyone have a grid for this race that they could provide?

RAP

#7 humphries

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Posted 23 December 2003 - 19:58

The histories of the Cooper-Jags are well covered by Doug in his books "Cooper" and "Powered by Jaguar". Ecclestone's car, the ex-Bradnack, ex-Mees horseshoe-crab-like T33 was rebodied into a very handsome car.

At Crystal Palace ( 10 June 1957 ) it was 2nd on the grid. On pole was Archie ( who else! ), with the Whitehead half-brothers' Astons sharing the front row, Graham 3rd fastest and Peter 4th. In the second row was Les Leston in the works HWM-Jaguar, Jack Brabham substituting for Jim Russell in the John Ogier Tojeiro-Jaguar and the slowest qualifier Peter Mould in his C-type. Doug states that Stuart Lewis-Evans put in a fast lap in practice.

But...who drove it in the race? Indeed it finished 6th beating only the C-type. In the programme from which I am basing this information the programme amender has Bernie driving in the race!

Perhaps Bernie could be persuaded to contribute to TNF and let us know the facts!

John

#8 Doug Nye

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Posted 23 December 2003 - 20:22

Mr E certainly drove the Cooper-Jaguar at Thruxton and I believe also drove it at Crystal Palace - information straight from the 'orse's mouth...but remembered (by me now) at some 25 years' range...

DCN

#9 RAP

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Posted 24 December 2003 - 10:12

Thank you again gentlemen. I expertise avaiable on TNF is amazing!

#10 RAP

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Posted 01 September 2009 - 07:32

Just an update on the Tojeiro Jaguar. I have seen a programme for Brands Hatch 1 August 55 with a manual addition to the entry list in the Sports +1900cc race of
57 W F Morice Tojeiro Jaguar.

It seems that the car was no too damaged at Crystal Palace, therefore.
RAP

#11 ERault

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Posted 01 September 2009 - 11:35

I strongly suspect you did not wait for me to find out, but just in case, since 2003 Graham Gauld published his book on Tojeiro and this particular car is identified as a former Lea-Francis engined Tojeiro, which became the first fitted with Jaguar power.

#12 Porsche718

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Posted 06 June 2022 - 00:53

Just clarify the Bira/Morrice/Gould/Blond/Ogier Tojeiro Jaguar

I have seen the Bira entries listed as TAD-7-54, then during the Blond/Ogier ownership it was listed as TAD-3-56

Does this confirm John Tojeiro's habit of issuing new chassis numbers after a car received an update at the factory?

#13 RobertE

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Posted 06 June 2022 - 14:34

A bit of fluff on this - Bruce Halford knew Bira very well - indeed, when he bought Bira's 250F he was charmed that a tin chest full of Bira's kit came with it - blue silk overalls, linen hat and goggles. The goggles were prescription lensed, so not a lot of use to Bruce. Neither, of course, were the overalls.

 

I have no view on the car in question, save that it must have been as discussed above.



#14 Glengavel

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Posted 06 June 2022 - 20:10

While on the subject, does anyone know what this is - a Tojeiro-Jaguar possibly? I posted about it in here a few years ago with little success but maybe some fresh minds can bring something to light. Photographed at Ingliston in late 1980s. First registered in 1959. 3442cc engine. MOT history says "Jaguar XK" so maybe jsust a rebodied special.
 
mystery.jpg?dl=0https://www.dropbox....ystery.jpg?dl=0
 
mystery.jpg?dl=1https://www.dropbox....ystery.jpg?dl=1

Edited by Glengavel, 06 June 2022 - 20:12.