17 replies to this topic

[Team Gunston]

This is the report of the Five-Hour Oulton Park Relay published in Autosport dated 4th October 1963 :



As the caption says, the photo shows, on the left, Gerald Ashmore climbing in his D-type.

Very well. But what is this car ? I wonder... Speaking of Gerald Ashmore, everybody will answer XKD 510 for sure, and even the late Andrew Whyte gave this chassis number in his book, in which he specifically mentioned this late 1963 event...

But it is certainly not XKD 510 since it has been attested that XKD 510 (partly converted to XK-SS specs) has been totally written off far away at the Johore GP one month before (1st September), killing his driver Yong Nam Kee in the process.

What are the specialists opinions ?

PS : notice that the car on the photo is a perfectly standard short nose D-type with a "monoposto" windscreen and no tail fin. Unfortunately, we can't see the reg plate. Colours could be BRG with a red or orange stripe, since it was entered by Equipe Vertrouge.

Edited by Team Gunston, 26 October 2010 - 20:22.

[David Birchall]

I'll tell you one thing, it ain't XKD558!

[David Birchall]

According to this site he only raced once in 1963 and this wasn't it:
http://www.racingspo...Ashmore-GB.html

[David McKinney]

According to this site he only raced once in 1963 and this wasn't it:
http://www.racingspo...Ashmore-GB.html

Hardly a comprehensive list
I have two more D-Type appearances for him in 1959, and he certainly raced the F2 Cooper more than once in 1960

[Team Gunston]

Well, it's clear that we cannot take racingsportscars.com lists as gospel... Although they made an impressive work there, a lot of omissions and mistakes still remain.

The fact is Gerald Ashmore was running this relay race held on 28th september 1963 on a D-type. The Autosport report doesn't lie. But this D-type couldn't be XKD 510. Which one then ?

Edited by Team Gunston, 27 October 2010 - 06:10.

[Jean L]

Bill Rigg's XKD539 ?

[Team Gunston]

Bill Rigg's XKD539 ?

I don't think so. Bill Riggs was also running in the same Equipe Vertrouge team with his own car (as well as Peter Skidmore), and I think that the rules said that two drivers couldn't share the same car... Furthermore, I do believe that XKD 539 had some XK-SS components by that time.

Now, what about XKD 511, then the property of James Boothby ? I don't know what this car was looking like before it was acquired by the Griffiths family.

[Sharman]

Now, what about XKD 511, then the property of James Boothby ? I don't know what this car was looking like before it was acquired by the Griffiths family.
[/quote]
So far as I can recall Jim Boothby's car was white

[Team Gunston]

OK. That means that XKD 511 was already white when the Griffiths bought it. I was not sure.

I give up with XKD 511...

[David Birchall]

Does anybody have contact info for Gerry Ashmore?

[Bjorn Kjer]

PM for David Birchall!

[David Birchall]

PM sent to Team Gunston!

[Team Gunston]

Thank you both. I just dropped an e-mail to Mr. Ashmore.

[Steve O'Brien]

Thankyou for printing the race report I was a 10 year old there with my father Harry O'Brien who gets a mention racing his mk1 Lola Steve.

[Team Gunston]

I have just received a very kind answer from Gerald Ashmore, in which he explains that he was actually driving Bill Rigg’s XKD 539 that day… Jean L suggestion was the good one.

This car, bought by Mr. Rigg as XK-SS 722, was converted back to standard D-types specs after a road accident.

One question remains, though, and I have e-mailed G. Ashmore again to ask him : as it happens that Bill Rigg himself was also driving a D-type in the same Equipe Vertrouge as Gerald Ashmore that day of 1963, does it mean that two different drivers were allowed to share the same car in that relay race ? (I didn’t think it was possible, but I am not a specialist.) Or does it mean that Mr. Rigg was driving another “D” ? And again, which one then ?

The answer will probably come soon.

[Team Gunston]

... He think that they were actually sharing the same car, but he acknowledges that he doesn't remember exactly. Quite understandable 47 years later...

Edited by Team Gunston, 04 November 2010 - 12:35.

[Jagracer]

Hi, I used to work for Gerry Ashmore in West Bromwich when he had Ashmore Brothers a Lotus main agency way back in 1966/67 till 1969
Where is he now? as I would love to get in touch with him & have a chat etc. so if anyone can give me any details I would be very grateful, you can E Mail me at phil@jagracer.wanadoo.co.uk
Thank you in anticipation Phil Bradford

[David Birchall]

Jagracer check your message box.