20 replies to this topic

[Elanman]

Hi, I'm new to this board and wonder if any of you may be able to help me with some information. My name is Nick Adams and I am Vehicle Development Manager at Lotus in the UK, currently working on bring the Elise out to the States in the next month or so. I am currently about to realise a long term ambition by buying a Lotus 23 which I will be running in some European events, hopefully from next year. The car I am buying is currently in New York and according to the original factory records was first sold to one "W. Molle". I guess that this may be the Dr. Bill Molle who raced a series of 23's on the West coast of the USA in the early sixties. I am hoping to be able to confirm whether or not this is the case (our record keeping is not , shall we say, the best...) and if it is to try and uncover any history or results relating to my car (please excuse me grinning when I type that, I still can't quite believe it.... ) Do any of you have any memories of Dr. Molle or any information on his 23's that you could share with me? Alternatively, do you have any suggestions as to where else I might try? All I have been able to determine so far is that he probably had three different 23's during that period and that sadly he passed away recently.
Thanks for your time and congratulations on being part of what appears to be one of the most intelligent forums I yet seen.
Nick

[Ray Bell]

I certainly can't help you, Nick, but welcome to this forum and please stay around...

One of our 'senior' members is named Lotus 23 and used to race one, so I guess he will probably know something.

[Don Capps]

Well, Bill Molle of Playa del Rey finishied 13th at the Laguna Seca USRRC in June and was was disqualified from any points due to a "technical violation" of some sort -- I will have to check. He was 4th in U-2 and got to keep the $250. I will check for other races.

[Lotus23]

Guys, good news and bad news:

Good news: I certainly recall Dr Molle's name, along with that of Frank Monise, as being among the early 23 runners on the west coast of the U.S. A quick internet search of his name finds him listed among finishers in various races of the 63/64 era, incl several USRRC events. But no further details re: chassis #, etc.

Bad news is that I was an east-coaster, and never met Dr Bill, though I certainly knew of his reputation.

Elanman, if your 23 is chassis #23S28, I can help -- a lot! -- but otherwise, better historians than I will have to pitch in here.

[Lotus23]

A quick look at white pages.com shows only four William Molles in the U.S., with one in Beverly Hills, California. None of the others are out west. That would seem the best bet right now, assuming he's still with us. (It's not that common a name, so would seem fairly easy to trace.)

[antonvrs]

Dr. Bill Molle was a dentist in Playa Del Rey, CA a few miles from where I now live. I scrutineered his car in the '60s when he raced with Cal Club and in the late '70s when he raced with VARA but I never paid any attention to the chassis #.
He passed away a few years ago.
Maybe Frank S. can help?

Anton

[WINO]

Times Grand Prix at Riverside, October 1963:

Jim Clark dropped out in the Consolation race, driving his original entry, the Arciero Lotus 19. In the actual Times GP Clark raced a Lotus 23/Ford, race number 222. Billy Krause led the under 2-liter class for most of the race with Art Snyder's Elva Mk 7/Ford, until his steering went beserk. Then Clark passed Krause and they finished 5th and 6th, 1st and 2nd in under 2-liter.

But who owned Clark's car: Doc Molle, Frank Monise or somebody else? The entry does not show up in the official program.

WINO

[Lotus23]

FWIW, there's a Frank Monise Motors in Pasadena, California. Found it in yellow pages.com.

[Frank S]

Originally posted by Lotus23
FWIW, there's a Frank Monise Motors in Pasadena, California. Found it in yellow pages.com.

Probably still run by Frank Monise Junior, whose appearance with Dan Gurney and the restored Eagle is recorded in this photo:



From this thread (Lots of long-load photos of the Eagle in the shop and at Willow) :
Eagle! Eagle! Eagle!


Dr. Bill Molle was a kind of Rennaisance Man: Lawyer, Dentist, legitimate Admiral in the US Navy, and a racer's racer: he would, as the saying goes, race you for "...money, marbles, or chalk". You can see his piece on the "little guy" racer beginning at notes a. There is a fine photo and complimentary biography in Art Evans' Fabulous Fifties portraits book.

With regard to Molle's Lotus 23(s?), all I can offer is appearances in progam entry lists from a few races of the era. I'm sure we will eventually run across someone who has a grip on chassis numbers and all. Maybe Frank Monise, Jr.?

[Elanman]

Hi All, thanks for the responses. I'll try to contact Mr Monise and see if he can shed any light. The chassis number of my car is 23-S-93 by the way, I should have mentioned it in the first message . The factory records show the car was delivered to W.Molle in January 1964, and that it was originally painted Red. When built it had a 1100 engine of undisclosed manufacture (but probably a Ford pre X-flow) tuned by Hodge(?). Should any further stuff come to light or other possible sources come to mind please let me know. Anything 23 related is of interest to me at the end of the day. Are you all aware of the plans for a Team Lotus celebration at Hethel later this year, sounds like it should be pretty good. If not let me know and I'll get all the info from Clive and post it up here.
All the best, Nick

[Lotus23]

Nick, I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Let us know how your quest continues!

[Frank S]

Originally posted by WINO
Times Grand Prix at Riverside, October 1963:

Jim Clark dropped out in the Consolation race, driving his original entry, the Arciero Lotus 19. In the actual Times GP Clark raced a Lotus 23/Ford, race number 222. Billy Krause led the under 2-liter class for most of the race with Art Snyder's Elva Mk 7/Ford, until his steering went beserk. Then Clark passed Krause and they finished 5th and 6th, 1st and 2nd in under 2-liter.

But who owned Clark's car: Doc Molle, Frank Monise or somebody else? The entry does not show up in the official program.

WINO

I have this from a new member of the Yahoo! RIR group:
===============
FROM: bluesbrother30 atsign yahoo dotsign com
DATE: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 16:55:59 -0700 (PDT)
SUBJECT: Jim Clark in Lotus 23, 1963

Hello. Can anyone out there provide me with info on Jim
Clark's entry in the 1963 LA Times Grand Prix. He drove a
Lotus 23 in the race when another car was not ready in time.
Anyone have info on the 23? Owner, color, numbers,
details........Thanks in advance

Mike Summers
=====================

I wonder if Elanman-Nick turned up any new stuff. Anyone?

--
Frank S

[raceannouncer2003]

As for Bill Molle, I found this (first try, couldn't believe it!)

http://img212.images...molle3065tv.jpg

Nick, I will email you about a possible way of contacting Bill Molle's widow.

As for the '63 Riverside Times GP, Bob Challman owned Clark's Lotus 23, according to Martin Krejci's

http://wsrp.wz.cz/natus1963.html#144

The LA Times reported:

"Clark amassed such a wide lead in his division that he was able to make a 23-second pit stop and still win the prize. It was a case of making the stop--for refueling purposes--or running out of gas about two laps from the finish, accoding car owner Bob Challman of Manhattan Beach.
'We couldn't take a chance,' said Challman. 'The car arrived so late that we didn't have time to install bigger fuel tanks.'
Challman also disclosed that a plug cap came loose and Clark ran the final two laps on three cylinders....Clark attempted to qualify his orginal car, an Arciero Lotus 19, in the consolation race which was run Sunday morning. The Grand Prix circuit champion took the lead from Walt Hansgen on the second lap of the qualifying race and held it until he lost oil pressure on the eighth lap of the 10-lap race. He had to retire.
Luckily, Challman had provided the little Scot with the 'insurance' Lotus 23 and Clark won first place money in the small car field..."

Frank S should be able to tell us about Bob Challman.

Vince Howlett, Victoria, B.C., Canada

[raceannouncer2003]

Me again...found a few more things:

http://www.tamsoldra...MolleRiv65.html

http://www.tamsoldra...lowSprings.html

http://www.tamsoldra...endSpecial.html

http://www.tamsoldra...Modifieds3.html

http://www.racecar20...w-ad-11549.html

http://www.dsr.racer.../cars4sale.html

The last two include classified ads for ex-Molle Fairchild Panhard, which contain the email address for Don Racine, who knew Bill Molle. If you contact Racine, maybe find out if he sold the Fairchild?..sounds like a neat car...

Vince H.

[raceannouncer2003]

For the last one, try:

http://dsr.racer.net.../cars4sale.html

Vince H.

[Ann M. Adam]

For anyone in the area, there is a "monthly" gathering at THE PROUD BIRD, LAX area
11022 Aviation Blvd. at 1 p.m. The dates set are 18 July, 19 Sept., 21 Nov. There are noe other gatherings IF there are events scheduled by the Fabulous 50s "not a club". This monthly gathering was started & shepherded by Dr. Molle's widow.

Here is an E-mail I received about Jim Clark's drive at the Riverside GP & other comments.

I like the line "Frank should be able to tell us more about Bob Challman"......I could help on that one!!!!!! Yes, Bob did own the 23 that Jimmy ran as he supplied I believe most of the cars he ran here. Guess Bob's name must have been buried in the Lotus archives.

Subject: Fw: Molle

Now that I've found that the web site comes up where I want it - - - - I am sending it on to you. This is a fun read. Ann----- Original Message ----- From: ann m. adamTo: hans k. adam Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 12:09 AMSubject: Molle
http://forums.autosp...&threadid=68279 The whole site is a bit much but there is some interesting stuff under "nostalgia." Ann


joyce challman

[Jerry Entin]

Dr Molle was my dentist and a very nice guy. If you look at the thread asking about Jim Clark at Riverside in the the Lotus 23 you will see the picture of Dr Molle and a bunch of other Lotus 23's at Willow Springs in a club race. Jerry Fairchild was always Dr. Molle's mechanic and also a very nice guy. Dr. Molle is missed greatly by all his CalClub friends.

[raceannouncer2003]

So that would be Jerry Fairchild of the Fairchild Panhard?

I know I don't "chat" much when I'm at the dentist, so it must have been very difficult going for a visit to Dr Molle after an exciting race weekend...I can picture him talking about a great pass on you in turn two, and you not being able to say anything intelligible!

Vince H.

[Mike Summers]

I know this has kinda spilled over from my post about Jim Clark driving a Lotus 23 at Riverside in 1963. I have talked to nearly a dozen or so people over the last couple of weeks regarding Clarks Riverside 23. The bottom line, at the moment, is that no one knows exactly which 23 it was or where it went. Nearly all agree that Bob Challman was the entrant and probably the car owner. At least for that race. Numbers vary a bit, but it seems at least 5 or 6 23's came through Challmans hands. And 43 years ago, no one really cared who drove who's car and what serial number it was.

One name I am still tracking down is Rich Erickson, he worked with the Arcerio team. Anyone know where or how to contact him?

Thanks to all who have replied to my original post...................Jerry Entin! Very cool, thanks for replying...........very fast and very well known race driver.

If anyone can shed some more light on the subject, post away!!

Mike Summers

[Jerry Entin]

Mike I have a picture of Rich Erikson in his car behind me at LasVegas for the first race ever held there. The track was called Stardust Raceway.

 A story about Rich was I was at DelMar for a club race. I was in a car called Ol Yaller 2.I got excited at the start and hit it too hard and broke an axle. The car turned sideways and Rich plowed into me. It didn't even dent the steel wheel of Ol Yaller. It wrecked the whole front of Rich's car. He came up to me really mad. I said look it broke an axle when I was coming off the line. There was nothing I could do. I jacked the car up and showed him it was broke. He calmed down after that. He was a very nice guy.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 January 2015 - 14:26.

[Elanman]

Hi everyone, many thanks to all of you who have been able to shed light on names and places; I am starting to get a much better picture of my cars history as a result. Particular thanks go to Vince and Jerry Entin, I'll let you know how the leads you have provided turn out. Now I have rediscovered my password I can even contribute to some of the other threads I have seen lately! By the way, I will be helping Classic Team Lotus out at Silverstone this coming weekend, working as gopher on the 78. Be sure to pop by and say hello if you are around.
All the best, Nick