No idea if anyone will take up the challenge of a Skoda register, but here's another entry: Tony Dickinson...


Meanwhile, here's a tribute to scruffy paddocks of yore. Experience has taught me all about the vastness of Bahrain, Shanghai et al, but they don't have a fraction of the atmosphere of bygone Oulton on a cold Saturday in March.

I wonder if any of the marshals gave the driver of that immaculate Renault 5 a ticket for parking on those double yellow lines....

Would it be called a Czech list? Meanwhile, here's another one...


Monaco has its yacht-dappled landscape, but it's no substitute for Aintree's natural magnificence. This is Richard Simms, snapped in July 1980.

Clearly the author of gems such as "Streets, cars, names, desire" for a Motor Sport report of the Angouleme street races has not lost his touch.

Please don't encourage him!!

Kind regards

Phil

Good idea Allen. Or how about all the late 70s/early 80s GT cars, and what they were based on, and where they may be now. Would need an old supply of MNs/AS' I fear, which I don't have!

Whilst I dearly loved the old Special Saloon machines, Skodas at the Mick Hill end of the species always seemed to be stretching the sillouette concept somewhat!

I recall someone commenting that saloon racing reached a watershed when beautifully engineered and prepared saloons-turned-into racers (such as Nick Whiting's Mk1 Escort or whatever) became outclassed by a breed of racecars-turned-into-saloons, such as the 'Chimp', the DFVW, Geoff Wood's ultra-low Escort BDG (remember that one? - the timing belts ere level with the base of the windscreen) or any of the monocoque or Sports 2000-based) machinery. I always thought of 'Baby Bertha' being somewhere between those two general types - is that a fair assessment?

I'm not so sure there is a definite dividing line between a modified saloon and a re-clothed racecar - but it's a point to ponder upon, perhaps.

A couple of machines I have queries about, though:
Ian Richardson's Corvair... was that monocoque-based rather than its original shell? I somehow imagined it being related to a McLaren M6, but I don't remember examining it close up. Or have I dreamed that? I do remember the first time I saw that car race and it lapped Gerry Marshall (pre-Bertha Firenza), which was quite a shock.

Also, the Alec Poole-driven McMahon-entered Skoda... was that reincarnated as someone else's machine?

Somewhere I have photos of most of the machines I've mentioned - I must make an effort to find and scan them.

At a Silverstone meeting, I forget which one (possibly the support races for the '76 1000kms, when Baby Bertha and Chimp had an epic dice?) Gerry Marshall and the aforementioned Mr McMahon (Derek??) were challenged to a running race along the pitlane. Both being gentlemen of larger frame, this attracted quite a crowd. Gerry proved to be admirably athletic and won fairly comfortably (well, perhaps not the best word for it) I think. I have a picture of that too - somewhere!

(Edited for apostrophe-violation)

You only have to see Saturday's Motoring section of The Daily Telegraph to see his profound influence. I buy it just for that!

Listen to Phil, you know he always makes sense!!!!!

Alec Poole's Derek MacMahon Skoda

Does the oil flag indicate that Roy Yates's Zodiac ambled through Fosters shortly beforehand?

I remember looking at the Corvair Tony, as I remember it was based on an original bodyshell

This was I think the car Ralph Nader refered to in his " Unsafe at any speed " paper.

..and another for the Czech list - John Turner's (ex-Arthur Collier?) Skoda

Leek's Peter Thomalla in his Skoda S110R/3900cc......





........looks to impress the occupants of the Lodge stand. Is that Mallory Dan is the pink sweater?

Kind regards

Phil

Richard - yes, Nader gives the Corvair quite a roasting. I have a copy of 'Unsafe at any speed' which I bought secondhand for a few quid (bearing the stamp of the Opel Works Library at Russelsheim). I haven't managed to read it.

The Alec Poole Skoda still looks fairly 'restrained' doesn't it? (Compared to some of the later ones.) Was it a bespoke spaceframe or a chassis re-purposed from another car? It had an FVC I think...

Is that Nick Whiting behind the Skoda?

Indeed, it was something of an 'F2' supersaloon when compared to the big V8 examples. And yes, sterling, it's West Kingsdown's own Nick Whiting following Alec.

That Turner/Collier Skoda looks fantastic! A frequent topic of discussion at TNF get-togethers is the variety and entertainment on show at a 70's UK club meeting.

There are plenty of FF1600/2000, F3, Atlantic and sports cars. I have a pipedream of having a series of Historic "Back to the Seventies" meetings. The HSCC does a great job with the aforementioned purpose-built racers - it's a real shame that most of the Special Saloon and Modsports cars no longer exist...

Give him the date, and he'll probably be able to produce a Mallory programme as an alibi!

Here's a passably tame Skoda (although it is certainly lighter and probably much faster than the Octavia 1.8t 20v 4x4 estate that presently serves as the Arron clan's main transport).


David Auger's 1.3-litre 130RS heads Richard Wallinger's 1.0 Imp at Donington in July 1980.


Crank up those bhp amplifiers... Tony Sugden and Welly Potter make the mistake of turning right at Lodge. Had they turned left through the gates, and then right, they would have been at the Red Lion in a matter of seconds.

Colin Bennett? Top bloke. When Rainford and I were hitching to Oulton Park in 1979, he stopped and offered us a lift even though we weren't asking for one at that particular moment. In-between such acts of kindness...


...he also ran Jim Price's Skoda, among other things. This is from Aintree (obviously), probably during the summer of 1980.

Meanwhile, moving away from Skodas completely...


This picture might be the only one of its kind. It's David Winstanley in a Royale RP27 and he appears to be pointing in more or less the correct direction.

Quiz time. Who remembers this bloke (and yes, Dan, that means you)?

Bass Rock Garage sounds like three music genres, but Renault doesn't. Would it be a member of the McMillan family, Tubber?

Nice shout!

Is it George Franchitti [Dario's Papa], or the other Scottish bloke whose name escapes me.

Was a tripod used Simon, or reverse panning?

If you still lurk here Mr Winstanley, I'd like to apologise for the above.
I'd like to, but ........

Ten points to the Supertramp fan in the forklift truck: it's George McMillan.

It was obviously the other one then. Can I have half a point for George. Also not sure what Papa Franchitti's first name was now.

Likewise George.

G MacMillan, as said, in the ex-Dickson/Bruno 772P-U1 I think.

Re Skodas, the very first was the one made for Chris Meek in early 74, Chas Beattie perhaps built it, can't recall exactly now. As described above, it was 'relatively' conventional, but I wonder which genius first had the idea of using thne Skoda shell, and hence making a rear-engined Spec Saloon. I'm told this make the car handle better than a front-engine, tho' this isn't my specialist subject...

This car later went to Alec Poole, who put a BDG in, or Derek MacMahon did, then on via Nick Whiting to Paul Everett, next to Tony Dickinson, then I'm not sure. The 2nd one was the 5-litre John Turner car, that came a few months later, sold to Arthur Collier for 1975-76.

In 1977 Jim Evans made one himself, probably based on a 2-litre Chevron G6. By late 78 there were other 2-litre cars, for Malcolm Johnstone and Jim Price, tho' one of these may well have been the original Meek car. Also that year Jimmy Robertson made a bigger 3.4 GA car, based on a March 74S. Into 79, Derek Walker's car came out, and I think a new one for Tony Dickinson, Tony Sugden gets one too, again this may have been a previous one. Also, Mick Hill got in on the act that year with his Phoenix/Skoda. By 1981 I was confused!!

Mallory Park Sunday 29th June 1986 and a round of the BRSCC Northern GT Championship is combined with Classes C and D of the Alfa Romeo Championship

The immaculate Skoda 130 Rapid Ford of Brian Fisher rounds the Mallory hairpin......



....although I have the programme I am struggling to identify the other car

However I defy anyone to talk me out of the fact that I have found Mallory Dan this time, he is the hat and red shawl ;)

Kind regards

Phil

The following car looks like a cross between a Gp5 BMW 320 and a Sunbeam Stiletto: I'd plump for the latter.

And, yes, you could be right about Dan's white hat. Everyone else appears to be a) standing up and b) dancing. If this is June 1986, I assume they are getting on down to Spirit In The Sky (the Doctor And The Medics version), Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel's tribute to David Ellis's Aston Martin) or Amityville (by Lovebug Starski).

In that case making an educated guess is it could well be Arthur Kellit?

Two more shots from the same meeting..........

Lancing's Chris Whelan in his Alfa Romeo Giulia S makes way for the Alfa Romeo Sprint of Nottingham's Nigel Cottee ( And looking at the stature of Mr Cottee probably a wise decision ;) )




While a round of the Bernard Hunter Cranehire Northern FF1600 Championship sees the rapid Van Diemen RF82
of Colin Verity holding off Richard Reynolds in his ReynardFF86 ( Suggest armed with a Lola T640 nosecone )



Kind regards

Phil Rainford

David Beams applies the Ari Vatanen touch at the wheel of his Renault 5TS...


...and comes to a halt almost directly in front of renowned Runcorn-supporting Formula Ford championship co-ordinator - and future TNF contributor - Ian Smith.

Does anyone have any Ingliston photos by any chance?

Can't help with Ingliston, I'm afraid, but there is a Scottish element to the following...


There appeared to be some sort of sideways competition going on at Lodge Corner in August 1980, during Oulton's annual saloon festival. Ian Baldock wasn't trying particularly hard, though.


You could always depend on Gerry, of course, although the Hungarian judge only gave him a 5.9 for style...


...and Hamish Irvine quite clearly merited a 6.0.


He scored highly for consistency, too. I think that's Norris Miles in pursuit.

Out of curiosity, is that the same Hamish Irvine who drove a Peugeot 405 in the BTCC around 1996-97?

Quite by chance some pictures have been posted on the Ingliston thread this evening

Kind regards

Phil

The same, I believe. He raced assorted things in the BTCC during the 1980s - including a Triumph Dolomite Sprint and a Mazda RX-7 - and he reappeared with a BMW 318 in 1994 and the 405 in '95. Very nice bloke.

Thought I would drop a line in to say how much I love this thread I have some photos but have no idea how to put them here oh and I don't have a scanner.

Thanks again Simon , Phil etc I think lots of peaple are getting lots of pleasure from this thread.

Much fuss has been made about Lewis Hamilton's cameo during the British Grand Prix. Here are a few of last weekend's unfêted stars...


Rupert Clevely's 1963 Mustang: not quite as long as the Ferrari prat perch...


David Thomas's '64 Falcon Sprint.


Tim Bishop's DKW 3=6 and Bob Bullen's Anglia.


Last but not least, Arthur Smith-Fitchett's 1960 Rapier. This lot really ought to have been racing on Sunday morning, rather than at teatime when hardly anybody was paying attention...

Ex-Rodriguez brothers, of course, but no need to tell MN's GP correspondent that. Nice to see that you absented yourself from the post-GP press conference, Simon, to watch from the press box window.

Only partially true.

Silverstone is one of relatively few F1 circuits where press conferences take place within the main media room. That said, I did miss a bit of the post-race conference because I was busy asking Mr Coulthard about the nine corners he managed during his British GP swansong.

Oh, and I snapped the ex-Rodriguez Rapier et al prior to qualifying on Saturday evening. Don't suppose Pedro ever averaged 150-odd mph around Spa in this, did he?

August 17 1980. The best-selling singles in the UK include 9 to 5 (Sheena Easton), Oops Upside Your Head (Gap Band), Tom Hark (Piranhas) and Lip Up Fatty (Bad Manners). Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of Leicestershire, at a spot Lord Byron once favoured for the composition of poetry...


At first glance, it looks no more than a standard FF1600 mishap. Wilheim von Tiejen is about to abandon his Pine City Racing Van Diemen RF78 while Mike Parkes (RP24) contemplates the elegance of the Shaws Hairpin tyre wall. To the far left, though, John Pratt is standing with hands on hips. And if you look behind the tree, you might just notice his Pine City RF78...


...I have absolutely no recollection of how it got there.


Even more bizarrely, meanwhile, here's David Winstanley - and there are two cars behind him. Julian Morley is right on his tail, but I'm not sure who is in Delta #68. To be fair to David W (a first, in all likelihood), he qualified 11th of 18 but failed to convert that into a top 10 finish. Richard Trott won, predictably.

David is also checking his mirrors......must have been strange for once not too see the leaders bearing down to lap him once again ;)

Kind regards

Phil

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Simon Arron

At first glance, it looks no more than a standard FF1600 mishap. Wilheim von Tiejen is about to abandon his Pine City Racing Van Diemen RF78 while Mike Parkes (RP24) contemplates the elegance of the Shaws Hairpin tyre wall. To the far left, though, John Pratt is standing with hands on hips. And if you look behind the tree, you might just notice his Pine City RF78...


...I have absolutely no recollection of how it got there.


I was one of the observers that day at the hairpin, i was watching the exit and when i saw marshalls moving round the front of the post i wondered why, all i had heard was a dull thump.
Never realised till i took a peak that the car was there it was a shock i can tell you . he must have mounted the kerbstone somehow and just launched into the wall. Luckily it was a slow speed impact.

Pete

Sports 2000 in the mid 80's. The cars became very streamlined and wheel banging became a thing of the past.
The No 13 Royale is Mike Taylor. I'm not sure who the others are but some seem well sponsored.

Number One and Two are the Shrikes of Graham Harry and Ian Flux.....struggling with Number37?

Kind regards

Phil

Fortunately John Pratt was not entered in these selection of races, however it must be said I always felt somewhat exposed perched on the end of the Mallory hairpin

Richard Gilmour illustrates the perfect line around the hairpin in his Mallock 18/20B during a 750MC Formula 1300 Challenge race.....




....while Mick Richards was able to negotiate a reduction in his Entry Fee after he had cut the grass on the outside of the hairpin in his TR4.



Nick Boneham makes eye contact in his TR4A ........



......while I would appreciate some help with this one?



Kind regards

Phil

According to the DVLA website, it's a blue Morris Minor Traveller, 1098cc, first registered on November 6 1968 but unlicensed since 1994.

Does that help?