63 replies to this topic

[frangible]

I have some photos I took in the 60s and 70s.

Rindt and Chapman at Brands Hatch



Graham Hill and Colin Chapman at Brands Hatch

Edited by frangible, 22 February 2011 - 14:58.

[john winfield]

Frangible - great stuff! Superb photo of Rindt and the Lotus - it really highlights the amazing height of that year's rear wings. I guess that would be the 1969 Race of Champions? ie pre-Montjuich and the accidents. Not sure though.
John

[frangible]

Yes, the 1969 Race of Champions? One could get up close in them days!

[frangible]

Brands Hatch 1973

Frank Williams...



Jody Scheckter...



Denny Hulme's Yardley McLaren...

Edited by frangible, 22 February 2011 - 15:00.

[sterling49]

Great photos! Just love Sir Frank's loons............

[frangible]

Elan and 7, Druids



Modsports 1975 - Richard Jenvey, John Evans, Ian Clark in Elans & Robin Gray in the Morgan



Ian Clark's Modsports Elan



Mike Chittenden, Ginetta G4

Edited by frangible, 22 February 2011 - 15:01.

[David Beard]

Frangible....should I post a photo of my old Griffin helmet? (it still has the bolts....)

Smashing snaps BTW

[john winfield]

Frangible, more good shots! In the photo of Frank Williams and the Iso in 1973...is that Tony Trimmer chatting on the right?
John

[swintex]

I'm sure I remember seeing that wing on Rindt's 49 collapse on the Top Straight on Saturday, I also remember it was foggy too.

My first motor racing memory.

Richard

[Pedro 917]

On Rindt's car, aren't the front wheels mounted on the rear?

[Martin Roessler]

that ginetta is sooo low....nice rims too!
would have been fun to see the modsports race....
cheers marty

[Alan Cox]

Originally posted by Pedro 917
On Rindt's car, aren't the front wheels mounted on the rear?

Teams used to use them as 'slave' wheels so that the car will fit into the transporter, Pedro

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Martin Roessler
that ginetta is sooo low....nice rims too!
would have been fun to see the modsports race....
cheers marty

It was! Great memories of proper motor racing, back in the day!

[Paul Parker]

You beat me to it Alan!

[Simon Arron]

Originally posted by frangible
Elan and 7, Druids

That's Jon Fletcher's Elan to the left, I think the Caterham driver is Dave Bettinson and the car at the back, just coming into the top of the frame, looks like Pat Longhurst's Davrian...

[MCS]

That's Jon Fletcher's Elan to the left, I think the Caterham driver is Dave Bettinson and the car at the back, just coming into the top of the frame, looks like Pat Longhurst's Davrian...

Longhurst - or Bob Jarvis, maybe...?? Whoops. Edit: I meant the black car down in the dip.

Whatever, great picture. Look at Fletcher!!

[Simon Arron]

Can't quite tell what the pale blue car betwixt the Davrians might be. Is it a Spridget or - possibly, given the colour - Ron Harper's Triumph Spitfire?

[Mallory Dan]

Ron didn't get that far south did he Simon? I'd go for the a Spridget, Gary Wilson perhaps?

[frangible]

Yes, those names ring a few bells.

A fraction of a second after my shot, the John Fletcher Elan fishtailed camera right and a great gout of flame came out of the side exhaust. Before motor-drive and multi shot so I missed it! Damn!

I think the middle car behind is a Spridget with an Ashley or Lenham body. I may have some programs somewhere...

I remember the "Caterham in Modsports" debate almost coming to blows outside the Kentagon one Sunday. Dave Bettinson and his crew were quite big chaps - or seemed so at the time...

I will scan some more slides as and when...

[garyfrogeye]

It does look a bit Lenham like.

[frangible]

A few more dodgy old slides...

Moby Dick @ Silverstone (Early 80s?)


Graham Craker at Lydden 1970


Minis at Lydden 1970


Jackie Stewart's Jag '69 ROC


Matra? '69 ROC


Roy Pike!


Stewart Graham, Brands Hatch

[Bjorn Kjer]

Nice pictures , very good to see . Can you help me with the Roy Pike one please : In the background is a Les Leston car . Whats is he dealing in and what is the "hidden" text ??

[frangible]

Can't help on the hidden strapline but Les Leston was in the motor accessories 'racket' and I do recall him selling woodrim wheels and driving gloves...

http://www.500race.org/Men/Leston.html

[Bjorn Kjer]

Thanks for the info anyway , and the link too !

[Sharman]

Bjorn
Les Leston was probably the Demon Tweeks of the 50s. There was really no where else to buy kit from, my first helmet came from him in about 1954. He was located in High Holborne in the City of London (EC1)
John

[garyfrogeye]

Anything "Les Leston" goes for quite a bit these days. Actually any 50's and 60's aftermarket tuning parts fetch some quite amazing prices, especially Speedwell, Alexander Derrington etc.
Except A Series eight port heads. So if anyone has one. I'll do you a favour and dispose of it for you

[Bruno]

n° 7 Matra/Ford Jackie Steewart at Kyalami GP Afrique du Sud 1969

[frangible]

And a few more - tell me if you're getting bored...

Tom Sneva INDY Circuit, Brands Hatch (69?)




Works Minis


XOO 349F


Willment Escort


Unknown Escort


Griff Griffith's Morgan


Lotus 49 ROC '69


McLaren ROC '69


SMO 745


SMO 745 Paddock Bend


John Britten's SS1800


John Britten's SS1800 Dash!


Mini at Valence School Hillclimb

[frangible]

Originally posted by Bruno
n° 7 Matra/Ford Jackie Stewart at Kyalami GP Afrique du Sud 1969

I'll go with the 7 Matra/Ford Jackie Stewart but I've never been to South Africa...

[Bruno]

Kyalami 1969 but Wings:
http://it.f1-facts.c...i/corsa/1969/79
Nurburgring 1969

or, Spa-Francorchamps but 1968

[sterling49]

Great photos, I would have been at most of these meetings, particularly like the one of (Rob Walkers-Siffert?)Lotus 49. SMO745, am I getting mixed up, or was that the car raced for so long by the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire? Or Stewart Hands/John Chatham? My memory these days..... : The Valence Hill Climb was a local event for me too, great memories of some wonderful cars there, who is in the Mini?

[frangible]

C.C. John Gott's Healey was SMO 746. I saw it often enough but don't seem to have any shots of it. John Chatham's was DD 300. Sorry I don't know the driver of the Mini. Valence was great - remember James Augustus Tiller and his 6.3 Cadillac (or Chev) engined Allard?

Bruno - it must have been the '69 ROC at Brands Hatch...

[sterling49]

Of course, SMO 746, all ex-works Healeys, sadly I was present that day at Lydden, what a sad departure for a glorious enthusiast and a well travelled car

The Allard I think went on to ownership by Sidney Pile, of Piles of Dartford, he was also the President of our motor club for mant years.

[Eckblad]

"John Britten's SS1800"

Is he the same John Britten known mostly for his record-setting motorcycles.?
Thanks for pictures frangible.
Eckblad

[frangible]

Originally posted by Eckblad
"John Britten's SS1800"

Is he the same John Britten known mostly for his record-setting motorcycles.?
Thanks for pictures frangible.
Eckblad

No Eckblad, an entirely different John Britten.

This one owned John Britten Garages near Barnet, Herts, UK and also I think manufactured the Arkley SS.

http://www.arkleyss.com/

He is now I believe, a director of MotorSport Vision along with Jonathan Palmer. I believe they run Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Oulton Park and Snetterton plus the Bedford Autodrome.

You did notice the £ at 10,000 rpm on the rev counter?

[glyn parham]

Brilliant photos frangible, I'm just hoping that you don't print one with me in it! A long haired teenager with glasses and flared trousers who was at Brands more weekends than I care to remember and just loving these superb photos.

Just checked my race programme for the 69 Race of Champions and I think the blue and silver Escort is probably Barry Pearson in the Melton Racing entry.

Glyn

[Stephan1]

Originally posted by glyn parham

Just checked my race programme for the 69 Race of Champions and I think the blue and silver Escort is probably Barry Pearson in the Melton Racing entry.

Glyn

Great pictures!

The blue and silver Escort might be one of two Escorts which were borrowed/rented from Alan Mann Racing by the just born Ford Cologne Racing Department for the 1968 ADAC International 500km Race at the Nürburgring (September 1st, 1968). From my understanding the Escorts were repainted blue/silver from their original red/gold colours. One was driven by Hubert Hahne, the other one by Manfred Mohr. The cars were entered in the prototype class. Probably still being prepared to the BSCC Group 5 regulations with FVA engines. Both cars retired during the race.

I was ever wondering what happend to them after the race. If they were ever returned to England? Repainted red and gold again? Now we know, one was raced later on in England, still blue and silver. Great info!

Kind regards,
Stephan
------------
Germany

[jadb1]

Frangible Great pictures

[D-Type]

Originally posted by frangible
A few more dodgy old slides...

~
Jackie Stewart's Jag '69 ROC


~

Surely the BUY 1 registration belonged to John Coombes not to JYS or any company he worked for/

[frangible]

Yes BUY 1 was definitely John Coombes plate - saw it on a Mk2 at Goodwood three (wow was that really three) weeks ago. Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest JYS owned it but he was driving it that day unless my memory is worse than I thought! But that's what I wrote on the slide case at the time anyway...

[D-Type]

So, we have JYS driving a car owned by John Coombes. Was he driving a Coombes-entered car that day? Or maybe he had simply borrowed a set of wheels.

[frangible]

Originally posted by glyn parham
Brilliant photos frangible, I'm just hoping that you don't print one with me in it! A long haired teenager with glasses and flared trousers who was at Brands more weekends than I care to remember and just loving these superb photos.

Just checked my race programme for the 69 Race of Champions and I think the blue and silver Escort is probably Barry Pearson in the Melton Racing entry.

Glyn

Well you never know Glyn, long hair and flares you say... Here I am organizing my driver's fan club, in appropriate garb, 1975...



Another shot of the Escort...


Elan and Team Lotus Transporter - Freddie Something (Dutch?) Late 70s?


Unknown Sprite (Medway Motors rings a bell)


Mean looking E-Type


OK, how's this for random - me in a Minardi, Silverstone, mid 80s... Bloody terrifying just to sit in; let alone drive...

[Paul Parker]

Please forgive my pedantry but it is John Coombs, without an e.

[D-Type]

I typed it without the E and it didn't look right.

Serves me right for going on the forum at work with no references available when I should be reviewing a v*e*r*y boring report.

[Paul Parker]

Also the mean looking E type is I think the car raced by strawberry farmer (that was how he was described at the time) Rob Schroeder.

After one particular race in early 1968 at Brands Hatch where he smashed the modsports lap record (55.8 secs if I recall correctly) he received a Motoring News headline stating 'The next Jackie Stewart?'

This perhaps rather overstated comment resulted in the journo getting a bollocking, from memory.

As for the E type Schroeder overturned it at a later Brands race during practice on the full GP circuit (again from memory but I was there but doubtless somebody better informed will know).

Wonderful photos, thank you for rekindling all sorts of happy memories.

[frangible]

Originally posted by D-Type
So, we have JYS driving a car owned by John Coombes. Was he driving a Coombes-entered car that day? Or maybe he had simply borrowed a set of wheels.

Coombs, yes without the extra e. I thought it looked a bit long and where does one put the apostrophe? Is it Coombses like James Hunt used to say Williamses?

If I am correct and my slides haven't been shuffling about in the box on their own, it was the ROC, 1969, at Brands Hatch and JYS was driving the winning Matra (for Ken Tyrrell presumably). Was there a link between John Coombs and Ken Tyrrell? Maybe JC just thought there would be more kudos if JYS drove BUY 1 into the paddock?

[frangible]

Originally posted by Paul Parker
Also the mean looking E type is I think the car raced by strawberry farmer (that was how he was described at the time) Rob Schroeder.

After one particular race in early 1968 at Brands Hatch where he smashed the modsports lap record (55.8 secs if I recall correctly) he received a Motoring News headline stating 'The next Jackie Stewart?'

This perhaps rather overstated comment resulted in the journo getting a bollocking, from memory.

As for the E type Schroeder overturned it at a later Brands race during practice on the full GP circuit (again from memory but I was there but doubtless somebody better informed will know).

Wonderful photos, thank you for rekindling all sorts of happy memories.

Yes, Rob Schroeder, that rings a bell now that you mention it - and the strawberry and cream livery would seem to fit.

55.8 is interesting. At one race in 1975, Mike Chittenden drove 'our' (Ian Clark's) Elan and clocked 52.2. Presumably that was after they re-profiled Paddock Bend, anyone?

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by frangible
where does one put the apostrophe? Is it Coombses like James Hunt used to say Williamses?

Pedantry alert
If James Hunt was referring to more than one Williams then Williamses would have been correct
But if he was referring to the one of Frank's drivers, then it would be written Williams's (but would of course sound the same if we talking about a race commentary)
So, Coombs's Jaguars, but Mr and Mrs Coombs would be the Coombses ;)

[frangible]

Originally posted by David McKinney

Pedantry alert
If James Hunt was referring to more than one Williams then Williamses would have been correct
But if he was referring to the one of Frank's drivers, then it would be written Williams's (but would of course sound the same if we talking about a race commentary)
So, Coombs's Jaguars, but Mr and Mrs Coombs would be the Coombses ;)

Excellent! Nothing like a drop of pedantry to round off another afternoon of non-achievement. Good work sir...

[Tweddell]

really interesting pictures from the alan mann escort still in cologne colours in 1969 an not repainted to their original red-gold.
two were competed in september 1968 at nurburgring 500km race , one by hubert hahne, one by gerhard mitter.
obviously they stayed in this cologne colours, would be interesting what happened later to them.
unfortunately it is not visible, which one is pictured here, as one was defintifly the gardner XOO 349 F car .