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Motor Racing at the BBC - BBC4 Mon 18th March


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#251 Rob29

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Posted 14 April 2013 - 18:10

I thought that too, Gregor. It was not a 'Racing Drivers' Widows' Club' was it?

Was a racing drivers wives club as far as I recall :wave: Last episode tomorrow promises to discuss the involvement of the tobacco industriy in the sport

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#252 BRG

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Posted 14 April 2013 - 20:12

Quartic.

As now fitted to most racing cars. Prescient lot they were at BL!

#253 ensign14

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Posted 14 April 2013 - 21:01

As now fitted to most racing cars. Prescient lot they were at BL!

Both fitted for the same reason. Drivers could not fit in the seat with a round wheel.

Only racing cars are designed to be that way.

#254 Macca

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 08:04

ISTR reading at the time that a round wheel couldn't be made big enough to see the instruments.

Not BBC, but Sky F1 has a new F1 Legends programme, 1 hour about Tony Brooks, on tomorrow at 6.00pm.


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#255 ensign14

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 08:21

ISTR reading at the time that a round wheel couldn't be made big enough to see the instruments.

That was the pretext. A quartic wheel made it easier to see the panel rather than be interrupted by a wheel rim...

#256 kayemod

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 08:27

That was the pretext. A quartic wheel made it easier to see the panel rather than be interrupted by a wheel rim...



Now of course, that problem has been overcome in most cases with reach and tilt adjustable wheels.

#257 Roger Clark

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 09:38

The Morris Marina is the most scrapped car in British history. In 2006 the survival rate was reckoned at 0.09%. I think that's vaguely topical as it epitomizes the miasma of the British car industry under nationalization.

Wasn't the Marina produced before nationalisation?

#258 RTH

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 09:43

That was the pretext. A quartic wheel made it easier to see the panel rather than be interrupted by a wheel rim...

The wheel only lasted 9 months on the Allegro from the May '73 launch (wow 40 years ago now) and a round wheel from the 1100/1300 was always a free refit.
Posted Image


The Rover SD1 also had one but being leather covered with a thicker rim it was less nasty.
Any form on non round wheel is less nice to drive with

Edited by RTH, 15 April 2013 - 09:50.


#259 kayemod

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 10:00

The Rover SD1 also had one but being leather covered with a thicker rim it was less nasty.
Any form on non round wheel is less nice to drive with


Most, possibly all SD1s would have had power steering, but with a non-assisted arrangement on the Allegro, that must have been quite unpleasant with the amount of wheel-twirling needed.

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#260 D-Type

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 10:15

The Marina: Conceived as a stopgap conventional (ie not FWD or Hydrolastic) Escort/Cortina/Viva/Cavalier competitor but carried on in production for far too long by management who had lost their way and had lost the initiative.
The Allegro: Supposedly an evolution of the 1100/1300/(Maxi) FWD cars. But it was inferior to the 1100/1330. Three things an ex-policeman told me about them
(1) The Police insisted on round steering wheels.
(2) He scared himself silly the first time he got an emergency call and accelerated round a corner. It simply didn't hold the road as well as the 1100 he was used to
(3) After 6 months of carrying two burly coppers around 24 hours a day, the front seats punched their way through the [too thin] floor.

Back on topic: I missed last night's programme - Is it worth chasing up the reruns? I was watching the Masters (another sport that doesn't like rain but copes with it).

#261 RTH

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 10:52

The final episode is on tonight Duncan 5/5 at 8.30pm BBC4TV

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rammes/b01rxpcr





#262 kayemod

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 11:12

To further D-Type's post above, it wasn't only Brileymoco or whatever they were calling themselves at the time who turned out crap cars in the 60s & 70s, an elderly friend of mine was a patrol car driver in the Oxfordshire Police in those days, he had a love/hate relationship with Ford Lotus Cortinas, mainly the Mk 2 version. As most on here will know, almost all of these were 2-door versions, but a small number of 4-door examples were made, mainly for the Police to use for patrol work, though I think that only one or two forces tried them. Friend told me that the bodies flexed so badly that during high speed pursuits, the rear doors would fly open without warning, which must have cramped their style a little. Two 4-door Mk 2s lived at Lotus in the early 70s, Colin Chapman had a red one with a big-valve engine, it was his favourite car, he came to work in it most days, and Finance chief Fred Bushell's was gold. I'm sure that ACBC's example was driven harder than any Oxfordshire patrol car, but as far as I know, he never suffered from the door problem, maybe that was down to the extra kit that the plods would have to carry. The things that we all seemed to accept back then!

#263 Spartan

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 18:44

Lads, I've been in touch with Mark Craig (director of both the Jim Clark and Graham Hill documentaries) and he says that the chances of getting either or both released on DVD are very slim indeed. The film rights would be an absolute nightmare to clear, especially, as he says, some of it was sourced from the States. Shame.


This is indeed a great shame. As I'm someone who doesn't understand the situation regarding film rights - is it that insurmountable?

How was the clearance achieved in the first place (or wasn't it?!!) when making the film?

It would be wonderful to see an official DVD release - failing that, there must be someone on this forum who can accommodate with an 'unofficial' DVD!!

These films are outstanding and certainly deserve a wider audience - it's a great pity that it appears unlikely.




#264 Gary C

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 18:49

The film inserts would have been acquired by MSP for tv transmission only (and maybe also, only for a certain amount of time, too). not sell-through (on DVD/blu-ray). THAT is another wholy different deal and HUGELY expensive !

#265 Phil Rainford

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 20:03

Well I enjoyed that...especially the Patrick Neve and Brian Henton sections

PAR

#266 jcdeleted

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 20:04

To me, the last one in the series was the best, especially the Hunt and Superhen footage, but hell, I have drink taken, and what the hell do I know anyway.

#267 Vitesse2

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 20:10

Was it my imagination or was that sMax Mosley doing a Hitler impression at Easton Neston?

#268 jcdeleted

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 20:11

Well I enjoyed that...especially the Patrick Neve and Brian Henton sections

PAR

And the Patrick Neve as well. Sorrymate! Ageing memory.

#269 ensign14

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Posted 15 April 2013 - 20:14

Would have liked to have seen more of the Henton footage in particular. Who knew such a thing existed?

Answers a query on another thread as well - Raymond Baxter intimating at a motor racing Triple Crown in what was presumably a round-up of 1972 action.

But damn, that Purley footage always brings a lump to the throat.

#270 john aston

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Posted 16 April 2013 - 06:35

One howler- they mentioned the British GP in 1974 (may have been another year- 76 or 78- Merlot was kicking in ) and captioned the shot Silverstone. Hmm..with Paddock instead of Copse and Clearways instead of Woodcote. But great footage .

#271 RTH

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Posted 16 April 2013 - 07:22

Good news there last night that the Brian Henton documentary from 1977/8 must have survived I remember seeing it at the time probably 50+ mins - in the end he discovered the chassis he bought had already been crashed and was actually still twisted - so no matter what they did it handled really badly . Much like to see that in its entirety either on BBC4 or as a DVD.
Likewise revisiting all the Hesketh footage would be welcome.

#272 mscheeres

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Posted 16 April 2013 - 08:13

Good news there last night that the Brian Henton documentary from 1977/8 must have survived I remember seeing it at the time probably 50+ mins - in the end he discovered the chassis he bought had already been crashed and was actually still twisted - so no matter what they did it handled really badly . Much like to see that in its entirety either on BBC4 or as a DVD.
Likewise revisiting all the Hesketh footage would be welcome.


Surely someone must've recorded it on VHS back then. I know people who started videotaping in 76 so the devices have been around.

#273 Gregor Marshall

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Posted 16 April 2013 - 09:25

I thought that too, Gregor. It was not a 'Racing Drivers' Widows' Club' was it?


Was a racing drivers wives club as far as I recall :wave: Last episode tomorrow promises to discuss the involvement of the tobacco industriy in the sport


The club was set up for the wives and girlfriends of racing drivers (some had both :lol: ), definitely the living though, as it was for the ladies to have somewhere to go when at race circuits supporting their racy men!!
Have recorded last nights episode, will catch up with it later.

#274 simonlewisbooks

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Posted 16 April 2013 - 11:27

he discovered the chassis he bought had already been crashed and was actually still twisted - so no matter what they did it handled really badly .


Shades of Lella Lombardi in 1975...

#275 JtP1

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Posted 16 April 2013 - 11:52

One howler- they mentioned the British GP in 1974 (may have been another year- 76 or 78- Merlot was kicking in ) and captioned the shot Silverstone. Hmm..with Paddock instead of Copse and Clearways instead of Woodcote. But great footage .


They said British GP at Silverstone 76 and then showed footage from Brands 76.

The bit I liked was Silverstone 75 with Hunt crashing into the car heap including Dave Morgan. wonder what the conversation was like that day :kiss: ?

Edited by JtP1, 16 April 2013 - 11:53.


#276 DN5

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Posted 16 April 2013 - 18:49

Good news there last night that the Brian Henton documentary from 1977/8 must have survived I remember seeing it at the time probably 50+ mins - in the end he discovered the chassis he bought had already been crashed and was actually still twisted - so no matter what they did it handled really badly . Much like to see that in its entirety either on BBC4 or as a DVD.
Likewise revisiting all the Hesketh footage would be welcome.


Or featured in a film show .....

Geoff

#277 ensign14

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Posted 16 April 2013 - 19:09

The bit I liked was Silverstone 75 with Hunt crashing into the car heap including Dave Morgan. wonder what the conversation was like that day :kiss: ?

I'd never seen that footage before - from side on it looked as if Morgan would have been decapitated...a much closer shave than I had ever thought.

#278 Collombin

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Posted 17 April 2013 - 15:09

I'd never seen that footage before - from side on it looked as if Morgan would have been decapitated...a much closer shave than I had ever thought.


And for the poor marshal whose legs were clearly visible under all the wreckage.


#279 reynard883

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Posted 18 April 2013 - 05:21

I saw that crash footage on ESPN classics a while ago and you could see that marshal trapped quite early on in the shunt. That was before another 2 or 3 cars piled on top of him. I wonder if he was ok?

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#280 dolomite

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Posted 21 April 2013 - 00:50

Doubt there are many Dolomites left.


:wave:

#281 Gary C

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Posted 02 May 2013 - 21:05

Sorry to bring this thread back to the top, but I have just viewed the first two programmes. What an absolutely missed opportunity. Within the first 15 minutes I had spotted shots of the Mercedes when talk was of Fangio winning his First WC in 1951. We then moved on to Rouen in '53 and I spotted one, maybe two, shots of the enclosed body Mercedes in that piece (with Cliff's 'Move It' in the background-1957). I also spotted what I think is Nurburgring footage in the section about Jim Clark and the 1962 finale in South Africa. Oh, and how do we spell Nurburg? Certainly not the way it was spelt in the THIS programme.
I've just thought.........if they had paid me £500, I would gladly have looked through their final edits and weeded out all the incorrect stuff.

#282 Gary C

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Posted 02 May 2013 - 21:22

Oh, and one other thing I noticed, there's a piece of an interview with Graham Hill where his voice sounds VERY strange indeed. It's definitely Graham's voice, but it sounds to me as if it has either been slowed down or lowered an octave. This is easily done in the editing process, but the sound absolutely matches the pictures, so the film can't be running slowly, now I think about it.
Very odd indeed.

#283 LittleChris

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Posted 02 May 2013 - 22:29

We then moved on to Rouen in '53 and I spotted one, maybe two, shots of the enclosed body Mercedes in that piece (with Cliff's 'Move It' in the background-1957).
I've just thought.........if they had paid me £500, I would gladly have looked through their final edits and weeded out all the incorrect stuff.


Pay me £250 & I'd point out to them that it was Reims in 1954 Gary :rotfl:

Edited by LittleChris, 02 May 2013 - 22:31.


#284 Gary C

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Posted 03 May 2013 - 05:25

Ah.

#285 dweller23

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Posted 17 May 2013 - 10:42

Does anyone know who was BBCs commentator at 1970 Monaco GP? He doesn't sound like Raymond Baxter. I doubt it's Barrie Gill either. The voice is somewhat similair to Murray Walker's voice, but it lacks the usual excitement, so I believe it's not him as well. I will be very thankful for help with this one.

#286 Gary C

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Posted 17 May 2013 - 15:43

I've just watched the Monaco 70 clips and it's certainly NOT Raymond Baxter, Barrie Gill or Murray Walker. Michael Frostick perhaps ?