29 replies to this topic

[Macca]

Hello all

This is one that confused me before on a few threads.

As I understand it, Jack Pearce was a driver, and no mean one, he came fourth in the 1964 Monaco F3 race and was around club racing for quite a while - anyone know why he didn't progress further and what became of him?

J A Pearce apparently was originally a "demon welder at Cooper" ('Skullduggery' column by DCN in C & S) who went off on his own and had a garage in Western Road, Southall, from which he sold 'Magna' alloy wheels for all sorts of cars and dealt in second-hand racing-cars, engines and bodywork, and than ran a F1 Cooper-Ferrari 3-litre and built three Martin V8-powered F1s which were all destroyed, one in a testing crash by Chris Lawrence and the other two with the Cooper at Silverstone in May 1967. He was still in business for a few years after that; but then what happened to him, and did the business continue? And are Magna wheels still available?

Any information, personal memories, etc. would be welcome.

Paul

[Jimmy Piget]

Didn't J A Pearce also excelled in trials ?

[Macca]

Yes, I'd forgotten to mention that.

David Beard has given me some background about Martin engines, and Allan Brown met J A Pearce a few years ago and will one day (hopefully) write it up on his site, and he also put me onto a couple of things, but it's the earlier and later history that I'd like to fill in.

Paul

[Allen Brown]

Jack Pearce was the trials guy - the Kincraft builder - not JA Pearce.

JA Pearce ('call him John', his partner told me) retired to farming and died some years ago.

Allen

[David McKinney]

But wasn't the bloke who raced FJ and small libre Lotuses etc J A 'Jack' Pearce?
Was he the trials bloke or the Kincraft bloke or someone else again?

[Allen Brown]

David

Yes, I think JA "call him John" Pearce was called Jack in period but may have preferred John in later life. Most Johns were probably called Jack in the 1960s.

So I'm still not sure I know which Jack Pearce raced small libre Lotuses. I would have thought it was Jack "Kincraft" Pearce who, IIRC, moved from a Lotus 22 to his self-built Kincraft-Cobra before moving to trials and building a series of highly successful Kincraft trials devices. Didn't he give up circuit racing after somebody died in an accident with him? Phoenix Park? My memory isn't what it was!

Allen

[Macca]

DCN wrote in a thread about Robin Darlington (who was to have driven for John A Pearce) a while ago:-

"...Pearce - whose early life gave rise to enormous speculation at the time..."

...which was quite tantalising.

Anybody know any more?


And then Jack Pearce at Monaco - anybody ever meet or remember him?

And were Pearce Magna alloy wheels any good, and does anyone have any?


Paul

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Macca

And were Pearce Magna alloy wheels any good, and does anyone have any?

Paul

I've no idea whether they were any good, but they looked good.

Owen Greenwood had them on the front of his very controversial Mini based 4 wheeled 3 wheeler, which exploited a huge loophole in the sidecar racing regs in the late 60s. The bikers booed him all the way from the back of the grid to first past the flag....but never mind that.

I used to go to J. A. Pearce for stuff for my 60s hooligan Mini...a twelve inch steering wheel with up-to-the-minute fat 12" rim and black spokes...and 4 1/2 J reverse rims which were the cheapest in the country...I had done my homework and shopped around. One of the places I looked into was the Aylesbury Tappet, a very swish accessory shop run by Gordon Spice and Hugo Tippet(sp?) (a Clubman’s driver of the period, I think) When I told the person behind the counter (I wouldn't have known who it was) how much cheaper they were at J. A Pearce, he said something to the effect that if I wanted to buy things from him, that was up to me. I wasn't sure what he was suggesting.....

[Coogar]

Regarding Jack 'Kincraft' Pearce, he retired following an accident involving Adam Wylie in (I think) practice for the Leinster Trophy at Dunboyne in, I think, about 1964 or 65. From (fading) memory Wylie was driving a Lotus 27 or possibly a 32 with SCA power and the two cars touched on the narrow section leaving Dunboyne village, although I have no precise details. Dunboyne was an uncompromising road circuit last used for cars in 1967 or 68, and claimed several other lives in its later years.

[Macca]

Another query is about a driver named Earl Jones who was listed to drive a Pearce-Martin in the 1967 Int. Trophy prgramme.

He was apparently an American sports car driver - he was entered in a Genie at the 1966 Players 200 at Mosport according to a previous thread - but I have no other information. Presumably he was a pay-driver, but does anyone know any more - had he ever driven a single-seater, let alone an F1, and was he an amateur?

And did he actually arrive at Silverstone to drive the Pearce before the transporter fire, only to fly home disappointed?


Paul

[Macca]

Oh, hang on, I've just found another thread that says he won the Formula B Championship at the 1965 American Road Race of Champions shoot-out for SCCA champions in a Le Grand Mk 3 - so that answers one question.

But what was the opposition like? Were there any well-known or up-and-coming names in that event?




Paul

[Macca]

I've checked the books a bit more and found that Earl Jones drove a McLaren M1B in at least a couple of races of the 1966 Can-Am series, finishing 4th at Mosport (after a lot of retirements) and 11th at Riverside - so obviously no mug he.

Anyone know who the entrant was?


Paul

[Macca]

Just had a thought: anyone got an e-mail address for Chris Lawrence, still involved at Morgan?

Since he is the only bloke who, I believe, ever actually drove a Pearce, he has to be the bloke to ask!

That makes me think on............Pearce hadn't done any racing-cars before their F1, and I presume they didn't do any after the Fire.

Quiz: name all the one-off F1 cars (or three-offs for Pearce) of manufacturers who never built another car before or after (excluding name-changes such as the 1973 Iso-Marlboro ex-Politoys.............oh, OK, actually they did two before being renamed Williams).

OK Barry, we'll start with the Connew!



Paul

[Ray Bell]

From Macca...

[Macca]

Thanks for posting that for me Ray.

This a picture some of you may have seen (from 'The Grand Prix Gift Book' of 1967) of the Pearce-entered Cooper-Ferrari in the paddock at Brands for the 1966 British Grand Prix.

It's the only colour one I have ever seen, but at least it shows the particular shade of green of the car.

Now, can anybody identify the two bods at the back of the car? Also, there was a photo in Autocar a couple of years ago, in an article about one-off British GP drives, of the car in the pits - there was a bloke crouching beside the car talking to Chris Lawrence; would that have been J A Pearce?


Paul

[Macca]

I gather Chris Lawrence has been involved with the Morgan Aero 8 works racing team over the last couple of years; does anyone know if this is still the case and whether it might be any good to try to contact him via Morgan?


PWM

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Macca
I gather Chris Lawrence has been involved with the Morgan Aero 8 works racing team over the last couple of years; does anyone know if this is still the case and whether it might be any good to try to contact him via Morgan?


PWM

When I visited Morgan about 18 months / 2 years ago I got the impression he was working for them then on suspension design, and so would be contactable there.

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

RE JACK PEARCE AND ADAM WYLIE , I WAS TALKING WITH KEN FILDES OF IRISH ATLANTIC AND INDEED EURO F2 FAME , HE WAS A SPECTATOR AT DUNBOYNE IN 65 WHEN THE FATAL ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE . HE WATCHED JA CLOSING ON WYLIE DRIVING A BRABHAM AS THEY LEFT THE VILLAGE HEADING FOR THE RAILWAY BRIDGE. HE BELIEVES THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT TO BE DRIVE ON THE LEFT PASS ON THE RIGHT , WYLIE MOVED ACROSS IN TO THE PATH OF PEARCE , I CAN STILL REMEMBER WYLIES WIN IN THE 63 PHOENIX PARK . THE PASSING AND REPASSING WAS AMAZING ESPECIALLY FOR A CAR MAD 11 YEAR OLD
EDWARD FITZGERALD

[Peter Morley]

Originally posted by Macca
DCN wrote in a thread about Robin Darlington (who was to have driven for John A Pearce) a while ago:-

"...Pearce - whose early life gave rise to enormous speculation at the time..."

...which was quite tantalising.

Anybody know any more?


And then Jack Pearce at Monaco - anybody ever meet or remember him?

And were Pearce Magna alloy wheels any good, and does anyone have any?


Paul

The Shannon has J.A.Pearce alloy wheels:



I've just been told they are similar to LeGrand wheels, but having no idea what a LeGrand is I can't verify this.

[Macca]

Hmmm, interesting. I know Pearce did Mk 1 and Mk 2 Magna wheels which were illustrated in their full-page ads in Autosport, but without my old mags to hand I don't know which yours are.

I presume you have the 1967 'Grand Prix Gift Book' pictures of the Shannon which show what wheels it originally had. I'll have a look at mine tonight.

Thanks for posting that picture. Did you get any Godiva engines with the Shannon, by the way, or did they all end up with the Kieft? I can't quite make out what is fitted in your photo.

BTW, any of our cousins-across-the-pond know anything about Earl Jones, sometime Can-Am racer and prospective Pearce-Martin pilot?


Paul

[Peter Morley]

Originally posted by Macca
Hmmm, interesting. I know Pearce did Mk 1 and Mk 2 Magna wheels which were illustrated in their full-page ads in Autosport, but without my old mags to hand I don't know which yours are.

I presume you have the 1967 'Grand Prix Gift Book' pictures of the Shannon which show what wheels it originally had. I'll have a look at mine tonight.

Thanks for posting that picture. Did you get any Godiva engines with the Shannon, by the way, or did they all end up with the Kieft? I can't quite make out what is fitted in your photo.

BTW, any of our cousins-across-the-pond know anything about Earl Jones, sometime Can-Am racer and prospective Pearce-Martin pilot?


Paul

The Grand Prix gift books shows the car at the British GP test day, when it had Brabham wheels at the front, by the time of the GP Pearce had made the right size wheels and it had a matching set.

I would love to know who took the pictures in the Grand Prix Gift book, it would be great to have some full size copies of the colour photos.

Yes the Shannon came with a Godiva engine (that is what you can see part of in the photo) - the Shannon's previous owner bought one from the guy (Chapman?) who had the Kieft and all the engines (including the show one from a Coventry pub!).
It is missing some minor parts, but they are the same as FPF (and the guy who now has the Kieft still has all the other Godiva parts) - all the important bits are there.

Here's a pretty poor picture of the engine:

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

I have found a photo of ja unloading the kincraft at dunboyne , the shot fom the rear shows an esso tiger in my tank sticker on the bodywork above the gearbox , i have also looked at film of the car at dunboyne and it looks the business .

[terry mcgrath]

We have 2 Pearce's
Jack Pearce was a driver, and no mean one, he came fourth in the 1964 Monaco F3 race and was around club racing for quite a while - anyone know why he didn't progress further and what became of him?
J A Pearce apparently was originally a "demon welder at Cooper" ('Skullduggery' column by DCN in C & S) who went off on his own and had a garage in Western Road, Southall, from which he sold 'Magna' alloy wheels
I am keen to find out more about the later when he first started his own business etc details of any adds he may have placed in magazines etc. I have beeb through every page of Autosport 1963 but this may turn out to be a little early.
Also details of when the business closed.
In the late 1970's there was a business called Hyblock run by a john Pearce and it has been suggested it was the same Pearce of Magna wheel fame?
Can anyone add anything
terry

[ianselva]

We have 2 Pearce's
Jack Pearce was a driver, and no mean one, he came fourth in the 1964 Monaco F3 race and was around club racing for quite a while - anyone know why he didn't progress further and what became of him?
J A Pearce apparently was originally a "demon welder at Cooper" ('Skullduggery' column by DCN in C & S) who went off on his own and had a garage in Western Road, Southall, from which he sold 'Magna' alloy wheels
I am keen to find out more about the later when he first started his own business etc details of any adds he may have placed in magazines etc. I have beeb through every page of Autosport 1963 but this may turn out to be a little early.
Also details of when the business closed.
In the late 1970's there was a business called Hyblock run by a john Pearce and it has been suggested it was the same Pearce of Magna wheel fame?
Can anyone add anything
terry

I thought the Magna wheels company was associated with Warren Pearce who used to race E types mainly at Brands.

Edited by ianselva, 04 January 2011 - 09:59.

[Ted Walker]

Those are not pearce wheels but Le Grand wheels

[jatwarks]

...and had a garage in Western Road, Southall, from which he sold 'Magna' alloy wheels

Yep, I remember that; Western Road, close to the junction with King Street, with St. John's church on the corner.

That was the late 60's. That's also where kids would take their 'hooligan Minis' to have some fluid taken out of the suspension, to lower them; then take them back again to have them 'pumped up' again to stop them grounding!

Other Mini mods (not by JAP) would include reversing the steel wheels, to widen the track, and fitting tank aerials to the middle of the roof, which almost decapitated pedestrians at corners!

[retriever]

Yep, I remember that; Western Road, close to the junction with King Street, with St. John's church on the corner.

That was the late 60's. That's also where kids would take their 'hooligan Minis' to have some fluid taken out of the suspension, to lower them; then take them back again to have them 'pumped up' again to stop them grounding!

Other Mini mods (not by JAP) would include reversing the steel wheels, to widen the track, and fitting tank aerials to the middle of the roof, which almost decapitated pedestrians at corners!

I was one of those kids! Although living in Somerset I often visited nearby Uxbridge with my father to see my Gran. I remember seeing their advert in either Motoring News or Autosport.

I went there the in the late 1960s to buy and have fitted wider steel wheels fitted to my Mini only. At that time those awful 'spacers' were all the vogue but mine were the real thing - or so the kid in me thought!

They did not last long though, I used to park in a lay-by down the road and one morning found the poor mini sitting on its rear subframe - wheels and tyres gone, plus my spotlights. If I remember rightly the charge by Pearce for fitting the wheels was really excessive.

And yes, my Mini was one of those hydrolastic versions although I did not indulge in the modification detailed above.

[terry mcgrath]

We have 2 or maybe 3 Pearce's
Jack Pearce was a driver, and no mean one, he came fourth in the 1964 Monaco F3 race and was around club racing for quite a while - anyone know why he didn't progress further and what became of him?
J A Pearce apparently was originally a "demon welder at Cooper" ('Skullduggery' column by DCN in C & S) who went off on his own and had a garage in Western Road, Southall, from which he sold 'Magna' alloy wheels
I am keen to find out more about the later when he first started his own business etc details of any adds he may have placed in magazines etc. I have beeb through every page of Autosport 1963 but this may turn out to be a little early.
Also details of when the business closed.
In the late 1970's there was a business called Hyblock run by a john Pearce and it has been suggested it was the same Pearce of Magna wheel fame? but also it has been said no connection
then we have warren pearce
Can anyone give us a accurate run down on them all
thanks

Edited by terry mcgrath, 06 January 2011 - 01:14.

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

We have 2 or maybe 3 Pearce's
Jack Pearce was a driver, and no mean one, he came fourth in the 1964 Monaco F3 race and was around club racing for quite a while - anyone know why he didn't progress further and what became of him?
J A Pearce apparently was originally a "demon welder at Cooper" ('Skullduggery' column by DCN in C & S) who went off on his own and had a garage in Western Road, Southall, from which he sold 'Magna' alloy wheels
I am keen to find out more about the later when he first started his own business etc details of any adds he may have placed in magazines etc. I have beeb through every page of Autosport 1963 but this may turn out to be a little early.
Also details of when the business closed.
In the late 1970's there was a business called Hyblock run by a john Pearce and it has been suggested it was the same Pearce of Magna wheel fame? but also it has been said no connection
then we have warren pearce
Can anyone give us a accurate run down on them all
thanks

Jack ( racing driver ) retired from racing after the fatal accident in Dunboyne in which Adam Wylie died , he later went on to build the Kincraft trials cars which took over from the Cannon as the car to have .

[dinglem]

I've got 6 of these wheels, supposedly very strong and light, and very rare/sought after these days. They are also things of beauty....

Incidentally there is a set of 4 on eBay at the moment... (second set i've ever seen for sale!) They don't come up very often at all.