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David Hepworth and his racing cars


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#1 MCS

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Posted 25 September 2004 - 20:08

I keep wondering about David Hepworth and his race and hillclimb cars - some purchased (McLarens, BRMs, etc) and some self-built specials.

I've searched TNF and elsewhere without any real success.

His names keeps cropping up in threads, but does anybody really know anything about him or his cars other than what we've seen so far here on TNF?

Has there ever been a proper interview anywhere for example?

I'm curious because he was really rather a one-off wasn't he?

Any info or pointers gratefully received...

MCS

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#2 EDWARD FITZGERALD

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Posted 25 September 2004 - 21:47

Yes ,
there was an article on him in his hillclimb days in Autosport , I will go looking and find the date ,

#3 Allen Brown

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 09:07

I can tell you about a few:

* he bought a BT7 and a BT11 from the works; IIRC sold the BT7 off but campaigned the BT11.
* he had a short-wheelbase BT11 built for him by Frank Coltman
* Coltman also built the "Hepworth" for him
* much, much later, he bought the BRM P230 and converted it to Can-Am spec (it never raced)

Allen

#4 ed holly

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 10:27

The Interview with David Hepworth is in Autosport 25th September, 1969.

A copy of this was given to me when I bought my F3,BT15 which when finished with by Ken Sheppard went to David to be sold and was sold by him to Jim Johnstone.

In contact with Jim Johnstone recently, Jim even had the receipt from David for the purchase of the BT15 dated 2/10/67 and it is in David's handwritting. In fact it was fotuitous that the receipt came to light as it indicated the 15 was "ex Ken Sheppard" and indeed confirmed the AM no. from all those years ago.... until then everyone downstream of this transaction thought the car was either Radio London's or Keith St.Johns'.

I digress. The receipt is on Hepworth Racing Team letterhead the address is Princess Works, Birds Boyd, Brighouse, Yorks. In small print is Team Manager B.Flintoff. Prominant on the top right of the receipt is V8.

Hope this helps

Ed

#5 ReWind

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 12:14

From his obituary in AUTOSPORT, 7 May 1992, p. 100 (uncredited) :

British Club motorsport was dealt a major blow when David Hepworth passed away in hospital last Saturday at he age of 52.
A successful businessman, Hepworth established stove enamelling companies at Brighouse in his native West Yorkshire and, later, at Llanelli, enabling him to indulge in his passion for motor sport.
David started competing in 1958, in a Morris 1000 Traveller. Then he turned to rallying with an Austin-Healey 3000, later hillclimbing the same car. Single-seaters followed, with the ex-Jack Brabham F1 Cooper being followed by a string of Brabham-Repco Oldsmobiles.
In ’69 David fitted a Ferguson four-wheel drive system to his own Hepworth single-seater and won his first British Hillclimb title. He was runner-up in ’70, champion in ’71, then second in ’72.
David then bought the BRM sportscar project. It was in a P167 that he had his finest sporting moment, leading in the wet at the Norisring in ’73. The works Porsches got past inly in the final two lpas. David came fourth, all four tyres being flat when he reached the paddock…
In ’82, David bought BRM’s still-born F1 project, converting the car to CanAm spec’. Legal complications prevented it from racing, so David turned his attentions to sons Andrew and Stephen, helping them through karting and into F3.



#6 Allen Brown

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 13:05

Originally posted by ReWind
From his obituary in AUTOSPORT, 7 May 1992, p. 100 (uncredited) ... In ’82, David bought BRM’s still-born F1 project, converting the car to CanAm spec’. Legal complications prevented it from racing

Really? I thought it was just because it was a piece of doodoo.

Allen

#7 David Beard

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 14:16

Was David Hepworth anything to do with Hepworth pistons?

#8 Vitesse2

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 14:45

Originally posted by ReWind
From his obituary in AUTOSPORT, 7 May 1992, p. 100 (uncredited) :
David started competing in 1958, in a Morris 1000 Traveller.


A somewhat unlikely mount for a racing car! I wonder if he stripped the woodwork off to lighten it? And in what was he competing? Autotests perhaps?

#9 David McKinney

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 16:17

Hepworth isn't the only person I can think of who raced a Minor 1000 Traveller - at least one later hero of sportscar racing and F5000 and a useful F1 driver, for example, and a member of TNF :wave:

Originally posted by David Beard
Was David Hepworth anything to do with Hepworth pistons?


And were Hepworth pistons anything to do with Hepolite piston-rings?

#10 David Beard

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 16:52

Originally posted by David McKinney


And were Hepworth pistons anything to do with Hepolite piston-rings?


Same thing...

http://www.cjbalm.co...ro/mitem236.htm

#11 EDWARD FITZGERALD

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 19:00

maybe the Lancashire Lad will admit the crime , raing a Morris Minor Traveller.

#12 MCS

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 19:35

Originally posted by EDWARD FITZGERALD
maybe the Lancashire Lad will admit the crime , raing a Morris Minor Traveller.


Come on then, let's hear it. Unless I'm very badly mistaken he was involved wasn't he?

I dare you...


MCS

#13 David McKinney

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Posted 26 September 2004 - 19:55

Sorry chaps
I thought everyone knew about Brian Redman and his racing Traveller :cool:

#14 Ted Walker

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Posted 27 September 2004 - 08:07

David Hepworth also hill climbed a chevy powered Austin Healey 100/4.

#15 Duncan Fox

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Posted 27 September 2004 - 20:53

David, didnt Piers Courage race a Morrie Minor Traveller also? I think it was his Mothers on loan for the day!

#16 D-Type

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Posted 27 September 2004 - 21:54

Originally posted by Vitesse2


A somewhat unlikely mount for a racing car! I wonder if he stripped the woodwork off to lighten it? And in what was he competing? Autotests perhaps?

I know you're joking, but did you realise that the wood on a Moggie Traveller is considered structural? A friend of mine's failed its MOT because of rotten timbers.

#17 Alan Cox

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Posted 10 October 2004 - 21:36

Hepworth wasn't anything to do with Hepworth and Grandage, they were another branch of what is a fairly common Yorkshire name - Hepworth Tailoring, for instance.

I was at school with a number of Hepworths from the piston family, and, whilst being followers of hillclimbing, never made claim that they were closely related to David.

#18 Giraffe

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Posted 11 March 2014 - 18:41

n6o0.jpg
 
a3h5.jpg
n4ie.jpg
jxi9.jpg
8zmt.jpg
wfer.jpg
 
BRMs P154. P167, P230, Cooper & Hepworth 4wd all photographed at Hepworth International in Brighouse today. Many thanks to Stephen Hepworth.

Edited by Giraffe, 11 March 2014 - 18:43.


#19 Duc-Man

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Posted 13 March 2014 - 10:46

I hope we'll get the BRM can-am cars to see on track soon.  :wave:  Unfortunately there are not so many events with have races for those cars. :well:


Edited by Duc-Man, 13 March 2014 - 10:46.


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#20 Simon Thomas

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Posted 13 March 2014 - 11:08

From memory I think David bought John Pringle's Cooper T53 in 1967 for the Buick engine. The rolling chassis was later sold on to America.

Simon Thomas



#21 bradbury west

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Posted 13 March 2014 - 13:33

If you search on the old threads under David Hepworth you will se a thread from 2005/6ish when the car came to light. IIRC there was quite a discussion about whose and what it might be. There were some useful pics on it too.

Roger Lund



#22 Simon Thomas

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Posted 13 March 2014 - 13:59

Make the engine out of the Cooper an Oldsmobile, not a Buick, allegedly bought from Bruce McLaren for the 1965 racing season in Ireland.

Simon Thomas



#23 Tim Murray

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Posted 13 March 2014 - 17:43

If you search on the old threads under David Hepworth you will se a thread from 2005/6ish when the car came to light. IIRC there was quite a discussion about whose and what it might be. There were some useful pics on it too.

Roger Lund

Here's the earlier thread, but sadly the photos are no longer there:

 

'Barn find' Cooper



#24 19ryanh93

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Posted 28 March 2014 - 11:59

The engine in the Cooper that is pictured above is a Chev V8

 

For those of you wondering who I am, I'm Ryan, Davids grandson



#25 19ryanh93

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Posted 28 March 2014 - 15:24

The last photo that 'Giraffe' put up is the chassis of the previously mentioned P230 F1 car that was turned into a can am car.