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Peter Ashdown...where is he now?


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#1 P 4 Staff

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Posted 15 November 2005 - 22:34

This is an old racer I don´t know much about.
What I know is that he once built a beautiful Ferrari P 4 replica.

But...his story I want to hear.

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and where is he now?

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#2 WGD706

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Posted 15 November 2005 - 22:56

According to grandprix.com, "A leading light on the British Formula Junior scene, Ashdown was briefly a Lotus factory sportscar driver until an accident at Rouen in 1958 when he broke his collar bone. He raced an Alan Brown Equipe Formula 2 Cooper-Climax in the 1959 British Grand Prix at Aintree. He raced on until 1962 driving a Formula Junior Lola and various small-engined sports cars, winning his class in the 1960 and 1962 Nurburgring 1000km. He lives in Danbury, Essex, where his family used to run a Vauxhall dealership."

There is also a photo of a Fino (?)...
"Now sold by V8 Archie, the Fino used to be sold by Candy Apple Cars out of the UK. The body, along with the Finale, is an original design by Peter Ashdown (Formula1 driver) from Essex, England, who apparently owned Candy Apple Cars."
http://www.geocities..._gemm/fino.html
Warren

#3 f1steveuk

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Posted 16 November 2005 - 13:20

He visited Filching Manor Motor Museum when I was curator, as we had got a Lola FJ he was supposed to have driven, and I seem to recall he was doing something with Lancia Stratos replicas, but that was 1989 ish!

#4 Mike Lawrence

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Posted 16 November 2005 - 14:32

I may be the only person to have written a full profile on Peter (Motor Sport, 1985/6). He was (still, is, I hope) delightful company, a smile is never far from his lips.

As well as the Ferrari P4, he also made a very fine reproduction of a Lancia Stratos (Ferrari engine, everything) and I guess that prompted our last conversation, I wrote the auction catalogue entry for the car. The car did not realise anywhere close to what I thought it was worth, but then no Lancia Stratos, even a genuine car. ever does.

Ashdown's car was identical to the genuine item save in one respect, it was better made. People want to pay the nose for anything with a Ferrari badge (and there is some dodgey stuff around) yet they do not want to experience real driving. That is why, I guess, there comes to the market low-mileage 'classics'. No car that is any good will be 'low-mileage'. Low-mileage appeals only to the collector/arsehole. I am reminded of those book collectors who prize above all else an uncut edition (French publishers used not to cut the pages, you read with a paper knife.) The arsehole collector values, above all else, a book which nobody else has wanted to read.

So it is with some cars. Any time now the ex-John Willment Ghia-bodied AC will come to market (again) and all kinds of claims will be made for it. The fact is that nobody wants to drive it, which is why it is a low-mileage heap of steaming stuff.

Peter
Ashdown was Lola's first works driver (for three years) and it was he who put Lola on the map. His importance cannot be understated. Eric Broadley was at Bands Hatch one day in 1958 and Peter was there testing for Elva, which had a decent car on offer. Peter had more or less decided to drive for Elva (better car than the Lotus Eleven) when Eric invited him to have a whirl in the prototype Lola-Climax Mk 1. Peter's times told Eric that he was never going to be World Champion.

I have tried to contact him over the last ten years or so, but have not been able to connect. I'd love to speak to him again. Peter is one of those rare people who makes you feel better just by saying 'hello'.

#5 f1steveuk

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Posted 16 November 2005 - 15:05

Mike was the Stratos a Transformer?? And I seem to recall that Peter couldn't be certain what we had was even a Lola as the offset went the other way to how he remembered it, but as you say, top bloke

#6 Arjan de Roos

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Posted 16 November 2005 - 15:24

V8 Archie is on the net and sells the Fino:

http://www.v8archie....ilverfinofs.htm

He might know more.

#7 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 16 November 2005 - 21:06

Originally posted by P 4 Staff

and where is he now?



Moved to the South of France a few years back. Sold up his Candy Apple cars concern recently & last I heard, is doing very well.

#8 f1steveuk

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Posted 16 November 2005 - 21:27

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins



Moved to the South of France a few years back.


I can identify with that!! He doesn't live near Bergerac in the South west per chance?? That would be way to handy.

Funnily enough I heard that an English couple are trying to build a track for vintage cars near me but have been unable to find out much about it.

#9 Mike Lawrence

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Posted 17 November 2005 - 06:30

It was a Transformer Stratos. The main difference between that and an original Lancia is that the Transformer was made better. I heard stories of owners of originals who replaced body panels with Transformer panels on the grounds that the Transformer gear was of much higher quality and was a third of the price.

I don't dislike reproductions as a principle, I just dislike most reproductions. The Transformer Stratos, however, was terrific because it was created, with love, as an homage. Most reproductiuons (Cobras, Countachs, GT 40s) are male jewellery made from gold-coloured tin.

#10 f1steveuk

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Posted 17 November 2005 - 10:28

Originally posted by Mike Lawrence
It was a Transformer Stratos. The main difference between that and an original Lancia is that the Transformer was made better. I heard stories of owners of originals who replaced body panels with Transformer panels on the grounds that the Transformer gear was of much higher quality and was a third of the price.

I don't dislike reproductions as a principle, I just dislike most reproductions. The Transformer Stratos, however, was terrific because it was created, with love, as an homage. Most reproductiuons (Cobras, Countachs, GT 40s) are male jewellery made from gold-coloured tin.


Thanks Mike. Peter had pictures with him of the Stratos, and it was a very very nice piece of kit, and as you say he was sourcing original type engines, with superb attention to detail, I wish I could find my file on that FJ now!

#11 P4Replica

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Posted 17 November 2005 - 19:20

I have successfully located Peter Ashdown. Peter still has a home in the South of France (Provence), and also another in Florida, but he has recently returned to the U.K., to a new address in the Peak District.

This afternoon I had a very pleasant phone conversation with him. Peter sold both his Transformer Stratos and Noble P4 replicas at a Coy’s auction at Silverstone in the early 90’s.

Peter is not currently online, but would love to hear from any old friends and acquaintances wishing to talk about his motor-racing career or kit-building experiences. If you’d like to contact Peter, please drop me an email to P4Skett@aol.com , and I’ll happily pass on his phone number.

#12 P4Replica

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Posted 31 August 2006 - 14:55

Originally posted by P4Replica
Peter is not currently online, but would love to hear from any old friends and acquaintances wishing to talk about his motor-racing career or kit-building experiences.


Update 31/08/2006.
Peter is now online, and registered to the TNF as 'Peter Ashdown' today. :clap:

#13 ian senior

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Posted 31 August 2006 - 15:07

Originally posted by P4Replica


Update 31/08/2006.
Peter is now online, and registered to the TNF as 'Peter Ashdown' today. :clap:


Now isn't that good news? I'm sure many of us will look forward to his contributions.

#14 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 04 May 2010 - 12:22

Not only is Peter online, but he has sent a huge amount of photos and articles, which have been uploaded today (it still needs a bit of adjusting, but my laptop seems not to want to do it today), all of which have come from his private collection. :clap:

My personal favourite is the pit lane one, which captures the difference between racing then and now.

It also includes, in full, the article written by Mike Lawrence on Peter, plus a number of promotional pictures from Peter's Candy Apple concern, including the Fino and a few notes from Peter himself.

As to where he is now? Well, I've updated his record accordingly on OldRacingCars.com (see the WATN update shortly), but is currently packing his bags to leave Cheshire for Provence.

The link is:
http://www.oldracing.../peter-ashdown/

#15 Bjorn Kjer

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Posted 05 May 2010 - 06:39

Thanks to Peter and Richard !

#16 ensign14

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Posted 05 May 2010 - 07:31

Oh, excellent stuff. :)

This is the joy of the internet. Everyone has their story. Ordinarily they would be lost through the cracks. But now some flesh can be put on the bones. After all, only a thousand or so people have ever started a Grand Prix, it's a phenomenal achievement just to get that far, and they should not be forgotten.

#17 Gabrci

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Posted 05 May 2010 - 09:07

That's excellent, really nice to hear from him!

#18 bowlahoolla

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Posted 18 April 2011 - 06:53

That's excellent, really nice to hear from him!


Hello, maybe anybodo got postal contact for mr. Ashdown in France or Florida?

Rene