27 replies to this topic

[Graham Vickery]

Looking for information about the Alan Fraser Racing Team Sunbeam Tigers that ran in the 1965 & 1966 Autosport Championships. Drivers - Bernard Unett, Ray Calcutt, Nick Brittain, Andrew Boyd. Cars 1965: ex-Le Mans '64 Lister constructed Tiger - ADU 180B and Group 3 'Marque' Tiger - 9 D. 1966: Group 3 'Marque' Tigers 9 D & EGW 4D and the 'Monster' Tiger.
All 3 last seen together in the Freddie Dixon Trophy, Silverstone (final round) 9th October 1966.

Sunbeam Tiger Owners Club - Editor

[Paul Parker]

Speaking of which I could use a decent, sharp colour (not b/w) pic of one or both of the Brian Lister built Tiger coupes at Le Mans 1964, preferably in the pits, for my latest book.

Sincerest apologies for this professional scrounging but orthodox/practical sources have all failed in this instance.

[Carlos Guerra]

Is ABP 325B the 'Monster' Tiger? Rupert Jones? 1965 Targa Florio?

[jph]

Paul, there is a colour photo of the no. 9 car (ADU180B) parked at its pit in the 1964 - 1981 volume of 'Endurance - 50 ans d'histoire' (ETAI, 2004). The photos are not individually credited, unfortunately, but there is a list of photograph credits in the back of the book. PM me if you don't have access and I'll send you the list of agencies etc in case it includes any that you haven't tried. I assume you have tried the Museum of British Road Transport in Coventry: they used to hold the Rootes photographic archive - maybe they still do - and were extremely helpful when I was resarching the history of an ex-works Rootes car a few years ago.

[jph]

Is ABP 325B the 'Monster' Tiger? Rupert Jones? 1965 Targa Florio?

No, this was one of the works rally cars stripped down for use on the Targa, I believe. The Monster Tiger was a different animal altogether - built partly from one of the ex-Le Mans cars and raced mainly, if not entirely, in the UK in period.

[Bjorn Kjer]

And if possible it would be great to see their transporter LM or A.Fraser!

[jph]

And if possible it would be great to see their transporter LM or A.Fraser!

Alan Fraser used an open-deck articulated car transporter (two on the top ramp, two on the bottom) towed by a Commer tractor unit liveried in the name of his business - Mountains Garages of Tonbridge. The Le Mans Tigers might possibly have been driven to the circuit after being air-freighted to France - that was certianly the case with the Alpines that Rootes ran at Le Mans in 1962 and the Tigers were genuinely road-registered.

[Paul Parker]

Thank you jph for your suggestion it is greatly appreciated, I have not tried this source and will follow it up.

The only colour pic I've seen so far is in Janos Wimpffen's Winged Sports Cars & Enduring Innovations and as it has been used I need a different shot.

Thank you again.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Thanks jph . Regards Bjørn

[Bjorn Kjer]

I did find the whereabouts on Alan Fraser , mailed him , but never got a reply unfortunately. Has anyone got some news on this team and his cars (and transporters) ?

[Ted Walker]

Paul.When is your latest book due for publication,there was a rumour it would be out for the Goodwood Revival ?????????????

[Bjorn Kjer]

Post 46 on Porsche 904 Carrera GTS thread confirms it Ted!

[Paul Parker]

What ho Ted!

Am currently in Switzerland but I will contact you shortly, and yes it should be out at Goodwood.

[BANZAI]

Hi

Saw your thread and thought I would make you aware of the track test of the Fraser Sunbeam Tiger in the July 1966 edition of Motor Racing magazine.

The 2 page test feature also contains 5 pictures of the Tiger .

Hope this helps your quest.

Rob

[Bjorn Kjer]

Post 10 , still no news ! Post 14 any help for a copy of this test for me ?

Any news at all on this team or his transporters or support vehicles ?

[richie]

Looking for information about the Alan Fraser Racing Team Sunbeam Tigers that ran in the 1965 & 1966 Autosport Championships. Drivers - Bernard Unett, Ray Calcutt, Nick Brittain, Andrew Boyd. Cars 1965: ex-Le Mans '64 Lister constructed Tiger - ADU 180B and Group 3 'Marque' Tiger - 9 D. 1966: Group 3 'Marque' Tigers 9 D & EGW 4D and the 'Monster' Tiger.
All 3 last seen together in the Freddie Dixon Trophy, Silverstone (final round) 9th October 1966.

Sunbeam Tiger Owners Club - Editor

I met Ray Calcutt today briefly but when I meet again it would be nice to have more background on his bio if there is one in existence.

He seems to have raced in F5000, F3, sports cars, imps, anything else? When did he start his career?

[raceannouncer2003]

I met Ray Calcutt today briefly but when I meet again it would be nice to have more background on his bio if there is one in existence.

He seems to have raced in F5000, F3, sports cars, imps, anything else? When did he start his career?

Did you see this webpage?

http://www.imps4ever...es/calcutt.html

Vince H.

[jph]

I met Ray Calcutt today briefly but when I meet again it would be nice to have more background on his bio if there is one in existence.

He seems to have raced in F5000, F3, sports cars, imps, anything else? When did he start his career?

Richie, Ray Calcutt made his race debut in an ex-works Sunbeam Alpine, owned by Alan Fraser, in 1964. He used this to get his national licence signatures, then progressed to Fraser's Imp programme and thence to his Tigers and Lola F5000. Ray also raced, amongst others, his own Imp, a Toyota Celica, the Lenham sports cars and a Brabham F3. There's a brief biography of him in Martyn Morgan Jones's book on the British Saloon Car Championship.

[richie]

Did you see this webpage?

http://www.imps4ever...es/calcutt.html

Vince H.

No I didn't see the link. 500 wins is quite an achievement. The short time I was at his pad, the silverware looked quite impressive.

I have quite a few questions I want to ask him, not least about driver "Ippostocano" a k a Peter Hawtin who also raced in 1970. Ray appears to skip a year before returning to F5000 in 1972.

[Tim Murray]

Peter Hawtin's alter ego was 'Ippocastano'. More info in this earlier thread:

Peter Hawtin, aka 'Ippocastano’

[richie]

Peter Hawtin's alter ego was 'Ippocastano'. More info in this earlier thread:

Peter Hawtin, aka 'Ippocastano’

2 finger typing not my strong point.

I've already contributed to Peter H's thread. I'll it soon I hope.

[Gregor Marshall]

I think owned by my late father in the '70s and pictures of the sister car from 6 hours ago at the Bentley Drivers Club meeting at Silverstone (he defintely owned one of the woks cars 179 or 180 and raced it in 1976.

Edited by Gregor Marshall, 09 August 2009 - 20:05.

[sterling49]

Unearthed and sent to me from my old friend that I used to go to Brands Hatch with, however, I can guess the driver of this car, but it will be just that, a guess....over to the experts!





photo courtesy of Robert B, in France.

[RS2000]

Unett in the 65 Autosport championship? Reg no is the original test car and Le Mans practice car?

[jph]

Unett in the 65 Autosport championship? Reg no is the original test car and Le Mans practice car?

I don't think it is Unett's Tiger. I belive he raced ADU180B, which was the car driven at Le Mans 1964 by Blumer / Procter. As you say, the car in the photo is the prototype / test car which ran at the Le Mans test weekend but not in the race. As far as I recall, this was sold by Rootes early in 1965, along with ADU179B and they retained ADU180B which Unett developed into something of a more competitive proposition than the hurredly prepared cars that had been taken to Le Mans.

So, if not Unett's whose was it?

[bradbury west]

Alan Eccles car which he ran for Roger Eccles?
Roger Lund

[km1164]

The Monster Tiger was around in the midlands i spoke to the owner circa 91 ish he had been on isle of man tour rally i saw foto in car mag and track him down
car was allegedly taken to teneriffe? majorca? with the imps to race

[Red Socks]

The Monster Tiger was around in the midlands i spoke to the owner circa 91 ish he had been on isle of man tour rally i saw foto in car mag and track him down
car was allegedly taken to teneriffe? majorca? with the imps to race

This is correct the car went/was sold to Tenerife in 1967 and was raced there for some years. It curently resides in California and is raced regularly at Laguna Seca and Infineon.It had an entry in the Spa 6 hours this year but for some reason was a no show.