18 replies to this topic

[fw07c]

I have a few questions regarding Philip Fotheringham-Parker. A company director who raced a variety of cars post war. Did he own the cars he raced or was asked to drive by the owners such as Duncan Hamilton?
What class of race was the Wakefield Trophy race in 1949 at the Curragh, Has anybody any details of the race? What car did he drive in the Scottish Grand Prix at Winfield on 21 July 1951 which he won? Was it a Maserati 4CL/T or a 4CL which he used at the previous weeks British Grand Prix at Silverstone? This Maserati 4CL had a Wade blower in place of the original Roots blower. Who owned the car before he drove it?

[Graham Gauld]

Reference Scottish Grand Prix and Winfield it was the 4CL : David Murray finished second in the Parnell/Murray 4 CLT.

[Vitesse2]

The Wakefield Trophy was Formule Libre, run over ten laps of the 5-mile "Long Curragh" circuit. Fotheringham-Parker was second in the race, but I've no idea what model of Maserati it was. McMaster's book on Irish racing includes a picture of the grid but - inevitably - what appears to be Fotheringham-Parker's car is obscured behind Salvadori's 4CLT. From what is visible, I'd say it's a 4CL.

The race was won by Anthony Powys-Lybbe's Alfa Tipo B, with Dudley Folland's Ferrari third.

Other identifiable starters: Watson (Alta) and Peter Walker (ERA). Three further unidentified, but I'm sure someone knows ...

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

Graham ,will send you a pm with info.

[fw07c]

Many thanks who owned Philip Fotheringham car used in the 1951 British Grand Prix?

[GIGLEUX]

From official programme, entrant and driver of the 4CL were the same, i.e. Foth'Parker.

[fw07c]

Was this car, at British Grand Prix. one of Duncan Hamilton's Maserati CL?

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
The Wakefield Trophy was Formule Libre, run over ten laps of the 5-mile "Long Curragh" circuit. Fotheringham-Parker was second in the race, but I've no idea what model of Maserati it was. McMaster's book on Irish racing includes a picture of the grid but - inevitably - what appears to be Fotheringham-Parker's car is obscured behind Salvadori's 4CLT. From what is visible, I'd say it's a 4CL.

The race was won by Anthony Powys-Lybbe's Alfa Tipo B, with Dudley Folland's Ferrari third.

Other identifiable starters: Watson (Alta) and Peter Walker (ERA). Three further unidentified, but I'm sure someone knows ...

A few more details, courtesy of a brief report in The Times. Watson, Walker and Salvadori (the entire front row!) were eliminated on the first lap in an accident in which Salvadori's car was "completely destroyed by fire". Race date was Sep 10th.

O/T: on the same day, the Bugatti OC held a hillclimb at Prestcott [sic]. One S Moss set a new 1100cc class record.

Oh, and Peter Walker was apparently in two places at once, since The Times also credits him with winning the 2000cc class!

[Adam F]

The 4CL that Fotheringham-Parker drove in 1951 was the ex-Joe Fry car. It was raced by both F-P and Duncan Hamilton and was, I believe, jointly owned by the two of them, as had been the Maserati 6CM which they jointly campaigned in 1949 and 1950.
To my knowledge F-P never drove a Maserati 4CLT.

Hope this helps.

[fw07c]

If P F-P drove a Maserati 4CL in the Scottish Grand Prix in1951. It is amazing for a car that was built between 1939 and

1947. I wonder whether it purchased direct from Maserati brother these seems unlikely as there are records of all the

initial owners of the 4CL chassis numbers from

1964 to 1972 built in 1939,
1972 during the war,
1579-1583 built in 1946,
1584-1591 built in 1947
and 1592 in 1948

Did P F-P obtain it from a private source?

Thanks Adam F as you seem to have answered my question

[Adam F]

Originally posted by fw07c

Did P F-P obtain it from a private source?

Yes.
I assume they bought it from Joe Fry's family, after he was killed in 1950. Fry had bought it from the Plate team. It was (probably) 4CL 1585.

[driverider]

Fotheringham-Parker appears in many Brooklands races in Lancia Lambda and a Ford V8

does anyone have any knowledge or photos of these exploits?

[fivestar]

He also co drove the HW-Alta Streamliner MBP 77, with Tom Meyer [owner] in the 1950nParis 12 hour race at Montlhery where they finished 7th. I believe he also shared a HWM with Meyer in the 1951 Mille Miglia.

[Bauble]

Phillip F-P drove an ERA R5B at Goodwood in 1951 (Chichester Cup) and in 1952 in a Talbot Lago (3rd.) and shared a re-bodied Aston Martin DB3 with Tim Meyer in the first Goodwood Nine Hour Race
Both the ERA and the Talbot were shared with Duncan Hamilton at the meetings, so there was clearly some close connection between the two, in fact in 'Touch Wood' Duncan describes Phillip as 'my good friend' and talks about a partnership to run the Maserati during the 1949 season, the two shared these cars for several years.
The Maserati was originally made for Gigi Villoresi and shipped to South Africa, after the war it was imported by George Abbecasis and sold to Hamilton.*
Phillip drove Duncan's Jaguar XK120 in the Wakefield Trophy in 1951 but retired.

During the fifities the name of Phillip Fotheringham-Parker was a familiar one to British enthusiasts.

*I refer here to the 6CM driven by Gigi, in the Grosvenor Grand Prix in 1939.

Edited by Bauble, 09 January 2011 - 13:14.

[David McKinney]

I refer here to the 6CM driven by Gigi, in the Grosvenor Grand Prix in 1939.

Which, as it happens, is not the later Abecassis/Hamilton car

[Bauble]

Which, as it happens, is not the later Abecassis/Hamilton car

I am using as my source Hamilton's book Touch Wood which is quite clear on the history of the car, whether Duncan/Abecassis were misled I can not say but the story is that Abecassis found it in the workshops of the Cape Town Railway Department, and brought it to England and drove in Jersey before passing it to Hamilton. To be fair as this is an autobiography and not a 'history book' there is a little room for doubt as it said to be the car specially made for Villoresi and had gone out to Union for a Grand Prix. It does not categorically state that it is the one driven by Gigi, but it would seem likely to be the same car.
I have an offical Maserati publication that shows pictures of Villoresi in a 6CM driving in the South African Grand Prix (Jan 2nd 1939), and also in the Grosvenor Grand Prix (Jan14th. 1939).

I do not claim to be an expert on Maserati cars, but just passing on information from various publications, after all I AM NOT ERIC DUNSDON!!!!!

Touch Wood also mentions P F-P racing pre-war at Brooklands on motor cycles and a chain gang Frazer Nash.

Wher will we go next?

Regards,

Bauble.

[driverider]

I am using the programmes from Brooklands from 34 thru to 39 showing him entered in 2120 early series Lambda and then a 2.6 later series Lambda as well as a Ford V8

Has anyone a source of photos of P F-P in the Lambdas at Brooklands?

[driverider]

reading letters from P F-P he also raced the Lambda at Donnington pre war

same request - does any one have photographs?

I can post pictures of the car today when I work out how to

[David McKinney]

I am using as my source Hamilton's book Touch Wood which is quite clear on the history of the car, whether Duncan/Abecassis were misled I can not say but the story is that Abecassis found it in the workshops of the Cape Town Railway Department, and brought it to England and drove in Jersey before passing it to Hamilton. To be fair as this is an autobiography and not a 'history book' there is a little room for doubt as it said to be the car specially made for Villoresi and had gone out to Union for a Grand Prix.

Yes, I used to think that was the case, too
It may well have been retrieved from the Cape Town Railway workshops, but all Villoresi had ever done to it was to pass it
It was raced by Bill Everitt, well-known English MG man, in South Africa in 1938 and sold there to Buller Meyer, who raced it in 1939.
Other sources than Touch Wood say it was brought back from the Cape Town workshops by one Arthur Rusling
After Hamilton and Foterhingham-Parker had finished playing with it the car went to NZ where, as is often the way in these matters, it ended up with a V8 Ardun Mercury engine and later a 3.4 Jaguar.
It's now back in the UK, in beautifully restored condition, but rarely seen in public. In fact I think it's been out once in the last 30 years