12 replies to this topic

[Leigh Trevail]

http://[IMG]http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/2421/forumqb1.th.jpg[/IMG]

Could any fellow enthusiasts out there help me, I am researching the races that took place at Fersfield, Norfolk in 1951. At the second event in June; Roy Clarkson entered a Touring bodied Ferrari 2.3 coupe
(chassis # 0123 S), earlier in the year he entered the car in the Tulip Rally and it was road tested by Autosport in the issue of 04 May 1951. At Fersfield it must of amazed the crowds as it raced against the Jags, Healeys, Connaughts and home made specials, however it was beaten by a pre-war Bentley 4 ½ .

I know what eventually happened to the car, it was destroyed in the Brockett insurance scam, but what happened to Roy Clarkson?

Please …. No references to Jeremy Clarkson unless they are absolutely relevant!

[starlet]

The National Fersfield was held on June 17.
Roy Clarkson sold the car the following year to Boris Said.
Clarkson entered then a Morgan chassis with a Triumph TR2 engine and a fake Ferrari body.

[Graham Gauld]

Roy Clarkson was a dentist from Falkirk in Scotland who started racing with an Iota Formula 3 500cc car and was well known in off-road trials events and rallies. He then moved to Norfolk where he established two practices, one for National Health Service Patients and the other for private patients using hypnotism.
As the Ferrari was kept in Britain for a short time I believe that Roy did a deal to lease it and he told me that he loved the lines of the car but hated the Ferrari as it was so unreliable. The car went back to Italy before ending its travels with Charles Brockett...........from which it has since been rebuilt I believe.
Roy then bought a Triumph TR2 engined Morgan and had a local coachbuilder build him a coupe body to look roughly like a Ferrari and he ran that for a short time. The Morgan was then sold to Sandy Forrest with whom I used to compete in rallies and so I drove the Morgan quite a lot. It rattled a bit and at times it felt as though the body wanted to go in a different direction to the chassis but was a lot of fun and more reliable than the Ferrari.
See below the writer at the wheel of the faux-Ferrari, the Morgan coupe with its fake Ferrari
body.

[P4Replica]

Originally posted by Graham Gauld
See below the writer at the wheel of the faux-Ferrari, the Morgan coupe with its fake Ferrari body.

Is it my imagination, or does that chrome radiator grille look like a Ford Consul Mk1 (narrowed) ?

(See: http://www.1066.net/.../020505-023.jpg )

[Graham Gauld]

How observant : Nothing would surprise me with Roy....who passed away many years ago.

[Leigh Trevail]

Many thanks for the replies...... Graham; you said that the fake Ferrari body on the Morgan was built by a 'local coachbuilder', do you mean local to Norfolk or Malvern?

[marlondylan]

According to the history of 195 S #0123S Roy Clarkson drove the June 4-9 1951 RAC rally wearing number 81.
I would like to know the result of this entry. Also I wondered if there is any photographic evidence.
Does anyone have any information on other activities of 0123S that year? I know hij did the 1951 Tulip Rally and the 1951 Silverstone production car race while he was a DNS at the 1951 Tour de France.

Edited by marlondylan, 12 November 2009 - 12:20.

[Leigh Trevail]

This seems like a good time to update the thread with the information I have about Roy Clarkson………….

He was born in 1906 and brought up in Falkirk in Scotland
He trained as a dentist.
He Hillclimbed motorcycles before switching to cars.
After the war he set up a dental practice in Halstead Essex.
He was a founder member of East Anglian Motor Club in 1950
He helped Gregor Grant set up "Autosport" magazine
At one time he owned the Strang Special
He purchased the Ferrari having seen it at the Paris show
The Ferrari was sold to Boris Staid.
A Ferrari look-alike body was built for a Morgan chassis by Charlie Robinson. It was registered VNO 600, this car still exists. See Graham Gould’s post for more on this!
He owned a garage at the top of Halstead Hill
He owned a Veteran car which he took part in the London to Brighton Run
He Retired to Portugal.
He died in Papworth hospital having his pacemaker replaced.

The Ferrari was featured in Autosport 4th May 1951 and a reprint is included in the Brooklanks Books.. Ferrari cars 1946 - 1956 . I have also seen it featured in one of the classic mags from the 1980's, but I have no idea which!

[Leigh Trevail]

For anyone who is interested; Roy Clarkson can be seen here on the 1963 London to Brighton Run Roy Clarkson

He is shown 22 mins into the film.

[Geoff E]

His name was actually Robert K N Clarkson. He died in 1986.

[bradbury west]

Clarkson has been discussed previously. Check via a search. See posts 80&.102 to112 with other pictures.
http://forums.autosp...w...4411&hl=roy clarkson&st=80
Roger Lund

[Leigh Trevail]

Thank you Geoff, I have a newspaper cutting in which he is referred to as Robert Kirkwood Nichol Clarkson. I assumed that this was a misprint but obviously not. Also thanks to Bradbury West for the link.

[Doug Nye]

Roy Clarkson was a dentist from Falkirk in Scotland who started racing with an Iota Formula 3 500cc car and was well known in off-road trials events and rallies. He then moved to Norfolk where he established two practices, one for National Health Service Patients and the other for private patients using hypnotism.
As the Ferrari was kept in Britain for a short time I believe that Roy did a deal to lease it and he told me that he loved the lines of the car but hated the Ferrari as it was so unreliable. The car went back to Italy before ending its travels with Charles Brockett...........from which it has since been rebuilt I believe.
Roy then bought a Triumph TR2 engined Morgan and had a local coachbuilder build him a coupe body to look roughly like a Ferrari and he ran that for a short time. The Morgan was then sold to Sandy Forrest with whom I used to compete in rallies and so I drove the Morgan quite a lot. It rattled a bit and at times it felt as though the body wanted to go in a different direction to the chassis but was a lot of fun and more reliable than the Ferrari.
See below the writer at the wheel of the faux-Ferrari, the Morgan coupe with its fake Ferrari
body.

What a wondrous device Graham - another car completely new to me. Great photo!

DCN