25 replies to this topic

[Matthew Newman]

Hi there,
Some years ago, there was some discussion on this site about a Lotus 23b racing in period with a GT body. Given that there is certainly evidence that this did actually happened, I was hoping to see if anyone could enlighten me further and provide any more literature on the subject or even photo's of the car ? Any help would be most appreciated.
Matthew.

[Bloggsworth]

D & A Shells rings a bell, a shop-front at eastern end of the Bow Flyover. IIRC it was a 23 with their own GT bodyshell, I think they called it the Mercury GT, can't remember who drove it, but it was quite successful.

[BT 35-8]

Perhaps I may be of assistance,

Willie Green of the U.K.had a Lotus 23 GT made from a Lotus 23 , this is reported in Motor Racing and Sportscar , U.K. magazine , Jan. 1968 issue, Willie Green is reported as '' the very rapid Midland bra strap manufacturer '' , the car appears to be ch.no. 23-S-70 and was purchased by Dr. B. Bignell fromm Australia , the car was purchased in GT format from Redditch in 1970 and transported to Australia in 1971 , car sold to Mr. John Shepherd in 1981 and restored back to standard Lotus 23/23B spec. for historic racing .

Bryan Miller.

[Bloggsworth]

For some reason Fowler rings a bell as the driver of the D & A Shells 23GT.

[Bloggsworth]

I can feel a pun coming on:

It was always uplifting to watch Willie Green handling a 23B..................

[bill moffat]

Bob Miller had the car in the late 60's before he moved on to the slightly less subtle Dulon F5000 car.

As the Mercury GT it ran in the MN championship in 1968. I saw him race it at Combe, the only problem was that Ron Fry was there in his GT40 to spoil his fun..

[r.atlos]

I guess we need to define what we mean with "in period". If we referred to the period when 23s were "current" racing cars (i.e. 1962 - 1966), then the answer would probably be "no" (with one exception mentioned below). I think to recall that many have been re-bodied only for the 1967 season when they were allowed to race as GTs in UK championships provided they had a high windscreen and a roof.

The exception mentioned above was a 23 offered by Vegantune at the end of 1966. It really looked like a 23 with hardtop while the Mercury GT (offered only from 1967 onwards, if I am not mistaken) consisted of a complete GT-style body kit. My understanding is that Alan Fowler has been the man behind the Mercury GT but I am not sure as to whether or not D&A Shells fit into that picture.

However, many of these GT conversion happened in 1967 or later when people felt that the orginal 23 was already a bit outdated and could do with a face lifting.

[r.atlos]

This is the car "with hardtop" (2nd from left) I referred to above, offered by Vegantune in Autosport of 11/11/1966:

[Bloggsworth]

Vegantune have been through several hands, but now appear to be residing at:

Vegantune Sportscar and Motorsport Centre Ltd
Elstree Business Centre, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1RX
Telephone 020 8953 4092 or 07769548602

[r.atlos]

Here is another ad of what appears to be the same car; compare the relatively low roof line and those small sliding windows:



This ad comes from Autosport of 20/12/1968.

There have been a couple of pictures in Autosport of another converted 23 (still using the original 23 front and rear hoods) which John Nocholson used to race during 1968. It had a higher and more bulbous roof line and much bigger side windows. At one point it was referred to as the "Jyanick-23B" - whatever this may mean.

[bill moffat]

£1750 may sound cheap but for the same sort of money you could have put yourself into Jaguar's newly- announced XJ6.

The average price of a house was £4.300 in 1968, I guess this show's that race cars are generally very expensive items....

[simon drabble]

I think I am correct in saying that David Cooke's 23b (which is up for sale at the moment) claims to have been a GT at some point in its life - whether its the same one I dont know. Having once owned Graham Capel's Lotus Eleven GT (albeit back in Eleven shape but with all the evidence still showing where the roof went) I regret that I didnt put it back to GGT format. Of course when Graham did it there wasnt much competition in the sub 1100 class and this led to his success in Guards Trophy and similar races in 63/64 (I think from memory). The 23b GT would have had to compete with the Nathan GT and Chevron B6 amongst other so its pasage to vicory was not so assured.

[Alan Cox]

Originally posted by r.atlos
At one point it was referred to as the "Jyanick-23B" - whatever this may mean.

I think that should read "Jaynick 23B" - a reference to J. Nicholson.

[Cirrus]

I'm pretty sure that the David Cooke 23B is this one. The GT body comes as part of the package...

http://www.racecarsd....php?view=13556

[ellrosso]

I have a shot of the car on my oldracephotos.com website. If you type Bignell into the Advanced Search on the Home page (Search Phrase), it will bring up a shot taken by Neil Hammond in the pits at Calder in 1974. Not sure what became of the car after Bernie Bignell owned it though.

[Ted Walker]

Yes the David Cooke car was fitted with a Mercury body as I supplied some period shots to Neil Tyman who restored it back to a 23

[Matthew Newman]

Many thanks everyone for all your emails. Lots of leads to investigate further. In the meantime, may I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Many thanks again, Matthew.

[rbm]

It seems that the Mercury GT by Dennis Pollard and Alan Fowler, D&A Shells Ltd., from available 1962 'till the early 1970s, was supplied as open or closed body sports racer.
The Body was supplied to re-cloth existing cars as GTs or complete with their own chassis (space frame and later spaceframe / semi-monocoque)
The Spaceframe is similar to the Lotus 23 (it has been claimed they were made by chevron) constructed of square and round tube but the wheel base is 4" shorter than the Lotus.

The John Nicholson Jaynick GT, was entered as Jaynick Lotus 23B GT and later as a Mercury GT, so was this a Lotus 23B with a Mercury body or a Mercury GT with Lotus 23 running gear or a Lotus 32B with someone elses bodywork?

The T.Y. Wilson Wilson GT, has identical bodywork to the Jaynick, the wheel base is 4" shorter than the Lotus 23B, the chassis is a mixture of square and round tube, so it this also a Mercury GT under another name?

Other Lotus 23 GT / Mercury thread

[JtP1]

Here is link to photo of the Jaynick 23GT. http://www.ingliston...ston1968_2.html

[Belmondo]

http://www.youtube.c...128/ZcTaaEeqluU

1:41 to 1:50

[r.atlos]

Autosport dated 12/04/1968 says:

"John Nicholson of Glasgow is yet another to GT-ize his Lotus 23 by putting a roof on it; the car has a 1600 cc twin-cam engine for this season and John, entered by his tuning shop Jaynicks Racing Developments of Clyde Place, Glasgow, hopes to take in several English events."

Edited by r.atlos, 23 February 2012 - 00:34.

[rbm]

slightly O/T

whilst looking for something un-related I came across, in The Edinburgh Gazette dated 5th April 1968, the formal notice of voluntary liquidation of Jaynick Motor Accessories Limited, 228 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.

[Dipster]

D & A Shells rings a bell, a shop-front at eastern end of the Bow Flyover. IIRC it was a 23 with their own GT bodyshell, I think they called it the Mercury GT, can't remember who drove it, but it was quite successful.

I did not remember the name but I do remember the shop. I would often stop when passing by to see what they had in. Those few minutes brightened up many a dull day.

[JtP2]

there is a photo of the Jaynick special on the Ingliston reveval site

[Charles Helps]

there is a photo of the Jaynick special on the Ingliston reveval site

In the Colin Lourie photo on this page?  If it is, it looks neatly done.

[JtP2]

yes it's the Colin Lourie photo.

 

I'm trying to remember over which winter John Nicolson was killed. Was it 67/68 or 68/69?