16 replies to this topic

[sophiadoe]

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and was wondering if anybody could help me out.

I am currently researching the life of James Hunt and am particularly looking for his results from the 1968 and 1969 Formula Ford seasons. I have found some information from various sources but they seem to be conflicting on his finishing positions somewhat. Also if anybody has any information at all on his very early mini races in the that would be great. I know he crashed in a few races but if anybody attended the Special Saloon Cars and has some first hand information that would be great.

Many thanks, Sophia.

Edited by sophiadoe, 03 June 2010 - 10:40.

[zakeriath]

His race results are listed at the back of Hunts biography by Gerald Donaldson.

67 special sloon cars

8th October Brands ret

68

FF (Russell - Alexis, Merlyn Mk2)

2 sept Mallory 2nd
9 sep Lydden 1st
30 Sept Brands 6th
7th Oct Snett 7th
14th Oct Mallory Accident
26th Oct Oulton Accident
18th Nov Brands 4th
25th Nov Brands 3rd
27th Dec Brands 6th
29th Dec Mallory 5th

1969 FF mk2a

24th Feb Brands 3rd
10th Mar Mallory 5th
16th Mar Brands 5th
24th Mar Snett Accident
8th April Zandvoort Third
14th April Aspern (Austria) 2nd
21 Apr Brands 7th
5th May Lydden 1st
12th May Mondello 4thg
26th May Snett Accident

he then moved on to F3 for the rest of the season

[Bloggsworth]

His Alexis was kept at Gowrings, the Ford Main Dealer in Reading. He tried to sell it to me, so I collected him in central London, drove him all the way down to Reading, and as we walked in he said "Oh, by the way, did I say it was disassembled....", and there on the floor was a pile of bits and a chassis. I didn't buy it.

[sophiadoe]

His Alexis was kept at Gowrings, the Ford Main Dealer in Reading. He tried to sell it to me, so I collected him in central London, drove him all the way down to Reading, and as we walked in he said "Oh, by the way, did I say it was disassembled....", and there on the floor was a pile of bits and a chassis. I didn't buy it.

Interesting story Bloggsworth! Would you be able to tell me which year it was when this happened if you remember and how it came about for you to purchase the car?

[Rob29]

Interesting story Bloggsworth! Would you be able to tell me which year it was when this happened if you remember and how it came about for you to purchase the car?

That would have been 1968.Oh and the the Merlyns that replace it was were Mk11 & Mk11A.Not sure what a Mk2 was but must have been an early sports car before FF was thought of -F3 car of 1967 was Mk10.

[Bloggsworth]

Interesting story Bloggsworth! Would you be able to tell me which year it was when this happened if you remember and how it came about for you to purchase the car?

Advert in Autosport. I had a Morris Mini Estate bought in '67, so it must have been 1968, the Mini only lasted 18 months, it was too unreliable to keep. I bought a Merlyn Mk11 in late 1970, so it was well before that.

Edited by Bloggsworth, 09 June 2010 - 21:30.

[arttidesco]

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Found this poster in the window of a motor factors shop on Gloucester Road in Bristol this morning I must have walked past it hundreds of times without noticing it before

Was not sure where to post this pic of James in the #148 Molyslip Lotus 59, but since I cannot find a F3 race where James was entered with the #148 thought this might be a good place to start.

I've checked some of the obvious races like Monaco where James failed to qualify with the #52 Brabham or Lotus, at the British GP meeting James ran in the #44 Lotus, I cannot find any results for a F3 Lotteria race at Monza so wondering if anybody knows at which meeting the photo in the poster was taken ?

Edited by arttidesco, 04 July 2010 - 20:55.

[Bloggsworth]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Looks like a pre-Photoshop bit of jiggery-pockery to me, look at the shadows under the wheels and the softness of focus of the grass compared with the wheels. I would stop looking for races with the number, I think it was a studio shot fudged into an outdoor scene. And take a close look at his head, was he ever there at all, or was the headshot taken from another photograph?

Edited by Bloggsworth, 04 July 2010 - 22:15.

[Giraffe]

Looks like a pre-Photoshop bit of jiggery-pockery to me,

In 1970?!?!

[arttidesco]

Looks like a pre-Photoshop bit of jiggery-pockery to me, look at the shadows under the wheels and the softness of focus of the grass compared with the wheels. I would stop looking for races with the number, I think it was a studio shot fudged into an outdoor scene. And take a close look at his head, was he ever there at all, or was the headshot taken from another photograph?

Thanks, I had not thought of that, now you mention it the tyres do not look like they have been rolling through grass either, I wonder if the photoshopping was part of Molyslips 50th anniversary celebrations ?

[Andrew Kitson]

I still have ( from 1968 ) a James Hunt autograph in one of my old childhood autograph books. He was racing the Gowrings Alexis FF car back then, very much unknown. I think it was at Snetterton where he signed it but could be Brands. Of the many thousands of signatures he must have signed as a racing driver and beyond, this must surely be one of the first?

[sophiadoe]

Does anybody have any pictures of James's cars from these Formula Ford days or even earlier?

[Andrew Kitson]

Yes in books and period magazines.

[sophiadoe]

Which books are these if I may ask? If you have a scanner at all and could scan them in it would be greatly appreciated.

[Bloggsworth]

In 1970?!?!

I did say pre-photoshop.......

[Bloggsworth]

I have an Hesketh glassfibre Teddy Bear about 600mm tall, as made by Bob Curl for the team, before the litigators started making noises about Paddington Bear....

Any Hesketh memorabilia collector is welcome to contact me, I'm downsizing, both corporeally & 60 years of accumulated dross-wise .....

[Frank de Jong]

Sophia, if you search my website you will find 6 results for him; 3 for the 1973 ETCC and 3 for the 1970 British Saloon championship.