31 replies to this topic

[PeterTRoss]

The GRD Story

In 1971 Lotus closed down its manufacture of singe seat racing cars for customers, and many of the staff of Lotus Racing found themselves transferred or redundant. Some of their old customers were keen to buy new F3 and F2 cars from them for racing in 1972, and several of the key figures persuaded their old boss Mike Warner to start up a new company to be called Group Racing Developments (or GRD for short) using a Phoenix as their emblem.

I am trying to write the GRD story for the Historic Lotus Register magazine "Historic Lotus" and am in contact with the key figures of Mike Warner, Gordon Huckle, Dave Baldwin, Peter Denty and Derek Wild. Designer Jo Marquart has sadly died. However there are some important people I have not been able to contact and would be grateful for help in tracing them. They are John Stanton and John Reynolds who were partners in Raystan Racing who entered several of the GRD competitors, but soon fell out with GRD. They later became Orbit Motorsports, but that appears to have gone belly up. I also need to know the origins of Dart racing who entered Alan Jones in 1973.

I am aso finding it difficult to get results for the GRD sports cars.

Have any of you memories of those days, the entrants and drivers?

I am fairly well informed about Roger Williamson's time as a GRD driver, but memories of Tony Brise, Richard Robarts, Brian Henton, Tony Rouff, Alan Jones, Larry Perkins, Neil Ginn, Masami Kuwashima, Tetsu Ikuzama, Hiroshi Kazato, Brendan McInerney, David Walker, Reine Wisell and others would be very welcome.

Peter Ross HLR Magazine Editor, The Birches, Cuckoo Mills, FALMOUTH, Cornwall TR11 4HZ
01326-317789 Fax (from UK only) 0871-231-7299 peter@historiclotusregister.co.uk www.historiclotusregister.co.uk

[Cirrus]

I think D.A.R.T. was founded by Denys Dobbie (Dobbie Automobile Racing Team). I think DD was instrumental in the establishment of Knockhill.

You've probably seen this http://www.btinterne...rson/Argo02.htm

There's quite a bit about Richard Robarts here - just use the Search hyperlink at the top of the page.

Edited by Cirrus, 28 December 2010 - 17:58.

[Graham Gauld]

I think D.A.R.T. was founded by Denys Dobbie (Dobbie Automobile Racing Team). I think DD was instrumental in the establishment of Knockhill.

You've probably seen this http://www.btinterne...rson/Argo02.htm

There's quite a bit about Richard Robarts here - just use the Search hyperlink at the top of the page.

Purely for the record Denys Dobbie took over the rather basic race circuit which already existed and was owned by a local farmer. He certainly widened the circuit and had it properly paved with pits etc but he did not stay with the project for too long after his proper launch where Chris Amon opened the circuit with his Amon F5000 car. I have a photo of the GRD sports car which appeared to be destined for Deny Dobbies DART team and was shown at the Racing Car Show. Dobbie trained as an accountant and went to the Bahamas where he made his money through the "Poseidon" pyramid selling affair and returned to Scotland to form his team. He was also secretary of the Ecurie Ecosse Association for a short time and before he went to the Bahamas had bought Archie Craig's superchared MG special, the Bongazoo which he intended to race. However he had an accident at home and sold the MG.
He died a few years ago.

[Mistron]

eh, was DART not founded by Dizzy Addicote , hence the first 2 initials? the lasttre 2 standing for 'racing team'?

were there 2 DARTs?

[Barry Boor]

I'd love it if someone could post the front cover of Autosport the week G.R.D was announced.

We were building our car at the time and there was great hilarity in our workshop when we looked at the photo. They had obviously just been out to buy the white work coats they were wearing because you could still see the creases where they were folded in the packets. Maybe it was our imagination but at least one guy looked extremely uncomfortable.

Still, they lasted longer than we did.

[Andrew Fellowes]

Richard Vignoles was for a time responsible as I guess you know for sales to Italian, Spanish & Portuguese customers. I am not sure if he is a member here but he is very much involved with the Historic scene in North & South America. pm or email me if you want contact details.

[r.atlos]

I'd love it if someone could post the front cover of Autosport the week G.R.D was announced.

I could (as I have it on my hard drive) but I do not wish to banned from here ...

It was dated 30/09/1971.

[macoran]

I could (as I have it on my hard drive) but I do not wish to banned from here ...

It was dated 30/09/1971.

Even the statute of limitations have run out on death penalties !!

Edited by macoran, 29 December 2010 - 00:19.

[PeterTRoss]

Barry Boor wrote:

"I'd love it if someone could post the front cover of Autosport the week G.R.D was announced.

We were building our car at the time and there was great hilarity in our workshop when we looked at the photo. They had obviously just been out to buy the white work coats they were wearing because you could still see the creases where they were folded in the packets. Maybe it was our imagination but at least one guy looked extremely uncomfortable."

from front cover Autosport 30/9/71

[Mistron]

completely off topic Peter, but any progress with the clairmonte single seater?

[PeterTRoss]

Ministron on the GRD topic asked: completely off topic Peter, but any progress with the clairmonte single seater?

I have replied to this on the "Restoring the Clairmonte Special" topic. The latest news on the Clairmonte Special itself was contained in an article in the HLR magazine "Historic Lotus" for Autumn 2010, the text of which I have copied on that topic. See http://forums.autosp...p;#entry4771981

The re-creation of the original single seater Lotus Mk VII is really a separate subject, so I will start a new topic called "The 1952 Lotus Mk VII Single Seater F1 car replica". I will try to answer Ministron's question there.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Unless tried , use the "search" button top right to find 3-4 other threads on GRD.

[arttidesco]

The GRD Story

In 1971 Lotus closed down its manufacture of singe seat racing cars for customers, and many of the staff of Lotus Racing found themselves transferred or redundant. Some of their old customers were keen to buy new F3 and F2 cars from them for racing in 1972, and several of the key figures persuaded their old boss Mike Warner to start up a new company to be called Group Racing Developments (or GRD for short) using a Phoenix as their emblem.

For 37 years I have been wondering what 'GRD' stood for

[Bjorn Kjer]

You could have asked ? Happy new year!

[PeterTRoss]

Unless tried , use the "search" button top right to find 3-4 other threads on GRD.

I did try this before starting the topic but with no success. I just tried it again. All I seem to get is a list of topics, none of which includes "GRD" in the title.

Do I have to look at every one of these topics and go through every message to find a reference to GRD, or is there a quicker way?

I am unfamiliar with all the things one can do on this Forum and would welcome some help.

[arttidesco]

You could have asked ? Happy new year!

I am sure I have plenty of other mysteries lurking in the canyons of my mind which will surface in the New Year Bjorn :-) Happy New Year :-)

Peter I only know of the plodding through the search list method here are two I found when I tried it :-

http://forums.autosp...w...=982&hl=GRD

http://forums.autosp...w...7790&hl=GRD

[PeterTRoss]

This is just a test message to see if I am beginning to understand how to send an image using Image Shack.



Alan Jones in a GRD373 wining in the rain at Silverstone on 27th August 1973

[MCS]

This is actually an early season shot - Thruxton - as it appeared as a centre spread in "Competition Car" (I have a signed copy!).

Well done for mastering ImageShack!

Edited by MCS, 04 January 2011 - 20:11.

[MCS]

Edit to previous post (separately posted to bring the topic back to the front page):

Maybe it isn't Thruxton. Peter, have a look at this thread on Autodiva to see what I mean!

http://www.autodiva....p...984&start=0

Also, for Barry Boor, there is a shot of the Autosport cover I think you were referring to elsewhere the other day...

Edited by MCS, 04 January 2011 - 20:46.

[PeterTRoss]

Maybe it isn't Thruxton. Peter, have a look at this thread on Autodiva to see what I mean!

Yes, I got that completely wrong. It was on someone's website and I forgot to check it against the very useful list of F2 and F3 results in http://www.formula2.net/F373_GB9.htm

The image shows him at Snetterton in the rain in a GRD373 where he finished 11th. The race was won by Tony Brise in another GRD373, but later in the seaaon he swapped for a March 733 as did several other prominent GRD drivers.

Tony Brise lost his life in the plane piloted by Graham Hill which crashed in 1975.

Thanks for the tip about Autodiva - a useful source (good job I speak French!).

[MCS]

GRD cloth badge...

[BritishV8]

Cool patch!

---

What's the story of that olive green and mustardy yellow paint scheme, as shown on the Autosport magazine cover, above?

I think Lotus Racing used it on their publicity cars too... one Autosport cover showed a Lotus 61 FF painted like that: "Win this car..."

Is it related to a specific team? Sponsor? Driver?

Here's another G.R.D in the same colors:

G.R.D. "272" (i.e. Formula Two / 1972)

[MCS]

What's the story of that olive green and mustardy yellow paint scheme, as shown on the Autosport magazine cover, above?

I think Lotus Racing used it on their publicity cars too... one Autosport cover showed a Lotus 61 FF painted like that: "Win this car..."

Is it related to a specific team? Sponsor? Driver?

Perhaps somebody had rather a lot of those colours available!

If you look at the step to the transporter, it is the same green and there is something behind the car in the same colour as well

[Stephen W]

What's the story of that olive green and mustardy yellow paint scheme, as shown on the Autosport magazine cover, above?

GRD's take on British Racing Green plus a hint of the team Lotus yellow stripe!

Perhaps somebody had rather a lot of those colours available!

[Allen Brown]

Dave McConnell's colours and probably Jacques Couture's as well but I don't know why.

[Charles E Taylor]

GRD Colours.

These base colours are a Ryland Gell Coat Pigment. Common then and now. Look here


Alan Barrett made the bodywork for the late model Lotus Components/Racing cars as well as the GRD's. He also did the Lotus 72 cladding required by the early deformable structure regulations.

As you have noticed there were quite a few cars of that era from Norfolk that were coloured like this, Perhaps Alan had an excess of this colour.



It is the detail that makes life interesting. The more you look the more you see!




Charlie

[Bloggsworth]

[b]

As you have noticed there were quite a few cars of that era from Norfolk that were coloured like this, Perhaps Alan had an excess of this colour.



Charlie

Nah - That's fenweed green...

[Andrew Kitson]

I think it's all to do with the sadly forgotten...at the new 2011 Snetterton anyway...Jim Russell, now 90 years old. JRRDS used that green colour on their school Lotus 61 wedge cars in 1969...Dave walker and Mo Harness...then Jim had Emerson's F3 type 59 in those colours too from July '69...a car he got through a deal with Mike Warner. Jim wanted to distance himself from Lotus slightly by choosing a different green and I think it stuck with Lotus Components too and on to GRD. Pace's F3 Lotus was also that colour in 1970 until the Team Bardahl yellow scheme came about.

[Allen Brown]

That would make sense Andy. McConnell and Couture ran under the JRRDS Canada banner.

[BritishV8]

It is the detail that makes life interesting. The more you look the more you see!

So true.

Jim wanted to distance himself from Lotus slightly by choosing a different green and I think it stuck...

I believe it. Thank you!

[Wirra]

Dave McConnell in the 1972 Tasman Series

Edited by Wirra, 20 May 2011 - 02:27.

[jhc928]

Perhaps somebody had rather a lot of those colours available!

If you look at the step to the transporter, it is the same green and there is something behind the car in the same colour as well

 

 

Cool patch!

---

What's the story of that olive green and mustardy yellow paint scheme, as shown on the Autosport magazine cover, above?

I think Lotus Racing used it on their publicity cars too... one Autosport cover showed a Lotus 61 FF painted like that: "Win this car..."

Is it related to a specific team? Sponsor? Driver?

Here's another G.R.D in the same colors:

G.R.D. "272" (i.e. Formula Two / 1972)

 

 

GRD's take on British Racing Green plus a hint of the team Lotus yellow stripe!

 

 

GRD Colours.

These base colours are a Ryland Gell Coat Pigment. Common then and now. Look here


Alan Barrett made the bodywork for the late model Lotus Components/Racing cars as well as the GRD's. He also did the Lotus 72 cladding required by the early deformable structure regulations.

As you have noticed there were quite a few cars of that era from Norfolk that were coloured like this, Perhaps Alan had an excess of this colour.



It is the detail that makes life interesting. The more you look the more you see!




Charlie

I was just looking at one of the race cars for sale sites when i came across a GRD for sale, 

Well this spured my memory back to the early 70s when i was using the same workshop that Alan Baratt was in

 Working on the first sets of bodywork for the GRD,  And being in so much trouble as a 17 year old for spraying my Mk1Cortina GT one weekend Goodwood green,

Alan came in Monday and found somehow when he took the body out of the mould the yellow gel had been contaminated with the green spray, I have a feeling that there was no time to put it right ,maybe it was for the racing car show or something,

 

Anyway googling GRD brought me to this forum and then seeing the topic of the green being discussed I thought Shyt mabe it was me !!!! 

 

The workshop was at North Tuddenham Garage near East Dereham