43 replies to this topic

[oldtransamdriver]

Was surprised to see this beautifully restored (by Adrian Ratcliff) racer listed on the Vancouver BC craigslist Sept. 25. This car was on display at the VRCBC HMR in 2010. Not sure if this car has been out for a recent test run. I remember some of those USRRC races in the mid-sixties and probably did see it run then.

Robert Barg

[E1pix]

I must have seen this car run when I was 5 or 6. Augie Pabst lived a mile from us for 10 years of my childhood.

I see him listed in the below link, but who won the '66 title? Chuck Parsons?

http://vancouver.kij...QAdIdZ289767358

Lovely resto I am sure.

[raceannouncer2003]

I see him listed in the below link, but who won the '66 title? Chuck Parsons?

Yes, he did. He raced the Genie in 1965 and for the first half of 1966. Then he switched to a McLaren.

Vince H.

[E1pix]

Yes, he did. He raced the Genie in 1965 and for the first half of 1966. Then he switched to a McLaren.

Vince H.

Thank You, Vince.

It sounds like Chuck may have been out of the Genie by the Road America round I attended in '66. I recall the Simoniz Lolas with Chuck and Skip Scott, before then it's a bit gray.

[RA Historian]

I must have seen this car run when I was 5 or 6. Augie Pabst lived a mile from us for 10 years of my childhood.

Yes, he (Parsons) did. He raced the Genie in 1965 and for the first half of 1966. Then he switched to a McLaren.
Vince H.

It sounds like Chuck may have been out of the Genie by the Road America round I attended in '66. I recall the Simoniz Lolas with Chuck and Skip Scott, before then it's a bit gray.

This particular Genie was purchased in 1964 by the Mecom Racing Team. As far as I know, they raced it but twice. That was the 1964 Riverside Times GP and the 1964 Laguna Seca Monterey GP fall pro races. The driver in both races was Augie Pabst. These two races are the only times that Augie drove this car.

The car was sold by Mecom to Chuck Parsons, as Vince points out. Chuck switched to a McLaren half way through the 1966 USRRC season, and won the 1966 Road America 500 that September driving the McLaren solo.

As an aside; there never officially was anything named a "Huffaker Genie". The cars were built in Joe Huffaker's shop for Kjell Qvale and his British Motor Cars Distributors operation operating out of San Francisco. Officially, the cars were designated as, and for at least a while carried a badge as such, BMCs. The BMC cars started out as Formula Juniors (Mk. I, II, III) then moved into the small, then big sports racers. The sports racers were officially BMC Genies. The 1963 car was the Mk 8, while the 1964-65 car was the Mk 10. Popular usage dropped the BMC nomenclature, the big V-8 powered cars were known simply as Genies, either Mk 8 or Mk 10. Just a peeve of mine; the cars were not Huffakers or Huffaker Genies, just as the All American Racers Eagles were not 'Gurney Eagles' and to illustrate the point, Lotus cars were not known as 'Chapman Lotus'.

The Simoniz Lolas of Parsons and Scott were T-70s raced in 1968 for Carl Haas. For that year's Can Am Parsons was in a T-160 while Scott ran a T-70 until Haas got a second T-160.

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 30 September 2011 - 14:49.

[David Birchall]

Tom, presumably nobody wanted to give the impression the cars were powered by Morris Minor engines!

Adrian is a close friend-I dunno why he would advertise it on Craigslist-I will ask him and report back... He was a professional body man for many years-learned his trade in Adelaide and did a magnificent job of restoring the Genie originally intending to race it himself. With advancing years and marginal eye sight he decided that was not a good idea.

[motorsporthistoryaddict]

This particular Genie was purchased in 1964 by the Mecom Racing Team. As far as I know, they raced it but twice. That was the 1964 Riverside Times GP and the 1964 Laguna Seca Monterey GP fall pro races. The driver in both races was Augie Pabst. These two races are the only times that Augie drove this car.

Tom

MRT also ran a Genie for Paul Goldsmith in the 1964 Nassau Governor's Trophy, which I figure must have been another entry for this car while it was owned by them. Result: DNF. http://wsrp.ic.cz/nassau1964.html.

[RA Historian]

Thanks. The cover of Terry O'Neill's book on Nassau shows this car, as I recall. I should have put two and two together and credited this car with Nassau as well as Riverside and Laguna Seca. Guess I was focusing on Augie's two rides in the car.
Tom

[Sisyphus]

Who did the body design for the Genie Mk 8 and 10? Really a beautiful design, IMHO.

[E1pix]

The Simoniz Lolas of Parsons and Scott were T-70s raced in 1968 for Carl Haas. For that year's Can Am Parsons was in a T-160 while Scott ran a T-70 until Haas got a second T-160.

Thanks, RA, looks like my memories developed at 8!

[David Birchall]

The Genie's owner/restorer, Adrian Ratcliff, came over for dinner the other night and he has sent me some more photos of the car-it really is quite beautiful:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Edited by David Birchall, 04 October 2011 - 04:35.

[arttidesco]

Since this thread mentions both Mk8 and Mk 10 BMC Genies I wonder if any one can help me clear up which Mk Simon Hadfields Genie is ?

 

Last time I saw it at the Autosport International it was displayed with a sign suggesting it was originally built in 1964 which per Tom's #5 post above suggests Mk 10 while the car was listed in the Goodwood Programme as a Mk 8 ?

[raceannouncer2003]

Since this thread mentions both Mk8 and Mk 10 BMC Genies I wonder if any one can help me clear up which Mk Simon Hadfields Genie is ?

 

Last time I saw it at the Autosport International it was displayed with a sign suggesting it was originally built in 1964 which per Tom's #5 post above suggests Mk 10 while the car was listed in the Goodwood Programme as a Mk 8 ?

 

This is apparently the Don Skogmo car.  More info here:

 

http://www.simonhadf...m/Cars-For-Sale

 

http://www.racingspo...4-08-09-031.jpg

 

Perhaps Skogmo's car was a "late" Mk. 8, before they started making the Mk 10s.

 

Vince H.

[oldtransamdriver]

Adrian told me his Genie has now been sold but gave no details.

 

Robert Barg

[arttidesco]

Thanks Vince

[raceannouncer2003]

Adrian told me his Genie has now been sold but gave no details.

 

Robert Barg

 

It is now owned by Mac McGarry of Walnut Creek, California.  It was entered at Monterey.  It is the third car in this link:

 

http://www.sportscar...hoto-gallery/4/

 

Vince H.

[Simon Hadfield]

The Simon Hadfield Genie actually belongs to Pierre Tonetti, it was Don Skogmo's as mentioned above and was bought by Don in winter 1963/4 and is a Mk 8.  In late 65 we believe he had the car updated to a Mk 10 body and wheels, but retaining the original Mk8 chassis. This was to accompany the upgrade in engine, the car having a Ford, Oldsmobile and Chevrolet along its life with Don.  In late 1966 he took delivery of a new Lola T70 to replace the Genie and sadly lost his life in his first outing in that car. As the chassis number is "Skogmo" we wonder if he actually built the car himself from a kit?  

[RA Historian]

. As the chassis number is "Skogmo" we wonder if he actually built the car himself from a kit?  

I understand that to be the case. BMC not only built complete Genies for sale, but also sold kits. I believe that Scotty Beckett, Skogmo's chief wrench, built Don's car from such a kit. I also believe that these kit Genies did not have a regular BMC chassis number, so it is more than just the 'Skogmo' car that is not properly designated with a works number.

 

Incidentally, Don's fatal crash did not take place in his first outing in his new Lola T-70. He was 11th at the Mid Ohio USRRC in the Lola a week earlier.

 

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 05 September 2014 - 13:36.

[elansprint72]

 

Oulton Park Gold Cup August 2014. I wondered why I had never seen one of these before, then I looked it up on the web!

This one made all the right noises but was somewhat outpaced in what was a fairly lightweight Guards Trophy Sports Racer class.

Edited by elansprint72, 04 September 2014 - 18:44.

[TerryS]

There is a Huffaker Genie Mk 10 for sale at Fantasy Junction dealership in California.

 

It has been for sale for some time, which may reflect its pricing.

 

It was originally offered in September 2014 at USD 149,500. When it didn't sell within a month, the price was changed to USD 175,000.

 

Now in March 2016 the price has been changed to USD 149,500.

 

If you go down the photos on the right side there are lots and lots of beaut detailed photos.

 

Go to http://fantasyjunction.com  then to page 3 of their inventory. It is under Genie.

[RA Historian]

Genie race cars were never badged "Huffaker".

[TerryS]

The most famous Huffaker Genie Mk 10 was that owned by Dan Blocker. He played the big "Hoss" Cartwright in the US western series BONANZA which ran from 1959 to 1972. It is still on pay TV in Australia every weekday afternoon at 4pm.

He bought the car for the 1966 USRRC and had John Cannon drive it. Blocker died in 1972 at only 43 from complications with gall bladder surgery.

The car was an unusual/distinctive green. It graced the June 1966 cover of Sports Car Graphic magazine.

Under the rear spoiler was a wonderful sign "Pure Hoss Power"

Attached is a great article on the team and car, and story of Cannon who went on to be a great F5000 driver.
It includes some wonderful photos.

https://primotipo.co...annons-bonanza/

[RA Historian]

see post 21

[TerryS]

Here are many marvellous photos of Huffaker Genies

https://www.google.c...KHWdNCB8QsAQIJw

[raceannouncer2003]

I think he's ignoring you, Tom. 

 

Vince H.

[TerryS]

I have never disputed that the cars are "Genie"

If you look at the pictures I attached to my post #20, there is one showing very clearly the chassis plate. It describes the car as "BMC GENIE".

Its all about popular usage over legalese. You use what is popular usage so you are understood by most people.

If you Google "Genie" you will get NOTHING about cars.

If you Google "Huffaker Genie" it brings up literally hundreds of sites on these cars.

Brabham was a good example of this. He was officially "John" but everyone called him "Jack". Was this wrong?

Take Niki Lauda. He was officially "Andreas Nikolaus Lauda" but everyone called him "Niki". Was this wrong?

Take my own name. Officially I am "Terence" but have always been known as "Terry". Should I only use Terence?

[RA Historian]

Use whatever name for yourself that you wish. When it comes to cars, I admit to having my anorak laced up tight. As a writer and historian, I always try to get the names correct. As you point out, the formal name for all the cars built in the 1960s by Kjell Qvale's company is "BMC". The Genie sub name was attached to the sports racers. The 1964 era Indy car was the BMC Mk IX, not a "Huffaker".

 

Another car which falls into the frequently mis-named category is Eagle. There is no such thing as a "Gurney Eagle", any more than there was a "Chapman Lotus" or a "Nichols Shadow". Picky perhaps, but I admit it.

[ensign14]

The trouble with Eagle is I can think of two non-Gurney Eagles that had a go at racing - Paul Canary's and the Cropduster - as well as the Eagle Speedster EE, and probably some other racing Eagles as well (was there a Goodyear Eagle?).  I'm surprised Dan didn't stop at least the other racing Eagles from using his intellectual property.

[RA Historian]

The trouble with Eagle is I can think of two non-Gurney Eagles that had a go at racing - Paul Canary's and the Cropduster - as well as the Eagle Speedster EE, and probably some other racing Eagles as well (was there a Goodyear Eagle?).  I'm surprised Dan didn't stop at least the other racing Eagles from using his intellectual property.

I don't think that those obscure cars posed much of a threat to AAR.  Goodyear Eagle was a tire.

[TerryS]

Somewhat surprised to see the Huffaker Genie Mk 10 is still unsold by Fantasy Junction after 15 months.

The price has now been reduced by further USD 10,000 to USD 139,500.

http://www.fantasyju...olet 8-Cylinder

[RA Historian]

Call me a purist,---well I am--- but it just grinds me to see race cars given names that they never
carried. Genie race cars were never badged "Huffaker". Eagles were never badged "Gurney". That is
just the same as "Chapman Lotus" or "Nichols Shadow". Never were.

[SJ Lambert]

I must admit that as far as giving a vehicle an incorrect moniker, the one that always makes my hackles rise, involuntarily, rightly or wrongly is when some one calls a Benz a Merc, 'cause I was taught from a young age that vehicles like the Monterey belonged in the "Merc" subset and that a  Mercedes Benz didn't!!!!

 

Granted, there's a lot of folk around here that would never make the connection,................

[TerryS]

I see that the Huffaker Genie Mk 10 is still for sale by Fantasy Junction.

http://www.fantasyju...olet 8-Cylinder

The asking price has come down by a further USD 15K to USD 125K. It is down USD 50K from its highest price.

Seems such a very nice car and you would think good value at 125K.

[E1pix]

I think he's ignoring you, Tom.

Vince H.

And apparently, still is.

Perhaps history should follow the lead and start referring to M1s through M8Ds as "McLaren McLarens."

[Sisyphus]

Is the rear body work on the Fantasy Junction Mk 10 correct?  I remember at least the Mk 8 have a bigger, more chopped off Kamm design rear (like a Lotus 19) than the body work on this car, although most of the photos I've seen of the Mk 10 are from the front.

[raceannouncer2003]

I believe the rear body work on the Fantasy Junction Mk 10 is correct.  It was more rounded than the Mk 8.  However, apparently some Mk 10 owners "chopped off" the rear somewhat after they got them.

 

I have attached, in two parts, the Sports Car Graphic cutaway:

 

 

Vince H.

Edited by raceannouncer2003, 18 February 2017 - 06:56.

[Sisyphus]

Thanks for posting the cutaway, Vince.  I have most SCG's from that period but not that one.

[TerryS]

Here is another ad for a Huffaker Genie, this time a MK12.

https://racecarsdire...nie-mk12-can-am

The reason for posting is that it includes history of Joe Huffaker in race car building.

[StanBarrett2]

Here is the 'Huffaker' Genie Mk10 cutaway spliced.

 

macoran

 

edit to add: Bob Temple drawing of the Genie Mk4

Edited by StanBarrett2, 12 October 2017 - 21:19.

[TerryS]

There is another Huffaker Mk10 available for sale, as attached

https://racecarsdire...aker-genie-mk10

At GBP 140,000 this is about USD 185,000.

The one I noted above has been for sale since September 2014, that is about three and a half years.

And it is only USD125,000. Makes it hard to see how this latest will sell.

[TerryS]

I see a recent ad for a Huffaker Genie Mk10.

There is practically no details, just a few photos.

https://racecarsdire...0-price-reduced

This car seems to have an identity problem, in my humble opinion.

See this ad for a Huffaker Genie Mk12 which was sold.

https://girardo.com/...ie-mk12-can-am/

The photos seem to my eye to be the same.

So can a Mk12 become a Mk10? Interesting

[AJB]

Somewhat surprised to see the Huffaker Genie Mk 10 is still unsold by Fantasy Junction after 15 months.

The price has now been reduced by further USD 10,000 to USD 139,500.

http://www.fantasyju...olet 8-Cylinder

To save you trawling through the pages, here's a direct link to the photos:-

 

https://www.fantasyj...ie-mk-10/photos

[raceannouncer2003]

Quote:

 

 "I see a recent ad for a Huffaker Genie Mk10.

There is practically no details, just a few photos.

https://racecarsdire...0-price-reduced

This car seems to have an identity problem, in my humble opinion.

See this ad for a Huffaker Genie Mk12 which was sold.

https://girardo.com/...ie-mk12-can-am/

The photos seem to my eye to be the same.

So can a Mk12 become a Mk10? Interesting"

 

 

 

Yes, same car in both ads.  It was built by Vancouver racer Jim Rattenbury.  He ordered the Genie but Huffaker was busy with Indy, so Jim got the pieces and built it himself.  He had a bad crash in it in 1966, which ended his car racing career.  He rebuilt it and it went through other owners who raced it locally.  Mike Barbour raced it in some Can Am races in 1970.

 

I recently found all the previous local owners and have put them in touch with the present owner in Denmark.  They'll be interested to see it is for sale.

 

It has been variously referred to as the Rattenbury Mk 4/Genie Mk 12/Genie Mk. 10.

 

Vince H.

Edited by raceannouncer2003, 29 May 2019 - 06:06.

[RA Historian]

As I understand it, BMC sold Genies in kit form in addition to complete cars. Hence, tracking is difficult, with probably more cars out there without serial numbers as those built with tthem.

 

BTW, the cars are not "Huffakers". Never titled as such. Built by British Motor Cars of San Francisco, owned by Kjell Qvale. The were named BMC, with the sports racers sub-named Genies. I would post an official release from BMC here about that, but never have figured out how to do that!

 

Tom