5 replies to this topic

[discovery]

Can anyone tell me more and what became of  the 3 x Mathwall prepared BMW 3.0 Si  that Tony Lanfranchi drove and managed for Dealer Team BMW during 1973 ?  Roger Bell ( Motor Magazines Editor ) also drove his Rothmans liveried one.

 

All 3 cars took part in that years Avon Motor Tour Of Britain and were Hot favorites to win, but i believe all 3 lost their exhausts at the rough Llandow stage and picked up too many penalty points. They also were raced through 73 in the Castrol Saloon car series winning i believe the over 3,000cc title.

 

Late that year the cars were advertised by Tony in Autosport Magazine as race ready to win.

Several 3.0Si  took part in the 74 Avon Tour and could well be these cars.

Any info much appreciated.

[Perruqueporte]

I can tell you a bit about one of the cars, which was sponsored by Aramis and which was driven that year by Donald MacLeod when his FF1600 schedule would permit (that was the year when he won the Formula Ford championship and the Festival driving, first, his and his brother's Merlyn 11A and, later in the season, the very first Van Diemen - the FA73). Of the three BMW's, two carried one livery (Rothmans or Aramis) and the third car the other. Donald MacLeod's day job at the time was as a zone sales manager at BMW GB, hence his drives in the 3.0Si.

These were tremendous cars on the road and, in Group 1 spec for racing. They were however, a bit unbalanced in terms of weight distribution for racing, needing more in the rear. The regulations at the time forbad ballast, however on reading the Blue Book which stated that cars must carry an inflated spare wheel as fitted originally, Tony Lanfranchi realised that the book did not specify with what the spare should be inflated. A heavier alternative was tried (lead or concrete) and found to correct the imbalance. The only give-away to the keen-eyed, was that the floors supporting the spare wheels distorted somewhat!

The car which Donald MacLeod drove, was used on one occasion during that season for an Aramis promotion at Barkers department store in Kensington High Street. I was working for a BMW dealer at that time, and was told to go to Barkers to mind the car, which was when Donald and I met (we remain friends to this day). That particular car was damaged by fire during a race at Oulton with MacLeod at the wheel; if I remember rightly it flipped for some reason. Those who witnessed the incident said that the driver's exit from the burning car was extremely rapid - Donald afterwards said that it felt as if it was taking an age to get out. The car was repaired in time for the next meeting.

I never drove the Aramis car on the road, but did have a very good 3.0Si to use for a while, which had been taken in part-exchange for a new 2002Tii from the actor Michael Crawford. On one occasion my Si and the Aramis car engaged in friendly competition somewhere in West London one evening after a good meal, and it was obvious that there was very little in it between the two. These were great cars straight out of the box. It would be great to drive one today.

Christopher W.

[alansart]

Roger Bell at Knebworth Park 1973 during the Avon Tour.

 

[discovery]

Thanks for the replys, much appreciated and both very interesting.  But  where are the 3 cars now ?

[SWD]

the ex Tony Lanfranchi car (or a fascimile of it - I did not get the chance to ask) was at Goodwood yesterday, looked and sounded superb

[Rupertlt1]

See: https://forums.autos.../#entry10467259

 

RGDS RLT