11 replies to this topic

[vekspeed]

Does anyone know what car this is? It's been troubling me for nearly 25 years!

 

The photos were taken in early 1989, at the 'Ford on show' event at a camp in British Forces Germany. The obvious answer is that it's a Benetton B187..... but its not! Ive tried comparing it with other possibilites (Toleman TG185, Benetton B186, Haas Lola's) without any luck. Is it just a show car?

 

So over to you....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin

Edited by vekspeed, 12 December 2013 - 09:50.

[funformula]

The lines of the car from the roll-hoop backwards is very much like a Toleman from 1985 while the front of the car is very similar to the Force/Beatrice Lola from 1985.

The view inside the cockpit, especially the side of the monocoque suggests that the monocoque might be made of glassfibre not carbon because the surface doesn´t show the woven lines of proper carbon fibre layers, more the multi-direction lines of glassfibre repair layers.

Benetton had some showcars built for display purposes so this one might be one of them. The connection Beatrice Lola / Benetton is not too far, because both were Ford sponsored/powered teams back then.

[Peter Morley]

It looks like the car that ended up on the wall of a UK nightclub.

Lola THL2 made to look like a Benetton, presumably after Benetton had taken over the Ford/Cosworth TEC engine deal from Haas.

 

I would post pictures but the new style forum doesn't seem keen to accept them...

Edited by Peter Morley, 12 December 2013 - 10:53.

[arttidesco]

It looks like the car that ended up on the wall of a UK nightclub.

Lola THL2 made to look like a Benetton, presumably after Benetton had taken over the Ford/Cosworth TEC engine deal from Haas.

 

I would post pictures but the new style forum doesn't seem keen to accept them...

 

Here is a link to a pic of a THL2

[Peter Morley]

So doing this from another computer that isn't using IE... (e.g. someone plese sort your forum out)

Photos of the ex-nightclub THL2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Peter Morley, 12 December 2013 - 13:35.

[funformula]

Here is a link to a pic of a THL2

Some more pictures here: http://www.gurneyfla...mule180's2.html

 

It seems the "Benetton" really was a race used Beatrice Lola THL2 not only a show car.

Many similarities especially in the cockpit pictures.

[arttidesco]

So doing this from another computer that isn't using IE... (e.g. someone plese sort your forum out)

Photos of the ex-nightclub THL2

 

Does it have all the chips and computers needed to turn it in to a runner ?

[Peter Morley]

 

So doing this from another computer that isn't using IE... (e.g. someone plese sort your forum out)
Photos of the ex-nightclub THL2
 
Does it have all the chips and computers needed to turn it in to a runner ?

 

It looks like it was missing some of the wiring and presumably ECUs, but that isn't really a problem.

Fitting a modern programmable ECU is the way to go - much cheaper (1500 quid for the box but 5 grand to wire it up!) and works much better, starts like a road car and drives down the pit lane like one with whatever power you want available when you leave the pit lane.

 

But iirc didn't Ford advertise that the F1 car used the same ECU as their production cars - or was that the later HB engines?

 

I think it has joined some other Beatrice Lolas with the guy who bought them and the container loads of spares from Don Wood which would make sense because it presumably needs the right bodywork to match up to the radiators, air intakes etc.

[vekspeed]

That's the mystery solved then, I had suspicions that it was a FORCE car (because of the Ford V6 link ) but the area around the roll hoop was confusing me!

 

Thanks all!

[ghinzani]

Remind me because my memory is fading but didnt Bernie buy the Force Lola factory etc off of Haas at the end of 86 in the hope of getting the Ford V6 engines? Presumably he didnt get the stock of cars with that then, they must have remained with Ford and been passed to Ben Elton.

[Supersox]

I'm sure there were some at Biggin last time I went there

[Peter Morley]

There is a connection between Bernie and Benetton getting the Ford TEC engines, no idea of the details but buying out Force and selling the engine contract to Benetton sounds about right.

I think that Don Wood acquired all the cars & spares that Bernie had, but not sure if they came from Bernie (more likely) or Ben Elton (Renault sold what they had to Matthew Mortlock when they took over).

Chances are Benetton didn't want everything and what they didn't use was left at Biggin Hill until Don Wood bought the lot.

 

I assume it is sometime since Supersox saw them at Biggin?

Or did Bernie keep some of the cars when the spares went?