63 replies to this topic

[group7]

Roger, I had no affiliation with those images, happened across them in a search for Henri Greder. didn't realize they had been seen here before.  

 

Michael

[bradbury west]

Michael, I was not being personal. It is just that that vendor seems to have a habit of selling copies of other people's photographs.

What a delight is is to see that BML was sold for a mighty £471,900. Let us hope it was bought by a true enthusiast who recognises it as a true timewarp vehicle, ( all the relevant resto work was sorted out by Mr Sears) embodying a true turning point in part of our sport's history, rather than by some simply rich person who spends a further fortune re "restoring" it to some latter day hot rod just so he can further his ego at the front end of some histeric racing grid. It must be very easy to scratch build a Galaxie for racing .
But then, perhaps I am missing something, other than money. The buyer is of course free to do with as they see fit.
As an aside, it would be fascinating to see the documentation which came with the vehicle, including the original invoice from Ford, I gather.
Roger Lund

[Jeff Weinbren]

What determined whether the car was raced in white with red stripes or red with white stripes? Did Willment have a set team colour scheme for their cars?

Thanks,

Jeff.

Edited by Jeff Weinbren, 05 August 2019 - 18:33.

[pete53]

What determined whether the car was raced in white with red stripes or red with white stripes? Did Willment have a set team colour scheme for their cars?

Thanks,

Jeff.

I also wondered if there was any particular logic used to decide which of the two colour schemes to use on which car. In 1963 when Willment made their first big onslaught on the circuits I am pretty sure all their cars (the Galaxie and Cortinas) were of the predominantly white variety. By 1964 though, some of their cars were appearing in the predominantly red livery e.g. the Cobra Jack Sears drove and, later, the team's Lotus 30, the John Miles Elan , Brian Muir's Galaxie etc. But, from the outside I can't identify there being any pattern to this.

Edited by pete53, 09 August 2019 - 10:36.

[bradbury west]

As a side issue, as I have been fascinated by these original Galaxies since they first appeared, does any one have, or can find, a shot of the Bo Ljungfeldt car on the 63 Tour de France showing it registration plate? Just out of interest....
Roger Lund

[Rupertlt1]

Roger,

 

I have searched!

AFAIK the Galaxie of Bo Ljungfeldt/Butil Renhfeldt (could he be Bertil Rehnfeldt?) started the 1963 TdeF from Strasbourg and completed the first test.

 

"The rally started late on Friday night, and the first hill-climb, the well-known Turckheim-Trois Epis, was attempted in the dark."

Autosport, 20 September 1963, Page 385

 

The car was third in the touring car category, 4 min 19.1 sec; then drops out of sight.

 

The only hope is to find some pictures at scrutineering or the start.

 

BTW conflict here ref Fergus Sager:

 

https://www.ewrc-res...e-1963/1761080/

 

See also:

http://www.motorspor...hp?db=ct&n=1007

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 02 December 2021 - 07:51.

[nexfast]

(could he be Bertil Rehnfeldt?)

 

 

 

Should be. There was a Bertl Rehnfeldt accompanying Ljungfeldt in the Monte Carlo rally in 66. See here:

 

https://www.motorspo...=612&tag=detail

[Rupertlt1]

Ref Kautenbach 28 March 1965 see slideshow:

 

The Galaxie appears at 53 secs - registration OK 4296, possibly OR 4296.

 

RGDS RLT

 

P.S. There were two Ford Galaxies entered at Crystal Palace, Whit Monday 3 June 1963:

#51 John Willment Automobiles Ltd., (driver: J. Sears), Ford Galaxie, White/Red

#52 Sir Gawaine Baillie, Ford Galaxie, White

 

#4 reg QK 4296 appeared in the Motor Six Hours, 6 July 1963:

"I still knew quite a lot of military personnel from my days at the Healeys, amongst whom was a USAF Colonel called Merton Lucia who had a Holman & Moody Galaxie he only used for car club sprints — I persuaded him we could have ourselves a whole bunch of fun at the expense of the Jag-wahs. By race day a good many more Galaxies had been brought over and were entered for the likes of Jack Brabham, Dan Gurney, Sir Gawaine Baillie and Peter Jopp,.."

Spritely Years, John Sprinzel and Tom Coulthard, Page 103.

 

#4 John Sprinzel/Merton Lucia

"5th class, 23rd overall. Road car with full Holman & Moody-prepared engine. Black-flagged once for loose bonnet catch and then again for loose silencer." Was it disqualified?

 

QK is a London temporary import number plate?

 

J. Lucia (#32 Ford Galaxie, QK 4296) finished third in class Heat One, Astley Trophy, at a wet Snetterton, West Essex Car Club, 18 August 1963. Autosport, 23 August 1963, Page 265:

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://www.racingsp...-Lucia-USA.html

 

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 06 December 2021 - 11:34.

[Rupertlt1]

Course de Côte de Kautenbach, 28-3-1965

Notons quil y avait plus de soixante partants à cette course au terme de laquelle un troisième Suisse, Geissmann, s'est classé deuxième de la 7e classe tourisme en 2 . 28 . au volant d'une Ford Galaxie 7 litres.

Le Confédéré, 31 March 1965, Page 6

 

Translation:

Note that there were more than sixty starters in this race at the end of which a third Swiss, Geissmann, was placed second in the 7th touring class in 2. 28. behind the wheel of a Ford Galaxie 7 litres.

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

Could the Swiss driver be Heinz Geissmann?

 

Note the registration in the film is QK 4296 (rear view) at 53 seconds. The Galaxie has acquired a 'Willment' stripe since Brands Hatch and Snetterton? Thus creating a clone? In Luxembourg it has also acquired racing mirrors, side exhaust and lost its radio aerial and (mangled) front registration plate since Snetterton?

 

[Jacky Ickx, le jeune espoir de l'automobilisme belge, remporte une brillante première place en catégorie tourisme, classe 1301 à 1600 ccm. Sur sa Ford Cortina Lotus, il réalise I'excellent temps de 2.14,3 et gagne avec près de 2 secondes d’avance sur son suivant immédiat. Belle perfomance du jeune champion belge ... et nouveau témoignage de la performance totale des Ford !]

 

Die Ergebnisse:

Gruppe 1 und 2 (Voitures de Tourisme de Série et améliorées):

1. Klasse bis zu 700 cm 3: 1. Bohnhorst Dieter (D) BMW 700 S 2’22”.

2. Klasse, 701—850 cm 3: 1. Winkler Georges (D) DKW F 11 2’24”4.

4. Klasse, von 1001—1300 cm 3: 1. Scholz Klaus (D) Austin Cooper S 2.17”.

5. Klasse, von 1301—1600 cm 3: 1. Icks Jacques (B) Lotus Cortina 2'14”3.

6. Klasse, von 1601—2000 cm 3: 1. Müller Marc (L) Volvo 122 S 2’31”1.

7. Klasse, über 2000 cm 3: Wagner Honoré (L) Fiat Coupé S 2’26”3.

Gruppe 3 (Voitures de Grand-Tourisme):

1. Klasse, bis zu 1000 cm 3: 1. Hauser Jean (L) Abarth Bialbero 2’14”4.

2. Klasse, 1001—1600 cm 3: Helmick M. D (USA) Porsche 356 A 2’20”.

4. Klasse: 1601—2000 und über 2000 cm 3: 1. Rudaz Jean-Claude (CH) Abarth 2000 2’03”4.

Gruppe 4 (Voitures de Sports et Prototypes):

1. Klasse: bis zu 1600 cm 3 und 2. Klasse über 2000 cm 3: 1. Scharwarth (D) Porsche 904 2'10”.

Gruppe 5 (Voitures de Course):

1. Koob Nicolas (L) Maserati F. Tasman 1’59”2.

Coupe A.C.L.: Raymond Schweich, Morris Cooper S 2’23”.

Coupe meilleur temps luxembourgeois: Nicolas Koob, Maserati 1’59”2.

Coupe meilleur temps absolu: Nicolas Koob, Maserati 1’59”2.

Meilleur temps „Tourisme“: Icks Jacques, Lotus Cortina 2'14”3.

Meilleur temps „Grand Tourisme“: Rudaz J.-Cl., Abarth 2000 2’03”4.

 

So where exactly was BML 9A in the spring of 1965 — any known sightings in southern Africa?

I can't find any pics of BML 9A fitted with wing mirrors?

QK 4296 would appear to be a red herring?

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 06 December 2021 - 11:36.

[Rupertlt1]

I always assumed the '64 car was the same as the '63 car and that Willment had only the one Galaxie at the time - they did run a Galaxie for Brian Muir in 1966 but I believe that was a different car altogether.

 

Photographs taken from both the 1963 and 1964 season show the car with the same registration number - BML 9A.

 

An article in the 27 Dec 1963 edition of Autosport refers to John Whitmore driving "the" Willment Galaxie in Rhodesia. I assume the use of "the" rather than "a" suggests that there was just the one car. However, later in the article Willment's plans for 1964 are discussed and it mentions the intention to run two large American Fords. That certainly never happened as it was just the single Galaxie that ran in the BTCC in 1964.

 

So, Doug, I think it is very likely that it was the same car.

 

Sir John Whitmore, #41 Willment Ford Galaxie, entered at the Fourth Rhodesian Grand Prix, James McNeillie Circuit, Kumalo, Bulawayo, 1st December 1963. Any sightings of this car in 1964 and 1965?

 

"In South Africa, incidentally, the team's Galaxie won the two races in which it ran at the Rhodesian G.P. meeting earlier this month;"

Autocar, 27 December 1963, Page 1248

 

(Rand G.P., 14 Dec 1963, Carburol Touring Car Race, 20 laps, Bob Olthoff DNF, L13 fan belt — Autosport, 27 December 1963, Page 871; Natal G.P., 21 Dec 1963; South African Grand Prix, East London, 28 December 1963.)

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 December 2021 - 19:51.

[bradbury west]

I see that  the Willment  Galaxie is on the market again,  via a French sales website.

Roger Lund

[Rupertlt1]

To summarise information given above:

Jack Sears drove the Willment Galaxie, BML 9A, at Zolder, 9 May 1964

https://library.revs...t-zolder/358643

(This puts the car in Europe in the spring of 1964, presumably returned from southern Africa.)

Also here at Silverstone, 2 May 1964:

https://library.revs...l-trophy/417081 

The Swiss driver Geissmann drove a Ford Galaxie, QK 4296, ex-Merton Lucia, at the Course de Côte de Kautenbach, 28 March 1965

https://library.revs...org/ford/345823

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 04 August 2022 - 09:56.

[d j fox]

As mentioned by Bradbury West

 

FORD GALAXIE R-CODE - Classic Racing Annonces (classic-racing-annonces.fr)

 

Scroll down for translation .

[Myhinpaa]

On the seller's own website, Mike van Thiel: https://machineswith...-galaxie-r-code