38 replies to this topic

[SJ Lambert]

This stunningly beautiful car is now owned by Trevor Simpson - photos taken at the Winton Festival of Speed, August, 2017.

 

 

Trevor can be seen here holding the refueling hose.

[SJ Lambert]

Damn, mis-spelt Charles Vogele ;(

[Tim Murray]

Sorted

[Tim Murray]

... and here's the Brabham BT23B page on the ORC site which details the car's history:

http://www.oldracing.../brabham/bt23b/

[SJ Lambert]

[Ray Bell]

What is the cable setup to the loud pedal?

Possibly an emergency protection in the event of the throttles sticking open?

[SJ Lambert]

I think it's a realignment apparatus

[Ray Bell]

Yes, I'm looking at it with the wrong perspective...

It allows a greater range of throttle movement, perhaps with some adjustability.

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[SJ Lambert]

[TerryS]

With all those beautiful close up shots isn't. It a pity you did not take a photo of the chassis plate so one could see if it is BT23B-3 or BT 23B-2?

[SJ Lambert]

The plate says BT 23B-2

[The Mountaineer]

I think it's about time to rectify some of  Bonhams' parts of BT23-2's history.

 

But first, let me ask you a question. Does anyone know the exact date of delivery of BT23-2 in spring 1967?

 

And now the history: Let's start with a look at Charles Vögele's situation in October 1967. He was completely fed up with motor racing because for him everything went the wrong way. He had a bad racing season in 1967, his longtime fight to bring back circuit racing to Switzerland seemed (and is still) hopeless and our sports authorities did nothing at all to give him some help. So he decided to get rid of everything, as quickly as possible. Even his Racing Corners - the place where I bought my first helmet back in 1966 - in his bigger shops were liquidated practically overnight . So why should he keep BT23-2, his most troublesome car in his career except maybe for the Lotus 12 at his beginnings ?

 

And BT23-2 itself did make a few marks between 1968 and 1972. In that Sbarro biography written by a French-Canadian author there is a picture with Mr and Mrs Sbarro and BT23-2, now fitted with a 1600 Ford/Lotus Twin Cam. There is no exact date, but from the text we can assume that it is from 1968.

 

Then there is a gap until  mid-1971, when Frenchman Jean-Charles Jacob entered the car for the Urcy hillclimb on August 29th. He had bought the car from Sbarro, still in Vögele livery but Twin Cam engined, and used it for a few times until early 1972. Then he reportedly brought it back to Sbarro's workshop and traded it in for a BT23 (?) rolling chassis in which he installed a V8 of US origins. BT23-2 seems to have been used then by Sbarro's about 16 years old client Fred Rosterg at Switzerlands mini-circuit of Lignières in licence-free clubbies. At a racing car show in Neuchâtel at the end of 1972 the car was exhibited by Franco Sbarro.

 

A picture from Urcy is known, but there is heavy copyright on it.

 

Then, Bonhams' famous "Mr. Bothone" entered the scene. In reality, his name was Rino Botteon and he was the owner of a small garage in the Berne area, mostly dealing with Lotus and other exotic sports cars. He must have bought the car at the very end of 1972 or in 1973. From then on I think the Bonhams history is accurate again.     

[SJ Lambert]

I haven't read the Bonhams history - but am told (I think, but at a race meeting with shrieking motors my hearing is sorely tested) that the car was intended for Frank Gardiner as a Tasman car, but those plans were abandoned when it was realised that the Climax motor was not going to be competitive, so off to Switzerland for you my lovely!!

[SJ Lambert]

Here's the link to the Bonhams history

https://www.bonhams..../15342/lot/369/

[Ray Bell]

It's only a gut feeling, I guess...

But I suspect that Frank Gardner story doesn't have much veracity in it. If the car was delivered to Vogele in Spring of 1967, the Mildren team would have only just been digesting the futility of their BT16-based Tasman Cup series and not yet ready to commit to anything.

Most likely Alec was heavily into discussions with Alfa Romeo about engines while possibly also asking questions at Repco.

[SJ Lambert]

That makes sense Mildrens could have been pretty busy behind the scenes at around that time - it was about that time that Kevin Bartlett was testing the prototype Elfin 300 for the Mildren Team's Sports Car program!

[Andrew Fellowes]

Maybe this will help you guys,

 

http://www.oldracing.../brabham/bt23b/

 

Trevor was very kind and let me do a couple of laps, it is quite different to drive to a BT23 or BT23C on a circuit. 

[Tim Murray]

See post 4, Andrew.

[Andrew Fellowes]

Ooops, thanks Tim I should have read it all a bit slower! 

[RonPohl]

Beautiful!  thanks for posting.

[E1pix]

+1, lovely.

[SJ Lambert]

It was a challenge to control it in the abscence of genuine wets when the track was in monsoon mode - though I haven't seen detail period shots it is certainly presented in a very pleasing fashion that feels appropriate as far as I'm concerned.

Interestingly, I found a photo of the original owner in his previous Brabham in a Sports Car Graphic a week or two ago!

[The Mountaineer]

Oops! There is an error in my post 27 on this topic.

 

It was in 1968 (not 1967) when Vögele ended his motor racing activities. BT 23-2 appeared once in 1968, at a Swiss Championship meeting at Hockenheim on 09/06. The car ran in practice but was DNS for the race. Sorry for that and thanks to Beat Schenker for correcting me.