Advice required please.
At a swapmeet I bought a racing car trailer at a price I couldn't resist, then on another stall I found a Lotus Super Seven also very affordable. After some work with a paintbrush I now have a typical club racer's set up. I am now looking for as a tow car to complete the ensemble - also from the bargain bin. My hypothetical racer needs a car he can use for going to work in the week and heading for Brands, Snetterton etc at weekends. He hasn't much spare money as the Lotus takes it all. So what might he have chosen? Cheap, reliable, powerful enough to pull a trailer, etc. A van would be the sensible choice, but the "paddock" shelf in my cabinet already has a Castrol Ford Transit and the Austin J8 used by Denis Jenkinson and Eric Oliver, so I really want a saloon car or estate.
Any suggestions?

Towcars
#1
Posted 04 May 2019 - 18:09
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#2
Posted 04 May 2019 - 18:22
#3
Posted 04 May 2019 - 20:48
How about a Ford Zephyr or Zodiac? Either the Mk 2 or Mk 3. If it's a Mk2 it should of course be two-tone, with a sun visor. Bags of power - although as they were Dagenham dustbins, you should paint in the odd rust streak and one of the windows should be stuck part-open ...
Or maybe an FD Series Vauxhall Victor? That came in a 3.3 litre version, with the engine from the Cresta, so could pull just about anything (assuming the subframe hadn't rusted out and parted company with the tow hook!)
Both would also have plenty of boot space in which to stash tools and any other requirements; tent, primus stove, sleeping bag ...
#4
Posted 05 May 2019 - 07:15
#5
Posted 05 May 2019 - 12:47
What era are you targeting ?
In the early 60's, early swb Land Rovers seemed popular tow vehicles, with lots of flexibility for other uses on weekends in between races. You could probably get a cheap one from Corgi:
http://mydadsphotos....g/T_A010_20.jpg
I know you said you didn't want a van, but in the early 1960's, Lotus also had a Thames van which has been modeled by Oxford DIecast if you wanted your "Seven" to be a factory car:
https://www.oxforddi...-lotus-43fde017
In 1965, the Triumph team used a 2000 as a tow car for their Le Mans entry. Vanguards have done the Triumph:
http://lemans-histor...965/1965_53.jpg
Does it have to be British ? The Belgian VDS team used a pair of Citroen DS Safari's as their tow vehicles in 1968. There are quite a few options from both Rio and several part-works series:
https://i62.servimg....74/arrivy10.jpg