31 replies to this topic

[Michael Oliver]

In DCN's book, Theme Lotus, it mentions that one of the Parnell Racing Lotus 25s, chassis R7, went (it implies on loan) in 1966 to John Campbell-Jones for the Emery-Godiva Climax FPE engine, which had been bored out to 3-litres, to be fitted to it. I have been looking for evidence to support this but so far have drawn a blank. Can anyone help with any sources for this story please? I should say that I have spoken to John Campbell-Jones and, quite understandably, he doesn't remember after all these years and he did race quite a few different cars, among them several different Lotus Formula 1 cars.

 

What I do know is that The Emery Godiva Climax FPE engine was fitted to a BRP chassis (BRP-2-64), which I suppose in some ways bears a lot of similarities to a Lotus 25, for the Oulton Park Gold Cup on September 17th 1966. It did race but not for long and, at the time of the event, Willment (who were the car's entrant) was already advertising it for sale, with or without engine and gearbox, although no mention is made of the FPE engine being available, presumably because it wasn't theirs to sell. The thread "Coventry Climax FWMV V8 engines; fascinating facts", posts 49 & 50, confirm that the FPE engines were actually owned by Andrew Getley, although the work on them/it (maybe only one was converted to 3-litres) had been done by Paul Emery.

 

The only thing close that I have found so far is in Autosport's preview of the International Trophy meeting in May 1966 (AS 13/05/66 p763), in which it reports that "Trevor Taylor will be in the Paul Emery Lotus-Coventry Climax: this 3-litre machine has a V8 engine based on the unraced Godiva of several years back." Now the term "the Paul Emery Lotus-Coventry Climax" seems to imply a car that readers would have been familiar with at that point but I have just spent a long time going through every edition of Autosport since the beginning of 1966 and there had been no mention in the magazine of this car up to this point. When it comes to the report of the race in the following week's issue (AS 20/05/66 p826-9), it just says that "Trevor Taylor's Emery Lotus failed to materialize..."

 

Fast forward to Autosport 01/07/66 p15 and we find some photos of Formula 1 cars testing at Silverstone with the following caption: "Trevor Taylor was also present trying the Formula 1 Shannon. The Shannon's power unit is the Coventry Climax Godiva V8 engine that was originally intended for the 2.5-litre formula. It is now modified to 3 litres." There are two photos, one of Taylor on-track in the car and close-up of the engine, taken in the paddock. Once again, we have "the Formula 1 Shannon" as if we are all wholly familiar with it, yet it doesn't appear to have been mentioned in any previous 1966 edition of the magazine. And no mention of the 'Emery Lotus' or what has happened to it, if it did exist at all!

 

In the preview for the British Grand Prix (AS 15/07/66 p96-7), it just lists Trevor Taylor, number 23 (3.0 Shannon-Emery-CC). In the race report (AS 22/07/66 p152-7), the only mention of the Shannon is that in practice "Trevor Taylor found that the exhaust pipes on the V8 Shannon kept bottoming..." and then, talking about the race "Trevor Taylor's Shannon was in trouble before the preliminary session [the recce laps] ended" and "Trevor Taylor's race didn't last long, for the V8 Shannon stopped near South Bend with a split petrol tank."

 

Next, in the preview of the Oulton Park Gold Cup (AS 16/09/66 p469) it says that "Innes Ireland is expected to drive the Willment-BRP, his old BRP car now fitted with a 3-litre Emery-Climax engine. A similar engine powers Trevor Taylor's Shannon..." So we have, apparently, two cars entered with the same engine but, as far as I know, only one engine was converted to 3-litre spec? In the entry list on the page, it does actually say "Innes Ireland or to be nominated (Race Proved by Willment 3.0 Willment-BRP-Emery-Climax V8)." It also lists "Trevor Taylor (Shannon Racing Cars 3.0 Shannon-Emery-Climax V8)." Turn to the race report (AS 23/09/66 p516-8) and there is no mention of Taylor or the Shannon, only "John Campbell-Jones with the BRP housing the 3-litre Coventry Climax engine." In the race "The BRP started spewing out fluid of sorts, and it retired with gearbox trouble before it could be given the black flag."

 

So, no actual physical sighting of the mysterious 'Emery-Lotus' (may not have even been a 25 anyway?) and no physical sighting of John Campbell-Jones in a Lotus 25 powered by the Godiva engine, although he did race in a Lotus 25 lookalike with this engine....

 

All contributions very welcome!

Edited by Michael Oliver, 27 October 2019 - 22:33.

[Rupertlt1]

Photo caption:

MECHANIC Mick Brown, from North London, works on the Willment

Formula One car in the Hanwell racing division.

Middlesex County Times, Friday 14 October 1966

 

RGDS RLT

[Rupertlt1]

Oulton Park Gold Cup, 1966

"The interesting 8-cylinder, 3-litre

Coventry-Climax engine, developed

by Paul Emery from the abortive

2½-litre unit designed in the late

50s, has been put into one of the

Monocoque B.R.P. chassis, acquired

by Willment and makes its first

appearance at this meeting, prob-

ably driven by Innes Ireland."

Cheshire Observer, Friday 16 September 1966

 

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 28 October 2019 - 19:28.

[uechtel]

^{From the 8W game, summer 2001:}

 

When?

XVIII BRDC International Trophy (14 May 1966)

 

[...]

The rest of the entry was made up by [...] another old Lotus 25 entered by Paul Emery for Trevor Taylor and reserve driver John Markey

 

 

 

 

[Michael Oliver]

Thanks Rupert and Uechtel. Rupert, if you don't mind me asking, what are you using to search for these newspaper articles?

 

Uechtel, this is very interesting although I still have yet to see a period source that confirms he had a Lotus 25 in his possession at any point...this is my issue!

Edited by Michael Oliver, 29 October 2019 - 13:29.

[Rupertlt1]

Michael,

 

www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

 

It is a paid-for source, and as we are discovering not always reliable on the facts.

 

You will have received the report from Motor Sport, Oct 1966, on the Gold Cup at Oulton Park?

#9 John Campbell-Jones, B.R.P.-Climax V8 3-litre

 

Does the newspaper photograph shed any light? Places a car at Hanwell autumn 1966.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 29 October 2019 - 14:03.

[Roger Clark]

I’ve been slowly through Motoring News for 1966 and found a few snippets, though they don’t add very much. 
 

January 20th: Racing Car Show report said that Paul Emery had purchased sufficient components to build up four FPE engines.
May 5th:  International Trophy preview said the Trevor Taylor would drive a Lotus 25/33 with an Emery FPE engine. No mention of this in the race report. 

June 30th: a photo of Trevor Taylor testing the Shannon-Emery. 
July 7th: “it seems possible that Phil Hill will drive the new Shannon-Emery” (!)

July 21st: a brief mention in the British GP report sain that the Shannon retired with fuel injection problems. A note in Track Topics said that car had been tested on carburettors but was converted to Tecalmit-Jackson fuel injection which was satisfactory in practice but immediately gave trouble in the race. 
September 8th: Italian GP report said that Taylor was entered in the Shannon but did not appear. 
September 15th: Gold Cup preview. Innes Ireland or AN Otherventered in BRP-Climax, Trevor Taylor entered in Shannon “although there seems to be some doubt whether he will in fact drive the car. 
 

in March 1985, Motor Sport published a Mike Lawrence article in the cars of Paul Emery. No mention of a Lotus 25 or 33. 
 

The French magazine Automobile Historique published a 25/33 history in May/June 2000. It said of R7: “Dans le courant de la saison 66, Elle est cėdėė à John Campbell-Jones puis louėe à la MGM avant de reourner dans le Team Parnell”. 

[Vitesse2]

Michael,

 

www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

 

It is a paid-for source, and as we are discovering not always reliable on the facts.

Some public libraries in the UK offer it to members, although only for use on-site.

[uechtel]

Thanks Rupert and Uechtel. Rupert, if you don't mind me asking, what are you using to search for these newspaper articles?

 

Uechtel, this is very interesting although I still have yet to see a period source that confirms he had a Lotus 25 in his possession at any point...this is my issue!

 

Well, it was just meant as a start. No smoke without fire, you know.

 

And using the search function in the forum it seems we get a step further: This is from an old thread titled Parnell F2:

 

 

Looking at the 1966 International Daily Express Trophy (14th of May) programme:
-n°15 Trevor Taylor (Reserve driver J.Markey) Lotus-Climax 2980cc entrant Paul Emery.
Apparently Emery had a Lotus. R7?

 

 

So it seems that Jean-Maurice would have some harder evidence at hand. But of course still no proof, that such a car really existed and that it was of the 25 type.

[Michael Oliver]

Michael,

 

www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

 

It is a paid-for source, and as we are discovering not always reliable on the facts.

 

You will have received the report from Motor Sport, Oct 1966, on the Gold Cup at Oulton Park?

#9 John Campbell-Jones, B.R.P.-Climax V8 3-litre

 

Does the newspaper photograph shed any light? Places a car at Hanwell autumn 1966.

 

RGDS RLT

 

Interesting, re britishnewspaperarchive, thanks. I have access to Newspapers.com but that's mainly for US research I do.

 

Thanks re the report on the Gold Cup and the newspaper photo. It would interesting (but would not really further my knowledge about my original question re the Lotus 25 that Emery had) to know how BRP chassis 2 got from being advertised by Willment in late 1966 to being raced as a F5000 car in 1969 by Kaye Griffths.

 

But my main focus is on trying to substantiate the oft-repeated assertion that Paul Emery was originally going to install a Godiva engine in a Lotus 25. I am still trying to find any period evidence that this was anything other than wishful thinking on his part, particularly given what he ended up putting it in ultimately (the Shannon).

[Michael Oliver]

I’ve been slowly through Motoring News for 1966 and found a few snippets, though they don’t add very much. 
 

January 20th: Racing Car Show report said that Paul Emery had purchased sufficient components to build up four FPE engines.
May 5th:  International Trophy preview said the Trevor Taylor would drive a Lotus 25/33 with an Emery FPE engine. No mention of this in the race report. 

June 30th: a photo of Trevor Taylor testing the Shannon-Emery. 
July 7th: “it seems possible that Phil Hill will drive the new Shannon-Emery” (!)

July 21st: a brief mention in the British GP report sain that the Shannon retired with fuel injection problems. A note in Track Topics said that car had been tested on carburettors but was converted to Tecalmit-Jackson fuel injection which was satisfactory in practice but immediately gave trouble in the race. 
September 8th: Italian GP report said that Taylor was entered in the Shannon but did not appear. 
September 15th: Gold Cup preview. Innes Ireland or AN Otherventered in BRP-Climax, Trevor Taylor entered in Shannon “although there seems to be some doubt whether he will in fact drive the car. 
 

in March 1985, Motor Sport published a Mike Lawrence article in the cars of Paul Emery. No mention of a Lotus 25 or 33. 
 

The French magazine Automobile Historique published a 25/33 history in May/June 2000. It said of R7: “Dans le courant de la saison 66, Elle est cėdėė à John Campbell-Jones puis louėe à la MGM avant de reourner dans le Team Parnell”. 

 

Many thanks for trawling through all these issues Roger! It would be interesting to see what it said about Taylor's car at the International Trophy in the event programme. My Gold Cup programme merely confirms that John Campbell-Jones was the slowest qualifier in the BRP-Climax on the last row of the grid and that, while the Shannon was entered for Trevor Taylor with the Emery-Climax engine, it did not arrive. I've read the Mike Lawrence piece but, as you say, it doesn't mention a Lotus. I suspect that the Automobile Historique piece is just repeating information on the public domain and more specifically what was said in Theme Lotus but given that most of what is said about the car in question, 25-R7, has subsequently proved to be, by Doug's own admission, a bit wide of the mark, I'm not going to place too much significance on it.

 

I suspect that the truth of the matter is that, at some time prior to the International Trophy, Paul Emery spoke to several journalists and told them he was planning to put his engine in a Lotus 25/33 chassis but he either never took delivery or realised that he would have to butcher the rear monocoque pontoons and perhaps it was a condition of borrowing/renting the car from Parnell that such major work wasn't permitted, so he moved on to something he could get the engine to fit into.

[Michael Oliver]

 

Well, it was just meant as a start. No smoke without fire, you know.

 

And using the search function in the forum it seems we get a step further: This is from an old thread titled Parnell F2:

 

 

 

 

So it seems that Jean-Maurice would have some harder evidence at hand. But of course still no proof, that such a car really existed and that it was of the 25 type.

 

And your start was appreciated! I agree with you re 'no smoke without fire' but as you say, still no proof that such a car existed (in Emery's ownership I mean, clearly it existed!) even if it was listed in the event programme. I don't know how far in advance of the event entries would have to be submitted in order to be included in the programme but I suspect that Emery's plans changed after the entry was submitted. If it is correct, R7 would be the only real candidate, since R3 and R13 were still both being raced by the Parnell team that season.

[Peter Morley]

The Grand Prix Gift Book has a lot of photos and short report on Taylor testing the Shannon FPE for the British GP.

 

I've had a quick look through my Shannon correspondence and didn't find anything confirming how many they stretched to 3 litres.

Bill Morris said that Getley let Paul Emery use an engine, which does suggest there was only one - Greg Snape will probably know for sure. 

 

Lotus 25 and BRP are so similar it's likely that Emery intended to use a 25/33 and changed to BRP when 25 deal fell through.

[Michael Oliver]

The Grand Prix Gift Book has a lot of photos and short report on Taylor testing the Shannon FPE for the British GP.

 

I've had a quick look through my Shannon correspondence and didn't find anything confirming how many they stretched to 3 litres.

Bill Morris said that Getley let Paul Emery use an engine, which does suggest there was only one - Greg Snape will probably know for sure. 

 

Lotus 25 and BRP are so similar it's likely that Emery intended to use a 25/33 and changed to BRP when 25 deal fell through.

 

I have to say that is my feeling, Peter. There may have been some talk about Emery borrowing a Parnell Lotus 25 but whether it ever happened I have some doubts. And, as you say, the link with John Campbell-Jones could be explained by the fact that the BRP was similar to a Lotus 25.

[Macca]

The other reason why Emery may not have been able to get hold of a 25 or 33 is that several were being used by MGM in the filming of 'Grand Prix' that summer, or it might have been because one was crashed in practise at Syracuse and that might have been the one he had his eye on.

 

Couple of photos of the BRP in the Gold Cup, and one of it when converted to a F5000.

 

 

 

 

Paul M

[opplock]

Was the last photo taken at Levin? If so the car looks much better than it did in the flesh. It looked as though it had been salvaged from a scrapyard. Must admit though that my initial impressions of F5000 were jaundiced by the knowledge that we'd gone from seeing Hill, Amon, Rindt and Courage in 1969 to an international contingent of Kaye Griffiths, Derrick Williams, Ulf Norinder and several Americans. Derek Bell did return but the 2.5l DFW was hopeless.   

 

I still can't understand how the organisers saw fit to pay Kaye Griffiths to turn up with an ancient ex F1 car powered by the uncompetitive Ford V8. These days a quick google search would have shown that Sir Charles Napier was a pub.   

[Peter Morley]

I have to say that is my feeling, Peter. There may have been some talk about Emery borrowing a Parnell Lotus 25 but whether it ever happened I have some doubts. And, as you say, the link with John Campbell-Jones could be explained by the fact that the BRP was similar to a Lotus 25.

 

Another car that might fall into the story could be the "Lotus 25" that Tony Mantle has, which could be a car that Parnell built themselves?

The outer skins are bulged outwards, presumably to increase the fuel capacity which could have been intended for a larger engine?

[Michael Oliver]

The other reason why Emery may not have been able to get hold of a 25 or 33 is that several were being used by MGM in the filming of 'Grand Prix' that summer, or it might have been because one was crashed in practise at Syracuse and that might have been the one he had his eye on.

 

Couple of photos of the BRP in the Gold Cup, and one of it when converted to a F5000.

 

Paul M

 

Paul, that is a great suggestion, as they were filming in May in Monaco, weren't they? Although there was a Parnell car available, R7 - well, maybe!

 

Unless I've got my facts wrong, the car crashed at Syracuse was in use at Monaco, so the repair can't have taken too long. I guess it was more a lack of parts or something which couldn't be done in the field that stopped the car starting the race (I think they pushed it off the grid).

 

That has to be the fugliest F5000 car I have ever seen, BTW.

[Michael Oliver]

Another car that might fall into the story could be the "Lotus 25" that Tony Mantle has, which could be a car that Parnell built themselves?

The outer skins are bulged outwards, presumably to increase the fuel capacity which could have been intended for a larger engine?

 

The tub that Tony has is the Parnell, which was built to take a V12 and hillclimbed once in 1973 I believe, by John McCartney (spl?). But I don't think this was built until 1967, so too late for our timeline perhaps...

[Odseybod]

Sorry to disturb this thread's slumbers but I thought the attached might be of interest, if not for solving Michael's original quest re a Campbell-Jones Lotus 25 but for more about the Climax FPE as attended to by Mr Emery (assuming it's just the one power unit)  

 

I of course discovered these pics while looking for something else (is here any other way?), all taken by my father during 1966. First, a Brands test day on June 22nd that year, at which the Shannon made its debut.Here's the engine installation:

 

 

 

My simple mind is puzzled that there don't seem to be enough exhaust pipes for one bank of a V8, though maybe two were conjoined(I'm not sure we're allowed to say Siamese any more). Ground clearance (or lack of of it) under the exhaust system was apparently a problem during practice for the British Grand Prix a few weeks later. Here's the Shannon  being fettled after its first few tentative laps that June day:

 

 

Now here's the same (?) engine in John Campbell-Jones' BRP (?) on the grid for the Oulton Park Gold Cup in September. Compared with other photos I've seen, tailpipes seem to have been dispensed with altogether - or maybe they're still on their way to the grid. 

 

 

According to the Motor Sport report, the engine installation had been carried out by Willments, who also had the task of selling the tub (probably minus engine) a little later.

 

Hope that's of interest and doesn't rekindle too many arguments!

.

 

 

 

 

[bradbury west]

Tony, what top class generosity you have demonstrated again in sharing these photographs. Many thanks.  I am sure there are more people than you realise who really enjoy such gems coming to light. We should think ourselves very fortunate to have this sort of material posted here  from  very select archives.  Ted used to post some of his stuff, and others spring  to mind here and on Facebook( I know, wash my mouth out, but I find  that a very  enjoyable resource if used carefully…)  like Alan Cox , DCN , Adam Ferrington and  quite a raft of  inter alia folk.

Roger Lund.

 

Edit.

I will check again in a very full interview from years ago done by a TNFer, sadly not published, and my own notes from conversations with the engineer who did the machining on the Godiva block in the first place to see if I can add anything that I have not posted before. 
How would Emery have been able to afford a 25 or 33 with his  parlous finances, one must wonder?

Edited by bradbury west, 27 July 2021 - 14:47.

[Odseybod]

Thanks for the kind words, Roger. All purely selfish on my part - I enjoy helping to solve mysteries, if I can.

 

I suspect (though don't know) that with Mr Emery and he Lotus 25/33, it was a case of "If I say it loudly and confidently enough, it may actually happen." There are other pics of the Shannon at the Brands test which I won't trouble you with here - can't risk even greater thread drift - but it looks an interesting mix of "That'll do" and "I wonder if that might work?", from a time when Grand Prix cars were (let's say) a little less premeditated.  Well, OK, just the one ...

 

[Catalina Park]

 

 

 

My simple mind is puzzled that there don't seem to be enough exhaust pipes for one bank of a V8, though maybe two were conjoined(I'm not sure we're allowed to say Siamese any more). 

.

Looking carefully at the pipes and I can just see the end of the 4th pipe in the gap between the 2nd and 3rd pipes.

I blew it up to try and highlight it....

[Odseybod]

Ah, that would explain it - thank you.

[Catalina Park]

Great photos, lots of detail. I love the Godiva using Lucas 25D distributors that look like they were borrowed off a Morris/Austin 1100. The vacuum advance should help fuel economy in city driving.

[Odseybod]

I just hope they didn't use the fuel pump from the same source - having to get out and give it a thump occasionally to bring it back to life wouldn't help the lap times.

[Michael Ferner]

I just hope they didn't use the fuel pump from the same source - having to get out and give it a thump occasionally to bring it back to life wouldn't help the lap times.

 

... or giving it a damned good thrashing with a branch!

 

[Roger Clark]

In Macca's photograph (post 15) of the BRP on track at Oulton it appears to have megaphone exhausts.  Tony's photograph of the car on the grid show that it had lost them by the race.  When John Blunsden tested it for Motor Racing it had upright stub exhausts, not unlike those fitted when it had a BRM engine.

 

Regarding Michael Oliver's original question, Willment had at least one Lotus 35.  Is it possible that the original thought was to fit an FPE to that?  It would have needed some hacking about but so did the BRP and a Martin V8 was fitted to a 35.

[Michael Oliver]

Very belated thanks, Tony, for sharing these wonderful pics. They provide some fascinating additional background to the whole Climax Godiva FPE engine, something which has interested me for some time now, ever since the original thread about the Godiva was posted by Martyn Chapman all those years ago now (2008!). I still think it is one of the most amazing, fascinating opening posts to a thread I have ever read on TNF...

[Odseybod]

Thanks in turn, Michael - encouraged me in turn to look up the Godiva thread, if it's still around (surely TNF wisdom lives on for ever?).

 

I reckon the 'what might have beens' are usually much more fascinating than the 'what actually weres'.

[Odseybod]

p.s.  I've now read that fascinating opening post - what a story! Can't help wondering what's lurking underneath other trap doors around Silverstone's perimeter (unless they've all been concreted over by now).

 

Incidentally I'm attaching a 1966 Gold Cup pic pic I showed to some mutual chums (I think you were away for that one) - main interest at the time was poor defenseless Innes under attack but in the background is another view of the BRP with its truncated exhaust system, which might be helpful.

 

[Michael Oliver]

Yes, Tony, that thread is good, isn't it?! And thanks for the additional shot of the BRP with its abbreviated exhausts. Either they fell off or it was found to go better without them, I suppose!