31 replies to this topic

[Odseybod]

There's an old tradition that says, "Never do on New Year's Day what you're not prepared to do all year." So rather than going for an Improving Walk in the fog and frost, I scanned some photos, specifically, an unmarked pack of 35mm negatives from the paternal archive. The cooling tower and horse racing railings pinned the location down to Aintree and a bit of fossicking aorund suggested the 1964 Aintree 200 meeting in particular. Please sort me out if I have that wrong.

 

There are some pics of the grid for the F1 race, which I'll post later if you insist. But I thought these paddock and support race pics were much more interesting, as they contain several puzzles - I'm not aiming to rival Doug and Duncan's splendid festive quizzing, not least because I don't know the answers - but I'm sure the TNF gurus will. Here's the first:

 

1.

 

I decided this is the narrow V4 from a Lancia but which (or if that's correct), I've no idea. The writing on top of the breather pipe (?) suggests it's the work of tuning wizz A. Bosato of Torino and that one should put one's trust in Castrol oil.

 

2

 

3

 

Someone - maybe a plumber - with some spare pipes and a welding torch has written off his Silver Cloud III and dedicded to go racing with its engine. I assume it kept its auto box?

 

4

 

The well-equipped equipe.

 

5

 

The down-to-earth equipe.

 

6

 

The professional equipe.

 

7

 

Must confess I was almost more interested in the racing Rapiers in the background than the Cooper Monaco. Do like the rear window demister panel - very much 'of its time'.

 

8

 

I think this little device was in the Formula 3 race, won by a certain J.Y. Stewart - clearly a talented lad.

 

9

 

10

 

Finally I feel I should recognise this sleek sports racer but the festive port has wiped out the relevant braincells. So, over to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Roryswood]

2, 3. The Andrews Racing Special Marina built by Alan Mann

[Roryswood]

2, 3. The Andrews Racing Special Marina built by Alan Mann

5 Elva

8 Gemini FJ

[Doug Nye]

The Marina-Rolls-Royce is also pictured Nos 9 & 10 - incidentally the best photos I have seen of this little-raced car.  Alan Mann is talking with the driver in No 9 - without checking, Jimmy Blumer? 

 

No 4 is John Coundley's Lotus 19

 

No 5 an Elva-Climax (Mark 6???)

 

No 6 is just lovely - compare to the transport overkill resident in a tin-pot-racing BTCC paddock these days...

 

No 7 maybe Bob Waters' Cooper Monaco with Detroit V8 engine?

 

No 8 - if this is Aintree 1964 it should be Robert Ashcroft's ex-Chequered Flag team Gemini FJ converted to meet the then-new F3 regs.  if this is Aintree 1963 this is still one of the ex-Chequered Flag team Gemini FJs - and if it is No 39 then it is indeed the Westmount-Team Gemini car driven by visiting Kiwi hopeful Ross Greenville.  He later crashed the car heavily, I think at the later Aintree meeting, and lost a foot, poor chap. See here: https://forums.autos...oss-greenville/

 

Great material, Tony.

 

Happy New Year - DCN

[glyn parham]

Happy new year Tony and a wonderful selection of photos.
Pictures 2, 6 & 7 suggest to me that the photos were taken in 1963 as Sunbeam Rapiers hardly appeared in the BSCC in 1964.
Picture 2 shows a small part of the Blumer Cortina in the background, 6 is the Willment team arriving with the cars race number probably as used in its previous race and the Alan Fraser Rapiers in picture 7 were driven by Leston and Jopp.
Glyn

Edited by glyn parham, 02 January 2021 - 11:49.

[Odseybod]

Interim thanks to all, and H.N.Y. to you, too. Glyn, you're of course right, it's 1963 - I've checked the F1 pics again and it all now fits (rather than having to be hammered into place). I've also found the Motor Sport report which, of the saloon cr race, says: "The saloon-car race was the usual Jaguar benefit, with Graham Hill winning from Roy Salvadori. The most impressive cars were the Ford Cortina GTs from Willment, Jack Sears leading home Harper’s Rapier quite comfortably and looking much happier on the corners."

 

Thanks again - took under an hour (is TNF slowing down?).

[pete53]

Definitely 1963. The Marina Rolls Royce - Andrews Special only appeared in 1963 as far as I know, and the Rapiers had gone by 1964.

 

Smashing photos, and another reminder of how rudimentary paddock facilities were in those days.

[john winfield]

Thanks for uploading the splendid photos, Tony.  #4, the John Coundley car and transporter shot, could that be Pat C in the cab?

[Odseybod]

Thanks again for all your help. I thought it only fair to inflict the Formula 1 pics on you as a 'reward', all covered on the same 36-exposure film (rather different from today's Gatling gun aproach to image capturing ...).  Now you've pointed me to 1963, they make a lot more sense, too. It was quite a dramatic race.

 

F1-1

 

F1-2

 

Innes Ireland's Lotus-BRM receives some last-minute fettling. After his recent successes in the car, Motor Sport wondered if BRM was already regretting selling them the engine.

 

F1-3

 

Drama as pole-sitter Clark's battery refuses to restart the engine. "What rotten luck," thinks Innes (or something like that).

 

F1-4

 

The rest of the grid storms away, including eventual winner Graham Hill and team-mate Ginther in their BRM P57s.

 

F1-5

 

Clark is dragged back to the pits for a new battery, losing a lap and a half to the leaders.Hill, Ginther and Ireland.

 

F1-6

 

F1-7

 

After 16 laps, Clark is called in. He and his seat are extracted from the car.

 

F1-8

 

Team-mate Trevor Taylor is called in - Clark's seat is already poised.

 

F1-9

 

F1-10

 

 

F1-11

 

Taylor and seat are extracted, Clark and seat are inserted., and he's ready to go after a 17-second stop and the car still in fifth place.

 

On Lap 45, Clark was on the tail of Ginther in third place, passing him on Lap 48. The race finished 2 laps later, with Hill 15 seconds ahead of Ireland, who was 13.6 seconds ahead of Clark.

 

Formula 1 is so boring ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Allan Lupton]

Photo 1

Further from narrow angle it would be difficult to get, as the motor in no. 1 is an 1800cc flat 4 as found in Flavias where this is what they look like:

[Gary C]

My friend Derek Wild helping Jimmy in F1-7.

[68targa]

Lovely photos, lots of interest reminds me of being a teenager again.

 

If these are from the 1963 Aintree 200 meeting then the Elva #5 appears to be a the MkIV of Bill Moss. Photo  #1 would seem to be the only Lancia Flavia entered of (David?) D.R. Piper.

 

I can't help feeling that a couple of these photos may be from a meeting held 2 weeks earlier on 15th April -  Photo #6 the Willment equipe. According to the programme car #133 should be an Austin Cooper of the Scottish Racing Drivers Club. I don't have a programme for 15 April so can't check.  Programme listings change of course.

[d j fox]

According to the Heath Lawson Record of Motor Racing at Aintree No 1 pic could possibly be No 115 David Piper Lancia Flavia (dns) Piper had raced , with Luigi Cabella,a Lancia Flamina , entered by the Anglo -Italian Racing team, in the 1962 Brands Hatch Six Hours (sister car to the Piero Frescobaldi/Cesare Fiori 5th placed car)
HF Squadra Corse ran Flavias in various European Touring Car championship races in 1963.
No 119 is Peter Jopp Alan Fraser Rapier.
No 133 is curious as the three Willment Cortinas GTs were actually raced as nos 110,111 and 112 Jack Sears, Keith Greene and Sir Gawain Baillie respectively
I’ll get my anorak....
Update1...after trawling through Autosport 1963 I quote “David Piper suffered a broken arm when his Lancia Flavia crashed during Friday’s practice
Update 2 : No 133 was from Easter Monday Goodwood meeting (a late entry/non stater)

Edited by d j fox, 02 January 2021 - 17:22.

[Odseybod]

Glad you like them. In post #5, Glyn suggested the Willment Cortina might have been carrying the number from its prevous event, which seems a possibility as it's just in the process of rriving at Aintree. Also not sure that my father could have satisfied the magazine's bean counters that the expense of two expeditions to Aintree in a fortnight with hotel, etc were justified, as they were notoriously tight.

[pete53]

Lovely photos, lots of interest reminds me of being a teenager again.

 

If these are from the 1963 Aintree 200 meeting then the Elva #5 appears to be a the MkIV of Bill Moss. Photo  #1 would seem to be the only Lancia Flavia entered of (David?) D.R. Piper.

 

I can't help feeling that a couple of these photos may be from a meeting held 2 weeks earlier on 15th April -  Photo #6 the Willment equipe. According to the programme car #133 should be an Austin Cooper of the Scottish Racing Drivers Club. I don't have a programme for 15 April so can't check.  Programme listings change of course.

I don't think there was a meeting at Aintree on 15th April in 1963. Certainly there wasn't one shown in the fixtures for Aintree published at the beginning of the season, nor is there a report in Autosport.

[68targa]

Ah, fiscal prudence !

 

Yes of course the Willment Cortina was at Goodwood two weeks earlier for the Easter Monday meeting with #133 for Jack Sears.

Another car that also shows it's Goodwood race number (#17) is the Chris Summers Cooper Chev in photo #7

 

Clears up my own query.

[d j fox]

Agreed!!

[68targa]

I don't think there was a meeting at Aintree on 15th April in 1963. Certainly there wasn't one shown in the fixtures for Aintree published at the beginning of the season, nor is there a report in Autosport.

You are correct - not sure where I found that !   It was Easter Monday. There were meetings at Silverstone, Mallory, Brands Hatch  and Goodwood .

[Doug Nye]

The older mechanic perched on the wall beside Jimmy's stricken Lotus 25 and then helping with the seat to go into Trev Taylor's car is Ted Woodley.  I am not certain I recall correctly but I believe he lost his place in Team later that year after an incident at Spa in which Trev had his 25's suspension fall apart and he was lucky to survive an almighty accident at Stavelot, in which he torpedoed the wood-planked observer's tower there, and demolished a sizeable section of it.  

 

The rumour was that Trevor had gone out for practice with a chubby screwdriver holding a rear top link in place after reassembly, instead of the requisite bolt.  When the screwdriver shook free the suspension fell apart...  This is what I was told some years later by two other contemporary Team members but it would be interesting to hear confirmation...or correction.

 

DCN

[Michael Ferner]

Scary incident, Doug!

 

Lovely pictures, Tony!

[bradbury west]

Wonderful gallery of shots TT, many thanks as ever.

Doug,  a period Lotus mechanic confirmed that screwdriver story to me some years ago at  Michael Oliver’s  Jim Clark Film Festival.,  no names were mentioned/confirmed.... and I did not ask, but the view was that the mechanic had been called away to do something else.

 

re Marina Rolls Royce “Andrews’ Special”

There is a marvellous set of over a dozen shots  in the glorious Revs Institute archives, of the car being built plus one of Mr Blumer  testing it.  Check it out under George Phillips,  Marina Rolls Royce.  I recall coming across the shots  when, like many here, I spent more time than I should devouring the Revs Gallery photographs  of so, so, so many cars about 6 years ago after Doug introduced us all to Revs Galleries. Thanks again, DCN.  I recall  long chats with John Fielden “sharman”, late of this parish , about the car as he knew some of the folk involved.

[Alan Cox]

Superb photos, Tony, as is traditional with all your father's work. That tradition continues, I venture to say 

[Odseybod]

Thanks, Alan. I blush.

 

Have to say I am slightly puzzled how he managed to take these pics of the F1 race AND report its twists and turns, as usually witnessed from the Press Box. Either multi-tasking at its best, or he was having a day off from 'work work'.

[cooper997]

Great photos from the P A T camera, Tony. Thanks for taking the negs out of the packet after their lengthy hibernation. 

 

Appears to be the Sat, 27 April 1963 Aintree 200 meeting, with your dad out early with his camera. As others have mentioned, some cars being in their previous meeting numbers. The Willment Cortina even appears to be in 'Ford Cortina' mode rather than Cortina GT that I think was still to be homologated.

 

 

Stephen

[Roger Clark]

There have been a lot of photographic collections from the 60s published in book form - Geoff Goddard, Maurice Rowe, Michael Cooper among others.  I like to think there is space in the market for a Philip Turner collections; there would certainly be space on my bookshelf.

[Doug Nye]

From the April 27, 1963, Aintree '200' programme (just unearthed this morning).

 

Saloon car race 1301-2000cc class

No 115 D.R Piper Lancia Flavia

No 119 Alan Fraser Racing Team (Driver P. Jopp) Sunbeam Rapier

 

John Willment Automobiles Ltd entered three Ford Cortinas, No 110 for Jack Sears, Nos 111-112 "Dvr: To be nominated")

 

In the background of Photo 2 is a Cortina with race number ending in '3'.  The programme lists No 113 Alan Andrews Racing Ltd (Dvr: J. Blumer) Ford Cortina.  No 67 Marina Rolls-Royce Alan Andrews Racing Ltd (Dvr: J. Blumer).

 

Then in the programme listing for the Sports Car race, unlimited-capacity class, is No 62 J.O. Coundley Lotus-Climax (19) (Dvr: Entrant or R.W. de Selincourt).

 

Four Elva sports cars were entered:

 

1151-2000cc class - No 71 Elva Cars (1961) Ltd (Dvr: W.F. Moss) Elva-Ford

Up to 1150cc class - Nos 92-93-94 were entered by D. Graham, by Equipe Elva (London) (Dvr: S.J. Minoprio), and by P.S.Borthwick - all Elva-Climaxes.

 

The No 17 pictured on the V8 Cooper Monaco was plainly from a previous event - here at Aintree No 65 would be applied to Ansty Garage (Dvr: C.Summers) Cooper Monaco-Chevrolet

 

Photo 8 depicts from the entry for the 'Spring Whizz Race for Formula Junior Cars' - No 39 Trophy Westmount/Team Gemini (Dvr: R. Greenville) Gemini-Ford.  Nos 40 and 41 were sister Trophy Westmount/Team Gemini entries for J. Hine and "To be nominated".

 

DCN

[Odseybod]

Many thanks for delving, Doug. I shall unite the photos with the info - I suspect for the first time ever in their life!

[pete53]

It may be late April, but it looks like a miserable grey and chilly day!

 

Those old grandstands were mightily impressive and, being permanent structures, stood out against the more prosaic scaffolding and bench seat constructions that existed at other circuits in England at the time.

 

I never got too see racing at Aintree. I remember there being some correspondence in Autosport in the early 60s about the relative merits of Aintree and Silverstone as venues for the Grand Prix, and Aintree certainly wasn't universally popular, although part of that was simply down to its more distant location. However, its permanent catering facilities seemed to have been appreciated.

 

I have in my possession the book by Tony Bagnall "The Unfulfilled Dream - The Story of Motor Racing at Aintree" published in 2004,  which provides a good record of racing at the circuit.

Edited by pete53, 04 January 2021 - 12:20.

[Lee Nicolle]

The Rolls engine in the Sports Car would be a slug. Those engines are big low rpm torque monsters,, would be good off of a slow corner,,, and little else. Probably no real power over 3500 rpm if that.

The Willment truck,, OMG that high and that narrow it would be as slow and unstable. Head winds means slow to second gear and crosswinds???

Pic 7 looks to be a factory Chev fuel injection from mid 60s. But does not seem to have the relevant 'fuelie' heads.

Reputedly that set up was ok on a road car when and if it worked properly. Though many were changed back to carb in period

[d j fox]

Some great Aintree 200/GP photos here on a Liverpool Echo site--some repeats and some of the captions are, shall we say, a little strange!

 

 

https://www.liverpoo...nd-prix-6155181

[cooper997]

There's a page devoted to the build of the Mann's Marina Rolls Royce in 5/4/63 Autosport.

 

Can photograph and add if any interest.

 

 

Stephen

[10kDA]

Great pics, thanks for posting!