32 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Yesterday we spent a very pleasant day in the sunshine at a near deserted Silverstone with Damon Hill driving the ex-Equipe Endeavour Jaguar E-Type 'ECD 400' for a piece in a forthcoming issue - probably datelined December, or Jan 2022, I would imagine - of 'Motor Sport' magazine.

 

The car is the 5th-off and it was driven upon the model's racing debut at Oulton Park, 1961, by Damon's father Graham - who won.

 

It is appearing in the E-Type 60th birthday bash at Shelsley Walsh, and will also feature at the Silverstone and Goodwood festivals.

 

Quite a nice old banger.  

 

DCN

 

Below: Damon in the car - long-time owner Paul Vestey at right - the car's carer Michael Ballard at left.

 

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PS - Damon did lap the circuit in the right direction, in case you're wondering...  Just turned up-sun here for photography.

Edited by Doug Nye, 10 June 2021 - 19:28.

[jcbc3]

More here: https://www.goodwood...-driven-at-fos/

 

[GreenMachine]

That is an unfortunate highlight on the intake, makes the car look like a stranded fish gulping for air!

 

I hope that the appropriate offerings have been made to the jaguar overlords for those photos, or surely the wrath of the gods will fall upon all involved ... 

[Myhinpaa]

From Motorsport Magazine November issue 2001, the quality of the writing is not the best though.

 

https://www.motorspo...001/62/cheshire

 

I agree regarding the highlighting of the edge of the air intake, but it's irrelevant. That's how it was run in period, so it's beyond anyone's control now....

[Derwent Motorsport]

That's a long lead in time for an article!

[arttidesco]

Lovely photo's Doug, seems like the BRDC sticker has slipped down the nose somewhat to its correct position since the cars 2001 appearance in MotorSport ;-)

Edited by arttidesco, 11 June 2021 - 13:10.

[Alan Baker]

I know it was a sunny day, but Graham raced it with the hood up (note to any Americans, that means the top up, not the bonnet).

[68targa]

I well remember being at Oulton that day in 1961 with my parents and brother and how the sight of the new E-Types was really quite exciting and drew a lot of attention. Digging out my old programme for the event I notice that along with Hill and Salvadori there were another four entered although they did not turn up presumably not delivered or had the time to prepare them.  Here is dad Hill doing his stuff. Both Hill and Salvadori raced with the hood up.

 

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[Allan Lupton]

 Both Hill and Salvadori raced with the hood up.

 

Quite a bit less drag with the hood up, so worth some lap time, even at Oulton Park. Side windows shut would have saved a bit more.
 

[Doug Nye]

....windows-up in a flat-floor E being driven b----s out can be a very hot and stifling experience...  Quite how tall Graham and even taller Michael Parkes folded themselves into the driving seat has always puzzled me (though not as much as how Parkesi folded himself into a Ferrari GTO/64 with its low roofline - or for that matter tall Mike Hawthorn into a 340MM/375MM Berlinetta which despite those agricultural Ferraris' overall size had an even more cramped cockpit - with classical 'Italian gorilla' - short legs, long body - driving position).

 

Oh, I do of course offer my apologies to the woke community for any offence I might just have caused by using the xenophobic term included in the preceding sentence. I blame my upbringing.

 

DCN

[Glengavel]

Why the highlight round the intake? Was it to differentiate between cars?

[Vitesse2]

Why the highlight round the intake? Was it to differentiate between cars?

Just an Equipe Endeavour 'trademark look'. If you do an image search you'll find they did white highlighting round the grille or air intake on several cars - including their various Jaguar saloons and their Aston DB4GT - as well as yellow on a BRG Lotus 11. At one point VCD400 had a chequered pattern, presumably to distinguish it from the white-highlighted JAG400, which can also be glimpsed here. UPM400 - ex-Lofty England, ex-Endeavour -  is also blue with white highlighting.

[cooper997]

Wrong title, but right car. Michael Turner depiction of Graham leading Roy at the 15/4/61 Oulton Park E Type race debut and win meeting.

 

 

 

Stephen

[Odseybod]

....windows-up in a flat-floor E being driven b----s out can be a very hot and stifling experience...  Quite how tall Graham and even taller Michael Parkes folded themselves into the driving seat has always puzzled me (though not as much as how Parkesi folded himself into a Ferrari GTO/64 with its low roofline - or for that matter tall Mike Hawthorn into a 340MM/375MM Berlinetta which despite those agricultural Ferraris' overall size had an even more cramped cockpit - with classical 'Italian gorilla' - short legs, long body - driving position).

 

Oh, I do of course offer my apologies to the woke community for any offence I might just have caused by using the xenophobic term included in the preceding sentence. I blame my upbringing.

 

DCN

Mike Parkes in the earlier GTO at the 1963 Martini Trophy (no gorillas were harmed during the insertion of this driver).

 

[BRG]

Quite how tall Graham and even taller Michael Parkes folded themselves into the driving seat has always puzzled me 

DCN

You undoubtedly have the advantage of me in knowing Graham Hill well, but the couple of times that I met him, I don't recall him being particularly tall?  Of course, back then, I was pretty tall (compared to the then norm) whereas I am only a little above average these days - in height and many other things!

 

It has always bemused em to find people I assumed were quite tall actually weren't in real life - Ayrton Senna, Eric Morecambe.  Having discovered Morecambe barely came up to my shoulder, I wondered just how small Ernie Wise must have been?  On the other hand, I met Ed China (of Outspan Orange car & Wheeler Dealer fame) and he is HUGE.

[RS2000]

There is a thread somewhere on here about how tall Graham Hill was.

He was apparently the same height as me (which I knew from the one time I was standing opposite him, in the field next to Brands where the idiots (I mean expert pilots...) landed their planes - and, even more worryingly, took off.

That was the 68 BGP, when JYS had his wrist in a support brace. As he arrived in the field after the race, NGH greeted him with " 'ello you poor bastard!"

 

I recall seeing that Oulton race on TV. Wasn't it a GT race rather than a sports car race, so having the hood up wasn't optional?

Edited by RS2000, 12 June 2021 - 18:06.

[68targa]

[bradbury west]

Many thanks for the photograph of Michael Parkes, Tony.  A hero of mine, for lots of reasons. I think we had a thread about his height years ago. I always thought he was about 6’4.  OT, I have often wondered at the headroom in an Imp.

Roger Lund

 

I was at the Oulton race too. 

[RCH]

.  OT, I have often wondered at the headroom in an Imp.

Roger Lund

 

 

Imps famously had good headroom due, it is said, to Mike Parkes's influence.

 

 

 

I recall seeing that Oulton race on TV. Wasn't it a GT race rather than a sports car race, so having the hood up wasn't optional?

 

Didn't stop Jack Sears in a Cobra in later years.

[bradbury west]

Imps famously had good headroom due, it is said, to Mike Parkes's influence.

 

 

My point exactly.

RL

[Gary Davies]

They both fitted on a bicycle made for two!

[BRG]

Imps famously had good headroom due, it is said, to Mike Parkes's influence.

 

I am 6'3" and have never had a problem with headroom in cars.  My Dad had an Imp and I fitted that easily. 

 

The only real problem I ever had was co-driving in rallies in a Darrian T9 where my crash hat touched the roof.  I put on protective tape to prevent scratching, which sometimes made scrutineers raise their eyebrows

[bradbury west]

I think it would be rather nice if someone could point those two photos of DSG and NGH in the direction of the Gurney family. 
Roger Lund

[68targa]

I recall seeing that Oulton race on TV. Wasn't it a GT race rather than a sports car race, so having the hood up wasn't optional?

Yes it was a GT race There was also a Sports Car race at the same meeting and Hill finished 2nd in that one.

[Doug Nye]

That was 2nd in a UDT-Laystall team Lotus 19, splitting team-mates Henry Taylor (who won) and Cliff Allison (third).

 

DCN

[barrykm]

Nice thread, thanks.

[Myhinpaa]

https://www.motorspo...g-jaguar-e-type

 

Edit : Video with Damon Hill https://youtu.be/RDZjji8r8u0

Edited by Myhinpaa, 24 June 2021 - 22:23.

[cooper997]

July 1961 Car & Driver (USA) - when Karl Ludvigsen was in the big chair.

 

cooper997 collection

 

Stephen

[Odseybod]

I'd forgotten that the E-type suffered brake problems on its racing debut. The Motor's road test car 77 RW - in which I was happily driven to school while it still had masking tape over its badges, despite which all my classmates seemed to know it was a Jag - suffered similar problems when the Continental part of its test involved descending an Alpine pass into Italy at speed. The road test crew of Charles Bulmer and John Anstice-Brown decided to take it gently to Ferrari, who they reckoned would be the only ones in the area with any useful experience of sorting  disc brakes - which is when the Commendatore allegedly made his famous comment about the E-type's beauty. 

[bradbury west]

The photograph and article to which Doug refers in post 1 is in the new issue of MS, which flattened the door mat at lunchtime.

Looking at all the various in period shots of E types racing in period always make me notice the ground clearance which was standard in those days. What was the old saying? More air goes under them than over them….  Noses were always up in the air under hard acceleration, like the period shots of the Project Astons accelerating  out of Mulsanne Corner.

Roger Lund

[Doug Nye]

Aah yes - the era when often bumpy circuits demanded long-travel suspension, or - once billiard-table track surfaces appeared - cars were still used on public roads (as in the TdF) which certainly demanded supple suspension...  Happy daze.  

 

DCN

[SKL]

Doug,  I wouldn't worry about the woke "community"-  I sure don't...

[cooper997]

28/6/21 Motor Sport email has an Oulton Park Hill & Salvadori E Type related print offer.

 

25 copies available at £135ea

https://www.motorspo...,1M6B8H,4ZQ76,1

 

I have nothing to do with it, just the messenger.

 

 

Stephen