4 replies to this topic

[Rupertlt1]

American driver and team patron,

Fred Opert, made a quick tour of

Britain recently buying single-seaters,

engines and parts, and in the past

year he has bought 140 racing cars

from this country. On his latest trip,

Opert bought three F3 Brabhams, a

1961 FJ car, a Lola T70 and a Lotus

35 from Robert Ashcroft in Lanca-

shire.

Motor Racing, September 1967, Page 394

 

RGDS RLT 

[Rupertlt1]

This has to be Fred Opert? Puts him in England in July 1967?

 

Light plane in Crowland crash

A light aircraft bringing an American to see the Spalding firm of Vegantune, Cradge Bank, crashed on landing at a private airfield at Postland, Crowland, on Tuesday afternoon. The plane, a Miles Messenger, was piloted by Mr. Robert John Winrow, of Manchester. It was landing at Crowland when it overshot the runway and hit a ditch. The undercarriage gave way. The plane was damaged but no one was hurt. Owned by Robert Ashcroft, of Manchester, the plane had flown from Manchester and had made a diversion to Skegness for fuel after failing to find Crowland at the first attempt. The landing was on Mr. J. W. E. Banks' private airfield. A spokesman for Vegantune said the American was their distributor in the States and came from New Jersey. The firm had made private arrangements for the plane to land at Crowland.

Spalding Guardian, Friday 28 July 1967, Page 20

 

RGDS RLT

[BRG]

You have got me going here, sir!  I knew the name J W E Banks was familiar, and googling away reminded me that his company was the Koni shock absorbers concessionaire   He was also into rallying in the 'Golden Age', taking 2nd place on the Tulip Rally twice and being a Monte Carlo regular.

 

But in the process I found a report of his own Miles Messenger coming a cropper in a similar fashion at Leverton Outgate, near Crowland on 5 June 1971.  That aircraft (not apparently the same one as you mention) seems to have been a bit unlucky, having been involved in several minor incidents during its life.

[LittleChris]

Had a quick skim through Peter Hills book on Fred but couldn't find any reference to this mishap.

[helioseism2]

There is a book about Fred Opert. Link