16 replies to this topic

[ry6]

I have been looking at the program for the 1963, 28 April Nurburgring FJ race.

Amongst the entry list was a car called The Gwyniad - driver : Joe Sharp (England).

Can anybody shed any light on how good or how bad this car was and some info on its power unit etc.

Thanks

Rob

[jarama]

Rob,

a few words on this FJ, from "A-Z of Formula Racing Cars", by David Hodges:

A pair of Formula Junior cars was built to a design by Les Redmond after the short-lived Heron episode, and followed that car's layout. They were successful in that one actually headed a British FJ race. The cars were also known as the Diggory Gwyniad after Wrexham patron Jim Diggory. If the closely associated Envoy, Heron and Gwyniad ventures could have come together the outcome might have been worthwhile. Diggory ran the Gwyniads for part of the 1961 season, then turned his back on them.

Carles.

[dmj]

I understood that Heron was a Formula Junior? If so, was it related to road kit car of same name, later built by Peter Monteverdi's MBM company?

[jarama]

dmj,

Heron was a one-off (if I'm not wrong) FJ British from c.1960 - no relation at all with Peter Monteverdi.

Carles.

[David Beard]

Funny, was debating this car for some reason a little while ago..

Someone ( a writer type person) told me..

"was designed by Les Redmond, who also did the Moreland and early Geminis. It was a facsimile of the Lotus 20, three were made, the bits of one survive"

Bruce Halford drove it at least once, I think.

[David Beard]

I received this from Duncan Rabagliati

Diggory gwyniad

Two cars were entered for meek and halford at OP(15/4/61),aintree(22/4) and Silverstone(6/5). Meek lasted one lap at OP, and Halford was on the 3rd row of the grid @ silverstone and finnished 14th, one lap down. The other 4 entries were dna!

At OP(13/5) George Pitt put the car on pole but also retired after 1 lap

Thereafter pitt and Wayne drove, and diggory once, but no more than 1 car ever appeared at any one event

[Vitesse2]

http://www.atlasf1.c...&threadid=37773

[Alan Cox]

For sake of consistency, I am posting this pic of the Diggory Gwyniad which has also been posted on the "Personal photos...." thread. Oulton Park 15th April 1961

Roger Ellis photo

[Alan Cox]

I came across this ad in a July 1961 Autosport. Interesting to note that the Gwyniad was offered at half the cost of a then-current F1 Lotus. Can't imagine Ferrari offering one of last year's cars at twice the cost of a modern Formula 3.

[silicanza]

[quote name='David Beard' date='Sep 4 2002, 19:04' post='992904']
Funny, was debating this car for some reason a little while ago..

Someone ( a writer type person) told me..
"was designed by Les Redmond, who also did the Moreland and early Geminis. It was a facsimile of the Lotus 20, three were made, the bits of one survive"



Sid Diggory sitting in the Les Redmond designed Gwyniad FJ. 1961

Photos of the Gwyniad chassis taken during construction show it to be quite different from a Lotus 20. Redmond was a proficient designer in his own right and would not have needed to copy others designs. Especially given the cost of the car, 2250 pounds, a Lotus 20 could have been purchased for far less. I will post a photo of the chassis. It has some interesting features and others may be able to comment on there purpose.

[Mistron]

I always thought it was one of the prettier Juniors.

Did Ollie Crosthwaite of crosthwaite and Gardner not run one couple of years ago?

[Doug Nye]

'Sid' Diggory - far better known in period as Jim.

DCN

[Paul Parker]

This being the Lister racer in period (TUN 708).

[john aston]

Possibly the only racing car named after a rare and obscure member of the salmon family found in some Welsh lakes......Unless a long forgotten constructor made a natty Le Mans car called the Vendace?

[Macca]

IIRC, Les Redmond also designed the Parnell-BRM 2-litre that was seen on a thread recently, and the unfinished Parnell F1 cars of 1963-4 and 1968.............and was said in Motor Racing magazine in 1968 to have designed a Parnell F2, maybe this one:


(Ferret copyright)


Paul M

[silicanza]

[quote name='Macca' date='Sep 1 2009, 21:11' post='3832565']
IIRC, Les Redmond also designed the Parnell-BRM 2-litre that was seen on a thread recently, and the unfinished Parnell F1 cars of 1963-4 and 1968.............and was said in Motor Racing magazine in 1968 to have designed a Parnell F2, maybe this one:


(Ferret copyright)



The Parnell RP64 under construction at Les Redmonds Yorke Garages in Wrexham.

I expect this makes it, along with the Parnell BRM, Gwyniad FJ, Spectre GP69 sports racing car and Saturn F3, Welsh racing cars. They'll be ecstatic.

The car is seen here is sitting on Lotus wheels with BRM engine shoe horned into the chassis. It got to the point that it was tested but on Red Parnells death and contractual problems with Coventry Climax the car was mothballed.

Some later reports suggest the RP64 was modified and became the Parnell BRM Sport Car but its doubtful one could take a monocoque chassis 4’’ narrower than the Lotus F1 of the day and make it a Sports car. We understand that the Parnell F2 car although resembling a Lotus is apparently a lot narrower? and we believe its a possibility the RP64 chassis was used for that car.

Further photos of the Parnell F2 car would be great, and TNF may be able to solve another mystery.

[hatrat]

Another photo of the Parnell RP64 under construction.