39 replies to this topic

[bradbury west]

I am currently compiling a history of DRW cars, the small 1960's sports/racing car marque , ten cars designed and built between 1959 and 1970 for sevral classes, by two ex Lotus racing mechanics Jack Murrell and Dave Warwick. (For the purists, yes I know the mk 4 was penned by Len Terry and also built as two mk6 Terriers: Len is supportive of this history). For a testimonial to the DRW marque's success I refer you to Nick Georgano's Encyclopaedia of Racing cars.

I have traced and contacted almost all of the period drivers, or their families, but I am struggling with finding a couple of them.

David (D J V ) Lewis raced a DRW from 1961 to the end of 1964. The story is that he was from Fulham, where his family had a furnishing business, although there might have been North Wales connections. His mechanic and co-driver Jim Donnelly has filled in in much detail, but I am anxious to find David Lewis. Any news welcome.

A certain John Williams hillclimbed a 1000cc DRW at the AMOC Wiscombe events, run by the West Hants and Dorset Light Car Club, in April 1973 and May 1974 in the up to 1600 sports racer class. I suspect with such a small engine he was relatively local to Devon. No other events in the car are known for him thereafter. Again, any news or clues would be helpful.

Geoff Miller, from Chingford?, ran a mk 6 Terrier in 1962. Any news of his whereabouts now would be a help. I think Brian Hart married Geoff's sister, but Brian has lost contact now. Any news of Geoff is welcome.

Does anyone in the Staffordshire/Cheshire/Lancashire area, ( or anywhere else) recall a sports racer, looking like a Lotus 23/Merlyn mk6 type, road registered LRF.........? It was bright yellow at the time of last sale in 1972.

Whilst I am well supported by the former owners with copies of photographs of the DRW cars, offers of any other copies would be welcome

many thanks for all help.

with apologies to our non UK readers for the parochiality of these requests

Roger Lund.

[roadmap]

I am trying to do a deal with a Mk6 at the moment. I could send you a photo but I cannot attach one to this forum

[ltvrt]

yes i own the one remaining Terrier Mk6. i have owned it since 1983 and have raced it alot.
it won its class in the 1985 FISA championship and came 4th overall!!
it is indeed the ex geoff millar car

[bradbury west]

Lawrence, welcome to the Forum. I am sure you will enjoy it. It is addictive. Be sure to discover the merits of the BB search facility on the headings. Type in your query and you will be surprised just what comes up from the thread archives.

A couple of weeks ago I went to look at a very sad chassis which we thought might be the DRW mk4, sister to your Terrier, but it is probably an early Milmor. I am hoping to talk to Howard Milborrow soon next week, if possible.

I have still drawn a blank on John Williams and Dave Lewis, see above, but we keep trying. Three weeks ago I had the most amazing good fortune with info etc from the early days. Looking good.

enjoy the forum

Roger Lund.

[ltvrt]

brian hart now lives in the south of france

[Kale]

Hy

have you any Picture from the DRW or from the Terrier ?

[ltvrt]

since i have owned my terrier mk 6 since 1983 you can imagine that i have lots of photos. send me your email and i will send you some

[Sharman]

Roger
Which Terrier did Dave Rees have?
John

[bradbury west]

John, I have not pursued it too much as I assume it would have been a mk2, like Brian Hart's car and that of Tony Youlten, 1172cc but re engined in period as 105E. Apart from my admiration for Len Terry , it is really only the only mk6 Terrier/mk4DRW which I research.
BTW, was Dave Rees not involved with the Ashley Smithy crowd?

Roger Lund.

[David McKinney]

And didn't he race an FJ Terrier as well?

[bradbury west]

Originally posted by David McKinney
And didn't he race an FJ Terrier as well?

Yes, the mk4, which had evolved from a variant of the original mk2 with 105E as an FJ before BH went to work for Cosworth. Derek Walker continues to keep a mk4 highly successful in FJ, and has done almost since it was new.

Roger Lund.

[Sharman]

Roger
He was indeed involved with Ashley Smithy. There were at one time 3 Sevens reg NAT 1 (Natalie), NUT 1 (Dave) and NIT 1 (and I can't remember his name but he was one of Ron Mitton's sales staff at the garage).
John

[Bloggsworth]

I always thought the DRW the most stylish of Clubmans cars.

I used to live on North Hill in Highgate and they once let me use their pillar drill and a pair of scales to check the spring rates of my Merlyn springs.

That was a fun area to live, Hexagon next door, DRW at the top of the hill and Charlie Luke's place on Highgate Hill.

[ltvrt]

I always thought the DRW the most stylish of Clubmans cars.

I used to live on North Hill in Highgate and they once let me use their pillar drill and a pair of scales to check the spring rates of my Merlyn springs.

That was a fun area to live, Hexagon next door, DRW at the top of the hill and Charlie Luke's place on Highgate Hill.

i was born in Highgate Hospital and lived just down the road for the first 10 years of my life.
just to keep you all up to date with "terrier" news.

len terry is still going great guns, i talk with him about once every 2 weeks. my terrier mk2, is now french registered, on narrow 15inch wires and has had its gearbox replaced and the other one kept on getting stuck in gear when hot. i think it was a problem with the remote gear change. this summer i went fron where i live in north east france to see a friend of mine in Britanny a one way trip of over 1000kms.
as you can imagine i was pretty glad to be able to make a stop over at some friend after 750 km and 11 hours of mk2 motoring!! but i still got out with a big grin on my face!!
so the whole trip ended up being 9 days an 2400kms!! over the whole trip i was getting about 35mpg which is not bad considering the 2 x 40DCOEs!!

the car never missed a beat, only needed fuel and 1/2 litre of oil!!

so if anybody needs an anglia/early cortina box i have the ex mk2 one for sale (no remote gear change) for sale at £150. the box is in Hastings

wishing everybody here happy motoring in 2011

[Bloggsworth]

Len Terry and his wife could have competed with merit in a 1960s version of "Strictly Come Prancing", they were a magnificent site at the Lotus Christmas Dances quickstepping round the floor.

[Giraffe]

I understand Rudi Ernst will be running a DRW-Imp in the Guards Trophy race at the Silverstone International Festival next month.

[bradbury west]

It will be interesting to see whether the car is accepted with the papers which came with the car, as being as raced in period, because it is not so, nor was its current spec. as sold. Trust me. Just as I hope no one claims it ran at bona fide International level in period, rather than in a supporting race, unless someone has a race entry/programme/race report which I do not have after all these years of research.............

The down side is that it will lose all the original CONDITION which it has retained through little use over all these years and will end up with a modern spec engine far beyond its period power. But that's histeric racing for you.
Roger Lund

Edited by bradbury west, 27 April 2011 - 14:59.

[Giraffe]

To quote Herr Ernst fro the other forum........

'I hope to debut something very weird in the Guards, DRW Imp, an original Guards runner in period
hopefully ready in time'

Edited by Giraffe, 27 April 2011 - 14:43.

[bradbury west]

Correct, it ran in the Guards series in period, but not Intl status. Please refer to sentence one in my previous post.
Roger Lund

[Giraffe]

The Rudi Ernst DRW was tucked away at Silverstone yesterday. I missed practice so I don't know if it ran but it didn't come out to race. I shall endeavour to find out more today Roger.....


By giraffe138 at 2011-05-14

By giraffe138 at 2011-05-14

By giraffe138 at 2011-05-14

By giraffe138 at 2011-05-14

By giraffe138 at 2011-05-14

By giraffe138 at 2011-05-14

[bradbury west]

Many thanks, Tony. The Hibberds seem to have done a good job in a short time since the sale was completed.
RL

[fyrth]

All our yesterdays. Quite a few years ago when this car was in regular and successful use on the hills. I'm sure the location is familiar although the lawn mower is used more regularly these days.

[Bloggsworth]

Why did it need a bib? Did it dribble?

[Mistron]

Given that i thas an Imp engine, I'd guess yes! (But at the other end)

I agree that DRW's were often very pretty cars, but that one is pug ugly at the front. The rest of it is really nice but it looks like someone tried tto drive it through a narrow gap.

[Giraffe]

As I left Silverstone yesterday evening, the DRW remained as it had done all weekend, on it's own with nobody tending it and being used as a repository for all kinds of bit's & pieces. Allen Brown suggested I remove the body, but you'll have to forgive me for not being bold enough to risk doing that, Roger.


By giraffe138 at 2011-05-16

[bradbury west]

Tony, many thanks for your efforts, I appreciate it. I have lots of shots of the little car, along with the others from the marque as you would imagine, from when it was first built, and I went up to see and photograph the car when it was advertised for sale, so it is really just a case of updating the files on an ongoing basis.
Roger

[limjamrace]

As I left Silverstone yesterday evening, the DRW remained as it had done all weekend, on it's own with nobody tending it and being used as a repository for all kinds of bit's & pieces. Allen Brown suggested I remove the body, but you'll have to forgive me for not being bold enough to risk doing that, Roger.


By giraffe138 at 2011-05-16

Trust you Mr Giraffe for finding this at Silverstone. Many thanks from all who are interested in Imp related Sports GT cars.
Once again i am missing out on these rare historic meetings and views of such cars.
It would have been nice to see it on the track and to see the installation of power unit and transmission.
From what i am reading it has a problem with paperwork...I have a problem with comprehending the MSA blue book let alone all that FIA stuff.
Hope the owner gets it all sorted.

Comments about the front end can be balanced with a low frontal area advantage i think. Although on a past photo the air intake for cooling doesn't seem up to the job(bib)!

[bradbury west]

....on a past photo the air intake for cooling doesn't seem up to the job(bib)!

Tony was kind enough to seek out the car for me as I was elsewhere. Cooling was never a problem in period. Other issues notwithstanding, its biggest problem at present might be drag from hauling that scaffold tower through the air...........
Roger Lund

[limjamrace]

Tony was kind enough to seek out the car for me as I was elsewhere. Cooling was never a problem in period. Other issues notwithstanding, its biggest problem at present might be drag from hauling that scaffold tower through the air...........
Roger Lund

He or she must be a very tall driver...Better though to survive a flip and sacrifice a bit (alot) of aerodynamics!
I take it the car has been restored. The crash bar has been nicely made and the car is stunningly fabricated. Cn't help thinking that an electrode on top of the roll cage would turn it into a smashing(pun) dodgem car at the fair though.
Looking closely at the fuel air intake i see what seems to look like an Imp sump(?)! Am i missing something in my 40 years of Imp involvement?

Best wishes to all involved in the car. I find it very interesting!

Can we have more details of its history and of course the people involved to date as per i think the idea of this post!

Edited by limjamrace, 20 May 2011 - 18:07.

[TFBundy]

When did you last see a DRW on television? If ever?

Sky's F1 channel has started a series of extended interviews with "F1 Legends". Today's programme featured Jody Scheckter and showed a picture of him on pole at Brands Hatch in the Merlyn ... and there next to him was the DRW of Garo Nigogosian!

[bradbury west]

Really?
Roger Lund

[Stephen W]

13th Nov '64 Autosport

[Mistron]

any news on when the book will be finished?

[bradbury west]

Thanks, Steve.
I am starting the collating process, Alastair, and cross-referencing race reports/results from Autosports with MNews, and there are still some people to trace or interview. Still, we have more period photos coming available.
Roger Lund

Edited by bradbury west, 05 May 2012 - 22:11.

[bradbury west]

When did you last see a DRW on television? If ever?

Sky's F1 channel has started a series of extended interviews with "F1 Legends". Today's programme featured Jody Scheckter and showed a picture of him on pole at Brands Hatch in the Merlyn ... and there next to him was the DRW of Garo Nigogosian!

I was not being facetious with my "really" response. I hoped more detail might be forthcoming.
Did they say it was Garo Nigogosian?
Whilst I am not too au-fait with Scheckter's early career, I am reasonably confident from the race reports and programmes on file here that I have probably all of Garo's race entries and details in the mk9S F100 car. A further 70 copy programme entry lists from a former DRW-ist arrived recently to cross-reference, even if only with race numbers. I am not aware that he drove an FF car, nor that Scheckter raced in F100. There were a few races when F100 cars were in mixed races with FF cars, but in those where Garo raced the F100 car against them at Brands there was no mention of Scheckter, and in one race he was against modsport cars as well. These were in November and December 1970. I am missing 2 months of Autosport for May and June 1970 at present, and I know there was a clubman's race at Brands as Autosport featured a grid picture of that race on a December 1970 cover, so there may be another one we have missed so far.

Perhaps someone who saw the Sky programme can clarify what sort of cars were racing. Does anyone have access to the Sky people so I can check?
Roger Lund

[Mistron]

I'll look forward too it - F1172 / F1200/F1300 and early Clubmans is an are af racing very poorly covered in print, and i'm ever hopefull of my current project popping up in the background of any photos from the era.

[bradbury west]

I now realise that Scheckter's first season was 1971.....................but the same point stands. Nigogosian, FF, ? I have further stuff to check for '71.
RL

[Plange]

Unfortunately I have only just seen this thread asking for information about DRW cars.  I did in fact own a clubmans car in the late 60's early 70's, but regrettable only got to test it at Brands once before it was put into storage.

 

Having raced a Lotus Seven for several seasons I commissioned Jack and Dave to build me a clubmans car into which was put a 1500cc Holbay Ford with a downdraft head utilising two 38 DCNL Weber carburettors.  This engine had previously been raced in a Lotus Seven by a young member of the Robertson's jam family.

 

After testing the DRW at Brands I had the opportunity to start a business, which involved moving home and working most days of the week, so racing was put on hold for several years and the DRW was stored in a lock-up garage for a while.  By the time I was ready to start racing again Clubmans cars had developed somewhat so I had a new car built by Mick Penfold. Mick used some of the parts from the DRW but the rolling chassis/bodywork was sold; the engine was sold separately.  I think Mick sold the car so I can't say where it went and sadly Mick is no longer with us to ask.  It would be nice to know what happened to it.

 

I have a couple of poor quality photos of the car on its trailer outside the lock-up.

 

Re. photos, I have in my scrapbook a clipping from Motoring News showing Jack Murrell rounding Devils Elbow at Mallory Park in the rain in the "new DRW Mk 7C".

 

[bradbury west]

Well, what a brilliant post to see on my DRW search thread. Many thanks for posting and welcome to TNF.  I will send you some contact details by PM.

David and  Jack said that they built up a turnkey car for someone. This would may have been 1969/70//71, I  think.. They said that the owner took it away, and they never saw anything more of the car or owner. I suspect yours is the missing car.  My race entry/results database , which I still have to bring right up to date with finds, enables me to do a full audit trail of car movements, although what became of some of them after my last trace in the various 1970s for them must remain a mystery, for the time being.

I hit an info wall after a few years, and some  awkward inconveniences have impeded a degree of progress,  in the ensuing hiatus period it is surprising just what emerged without actually looking for that material.

Whilst I have been supported brilliantly, for which I am always very appreciative, by a range of folk, ex DRW drivers, other drivers, journalists and photographers, not to mention the amount of material I have bought, I have had, or have chosen,  to spend a vast amount of time trawling through e Bay programmes for sale looking for period events in which DRWs may have competed, especially  further down the years when they were perhaps not as competitive as they once were.  This may not be quite as fatuous an exercise as some may think, as it has thrown up the names of two drivers in DRWs of whom I was completely  unaware, not the least because they would seem to have raced only the one time each, unless further research proves otherwise. Like the US military leader in the Gulf War said, “what we do not know is what we do not know..”

 

Back to the original post… I would welcome sight of any photographs and details of the car in your ownership. I am assuming that the young Mr Robertson was Robbie, who went on to have the Clubmans car the very successful RLR built, which later went on to Simon Taylor, if memory serves. As you so rightly said, times were changing for a variety of reasons, in Clubmans racing. 
Roger Lund

Edited by bradbury west, 28 January 2025 - 01:21.

[Steve123]

Later BRM driver Mike Wilds started his career with a 1172 Formula DRW. Unfortunately, he had a big accident in it at Brands Hatch.