12 replies to this topic

[popi]

Since you are talking about Le Mans, I would like to have some information about the Sunbean Alpine Harrington equipment of 1961, between whom one of the pilots was Harper. Could you give me some information about the corvette number 9 of Le Mans 1967, drove by Bondurant .

[jph]

I can help with some information on the Sunbeam Harrington Alpine which raced at Le Mans in 1961. The car had a further modified version of the coupe body that Thomas Harrington Limited, a coachbuilding company based in Hove, England had developed for the Sunbeam Alpine. As well as the coupe body, the car had faired in headlamps and an undertray and various aluminium, rather than steel, body panels. The car was driven by Peter Harper (who sadly died a bout three weeks ago) and Peter Procter and, much to the surprise of the Rootes team who ran the car, it ended up winning the Index of Thermal Efficiency. The car did not race again in period and eventually found its way to a barn in norther England, whence the car was rescued during the 1970s by a member of the Harrington family, who restored and still owns the car. In fact, the car competed in the Goodwood Revival meeting this year, as it has done on two previous occasions and is in remarkably original condition. As well as the Harrington-bodied car, Rootes ran another Alpine with bodywork of standard appearance in the 1961 race, driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Peter Jopp but this car was disqualified for taking on oil earlier than the regulations allowed.

Rootes went on to compete at Le Mans with a team of Alpines in 1962 and 1963. These cars were fitted with Kamm-style rears which were aerodynamically more efficient than either the Harrington coupe or the standard design. In fact, although the bodywork modifications were less radical than those on the Index winning car in 1961, they were again carried out by Harringtons. Harper and Procter drove in both 1962 and 1963 and the pairing of Hopkirk and Jopp was replaced in 1963 by Tiny Lewis and Keith Ballisat. Hopkirk and Jopp had both moved on to (arguably better) things in 1963, driving MGB and Cobra respectively. A certain Chris Amon was nominated as the reserve driver for the Harper/Procter car for the 1963 race, but AFAIK never got to drive the car! These attempts at Le Mans were less successful than had been the case in 1961, with only one car finishing in 1962 and both retiring in 1963.

[popi]

Thank you very much for the information.

[Frank S]

I don't suppose Harrington had anything to do with this '1964 Sunbeam LeMans Tiger' entered in 2003 Monterey Historics race 7B for 1963-1966 Production/GT Cars over 2000cc. Car was driven by Peter Procter, started 35 finished 29. Chassis No. B949998.

[jph]

I don't suppose Harrington had anything to do with this '1964 Sunbeam LeMans Tiger' entered in 2003 Monterey Historics race 7B for 1963-1966 Production/GT Cars over 2000cc. Car was driven by Peter Procter, started 35 finished 29. Chassis No. B949998.

No, nothing to do with Harringtons. There were three of these cars built, one running in the pre-race test driven by Mike Parkes - who, at that time either still worked for Rootes as a development engineer or had only recently ceased doing so - and the other two ran in the race itself but both suffered engine failure. Peter Procter drove one of the cars at Le Mans, alongside Jimmy Blumer. the other was driven by Claude Dubois and Keith Ballisat. The cars were developed by Listers and the bodywork was built by Williams & Pritchard. They didn't cover themselves in glory at Le Mans - they were under-developed, possibly because Rootes wanted them to be closely based on the soon-to-be-announced Tiger road car - but one of them achieved a fair deal of success in British national races later on, in the hands of Bernard Unett.

[popi]

Originally posted by jph


No, nothing to do with Harringtons. There were three of these cars built, one running in the pre-race test driven by Mike Parkes - who, at that time either still worked for Rootes as a development engineer or had only recently ceased doing so - and the other two ran in the race itself but both suffered engine failure. Peter Procter drove one of the cars at Le Mans, alongside Jimmy Blumer. the other was driven by Claude Dubois and Keith Ballisat. The cars were developed by Listers and the bodywork was built by Williams & Pritchard. They didn't cover themselves in glory at Le Mans - they were under-developed, possibly because Rootes wanted them to be closely based on the soon-to-be-announced Tiger road car - but one of them achieved a fair deal of success in British national races later on, in the hands of Bernard Unett.

Thanks yours contribution.

[calo]

Frank:

This is a Sumben Tiger.

[275 GTB-4]

This is something you don't see everyday of the week...

Sunbeam Alpine Le Mans - Canberra Australia - Sunday 22 Mar 09 - Wheels (charity car show)

[Graham Gauld]

Glad to see the Harrington Alpine remembered. I was co-driver with Scottish Rootes dealer and racing driver John Melvin in the RAC Rally around 1965/66 in a Harrington. Indeed there were two Harrington Alpines on the RAC that year and both were co-driven by Editors of motoring magazines who were not only Scots but also had the same initials. ( The other one was Gregor Grant of Autosport.)

[RS2000]

Found Gregor Grant with a P. Pilsworth on 62 RAC in one but not you yet Graham (no model names only makes in some years lists, so not so easy to check).
66 indeed! Taking photos of JC and driven around by JYS weren't you!!

[Graham Gauld]

I think Gregor was with George Hartwell and I may well have the year wrong. Try 1965

[Alan Cox]

The Index of Thermal Efficiency-winning car on its first competitive outing since restoration, and only its second-ever race, at Angouleme 1999 with Clive Harrington.

[RS2000]

Crook/Bowes in a Sunbeam Alpine on the 64 RAC is the only other one I can find - but the entry lists are notoriously bad in the early 60s and I'm aware of other cars that ran on the 65 event but are not on some lists.