10 replies to this topic

[Impspeed Gerry]

Hi all,

Being a member of the Imp racing fraternity, I'm always looking for info. on famous cars from the past, currently:

The blue George Bevan car with which Bill McGovern won the British Saloon Car Champ. outright in '70, '71 and '72. No-one in the Imp Club seems to know anything about this car's whereabouts -any ideas gentlemen?

I recently rebuilt a full spaceframe circuit racing Imp manufactured by Rawlson (similar to a Maguire), which apparantly won the '82 Wendy Wools Special Saloon title. Anyone know if this is true, and if so, who the driver/owner of the car was at the time?

Thanks guys

Gerry

[glyn parham]

Impspeed gerry.
I employed George Bevans grandson for four years (we occasionally worked between gossip on racing matters) and he passed quite a few interesting snippets of information about the cars.
For example only one of the Group 2 Imps was ever sold (in 1971 to Sweden I think) the rest were uprated into the following years specification or written off as the result of accident damage etc.
I will speak to him again soon and verifiy that my memory is ok.
Glyn

[km1164]

George told me many moons ago when he did our engines he had 1 car in french museum i believe the peugeot talbot musuem
i think it was the blue triple chapionship winning car
it is true he had scandanavian customers and i do recall George telling us he had sold some of his cars there but i think these will be the earlier cars possibly the Gp 5 or club cars
these where used for Ice racing as well as track races !

your Imp space frame is possibly wallinger built car
but i dont recall rawlson panels used by wallinger nor a space frame using rawlson panels these where fitted to the steel shells from what i can recall mainly mid 70`s conversions

Davrian built an Imp for Homewood using davrian floor pan and imp body
later his cousin had a space frame car built with same body ( similar to wallinger body shape) with 850 motor i dont recall who built the chassis

McGuire Imps and minis were the norm in wendy wools racing with a few 1 off home made cars popping up often utilising a body from some one who had the moulds like wallinger or McGuire

Rob Mason built some cars in the late 70`s with stilleto shell space frame front & rear ends with rawlson style panels
Jeff ward was the first to build a space frame imp circa 75 i believe this was built by dick wallinger
wallinger also built a demon ground effect Imp for donington gt series circa 81 a full fibreglass shell with tunnels etc !!

[JtP]

Originally posted by km1164


Davrian built an Imp for Homewood using davrian floor pan and imp body
later his cousin had a space frame car built with same body ( similar to wallinger body shape) with 850 motor i dont recall who built the chassis

That would be the one with "here comes John Homewood" on the front panel, should it not have been written on the Imp's engine cover?

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Impspeed Gerry

The blue George Bevan car with which Bill McGovern won the British Saloon Car Champ. outright in '70, '71 and '72. No-one in the Imp Club seems to know anything about this car's whereabouts -any ideas gentlemen?

A friend of mine would like to contact Bill McGovern...is he around and does anyone know how to find him?

Perhaps he would have the answer to your question about the car, Gerry? (George Bevan is no longer with us, it seems)

[bradbury west]

I recall browsing through a book earlier this yesar on the Bevan Imps, loked pretty comprehensive but a little pricey for general use. I think it centred o the British saloon car championships, with the Ipmps to the fore.

On another note, 1960s stuff:

Does anyone have any info about the Emery Imp GTs, either of them.??


Roger Lund.

[Roger Stoddard]

Originally posted by David Beard


A friend of mine would like to contact Bill McGovern...is he around and does anyone know how to find him?

Bill and Mary spend most of their year in Florida nowadays but the furniture shops are still open so whoever's at the Belsize Road shop in Kilburn, NW6 would probably pass on any message.

Equally I bet he's got an e-mail address and though I don't know it, I bet the BRDC do!

[hiteknz]

Originally posted by JtP


That would be the one with "here comes John Homewood" on the front panel, should it not have been written on the Imp's engine cover?

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Roger Stoddard



Bill and Mary spend most of their year in Florida nowadays but the furniture shops are still open so whoever's at the Belsize Road shop in Kilburn, NW6 would probably pass on any message.

Equally I bet he's got an e-mail address and though I don't know it, I bet the BRDC do!

Thanks Roger: I now have this and his normal home address.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Roger Stoddard
Bill and Mary spend most of their year in Florida nowadays but the furniture shops are still open so whoever's at the Belsize Road shop in Kilburn, NW6 would probably pass on any message.

I used to work just around the corner from this shop and passed it every day. I always thought of the Imp man when I saw the sign, but never realised it was the same man

[bradbury west]

I had occasion to speak to Bill McG recently, following a lead from a TNFer, about my research stuff. Sadly he could throw no light on my enquiries, but what a helpful and pleasant man he was, faced with a call out of the blue about something in the 1960s.

Roger Lund.