13 replies to this topic

[Allen Brown]

One for the Cooper experts...

In 1964, Bob Gerard ran a Cooper "T71/73", chassis F1-3-64, in F1 and in libre racing for John Taylor. Ok, you knew that already. On page 277 of Doug Nye's "Cooper Cars", there is a picture of Taylor driving Gerard's Cooper at the Boxing Day Mallory Park meeting at the end of 1963 and the picture caption describes it as the 1964 car.

But is that really the T71/73? In Autosport's Mallory report, where the same picture appears, the car is described as a Cooper-Ford Mk 3, implying a 1962 Formula Junior, with a 1650cc Ford engine. The distinctively chopped-off nose later appears in the spring of 1964 on John Axon's "ex-Gerard" Cooper while John Taylor races Gerard's "new" Cooper-Ford in March 1964.

Could it be that this picture caption is wrong and that the December 1963 car was an older FJ-based car? Could it even have been the FJ that Taylor had driven so effectively for Gerard in 1963?

Allen

[Doug Nye]

Yes - it could CERTAINLY be wrong Allen, but you can rest assured it would have been written with absolutely the very best will in the world.

DCN

[Allen Brown]

Thanks Doug. I remember many years ago that you stressed to the then Cooper Car Club that they should not regard Cooper cars as "the bible". They did. I still do.

I also recall that the photo captions were the last thing that got done on that book as some of my last-minute material ended up in the captions. So it's perfectly possible that if that caption does turn out to be wrong, I helped you do it!

Wow, 23 years ago. Where did that go?

Allen

[Barry Boor]

As this seems to be the only thread that has Bob Gerard's name in the title, I felt it was better tack onto it rather than start another.

However, this is not a Cooper question, but rather, an E.R.A one.

I have studied the MFQ Jersey Road Race item in which Gerard's car appears occasionally, but this is 60 year old film and the colours, though remarkably good, may not be a true reflection. (I'm sure the Maseratis were much brighter red than they appear on that film.)

So I'm wondering if there are any known, still photographs, in colour, of that particular car? I know it a lighter green than the 'accepted' British Racing Greeny sort of colour, but how light?

[Vitesse2]

You asked this before, Barry:

From colour pics in Weguelin:

Gerard (R14B) - pale green (very similar to Aston Martin green) with white wheels.

[Barry Boor]

Mmmm.... very misleading that, Vit.

For a start, there is no way that the car could be described as PALE green. Aston Martin's were not pale green either and indeed, in the early 1950s the factory Astons were a normal BRG.

And I must confess I thought the E.R.A wheels were a cream colour.

[Dutchy]

Did Bob Gerard paint all his cars the same colour? I own the ex Bob Gerard Mk VIII Cooper and I went to great effort to repaint it in the correct colour having found a sliver of the original beneath layers of paint. I found a close match in (IIRC) RAL 6010. Hope this helps

[Bjorn Kjer]

Barry , judging from colour pictures , and you know all about that , the Gerard ERA in the" Bensted Smith book Racing cars" shows it to be very close to the colours on the Paddock pictures post3895 . The green is perhaps a tiny bit darker and the wheels could be either cream or gold.

[Barry Boor]

Dutchy, thanks for that code but what does it relate to? Halfords can't tie it in with any of their lists.

Anyway, I have sprayed the car with a Ford colour - Signal Green. Quite bright and fairly 'appley'.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Barry , if you cant await the more answers , then please show us your colour , so we can compare ?

Edited by Bjørn Kjer, 04 September 2009 - 19:34.

[Barry Boor]

A rather pointless excercise, Bjorn, because any pictures there might be of the original Gerard car will be changed with age; plus, any image I can post will be only that which my digital camera records and I know that the colours it reproduces on my computer screen are not always the colours that I am looking at when I take the photo.

Still, I am reasonably happy with the colour I have. Maybe it's a bit light but hey! who really cares? It's not as if I'm trying to sell the thing as authentic.

I'm just a fussy old anorak.

[Bjorn Kjer]

I also have seen the picture mentioned by Vitesse in post 5. This and the one from the Batsford Book I mentioned shows great difference , but to me the Batsford looks more real as the background is more "still" ........

I also did not find a Bob Gerard thread , only sub-threads , so I will ask here:

On the Gerard website: www.bobgerard.co.uk , click "about us" is a row of pictures. The last one shows Gerard himself . Behind is a transporter , could that be theirs ? Does anyone know what he used after the wellknown Dodge wich at least drove from 46-56 ?

I have mailed them more than once , but never getting a reply .

Edited by Bjørn Kjer, 05 September 2009 - 06:12.

[Dutchy]

Dutchy, thanks for that code but what does it relate to? Halfords can't tie it in with any of their lists.

Anyway, I have sprayed the car with a Ford colour - Signal Green. Quite bright and fairly 'appley'.

See http://www.e-paint.c...Colourchart.asp
Any paint shop or factor should be familiar with it.

[AAA-Eagle]

Today, being 19th January 2014, let's remember Bob Gerard on what would be his 100th birthday.