17 replies to this topic

[RTH]

After Stirling had his accident in '62 and decided to retire from driving, one of the ways he saw his future going was as a team manager and started S.M.A.R.T in 1963, - having himself worked under some of the best managers in the business.

As I recall he got Sir John Whitmore to drive for him and also perhaps strangely his secretary Valerie Pirie.
He bought a Lotus Elan in a kit (an S1) and had Frank Costin design and craft a low drag nose and a hardtop which has to be said was so ugly and they went international racing , also they had a Cortina GT for rallying, preparing the cars in a London mews garage.

Now after the initial flurry of publicity and largely unsatisfactory events in 1963 the project seemed to slip out of public gaze.

I wonder what the real story behind it all was, what Stirling's long term ambitions at the time were ? why it did not last and above all what happened to that very strange looking Elan ! What of Valerie Pirie? Why did it disappear?

[sterling49]

I used to regularly see the cars at Brands in the 60's....I think Peter Gaydon was a driver at one time, I do not remember the Cortina, but believe they had a 1 liter F3 car, maybe a BT18/21? This forum really makes the grey matter work, just love it!

[jcbc3]

OT: Is that why he was one of the first in the UK to purchase a Smart car?

[sterling49]

Originally posted by jcbc3
OT: Is that why he was one of the first in the UK to purchase a Smart car?

has to be a misnomer that one jcbc3!

[Rob29]

The F3 was a Merlyn not a Brabham.A lovely metallic green colour, I have it on film racing at Crystal Palace 65 I think.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Rob29
The F3 was a Merlyn not a Brabham.A lovely metallic green colour, I have it on film racing at Crystal Palace 65 I think.

Great memory Rob....guess that would have been a Mk10 like Lanfranchi drove......very pretty cars from Colchester

[Rob29]

Originally posted by sterling49


Great memory Rob....guess that would have been a Mk10 like Lanfranchi drove......very pretty cars from Colchester

An earier mark I think.They had only reached Mk11A-a shiney new FF I was involved with in 69. Can't think of the name of the driver of the SMART car,was not Gaydon,he wore green overalls to match the car,when just about everyone else bar Trevor Taylor had pale blue.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Rob29
An earier mark I think.They had only reached Mk11A-a shiney new FF I was involved with in 69. Can't think of the name of the driver of the SMART car,was not Gaydon,he wore green overalls to match the car,when just about everyone else bar Trevor Taylor had pale blue.

just looked on Merlyn site, don't remember the guy but Les Roberts apparently, Chris Irwin and John Fenning also drove Merlyns.....

[David McKinney]

Chris Irwin was the SMART name I remembered
I thought someone else might have said that

[Bino Mk II]

In 1969 the brazilians drivers Luiz Pereira Bueno and Ricardo Achcar raced in British Fórmula Ford
with Merlyn's Mk 11-A of the S.M.A.R.T.

Luiz Pereira Bueno won 06 races :

Aug/10 - Snetterton
Aug/17 - Brands Hatch
Sep/14 - Croft
Sep/20 - Oulton Park
Sep/28 - Brands Hatch
Nov/02 - Brands Hatch

Ricardo Achcar won 02 races :

Sep/01 - Mallory Park
Sep/08 - Brands Hatch

In February/March of 1970 Luiz Pereira Bueno raced a S.M.A.R.T. Merlyn Mk 11-A in the first four of five races of the Brazilian Tourney of Formula Ford, sponsored by B.U.A. (British United Airways). In the last race he raced a Lola T-200. The results are:

Feb/01 - Rio de Janeiro - DNF
Feb/08 - Curitiba - DNF
Feb/15 - Fortaleza - 2nd
Feb/22 - Rio de Janeiro - First
Mar/01 - Interlagos - 10th

Obs. The Lola T-200 are used by Ricardo Achcar in the first three races of the tourney. In Interlagos, the Merlyn Mk 11-A is raced by the brazilian driver Francisco Lameirão ( he finish 5th ).


Bino Mk II

[Rob29]

Originally posted by David McKinney
Chris Irwin was the SMART name I remembered
I thought someone else might have said that

I don't think Chris drove for SMART.Run video of my films 61-66 last night. Chris has a red Merlyn with yellow stripe.Charlie Chricton-Stuart Brabham also in SMART colours.

[Cirrus]

LOTI - can you help?

[2F-001]

This doesn't answer these specific questions, but may be of interest...

John Baxter's "Motor Racing Team Colours and markings", MAP 1967, has the following entry:

- - - - - - - - - - -

S.M.A.R.T. (Stirling Moss Automobile Racing Team), London W.1.

"S.M.A.R.T. was formed by Stirling Moss in March 1963. He bought a Lotus Elan, which was modified considerably and had a hard top fitted. The car entered for various GT events and driven successfully by Sir John Whitmore throughout that season. It won every event it entered except two, when it shed a wheel on both occasions. The Elan was sold after Valerie Pirie had driven it in club events during the early part of 1964, with some success. At the same time S.M.A.R.T. acquired a Cortina GT which was entered in several rallies and driven by Valerie Pirie, usually with Daphne Freeman and Sue Knights. At the beginning of the 1964 season a Porsche 904 GTS was bought and raced successfully in GT events. It was driven by Innes Ireland, Trevor Taylor, Sir John Whitmore, David Hobbs, Hugh Dibley, and the late 'Lucky' Casner. S.M.A.R.T. also entered Hugh Dibley in a Brabham Repco in British races, in which he broke several sports car lap records, including setting up the first 100 mph lap at Goodwood. At the close of the 1964 season S.M.A.R.T. also entered into negotiations with the Standard-Triumph Motor Company and a competition Triumph Spitfire was added to the team and entered for various international rallies for Valerie Pirie to drive. In 1965 S.M.A.R.T. were fielding a Lola 5-litre sports car driven by Hugh Dibley, and one Formula 3 car, a Brabham Ford driven by Charles Chrichton-Stuart. For the start of the 1966 season, the team had a B.R.P. - B.R.M. (one of the ex-British Racing Partnership cars) in the South African Grand Prix for Richie Ginther to drive.

Colours and markings:
The main colour is Light Borneo Green (ICI paint reference P031-4390). Monoposto cars have a dark green nose band. Sports cars have a dark green nose band which forms itself into a narrowing stripe in the centre of the bonnet. Wheels-- Dark Green"

- - - - - - - - - - -

[RTH]

Thanks for that Tony , that sheds quite a bit of light !

[Andrew Kitson]

Definitely remember the SMART FF team racing at Snetterton with the two Brazilian drivers in the late 60s. Pale green cars for sure. I also recall being a young lad in the scrum to get Stirling's autograph in the paddock at that meeting, at that time he wore a beard.

[sterling49]

I remember them to, they used to win week after week at Brands....had forgotten they were S.M.A.R.T. cars.....this was at the time of the 1st South American wave of talented drivers

[bradbury west]

Originally posted by Bino Mk II
In 1969 the brazilians drivers Luiz Pereira Bueno and Ricardo Achcar raced in British Fórmula Ford
with Merlyn's Mk 11-A of the S.M.A.R.T.

Bino Mk II

Purely by coincidence, some old programmes have come onto my desk, one of which is for Snetterton, June 22 1969, and the two Brazilians were entered in the two Les Leston FF Heats, both finishing fourth, the races won by Dave Walker, JRRDS Lotus and a young Emmerson Fittipaldi for David Rowland's concern.

The meeting was the Festival of Speed featuring 3 races for mbikes, two for karts, and the two FF heats and final as end-of-meeting races. Some interesting names in the FF races.

Roger Lund.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Searching for Porsche 904 colours , I stumpled over this thread wich I had almost forgotten . Any news in the last year ? Pictures ? Of the 904 ?