73 replies to this topic

[sterling49]

Alan Mann Racing used to run Fords for the factory in the '60's with Frank Gardner and Sir John Whitmore as the main drivers as well as others such as (I think) Peter Arundell / Richard Attwood and Jackie Oliver on occasions. My question is they ran Lotus Cortinas in '64 and '65, gaining the European Touring Trophy in '65 but I cannot remember what happened in '66......GT40 and Le Mans? Also 1967 they had a Mark 2 Lotus Cortina with an FVA fitted and then went to the Escort in, I believe early '68 (XOO 348/349F) and throughout '69 fitted with diverse engines such as Twin Cams, FVA's, and supercharged T/C's. Gardner then going on to drive a Boss Mustang similar to Steve McQueens in "Bullit".

Any clues please to the lost year of 1966.....and also why they ran the Falcon in '67 when it was not a EnFo product? Also it was 3 years old before they raced it as it was an ex Monte Carlo car from 1964. Was it an interim/stopgap awaiting the Escort?

[Ray Bell]

Wasn't Brian Muir's Ford drive at Le Mans in an Alan Mann car?

[Robert Bailey]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
Wasn't Brian Muir's Ford drive at Le Mans in an Alan Mann car?

1966,#XGT-2 drivern by Muir and G.Hill ,dnf.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Robert Bailey
1966,#XGT-2 drivern by Muir and G.Hill ,dnf.

Whitmore was driving a GT40 for Mann...he did the Targa Florio and other races as well as Mann taking two cars to Le Mans in '66 for Muir/Hill and Whitmore/Gardner.

[Vitesse2]

Anybody care to provide background to this picture?



The centre car looks to be in Alan Mann colours, but what are the other two? Where are they going (if anywhere)?

One strange feature on the apparent Mann car is the one-piece bumper: not standard on Lotus Cortinas, so might this be a bog standard Cortina or Cortina GT tricked up to look like a Lotus for a publicity shot? The others share the one-piece bumper and I reckon those are more likely Cortina GTs - also note the minor differences in the paintwork.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
Anybody care to provide background to this picture?



The centre car looks to be in Alan Mann colours, but what are the other two? Where are they going (if anywhere)?

One strange feature on the apparent Mann car is the one-piece bumper: not standard on Lotus Cortinas, so might this be a bog standard Cortina or Cortina GT tricked up to look like a Lotus for a publicity shot? The others share the one-piece bumper and I reckon those are more likely Cortina GTs - also note the minor differences in the paintwork.

The two cars on the outside look like they are in John Willmet colours? Would agree they look more like GT's.....my 1st ever car when 17 They are 1964 model cars....I don't think facelifted "Airflow" models ran in the American Races.

As they are about to be shipped onto a PanAm flight, my guess would be they are off to the Sebring 12 hours.....which Team Lotus...and therefore Touring Cars, used to participate in.....or maybe wildcard...Nassau Speed week?

[Vitesse2]

I suppose Nassau might be a possible, but Sebring seems to be out of the reckoning, certainly for the 12 Hours in 1964 and 1965. There was also a Sebring 3 Hours for touring cars in 1965, but the only Cortinas usually mentioned are the works cars of Clark and Sears (finished 1-2). Did others go over for that race? I'm sure Frank de Jong would like to know ....

One thing which did emerge when this picture was discussed elsewhere was that Powerslide reported (almost certainly wrongly) that Clark and Sears were driving for Alan Mann rather than Team Lotus in the 3 Hours. Might be a clue (or not!)

[sterling49]

I would agree that Clark and Sears did not drive the Alan Mann cars, in private testing they did, because apparently they had different handling characteristics...the Team Lotus cars always lifted front wheels but Mann cars generally didn't. Could be the three hour race in Sebring, don't know much about it.......but when young I could never work out why they had pictures of cars racing in lakes.....having visited Florida a few times now...it became very apparent!!!
notice the 5 1/2" J steel rims they are wearing, not a sign of a Minilite anywhere!

[cosworth bdg]

Originally posted by sterling49
Alan Mann Racing used to run Fords for the factory in the '60's with Frank Gardner and Sir John Whitmore as the main drivers as well as others such as (I think) Peter Arundell / Richard Attwood and Jackie Oliver on occasions. My question is they ran Lotus Cortinas in '64 and '65, gaining the European Touring Trophy in '65 but I cannot remember what happened in '66......GT40 and Le Mans? Also 1967 they had a Mark 2 Lotus Cortina with an FVA fitted and then went to the Escort in, I believe early '68 (XOO 348/349F) and throughout '69 fitted with diverse engines such as Twin Cams, FVA's, and supercharged T/C's. Gardner then going on to drive a Boss Mustang similar to Steve McQueens in "Bullit".

Any clues please to the lost year of 1966.....and also why they ran the Falcon in '67 when it was not a EnFo product? Also it was 3 years old before they raced it as it was an ex Monte Carlo car from 1964. Was it an interim/stopgap awaiting the Escort?

Alan Mann Racing also built a number of MK1 Escorts ,fitted with FVA'S for Racing ,of which 1 apeared downunder driven by Alan Moffat for Ford Australia and used as a Sports Sedan......

[Dave Wright]

Originally posted by sterling49
Any clues please to the lost year of 1966.....and also why they ran the Falcon in '67 when it was not a EnFo product? Also it was 3 years old before they raced it as it was an ex Monte Carlo car from 1964. Was it an interim/stopgap awaiting the Escort?

They ran the Falcon in 66 in the BSCC. They went for the Falcon because it had the same engine as the Mustang (which dominated the 65 BSCC) but was lighter thanks to extensive use of fibre-glass in the body panels. And the Grp 5 regs introduced in 66 allowed the Falcon to use wider wheels, which was its weakness in Grp 2 format. But it seems it only raced once that season.

In the 1966 ETCC they raced the Cortina again.

Why did they race the Falcon in 67 when it wasn't an EnFo product? They raced the Falcon in the BSCC where they were not the works backed team. Team Lotus were the works team in the BSCC. So presumably Alan Mann could pick the most competitive car.

[cosworth bdg]

Don't forget the MK1 Escort was Homologated with Fibre Glass panels, boot lid , bonnet, & doors .....................................

[RS2000]

Originally posted by cosworth bdg
Don't forget the MK1 Escort was Homologated with Fibre Glass panels, boot lid , bonnet, & doors .....................................

Group 2 allowed some alternative panels to be homologated up to 1971(?) (and hence Group5 did too for 66-69 BSCC) but surely aluminium was chosen (as with CooperS etc)?

Therein also lies the reason for the Alan Mann 66 effort with the Lotus Cortina being less successful than 65. Alfa and BMW had caught up with the same homologation game (alloy panels, mag diff and gearbox casings in the case of the Lotus Cortina)?

[RS2000]

The photo of the Cortina GTs by the aircraft was nothing to do with Alan Mann Racing. IIRC all three were Willment-prepared for a one-off Sebring (24hour?) race for near standard cars (which they won?).

[hipperson]

The back of the photo says Sept 1966.
I took the photo at Snetterton.....my era, my favourite car.

[hipperson]

The Alan Mann Mustang as driven by John Whitmore at the 2005 Revival. Sinning out while in the lead. Finished 3rd I think.
Mann flew JW back from Oz to drive this car.
(Photo Russell Whitworth)

[hipperson]

John Whitmore chatting to Alan Mann at Revival 2005 prior to his Mustang race.
Looking back to the Cortina photo I would say that is Mr Mann sitting on the front wing ?

[RS2000]

Originally posted by hipperson

The back of the photo says Sept 1966.
I took the photo at Snetterton.....my era, my favourite car.

A very useful photo. We were attempting to establish in another place the actual Mann cars used in 65 and 66 for a new Swedish owner who believed he had the second 65 car.
This is usually impossible for rally cars - the works "KPU" registrations were re-used on many re-shelled Cortinas - and for many race cars.
In the case of the Mann cars it seems more straightforward. 65 ETCC winning KPU392C has provenance (albeit the reg no first appeared on an older car). Since the red and gold leaf spring cars were introduced fairly late into 65, it seems likely no 3rd shell was being rotated through use and KPU384C was the second car, now belived in Sweden. KPU 390C was carried by the 66 Whitmore/Gardner Nurburgring ETCC car. KPU391C is now confrimed as carried at Snetterton 66 (ETCC?).
Any other 65/66 photos?

(The person sitting on the wing - Ford Competitions Manager Henry Taylor?)

[hipperson]

My interest in Lotus-Cortinas goes back 40 years.
My brother & I suggested to Dad we should buy a new Cortina-Lotus in 1965 .
Having had his new Sunbeam Rapier modified by Jack Brabhams garage in Chessington in 1964,
Dad was mortified when coming back from the cinema in Braintree one night we were blown away by a Lotus.
The next week he ordered a new one...£995.
Nothing bothered us after that..............

[hipperson]

RS2000....I believe Henry Taylor wore spectacles.

This was indeed ETCC..I remember the Alfas and Hubert Hahne in a BMW.

On the subject of Alan Mann cars...John Whitmore told me there was an American collector in the States..Boston I seem to remember, that had all his old race cars.
On a visit there the chap, a University boffin, threw JW a set of keys and pointed him towards his garage........... JW put one of his old GT40s thru its paces on the road.

On his return the 'boffin' had wheeled out another vehicle...a russian Sputnik !

[sterling49]

Originally posted by hipperson


The back of the photo says Sept 1966.
I took the photo at Snetterton.....my era, my favourite car.

Mine to...a fellow enthusiast with taste.....preparation of the Broad Cars and the Mann cars and Team Lotus was just superb, always competitive and well driven...at 17 I had a dark blue Mark 1 GT....used to go everywhere sideways.........

Watched some of TOCA yesterday...turned it off within 2/3 minutes :yawn:

I read in (I think it was) Jeremy Waltons book on the works Escorts that Alfa had caught up with homologation hence the gorgeous Alfa Romeo 1750GTAM's....lovely on Campagnolo wheels

Great photos looks like the Alan Mann Falcon in the background?


Anymore photos?

[sterling49]

Originally posted by RS2000


Group 2 allowed some alternative panels to be homologated up to 1971(?) (and hence Group5 did too for 66-69 BSCC) but surely aluminium was chosen (as with CooperS etc)?

Therein also lies the reason for the Alan Mann 66 effort with the Lotus Cortina being less successful than 65. Alfa and BMW had caught up with the same homologation game (alloy panels, mag diff and gearbox casings in the case of the Lotus Cortina)?

When they were running the Mark 11 Lotus was anyone aware that it did not have the recirculating ball steering but an Escort rack? Would this have been Group 2 or 5? I found this out recently whilst reading Waltons book on the Works Escorts.......a great read and tribute to Boreham Airfield......sacred ground!

[sterling49]

KPU 390C went for £55K at Bonhams in 2003.....

[sterling49]

My wallpaper is KPU 396C....a certain Jim Clark in a Team Lotus car completely sideways, front wheel hugging the apex, headlights (taped) and ablaze, a touch of opposite lock, taken at Oulton Park I think.......

[RS2000]

Originally posted by hipperson
[B]RS2000....I believe Henry Taylor wore spectacles.
/B]

Never seen a photo of HT wearing spectacles (or of successor Stuart Turner without...). Alan Mann had sort of spiky, longish, brushed back hair "in period". Copyright prevents posting the only examples to hand.

[Ray Bell]

I think he's right... thick rimmed ones...

[RS2000]

Originally posted by sterling49


When they were running the Mark 11 Lotus was anyone aware that it did not have the recirculating ball steering but an Escort rack? Would this have been Group 2 or 5? I found this out recently whilst reading Waltons book on the Works Escorts.......a great read and tribute to Boreham Airfield......sacred ground!

The BSCC was Group5 1966-69, then reverted to Group2 again. ETCC was Group2. (So Mann
ETCC Mk1s were Gp2 and Mann BSCC Mk2s were Gp5 - hence Mk2 could use FVA) (It was only fairly recently I saw a picture of the underside of a Team lotus 1966 Gp5 Mk1 and I believe the suspension was more advanced/further removed from standard configuration than anything used on an Escort today!

[hipperson]

Here you are Sterling.....probably the finest racing photo of the 60's.Poetry in motion.
Oulton Park 1966.
A pre-arranged 90mph slide for the photographer Michael Cooper

Michael sells these for £299 a pop.

[RS2000]

Originally posted by hipperson


Here you are Sterling.....probably the finest racing photo of the 60's.Poetry in motion.
Oulton Park 1966.
A pre-arranged 90mph slide for the photographer Michael Cooper

Michael sells these for £299 a pop.

Are you sure it's 66, not 65? KPU386C was carried on a 65 BSCC (Group2) car and is said to have first been carried by a road car used by Chapman, which he wrote off.

[Ray Bell]

KPU 386C or KPU 396C?

Good piccie, isn't it?

[HDonaldCapps]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
Anybody care to provide background to this picture?



The centre car looks to be in Alan Mann colours, but what are the other two? Where are they going (if anywhere)?

One strange feature on the apparent Mann car is the one-piece bumper: not standard on Lotus Cortinas, so might this be a bog standard Cortina or Cortina GT tricked up to look like a Lotus for a publicity shot? The others share the one-piece bumper and I reckon those are more likely Cortina GTs - also note the minor differences in the paintwork.

There is the off-hand chance that they could be headed for the Marlboro 12-hours. Just a guess since I am 6000+ miles from my library at the moment.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by hipperson


Here you are Sterling.....probably the finest racing photo of the 60's.Poetry in motion.
Oulton Park 1966.
A pre-arranged 90mph slide for the photographer Michael Cooper

Michael sells these for £299 a pop.

That's the picture I have........look in awe.......I am priviledged to have seen the maestro in action so many times, sometimes probably as you, 3 times a year, my excitement could not be described........there again I could now go and watch F1 on a "sanitised" circuit :yawn: :yawn:

I have an oil painting in my lounge....Jim in JTW 498C , the one at Bottom Bend, Brands '65 where he got a puncture and then changed the wheel and went out again for the hell of it and if I remember correctly, to break the lap record.....I remember Anthony Marsh being apopletic as Clark sometimes went up on two wheels.........TOCA is more like Banger racing...I am quite pleased Ford is no longer participating.

Thinks......I can remember most of the registration numbers of the old cars, but not our family cars........

[RS2000]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
KPU 386C or KPU 396C?

Good piccie, isn't it?

KPU396C (a Gp2 leaf spring 1965 Team Lotus race car). 1966 Team Lotus Gp5 cars carried PHK reg nos.
The only record I have of KPU386C reg no is on a works rally car used by Jim Clark for practice at the Bagshot test ground prior to the 1966 RAC Rally (in which he actually drove one of the final "NVW" reg works rally cars, carrying NVW241C).

[hipperson]

Yes Dad used to take us boys to Snetterton many times a year before I started racing.

We would go and stand at the outside of Riches, the first right hand corner after the pits. This was before the chicane at Russell so from the Coram Esses the Cortinas would work up quite a head of speed.
Three Cortinas would approach flat out , no braking, the massive crowd would lean forward as of one with baited breath.
Clark,Sears,Whitmore lined across the track a few feet apart.. then as one, 50 yards from the corner, they would yank the steering wheel over to start the synchronised slide...but one had to back off only as two can exit Riches as it narrows.
As they passed the crowd would break into simultaneous applause....then after 2 minutes they came around again.
Unbelievable car control and a scenario I will never forget.

[Cirrus]

Sitting here in my office in Byfleet, I was wondering where the Alan Mann premises were - does anyone know the address?

[RS2000]

Originally posted by sterling49

I have an oil painting in my lounge....Jim in JTW 498C , the one at Bottom Bend, Brands '65 where he got a puncture and then changed the wheel and went out again for the hell of it and if I remember correctly, to break the lap record.....I remember Anthony Marsh being apopletic as Clark sometimes went up on two wheels.........

The JTW cars were the 65 Team Lotus A bracket Gp2 cars before the leaf spring car was homologated later in 65. KPU396C is the only record I have of the later 65 Team Lotus cars.
On the subject of the Alan Mann Mk1s, KPU393C is currently carried by Simon Drabble's historic race "Alan Mann replica" car but he says (posting on another forum) the V5 for his car is a quite different reg no. I cannot place 393C "in period" as an Alan Mann car. Any photos? (one of the problems is that most appearances were in Europe).
Incidently, Alan Mann has said he now holds no records of the cars.

[RS2000]

Originally posted by HDonaldCapps


There is the off-hand chance that they could be headed for the Marlboro 12-hours. Just a guess since I am 6000+ miles from my library at the moment.

The cars were featured in a magazine article (about Willment?) 2 or 3 years ago. I was hoping someone else would come up with the definitive answer before I had to go and search for it!

[hipperson]

This is a 'mood' photo of John Whitmore talking to Our Essex Lotus Group in May 2005.
A fascinating career .....................

[sterling49]

Originally posted by hipperson
Yes Dad used to take us boys to Snetterton many times a year before I started racing.

We would go and stand at the outside of Riches, the first right hand corner after the pits. This was before the chicane at Russell so from the Coram Esses the Cortinas would work up quite a head of speed.
Three Cortinas would approach flat out , no braking, the massive crowd would lean forward as of one with baited breath.
Clark,Sears,Whitmore lined across the track a few feet apart.. then as one, 50 yards from the corner, they would yank the steering wheel over to start the synchronised slide...but one had to back off only as two can exit Riches as it narrows.
As they passed the crowd would break into simultaneous applause....then after 2 minutes they came around again.
Unbelievable car control and a scenario I will never forget.

We are so priviledged to have seen them......Ickx, Arundell,Hill, Clark, Attwood,Sears,Gardner,Whitmore names just seem to roll of the tongue......when I stood at Clearways was similar to your description of Snetterton, coming back onto the short circuit, I dare not blink, can still see Henry's finest rocking on the suspension as Jimmy and crew gave it more than the designers thought likely! The works cars were then sold to A.G.Dean Racing Ltd, for Tony Dean and Brian Robinson to drive, they were superb cars. The cars the year after were Essex registered PHK 615D series..............Bengt Soderstrom won the '66 R.A.C. in NVW239C and Jim competed in the '65 R.A.C in NVW241C and wasn't he just brilliant until he went off in a BIG way!!! Apparently Senna went to Wales to try a rally Escort and was stunningly quick, something that I think most of the current incumbents of F1 would be very hard pressed to match. My rose tinted specs are getting all misty.... :

[hipperson]

This is an early one..pre-facelift. Characteristic wheel pose ?

OK I'm waiting to be enlightened !

[Graham Gauld]

Just caught up with things been away in Italy at the weekend. Donald Capps is absolutely correct the cars were being flown to the USA for the Marlboro saloon car race on August 18 1963. It was the debut race for the CORTINA GT and not the Lotus-Cortina and Jack Sears/Bob Olthoff were the winners with the Willment car and Jimmy Blumer and Henry Taylor with the Alan Mann car.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by hipperson

This is an early one..pre-facelift. Characteristic wheel pose ?

OK I'm waiting to be enlightened ! [/B]

That was the 1964 Motor 6 hour race, car 19 won....I was standing ( as usual0 just under the Motor bridge going onto the long circuit.........it rained most of the day.....I think Peter Proctor drove the other car.........oh...it was an ETC round with works Mercs driven by the great Eugenr Bohringer, great pic!

[sterling49]

Brands Hatch, Motor 6 hour race, 1964, end of South Bank going onto the long circuit, I was standing up a bit just under the Motor bridge, car 19 (Whitmore) won, cannot remeber who the 2nd driver was. It rained for most of the 6 hours,,,,,the great Eugene Bohringer drove a works Merc 220SE, great day out, seem to remember it was held on a Saturday. Great Picture!
I think it was an ETC round.Hence all the European drivers.

[Vitesse2]

Thanks, Don and Graham for identifying that one. The Olthoff Racing site has a few indistinct pictures of Cortinas Bob raced.

I also found this one, showing one of the Willment cars in the Marlboro 12 Hours:

http://static.flickr...9634c6d.jpg?v=0

[sterling49]

This is a 'mood' photo of John Whitmore talking to Our Essex Lotus Group in May 2005.
A fascinating career .....................


I read somewhere recently...that Steve McQueen raced that Mini also.....raced against Christabel Carlisle......

[Peter Darley]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
I think he's right... thick rimmed ones...

It is Henry Taylor Ford Competitions Manager leaning on the wing.

The Henry with thick rim glasses you mention could well be Rally driver Henry Liddon.

[Peter Darley]

Originally posted by hipperson


Here you are Sterling.....probably the finest racing photo of the 60's.Poetry in motion.
Oulton Park 1966.
A pre-arranged 90mph slide for the photographer Michael Cooper

Michael sells these for £299 a pop.

Nothing pre-arranged about it. That was the way JC took Old Hall

I have several photos of JC at the same angle, some of which will be published shortly.

[HDonaldCapps]

Originally posted by Graham Gauld
Just caught up with things been away in Italy at the weekend. Donald Capps is absolutely correct the cars were being flown to the USA for the Marlboro saloon car race on August 18 1963. It was the debut race for the CORTINA GT and not the Lotus-Cortina and Jack Sears/Bob Olthoff were the winners with the Willment car and Jimmy Blumer and Henry Taylor with the Alan Mann car.

Even blind hogs find an acorn now and then....

[h4887]

Originally posted by hipperson

Dad was mortified when coming back from the cinema in Braintree one night .....

Must have been the Embassy - the Central would have been closed by then?

[David Beard]

I think Alan Mann built this, too..... :

[MCS]

Originally posted by Cirrus
Sitting here in my office in Byfleet, I was wondering where the Alan Mann premises were - does anyone know the address?

I'm pretty certain we discussed this somewhere recently.

He was based, I'm sure, at the Fairoaks Airfield.