73 replies to this topic

[Alan Cox]

Hope you can read it - the address is Byfleet Trading Estate, Chertsey Road, Byfleet, Surrey

[sterling49]

Quote

Originally posted by MCS


I'm pretty certain we discussed this somewhere recently.

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

You have jogged my memory MCS..............spot on! He ran a Aviation/Helicopter business also I think........

[Peter Darley]

Quote

Originally posted by MCS


I'm pretty certain we discussed this somewhere recently.

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

They WERE based on a little Trading Estate, just down from the Britax building in Byfleet Road.

NOW Alan Mann is based at Fairoaks.

[Peter Darley]

Quote

Originally posted by Peter Darley


They WERE based on a little Trading Estate, just down from the Britax building in Byfleet Road.

NOW Alan Mann is based at Fairoaks.

SORRY !! Chertsey Road is correct.

[Twin Window]

Quote

Originally posted by hipperson

...probably the finest racing photo of the 60's.

One of the finest, yes...



Same corner, if I'm not mistaken!

[sterling49]

Quote

Originally posted by MCS


I'm pretty certain we discussed this somewhere recently.

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

And now, no mention of cars whatsoever

http://www.alanmann.co.uk/default.asp

[Cirrus]

Alan Mann Aviation is, indeed, based at Fairoaks, between Ottershaw and Chobham, and has been for many years, certainly since about 1970. Funnily enough, I drive down Chertsey Road on my way to work every morning. The former Britax building was redeveloped a few years ago, It's site is where the Byfleet Business Centre can now be seen on this map

http://www.streetmap...05654&ay=162698

My office, incidentally, is in Royston Road, just below the big pink Parvis Road. Carlin Motorsport used to be a neighbour. Uniclip Automotive, who prepere racing Cobras are directly below my desk. To the right (also below Parvis Road) is the southern part of Oyster Lane, which used to be home to Thompson and Taylor and (Safir Engineering in later years). The old workshops were demolished in the late eighties, and a new office building, appropriately called Cobb House was built in their place.

[sterling49]

Quote

Originally posted by Cirrus
Alan Mann Aviation is, indeed, based at Fairoaks, between Ottershaw and Chobham, and has been for many years, certainly since about 1970. Funnily enough, I drive down Chertsey Road on my way to work every morning. The former Britax building was redeveloped a few years ago, It's site is where the Byfleet Business Centre can now be seen on this map

http://www.streetmap...05654&ay=162698

My office, incidentally, is in Royston Road, just below the big pink Parvis Road. Carlin Motorsport used to be a neighbour. Uniclip Automotive, who prepere racing Cobras are directly below my desk. To the right (also below Parvis Road) is the southern part of Oyster Lane, which used to be home to Thompson and Taylor and (Safir Engineering in later years). The old workshops were demolished in the late eighties, and a new office building, appropriately called Cobb House was built in their place.

Lots of famous names.....your knowledge of the area is very good, I used to visit clients that were in Woking and they claimed their building was the site of the old McLaren works?

[Cirrus]

Boundary Road?

I see you're new here, sterling49 - you might enjoy this thread.....

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=64736

[sterling49]

Quote

Originally posted by Cirrus
Boundary Road?

I see you're new here, sterling49 - you might enjoy this thread.....

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=64736

Thank you Cirrus, yes I am new but a died in the wool Petrol Head........the McLaren factory I visited was I believe Boundary Road, it is now a Graphics Dealer. I look out for places as I travel the country...still cannot believe rushing to drive south from Edinburgh I wrestled with my conscious to get home for the family.....and went past Duns.....still to do

[hipperson]

It was the Embassy....on the corner near the old Bus Station.

Henry Liddon....yes agreed. He went to School with my Dad..Malvern College.

PD...Michael Coopers catalogue photo/003 ..'1966 Oulton Park.Jim Clark sets the Lotus Cortina up for me'

Back to our new Cortina-Lotus ( as it was marketed) in 1965...Ford could not sell the cars at £1100.
To get under the £1000 they removed the alloy doors,boot & bonnet.
Our car had the alloy cars A-bracket suspension. It was hung on metalastik bushes which caused a rersonance thru the car at certain revs.
Under warranty Ford changed this for the leaf spring lay out.
I am no engineer but this is how I remember it.

[Twin Window]

Just to avoid any confusion, this Alan Mann thread has had the recent Lotus Cortina-oriented comments stripped-out and placed in another thread.

[RS2000]

Unfortunately the speculation about the early history of the well-known Alan Mann KPU392C went with it. Any information as to whether this number was being carried on an old A bracket car at Mont Ventoux in 65 or was actually the new leafspring 392 before being painted red and gold would be useful.

[sterling49]

Quote

Originally posted by RS2000
Unfortunately the speculation about the early history of the well-known Alan Mann KPU392C went with it. Any information as to whether this number was being carried on an old A bracket car at Mont Ventoux in 65 or was actually the new leafspring 392 before being painted red and gold would be useful.

Are there any good books on the Cortina? Such as "The Works Escorts" by Graham Robson. I have books on my favourite cars...GT40, Lola T70, Ferrari Sports Cars, this would so interesting to me, there is such a lot that I do not know about them!

[Peter Darley]

Quote

Originally posted by sterling49


Are there any good books on the Cortina? Such as "The Works Escorts" by Graham Robson. I have books on my favourite cars...GT40, Lola T70, Ferrari Sports Cars, this would so interesting to me, there is such a lot that I do not know about them!

Would suggest "Ford in Touring Car Racing" also by Graham Robson

Haynes Publishing ISBN 1 85960 688 1

[Frank de Jong]

Of course, the 1963 Marlboro 12 hour race was identified correctly. A few details are here:
http://homepage.mac....20Marlboro.html

Then, I received a mail from David Coulthard a few days ago (not the Red Bull man of course, but a racing driver too):

Hopefully, I can add some more detail to your page relating to the 1963 Marlboro Twelve Hour Race. My uncle is Jimmy Blumer, who shared one of the Ford Cortina GTs with Henry Taylor. Back in 2002, I contacted Bob Olthoff, who co-drove the winning Cortina with Jack Sears. He kindly sent me the attached newspaper cuttings from his personal scrap book.

The cuttings confirm all of the details you have on the web site. It also shows that the third Cortina was driven by NASCAR driver Dave Clark and USAC driver Curtis Turner. They finished 10th overall. I note you have Turner listed as one of thee drivers in a Ford Falcon, which I believe is incorrect.

One cutting refers to Jeff Uren. I am not sure if he actually raced. Perhaps he was a test driver?

I notice the newspapers say that the Blumer/Taylor car was prepared by Alan Andres Racing Ltd. I agree with you, and I think this should be Alan Mann Racing.

I'll correct this on the site soon. Dave Clark caused a bit of confusion, since some sources suggest Jim Clark drove this race - but that's not true.

[RS2000]

A competition Cortina book has been discussed on another forum. The problems seem to be:
It is not a big enough subject to fill a major book, in the manner of the Escort book.

Graham Robson has most of the data including photos (from Ford etc.) and still produces individual articles for magazines like "Classic Ford". The time may come when all that could be combined into one book but presumably he sees the time as not yet right for him financially. He lives a few miles from me (and is no longer a young person, so I have concern about all the records longer term).

Three of his books now cover the subject in part:
"Cortina" (Veloce - out of print but may become available again with new printing methods for small quantities) has only one chapter about competition Cortinas.
"Ford in Saloon Car Racing" (Haynes, see above) covers the Cortina era but only as one small part of the history.
"Boreham" (Haynes) likewise covers the Cortina rally era as one small part of the history and in particular makes no attempt to track the extensive "KPU" series cars in comprehensive detail.

I have put together some records of car identities/reg nos etc which I am happy to share if not for profit!

[RS2000]

Frank, I believe Jeff Uren was team manager for the Cortinas in Marlborough 12 hours.

[Carter Hendricks]

Can anyone provide any information, stories or photos of the Falcon [Falcons?] that was used as a test car at the Targa Florio for the Cobra team? Thanks!

--Carter

[RS2000]

We've got a Falcon thread somewhere but I think it's disguised as a Galaxie thread!

[Bjorn Kjer]

If anyone have any contact to former employees from Alan Mann Racing , I would be very interested ,please.

[Carter Hendricks]

Quote

Originally posted by RS2000
We've got a Falcon thread somewhere but I think it's disguised as a Galaxie thread!

It's here:

http://forums.autosp...y=&pagenumber=1

I'm not sure which thread is more relevant. And they are both interesting. But neither has any information on the Alan Mann Falcon used at the Targa as a T car. There is a very small magazine photo at forum auto "Targa."

--Carter

[eldougo]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Alan Cox
[B]

Ron T, used Chertsey Rd as a short cut between Newhaw Factory and home at West Byfleet.

[Cirrus]

I drive down Chertsey Road every day on the way to work. The Alan Mann premises have long since been demolished, replaced by housing. Many of the new side roads have names alluding to the history of Brooklands (which is a couple of hundred yards away), Birkin, Sopwith etc.