78 replies to this topic

[Alan Cox]

I've searched but cannot find a thread specific to the London Racing Car Shows. The first one I went to was in 1967, but didn't take a camera until 1975. The organisers put in a tremendous effort, bringing cars and championship winners from across the world so that British enrthusiasts could see them all close up, while all the racing car manufacturers who sold their products took stands.

I thought that these photos may recall something of the atmosphere of those Olympia shows. I never got to the earlier ones at the Horticultural Halls.

Sorry they are a bit grainy, but all were shot without flash. Why? Lord only knows.





Andruet's Giro d'Italia Stratos
Rebaque's F2 Chevron

Depailler's March 742
Walkinshaw's F5000 Modus


I would be interested to see other photos from any of these shows

[RTH]

Great Days.

[Stefan Ornerdal]

Thanks for the pics, Alan.

When my earthly race is over, I hope Saint Peter has saved a place for me in a Heavenly London Racing Car Show. I hope I have been good enough in life, to dare to ask Him for the 1965 version.

Stefan
www.formula2.net
stefan.ornerdal@minmail.net

[Barry Boor]

I guess these must be from the 1971 show:

[David Lawson]

I went to the Racing Car Show a few times, my first visit was 1966 and I've still got the programme from 66 and 69.

One strong memory is of standing nervously next to the Lotus stand at the 66 show wondering whether to speak to Colin Chapman, I noticed he also looked a little nervous and a few moments later I realised why as the Duke of Edinburgh walked up to him for a chat.

At the 1969 show I won a session at the Brands Hatch driving school for coming third in a slot car event staged by one of the sponsors.



The central display from 1969. I have other photos from this and other years but I still haven't got around to repairing/replacing my scanner.

David

[Sharman]

The very early shows at the Horticultural Hall did not look anything like that. I was helpnig out on the Fibrepair stand when Jem Marsh who was on the next stand said"Will you look after the stand for me while I go wherever I'm going (can't remember where it was but he was gone for a long time) and for Gods sake do't give any brochures away we've only got 2 dozen.

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by Sharman
The very early shows at the Horticultural Hall did not look anything like that. I was helping out on the Fibrepair stand

Now there's nostalgia for you! I wonder if anyone else remembers Fibrepair, started as I recall by a couple of my contemporaries at de Havilland when they had to repair the bodywork of a Berkeley, and then expanded into fibreglass seat tubs.
One was Richard Seth-Smith and I think the other was Mike Donegan, but geriatric memory, like nostalgia, isn't what it was.

[Sharman]

T'other was Mike Brunt. Oh happy days across the mews from Sprinzels.

[Sharman]

As well as Donegan I mean

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by Sharman
As well as Donegan I mean

D'you mean Seth-Smith was no longer involved?

That was a good Mews, as I recall - was it Lancaster Gate Mews? All sorts of useful small firms in close proximity.

[Paul Parker]

I too went a Racing Car Show at the Horticultural Hall Westminster, in I think 1961 (was this the first or have I got the year wrong?)

The thing I remember now was a 'long nose' D type that seemed to me to be the most impressive looking car in the place.

[Andrew Kitson]

Anyone remember the later 'Showboat' racing car show on the car ferry moored up on the Thames?
Then there was the 10-day show in the Cunard building in Hammersmith ( can't remember the year, '85 or 86?). That was murder as an exhibitor. Three days can get boring at times...but ten! I also had stands at London shows at Olympia in the late 80s, Earls Court in '90(?) and Alexandra Palace in I think '87 (all racing car shows).

[Barry Boor]

Showboat? Yes, I remember that.....

[2F-001]

I went to the one on the carr ferry (Townsend Thoresen?) - that just happened the once didn't it?

I was going to ask if anyone recalled the show in Hammersmith, but I couldn't remember it's name or the exact location. It was in the shadow of the elevated road (M4 approaches?) wasn't it? I had that in mind as being more early- than mid- eighties but could easily be wrong. I was considering buying a Davrian at the time and seem to recall there was a new one displayed there. That show was rather more grassroots and competitor orientated, (rather than a "look at the racing cars" show aimed at a wider audience) - if we're thinking of the same event. I had no idea it went on for ten days, though. It was desperately quite when we went - ten days of that must have been pugatory for the exhibitors. What on earth were the organisers thinking of? Ten days sounds wildly ambitious!

I remember Olympia and Alexandra Palace events too, but thay have all merged into a blur now. I wonder if I still have programmes for these stashed away somewhere...

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Alan Cox
The first one I went to was in 1967, but didn't take a camera until 1975.

Sorry they are a bit grainy, but all were shot without flash. Why? Lord only knows.
I would be interested to see other photos from any of these shows

Great photos, I went to the '67 and the '68 show (which I believe was billed as "Autospeed '68")

pristine Lola T70's and machinery way beyond the wildest dreams of a 14 year old school kid.

[Cirrus]

Tony - I remember the Hammersmith show. We've obviously got similar tastes - I'm also a Davrian fan, (I've owned one as well as two Caterhams - your other love)

It's not to late to own a Davrian.... http://www.racecarsd...g.php?view=3438

[Cirrus]

Or, at more modest cost..... this one http://www.racecarsd...g.php?view=3969

[Sharman]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Allan Lupton
[B]

[QUOTE]D'you mean Seth-Smith was no longer involved[/QUOTE] ?



No, Richard was still there, I lost track of them when I moved back North to work for Hertz. Somewhere down the line he got to comps manager for ST although there was an earlier connection as Fibrepair made hardtops for Spitfires. They also made a hardtop for the Lotus 7 and were looking forward to cleaning up in the 1000cc GT class. That was until Vic Derringtons son who was about 14or 15 came across at the show and said "it won't work, my dad's measured the Lotus and it's 1/2an inch too narrow for FIA regs. Much muttering about Damn and s--t and f--k it!

[Alan Cox]

Looking back at the show programmes, I note that the '68 show (Autospeed '68) was back at the Horticultural Hall.

[oldclassiccar]

I'm told that the Poore Alfa made a rare public appearance at one of the Racing Car Shows, in the early 70s. I don't spose anyone has a pic or two of it there, do they? a few years back I had a chat to one of Poore's former mechanics, and he copied me some photos of the Alfa, when it was dropped off at his garage in Ringwood (I think) to be prepared (ie de-greased and cleaned) before the event. Still painted green then too.

ta
Rick

[roger ellis]

If my memory is not playing up, I think the first Racing Car Show was held in 1960.

My dad took me to see it, & the Boat Show at Earls Court, on the same day. The venue was the Royal Horticultural Hall, rather small as I remember, whilst the following year the show had expanded to fill two halls at the same location.

Sharman - I remember getting a Speedex brochure from Jem Marsh's stand!

[Dutchy]

Originally posted by oldclassiccar
I'm told that the Poore Alfa made a rare public appearance at one of the Racing Car Shows, in the early 70s. I don't spose anyone has a pic or two of it there, do they? a few years back I had a chat to one of Poore's former mechanics, and he copied me some photos of the Alfa, when it was dropped off at his garage in Ringwood (I think) to be prepared (ie de-greased and cleaned) before the event. Still painted green then too.

ta
Rick

I think you might be alluding to the Castrol Extravaganza which was an incredible exhibition held at Olympia to celebrate 75 years of Castrol. All sorts of rarely seen things emerged for the show including,as you say, the Poore Alfa.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson

Then there was the 10-day show in the Cunard building in Hammersmith ( can't remember the year, '85 or 86?).

Actually that was held 1984, Andrew.

I got to sit in the Rebaque Chevron at the '75 show Alan illustrated at the beginning.

[oldclassiccar]

Thanks Dutchy, that is probably the show I was told all about ... so off to search for pics of that event now!!

cheers, Rick

[RTH]

Originally posted by roger ellis
If my memory is not playing up, I think the first Racing Car Show was held in 1960.

My dad took me to see it, & the Boat Show at Earls Court, on the same day. The venue was the Royal Horticultural Hall, rather small as I remember, whilst the following year the show had expanded to fill two halls at the same location.

Sharman - I remember getting a Speedex brochure from Jem Marsh's stand!

At the age of about 12 I dreamed of building a Speedex.............. anyone find a photo ?

[oldclassiccar]

RTH, I have some info on Speedex here

http://www.oldclassi...ssic_tuning.htm

hope thats of interest

Rick

[RTH]

Oh thanks for that Rick..........not quite as exciting as it looked to me in 1962 but a bit more rakish than the Austin 7 Ruby you could easily buy in those days for a fiver !

I see the bodyshell was £49.00 !

http://www.oldclassi....uk/speedex.htm

[roger ellis]

Originally posted by RTH



At the age of about 12 I dreamed of building a Speedex..............

Me too Richard, but Dad & I (age 13) actually started the process. An old A7 was obtained as a donor car (my christmas present) & on Boxing day morning 1959 we started to dismantle the poor old thing. The Speedex was my no. 1 choice and we must have been sufficiently believable to prise one of his two dozen brochures from Jem Marsh at the show in January 1960.

Inevitablely it remained an unfinished project, as Dad lost interest fairly quickly and to this day I have absolutely no idea what happened to "my" Austin Seven.

[RTH]

Wow, that is amazing, the other special body I was interested in was the 'Cambridge' which I think was quite a bit cheaper and a bit more realistic for me.
I never did do it of course I got a Morris Eight Tourer which I passed my driving test in and soon a MG TC........but for years I planned to build that Austin Seven special and was very influenced by Patrick Stephens fantastic book 'Building and Racing My 750 Racer' which he wrote in the early fifties he described going to Colin Chapman for special parts the Lotus-Austin was his chief rival on the track.

Its still a great read today and a treasured posession. What a pity yours did not see the light of day Roger, you got so close !

[bradbury west]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dutchy
[B]

And then it stayed that way, in all its original as-last-raced/hillclimbed-glory until sold after Poore's death, and ending up displayed at the fabulous Donington after Mayman's demise, prior to being "restored" of which enough has probably been said............................soap box time again.


Roger Lund

[bradbury west]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Alan Cox
[B]I've searched but cannot find a thread specific to the London Racing Car Shows. The first one I went to was in 1967, while all the racing car manufacturers who sold their products took stands.

Alan, did you get chance to try the race car simulator, linked to a projector and a screen showing one's antics on the track? Great fun, half a crown for 3 laps, or possibly seven and six, memory is dodgy. I ended up going to MRS for a few laps , I forget the cost, but it was bancruptcy stuff for a student then, but I remember Lanfranchi was the instructor and one of the cars was a TVR Tuscan, then into what became FFord , an F3 Lotus with a 1500 Cortina GT engine in the back . Pure magic.

BTW I think the programme for 1970 showed Deryck Cook in his DRW, which was on one of the stands,as 1969 Clubmans Champion after a quite dazzling season, and was featured in a colour shot on the rear of Autosport IIRC with a Dune Buggy, a D Type and other stuff. Autosport copy shot would be appreciated


Roger Lund.

[Dutchy]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bradbury west
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dutchy
[B]

And then it stayed that way, in all its original as-last-raced/hillclimbed-glory until sold after Poore's death, and ending up displayed at the fabulous Donington after Mayman's demise, prior to being "restored" of which enough has probably been said............................soap box time again.


Roger Lund [/QUOTE]

With you all the way on that one.......

[Sharman]

Jack French said, referring to750s "Simplify and add lightness"

[Dutchy]

Originally posted by Sharman
Jack French said, referring to750s "Simplify and add lightness"

I always thought that maxim was attributed to Sammy Davis in the form of "simplificate and add lightness"

It would, I agree, seem more likely to have emanated from Jack French

[Sharman]

Jack's car was even named "Simplicity"

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by Sharman
Jack French said, referring to750s "Simplify and add lightness"

In the aircraft business, the quotation was "simplicate and add lightness" and was usually attributed to Teddy Petter of Westlands.
If it was the case, it probably pre-dates the 750 Formula, and hence Jack French

[Mallory Dan]

Anyone else remember/attend, the early 1979 Donington Racing Car show. Pride of place went to the Bernard Devaney McMahon Racing Chevron B47 F3. Lodge Corner Agencies were also there, as well as many other manufacturer/trade stands. Not as exotic as the London ones maybe, but a little more accessible. Entrance also gave access to the Collection, which wasn't available 'down-south' !

[Sharman]

Whatever happened to Westlands?

[RS2000]

Originally posted by Sharman
Whatever happened to Westlands?

Still in Yeovil.
Still trying to produce the Merlin/EH101...some 32 years after design first started.

[Sharman]

Originally posted by Allan Lupton
[B]

]attributed to Teddy Petter of Westlands

Apropos of sweet fa and bearing in mind that this forum is automotive not aeronautical, Teddy Petter designed two aircraft one of which was faster than a Soitfire at the beginning of the forties and an aircraft which I believe (no doubt the flak will get me if I'm wrong) remains the fastest to have ever seen squadron service in the RAF. I refer to the Westland Whirlwind which was powered by 2 RR Peregrines and carried 4 nose mounted cannon, it failed to reach its potential as the needed Merlins were never fitted. The other being the English Electric Lightning. For good measure he also designed the Canberra. A fairly satisfying level of achievment for one man I would have thought

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by Sharman

Apropos of sweet fa and bearing in mind that this forum is automotive not aeronautical, Teddy Petter designed two aircraft one of which was faster than a Spitfire at the beginning of the forties

Touch and go, that claim! It all depends on your altitude and your Spitfire.

With 880 b.h.p. a side it had almost double the power of the early Spitfire, but I wouldn't put the top speed of the Whirlwind much above 310 kt. (or 360 m.p.h. as they'd have said then) or about the same as a Mk. I Spitfire: as you say, we're in the wrong forum for this, so I won't get too involved.
Now the de Havilland Mosquito was faster than the Spitfire: Boscombe Down showed that .

[Mistron]

Originally posted by David Lawson
I went to the Racing Car Show a few times, my first visit was 1966 and I've still got the programme from 66 and 69.

One strong memory is of standing nervously next to the Lotus stand at the 66 show wondering whether to speak to Colin Chapman, I noticed he also looked a little nervous and a few moments later I realised why as the Duke of Edinburgh walked up to him for a chat.

At the 1969 show I won a session at the Brands Hatch driving school for coming third in a slot car event staged by one of the sponsors.



The central display from 1969. I have other photos from this and other years but I still haven't got around to repairing/replacing my scanner.

David

Has anyone got any pics from the '66 show? Specifically looking for the 'Mangoletsi' stand.

Any other info on this company would be appreciated - I know they are still going as an Alfa / Fiat dealer in Cheshire, but under new management.

My reasons for asking will be revealed next week........;)

[shellsport271]

Anyone remember the later 'Showboat' racing car show on the car ferry moored up on the Thames?
Then there was the 10-day show in the Cunard building in Hammersmith ( can't remember the year, '85 or 86?). That was murder as an exhibitor. Three days can get boring at times...but ten! I also had stands at London shows at Olympia in the late 80s, Earls Court in '90(?) and Alexandra Palace in I think '87 (all racing car shows).

The Showboat was run in both 1972 and '74
Sponsored (at least for '74) by The Evening News and run by John Webb (recently married) and Jackie Epstein ( who else ! ).
I went in '74 and remember a Mk1 Mexico strapped to a rolling road at one end of the ferry.
IIRC you paid something like 50p and tried to get to 60m.p.h. quicker than anyone else .
One bloke got into fourth before reaching sixty which caused some amusement until his quite respectable time was posted.
The car was pointing straight along the car deck and I remember thinking ' if that gets off those rollers at the wrong time... '
If Elfin Safety had seen it
I have seen preview info that says 100m.p.h., and that the car would be converted to run on 'gas'.
100 seems unlikely in view of a normal Mexico's top speed
The show was to run from Jan 5th to 20th and for the 16 days fastest drivers the prize was going to be a Shellsport Mexico race at Brands.
I don't know if the race ever happened, there being concern re fuel rationing. Anyone know?
I also remember sitting in a different Mk1 that had a 'custom pack' interior and had a great time.

Edited by shellsport271, 27 November 2009 - 12:58.

[scorerr770]

Great Days.

I exhibited at the Olympia Show 1989, Think I only have photos of my stand. Was the smallest stand that year 5 m. x 1 m.

Paintings... oh what memories..

[Paul Hurdsfield]

Oh yes I was there, well at a few of them

Olympia 73


Showboat 74, and I had a go in the Mexico, they picked the fastest of each day to go for a run off on the last day to win the prize,
I was rubbish, the guy who won on the day I was there had a Mexico and had been practising


Olympia 75


Donny 76


I also went to the Hammersmith one....now where can that programme be

At one of the shows they had a Golden shot challenge, with crossbows,
I got through to the days shootoff, but got beat in the final.
I've still got my target....must be with the Hammersmith prog

[Paul Hurdsfield]

Ooops sorry about the size of them, I forgot to crop them after I had scanned them

[shellsport271]

Ooops sorry about the size of them, I forgot to crop them after I had scanned them

Hi Paul

Was it shellSPORT Mexico as I think I recall?
Did you take any photo's?

[RTH]

I was at all those shows above and excellent they were in those days.

[Paul Hurdsfield]

Hi Paul

Was it shellSPORT Mexico as I think I recall?
Did you take any photo's?

Sorry Shellsport I dont have any pictures of that one, but there is a little story surrounding my visit to that show.

In my job as a Shopfitting Joiner I work all over the country, at that time the firm I worked for fitted out all the Peter Dominic wine shops. A few months earlier they tried out a new stock display system at a shop in Basildon, the system wasn't up to the job of supporting the weight of all the wine, So I was sent down there to fit a different system, this was during the fuel crisis and 50mph speed limits. So off we went and bombed down to London, went to the Showboat, spent half a day there, then headed off to Southend to find some digs.
The next morning we rolled up at the job to find the system supply company couldn't make the delivery and we were to come back to the works (Manchester).
So we got an all expenses trip to London for a Racing car show, but we had to keep it quiet for quite a while, eeh I'm feeling all nostalgic about the good old days of Shopfitting now

Edited by Paul Hurdsfield, 17 December 2009 - 15:19.

[alansart]

I went to the 1975 Show at Olympia.

Patrick Depailler all conquering Renault


I've no idea what the dummy head is doing here!


The new 75S March 2 litre Sports Car


John Turners Saper Saloon Skoda


Jackie Olivers Can Am Shadow


Al Unsers Indy Car