76 replies to this topic

[Pugwash52]

Hi there,

My first post - I've been trying to find info on this car for some time without success and hope that someone here can help:

In the early seventies I navigated for a guy called Peter Read in an ex-works Imp. We did club rallies in the North of England including a couple of Motoring News events. (The Illuminations Rally comes to mind). The reg was JDU47E and it was dark blue with a black bonnet. It was one of a series of three works cars as far as I know and they were registered JDU46E, JDU47E and JDU48E. I've found info on the other two but not 47. I think I'm correct in saying one was Rosemary Smith's car (48?). I think 47 might have been Andrew Cowan's car fot the Tulip Rally but haven't been able to confirm this.

I've been in New Zealand for almost 30 years now and long since lost touch with Peter Read, but I believe that after he sold the car it was robbed of various parts and eventually dismantled. If this is true it's a great shame as it was a terrific little car that just needed constant TLC.

Can anyone help with the history of this car. Better still, does anyone have a picture of it? (Corgi made a model of it!)

Any help appreciated.

Regards
Paul.

[RS2000]

Cowan (with Brian Coyle?) used JDU47E on the 66 Monte. That was the year that favoured Group1 and brought the lighting disqualifications of the leading British cars, including Rosemary Smith in an 875cc Gp1 Imp FRW306C. Cowan's car may have been Gp1 or one of the usual works 998cc Gp3 cars.
There is an Imp site with a title something like "Imps4real" that has a lot of works car data but is not definitive. There may have been a "49E" too.

[RS2000]

46E was Rosemary Smith's car on 67 Monte and cancelled 67 RAC, so may have been hers on other events in 67 too.
48E was driven by Roy Fidler (a name not normally associated with Imps) on the 67 Coupe des Alpes and Andrew Cowan on the 69 Scottish. It is said to have then been sold to Steve Brew. I saw a photo of it not long ago on the 1970 Tour of Mull but don't know the driver there.
I have no feel for how often works Imps were re-shelled (rarely, - if the quite high numbers of registrations over what was a relatively short time is anything to go by? - unlike some works Minis, Cortinas and Escorts said to be "original" and now fetching silly prices at auctions...).

A photo of the later Andrew Cowan works Gp6 car on the morning of the cancelled 67 RAC (and used the next weekend at the Lydden Hill rallycross)

[rx-guru]

"[…] (and used the next weekend at the Lydden Hill rallycross)"

(25th November 1967) …which Cowan won.

[RS2000]

Originally posted by rx-guru
"[…] (and used the next weekend at the Lydden Hill rallycross)"

(25th November 1967) …which Cowan won.

I didn't mention that because, although I was there, I had a mental blank now as to whether it was Cowan's Gp6 car or Peter Harper's Gp5 car that won!
JVC123E was, of course, later the registration of the car used by Colin Malkin (allegedly with 1140 Climax engine) in the 69 MN Championship, Welsh International etc.

47E does not seem to have finished the 66 Monte. FRW307C (Tiny Lewis/Timothy Boscence, running in Gp2) did - probably because it finished far enough down for the lights not to have been checked! - and Rosemary Smith was excluded in the lighting row (probably not originally classified that near the front but checked at post event scrutineering because she had won the ladies award).

[rx-guru]

Originally posted by RS2000


I didn't mention that because, although I was there, I had a mental blank now as to whether it was Cowan's Gp6 car or Peter Harper's Gp5 car that won!

Rallycross – "Saturday spectacular"
A. Cowan (Sunbeam Imp) fastest in TV contest
Report by Hamish Cardno
[…]
Results ABC Television Rallycross, Lydden Hill, Kent, Saturday November 25
Weather: cold and wet, drying later.
Placings on aggregate time of three runs of three laps:
1. Andrew Cowan (Sunbeam Imp) 8m. 59.4s.; 2. Peter Harper (Sunbeam Imp) 9m. 22.8s.; 3. Tony Fall (BMC 1800) 9m. 25.6s.; 4. Roger Clark (Ford Cortina Lotus) 9m. 31.8s.

[sterling49]

The time difference in that short sprint shows just how well the Imps put their power down and how brilliantly Harper and Cowan drove them, also, just how much mud and slime was on the track back then in the days of "The Meadow" A certain Roger Clark in (works?) Lotus Cortina, half a minute adrift, and he was no mug!

[Rallye Imp]

Andrew Cowan drove a Sunbeam Tiger (FRW667C) on the 1966 Monte - but not very far.

The Works team for the 1967 Monte comprised three Imps - JDU46/47/48E - all three were built at the end of 1966 and first registered in January of 1967. 48E was driven by Rosemary Smith but crashed out on the last night when leading the Coupe de Dames and 46E was driven by Peter Harper who went out, also on the last night, with a carb fault when 2nd in class and 46th overall; both cars were Gp 3 and 998cc. 47E was an 875 Imp Sport running in Gp 2 and driven by Cowan; he finished with a class win and was 22nd overall.

After the Monte, 47E became a demonstration car until it was sold off ; it was not used by the Works team again. 46E was used by Harper on the Tulip and by Roy Fiddler on the Alpine and by Rosemary on the RAC all in '67. 48E was used by Rosemary on the '67Alpine but it's most notable success was 2nd overall on the '69 Scottish with Cowan at the wheel; it was, for that event, in Gp 6 guise and was 998cc.

Both 47E and 48E (or whatever was left of them with the right to use the registration number) have been rebuilt and were recently 'on the road'.

JVC123E was the first Gp 6 car and was 3rd overall driven by Cowan on the Camberly single stage event that replaced the '67 RAC; subsequently it won the ATV rallycross outright, again with Cowan. This car was very successful, particularly for Malkin taking him to many successes and the '68 Motoring News Championship. It is unlikely that it ever had an engine on an event bigger than 998cc given the state of development of big bore engines at that time. JVC also exists.

ALN650H was the car that made most use of big engines using an 1140cc unit based on the Imp block to good effect.

The car that was best known for using a Climax engine was Gerry Birrell's racer FUE4C.

RKV408M used an 1140cc engine originally built as a 1000cc race engine by the Frazer team with a deep head and long-stroke crank before being over bored for Peter Harper for use in rallycross. This car also ran a Hewland gearbox in a lengthened shell but didn't work and was converted to mid-engine after it belw up on the Jim Clark in 1973. I think it subsequently went to Finland for ice racing.

Dependent on how you define a works car, there were around 32 works cars (separate registration numbers including recce cars) between 1964-1968 and a further 4 in the period 1970-73 running under Chrysler Dealer Team designation but many more cars if you include loan cars.

[sterling49]

Bravo Rallye Imp! And welcome to TNF Malkin's MN Imp was an absolute demon, any photos?

[Pugwash52]

Rallye Imp,

Thank you for such an intersting and detailed reply! I've learned lots there.

When Peter Read owned JDU47E (I think he bought it straight from the works but I'm not sure about this) it was a 998. It was a little flyer and gave many Cooper S's a surprise but we had reliability problems with it. I remember once a competiton doughnut newly fitted one Saturday afternoon didn't last the night on a club rally.

The last time I saw it, many years ago (probably the mid seventies) it had been stripped of many of its goodies and looked a sorry sight. I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that it still exists in some form.

Does anyone have any pictures of JDU47E?

Regards
Paul.

[RS2000]

The allegedly certain French source that had JDU47E on the 66 Monte was raising questions in my mind as the other cars were a different series of reg nos. Not surprising the French would re-invent the 66 Monte using 67 Monte results! (I actually have the Cowan Tiger in 66 listed elsewhere).
I need to find out some information for an historical record (on a separate subject) regarding "the last works Imp" (ALN650H or RKV408M?) being driven by the Tyrell/Fuller crew. Not clear whether it was borrowed/loaned or sold - or whether it was before or after the 70 London-Mexico WCR, in which they competed in a works-built Hunter with Bernard Unett.

Someone else I know with an Imp seemed to spend an awful lot of time changing doughnuts, usually about 15 feet beyond stage starts on the RAC...

[Pugwash52]

Yes it would be surprising if a car with an "E" on the end of the reg was in a 66 event!

Just thinking about one of the other three cars in the series: JDU48E. I think at one time this belonged to a couple of brothers called Bob and Jack Smith(?) of Blackburn. I seem to remember they had a significant accident with it on an event in Scotland and had a major rebuild to do. Not sure if they re-shelled it or not. All a but vague now...

Paul.

[Rallye Imp]

It is, to my mind at least, a matter of definition as to which car constitutes the last Works Imp, the Works team was terminated as a team in 1969 after the London-Sydney so that would make LWK700F the last car built (Jan '68) and used by the Works Team. However, when JDU48E ran on the Scottish in '69 the car was on loan (some say it was smuggled out) to Andrew Cowan and entered privately, the service crew took holidays to look after the car and it wasn't until Cowan came in 2nd that the factory acknowledged the entry and paid the mechanics - so you could say that made it the last. ALN650H was built after that, of course, as a demonstration of what the factory could supply to privateers by way of tuning parts and was used '69 through '71 with strong finishes on the Granite City 2nd, Welsh 3rd etc., with Colin Malkin driving but there was no Works team as such at that time - so can it be described as the last Works Imp, I don't know. ALN was eventually written off (no one appears to be very clear on this) some say after a rally accident (possibly '71 TAP) and some say in a non-rally accident by the person who bought it from the factory. RKV308M was, I think, only used once and then sold. Some have said that Mike Ranger had it but this may be a confusion as he is known to have converted a car to mid-engine, other information I have says that it went to Finland. Between ALN and RKV the factory built two cars for Robin Maunsell (who very nearly gave the factory an outright win on the 1970 TAP in LWK) both 998cc Gp 2. and both run under the Chrysler Dealer Team banner.

48E while returning from a hill climb event in 1972 was written off in an horrific crash near Berwick; the driver was killed. The wreckage was reshelled and subsequently sold. It continued to be rallied until it appeared in the Old Stager for sale as a shell in the early 1990's. It was rebuilt again and then sold into the Tom Walkinshaw collection. When Walkinshaw's business folded it was sold at auction for something like £12k + commission.

[Pugwash52]

I suspect my recollection of 48E being involved in an accident relates to the one you mention. The year sounds about right. It must have been one of the brothers involved - I didn't know them, rather "knew of them" although we did have the cars (47E and 48E) parked next to each other at an event once, probably in '71.

Paul.

[Rainer Nyberg]

I wonder why the Imp wasn't as competitive as the Mini Cooper during their heyday?

A wellbalanced car with a OHC Coventry Climax derived alloy engine sounds like better proposition than the Mini...

[RS2000]

Well it was competitive with the Mini Cooper or smallest capacity S in rallying but engine capacity was the weak link against a 1275 S. That applied both at International and club level. The 998 Imp stretch was only ever homologated in Gp3 as a GT car I think. In racing it was generally better? - but you have to dig into what was Gp2/Gp5/free formula to make valid comparisons.
I was one of the Mini crowd in club rallying then but lots of people I knew had Imps. No one I knew with an Imp had even a minor increase on 875 (was any capacity increase other than the full 998 kit not practicable? - In Gp2 Internationally, I think only 875 was used?).
There was an also (probably unfounded) fear that any engine problems would be expensive compared to BMC or Ford. A "full spec" Imp may have compared favourably in cost to other cars but a middle "clubman" spec didn't seem to be around.

[cosworth bdg]

Originally posted by Rainer Nyberg
I wonder why the Imp wasn't as competitive as the Mini Cooper during their heyday?

A wellbalanced car with a OHC Coventry Climax derived alloy engine sounds like better proposition than the Mini...

Rainer, I agree with what you are saying, i think they had a lot of competition potential but were mis- managed by the people in charge at the time. A very good example is the 2 competition Imps bought to Australia in the mid 1960's by the then Chrysler Australia. These examples should have performed a lot be than they did , both with preparation and management , these 2 cars are still down-under..

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Rainer Nyberg
I wonder why the Imp wasn't as competitive as the Mini Cooper during their heyday?

A well balanced car with a OHC Coventry Climax derived alloy engine sounds like better proposition than the Mini...

Apart from engine size, there was the deficiency in the front suspension... swing axles...

[Pugwash52]

I think at factory level mismanagement was a part of it, but remember the Imp was introduced almost four years after the Mini, time during which the Mini was being developed not only by the factory but also at club level by a lot of amateur enthusiasts. They got to know the car and its deficiencies and had time to fix some of its weaknesses before the Imp was even heard of. The mini was mainstream and there was a huge knowledge-base about them before the Imp appeared. The Imp then had to play catch-up and was always the underdog. The lack of a bigger engined option - say a 1300 - added extra challenges. I believe it did eventally become competitive with the Cooper S's on the club rally circuit but not until very late in the sixtes. By then the Escorts were appearing and neither the Imp nor Mini was a match for their far greater power.

Still a great little car of its time though.

Paul.

[cosworth bdg]

Originally posted by Pugwash52


Still a great little car of its time though.

Paul.

I couldn't agree more, a great small car of the time, with plenty of competition potential in the right hands.............

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Pugwash52
I think at factory level mismanagement was a part of it, but remember the Imp was introduced almost four years after the Mini, time during which the Mini was being developed not only by the factory but also at club level by a lot of amateur enthusiasts. They got to know the car and its deficiencies and had time to fix some of its weaknesses before the Imp was even heard of. The mini was mainstream and there was a huge knowledge-base about them before the Imp appeared. The Imp then had to play catch-up and was always the underdog. The lack of a bigger engined option - say a 1300 - added extra challenges. I believe it did eventally become competitive with the Cooper S's on the club rally circuit but not until very late in the sixtes. By then the Escorts were appearing and neither the Imp nor Mini was a match for their far greater power.

Still a great little car of its time though.

Paul.

I think you might be barking up the wrong tree there.....Mini might have been released earlier but had a slow start due to factory hierachy inertia...suffice it to say that Mini/Imp battles on track were monumental...both were capable of accepting split webers...what more do you need

[rx-guru]

When I attended my first ever Rallycross (in September 1974) the great RX times of some Imps (Peter Harper, Andrew Cowan, Eric Hassell etc) where already over. Similar situation with the Minis. However, one who did not accept this fact was Juhani "Jussi" Kynsilehto from the town of Oulo, in the far north of Finland. Jussi was in the 1970s a regular RX campaigner with different Imps. Here a pic of Jussi with his Singer Chamois Sport that I took during the 1978 Austrian ERC round at the by then so-called Leruring (its nowadays name is Wachauring) at Melk. The huge building in the background is the famous 'Stift Melk' (a monastery) above the town of Melk, about 3–4 km (as the crow flies) away from the track.



BTW, Jussi was not a RX driver only. Here a funny little story I did about the Finn in August 2006 for my 'Apropos…' column of the ERC24 website:

»Recollection on the real "Flying Finn"

While the ERC is in Holland, the World Rally Championship is in Finland this weekend. Let’s hope that the prodigal sons of Rallycross Petter Solberg (the 2003 World Rally Champion) and his older brother Henning Solberg both do well over there.

Perhaps some of you know that the official jump record around Jyväskylä stands at about 57 metres, set in 2003 by Estonian Markko Märtin and his Ford Focus WRC at a speed of 171km/h.

However, do you know that the unofficial record (as the landing was all but successful…) was actually set by a former Rallycross driver? Finn Juhani Kynsilehto from Oulo – in Rallycross better known as Jussi and, throughout the 1970s a keen competitor in the ERC and other international events all over Europe, with different factory backed Imps, some Beetles, Porsches and even a clumsy Polski Fiat 125 from the factory stables – is the one who truly deserves the "Flying Finn" tag. In 1975 Jussi, assisted by his one-off co-driver Briton Martin Holmes (yep – the Rally guru!), jumped his Ford Escort RS1600 BDA in SS23 ('Raiku') about 70 metres. But don’t ask what has happened to the poor Mk1 Escort during its somewhat harsh landing…«

The story goes that thoroughly shaked Martin Holmes announced "full over crest!" to Jussi – although the crest in question would have come about 300 metres later – and the RS1600 went four times over its roof…

[sterling49]

Originally posted by rx-guru
..............one who truly deserves the "Flying Finn" tag. In 1975 Jussi, assisted by his one-off co-driver Briton Martin Holmes (yep – the Rally guru!), jumped his Ford Escort RS1600 BDA in SS23 ('Raiku') about 70 metres. But don’t ask what has happened to the poor Mk1 Escort during its somewhat harsh landing…«

The story goes that Martin Holmes announced "full over crest!" to Jussi – although the crest in question would have come about 300 metres later – and the RS1600 went four times over its roof…

I remember it well! All the comics had photos at the time in almost disbelief!!!! I reckon you could have walked under the car whilst it was flying I think they never made the end of the rally IIRC, the car becoming "hors de combat" but what a trier, I will always remember the name of Jussi Kynsilehto, we all reckoned he had rather large gonads

Does anyone have a photo of this great act of daring??

[doc knutsen]

Originally posted by 275 GTB-4


I think you might be barking up the wrong tree there.....Mini might have been released earlier but had a slow start due to factory hierachy inertia...suffice it to say that Mini/Imp battles on track were monumental...both were capable of accepting split webers...what more do you need

The split Weber exercise was only necessary on Minis after the eight-port cylinder head developed for Gr5 was
no longer allowed in Gr2. Iirc Richard Longman pioneered this on the Buncombe car for the BTCC in 1972. The Imp, having four inlet ports fram the start, never needed split carburettors, a pair of 40DCOEs or 40DHLAs did very well
once the 998 conversion was made reliable (wet cylinder liners and proper Wills rings to seal the cylinder head).
A lot of this work was carried out by the Alan Fraser lot, and the Imps scored a lot of circuit race wins in Gr5 and later in Gr2. Most people recall with fondness the 1-litre George Bevan Imp, so well driven by Bill McGovern, which notched up three consecutive British Touring Car Championship titles, in 1970,71 and 72.

As for the swinging arm front suspension, I have to point out that the Imp chassis dynamics were courtesy of messrs Fry and Parkes (the same Mike Parkes who went to drive Ferraris in F1 and sports prototypes - and to develop them!) and that it works brilliantly well with the overall concept of the car. Many people tried building "proper" non-parallell wishbone front suspensions for Imps, but the original concept - when set up with proper dampers, very stiff springs and a farb, always worked better.
When John Maguire did his brilliant space frame Imps for Special Saloons in the Eighties, he still chose to retain the original suspension geometry and general lay-out, albeit with lightened parts.

The Imp was a super little car. I did suffer some teething troubles which could and should have been ironed out before it was launched (rear mounted radiators tended to clog up with road dirt, the cooling suffered, the engine overheated and the alloy cylinder head would warp) but it is much roomier,brighter from the big glass house, and more comfortable, than the Mini. It really only wanted for a bit more torque, ie a 1300 version. But by this stage, Rootes were in disarray and Mr Chrysler was not going to spend any money on further development of the little buzz box, so the Imp's fate was sealed.

[rx-guru]

Originally posted by sterling49
Does anyone have a photo of this great act of daring??

Not seen any for decades. But a pic of how Jussi looked in 2003 one can find here: http://photos5.flick..._f75b701501.jpg.
BTW, on that pic he looks very much like another former RX legend by the name of Jan de Rooy: http://www.truckstar...ar2007/Rooy.jpg.

[RS2000]

Originally posted by doc knutsen


The split Weber exercise was only necessary on Minis after the eight-port cylinder head developed for Gr5 wasno longer allowed in Gr2. Iirc Richard Longman pioneered this on the Buncombe car for the BTCC in 1972. The Imp, having four inlet ports fram the start, never needed split carburettors, a pair of 40DCOEs or 40DHLAs did very well

The origin of "splits" was said to have been at amateur level in Finland. Having been seen by Timo Makinen there, they were then used on the last works BMC Cooper S effort on the 1968 Monte Carlo Rally. The reason they were tried was that Appendix J Group 2 at that time required the standard inlet manifold to be used. This prevented use of the popular "club spec" single 45 Weber. Later, this aspect of Gp2 was changed and the inlet manifold became "free". The Imp at the time would have had to use the homologated Imp Sport manifold for twin Strombergs in Gp2 and wouldn't have been allowed twin Webers.
Trouble similar to the 66 Monte lights fiasco arose on the 68 event and would probably have gone further if BMC had won again. There were (as ususal) alleged differences between the French and English text of Apendix J, revolving around any "intermediary device" not being allowed. Since the carburetters were free and only the manifold controlled, welding an adaptor to a split Weber simply made it a prototype carburetter on the standard manifold, not an "intermediary device". The scrutineers didn't quite see it the same way...

[doc knutsen]

Originally posted by RS2000


The origin of "splits" was said to have been at amateur level in Finland. Having been seen by Timo Makinen there, they were then used on the last works BMC Cooper S effort on the 1968 Monte Carlo Rally. The reason they were tried was that Appendix J Group 2 at that time required the standard inlet manifold to be used. This prevented use of the popular "club spec" single 45 Weber. Later, this aspect of Gp2 was changed and the inlet manifold became "free". The Imp at the time would have had to use the homologated Imp Sport manifold for twin Strombergs in Gp2 and wouldn't have been allowed twin Webers.
Trouble similar to the 66 Monte lights fiasco arose on the 68 event and would probably have gone further if BMC had won again. There were (as ususal) alleged differences between the French and English text of Apendix J, revolving around any "intermediary device" not being allowed. Since the carburetters were free and only the manifold controlled, welding an adaptor to a split Weber simply made it a prototype carburetter on the standard manifold, not an "intermediary device". The scrutineers didn't quite see it the same way...

Yes, the rallying and racing regulations of the day differed somewhat, with rallies staying Gr2 and circuit racing going Gr5 from 1966. Rootes did not homologate much in the way of hot parts for the Imp, after it was homologated for Gr3 as a 998 car (primarily for rallying).. The British touring car championship was run for the much more liberal Gr5 up to and including 1969 and the process of homologating such things as front disc brakes for Gr2 was not done until 1970, leading McGovern to start the 1970 campaign with front drums. However, by April of that year, Chrysler UK had gotten the key parts of the 998 Imp Gr2 package homologated, enabling the Bevan Imp to score its famous title hat-trick.

I was not aware of the fact that the works Min ran split Webers in 1968 in rallying, being a circuit man ;)

[cosworth bdg]

Originally posted by Ray Bell


Apart from engine size, there was the deficiency in the front suspension... swing axles...

This still didn't stop them producing some very good results and wins.. at various times....

[GeoffR]

Does anyone have a photo of this great act of daring??

There at least two in John Davenport's book "Rally" - one in full flight & one after the landing. Think I still have the book at home somewhere but copyright probably prevents the photos being posted here.

[cosworth bdg]

The 2 competition cars that were bought to Australia by Chrysler Australia in the mid 1960's, any person know where these cars are now . One of these units was driven by Norm Beechy, mainly in hill climbs with great gusto and specticle...............

[rx-guru]

Originally posted by sterling49


I remember it well! All the comics had photos at the time in almost disbelief!!!! I reckon you could have walked under the car whilst it was flying I think they never made the end of the rally IIRC, the car becoming "hors de combat" but what a trier, I will always remember the name of Jussi Kynsilehto, we all reckoned he had rather large gonads

Does anyone have a photo of this great act of daring??

Found some now. See pics 36, 37, 38 here:

http://images.google...ttp...l=de&sa=N

See also 'Jump at Raikuu' snippet here:

http://juwra.com/rally_snippets.html

[Patrick Fletcher]

I enjoyed thrashing my fathers Imp around corners - late at night getting a front wheel off the ground and by lightly touching the brake having the speedo go to zero, but still going forward at 70 mph [Only an Imp owner would know why]

[malJVC]

This is my first post - I am wondering if anyone can help me.

My brother and I have owned JVC123E for some years now and I was hoping to track down further information or photographs of the car.

Thanks in advance

[IanG]

My first post on this magnificent site. My name is Ian Grindrod and I live in Lancashire, England.
The picture refered to earlier of the 1970 Tour of Mull.

Tried trawling through the records of the Tour of Mull but no-one has any entry list now for that year.
I seem to remember in the distant past, spectating on a Seven Dales Rally around 1970-71 that an ex works Imp with a JDU reg. was driven by the famous Irish songwriter Phil Coulter and navigated by Stuart Gray.

[Paul Rochdale]

One of the fastest Imps I saw regularly raced at Lydden in the 1970s. John(?) Homewood was the driver and he had amusingly placed stickers on the top of the car's windscreen and rear window - 'Here comes Homewood' on the front and 'There goes Homewood' on the back. That car regularly beat many of the Minis but as has been said already, it was always short of cc's.

[RS2000]

Originally posted by IanG
I seem to remember in the distant past, spectating on a Seven Dales Rally around 1970-71 that an ex works Imp with a JDU reg. was driven by the famous Irish songwriter Phil Coulter and navigated by Stuart Gray.

Photo in Peter Robinson's recent excellent book on the 70-73 MN Championship. JDU48E finished 3rd on 70 Seven Dales (last Seven Dales to use competitive road sections?), listed as Jeremy Coulter/Chris Gray (Stuart Gray was a different guy, better known navigating the likes of Brian Newman's Lotus Cortina?).
Is the Mulll photo Coulter/Gray? Navigator looks like someone else whom I know used a works-spec Imp at least once - but only prior to the 70 London Mexico WCR, so can't be who I'm thinking of.

Anyone know which reg no was on the Cowan car for the 67 Coupe des Alpes (the other two cars were JDU46E and JDU48E but 47E is said earlier on here to have not been used after the 67 Monte.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by IanG
My first post on this magnificent site. My name is Ian Grindrod and I live in Lancashire, England.
The picture refered to earlier of the 1970 Tour of Mull.

Tried trawling through the records of the Tour of Mull but no-one has any entry list now for that year.
I seem to remember in the distant past, spectating on a Seven Dales Rally around 1970-71 that an ex works Imp with a JDU reg. was driven by the famous Irish songwriter Phil Coulter and navigated by Stuart Gray.

Ian, welcome! Some of us will know of your past exploits! Start a thread and regale us with some of the experiences that you enjoyed (or not!), that is what makes this site so very good, enjoyable and addictive!

Regards Sterling

[IanG]

Originally posted by sterling49


Ian, welcome! Some of us will know of your past exploits! Start a thread and regale us with some of the experiences that you enjoyed (or not!), that is what makes this site so very good, enjoyable and addictive!

Regards Sterling

Sterling, Many thanks for the welcome onto this board. I have been skipping through many of the threads on here and seen some wonderful pics and read many interesting posts. I shall indeed try to post some pictures of past exploits (Personal rally Photos would probably be the correct place)

RS2000....... Your memory/knowledge is far greater than mine. Now that you have mentioned the Jeremy Coulter/Chris Gray combination, I must stand corrected, that was indeed the crew on the Seven Dales. As for the Mull picture I don't know is the short answer, all the old entry lists etc for the ealy years of the event have been lost.
Happy New Year to all. Ian

[rx-guru]

http://www.rallybase...e&driverid=2555

This Ian Grindrod?

[Fred Gallagher]

Originally posted by rx-guru
http://www.rallybase...e&driverid=2555

This Ian Grindrod?

It is! I remember San Remo 1979 was the same weekend as Mull and Ian was sure he was on the wrong event!

Fred

[Carles Bosch]

Welcome, Ian...

Not only Fred Gallagher , but also Ian Grindrod for sharing souvenirs of those great years of rallying.



Carles.

[mkv23]

The book "Rootes Maestros" is full of Imp photos and history etc......a great read.

Available here:

www.mercianmanuals.co.uk

Rootes Maestros "In their own words."

This exciting new book is being published to celebrate 60 years of the Rootes Competition Department. We are pleased to announce that the author is Graham Robson whom many of you will know is an authority in historic rallying circles. This work is an attempt to correlate as much of Rootes competition history covering all the companies marques/models as possible.

As the title states, it has within three different stories of three personalities of those great days when it was not all about money. The most important thing was to win for your great British company. There will be very many photographic images never before published, which will make this a unique and collectable item.

Price: £34.95

[Alan Cox]

Three of Eddie Whitham's great photos - Rosemary Smith on the 1965 RAC Rally - Dig the FIA-approved headgear, man!

[sterling49]

Great photos Alan, Eddie has a great store of them I do wonder, were they off to a wedding per chance

[brakedisc]

Do not know where this thread will end up, Imps, Mr Grindrods tales, The Greatest Rally in the World, or headgear for weddings !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone for a Tour Of Mull thread? It is 40 years old this year and still living up to expectations.

Can we start the thread with the navigator asking the often repeated question on landing at Craignure.

" Where is the A road?"

Happy New Year to all, from a strange species, a sober Scotsman in training for this years adventures !!!!!

[sterling49]

Originally posted by brakedisc

Anyone for a Tour Of Mull thread? It is 40 years old this year and still living up to expectations.

Left at T, no right, no left, no right..............

Go for it

[RS2000]

Co-driver of EDU710C (65 RAC) is Susan Reeves (who shortly became Susan Siegle-Morris? - and may have changed taste in headgear...). If you think the women had strange hats, you should have seen some of the Scandanavian blokes... It sometimes seemed a competition for who had the largest fur hat with the strangest shape!

Regarding Mull entry lists, I knew someone who regularly navigated on it then and just might retain entry lists (because the wife he married was rally-mad too and, as we all know, throwing out rally paperwork that would now be invaluable was part of the normal marriage process...). Unfortunately, I lost contact long ago, so it will be a difficult tracing exercise.

As we are well into Imps, does anyone have photos of Margaret McKenzie (later Lowery) co-driving Rosemary Smith? (I know another member on here, whom I won't identify unless he does so himself, is looking)

[sterling49]

Originally posted by RS2000
....................might retain entry lists (because the wife he married was rally-mad too and, as we all know, throwing out rally paperwork that would now be invaluable was part of the normal marriage process

Big argument as newly weds, where do all my MNs, entry lists and Regs go dear .........................in my case in the dustbin

[IanG]

Combination of car, driver and co-driver........... 172 years.There's life in the old dogs yet!

[RS2000]

66 Coupe des Alpes (courtesy of Forum Auto - who were confused over Peter Harper's co-driver - but the knobbly knees award appears to have gone to Robin Turvey).
Would have thought the 4525KV number plate would have been worn out by then from all the shells it had been on...


[URL=http://g.imageshack.us/img357/sunbeamimpcda66xm6.jpg/1/][IMG]