64 replies to this topic

[johns333]

Prosaic stuff by the standards of this forum I guess - saloon cars (Golf GTi, Peugeot 205) in what was the Slick 50 Road Saloons and latterly Alfa 33s in the Alfa Championship. One of those lying dormant in the garage at the moment.

[GTO]

Quote

Originally posted by fausto


At first was bought by the group of people behind Allard Sportscar project (Costas Los, Jean-Louis Ricci, Chris Humberstone), then it was the turn of an Australian businessman, who intended to bring the marque back to Le Mans (mid '90s)

Dear Fausto,

By january 1991, Spice Engineering was liquidated. Then, the group's european and american activities were purchased by a japanese company known as FEDCO Corporation. The team ran a car in the Japan-Sport-Prototypes Championship and even enter the Le Mans event in 1991.

Later, the group of people behin the Allard Sportscar project bought Spice/Fedco activities...


For those who were attended the autobiography of Gordon Spice, take a loot at that http://www.books-by-...4425-568-9.html

[Charles Helps]

Apologies for going on about Hugo Tippet but does anyone know anything about a couple of Lotus Mk 6s he apparently owned in the sixties?

One was E93A sidevalve engined with some Aquaplane bits and the other was the ex Averil Scott-Moncrieff car from which he removed a VAUN eight port crossflow headed 1.5 litre MG XPAG engine in order to fit a TR2 motor. The MG / TR engined car's logbook has an entry for Hugo Lowther Tippet of Maidenhead: bought from a Peter Gemson in Surrey in June 1964 and sold to Leisure Drive Ltd of Hallam Street London W1 in 1967. The chap who bought the VAUN MG head tells me that he came across young Tippet in an accessory shop in Aylesbury in 1969/70 and then went to a school in Chesham to pick up the head from Tippet's father who was a teacher there - does this make sense?

I'm really interested in the first one (E93A Ford) as I'm being told that he built it up from a kit in 1956 and advertised it for sale in Motor Sport in 1963. I'm also told that he sprinted the car at Goodwood in 1957/8.

[Cirrus]

Hugo's brother, Charles still races, and his niece, Claire (Charles' daughter) works for The Masters series. Most of the evidence in your post seems to fit. Hugo ran The Aylesbury Tappet in the late sixties/early seventies, and Chesham is not too far away.

Maybe Charles can help, Charles Helps?

[Charles Helps]

Many thanks for the suggestion, Cirrus

I've now found some contact details for the Tippets.

[graeme1293]

Hi,

Anyone here know when this photo was taken?. It would be either 1968 or 1970 when Gordon Spice drove for Arden. If 68 it would probably be the car that Alec Poole went on to drive to the British Saloon Car Championship in 69. If 70 it is a 1300 cc car and a different car altogether. The Poole car left the UK in 69.



There was supposedly an Arden car like this that went to Japan about 10 years ago. Perhaps the 1970 version of the car? Or is lost still in the UK somewhere???

Graeme

[RS2000]

Mk1 grille/shell (already obsolete in 68), no Aley bar, advertising (first allowed in 68) grouped together and not using rear quarters. If guessing, would suggest earliest date.

[graeme1293]

Thanks for that info - you are probably right.- Gordon used racing numbers 6 and 144 in a couple of other photos that looked from the same year. Maybe someone has some race programmes?

Anyone know what livery was used in 1970? Jim Whitehouse bought an ex works Cooper S (LBL606D) in 68 or 69 which could have been the 1970 1300 car I am trying to find info on.

Cheers

Graeme

[David McKinney]

Quote

Originally posted by graeme1293
The Poole car left the UK in 69

...and famously enabled Mary Carney to win a round of the NZ championship at Pukekohe
She didn't have Poole's Arden engine though. That was in Barry Phillips's NZ-built car - which won the championship

[john winfield]

MichaelM in the books thread reminds us that the Gordon Spice autobiography is due out in March - Haynes, the publisher, suggest late March (early April?). From the discussions earlier in this thread it should be a good read. Perhaps Jeremy Walton ( spa1972class on this forum?) could confirm the likely publication date. Oh, and the title of the book! Amazon list it as 'Life of Spice' but display a jacket design with 'Spice of Life'. Not that it matters.

Graeme, I have a very hazy memory of 1970 but I saw (aged 12) a couple of saloon championship rounds at Brands and seem to remember Gordon's Mini being bright green - or am I mixing him up with somebody else?

John

[Bunter23]

Dear Mr Winfield,
I have been waiting desperatly to get my registration through to respond to this page, Yes I am the one you slept with at Donnington, but I need to get this right, as My Son and loads of friends have pointed me to this page asking a lot of loaded questions......!.
Firstly Hugo arranged the Exhibition to diplay the Gordon Spice Specialised Products range at Donnington but under the Aylesbury Tappet (Hugo managed this one) and the Rallyman (I managed this one) and he left me to arrange the accomodation (at the last moment thanks Hugo) and then Said I would be accompanied by his young assistant John. The show was almost upon us and there was no accomodation that was in the budget range, and all there was, was the Pub in Melbourne (the overnight stop for a lot of HGV drivers if I remember)with about 5 cottages in the courtyard and all that was left was a room with a double bed, it was purely out of necessity that we had to sleep together, I didnt tell my Fiance as we were to get married later that year. So I now hope this will dispell any rumours of any long lasting effects it may have had.
But it was a great time, the exhibition was a bit of a damp squid as hardly any people attended during the week days, it went on for too long, but the weekend had a reasonable attendance, but it did allow me to see lots of the cars and also the ones in the Basement a couple of Alan Mann sportscars and the MG land speed car.
It was a great pleasure to work with Hugo, he taught me a lot about life and some about the business as I was still young in it, I was very sorry when he left to go to TWR to run the County championship cars, and then on to Lotus Cars. I in the meantime worked for Ralt and March and then became a Buyer for Tyrrell Formula 1. I continued my Racing with Minis (Mini Miglias) and then on to Production Saloons, with my Brother we developed the Video Camera in Motor sport and hold the accolade of being the first in the UK to fit them and use them in a race a Celebrity race at Brands with Ian Bracey and James Hunt. Gordon Spice helped with the racing and I carried spares for the specialised products to the track for them, so minis with the Name Gordon Spice on appeared again. I also looked after the Piranha Ignitions for the Spice Group at the time and fitted them to most of the Touring Cars.
I am still involved in Racing but with the next generation my son he is competing in the KZ1 Gearbox Karts.
Its been very interesting reading the threads posted and would like to say hello to all of the friends that have appeared here, and I am very sorry to hear about Hugo, I would like to send my Regards to Barbara if any one is intouch with her.
Regards, John Meale.

[john winfield]

John,
What a lovely surprise!
It's really good to hear from you after all these years and to find out all the things you've been up to. Good luck to your son in his karting.
Personally, I bear no scars from our nights in Melbourne (Derbyshire) but you might. I bet my socks used to smell. I don't think I washed much before I was about 25. To put the record straight, everything John says about our stay in the village is entirely true. The trip to Donington was work-related and completely innocent (John - is that OK? I'll put the invoice in the post). Thinking about the trip to the Speedshow, on the way north, didn't the van have a puncture on the M1 and the nut securing the spare wheel was hiiden under the display cabinets, stashed full of Griffin Helmets, Piranha Ignitions and Dzus fasteners? You must have just managed to get enough purchase to release it. Or did we arrive on three wheels?

Yes, it's really sad about Hugo. Alan Morgan may have some more news sometime. I don't think I saw Barbara after about 1977/8 - Hans may have kept in touch, I don't know. Can you remember the surname of Hugo's colleague Tony, at the Aylesbury Tappet? He'll know more, I'm sure.

Apologies to anybody else reading this - another Gordon Spice Accessories / Specialised Products / International ramble!

Bye,
John

[Andy Downes]

Quote

Originally posted by spa1972class
Not so well remembered, so contributions particularly valuable--Gordon also raced: MG TF; Morgan and then linked to Lawrencetune-Deep Sanderson at Le Mans.

Gordon Spice certainly was involved with Morgans - indeed he took delivery of the first of the stylish Morgan SLRs (Sprinzel Lawrence Racing) from Christopher Lawrence in 1964, went to Goodwood for the Easter Monday International, was very fast and wrote it off first time out !

This particular car went to the USA in the 70s but came 'home' a couple of years ago and has been sympathetically restored ready for some Historic events this year - picture below in case you've never seen an SLR.

I am currently researching the history of these cars (only 4 in total) and would be very interested in contacting Gordon Spice if at all possible, if anyone can help in this regard please send me a message.

Many Thanks

Andy Downes

[bradbury west]

Have you spoken to Jim Donnelly?
Roger Lund

[edmillington]

Saw Gordon rascing in thre Caribbean driving the AustinA40 "Breadvan" in Guyana, Barbados etc. Also saw dave Brodie and Alec Poole with the BDA Escort smoking a Camaro.