I have borrowed some photo's off Dave to upload , Dave will be the driver unless stipulated otherwise.
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I have borrowed some photo's off Dave to upload , Dave will be the driver unless stipulated otherwise.
Cooper Vincent Wellington, Norton Manx Ruapuna
The bike is not a Manx, probably a Dominator - twin cylinder.
[QUOTE=markec;19576]Attachment 12552Attachment 12551Attachment 12550Attachment 12549[/QUO
I had some good races with Bill when he was out here with the R12B some quite few years back (1990ish??). He had the car in my workshop to change the diff which was a complete car dismantle job.
His car was ex Bira 'Hanuman 11' and I think he had it till about 2000 and I believe it is now back in Thailand. R2B ex Bira 'Romulus' was also looked after by Bill so hope I have not got them mixed up as I think this was the car inherited by Narrisa who was Prince Chula's daughter. Bira was Chula's cousin - is that how it goes Dave McK?
I am not sure Bill is still with us but that may be a story of my death has been grossly exagerated. Chris Read-Arrowtown
It is a Manx, bought it in Malaysia from a fellow called Abdul Talib Mohammed. He swapped the real engine with Gus Kuhn for the Commando and fitting kit. Good deal Yeah right!!
Yes Chris it is Hanuman and unfortunately Bill is no longer with us, victim of motor neoron disease
R2B was retained for many years by Prince Chula Chakrabongse, grandson of King Chulalongkorn (of King and I fame) and cousin of Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, and after Chula's death by other members of his family. It returned to the circuits in 1976 owned by his daughter, Narisa Chakrabongse, but usually driven by Bill Morris. Narisa Levy (as she was by then) still owned it in 2006, but it is now with Greg Whitten in the US of A
The original 'Hanuman' was R12C, wrecked in 1939. It was rebuilt the same year as R12B, raced by Bira in the '40s and by Bill Morris from 1962-98, then Tony Stephens, who continued to drive it for its new owner into this century. It is now owned by Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Bhumibol Adulyadej Mahitalathibet Ramathibodi Chakkrinaruebodin Sayamminthrathirat Borommanatbophit, otherwise known as King Bhumipol of Thailand
In the 1970s Morris reconstructed R12C on its original chassis, and raced it through the 1980s, then passing the driving chores to Tony Stephens through the 1990s. It has been owned for the past few years by Terrry Crabb
Fantastic photos Dave, thanks for sharing. Where were those ERA photos taken? Is that Timaru?
There is more to come, Mark is going to post some more, the ERA shots are at Ruapuna.
The fresh untested Frank Bryan Mustang that went on to be the Red Dawson car.
Leon Witte, DB3S Wigram.
Levin in the ex Harrington car
Would be easier to just call him Borat.
R12B (Hanumann 11) has the round mirrors and R2B (Romulus) has the scuttle mounted faired mirrors like the screen fairing.
Chris Read - Arrowtown
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Cooper Vincent Wellington
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Ducati Pantha Wigram
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Les Wright, Roddy McPherson, Sam Johnson
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Giving the slow Max Pennington a helping hand, much to the delight of Mr Halliday
who is about to gain 2 places.
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With Alan Boyle at what looks like Levin
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Taken at Timaru
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Wigram Wings and Wheels
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XK120
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Manfield Dummy grid
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Manfield Dummy grid.
That's not a DB3, it's a DB3S :)Quote:
Originally Posted by markec
(Quite different models)
Attachment 12654
?
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Masarari
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Cooper Vincent
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ERA
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Rob Whitehouse Wellington
If you left-click on the photo it will tell you it's a Lotus-Bristol.Quote:
Originally Posted by markec
The Lotus Mk 9 body had quite exaggerated tail-fins. This one has a big bonnet hump to accomodate the tall Bristol 6-cylinder (like the Cooper Bristol single-seater) and has cut-away front wheel arches and no rear-wheel spat. I don't know if all Lotus-Bristols were like this one, and the body dates from before Frank Costin's involvement in Lotus aerodynamics.
Question : Who and where and when?
Stu
Attachment 12659
Trying to get a better look at the expressions on the faces
I've almost suceeded
Are they saying, respectively "Shit", "oh dear" and "Thanks Dave" ? From right to left.
Something along those lines.
Hi Stu, I was lead to belive by Roddy Mac Phearson, who brought this car to NZ, that it was a Mk X, as you may have gathered I am more interested in the car than its history, so you may well be correct. This was Roderick's second visit to our shores, and having dis posed of the ex Ken Wharton, ahem, Cooper Bristol to Jim Boult,thought he was on to a good thing and brought out this device to unload on to some gullible colonial. My company was preparing nearly all the Bristol engined cars in this country, and had in fact been looking after the Cooper Bristol for Roddy the previous season. So we were involved with this car from its arrival from the UK. At that stage it was red and the body looked some what akin to a bag of walnuts. He suceeded in selling it to a Robin Saville who sad to say took his own life, and Bill Clark bought it from his estate. As a partner in Auto Restorations he pretty soon had the body rebuilt and engaged us in the mechanical side of things. We built a hybrid 2 litre, 2.2 litre motor with the longer stroke crank but the standard bore and one of our big valve heads. It also had what the poms call the Silcock camshaft, in fact a BCF 2 Cosworth, but what would they know. Bill's son James drove it with great vigour as well as the Mk1 Cooper Bristol the Bill also owned. I once drove both cars on the same day at Wigram and could not believe the benefit of the Lotus body shape. It went back to the UK and was driven at some stage by Soames Langton. So in answer to your question, its in my work shop and driven by a chap who worked for me by the name of John Crew, otherwise known as Motley!
Thanks Dave, I'll have to chalk this up as a "first" - I asked a question and got an absolutely complete answer.
Mr McPherson was very likely right, it probably is a Mk X, I knew there was a photo of a similar Lotus, didn't know that both Mk IX and X had very much the same body . I'll probably get a lecture from D G McKinney now (see Post #24 above!)
Presume your "Crew-man" was driving the Masarrari as well. What a great-looking car it was and still is.
Stu
Non-lecture:
The first streamlined Lotus sportscar was the MkVIII (1954). Its replacement was the MkIX (1955). Both were powered either by 1500 MG engines or, latterly, 1100cc Climax FWAs (and yes, there was a 1½-litre Connaught-engined car or two as well)
The MkX was built to take the bigger (2-litre) Bristol engine
Dave,John Crew/'Motley',just love it,..in the 80's was asked to pre-purchase a Panel-van for a three Kiwi's,who were arriving in Melbourne to travel to Perth,this was done quite easily as we opperated from a Ford dealership,the guys concerned were Peter,and Paul and lets say David (cant remember his name correctly),had the XC van serviced,roadworthy,vans awaiting thier arrival...just happened to have the 'Signwriter' on board to sign a Formula Ford we had just redone,Sooooooo; got him to put 'PETER,PAUL and 'MARY' on tour!!!...on the Tail door,I have reason to believe he is still called 'MARY' to this day:D......MJ:cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Silcock