looks like the photo was taken when it was raining. could explain the blurred look.
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looks like the photo was taken when it was raining. could explain the blurred look.
The Escort class was highly competitive in 1968. Graham Hill had qualified P1 for the BSCC race in a supercharged Escort, but failed to finish the race due to "accident damage". This is another of the main contenders, the John Willment entered Escort Mk1 of Mike Crabtree, which finished eighth overall.Attachment 70323
The other big team in BSCC Escort racing was Broadspeed. This is the Escort 1300GT of John Fitzpatrick which retired with throttle slide issues.Attachment 70324
From the 1971 South African F1 GP at Kyalami in glorious black and white - Chris Amon in his Matra. He finished fifth.Attachment 70331
This is an amazing photo capturing the debut of the Willment Racing Escort. Mike Crabtree also raced this car in 1969 before it was purchased by New Zealander Jim Carney for the young Jim Richards to drive. The car is still in NZ, and has been owned for many years by Rayden Smith.
Thanks for posting Charles. This is a really special photo.
A couple of Goodwin Racing Brabham F3's waiting in the Oulton Park paddock in 1968, in front of a rather battered Triumph TR2. Visible in the background is the rather exotic rear of a Marcos, as well as a couple of MGB's.
Attachment 70333
This photo is from a historic car race at Kyalami in 1971. I have no idea who the driver is nor do I know the car. It has been suggested that this is a Bentley from the early 1930's, either a 3.5 or 4.5 litre with a 6 cylinder engine based on a Rolls Royce unit. Can anyone offer an expert opinion on the car? Attachment 70334
1971 SA F1 GP - Graham Hill in his Brabham Ford. He finished ninth. Attachment 70340
The 2 single seaters post 48 aren't Formula Fords, the clue initially is the tyres. Maybe F3 which mandated single carb? I'm sure about the non F F, but the other comment is pure guess!
Thanks for that. I was making a guess based my photo of the mechanic working on a Gold Leaf single seater, which has a similar carb setup but has an OHV system. I can't remember what F3 cars of the late 1960's used as an engine.
A one-litre Formula Three category for four-cylinder carburetted cars, with heavily tuned production engines, was reintroduced in 1964 based on the Formula Junior rules and ran to 1970. These engines (a short-stroke unit based on the Ford Anglia[1] with a special 2-valve Cosworth or Holbay OHV down-draught head, initially pioneered by Brian Hart, being by far the most efficient and popular) tended to rev very highly and were popularly known as "screamers"; F3 races tended to involve large packs of slipstreaming cars. The "screamer" years were dominated by Brabham, Lotus and Tecno, with March beginning in 1970. Early one-litre F3 chassis tended to descend from Formula Junior designs but quickly evolved.
Attribute to Wiki.
From that I would guess my previous photo was also a F3 car.
A general view of the crowd at the 1970 Kyalami 9 hour race. Temporary structures like these were often erected a couple of days in advance of the race and spectators effectively "camped out" (on beer and braaivleis) for 2 or 3 days. Some interesting cars as well. (Braaivleis = barbeque).Attachment 70345
Left to right: Mercedes, VW, Datsun, Fiat 1500, Alfa Romeo, Escort, Lada
Allan,
You missed the Mini with the door open in front of the white Alfa Romeo, but I forgive you.
Are you absolutely sure about the Escort and the Lada ?
Is that an American vehicle on the right side ?
( Ken H.. who is really enjoying this thread, thanks Charles.)
I've had another good look and maybe not an Escort. Also the Lada could be a Fiat 124 Special. Sorry I missed the Mini and yes the car on the extreme right looks American. Is that a Mini Countryman behind the Lada/Fiat and a VW behind the questionable Escort?
Its probably a Fiat, which are sold in SA, whereas Lada's are not. Back in the 1960's some US models were sold here, but today the supply is limited, although the latest Mustang is available. I did get to drive a base model 1969 Camaro on one notable occasion. 5litre V8 and 2 speed automatic. Owner was terrified in the passenger seat as it was left hand drive and South Africa drives on the left. So he had the traffic coming straight at him! The questionable Escort might be an early Toyota Corolla. Regards to Ken H - pleased to hear you are enjoying the posts.
This is a 2 door Toyota in a rather strange 1970 race - the "Lucky Strike Trial". As far as I can remember it consisted of dirt road stages followed by a few laps of Kyalami. There were some quite interesting vehicles in the "race". (It might have been a time trial). Pat Hinde was a major Toyota dealer on the East Rand in the 1970's.Attachment 70348
In respect of the Fiat/Lada debate, this is a Fiat 124 in a saloon car race at Kyalami. Possibly 1971.Attachment 70349
The "Boer Ferrari".
Australian Holdens were on sale in SA in the 1970's. There was the 4 door "Premier" - available with a V8 of 5.0 litres and 2 speed automatic - or the 2 door "Monaro", presumably built on the same platform. The V8 Monaro's were very popular as racing saloons, even if the handling was a bit tractor like. They also sounded excellent. Transvaal Motors was a long time entrant of this Monaro. Note the vinyl roof - very period. 5 litre V8, 240bhp and 0-100kph in 7.7 seconds. Decent figures for 1970 for the standard machine. This one was a little quicker! (A "boer" is Afrikaans for farmer).Attachment 70351
Thanks Charles, this is fascinating. Big Aussie sedans were assembled in South Africa for a few years during the late 1960s and early '70s. And they included some of the top performance machines, but they carried different names. The XY Falcon GT was one of them, but it was branded as a Fairmont GT, and the Holden Monaro, as below, was called a Chevrolet SS. I believe the Monaro had 4 headlights? There were a few changes on the Falcon too.
In the last decade or so as values of Falcon GTs and Monaros have gone nuts people have been finding examples in SA and importing them to Aus and NZ.
Hi Steve - these were quite popular at the time as a relatively inexpensive way of competing with the exotics - hence the nickname. I remember the "Fairmont GT" being demo'd at a Kyalami race meeting, while the Monaro GTS was rebadged in 72 or 73 as a Chevrolet SS - fitted with a more powerful US sourced GM V8. GM played quite a few name games with their Holden, Chevrolet, Opel and Vauxhall brands. In 1972 I bought the car pictured here new from a GM dealer as a "Chevrolet Firenza GT". In reality it was a Vauxhall Viva 4 door fitted with a 2.5 litre cast iron, 4 cylinder engine from GM USA ("Iron Duke") that was effectively one bank of cylinders from a GM 5 litre V8. It had enormous pistons and loads of torque, but hydraulic tappets limited the engine revs. I only ever really needed 3rd and 4th on the open road although top speed was only 95mph before the lifters pumped up. Incidentally the Vauxhall Firenza was actually a two door coupe. Funnily enough the 2 door bodyshell surfaced later in the 1970's in the Chev Firenza Can-Am, fitted with a Z28 V8 motor. At the time Ford supporters had the Ford Capri Perana as their fast car, but the Can Am offered better performance in a better handling car. This was mainly due to a trailing arm, coil spring rear suspension rather than the Perana's cart-spring rear axle.Attachment 70355
Here's another Monaro with what appears to be two headlights. Clearly not a race modified version judging from the body roll and squat!Attachment 70356
The Mazda Rotary M10A of Jody "sideways" Scheckter and Spencer Schultze at the 1970 nine hour. Although 1st in class and 11th overall, the car finished 85 laps down on the winning Ferrari. This means it was being lapped roughly every 9 laps with a huge speed differential. Scheckter was only 20 at this event and had already gained a formidable reputation driving a standard Renault R8 that had been fitted with a Gordini motor and had then been supercharged. The choice of the Renault was largely because his father owned a Renault dealership in East London, South Africa. About 18 months after this photo was taken, he was driving an F1 McLaren at Watkins Glen.Attachment 70361
Bob Vincent's GT40 turning into the paddock at the 1968 Oulton Park 1 hour sports car race.Attachment 70372
Brian Redman driving a Chevron B18 in a South African F1 championship race at Kyalami in 1970 or 71. This particular car was auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood Revival in 2014 with a full description including the following comments: "..The B18 had first appeared in the summer of 1970, and the following winter the car offered here was driven by Brian Redman in two rounds of the South African Formula 1 Championship, presumably as a development exercise. Chevron's works driver and winner of the inaugural European Sportscar Championship in 1970, Redman had retired to South Africa at the season's end. It would turn out to be a short sabbatical, lasting only four months.Entered by Richter Motors Racing, fitted with a Cosworth FVA engine and driven by Redman, '71/4' finished 2nd in the opening round of the South African Formula 1 Championship at Killarney on 9th January. Redman drove the car again in the second round at Kyalami on 30th January, posting a 'DNF' (engine)."Attachment 70381
Here's an unusual little car - the Mini Marcos, a fibreglass/GRP Monocoque body which utilised the subframes and motor/gearbox unit from a normal Mini. This is an original car built by the Marcos company. It's rounding Old Hall corner at Oulton Park in the late 1960's. Unfortunately I have no further information on what is now quite a rare car. Attachment 70384
This is a bit of a mystery car to me. It's not a Lotus 7 as the rear suspension appears to be quite sophisticated, while the front mudguards seem to have been designed to work as air-brakes. If anyone know anything further please post comments below.Attachment 70385
A Gold Leaf Lotus team mechanic working on a 1968 Lotus 49, fitted with the high rear wing. Photographed in the paddock at the 1968 Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting. Imagine trying to get a shot like this today! This was the first F1 car to use the legendary Cosworth DFV engine as a stressed member of the chassis and also the first to be fitted with an aerodynamic wing. Wikipedia says "Lotus was the first team to use aerofoil wings, which were introduced at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix. Originally these wings were bolted directly to the suspension and were supported by slender struts. The wings were mounted several feet above the chassis of the car for effective use in clean air, however after several breakages which led to dangerous accidents, the high wings were banned and Lotus was forced to mount the wings directly to the bodywork." It is interesting to note that while the oil tank of the car in the foreground is painted black, its sister car in front (which I think is Graham Hill's 1968 F1 championship winning car), has a polished alloy tank.Attachment 70386
Charles,
I believe it is one of the many versions of a Mallock U2, about a Mk 7 or 8 ?
Note the quote from this site about Arthur Mallock and his cars.
" One of the wonderful features of Arthur's designs was that it was nearly always possible to upgrade from one MK to the next through relatively simple changes to item such as body panels and suspension pick up point or parts. This enables customers to enjoy many seasons of competitive racing by developing their original cars. A great example of this is the Norrie Galbraith MK8, originally built in 1969m which by 1977 was up to MK16 specification and fast enough to win the Scottish Hillclimb Championship that year. "
https://www.arthurmallock.com/arthurs-cars
Forgive me if I have it wrong.
Ken H
Hi Khyndart - I think you may well right. My guess would be a Mk 8, the timing is about right and the car was designed for Clubman's events, which seems to be the case here. The Mk7 seems to have been a one-off for FF racing. I've blown up the photo for a bit more detail, although it is not sharp enough for really detailed observations. But the hole in the bonnet for the engine, the left side exhaust and rear suspension setup seem to be the same. The mudguards front and rear could be unique to this car. Attachment 70387
Hans Wängstre's Ferrari Dino 206S in the Oulton Park paddock in 1968, complete with its Swiss transporter.Attachment 70388
A heavily modified Gold Leaf Lotus Europa derived 62 heading down the Avenue, away from Old Hall corner at Oulton Park - late 1960's.Attachment 70405
Hart Ski racing team Porsche 906/10.
Only raced for one season. The US sponsor actually made ski equipment. Attachment 70407
The John Willment entered Escort Mk1 of Mike Crabtree that appears in my post #44 in action exiting Knicker Brook corner at Oulton Park.Attachment 70413
This is the result when you crash a fibreglass bodied sports car really hard. Attachment 70424 Possibly a Chevron. Attachment 70425