Roger,Originally Posted by Roger Dowding
A photo from the book " 30 years of Grand Prix racing 1954-83 " about Ardmore and Pukekohe.
Laurie Powell early member of NSCC and ACC, used race a Ford V8 coupe in the 50's then did this in the 60's 70's.
You have turned Laurie Powell in his grave. He would never have had a bar of a closed coupe. He drove a Ford B4 Roadster fitted with a Ford v8 flat head. He purposely had this car so as to comply with the Northern Sports Car Club early insistence on open cars.
Below is a message I sent to the Classic Driver magazine 22/12/09 which may prove of interest. Possibly it should be transferred to an alternative section. In direct and unlikely comparison, Laurie also owned a side valve Morris Minor open tourer which was also noteworthy.
The Editor, Classic Driver.
I particularly like your magazine, because you make it clear that the correction of historical information is sort after and welcomed. Unfortunately a great deal of inaccurate car related data, has in the past bean published without prior confirmation, subsequently to become transcribed as being fact.
The mystery Ford Roadster, issue 29, page 105 and issue 30. page 22, could very well be the car once owned by the late Laurie Powell, and a quite legendary vehicle. However the photo most certainly does not show Laurie in the drivers seat.
Laurie affectionately referred to the car as “The B4”, which in fact it was, having only later in life been transformed with the fitting a venerable side valve Ford V8. Around 1947/8, when raced at at the old Seagrove air strip, I remember it being a smart piece of kit.
At that meeting Laurie because of the price differential, was content with second place in a flying quarter, when up against against as I recall an Auburn speedster. At the time I had ridden out to Seagrove to watch the racing, with a couple of cycle racing friends and wound up with a puncture beyond repair. Laurie gave me a lift home. He had his midget also raced at the venue, in tow on a trailer behind the B4, and this provided a place for my bicycle.
Around 1956/7 I drove along with Laurie, to a race meeting at Ohakea, where we were both entered to compete. This was probably near the last time Laurie used the B4 in competition. On that occasion his entry was refused by the race scrutineers, because of its overall poor condition. At the time I was driving an AC sports car of similar vintage, also Ford V8 powered and another car which has also vanished into the unknown. A trial blast on the way, proved that the B4 had a little more in top speed, due to a few more cubic inches and some Ron Hogan tweaking.
After driving Laurie's B4 V8 I was amazed regarding the quite stiff suspension and relatively direct steering, i.e. when compared with other Americans then on the road. Sideways in loose metal did not present a problem. It was indeed a sporting roadster.
Some years later, post Laurie’s ownership, I ran across what I was sure was the old B4 V8 parked in Vincent Street, Auckland City. It had received very kind treatment and the front axle had been changed and sported disc brakes. A sensible modification with which I agreed, as the car was obviously being used in modern traffic.
Laurie would never have fitted a sissy bar, and I am sure he never ran the car with cycle front guards. However the photo appears to show a tubular front axle, which would suggest that it very well could be Laurie's old car as I had seen it. On many occasions I have asked of anyone who might know, what had happened to the car as it was truly historic. Unfortunately I have always drawn a blank.
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