Blast from the Past

[khyndart in CA]

This photo reminds of the time in early 1974 and I was working at Continental Imports in San Diego which had the local Ferrari franchise. My VW van wasn't running right (a normal condition ) and the sales manager said " take this home for the evening, take your fiancée to dinner and bring it back in the morning". As I lived near the beach in an apartment I did just that and parked it out on the street as no big deal as it was worth about $ 8000 back then, and returned it safely with no harm done.
These 1967 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 , 5 speeds now sell in the $ 400,000 USD range or over 555,000 NZD !
(Oh well, my wife to be, enjoyed the dinner and she mistakenly thought she was marrying into money ! )

(Ken Hyndman photo )


(Ken H )

[Ray Bell]

I wonder if this is the same car?



That's Peter Mabey, Frank Matich's mechanic, admiring it during their SR3 Can-Am visit, 1967?

[khyndart in CA]

Although I have never been involved with them, the Sunbeam Alpine must have been quite the sports car in the 1960s and seeing them used in the Dean Lester photos to transport the drivers around before the race must have improved their popularity.
In October 1962 there was a race at the old Riverside course known as the LA Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars.
The talented Rootes Group racing team consisted of 4 Sunbeam Alpines driven by Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Ken Miles and a young Jerry Titus for this 200 mile endurance race which was also the first competitive race for the AC Cobra and the new Stingray Corvette.
Jack Brabham had the franchise to sell Rootes Group and Standard Triumphs.




Bruce had some trouble getting his Alpine to the LeMans type start.

(Dave Friedman photos )

(Ken H)

[John McKechnie]

Although I have never been involved with them, the Sunbeam Alpine Tiger must have been quite the sports car in the 1960s and seeing them used in the Dean Lester photos to transport the drivers around before the race must have improved their popularity.

Max had one in Get Smart.....surely that must have helped

[Steve Holmes]

Although I have never been involved with them, the Sunbeam Alpine Tiger must have been quite the sports car in the 1960s and seeing them used in the Dean Lester photos to transport the drivers around before the race must have improved their popularity.

Max had one in Get Smart.....surely that must have helped

The coolest of them in my opinion was the one built and raced by Doane Spencer. Apparently used to lift its front wheels off the ground on hard acceleration.

[Grant Ellwood]

Just got this one in the shop, hope its one of the four you posted Ken!

[khyndart in CA]

Oct. 1962.
Check out the parking lot at the Riverside course ! That is when folks went to the racing before TV etc. came along.. Would have been a bit of a hassle if you wanted to leave early !


A neat GM promo photo showing the cars going into Turn 6 from the Esses on their final warm up before the race. The arrow points to the new Stingray that Dave MacDonald # 00 was driving that day.
I went around this track in 1987 before it was taken over by developers, driven by BMW driving instructors and it was really a thrill going through these corners.


(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

I found this interesting information in the Sunbeam Tiger Club site. http://www.sunbeamtiger.co.uk/development/

Ian Garrad (the son of the then Rootes Competitions Manager) remembers….” Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Ken Miles and others had just driven Alpines in the Endurance 3 Hours invitation race at the ‘Times Grand Prix’ Riverside meeting of October 1962, which also saw the debut of the 260 Cobra. Later that day Jack and I were ‘bench-racing’ when the possibility of stuffing a V8 into an Alpine was broached by Brabham”. Whatever the absolute truth is Sir Jack Brabham’s views moved forward the eventual development of the Sunbeam Tiger.

Ian then turned to Carroll Shelby to help make reality the dream of a Sunbeam sports car with sufficient power to compete with E types, Healeys and Porsches. Garrad believed the answer lay with installing Ford’s 260 cu in (4.2 litre) small block V8 engine. It was compact and had potential for enlargement, and was soon increased to 289 cu in. (4.7).

In March 1963 Shelby was retained as engineering consultant on how best to fit the Ford V8 into the Alpine chassis. The product of Shelby’s commission was delivered to Ryton for Lord Rootes to inspect in July. From his go ahead it took only nine months to bring the code named ‘Sunbeam Thunderbolt’ to the New York Motor Show in April 1964. However, by the show date the ‘Thunderbolt’ had been named the ‘Tiger’ in memory of the 1926 Sunbeam Tiger, a supercharged V12 that set the world’s land speed record of 152.3 mph in 1926 in the hands of H.O.D Seagrave.

Rootes did not have the manufacturing capacity to build the Tiger so Jensen Motors at West Bromwich was engaged to carry out the series production of the Tiger I and II. During its production run, some 6,550 of the 260 cu in MK1 Tiger were produced between 1964 and 1966. Only 536 of the 289 cu in MKII Tigers were made in 1967 and all but 10 were made for export markets. In June 1967, by which time Chrysler had achieved full control of Rootes, Tiger production was ended but not before a paper based attempt to modify the hybrid they inherited by installing one of Chryslers own V8 engines was proved to be impossible! It is unfortunate that a corporate take-over brought about the demise of the Sunbeam Tiger. "

1962 Sunbeam Alpine ad.




1964 Sunbeam Tiger ad


(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

Back to Riverside. October 1962.
The 3 hour Enduro Race started on the back straight as a LeMans type start where the drivers sprinted across the track to their cars.
The Dave MacDonald Stingray was the first car away.


As the field raced away toward Turn 9 the Sunbeam Alpine # 50 of Ken Miles can be seen at the bottom of the photo.
Sadly in 1966 this is the area where Ken died while testing the Ford prototype LeMans J car.


This is a photo I took from near the overhead bridge area in Oct. 1974 during an International Race of Champions (IROC ) showing AJ Foyt leading Jody Scheckter who is trying to learn how to slipstream in their identical Camaros.
Note the lack of vegetation and Riverside was often too hot for racing before October.

(Ken H photo )

Ken Miles drove well in the Sunbeam Alpine # 50 and came in 6th. Jack Brabham lost a fan belt and overheated his Alpine and Bruce McLaren had fuel pump problems all day so it did not go quite as well as expected for the Rootes Group Racing Team.
Jack Brabham drove his Alpine # 4 hard that day until the fan belt broke.




Ken Miles is seen here about to lap a Porsche on his way to sixth place. (Dave Friedman photo.)



(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

[LIST]


I drive by the Santa Barbara Airport each day and pass this spot less than a mile away from work and see some of the same buildings and can imagine how exciting it must have been to see some of the best drivers of the day competing here e.g. Phil Hill, Ken Miles, Carroll Shelby, Steve McQueen etc. etc..
This is a photo of Ken Miles winning his 1962 race in his Sunbeam Alpine # 50 at the Santa Barbara Airport races.


The Santa Barbara Airport Road Races ran from 1953 to 1968.
A 1966 programme cover example.





( Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

This may not mean much to you folks in NZ but one of my fellow workmates here at Moss Motors is driving the MG that his grandfather drove back in the 1950s here at the Santa Barbara Airport races and he has some photos to share over the next few days.
This aerial photo shows the course around 1953. The small white square was the local drive-in movie theatre that only recently was removed.
I drive to work along the road on the left and Moss Motors is located less than a mile from the top of the photo.
The airport is still there but everywhere has been developed of course.


(Ken H....more photos soon.)

[SPman]

Sunbeam Alpine - now with 1600cc engine!
An acquaintance of dad's in Albany on the North Shore had an Alpine, which he'd fitted with an MGB motor. Reckoned it went OK in a straight line. That would be 1962. It did, until he bought a new Lotus Elan in 1963. The first time I saw (and drove) the Elan, the tail lights wouldn't work, because he'd put his sheepdog in the boot and the dog had chewed out the wiring! Farmers!

[Oldfart]

True comment from a guy on the Tiger assembly line! How to tell a real Tiger from a replica/re-engined Alpine.Look for the sledge hammer marks to clear the gearbox. If it's done nicely, it's a replica, if it has the sledge hammer huge dents, it's probably real

[khyndart in CA]

Leif Jacobsen carries on the wonderful tradition of driving a 1934 MG NA that his grandfather drove in California races in the 1950s.
Leif's late father also took some photos from that time at the Santa Barbara Airport races which he has kindly shared.
This is a poor copy of a photo I took of Leif's information board.

(KJH photo.)

Sept. 1955. Santa Barbara Airport at Goleta, California.
Lars Jacobsen waiting to go out in his 1936 MG NA. In the background Phil Hill and Richie Ginther can be seen at the left front wheel of a Ferrari Monza.


Michael Jacobsen photos.


An early racer for Ken Miles was this MG Special R1


The start of a race in 1956 has Ken Miles on the left in Porsche 550 # 5, Richie Ginther in # 211 and Jean Pierre Kunstle in # 118.

Some of the great cars of that era at Santa Barbara.

Bill Stroppe's Kurtis 500 with a Mercury "flattie" engine.


A LeMans Replica Frazer Nash beside a Maserati A6GCS. (The hangar in the background is still there today.)

[khyndart in CA]

Phil Hill would often drive up to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles, put a number on the side and compete before driving home again !

Phil Hill's Ferrari 2.6 as known at that time, later as a 212 Ferrari.


Phil Hill leaning on his Ferrari 2.9 talking to Richie Ginther , Ernie McAfee and others. (Note the quick number application to be easily wiped off for the drive home !) Joe Smith photo.

Ken H

[khyndart in CA]

Leif Jacobsen carries on as some say, very bravely, with the 1934 MG NA in modern day events.
This car was first sold new to Karl Raetz , Koln, Germany in 1935.
It has a unique front suspension that started with large rubber bands and now uses large bungee cords.

(KJH photo )

Leif Jacobsen competing at Laguna Seca at the 2017 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
(Well done mate for keeping it original and still competing.)

Sportscardigest.com photo.

(Ken Hyndman )

[Bruce302]

Fantastic pics Ken, Thank you.

[khyndart in CA]

Here is a blast from the past featuring US racing from 1969.
(Ignore the 1968 heading.)
Note the Can Am racing at the 14 minute mark.




(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

I came across this clip of the 1972 Can Am race at Mosport which was the first race for the Porsche 917/10K # 6 car and the McLaren M20s.


At Laguna Seca Sept. 30 2018. (John Adams photo..)








(More Porsche photos in another upcoming thread. )



(Ken H.)

[khyndart in CA]

This may not qualify for a TRS post but it was a blast from the past for me when I came across this the other day.
As Roger would say the "Kid from Kiwitahi" would find out why he liked coming to America back in 1972. On my way to England some US friends who had lived in NZ had asked me to go out to dinner in San Francisco with them and then they took me to the airport where I was introduced to this group. They were very nice and I decided then that American women were ok... The rest is history !
August 26th 1972.




So I guess I started out at the top. (And stayed there !)

(Ken H.)