John Maguire Racing

This man either built and/or developed myriad cars in many different categories from the 60's through to the 80's from his Coventry based workshops.

I became aware of such devices as Maguire Mini's or Imps in special saloons, but he also prep'd cars for the BTCC and other formulas entirely.

What else do we know about the man, his business and some of our favourite or most successful creations?!

Apart from the Maguire Spaceframe Minis and Imp/Stilletos he also built 2 Esprit Donington GT cars 1 x 1500 BDA car 1x Hart 2 litre car both used march corners
1 Skoda Car used in sprints/hillclimbing
Then he ran VW Golf and BMW M3 cars in BTCC in the 1980`s
I think he had a brief go at Single seaters

Then he ran VW Golf and BMW M3 cars in BTCC in the 1980`s


He ran Tim Harvey's Istel Rover in the BTCC in 87, and then an M3 for Godfrey Hall and a Golf for James Shead in 88. A second M3 joined the Hall car at the TT, and then did the remaining couple of BTCC rounds withDavid Sears.

He ran Tim Harvey's Istel Rover in the BTCC in 87, and then an M3 for Godfrey Hall and a Golf for James Shead in 88. A second M3 joined the Hall car at the TT, and then did the remaining couple of BTCC rounds withDavid Sears.

Yes he ran Godfrey, who must have been quite local to him being a Coventry Bimmer dealer for a few years.

He must have had a pretty busy workshop at that time.

I can't remember where the M3's were sourced from (don't think they were brand new builds) but the second car you mention that ran at the TT and the final few '88 BTCC rounds was leased from a privateer German outfit I think. Tim Harvey and Dave Coyne joined Hall and David Sears and I was hoping that there might be a 2 car assault with any of those drivers for 1989 or even the ETC. However, Godfrey continued but the ETC didn't so that put paid to that!

It's funny because I often wondered if the Sears effort, was something to do with Andy Rouse getting his old buddy to assist take points away from Frank Sytner in the title race (Frank didn't think that suggestion was totally out of order at one time!)

Did Maguire run a Commodore for a couple of guys at the '87 TT bu any chance?

I can't remember where the M3's were sourced from (don't think they were brand new builds) but the second car you mention that ran at the TT and the final few '88 BTCC rounds was leased from a privateer German outfit I think. Tim Harvey and Dave Coyne joined Hall and David Sears and I was hoping that there might be a 2 car assault with any of those drivers for 1989 or even the ETC. However, Godfrey continued but the ETC didn't so that put paid to that![QUOTE]

Harvey and Sears shared one car, while Clark shared the other with James Shead and Barrie Williams.
Dave Coyne was on board one of a pair of John Clark-entered M3's, (again leased from a European outfit as I remember?)- he shared with Vic Lee, while John Clark shared the other with Andrew Jeffrey

[QUOTE]
Did Maguire run a Commodore for a couple of guys at the '87 TT by any chance?

Andrew Jeffrey shared a VL with Vic Covey at the 87 TT, but I've got no idea who ran it- There was also a Belgian VL for Michel Delcourt/Alex Guyaux/ Jerry Mahony but I don't know if they were connected?

Got a feeling it was John Maguire who tended that car but Alan Docking also looked after Holden's for people who ran them in Britain or Europe didn't he?

Mike O Brien's ex Grice VK was tended by ADR for couple of years.

Re Mahony, his Sierra were Roger Dowson prepped I think so maybe that Holden he drove was as well?

Sorry if this is in wrong place, i have just bought a Maguire esprit which was a Donnington gt championship winning car with Eddie McLurg, + am looking for info + pics if anyone can hellp, i believe 2 of these cars were made + raced in the 80's. Also looking to find someone with body moulds. contact me
at srctrucks@aol.com or on here
Thanks

Welcome SRCT; I think this thread is as good a place as any to make your enquiry and hope that you receive some informative responses!

Sorry if this is in wrong place, i have just bought a Maguire esprit which was a Donnington gt championship winning car with Eddie McLurg, + am looking for info + pics if anyone can hellp, i believe 2 of these cars were made + raced in the 80's. Also looking to find someone with body moulds. contact me
at srctrucks@aol.com or on here
Thanks

Might be worth a look here?

http://www.racing70s.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

From what I remember his shop was very busy. The cars were meticulously prepared.

Thomas

Hi

I worked for John for a few years. he ran my fathers cars in the Old British Saloon Car Championship, VW Golf etc etc. I sarted with John just as he was finishing the last ever spaceframe Stiletto for Nick and Tony Bridge, but I had known him for many years beforwe when we worked out of a wooden shed just of the Stoney Stanton Road in Coventry with Tom Sheppherd. His standards of prepeartion and presentation were second to none and he was a real task master and briliant engineer, I learnt so much from him, resenting it at the time as I was only 16, I soon realised there was only one way of doing something.....and that was Johns way.
When john closed the business he was a scrutineer for the BTCC and then vanished of the motorsport radar to run a hotel on the south coast.
If anyone has any specific questions then please PM me

Hi I sarted with John just as he was finishing the last ever spaceframe Stiletto for Nick and Tony Bridge, but I had known him for many years beforwe when we worked out of a wooden shed just of the Stoney Stanton Road in Coventry with Tom Sheppherd.

Thanks for the info there Jim!

I'm wondering if this was the same Tom Shepherd that ran a quick Skoda special saloon in the late 70's and early 80's?

Hi

Yes it is the same. Tom used to fabricate the chassis of all of the Maguire cars, they were all brazed by hand on a flat table. Tom would then drive the latest car usually to great effect, he also shared by Dads Golf in the TT at Silverstone in the early 80s winning the class.
Tom is still around these days running a very quick BMW in Britcar for David Leslie as well as a few historics. We ran David at Maguires in the Celnett Superprix at Brands Hatch, he shared James Sheads Ralt RT30 and went very well in it. John ran F3 cars for two years in 86 and 87 for James Shead, Mike Donovan, Pete Richings and John Hotchkis..who is now a partner in Red Line Oil Europe with me.

Jim

Hi

Yes it is the same. Tom used to fabricate the chassis of all of the Maguire cars, they were all brazed by hand on a flat table. Tom would then drive the latest car usually to great effect, he also shared by Dads Golf in the TT at Silverstone in the early 80s winning the class.
Tom is still around these days running a very quick BMW in Britcar for David Leslie as well as a few historics. We ran David at Maguires in the Celnett Superprix at Brands Hatch, he shared James Sheads Ralt RT30 and went very well in it. John ran F3 cars for two years in 86 and 87 for James Shead, Mike Donovan, Pete Richings and John Hotchkis..who is now a partner in Red Line Oil Europe with me.

Jim

Great stuff!

Blimey yes I'd forgotten about the F3 efforts! How versatile was John's operation??!!

One of the F3 cars was backed by ACCO Controls or something, one of the Directors, either Donovan or Richings drove it didn't they?

Donovan and Richings shared the ACCO car in 86. To be honest I do not remember one of them being a director. Richings had a big accident in the car at Silverstone ( In the days of catch fencing) and did not drive it again, so Donovan completed the rest of the season.
James Shead drove a similar car that year, we also ran an Ecosse C2 car for his father Don the following year or was it 88, that car was stunning.
We had some great fun running a variety of cars from MG Metro turbos for Vic Covey in both the domestic and some euro rounds, Group A Rover, Golfs, Prod Saloon cars, F3 and the C2.
John also built his own Artic unit from an old Argos unit. Again the attention to detail was just fantastic, we did it over a winter in the freezing cold, outside at the back of the unit. He sold that to BRM for the Le Mans project.

Thanks once again 'lifeline-fire' for assisting to make this a fascinating insight into the cracking national prep organisation that JMR was!

I guess that having prepared a Metro for Vic Covey, John Maguire was logival that they got together to run that Commodore in the '87 TT?

I wonder if that was a one off or whether both parties were considering running a car in the '88 BTCC?

Hi

I do not recall us running Vic in a a Comadore in the TT. We were running Tim Harvey in the Istel Rover SD1 ex Rouse car in the British Saloon car Championship, and I dont think he even did the TT as he was concentrating on the British Championship.