In researching this exact model Merlyn and a particular single car, came across this site.
I know a lot about Gordon Smiley's Merlyn Mk.21...so here's the story.
In 1970/71 he blitzed the FF class in the States, winning on speedways (then the IMSA F100 events) in a Merlyn Mk 17. Due to his success and sponsor's money, based in Kansas City, Missouri (dead center of US) they became the Merlyn Factory Team in FF and FB here. His sponsor was a hugely successful dealer of used airplanes.
Late 1971 they received the second Mk 21 constructed (first went to the team campaigning Jody Scheckter in EuropeI can't remember F3 or F2), the "A" version (with a rounded and "BT29 type nose, upper radiator exit). This car arrived in current European configuration, without any wings, and was immediately successful and winning club FB races in the SCCA. It was one of the first small formula cars to race in the states on full slick tires, and was always faster than the F5000 cars in the same races. Smiley continued his success winning many FF races in the factory Mk 20, sat on pole for its first three races and (using FB front tires) was the first evern FF on slicks (the rear) for Daytona FF and Road Atlanta SCCA championships in 1971. He dominated most club and some professional races in the Mk 21, w/Lotus TwinCam (typically supplied by Brian Hart, but also Californian Gene Crowe). It was also updated with front wings and a tiny rear wing above the engine (as in photo). Shortly thereafter an aero engineer friend I introduced, designed a bigger, more effective rear wing sited behind the FT200. As competition this car had March 71M (FB 712) and the following year the 722, plus the coolest small FB I've ever seen, Allan McCall's first TUI in Bert Hawthorn's skilled hands. He and Smiley were very unfriendly, to say the least, rivals and mostly Smiley got the better of Hawthorn in both FB and the IMSA FF races at Talledega and Daytona.
In 1974 I accompanied Smiley to England to race the factory supported Mk25 FF and we also built up a Mk 21 "B" version (wide, flat nose, bigger wings) which saw a couple events in the Player's Atlantic series with big wings, slicks and a BDA. Thereafter Smiley had a falling out with Merlyn and switched to Royale in FF and raced the first Elden Atlantic car, a sweet and tiny machine with twin front radiators and little frontal area. It went like a scalded cat and he finished, I believe 4th in the debut at Brands.
The Mk 21 A in the States was acquired by chief mechanic Charlie Williams, also of Kansas City, who converted the car to FAtl spec and it was raced on several occasions by David Loring. (Loring graduated to more competitive March that Gilles Villeneuve had to vacate due to broken bones suffered in a crash). The Merlyn was sold and thereafter disappeared. The only other US Mk 21 was that of Porter Brownlee from Arkansas, a "B" version in spec and driven far less quickly and successfully. It never featured professionally and to my knowledge was the last "big bore" Merlyn imported.
I'm going to try to post a photo of the Smiley Merlyn at a racetrack called "Mid-America Raceways," a huge bravery track of about 3+ miles, up and down hills, through woods with a half mile long front straight near St. Louis. At one time Smiley held the lap records in a Triumph Spitfire, Merlyn FF and Merlyn FB simultaneously.
I would very much like to find this chassis for restoration purposes and can be reached at:
dylngh@hotmail.com
