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Originally Posted by KA
Brooklyn were definitely an RS dealership as I remember- they ran Escort RS1600is (Hodgetts, John Morris Alex Moss, in a 3-car team in '85, then later a single car for Paul Taft I think) and later the Hodgetts RS500 in the BTCC.
They were also very active in rallying- one or more of the Brooklyn managers or mechanics rallied an RS1600i and then a Group N Sierra XR4x4 and Cosworth (the Escort was pressed into service as a BTCC car at one point after two of the regular cars were shunted at Thruxton in 85), and they were one of the first teams to rally the Cosworth.
In '86, before the Cossie was homologated, Ford ran a Sierra Cosworth challenge on UK national events- half-a-dozen cars, all registered in the C2xxHVW series (as were the early press demonstration cars as I remember) entered by selected RS dealers- Brooklyn's was driven (and probably prepared, as he had his own operation running Escorts and Opels) by Phil Collins.
That car has an interesting history if it still exists, as it was driven by no less than Ayrton Senna as part of a rallycar test Senna did in Wales for Cars & Car Conversions magazine in 1986/7!
Collins later drove a very distinctive pink Cosworth on BRC events for Brooklyn- backing came from a carpet warehouse in the West Midlands, 'Mr Tomkinson Carpets' or something like that (think they were one of the original sonsors of the Hodgetts RS500). There's a famous piece of film from the TV coverage of the 1987 or 88 RAC of Collins losing the car while going over a bridge on one of the first day spectator stages (Chatsworth maybe?) and endng up sideways across the bridge, stuck between the kerbs and parapets....I think Gwyndaf Evans also drove for them at one point
Can't find a pic of the Hodgetts RS500, but here's the ex-Hodgetts Brooklyn RS1600i, recently restored I believe
http://www.rs1600i.net/brooklyn/rear.jpg
http://www.rs1600i.net/content.php?view=brooklyn |
Here's a picture taken at the 2005 RS Owners Club meeting at Donington Park of the Brooklyn RS500. Although many of the old Touring Cars were seen out on the track, the Brooklyn car was a static display only.
KA is also correct about Brooklyn's motor sport involvements, they were very active for a Ford RS dealership.
The Phil Collins incident in the pink Mr Tomkinsons Carpets Cosworth rally car I think gained them more TV coverage than they could ever have hoped for! I remember asking Phil about this, and his recollection was very amusing (he's a natural raconteur,and could make the telephone directory sound funny). Apparently, he'd started to 'lose' the car during the S bend preceding the bridge, with the car getting further and further out of shape. Unfortunately the bridge was only slightly wider than a Cosworth is long, so he was stuck there for quite a while!