70s Super Saloon Pics

[Dan Rear]

Originally Posted by Andrew Davenall

Few more from BRSCC Special Saloons race, Mallory Park, 25th August 1980:
- Tony Dickinson, Skoda 130RS Hart 420R (winner)
- Peter Baldwin, Marshall Mini GT BDA
- James Funnell, Morris Minor Ford

I was at this meet too Andrew. Very poor entry as I recall most of the better Spec Saloon cars/drivers had migrated to the Donny GT series by this time I think

[AGD A105/6]

Only 12 entrants listed in my programme but I record an unlisted number 21 coming second.

From thew same meeting I have some pics of an aviating Gareth Lloyd in the pre-74 FF1600 race if anyone knows of him or a suitable thread to post them on.

[911thillclimber]

That's my car!

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Ensign MN02 I think Davy. That was what wa said at the time anyway IIRC

The N174 ?

[Andy Clegg]

Ford Anglia, Oulton Park paddock June onwards 1976. Would this be Mike Becketts Anglia?
Andy

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

That's my car!

Dickinson had at least 3 Skodas: the original ex-Meek/Poole/Whiting car in 1977; then one he built out of a Lola T292 for 1979; then one he built from a Lola T490 for 1980.

Which one is this?

[old man]

This thread now brings back memories, someone (Buncome?) had the idea of dropping a saloon body, Imp I think onto a Chevron B21 but was disqualified because the resultant car had to be stretched to fit the Chevron. As I recall Jim Evans walked round a car park with a tape measure until he found a car that had a wheelbase near enough to the Chevron, that car was the Skoda.

From here Jim (I think) made up the body moulds, possibly with the help of Brian Martin working on Pete Smiths farm near Leeds and came up with the car he raced. He was deeply involved in turbo charging cars, did he put a turbo into a Chevron/Skoda? I also remember him cleaing the bank at Croft once in a frightening accident.

Who built the car Chris Meek drove? I remember the late Richard Simms building at least one and I think he sold one to Tony Sugden with one of the Ford V6 engines of which Richard cornered the market

Correct me where I am wrong you guys (Allen?)

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by old man

This thread now brings back memories, someone (Buncome?) had the idea of dropping a saloon body, Imp I think onto a Chevron B21 but was disqualified because the resultant car had to be stretched to fit the Chevron. As I recall Jim Evans walked round a car park with a tape measure until he found a car that had a wheelbase near enough to the Chevron, that car was the Skoda.

Jonathan Buncombe - it was Nick Whiting who protested the car and got it banned IIRC.

[allenbrown]

I thought it was DTV that got the Chimp banned.

Fuller story of that car here: http://www.oldracingcars.com/chevron/b19/#b1909

Meek had the first Skoda Super Saloon, a car designed by Ray Jessop and built by Maurice Gomm using some parts from the Rondel F2 project. But it was basically a Skoda chassis, unlike most of the cars that followed.

The second Skoda Super Saloon was John Turner's 1974-75 Chev-powered car; again basically a Skoda.

The third was Jim Evans' 1977 conversion of a Chevron B19. See http://www.oldracingcars.com/chevron/b19/#b1910A

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by allenbrown

I thought it was DTV that got the Chimp banned.

Fuller story of that car here: http://www.oldracingcars.com/chevron/b19/#b1909

No, that's incorect Allen, it was either Nick Whiting or Mick Hill who protested it and I'm fairly sure that it was Nick.

[allenbrown]

My story came from contemporary reports. It was said at the time that DTV really didn't like having a car able to beat Big Bertha by just slapping a lid on a 2-litre sports car. I can quite understand how they would have felt. The Chimp was definitely not a saloon car.

[GBRM]

Mine comes from Jonathan Buncombe (and my late father and the magazines of the day), the car was definitely protested (I am 99.9% sure by NW) and it was definitely not protested by DTV or my late father, they actually liked having something new and competitive on the scene.
I can't really see what DTV lawyers were going to do anyway, think that might have been a made up story for the racing weeklys.

[allenbrown]

That's odd as I spoke to Jonathan Buncombe myself when doing that history. Happy to accept that I might be wrong Gregor, and I'll change it if I am.

I need to go back to my original sources and that will take a little while as so much of my stuff had to be moved temporarily to a storage unit. If you have anything to hand, please send me a copy (allen@oldracingcars.com).

[allenbrown]

BTW, the story with the DTV lawyers was that they got into the detail of how the silhouette was defined. Did it include or exclude the wheels? The problem for the Chimp was that the silhouette was fine on top but the wheels were in the wrong place. The original protest was something highly technical to do with the windscreen IIRC but the eventual ban was because of the wheelbase.

[Dan Rear]

I also don't recall NW protesting the Chimp, though I guess he may have done as he was in the 2-litre class against it, whereas DTV weren't. If as Allen says the Chimp wasn't a saloon car, should we classify it as the first of the 'Donington-GT' type cars.

Andy, that is the Beckett Anglia I'm fairly sure.

[morninggents]

I was fairly sure that the first Skoda/Imp clone was John Turner's yellow car.

[Dan Rear]

Originally Posted by morninggents

I was fairly sure that the first Skoda/Imp clone was John Turner's yellow car.

Peter, Jessop/Meek car was the 1st, it was first out around march 74 I think, the Turner 'big' Skoda followed. The latter though raced quite often that year, the Meek car much less so. I'd be surprised if CM used it more than 2 or 3 times in total, before selling it to McMahon for Alec Poole in 75

[morninggents]

Dan
The earliest results I have for 1974 are the 15th April Silverstone GP circuit Super Saloon race and John Turner is shown in a Skoda. He came 8th and I was 9th on that day and we both got a 1 minute penalty - mine for not switching the engine off on the grid (wonky battery IIRC).

I also have the practice times for the Rufforth meeting on 25th May 1974 and Chris Meek was shown in an Escort, but with no time, so obviously a 'no show'.

[Geoff Clement]

Originally Posted by GBRM

No, that's incorect Allen, it was either Nick Whiting or Mick Hill who protested it and I'm fairly sure that it was Nick.

It was Nick, he told me personally." Wasnt within the rules!" Not his rules anyway!

[allenbrown]

You are quite right: the Turner car debuted at Mallory Park 14 Apr 1974 (Easter Sunday) and Meek's didn't debut until Croft 7 Jul 1974.

[morninggents]

Of course both were pre-dated by Denis King's Norman Abbot built Hillman Twin Camifornian by a couple of years.

[Andy Clegg]

One race meeting at Croft (not sure what year),Jim Evans came off in front me at Sunny in the Skoda. Think he lost it coming out of Barcroft.
I'm not sure if it was the same meeting, Jimmy Robertson entered his GA engined Skoda in a Formula Libre race, (photo on page one, no 15 entry). On Railway straight while approaching to lap a slower car (formula ford I think),said car pulled out to pass a car himself not seeing Jimmy and from memory Jimmy was launched over the rear wheels.
Thanks Dan thought that it was Mike Beckett's Anglia.
Andy

[morninggents]

Yes, Jim completely cleared the banking on the outside approaching Sunny on that day. It was the 1977 season and he sold the car to Norman Hodgson soon after.

[Andy Clegg]

This is Walter Robertson's Skoda that he used in the Donington GT'S. This was taken at the German Grp 5 Meeting.
Andy

[fausto]

Originally Posted by Andy Clegg

This is Walter Robertson's Skoda that he used in the Donington GT'S. This was taken at the German Grp 5 Meeting.
Andy

It looks a lot like a Volkswagen (DFVW?)