Where are all the Modsports Cars !

[markal]

In the early 70s i watched Modsport's, Tvrs, Lotus, Marcos, E types, Midgets, Sprites etc, Fantastic days, Where are they now, and the drivers! have you any pictures.

[John Turner]

markal, I miss them, too! However whilst there may be a few lying in the corner of garages gathering dust, I suspect a lot have been restored to original spec., or at least closer to original spec. because they are worth more like that.

I'd love to see a historics series which covered the old modsports cars; all those lovely flared arches and wide wheels, but I fear it is probably only a pipedream.

[Steve Wilkinson]

The Modified Production classes in sprints and hillclimbs are now dominated by Locaterfields (that's Lotus 7s, Caterhams and Westfields). You do see an occasional true Mod Sports like Graham Oates' Lotus Europa but they are few and far between. The other growth area are the Mod Prod saloons - mainly Peugeot 205s.

It would be great to see more of the Mod Sports out competing especially as the Midland Hillclimb Championship & the Hagley & DLCC Championship both have a class for Classic Cars.

The MGBs, Midgets & AH Sprites all seem to have gravitated to the Luffield Championship run by the MGCC whilst some of the TVRs run in the one-make series for these cars.

All in all a thoroughly under valued series with some seriously quick cars!

[markal]

I watched Brian Hough with the big Tvr at Aintree in 73 and was hooked, i know where John Fletchers Lotus Elan is, its not been touched since the late 70s, where is John (Plastic) Pearson with the XK 150, Ed Stevens, who bought Brian Houghs 3ltr Tuscan, i know its just a dream to see them again but it would be great.

[John Turner]

Agree with what you say markal, although my recollection of 'Plastic' Pearson's Jaguar was that it was an XK120, in appearance, anyway. Interesting that the John Fletcher Elan still exists and in its modsports form.

[big andy]

marrk cambel races a elan and richard waring races a europa in the nsscc there both true mod sports cars

[davyboy]

I used to race a heavily modified modsports midget back in the 1980s and rescued it from a garden at the time to get it back on the track... sadly I ran out of funds and it was sold to guy who broke it up and sold the bits. I fear the same thing happened a lot of modsports cars as the competition bits on them were often worth more individually than the cars complete. Very sad.

[gfm]

Yes, we ran a 1340 cc Spriget in 69/70 ish with class winner Andreason, Jenvey, Hough who was killed at Thruxton, Fletcher, John Saborin, one or two quick E Types (John Quick?) etc in was it STP Modsports? Great little car, ex-Peter Kitchen about 9 cwt. Did my first foreign trip to Zandvoort in it.
Don't know what happened to the car but it was super light and very simple components, reliable as the day was long. I remember Pearson too.

[chunterer]

The ultimate modsport was probably Rob Cox's Design backed Caterham 'Blackbrick', a phenomenal piece of kit. Is that in a collection anywhere?

You might find that a number of 'modsport' Midgets/Sprites are in the MGCC Midget Challenge series. They are still very rapid cars indeed.

[davyboy]

Pardon my ignorance but who was Hough and did he die at the wheel of a modsports Midget at Thruxton ? I wasn't aware that anyone had been killed in one.

[jamesholland]

John "plastic" Pearson's XK120 was later seen in the Intermarque series driven by a chap named Brian Arculus. I believe he had a connection with a firm called Staright Six Historic Racing.

[gfm]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Brian Hough was racing a superquick Blue & Orange TVR Griffith. He went off round the back at Thruxton. Lovely gentle man he was.

[markal]

Brian Hough was killed at Kimpton Bend at Thruxton on October 28th 1973, racing in the Blue Circle Modsports Championship, on the last lap, of the last race of the year, the race was won by John Pearson in the VRM Elan, second was John Fletcher in another Elan, who also won the championship.

Hough's car was originally built for Richard Taft in 71 by Mike Bigland and was fitted with a full race Gt 40engine bored and stroked to 5.4 ltr 450 bhp. Martin Lilley, who who owned TVR at the time, bought the car and put Ted Worswick in, then Hough in 73. The engine was a special Holman and Moody 6ltr Can Am, the car had Mclaren suspension on the rear, with a Jag lsd, discs all round, 15" or 17" on the back, 12" or 13" on the front, and massive wheel arches, a monster! I have pictures of the car, if someone could tell me how to download them.

I have just finished building a 71 TVR, 5ltr v8, and was going to make it a replica of the Hough car. I have asked before, do you have any pictures of the Hough car? I have all the Ferret ones! I was told John Pearson has got the XK and was restoring it, do you have a contact number? I still dream of those days.

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by markal

i have pictures of the car, if someone could tell me how to download them.

Markal, see here http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64573 for photo download instructions.

I remember the Brian Hough TVR around Silverstone in the early 70's. A fantastic machine!

[Motormouth]

There used to be loadsa Modsports cars here in Ireland, nearly all Midgets/Sprites, but most have disappeared. One of the quickest ones, the ex-John Keaney/Liam Plower car is still around and is currently being re-fettled for 2007.