View Single Post
Old 14 Mar 2006, 16:54 (Ref:1548126)   #20
chunterer
Race Official
Veteran
 
chunterer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location:
Down the end of my road
Posts: 15,722
chunterer is going for a new world record!chunterer is going for a new world record!chunterer is going for a new world record!chunterer is going for a new world record!chunterer is going for a new world record!chunterer is going for a new world record!chunterer is going for a new world record!
Right then ART Group A one of my favourite subjects!!! YIPPEE

This won't be specific but it may help you here and there.

Bloke called Jim Whitehouse and (Dave Lampitt?) of firm called Arden Conversions had something to do with building either all of the cars or just the engines of the 2.8i Celica Supra's as they were called (no idea where these guys are these days). Hughes was just the sponsor and entrant i think?

As you say ART, the car debuted in 1983 with Win Percy at the wheel, this car continued into '84 but I think it was shunted at Thruxton Easter Monday and rebuilt - whatever the case when it returned it was much stronger and quicker and was a true front runner late in the season, often harrassing Rouse's Vitesse for the win. Gordon Spice ran it at Silverstone in June and quite liked it despite no testing (would have been good if they'd got him out in a second car). The later in season version of the car had flared wheel arches.

The Martin brothers, Jean-Michel and Phillipe ran one in Belgium (this may have been the early one rebuilt and perhaps looked after by Dave Cook Racing?) at Spa where they were joined by Spice, perhaps explaining why he was racing one the previous month? This could be your car ART?

Dave Cook definitely ran one or other of the Martin's in Belgium in Group N cars but he may also have run a Group A car as well - their relationship as in the case of Spice went back to Grp 1 Capri days as the Martin's shared Capri's with Spice and were a customer of CC Racing racing in the Belgian Touring Car series.

The Supra entered the '84 TT but Percy was in a Jag so it may have been Dron and someone else down to drive it, but i don't think it actually competed at the event anyway?

If Win had continued with the car into '85 with some continued development, they could well have won the title with it don't know why they didn't run him alongside Sheene (I guess Win had a full time Rover ETC deal and perhaps Toyota didn't fancy taking on the Sierra and improving 'Brode' Starion much?)

The only other info I know about such cars is their time in Australia (which was the one that poor Peter Williamson pranged on Bathust start line in '85 (was that the '83/early '84 Celica Supra?)

Funnily enough, mentioning errant Escort RS1600's Tim, John Morris a former Golf pedalled who ran an RS1600 in '85 entered a Supra in the 1986 TT to be partnered by his buddy Bob Meacham, but i don't think it qualified. It was in a garage along the pitlane though, I remember looking at the back of it. That may have been one of the '85 Sheene cars.

Unfortunately I can't pin point exactly which car is yours, but as it came from Belgium then the Martin's may well have pedalled it for a while because they definitely had one in 1984.
chunterer is offline  
__________________
"Double Kidney Guv'nah?"
"No thanks George they're still wavin a white flag!"
Quote