'Blackbrick' - Rob Cox-Allison's Caterham Modsports cars!

[chunterer]

General discussion and investigative thread due to popular demand (well Mike Bell's....)

Can build the thread once a few posts have been copied over from Historic Today.

[andy97]

There's a picture of the car top right here:
http://www.motorsport-fanatic.co.uk/...lGT-lotus.html
& a few details about Rob Cox-Allison's other cars in the LHS description.

[Mike Bell]

So is that his 'Super Brick' in picture?

Hart 420R? Jesus..............

Apparantly the car(s) is/are mentioned in some Lotus 7 and Caterham specific books. Any period information anyone has about them would be very welcome.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

So is that his 'Super Brick' in picture?

Not sure.

Anyone read German, I have found this article (with a slightly different picture to the presumed "Super Brick"):

http://blackbrick.de/Historie.htm


Using an on-line translation tool (sorry, its not great) I get this:

"There are vehicles that were in the course of their Motorsportkariere a legend. But even drivers who have made themselves by their courage and dedication, coupled with a big name talent. This report deals with both: the most famous Super Seven "Black Brick" and its drivers, Rob Cox (Guildford) and Leon Bachelier (Ilkley) in England.

Actually, the events are already back years, as measured by the performance of the legendary Brick must seek still to warn drivers to summon that are the most modern material is able to get by the time lap times approached, let alone to . underbid Who has only a little idea of ​​racing on the track, knows how extraordinary this is, especially in a time when technical advances in vehicle has made quantum leaps since then!

How it all began? The scene - how else could it England, the "home of motor sport" is-is. While one can look forward to the rest of Europe has a few permanent race tracks, have the "islanders" a true surplus, which features an Snetterton, Mallory Park, Castle Comb, Pembry, Donington Park, Knockhill, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch and Mandello Park are the only Formula 1 - suitable routes listed on many smaller and larger airports weekend for weekend races are held. (!) A special heyday of the British national racing in the 80s, when more than 50 different championships were offered - "the spin, the British" would say, Asterix.

Outstanding series with cross-national acceptance at that time was the well-established "STP Modified Sports Car Championship", briefly called Modsports. Hidden behind more or less a regulation that allowed the vehicle designers a lot of technical freedom to mass-produced cars, but revealed in its silhouette, the original model yet. The same successful concept, and one of the creators of the German DTM believe they invented it.

There remained the English factory racer from the inappropriate use of large corporations and thus was spared the individualism floodgates opened.

Carefully tuned most unique items from small factories such as Morgan, Ginetta and Lotus were compared with the well-known racers in this country the stamp of a Porsche 934 Turbo and Ford Capri Cosworth.

Rob Cox watched the scene carefully analyzed and studied. The plan of the then 35-year-old was clear: leave nothing to chance, winning a car with the greatest potential and individuality on its feet - and win!

For some time he noticed a Caterham Super Seven, who cavorted among the touring car like an - admittedly toxic - dwarf among giants. The vehicle was used by David Bettison and was a kind of rolling laboratory for technological innovations that the company Caterham Car Sales was incorporated into the series.

Shortly before the 1979 season, the parties agreed, Rob Cox would take over the vehicle after the last race in the paddock. As fate plays in motor sports so this run gave the "not-owner" of a capital flight, so the Super Seven had only scrap value.

For a fraction of the agreed price of the trading took place and still with a healthy dose of idealism, it was thought to transform the remaining fragments over winter in a racing-standard car.

"If we had known then what we have bought because we had let` s, there was virtually nothing left to use. Only the engine and the rear axle parts were used, "recalls Rob Cox. He continued: "The Rohrramen of Caterham from the company we were working completely on Dastle Racing. Geoff Rumble, whose designs already on James Hunt was successful on the road, brought his entire expertise in this spectacular project!. . We improved the chassis from race to race, "Formula 2 - front suspension and other components of the racing forged Chevron were incorporated into the development, the biggest step in the right direction was made but with a" sliding A-frame "designated rear suspension.

Rob is happy to be reminded of the first race: "It was the spring of 1980 at Brands Hatch. I was second fastest in training behind the infernal Lotus Elan by Pat Thomas and led the race quickly. As we exited the first round back to the start-finish line, I had a good 50 meters ahead of everyone else. But Pat caught me on the straight and flew past me like I was standing. Then I realized that my little Caterham fantastic around the curves, but went straight to the air resistance of a brick had. The car was painted black and so was my mechanic gave him the nickname "Black Brick" (= black brick) "

The shortcoming of the underpowered engine was quickly resolved, a 190-hp unit Twincam transformed the 500-pound brick in the car that was beat. The toughest opponents in the first season should be a certain Steve Soper in the factory-backed Dallara-Fiat X 1 / 9 are-but he bit his teeth regularly out on the black seven.

The end of the first edition of the "Black Brick" was swift and unexpected: "It was at Thruxton. I had to start from the last row, because I had problems with the ignition in the training. At the end of the second lap I was already in the lead, but lost in an ultra-fast corner the car out of control, it broke out suddenly and very viciously, at 200 km / h. I missed one line item only by a hair, and struck with full broadside into the barriers one - fortunately, with the passenger side. My Seven was a good 40 inches narrower. The only positive thing was that I completed the round before that in 1:22,98, 3.5 seconds under the existing lap record "- as I said, crazy, those Brits!

So followed - without regard to cost - the second edition of the "Black Brick". It was wider, longer, deeper and equipped with all the technical sophistication of its predecessor. Especially the aerodynamics have been improved thanks to various front and rear spoiler and a special sub-floor and led the blessed Super Seven, invented in 1957 by engineer Colin Chapman, Lotus as a low-budget racer - in the era of the Ground Effects.

On and on went away, the "Black Brick" from the original model and always superior - almost unilaterally - is designed to dominance by Rob Cox, the British flagship series "STP Mod Sports" "That had consequences: the opponents stayed away in the course of the next! three years, she resigned, by an overwhelming car with a powerful driver of one after the other times humiliated.

Rob Cox needed a new enemy. Or should we say victims? Two stages have been ignited by using a 300-horsepower engine hard-420R, a thoroughbred Formula 2 - unit in the race of the Donington intervene GT Championship. Of course with success!

But to the shock there really An incoming participant, an aerodynamically sophisticated brick went into the race, which was nicknamed the "Brick slipery".

Born in a wind tunnel that resembled more of a Seven-Can Am cars, aerodynamic and ultra flat.

As always, this car's path - mostly special constructions with a Formula 2 - the chassis and placed over sports car body - but also the Group 5 - Porsche and Ford Capri from the former "German Circuit Championship" - it was defeated.

While Rob Cox after five successful years in which he used as many versions of three different chassis, concentrated on other projects, was in the hands of Dastle racing another car, commissioned by mountain specialists Leon Bachelier. All flows up to that gained in these last Black Brick and predictably sat in the car and driver in the motor sports fans are so popular disciplines "hill climb" and "Sprint" new standards.

In the years 1988 and 1989 was this combination 40 times in a row undefeated and won all (!!!) targeted national title with ease!

Of course, the development was also during this time and not led quietly next to a fully clad underbody finally arranged for a good 50 inches to the rear offset motor, in perfect balance to the driver.

Until 1995, this last used by Leon Black Brick Bachelier will then be brought to a complete restoration that earned her the way, a little plain clothes.

15:02:10 created by Thomas Böbel"

[KA]

Certainly remember seeing the 'Black Brick' Seven a couple of times at Donington in the 80's when I first started to watch racing seriously- a very quick car...It might have been in the Hart-engined incarnation by then? (I first saw it in 1985 at Donington I think?)

A few more pics- I found them on a Danish blog through Google image search, but suspect they may have originated on the Autosport Nostalgia forum...

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zX2N8hMcau...Caterhams2.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xDj3a_ajr4...+Caterhams.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CtCCImaKHh...6KgrNUB_fs.jpg

[Mike Bell]

Well found, Andy & Ka. I reckon the pics are of V1 or V2. The article is interesting reading. Sounds as if the car was developed from race to race and was far removed from it's 7 roots by V3 Super Brick.

I guess it would be possible to create a 'facsimile' of the original but without knowing all the ins and outs of the car's running gear you are probably never going to get anywhere near the correct spec.

What we need to find is that the car is sitting in a lockup somewhere untouched since 1995...... but don't quite understand what the author is saying in last paragraph!

[Chris Wilson]

So is this one of seemingly so many cars of this type that just "disappeared"? It's not as if it was on a single seater tub of now historic value that's been taken back to its original format, someone must know where some parts / car lie?

[oneofapair]

As I remember (dim and distant past)there were 2 Black Bricks. Black Brick1 was owned by Mike Yarney in 1982 and race regularly at Lydden and Brands as well as selected STP modsports races and "Really Works" modsport races of the period together with Tony Broom in the "Celebrated" Turner (on other postings) and the Ginetta G15 of Ronnie Woods.I think!!(not sure ) that Black Brick 2 was more a Donington GT car (a little more extreme) that being followed by the Black Elan, Some of the feeling at the time, I believe, was that these vehicles sounded the death knell for Modsports (which in relative terms was very much "Club").Being a seemingly well funded exercise that nobody could really compete with succesfully. Extremely good times though. I probably have a couple of pics somwhere, if I can find them I will post later

[Andy Turnock]

It appears that according to this you tube video that it was running with an 1800cc engine in 1982,and when running on all four cylinders pretty invincable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMRAlfzmCSo

[oneofapair]

Yes that looks like Black Brick 2 . Brick 1 was racing with Mike Yarney by then,having been sold on.Black Brick had more obvious Lotus/Caterham under pinnings

[oneofapair]

Lotus/Caterham 7
Rob Cox Allison had 3 of them called black bricks 2 cars for Modpsorts rules in the late 70`s
BB1 was a copy of the Dave Betteridge car i think Geoff Rumble built it
BB2 was built by Geoff Rumble at Dastle
BB3 was built by Racing Fabrications 1500 BDA for Donington GT racing

Just found this on another posting on ten-tenths

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Well found, Andy & Ka. I reckon the pics are of V1 or V2. The article is interesting reading. Sounds as if the car was developed from race to race and was far removed from it's 7 roots by V3 Super Brick.

I guess it would be possible to create a 'facsimile' of the original but without knowing all the ins and outs of the car's running gear you are probably never going to get anywhere near the correct spec.

What we need to find is that the car is sitting in a lockup somewhere untouched since 1995...... but don't quite understand what the author is saying in last paragraph!

I wonder if Rod Birley can help, seeing as he drove it. Might be worth a PM, MIke? Also, maybe worth trying to find the contact details of Geoff Rumble.

[Andy Clegg]

I think I took this about 1982. It's from Silverstone, at Maggotts. I won't have the programme.

[oneofapair]

As promised; Have found some "poor Quality"pictures from I think a round of 750mc "really works" modsport race at Lydden it show Black Brick one then in the ownership of Mike Yarney ,having bought it from Mr Cox-Allison presumably.This was 1982/83 period.This car at the time had obvious links to its under pinnings compared to its successors. The "modsport" rules (MODified SPORTscars) were much tighter than special saloon/silhouettes or the Donington GT rules.Later examples were presumably built to exploit the "looser" rulings of the other categories.

[Mike Bell]

Thanks for all the info so far, Guys. Keep it coming.

Think if I was going to recreate a Brick (assuming all original 3 are 'gone') it would be the first. For a start it would be very much easier as was closer to the base car, then IMO it would be more appropriate for the 1970's, and lastly it ran without that very ugly hardtop (OK not much chance of it being anything else on a Seven!) so would be easier to get in and out of!

So the engine in Black Brick One was a Lotus Twin-Cam. Correct? Capacity?

[h4887]

Great pictures, John, especially the one of Ronnie going sideways! Do you know who's in the rather scruffy G4?

[oneofapair]

Geoff,

The G4 is John Digby prior to the Abraxas rebuild !!!
The sideways motoring as I Remember was due to the shoestring notstretching to replacement set of tyres ,grip levels consequently not quite to required levels.
Regards. John Woods

[petestenning]

Originally Posted by oneofapair

As promised; Have found some "poor Quality"pictures from I think a round of 750mc "really works" modsport race at Lydden it show Black Brick one then in the ownership of Mike Yarney ,having bought it from Mr Cox-Allison presumably.This was 1982/83 period.This car at the time had obvious links to its under pinnings compared to its successors. The "modsport" rules (MODified SPORTscars) were much tighter than special saloon/silhouettes or the Donington GT rules.Later examples were presumably built to exploit the "looser" rulings of the other categories.

I see Pat Longhurst and Julie Thwaites Davrians in there too if i am not mistaken.

[oneofapair]

Yes thats correct, plus there is also a "sliver" of Richard Ridd

[andy97]

Not sure how original this is but......

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3316792.htm

[chunterer]

Thanks andy!

Looks a bit too recent to me. Built 1999?

[andy97]

Agreed but the ad does it refer to it being an "unused Series 3 Dastle chassis" so maybe this was to be the basis for Rob Cox's 4th iteration that was never used. Dastle were involved in the original Black Bricks IIRC.

As a potential Modsports re-creation, it would appear to have more provenance than most!!

[chunterer]

Could be andy, you're right.

I just imagined that the Blackbrick projects had ended many years before this car came into existence.

Like you suggest though should anyone wish to create a replica, the Dastle chassis would be a very good starting point!

[andy97]

Over to you, Mr Bell..................??!!

[Chris Wilson]

I take it Mr Cox-Allison is sadly no longer with us? I was chatting the other night in the pub about how many old race cars of merit and interest are lurking in dusty photo albums or boxes under the bed or in the loft, and how the digital photography age has made easy access and sharing of images so much easier and prolific. I know I have several paddock pictures of one of the BB's, but it could take days to find them