Duckhams Ford LM

[Banks]

Can anybody direct me to Info/Pictures for this car which ran at Le Mans between 72 and 74?
I know the car was restored couple of years ago but have not seen or been able to find much about it. I am talking about the Duckhams sponsored De Cadenet car.

[Speedy norm]

All I know is for a short time in the seventies it was Colin Hawkers DFVW Supersaloon.
Designed by Gordon Murry but I guess you know that.

[Michael Oliver]

Originally posted by Banks
Can anybody direct me to Info/Pictures for this car which ran at Le Mans between 72 and 74?
I know the car was restored couple of years ago but have not seen or been able to find much about it. I am talking about the Duckhams sponsored De Cadenet car.

Yes, it was on display at the Autosport show a few years ago, fully restored but, IIRC, lacking the all-important DFV... I have a couple of shots, but don't have facility to post them here, I'm afraid, although I could email them to you if you wanted. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the guy who owned it, something like Warren or Dean or Russell somebody. But haven't seen it since then...

[Jeremy Jackson]

Ryan Hodges owns it now I think?

[mcurtis26]

If it's the colin hawkers one, its in this week's (well this week until tmro) autosport in the club legends section

[Michael Oliver]

Originally posted by Jeremy Jackson
Ryan Hodges owns it now I think?

Thank you Jeremy, that's the name I was groping for!

@mcurtis26
What does it say about it? Cancelled my sub to A/S, I'm afraid...

[mcurtis26]

From Autosport May 20th 2004: (edited version) p103

Hawker took the rolling chassis of the Duckhams le mans car, and fitted under a VW 1600 body shell. It won first time out at Brands in 75 in the colours of Toleman Haulage, then was adaopted to a high downforce version. It was later raced by Walter Robertson and Jim Price, before lying dormat until restored to sports guise by Ryan Hodges. Hope this helps, there isn't really much i'm afraid. There is a photo as well, but i'm not sure if i can post it because of copyright issues, could one of the mods advise?

[Jeremy Jackson]

Cancelled my sub to A/S, I'm afraid...

Me too, some time ago... hurt me to do it, started buying it in 1970, but the standard of writing & content is so low, IMHO, that I could live happier withuout it.

[driftwood]

i will ask Ryan for some pics
i know what u mean about AS
cant be bothered to rush to read it let alone spend £4 to buy it!
is it all part of the "Blair dumming" down policy?

i recall Hawker racing the DFVW and a huge shunt at brands on start line end of lap 1 bounced off both barriers!!
the DFV was ex tyrrell Stewart GP winning motor
i have just read in old AS from 75 that Hawker is building a car rear engined possibly VW shell

[Dan Rear]

Chaps, I'm pretty sure the DFVW was out before 1975, 74 perhaps.

[mcurtis26]

Autosport has the first run for the DFVW as being May 75 at Brands, although there was the DFV engined capri out earlier on?

[driftwood]

here is the DFVW as per AS 29 may 1975

[driftwood]

the car 1st ran the week before the date in AS as i stated previously and if yr eyes are good u will read the cation saying 1st time out/ class win!!
the dfv capri was colins hawkers previous car he kept the dfv of course the capri was sold if i dig back 3 weeks i can tell u which AS its in
and no im not a sad bstd i just happen to have acquired 1967-1976 AS so im doing some night time reading catching up on the years my father was not racing or buying AS!

[Nordic]

72

73

A couple of images of the duckhams car at Le Mans

[24_heures]

I think Ryan may sold it earlier this year to Americans Benton & Richard Bryan with the intention of running at LM Classic this July.

[driftwood]

dont think that went thru will ask directly later

[Dan Rear]

driftwood, may I ask who you and your Dad are ??? You're bang on re the DFVW in 75, I'd forgotten about CH's DFV Capri !

[Banks]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I was aware of the Colin Hawker VW but only several years after I saw it race did I realise what it was built from!

Any pictures of the car since the restoration would be appreciated ( particularly any closeups)

It would be great if it managed to turn up for the Le Mans Classic

[driftwood]

the Duckhams car will not be at le mans event not finished car is not for sale but for rent at various classic race events
the the renta driver deal didnt go thru either for LM event

[driftwood]

Just found the AS 3 july 1975 issue with the Colin Hawker shunt i hope ive attched the snippet
FYI colins old capri was sold to doug niven who installed Boss 5.7 motor

[Barry Boor]

Whilst I cannot confirm the DFV that was installed in the Duckhams Ford at Le Mans, I can positively state that Alain de Cadenet purchased the DFV that was used in the Connew F.1 car in 1972.

If my info from all those years ago is correct, that engine (which was originally a McLaren-owned unit) did eventually run in a de Cadenet driven car at Le Mans.

[driftwood]

Its very likely A de C had his own dfv he kept for mclaren M8 & Duckhams cars and later used in any other dfv sports racer he had
the dfv used in DFVW was ex tyrrell/ Stewart motor as used in Capri then VW duckhams car
after the Superloon was sold who knows what happend to that particular motor

[PeterMorley]

Originally posted by driftwood
Its very likely A de C had his own dfv he kept for mclaren M8 & Duckhams cars and later used in any other dfv sports racer he had
the dfv used in DFVW was ex tyrrell/ Stewart motor as used in Capri then VW duckhams car
after the Superloon was sold who knows what happend to that particular motor

From Such Sweet Thunder (which only goes upto early 1971)

16/5/1968 Alan Mann racing bought DFV no. 816
This was sold to Alain de Cadenet for McLaren sports car, updated and redesignated 916 in Feb 1970.

So DeCad had this engine as well as the ex-Connew engine.

He might well have had others as well.........

[John Fielden]

Apologies for resuscitating this thread but I am looking for Ryan Hodges. A car we own passed through his hands in the mid 80s and I just want some of its history

[driftwood]

resend yr pm message my in box was full i have his data