Grand Prix drivers in Cortinas

[glyn parham]

cirrus, you sad fellow.
Back to the celebrity races, they all started with the Capris in 1970 at a Ford Sport race day, the cars were "entrusted" to F1 and saloon drivers on Fords books (Gardner,Stewart,Courage,Surtees, Elford, Fitzpatrick et al).
Next up were indeed the Cortinas in 1971, the 2 litre Mk111 was used and driven by the likes of Birrell, Gardner, Fitzpatrick and a new boy called Scheckter.
Back to the Capris in 1972 and this included the infamous Drivers/Managers race with the likes of Frank Williams, Bernie E, Ken Tyrell etc trying to show thatt they had lost none of their "skills.
And finally, the much loved Consuls, who first appeared in 1972 and were given to the "celebrities" to drive to destruction until they ran out of cars at the end of 1973.
After that the Escorts and Fiestas were used for all sorts of celebrity races (House of Lords vs House of Commons was a regular) until the interest finally waned in the late eighties.

[svx 933k]

Originally Posted by Screech

I read somewhere recently that in the 70s Grand Prix drivers (and I assume others) used to do a series of support races in Mk3 Cortinas. Has anyone heard of this or can confirm this :confused: Links or pics would be great. (I've had a search on google, but found nothing.)

We're all so used to seeing pictures of the greats three-wheeling Mk1 Tinas it would be a hoot to see them in the lovely old coke-bottle model too.

Hope someone can help!

Cheers,
Screech.

hi all came across this post while searching for info on my mk3cortina gt.
svx 933k was used on the tour of Britain 1973,driven by stuart mccrudden and lord beaverbrook painted in evening standard newspaper colours(red and white stripes) the same car raced in the britax saloon car championship now painted red with a wide white stripe through the side with everoak racing helmets painted on it driven by I believe ken vero of gordons of Dulwich ford dealer. I know this is an old topic but any memories of this car would be great.can post some pics if anybody is interested many thanks

[John Turner]

Welcome svx. Pictures would be good.

[bauble]

From a very old memory, I believe that Nino Farina was killed in a crash in a Cortina after he had retired. Could be wrong.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by bauble

From a very old memory, I believe that Nino Farina was killed in a crash in a Cortina after he had retired. Could be wrong.

Or could it have been a crash in Cortina?

[D-Type]

Wasn't it a Lotus-Cortina?

[morninggents]

It was - according to Wiki.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by D-Type

Wasn't it a Lotus-Cortina?

The fact that it was a Lotus Cortina made it so memorable, always seemed odd the a driver who raced so extensively in very dangerous times, and associated with marques like Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Ferrari etc. should die in a British saloon car in retirement.

Fate is often strange.

[Tincorna]

Originally Posted by svx 933k

hi all came across this post while searching for info on my mk3cortina gt.
svx 933k was used on the tour of Britain 1973,driven by stuart mccrudden and lord beaverbrook painted in evening standard newspaper colours(red and white stripes) the same car raced in the britax saloon car championship now painted red with a wide white stripe through the side with everoak racing helmets painted on it driven by I believe ken vero of gordons of Dulwich ford dealer. I know this is an old topic but any memories of this car would be great.can post some pics if anybody is interested many thanks

Hi svx,
Great to hear the car's still out there! I'd love to see any pix of it you have as i'm presently painting the Avon Tour version for the GTL computer game;





Be good to know if i've got anything wrong so far? Oh yeah, please tell me you've got a shot of the bloody Avon/Motor door logo! I just can't find a clear pic of the last two parts (crown & shield?) on the right after the main sponsors...

It would be nice to see how it looked in the Britax series too, i've never seen a pic of that either!

Good luck with the car

[morninggents]

Didn't Noel Edmonds race a Mk 3 Cortina in production saloons?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Didn't Noel Edmonds race a Mk 3 Cortina in production saloons?

Yes! That strikes a chord with me too...

[Dan Rear]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Didn't Noel Edmonds race a Mk 3 Cortina in production saloons?

He certainly did, backed by Motorcraft, none too successfully as I recall though.

[terence]

Noel did indeed race one, I should have a photo somewhere of him and the car at Snetterton.
Back on topic, it was nothing for GP drivers to be in saloons or other formula cars during the same meeting-not much in the "you can only drive for us" contracts to stop them in those days.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Didn't Noel Edmonds race a Mk 3 Cortina in production saloons?

Pete, I don't know about "racing it" but he did drive one round the circuit !

[morninggents]

I thought he did OK, Gordon. Not up to Mike Smith's level, but not too bad.

[terence]

Yeah, but Smithie did get the ?##@ing slicks.
(Oops, sorry, that was Sitners words not Noels.)

[ElvaMKII]

Check Marlboro August 1968/69 12 hour race joe you Clark won in a Cortina.

[Robert Farrell]

Not sure how relevant.
But.
Jim Clark
Tunnocks teacake for first to recognise where and when

[morninggents]

Looks like Aintree, early 1964?

[terence]

Agree Aintree but sixty five, car looks to have had some work done on suspension. Lol

[Mike Bell]

April 18th 1964, Aintree 200. Finished 2nd behind Sir Gawaine Baillie in the Galaxie but got fastest lap........

[Robert Farrell]

Mike- Correct
Morninggents also correct, if a little indecisive.
Terence wrong I`m afraid.
Collect your teacakes in the paddock.
To be 100% correct it was at Melling Crossing.
Try this one, Grand Prix driver in a Cortina (and it`s not Jim Clark)
When and Where???

[Mike Bell]

So only half a tea cake each then as we didn't identify Melling Crossing!

I've only been to Aintree once when we did a Tour Britannia stage there few years ago, but the background in your pic clicked! Had to '64 with the black leading edge to bonnet.....

The rally pic? I would guess Vic Elford, car looks like a GT, probably 1963 and RAC rally. But that's a quick guess, maybe do a bit of research later......

[svx 933k]

Originally Posted by Tincorna

Hi svx,
Great to hear the car's still out there! I'd love to see any pix of it you have as i'm presently painting the Avon Tour version for the GTL computer game;





Be good to know if i've got anything wrong so far? Oh yeah, please tell me you've got a shot of the bloody Avon/Motor door logo! I just can't find a clear pic of the last two parts (crown & shield?) on the right after the main sponsors...

It would be nice to see how it looked in the Britax series too, i've never seen a pic of that either!

Good luck with the car

hi think you've done a great job theres,couple of things the vinyl roof was cream,big white square on the door "55"was the car number along the bottom of the square in blue writing avon tour of Britain,either side of 55 a black lucas type number plate light also simoniz on the rear bonnet stripe
hope that helps you can contact me on 07850 347432 cheers kev

[svx 933k]

first picture taken on the tour of Britain ,the second in the saloon championship these are the only photos I have from back in the day.
in the last couple of weeks I have found out that one of beaverbrook family lives local to me that's why the stripes ,evening standard newpapers,
I have owned the car since the middle of the 80ts and use to see the car everyday on my way to secondary school .whilst driving past a local garage in 1982 I saw the car for sale £895 for a second year apprentice on £19 a week I just couldn't get the money together.
two years later the lad who bought it went off the road into a ditch,front suspension was bent and the whole n/s badly damaged ,I could afford it now so svx became another prisioner. ever car tells a story this is a part of svx 933k cheers kev