Group A Toyota Corolla History (merged)

[terryobeirne]

I am restoring 2 Gp Corolla AE86 models. Both have well known history here in Australia, with 1 also racing at Spa & Nurburgring. I have accumulated some other Toyota /TRD/TOMS parts for other Toyotas of the 1980's. Anybody out there interested??? I'd also be interested in corresponding with anyone else with GpA Toyotas and knowing of any that might be available for sale, especially the later Supra.

[chunterer]

Just out of curiosity are the Corolla's the later FX model that were raced by the likes of Don Smith or Phil dowsett in England, or are they the 'coupe' version?

If they are the latter, are these cars that Chris Hodgetts originally built and sold to Andrew Bagnall before he went onto pedal Sierra's?

[William Dale Jr]

chunterer, I think they're the model that preceeded the FX type that Dowsett ran. The liftback-version of the final RWD Corolla that the drifters like to use.

terryobeirne, I assume these are ex-Bob Holden cars?

[terryobeirne]

I'm in the midst of buying a AE82 Corolla FX-GT that was raced by TOMS UK in the mid 80's. I'm trying to track any history. Apparently the car was one of a few , built in japan, sent to TOMS UK, and eventually came to Australia when TOMS closed in early 1990's. I've looked at Fran De Jong's site but there are no pics of this car/UK races. Can anyone help with any info or referrals to others who might know something. Would be great to contact someone who used to work at TOMS UK??????????
many thanks

[GTRMagic]

Is this one of the two cars that Bob Holden ran for various customers?

[KA]

The AE82 is the front-drive version of the Corolla, so we're talking about this one?
http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-08-02-113.jpg
http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-09-06-114.jpg

If so, then as far as I know, it ran the Spa 24 hours and Silverstone TT WTCC rounds, and a couple of late season BTCC races in 1987. Drivers were Phil Dowsett and Tiff Needell, plus Masanori Sekiya at Spa. Needell drove the car in it's BTCC appearances.

Dowsett then drove it in the BTCC in 88, also appearing at the TT (again with Needell), and scoring several BTCC 1600cc class wins (and I think the class championship?)

TOM'S didn't run in the BTCC in 89, but Dowsett raced what might have been the same car, entered by his own team. No idea what happened to it after that, but it certainly didn't appear in the BTCC again

[VIVA GT]

Surely, if this was the Phil Dowsett car, wasn't it involved in the accident Robb Gravett has in his RS 500 at Thruxton?
(I just thought that mentioning this may jog someone's memory, plus I'm sure there's video of the accident somewhere...).

[KA]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

Surely, if this was the Phil Dowsett car, wasn't it involved in the accident Robb Gravett has in his RS 500 at Thruxton?
(I just thought that mentioning this may jog someone's memory, plus I'm sure there's video of the accident somewhere...).

Yes, I think it's the same one

[terryobeirne]

thanks guys, pic 114 above seems to be the car, it looked pretty much like that when it first got a log book in australia as part of the Bob Holden stable of cars. the TOMS livery was quite distinctive. i believe there were 2 of them raced in BTCC. at some stage, the firwall with the chassis # was changed so this might be the accident alluded to. does anyone have a pic of this?? any more leads or info greatly appreciated.

[GTRMagic]

At Bathurst with Spencer Martin

[terryobeirne]

the car I have was first log-booked here, 22-2-1990. according to Bob, 2 of them were shipped direct to him when TOMS UK closed, and the CAMS log book clealry shows the TOMS livery of silver and red stripes, and thats how it raced here for quite a while. I'm not sure what this means about the supposed later UK history--maybe same car, maybe not. The latest pic provided appears to show the "other" car at bathurst 93, and which Bob still owns. The car I have was raced by Frank Binding in 93. At some stage Bob's car got a sunroof equipped shell, so maybe that was the crashed car.

Anyone know how to contact any of the UK drivers of someone from TOMS in that era????????????
thanks again.

[chunterer]

Tiff Needell will be about somewhere (he usually is)

Dunno what Phil Dowsett is upto these doors though.

Did Glen Waters run the Tom's GB op's in between his 80's and then 90's Intersport F3 campaigns?

[terryobeirne]

thanks guys, I've tried Google searches on all 3 people mentioned, and whilst I've got plenty of hits with historical race info, especially for Needell, I'm no closer to a real contact for any of them. anybody help??

[terryobeirne]

I've just noticed these old replies, so thought I should set the record straight. The FX-GT I have is the 2 door , front drive hatch. Built circa 1987 by TOMS GB and sent to Australia in late 1989. I also have two of the AE86 rear drive hatch models (called Sprinter in Australia). I have 3 ex Bob Holden cars. Unfortunately, I have still not been able to contact Phil Dowsett who drove the FX-GT to a BTCC class win in 1989. Dogetts won BTCC outright in his AE86 in 1988. This car was sent to Hong Kong and appears "lost".

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by terryobeirne

I've just noticed these old replies, so thought I should set the record straight. The FX-GT I have is the 2 door , front drive hatch. Built circa 1987 by TOMS GB and sent to Australia in late 1989. I also have two of the AE86 rear drive hatch models (called Sprinter in Australia). I have 3 ex Bob Holden cars. Unfortunately, I have still not been able to contact Phil Dowsett who drove the FX-GT to a BTCC class win in 1989. Hodgetts won BTCC outright in his AE86 in 1988. This car was sent to Hong Kong and appears "lost".

terry, just to assist with your history, the AE86/GT16 model won the '86 and '87 BTCC titles in Chris Hodgetts' hands.

[terryobeirne]

Dowsett appears to have won 1989. BTCC home page...
Drivers Championship - Class D - up to 1600cc (Phil Dowsett).
I cant find any pics or details however.

[GTRMagic]

There are a few pics about but not many ...

[DAVID PATERSON]

I have really enjoyed reading the other Group A thereads in this forum and have anxiously awaited a thread about the little 4AGE powered cars that dominated the 1600cc class, but to no avail.

Well my Nanna always said, if you want something done..................

[davyboy]

The rwd coupe was a fabulous car for sure. Chris Hodgetts used them to devastating effect in the BTCC in the mid-1980s.

Some trivia to start with. Apparently the 4AGE engine bears more than a passing resemblance to the BDA and apparently is classic example of 'Japanese copy but done better'.

They did make a helluva racket though didn't they... gotta have been one of the loudest touring cars ever.

[KA]

There were certainly enough of them to talk about- there always seemed to be hordes of them in the ETCC....

Just looked back through some of my old notes of BTCC results so I'll kick things off with a rough rundown on the BTCC cars.....

The CHMS/Toyota GB programme started in 86 and delivered two BTCC championships- initially a single car programme for Hodgetts (the white car) later joined by a second (red) Demon Tweeks-backed car for Alan Minshaw. CHMS also did selected ETCC rounds and most of the WTCC in '87 with Andrew Bagnall sharing the car- Gulliver's Travel (Bagnall's company?) were a sponsor for most of the overseas adventures.

All sorts of other people appeared in CHMS cars often in one-off drives- Barry Sheene, Patrick Watts, Alex Moss, Will Hoy, Mark Hales, Tony Dron, Chuck Nicholson Colin Pearcy etc....I don't think anyone ever handled one in quite the extrovert manner Hodgetts did though....

Apart from the Hodgetts cars the main Corolla campiagners in the BTCC tended to be Geoff Kimber-Smith and Tony Crudgington. MIL Motorsport also had one which occasionally appeared alongside their Supras in 1988

GK-S's car was entered under the AGK Motorsport banner (later 'Five Star Racing or something like that) and made a few ETCC appearances as well- a certain Mr Marshall had a couple of outings in the car as I recall?

Other Kimber-Smith co-drivers included Crudgington, Barbara Cowell, and Bob Holden in the Spa 24 hours- was that with GK-S's regular car, or did Holden ship one of his over from Australia? (didn't Holden make a couple of Spa appearances around 1986-8 or so?)

Crudgington's car was usually sponsored by Clausthaler, which was an alcohol-free lager (I've got a vague memory that he ran a pub?). I think he occasionally shared the Kimber-Smith car in the 1-hour BTCC races and some ETCC appearances.

The fwd version of the Corolla appeared in '87 initially in a programme of selected races for TOM'S GB with Phil Dowsett and Tiff Needell behind the wheel- think we've been through some of the history of the TOM'S car before on here- believe it's now in Australia?

There were a couple of other Corollas around 1988/9 for Les Liddiard and Tony Dolley- I think these were the fwd variety like the TOM'S/Dowsett car- Can anyone confirm that, or even better have pics? (don't think I ever saw either of these at the time)

Anyone got any pics? I might have some 1988 TT pics somewhere, plus maybe a few BTCC shots- I'll have a look

[Al Weyman]

Que Dennis Bassom! :-)

[racer69]

Originally Posted by KA

Other Kimber-Smith co-drivers included Crudgington, Barbara Cowell, and Bob Holden in the Spa 24 hours- was that with GK-S's regular car, or did Holden ship one of his over from Australia? (didn't Holden make a couple of Spa appearances around 1986-8 or so?)

Bob definatly shipped his car over at some point, perhaps 1987 & 1988 (he may have even campaigned at Spa in years afterwards). In 1986 though i think he drove Kimber-Smiths car, as it was plain white. Bob's cars always had red in the paintwork (going right back to his Group C Escorts from the early 80s)

[KA]

Originally Posted by racer69

Bob definatly shipped his car over at some point, perhaps 1987 & 1988 (he may have even campaigned at Spa in years afterwards). In 1986 though i think he drove Kimber-Smiths car, as it was plain white. Bob's cars always had red in the paintwork (going right back to his Group C Escorts from the early 80s)

A bit of a search came up with these pics, which fit your suggestion-
Definitely Holden's own Corolla at Spa in 1988- shared with Ray Gulson and Ray Lintott:
http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-07-31-133.jpg

looks like Kimber-Smith's regular 'AGK' car in 1986 with Bob Holden and Don Smith
http://members.tripod.com/motorsport...201986%20a.jpg
http://members.tripod.com/motorsport...1986%20Spa.jpg

[KA]

Another occasional BTCC Corolla I'd forgotten is the car that appeared on and off in 1985 for Swedish driver Stig Gruen.

I don't think he appeared in the BTCC after '85, but did turn up from time to time in the ETCC in 1988- Spa and the TT at least, with the car carrying Fina sponsorship- don't recall whether that was his own car, or as part of the Fina-backed Belgian team that contested the full season

[KA]

As there's now a Group A Corolla thread, I thought I'd rescue this from the archives- do we want to talk about both the rwd and fwd versions in the new thread?