Don Moore, Cambridge

[Gnuvolari]

OK, here goes, 1st posting.....

Don Moore was a talented engine builder/tuner who died about 10 years ago. He had a workshop at Cambridge Place, Cambridge. Engines built by him won something like 2,000 races during his career from c. 1946-1975. He built Lister-Jag. Works + privateer engines, (including Archie S-B's) + a wide range of other race cars, particulary Minis - for people like Christabel Carlyle, Mike Campbell-Cole, etc.

He got noticed in the immediate post-war years following success competing with a lightened and modified P-type MG. the car was broken up late 50's. I am involved in a reconstruction of that car using original body and a few small pieces of the original car. Thanks to Brian Lister, I think I now have just about every photo taken of that car when it was competing, but, sadly, none showing the dash or engine bay. Can anybody help?

Any memories of Don? Or, the MG?

[Andrew Kitson]

Welcome to the forum GNuvolari
My father knew Don fairly well as he was a race mechanic in the 60s and had engines tuned by Don from time to time. Unfortunately he is no longer with us to ask for memories of Don.

One story I did hear of though was regarding Archie and the local circuit Snetterton. We all know the stretch of the A11 through the forest at Elveden. There is a long straight past by the war memorial and it is said that Archie would be doing 150mph as he would drive the Lister to the circuit from the Cambridge workshops - in the pre-speed limit days of course!
That road is constantly choked with traffic these days and a bit hard to imagine.

[Gnuvolari]

Hi Andrew. I see we both live in Cambridge. I think I may have some very early Snetterton pics in with all these of Don's MG. Unfortunately, my scanner's u/s at the minute. The Snetterton thread caught my eye. I have got a brilliant Autosport clipping of Dons MG at Snetters in mid-1950's, with all 4 wheels off the ground!! A bit like John Cobb at Brooklands minus about 23 litres.

[Automobilia]

Hi GNuvolari
Andrew Kitson told me you were looking for info on Don Moore. my memories are from the 60's when I went to work for him in Cambridge Place, imagine as a 16 year old motor sport mad lad arriving there and the first car you see is a racing Ferrari 250GTO !.
I only got the job because my father knew Don.
His first words to me were if you havn't got a passport you have bloody well better get one.. we are off to Monza next week!.
Great times, we travel all over Europe that year doing the European Saloon Car Championship with 1000 & 1275 Minis.
later Don built engines for my first Formula Ford and later Formula Atlantic.I knew Mike Cambell Cole as we both worked at Don's at the same time.
I used to visit Don & Babs quite often in the years before he died, just sitting listerning to all his storys from the 50's and 60's.
Unfortunatly I do not have much to add re the MG but do have some of the early programmes of the events he was in, and he gave me some of the trophies he won with the car. Let me know if you would like copies.

[Andrew Kitson]

Well done Steve, welcome!
BTW, anyone reading this interested in rare motorsport items - lots of interesting memoribilia on Automobilia's website!

[Gnuvolari]

Nice one, Steve. Thanks a million for the response. Copies of programmes showing the MG as an entry would be of real interest. I'm trying to find out if he ever ran it at Goodwood. I know it ran at Silverstone, Snetterton and Prescott (where he flipped it over and permanently messed up his shoulder - the bodywork is still stoved in on that side!)

We might have met many years ago - I remember attending an Oulton Park meeting (I'd have been about 10 years old) with Don & entourage when Christabel and Mike C_C were both running Mini's. I recall sitting on the steps up to the press box looking out over the cicuit. I'd been there some while when a voice said 'excuse me'. I looked up to see Stirling Moss! (This was not long after his major accident at Goodwood). Meantime, here's a pic of the man + MG.

[Gnuvolari]

Here's the pic I failed to include in my earlier posting. It's taken outside the Cambridge Place workshop circa 1955.

[hodsonaj]

Gnuvolari
I assume you have read 'Archie and the Listers' by Robert Edwards. It is full of good stuff.
If you have not read it you are welcome to borrow my copy. I am not too far from Cambridge myself
Tony Hodson

[Gnuvolari]

Tony

Thanks for that. Yes, I have read the book. It is a fantastic book and really quite moving in parts. I read it, cover to cover, on a beach in Barbados!

[hodsonaj]

Hmmm I had to make do with my front room and a gas fire!
Best of luck with the recreation
Tony

[petestenning]

I am sure i will be corrected if i am wrong, but i think at Snetterton on one occasion, i saw Hannu Mikkola the rally driver in a mk1 Ford Escort,
white, In colour entered by Don Moore?
This was on the original circuit with the Norwich straight in use.

[Gnuvolari]

That may well be correct. I know he did a lot of work on Ford engines (BDA?), I believe for the Works. I am presently trying to contact other people I know who worked with Don or drove for him. If I succeed, I will direct them to this thread.

[Automobilia]

Don did build many engines for Ford and entered all the works drivers in his cars from time to time. It was the same in the 60's when he was under contract to BMC when all their top rally drivers drove for him. I have hair raising memories of being driven from Cambridge to Snetterton in one of Don's Minis by Timo Makinen!

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally posted by petestenning
I am sure i will be corrected if i am wrong, but i think at Snetterton on one occasion, i saw Hannu Mikkola the rally driver in a mk1 Ford Escort,
white, In colour entered by Don Moore?
This was on the original circuit with the Norwich straight in use.

I think that was 1968, a race he won. I have a photo clipped from Autosport at the time. White with matt black bonnet.

[petestenning]

That sounds right to me, he did win if i remember
correctly and the year would be 1968, Rally drivers have a style of their own.

[flatfour]

Originally Posted by Gnuvolari

OK, here goes, 1st posting.....

Don Moore was a talented engine builder/tuner who died about 10 years ago. He had a workshop at Cambridge Place, Cambridge. Engines built by him won something like 2,000 races during his career from c. 1946-1975. He built Lister-Jag. Works + privateer engines, (including Archie S-B's) + a wide range of other race cars, particulary Minis - for people like Christabel Carlyle, Mike Campbell-Cole, etc.

He got noticed in the immediate post-war years following success competing with a lightened and modified P-type MG. the car was broken up late 50's. I am involved in a reconstruction of that car using original body and a few small pieces of the original car. Thanks to Brian Lister, I think I now have just about every photo taken of that car when it was competing, but, sadly, none showing the dash or engine bay. Can anybody help?

Any memories of Don? Or, the MG?

I knew Don well and of course Babs. He prepared two record breakers for us, a 105E Anglia and a Corsair GT. I am currently looking foa photo of Don to put in a private book - preferably one of him smoking a cheroot. He always had one with him. Can you help or kindly let me know where I might find such a photo.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by petestenning

That sounds right to me, he did win if i remember
correctly and the year would be 1968, Rally drivers have a style of their own.

He also won a race at Rufforth in an Escort but I seem to think it was a bit later than 1968. Something to do with a licence for the Tour of Britain and I think BVRT were involved.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by morninggents

He also won a race at Rufforth in an Escort but I seem to think it was a bit later than 1968. Something to do with a licence for the Tour of Britain and I think BVRT were involved.

Hannu Mikkola did indeed drive a plain white Don Moore-entered Escort Twin-Cam at Snetterton. The event was a round of the Redex Gold Cross Championship on 21 Sept 1969. I don't have the results to hand but there was a pretty impressive entry with many of the leading lights of the day. I've a feeling the purpose was part of preparations for World Cup Marathon or whatever was looming up.

By coincidence the meeting happened to be the Archie Scott Brown Trophy, run for Historics that year.

[apriliadriver]

Returning to GNuvolari's original posting 9 years ago .... I recall Barry Gillies of Reading trying to sell what he called an MG Q-type s/seater racer, back in the late-Eighties, the basis of which was said to be Don Moore's P-type racer.

Barry was more of a Riley specialist and so I cannot be sure he knew what he was talking about ... the car in question certainly had so many modern bits on it that it would not have been awarded a VSCC buff form as it stood and I lost interest. Q-types sold for more than P-types so Barry was happy, but actually it had ended up being neither.

How is the project going, GN ?
Nick S.

[Greg Cozier]

One of the six 1968/69 AMR Escorts XOO 347F ended up with DM as a test mule for the BDA alloy block at 2060cc. It was raced by Gillian Fortesque-Thomas in 1972 in Shell colours.

[jamesholland]

Originally Posted by apriliadriver

Returning to GNuvolari's original posting 9 years ago .... How is the project going, GN ?
Nick S.

Havn't we seen the finished car for sale recently?
I think I saw it in the VSCC Newsletter a month or two ago