Special Saloons - the early cars (1965 - 1975ish!)

[Andrew Kitson]

Hi Mickj - This one was 2 litre and very quick! Brodie's 'Run Baby Run' should also be added to the list of great Mk 1s.

[Dan Rear]

Brilliant pictures, so many memories. I always remember Mallory in the 70s, when they had an Under 1000cc race early in the programme (Minis/Imps/odd Anglia), then the big boys came out usually last. Sugden, Whiting, Bill Cox, Strawson, Mick Hill, Minshaw, Graham Goode, Woodman, plus occasionally some real weird stuff, like the Berpop, John Pope magnum/Aston, I could go on. It was usually the quick 2-litres that won, though, I always thought the bigger the engines, the less reliable they were.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
David Howes' Javelin.

Praise God, I saw a picture of a UK Javelin in the Autosport ann. edition and inquired in every UK site I could think of back then, and now here it is by chance.
Do you have anymore information on it? Especially, what happened to it.
Bob

[glyn parham]

Bob, I remember watching David race the car in 1972 and'73 in the BTCC. IIRC the car was painted white in '72 and in Trans Am colours (red, white and blue) in '73.
I am sure David raced this car for another couple of seasons before moving onto other things. Also I think david was an importer of AMC cars at this time.

[davemorganfan]

Dave Brodie's famous racing Escort from the early 70s. Can anyone remind me what engine was in that car - an FVA, or was it just a humble Twin Cam?

He also gave that monicker to his Modsports Elan at about the same time. I remember that car well - it was the ex-Jeff Goodliffe hillclimber, and remarkable for the fact that it had the standard Elan interior, with full carpets and walnut dashboard. I think it also had front suspension lifted from an F3 car, or am I dreaming?

[Peter Mallett]

He also had a black Capri with the same name.

[Andrew Kitson]

A quick scout through some 1971 race progs, I have Dave's Run Baby Run listed as with a 1998cc motor early in the season ( Twin Cam?) and later in the year with a 2150cc BDA.

[Seaman]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
Can't remember who drove this Capri.

According to the race programme, the driver is Jeff Ward.

[Dan Rear]

Tony's Brook Hire Escort was brill, always turned up when entered, unlike many other Special Saloons of the time, the Corvair as mentioned above especially. I recall it had a BDE, so not quite as quick as the Whiting car, nor the bigger engined Capris etc of the mid-70s, but well ahead of the 1300 Minis/Escorts of the time, which not all 'over 1300' class were. Anyone remember Paul Storr's Escort for example, or the Popemobile Magnum, these usually struggled to stay ahead of the 1-litres !

On the subject of Tony, 2 other points : first I wonder what happened to his team-mate Dave Millington in a fast Brook Hire Firenza, which usually raced in the Northwest; second, surely Tony is due an OBE or such, for long service to British Club Racing, and 30 years or so of entertaining the public ??

[Speedy norm]

You could almost start a "where are they now section."
Colin Hawkers Capri DFV was sold as rolling chassis to Doug Niven '75.
He used the engine and box from his written off Boss escort
Later bought Nick Whitings Kent Messenger 2litre escort before moving onto the Beetle.
Whitings 3.4 GA escort went to Scotland?
But where are they all now?
I said in an earlier post that this branch of motor sport was lost forever but this may not be the case as some are being re-born
I will keep watching this space for news of a revival race for them!

[stuartscott]

I have just found a Mallory Park program (15p)June 1973 with the likes of Bill Cox WRC Capri Chevrolet 5700, Dennis Nott Chevrolet Escort 5700 and Mike Berman Ford Berpop 3654. Where are these cars now? Brings back memories of being a child and first getting into racing.

[hodsonaj]

Could some kind soul remind me what the Berpop was? I can remember reading about it and I know it fired the imagination, but I cannot now recall details.
Many thanks
Tony Hodson (memory fading with old age!)

[Junior Senior]

Ford Popular, driven by Mike Berman, hence "Berpop".

[Andrew Kitson]

Here is a photo of the Berpop from a previous thread
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...005#post338005

[mid life crisis]

I've been scanning slides from my Dad's loft and came across this one of Tony Strawson's Capri - this picture was taken in May 1974 at Silverstone the year that he won the Esso Uniflow Special Saloon Car Championship - he was in the 'over 1300 Class' and the car is listed at this point as having a 4700cc engine - we attended the October Finals to see him take the Championship - I think also looking at the programmes I have here that he was pipped to the post by John Harper (Jag XK120?) that year for the 'Silverstone Driver of the Year Award' - it certainly brings back lots of memories for me looking at the images contained in these pages - I was only 9 in 1974 but I still have a love for 'Capris' and I now own a Mk1 that I have spent 2 years restoring...

[mickj]

Was this the Colin Hawker Capri, sponsored by Tolemans??

[mickj]

Did Tony Strawson race a Chev Corvair V8 'Superloon'.

[petestenning]

The Chevy corvair was driven by Ian Richardson,
but not sure where it went from there, if indeed anyone else ever raced it.

[Jeremy Jackson]

Tony Strawson drove the Corvair after Richardson sold it (While owned by Gerry Marshall, I think?).

By 1980, DB Motors had the car, and Terry Stone drove it, by which time the Can-Am engine had been replaced by a 5-litre Chevy.

[Speedy norm]

Anything to keep this thread alive I just love supersaloons!
The above picture is, I believe the ex Mick Hill capri and not Colin Hawkers which was sold as rolling chassis to Doug Niven when he wrote off the Boss escort at Ingliston.
I last saw the Corvair at Mallory in 1979 in Tony Strawsons hands but owned by Gerry Marshall as someone above pointed out. Anyone know if it still exists?

[mid life crisis]

This is me at Castle Combe - not sure what the year was ('73?) but I seem to remember that it was a special 'Ford' day - love that pink shirt...

[Andrew Kitson]

The Hill/Niven Boss Capri was sold by Doug to Nicholas Wattiez in early '76. (Nick had raced in F5000 in '74 with the ex-Guy Edwards Barclays Lola T330).
He only did two meetings with it - three laps in practice at Mallory before stub axle failure, despite ignoring Doug's advice that they should be 'beefed up' before the car was raced again, and Snetterton, blowing the engine.The car was white and blue when Nick got it, the blue replaced with red in time for Snetterton. Doug came to retrieve the car and spares shortly after Snett as Nick's cheque wouldn't clear the bank. Nick ended up in jail in '77 for several charges of fraud connected with his antiques business. My father spannered for Nick on the Capri on a voluntary basis and looked after the car for him, also having to face the embarrassment of Niven arriving to take his property, unaware of any dealings that had gone on.The whereabouts of the Capri after Doug came to get it,unknown.

[Dan Rear]

Peter, I saw it win at Mallory in June 1970. Entered by "WJ Shaw" driven by Roy Pierpoint. Apparently it had a 4500cc motor, and won from Mick Hill's 3.8 'Janglia', Pat Mannion's 1.7 Escort, Gordon Line's 1.3 Mini, Frank Didsbury's 1.6 Anglia, and RA Bushells 1.6 Escort. Great days indeed !!!

[rbs]

This car was built by 2 ex Alan Mann Racing mechanics. I forget their names. It was built for Bill Shaw Racing and fitted with a 360+ BHP engine that was out of John Coundley's Mclaren Oldsmobile. 4303cc of Traco power.The problem at Mallory Park was the standard Rover 2000 gearbox which was replaced eventually with an American sourced gearbox.
The car was sold to Alec Poole and raced mainly in Ireland.

Rover also built a car for the Marathon de la Route at Nurburgring,Roy Pierpoint, Clive Baker and Roger Enever driving. The car led at the start of the race and held a lead of 3 laps at one point. I do not remember the rest of the story.

[rbs]

The engine in the car was built by Mathwall Engineering when RP drove the car.