Lotus Cortina question - can anyone help?

[Maisie]

Just read in Classic Motor Monthly magazine that the Oselli company are looking for a Lotus Cortina. Text as follows:

"Classic car specialist Oselli hope an ex-Sir John Whitmore racing Lotus Cortina could be a star at the company's 40th birthday celebrations - if it can be found.

Oselli is planning a Ruby Anniversary party at its headquarters in Witney, Oxfordshire, and directors David Eales and Fay Dolan are keen to have on display a representative selection of race and rally cars with which Oselli has been involved since being founded in 1962.

Fay has delved into the firm's archives and unearthed photographs of MGs and Aston Martins - two marques for which Oselli is famous - and Minis. Amongst these Fay also found a picture of a Ford Lotus Cortina captioned simply "Sir John Whitmore 1965"

The car is on an unidentified race track(TimD reckons Graham Hill bend at brands) and is in characteristic Sir John Whitmore pose, with the inside front wheel clear of the track and a dent on the driver's side where it has had an altercation with another competitor. The registration number is JTW (Sir John's initials?) 498C.

"Unlike most other photographs I have dug out, this one carries no indication of what Oselli's involvement was," said Fay. "Although an MG and Aston Martin specialist, the company certainly did prepare other makes for racing or rallying, and it would be no surprise if this car was one of them.

"I suspect there are many enthusiasts with a deep knowledge of saloon car racing who could immediately identify the track and probably the actual event in which Sir John was competing, but any Oselli involvement may be more difficult to confirm.

"And even if we did discover that we prepared the car, it may no longer be in existence."

Fay also invited the owners of race and rally cars which Oselli prepared to contact her. "Our space is rather limited, but we would love to have a truly representative selection on display. The company has a superb record in motor sport, and we would want our celebrations to reflect that."

She can be contacted on 01993 849610 or email david.eales@oselli.com

Can anyone help out?

[klaus]

If you are looking for the Alan Mann Cortina, which was raced by Whitmore, so I have heard, that it was, perhaps still is in Germany. Nevertheless most of the Lotus Cortinas are no true cars, because they were destroyed over the years, so standard Cortina shells were fitted with the old chassis plate, mostly the only original part, which is to find in these "original" saloon racers with "history".
Is that enough?

[Maisie]

It's a very good start - thank you!

[David McKinney]

In the 1980s Andy Dawson ran an Alan Mann liveried Lotus-Cortina in historic races with Sir John himself at the wheel. It was claimed to be an original Whitmore car but I doubt it was....
BTW, the Whitmore initials are JHD...

[TimD]

Yes, the "JTW" of the number plate is a standard Essex number, as befits a car that probably started its life in Boreham.

I think the ex-John Whitmore Cortina that found its way onto the historic race circuit was KPU392C, and having spent some of its life in Beaulieu, I reckon it was probably quite original.

[Vitesse]

There's a picture of Whitmore in KPU392C at Zandvoort in 1965 in Georgano, on page 458.

[KA]

Originally posted by TimD
Yes, the "JTW" of the number plate is a standard Essex number, as befits a car that probably started its life in Boreham.

I think the ex-John Whitmore Cortina that found its way onto the historic race circuit was KPU392C, and having spent some of its life in Beaulieu, I reckon it was probably quite original.

'KPU' was Whitmore's 1965 ETC winning car, although I've got a feeling that I've read somewhere that the car that has been raced in historics isn't the original car (which is still around- Sir John bought it from Ford, but it's apparently now in the USA) but a replica built for historic racing

http://www.pixelmatic.com.au/cortina...s/whitmore.htm

[zefarelly]

there was a works car at Goodwood 2 years ago, which was a replica of the original, I cant believe anyone would still be racing a completely original race car, the chances of survival are very slim. . . .there are quite a few replicas around though! none of the Wilment GT's exist, none of the works rally cars either as far as I know, most of them had dead shells by the end of 1 rally! so a good replica is unfortunately as good as your going to get. . . . .Andy Middlehurst is , I think, the guy with an original works car and a collection of some substance.

[KA]

Originally posted by zefarelly
Andy Middlehurst is , I think, the guy with an original works car and a collection of some substance.

I won't swear to this, but I think I remember Middlehurst racing his works car (I believe it's ex-Team Lotus rather than Willment or Mann- pretty certain it has the classic white-with-green stripe livery) at the first Goodwood Revival at least.....

[zefarelly]

it was a works, not a Mann or Willment . . . .I was led to believe it was a replica, he wouldnt race the original