Brabham BT21

[flightlessbird]

What model is the the Les Wright Buick powered Brabham used i Australian Historic racing?

[Bryan Miller]

Les Wright's car is the ex Malcolm Eaves English hillclimb car , BT21C-17 , after Eaves the car then went to Peter Boshier-Jones , Nigel Pow, John Harper , then came to Australia circa 1981, with the 5.0 litre Repco still fitted.
The car is now back in its 1st. form.with Buick/Rover eng.

[allenbrown]

Not sure where to put this BT21 news.

I asked Fred Ashplant about his 1968 St Jovite-winning BT21 and about his FB days and got this reply.

Hi Allen,
The car that I drove mostly in 1967/ 68 was a BT 21 and was the same car both years with some updates. I was under the impression that BT 21 and BT 21A were the same car as the BT 21B appeared in 1968 and was quite a bit better than the 21 or 21A. In 1969 I drove a BT 21B owned by Ed Leppla and was a Team Tecno driver with Skip Barber driving for Gene Mason out of Philadelphia. Following that I drove some early March cars out of Joe Grimaldi's "Race Shop" when he was the March importer headquartered in Midland Park, NJ.

Allen

[Bryan Miller]

Allen.

Can we have an expansion on the March cars, new for Fred , or ex. who , may assist in due course.

Bryan.

[allenbrown]

I found an entry in the 1970 lists (Edmonton and Road America):-

John Marshall (Sandusky, Ohio) - 1 race (R6 in "BT29", BT21C thereafter) - #37 Team Suzy, Sandusky, Ohio

Allen

[allenbrown]

Team Suzy in Sandusky would be Suzy Dietrich.

Allen

[Chris Townsend]

Allen

Fred Opert may have run a BT21 at R1 Riverside.

Chris

[Andrew Fellowes]

I am battling my way through 1969 A/S and thought the following worth repeating.

Sept 25th 1969. p.5

The Sports Motors-team Brabham F3 BT28 which Tim Schenken has been campaigning this year with a great deal of success, has been sold to am unknown driver in Casablanca. In its place Tim Schenken will be at the wheel of a new works development BT28 for this weekends Cadwell Park International.
The Sports Motors BT28, the first one built –its self started life as the BT21X, when it did not have the new type bodywork. It seems next years production F3 Brabhams will be a refined version of the existing BT28.

[Chris Townsend]

Like Andrew I've been battling through 1969 in both Autosport and Motoring News and have come up with the following:

The big issue, it seems to me is the delivery delays that Brabham had with the BT28. Get this from MN 20th Feb. Salvatore Genovese will prepare the first BT28 to arrive in Italy for Claudio Francisci. Now the first Italian delivery we know of is 22 which certainly has an Italian owner in 1970, but Francisci drives a BT21B all year!

[Bryan Miller]

Chris ,

Is BT21X = BT28-1 ????
If so to Berenger ??
Does this make the car I reported in Trinidad with Andrew Cheeks in 1972 , fitted with a twin-cam , BT28-23 , or did BT28-1 change hands again quickly and this is the Berenger car gone to Trinidad.????

Bryan.

[Bryan Miller]

Interestingly , I was just looking at an advert. M.R.E. inside front cover Autosport 27/1/1972.
For Sale .

1] BT21 rolling chassis.
2] BT21 F.Ford ex. Tony Hanson , fitted with BT28 bodywork.

The problem area always will be for us, the people in the U.K. who broke cars up as spares, and the other big problem is that some cars did , 1] not do much work, and 2] were used by non famous people , and/or in club events.

Breaking up of race cars over here virtually did not happen , as the cost with import duties of a new car was substantial , so the cars kept on being updated with bigger wheels , chassis stiffening , different eng. for a new formula etc. so the cars were in most cases still extant, where over your side of the pond , when it was a few years old , there was a fair chance that it was used a source of spares.

Regards Bryan.

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by Bryan Miller

Interestingly , I was just looking at an advert. M.R.E. inside front cover Autosport 27/1/1972.
For Sale .

1] BT21 rolling chassis.
2] BT21 F.Ford ex. Tony Hanson , fitted with BT28 bodywork.

The problem area always will be for us, the people in the U.K. who broke cars up as spares, and the other big problem is that some cars did , 1] not do much work, and 2] were used by non famous people , and/or in club events.

Breaking up of race cars over here virtually did not happen , as the cost with import duties of a new car was substantial , so the cars kept on being updated with bigger wheels , chassis stiffening , different eng. for a new formula etc. so the cars were in most cases still extant, where over your side of the pond , when it was a few years old , there was a fair chance that it was used a source of spares.

Regards Bryan.

While searching amongst old programmes for info on BT21s, I came across an entry in a F Ford race at Thruxton 22-8-71. The details, as printed were "Tonny Hansen Brabham BT21/35 blue/white". Seems to be one of the cars in the advert, but may be confusion over what to call the bodywork. It seems to have practised, but did not race.

[Len Marchant]

Hi I am new to this site and I bought this car in 1973, I am at the moment restoring it back to F.3. Specification as I ran it for many years as a F.F.1600.
I will post more informaion soon.

[Andrew Fellowes]

Thought I should give this a Bump!

I have been very busy the last month corresponding with a couple of great guys in South America. I am trying to get them to post to this thread as they have good collections of South American magazines from the 70's.

They have found a BT21 and in Uruguay a Lotus chassis that is now a Beach Buggy and a Ralt that is a coffee table! sad but at least they are not in a rubbish tip.

OK, so who is going to start the BT23's? I know zilch apart from owning BT23-1 in 1985, ex Sir Jack, Tommy Reid and still in the UK, -?

[allenbrown]

A quick scan of Spencer Elton index entries in Chris Mason's book tells me that Spencer had the ex-Williamson BT21C for the 1970 season and Tom the ex-Hawley/Fenwick BT18.

[Chris Townsend]

Arthur and John Ravenscroft in 1971 had the BT21A used in 1970 by Chris Court [this is all either MN or AS] 1968 this car was run by Mickels and 'ex Tony Griffiths'. In 1967 AS gives this as 21A-9.

Elton had at one point an ex Rollinson BT21B from 1968, which was ex Howlings [MN 26.3.70 p.19] and Norman Foulds in 1969. I have this as BT21B-28 though I don't know where that's from. The other option would be the 1968 car run by Dave Berry which Rollinson ran in 1969. I don't know if Elton actually ran this car, but it went to Gerry Wilkins for h/c in 1975
The Elton 21C is ex Nick Williamson, 21C-6, and goes to Peter Varley in 1971.
In 1974 Elton is selling a BT18 'ex Peter Deal/David Wray' so F2.21.66. Deal last appears in the car 1969, so don't know if Elton has it from then. The Hawley/Fenwick car is F2.8.66.
In 1969 Elton has ANOTHER BT18! This one is ex Peter Blankstone [1967] and Peter Lawson [1968] 1970 it goes to Rod Pickering [FL] [ex Lawson and Spencer Elton MN 26.3.70 p. 11] then 1971 Geoff & Tony Lambert [FL] [w/o Ingliston MN 10.6.71 p.19]

Any help?
Chris

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Chris Townsend

In 1974 Elton is selling a BT18 'ex Peter Deal/David Wray' so F2.21.66. Deal last appears in the car 1969, so don't know if Elton has it from then.

Peter Deal runs in libres at Llandow and Castle Combe in 1972, 1973 and 1974 in a twin-cam Brabham variously described as a BT21, BT21B, BT21D and BT21XD. But once in 1974 Autosport describe it in the text of the report as a BT18 and I wonder if it was his old BT18 updated.

Anyone have anything on this car? Ted - did you see it?

Allen

[Alan Brown]

Sorry, but I have very few observations on BT21s, particularly F3 ones.
However, I can offer a couple of comments on BT21B-28/Lotus twin cam hill climb car, which has been mentioned several times in its earlier days. In 1975 Gerry + Angel Wilkins had it and in 1980 Les Stone. I have Les Stone in a BT21B/Lotus twin cam in 1976 and 1978 so presumably it is the same car. He used it up to 1989 at least (more recent records, than that, are in another box).

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Alan Brown

I can offer a couple of comments on BT21B-28/Lotus twin cam hill climb car, which has been mentioned several times in its earlier days.

In 1975 Gerry + Angel Wilkins had it and in 1980 Les Stone. I have Les Stone in a BT21B/Lotus twin cam in 1976 and 1978 so presumably it is the same car. He used it up to 1989 at least (more recent records, than that, are in another box).

Could BT21B-28 be the car that is recorded in the British Sprint database as a BT21/30 which Spencer Elton drove in 1973?

[Wayne Mitchell]

Hi all 21 owners.
I need a BT21 header/exhaust system for a 21 with MAE engine at 30 degrees. There were 3 sytems in period. 4 into 2 into 1, 4 into 1 and "Up and over". I would like a "4 into 2 into one". Here is the deal.
Loan me one for a couple of weeks for trial fitting a car in restoration and we will digitize it and have continuously bent tubes made on a cnc bender.
I will then make the sets up with flanges etc weld and return your sample along with a new one. Collectors are not needed or included in the deal. If we can't find a 4 into 2 into 1, I may have to settle for a 4 into one. I will pay the UPS. Offer good within US and Canada or Other by arrangement.
We are doing about 4 or five sets initially and do not want made up from bends type systems. TDC or Mike the Pipe still around in UK? Any help respectfully accepted. Wayne Mitchell San Diego

[macbt21]

I think Hal's e-mail address is hajuro@yahoo.com. He also listed a website with photos. It was http://www.babiespage.com/BT21C-11/local%20Publish/index.html

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Chris Townsend

The Elton 21C is ex Nick Williamson, 21C-6, and goes to Peter Varley in 1971.

Just thought I'd nail this one as I was passing: MN 19 Aug 1971 p11 says of Elton "having sold his Brabham BT21C to ... Peter Varley".

[Steve Wilkinson]

The following is a list of Brabham BT21 drivers in the aforementioned championship:

1972
Ted Dzierzek in a BT21

1973
Peter Varley in a BT21C

1978
Olly Ross in a BT21C

1979
Ron Cumming in a BT??

1988/1989
Peter Speakman in a BT21C

[Chris Townsend]

This will probably instigate a full scale survey of pre BT28 Brabhams, but...
Can anyone help with the identity of this particular BT21

1967 Lythgoe for Alan Rollinson, then used by Dave Berry after Rollinson was injured at Ingliston [nearly typed Islington, it's hairy up the Essex Road...]
Probably delivered early season

1968 Goodwin Racing for Cyd Williams

1969 Intially retained by Goodwin then sold to John Buxton

Kept by Buxton to January 1972 when he has the car for sale in Autosport, then to Bob Howlings
Buxton ran it in F.Atlantic in 1971, hence my interest.

Chris

[David McKinney]

I have an ex-Rollinson B21 (the ex-Rollinson B21?) with Spencer Elton in 1972, then Gerry Wilkins 1975.
Cue Ted Walker?