All of the surviving Super Saloons in one place.. Mission Impossible?

[HoTWire]

Hey Folks,

The eagle eyed amoung you may well have noticed earlier in the year I vowed to get all the surviving super saloons in one place, ie The Retro Rides Gathering 2010. We now have a confirmed date and location : Sunday 8th August 2010 at Haynes Motor Museum, Sparkford.

Without the motorsports calendar for next year being finalised it is difficult to say what we may clash with, so I'm hoping it isn't something that will take a bunch of cars away.

I know there is a LONG way to go, but I'm hoping with some support, a bit of community help and a lot of hard work on our part we can get this to happen.

I'm putting together a list of cars that I've been told are out there, but I suspect it is woefully inadequate, so I'm turning to you good people. I know the where abouts of the 'famous' cars, Mick Hill's Beetle, the Minshaw Daf, Gerry Marshall's old cars, what else is lurking out there?

[John Turner]

This is a topic that gets visited frequently in our Motorsport History forum but for a list of cars to give an idea of what and how many were around in period, you might want to have a look at this in the chassis archive:-

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=112642

[HoTWire]

I've been running through that, found a few links to cars that have been found or are still running, which has been a help. It is amazing how many cars were around in period, I'm wondering what percentage survived!? I'm expecting at most 50 cars are still around in one piece. Perhaps a handful will be out of reasonable use, shipped over seas or still in pieces.

I spoke to Gregor who seems to have a handle on most of the surviving Vauxhauls and a few others. I'll attempt to get a list together of the survivors I'm aware of, maybe that is a good start and people with a bit more intimate knowledge can extend the list.

I'm aware a few attempts have been made to get them out and racing again, I'm hoping a more modest attempt to get them in one place and on show will work out, maybe leading to more....?

[John Turner]

Getting as many together in one place is certainly a starting point. Good luck.

[HoTWire]

Here is what I know as of now :

Gregor Marshall - Old Nail
Jow Ward - Baby Bertha
Alan Minshaw (Swear it was with someone else now) - Daf
Tony Hazelwood - Daf ( ^^^ my history is rusty are these two the same car)
Gabriel Konig - Viva
Tony Davies - Transpeed Firenza
?? - Bill Dryden's Firenza (shell alive?? Engine suspension now in Bob Claxton's S110r)
John Pope - Aston Engined Magnum
Mike Newman - Firenza (possibly not displayable)
ppreciousmoggie - Mike Bennion Morris V8
??(out at Goodwood) - Mick Hill's Beetle
??(Being built) - Mega Bertha
David Howes - AMC Javelin


I'm aware a number of cars got parted out, but considering the size of the fields that ran I'd be suprised if so few made it through alive...


From Thundersaloon era I know that a more are still alive,.. but with the super saloon stuff it all gets a bit complicated which is and which isn't a super saloon, so I'm happy to include thunder saloons for interest (it is where my love of these cars started ).

[driftwood]

there where half a dozen Capris built
1 Mick Hill 1970 Lola T70 parts fitted
I think he built another later
2 Colin Hawkers DFV car then to Doug Niven with Boss motor then to Gary Charlwood Jag V12 then dissappeared circa 81 ish
3 Tony Strawson Capri which i think went to Martin Birrane/Tony Rosen
maybe later to George "Welly " Potter but maybe this was a Mick Hill car

then there are a few Escorts mainly Mk1 steel shell 2 litre cars
plus 2 John Robinson built Mk2 space frames 1 2litre walter robertson other 3.4 Gaa for Nick Whiting then to John Kirk in scotland

[Dan Rear]

Strawson car was a Hill one, Drifty, don't forget the Brodie 3.4GA one, that went to Olding/MacMillan after. A chap called Ray Williams had one up north too, so thats at least 5. Others probably aswell in the early/mid 70s

[driftwood]

forgot the Brodie car DOH!!
I think the late Bernie Harris had the car in the mid 80`s with Gaa fitted

i think Olding Mcmillan publishing had the ex Birrane car i have read that in 77ish AS mag and made notes will investigate tonight and keep Pie ingredients closeby just in case

[big andy]

thers non of the capris and may be 1 or 2 escorts left from the original super saloons theres still lots of the later special saloons knocking about were still trying to get them together for a one of race next year when i looked in to it early this year with just a few phone calls i mamaged to get 16/17 cars confirmed

sc100 3
imps 2
escorts 1
daf 1
firenza 3
beetle 1
mini 2
metro 2
kitten 1
skoda 2
fiat 1
toyota 1

[col rooney]

Hi Andy when you say super saloons are we talking cars with big engines or are you say on about modified saloons and spaceframe cars from the wendy wools series ,if were talking mod saloons i would bring my car

cheers col

[big andy]

col one of the imps above is your car remeber speaking to me. special saloons cover every thing from steel bodies modifeid saloons the early cars upto 1973ish to sports racing cars with saloon bodies 1978 to the last series (wendywools)1993

[Alan Raine]

Is the Ian Richardson built Chevy Corvair still around.

I think Gerry Marshall and Tony Strawson owned at one time.

A beautiful looking car

[driftwood]

yes they did
last person was martin at DB motors
someone mumbled on another thread about present status

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by driftwood

yes they did
last person was martin at DB motors
someone mumbled on another thread about present status

I believe it's been reconverted to the McLaren it started out as.

[driftwood]

you mean robbed of its suspension but the shell must be up on blocks in a shed so easy to rebuild with modern F3000 type running gear?

[HoTWire]

Originally Posted by morninggents

I believe it's been reconverted to the McLaren it started out as.

I understand that was the fate of a number of the silhouette cars.

Big Andy, it looks like I'll have to drop you a line as you've clearly been through some of this before!


Any more that are known to be alive? It looks like at best there are about 20-25 cars at the moment.

[driftwood]

any car that was built using F1 f2 F5000 type corners engine gearbox will have been stripped down and those parts returned to the original chassis
same thing for Gp 6 lola chevron cars with skoda bodies or centre seater F2 cars with GT bodies fitted

[HoTWire]

Which eliminates a lot of the more famous cars from the era I guess.


Whilst doing some research I've just spotted a picture of a Red Jaguar running in Super Saloons, not seen it referenced before, anyone know any more about it?

[driftwood]

what type of jag Mk2? there where 2 or 3 running in the 70`s and i fear all where red
1 was over in the wales area maybe John Morgan?
John Colburn had 1 in Brighton i think he bought it from the welsh area
there was a car up north

Tony Hazelwoood had the XJ6 and Mick Hill had it off of him

[HoTWire]

This one : http://www.flickr.com/photos/gloster...7601336014882/

How long ago where the trades made? I'm guessing that isn't recent history?

[big andy]

tony hazrlwoods xj8 this car is still about it was offered at auction a few years back the owner was wanting £15000 as a roller

[big andy]

hotwire this is my sc100 based on a march f3 car

[driftwood]

the Jag wa smid 1970`s
when the car was in auction in 02? it was a shell with std running gear as the Can am stuff was off and sold to a real car owner and what was left was 1500 quids worth not grands worth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[haggispeed]

David Enderby's Karmann Ghia special saloon is still owned by him, hasn't been out in years. Ben Bowlby's original SC100 is still racing, saw it at Oulton in the Northern Sports & Saloons formula last week, the Fiat 500 of Peter Day (I think) is also around and still sprinting up north, no longer has the 2 cylinder split block engine though, not sure what it's running now.

[Clive Brown]

So the rumours of your death were greatly exaggerated, then?

Just pay the money, and I'll keep schtum about your career as a Renault 5 racer....

Regards

Clive