Unipower GT

[Surf 1275]

Despite only around 75 Unipower GTs having been produced between 1965 and 1970 there were a number of cars built to race. The first was the 1967 Racing Car Show example in white which was displayed as the first competition version with Stirling Moss, complete with a Downton tuned 1275 Cooper S engine at the show. The car is owned by me, is chassis number 9 and was built at Perivale December 1966, was subsequently bought by Jan Odor a couple of months later and entered in Special GT races for Geoff Mabbs to the end of the 1967 season. This also included an appearance at the first Spanish GP at Jarama where this little car finished 6th. In August 1967 a smaller 1071 Cooper S based engine was fitted to bring the car under the 1150 class limit and the car repainted red to match Janspeed's works colours.
Brian Harvey of Cars and Car Conversions bought the car to hillclimb and sprint in early '68 with the magazine's sponsorship and coverage. Harvey sold the car to new Unipower GT factory boss Piers Forester in late May '68 and was sold on again to Graham Goodman and Gideon Lloyd in June 68 who raced the car together until the end of the season at Brands, Snetterton etc, their last race being Oulton in November.

John Jeremy Miles also raced a very similar 1143cc car from late May '67 until the end of that season, the car being yellow with a central green stripe , owned and entered by Em Newman, engine by Gordon Allen. That car was also bought by piers Forrester in early 1968, going on to race the car in this year.

Other race cars include another early one raced at Warwick Farm in the U.S in July '69 by Peter Harrison and Bob Barell, two cars taken to Le Mans in 1969 by Forrester, failed to qualify, cars also entered at the Targa Florio, Nuburgring and Mugello , Unipower GT racers included Tom Zettinger, Stanley Robinson, John Blanckley,Ian Strang ,Gerry Hulford etc.