Group A MG Metro Turbos - Where are they now?

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

Hi Gregor,

Was Roger forthcoming with any information then, or didn't you get the opportunity to ask him any questions?

Unfortunately Roger was not forthcoming with his time, probably due to the fact it p'd it down yesterday!!
I will try again though, so watch this space!!

[MG Rover Sport]

Thanks Gregor. I'd assumed as much anyway, as I'm sure you'd have been the first to divuldge any facts had you discovered anything of relevance. As and when you can then.

[chrisgram]

I'm sure we have one of these pocket rokets in New Zealand. I have seen it racing at our local Ruapuna Park. I haven't read the thread but has this been mentioned somewhere before.

[Herbert]

A few things about the "German" Metro. In 1984 it was run by Dowson and sponsored by Massa/Real, a German supermarket chain which also sponsored the ATN-Rover Vitesse in 1985. Anhalt also drove the car at both Zolder races and the season finale at the Nuburgring, but DNS. I have access to a picture of the car from Zolder. It still in the same blue-white colours as with Hahne.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Herbert

A few things about the "German" Metro. In 1984 it was run by Dowson and sponsored by Massa/Real, a German supermarket chain which also sponsored the ATN-Rover Vitesse in 1985. Anhalt also drove the car at both Zolder races and the season finale at the Nuburgring, but DNS. I have access to a picture of the car from Zolder. It still in the same blue-white colours as with Hahne.

Hadn't realised Massa Real had sponsored the ATN-Rovers as well- I think I've only ever seen pics in 1984 'Sinziger' colours or 1986 'Toshiba'

[KA]

Just resurrecting this thread after tripping over a couple of Metro Turbo pics on Flickr- Oulto Park 1984

In the paddock shot, the white car next to the #35 Computervision car-is that the Paul Taft 'Klaxon' car by any chance...?

http://flickr.com/photos/16788879@N0...7611422894664/

http://flickr.com/photos/16788879@N0...7611422894664/

[KA]

oops- double post....

[MG Rover Sport]

It is indeed Paul Taft's Klaxon / Neiman entry KA, and that's the No 35 sister car just behind the Computervision car as well.

[northington]

One of the original works Group A MG Metro Turbo's (car #34) was purchased from Roger Dawson, imported into the US in 1984 and campaigned in the IMSA series as a GTU contender for 3 years.

The car is still in Atlanta GA currently undergoing full restoration for Historic racing, and was purchased with 10 BBS center lock wheels and 4 fresh Howley racing Group A power units.

Howley Dyno sheets put the horsepower at 201 hp.

[northington]

Here's a photo of the US MG Metro Turbo Group A at Road Atlanta 1985

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...994/Metro1.jpg

[chunterer]

Crikey, #34 was the Patrick Watts Turbo IIRC!! That's a very international motor car then!!

The car must've been bought towards the end of the '84 season as i'm sure it ran at the Tourist Trophy?

[Jesper OH]

Originally Posted by northington

One of the original works Group A MG Metro Turbo's (car #34) was purchased from Roger Dawson, imported into the US in 1984 and campaigned in the IMSA series as a GTU contender for 3 years.

The car is still in Atlanta GA currently undergoing full restoration for Historic racing, and was purchased with 10 BBS center lock wheels and 4 fresh Howley racing Group A power units.

Howley Dyno sheets put the horsepower at 201 hp.

Didn't realise that IMSA allowed turbos in GTU, but thinking a little harder there was the case of the mid engined Renault Le Car (5) Turbo in about 1982.

I have found it at the 1987 West Palm Beach round 8 of the championship, but thats the only result it seems to have posted!?
http://wsrp.ic.cz/imsa1987.html
Still a bit of exiting motor sport history ucovered, I'd say!

Doing a write up of the 1987 British Touring Car Championship I'd like to see a picture of Colin Pearcy's Metro, if that is possible.

Jesper

[northington]

If I remember correctly, the car was purchased right after the pull out of AR from the BTCC. We were offered two cars but this one had more spares. The car came with 2 power units and we had Howley provide the rebuilds and purchased 2 additional units.

Jack Knight produced additional final drive ratios as the "standing start" ratios didn't work here.

As time went on we had Richard Longman produce 2 additional engines and they were the quickest by far. Richard actually visited Atlanta and helped "sort the car for use at US tracks. He was scheduled to drive the car at one of the Miami events when a mix up of documentation kept the car from racing.

The car ran the West Beach, and Miami events as well as a number of Atlanta and VIR races, and was retired after IMSA banned turbocharging in GTU, '88 I believe.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by northington

If I remember correctly, the car was purchased right after the pull out of AR from the BTCC. We were offered two cars but this one had more spares. The car came with 2 power units and we had Howley provide the rebuilds and purchased 2 additional units.

Interesting. Having just checked the Archive, it appears that there is mystery surrounding chassis MT 004 as yet unverified.

Also whilst 2 new cars were built for the '84 BTCC, chassis 006 was the Watts #34 car which was also apparently entered at the '84 TT along with 005.

I'm wondering if 'your' car was actually Watts' '83 chassis; 002? It started out as a 1300 but was upgraded to Turbo spec mid season so that may account for the shed load of spares?

Some more investigation required to solve this American car's chassis id!!

[KA]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

Doing a write up of the 1987 British Touring Car Championship I'd like to see a picture of Colin Pearcy's Metro, if that is possible.

Jesper

I might have a pic of the Pearcy Metro at Donington in '87- think that was the only time I saw it. The pic is likely to be pretty awful though (think it's lurking in the background of a pic of another car...), even if I can find it! I'll see what I can dig up

From memory, it was still in 'works' cololurs, complete with Computervision signwriting and logos

[northington]

It was my understanding not all the cars were constructed for long distance?
Does anyone know which cars were built with air jacks and dry break fueling systems?

[MG Rover Sport]

What a fantastic revelation you have made here 'northington'! Absolutely awesome to hear that one of the cars was exported to the States all those years ago, certainly the first I had ever heard anything about this! Top man for speaking up!

We'll certainly have to Google 'John Brichetto' to see what else can be unearthed.

I am pretty sure that ALL of the cars built had airjacks fitted for both the British and European races, although I'm not sure about the fuel systems. Are the latter identifiable from the exterior by the twin fuel fillers fitted on the rear wings?

[northington]

I am John H. Brichetto

[northington]

When we were offered our choice of the cars, one car was equipped with air jacks and one "did not" have air jacks. We were told the car without air jacks was a light weight "sprint" car for less than 45 minutes duration?

[KA]

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

What a fantastic revelation you have made here 'northington'! Absolutely awesome to hear that one of the cars was exported to the States all those years ago, certainly the first I had ever heard anything about this! Top man for speaking up!

We'll certainly have to Google 'John Brichetto' to see what else can be unearthed.

I am pretty sure that ALL of the cars built had airjacks fitted for both the British and European races, although I'm not sure about the fuel systems. Are the latter identifiable from the exterior by the twin fuel fillers fitted on the rear wings?

I'm guessing that's the case, comparing BTCC pics
http://flickr.com/photos/16788879@N0...7611422894664/

with the TT cars... http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-09-09-051.jpg

....the twin fuel fillers on the rear wings seem to be the main visible difference- there don't appear to be any on John's car, so presumably one of the 'sprint' chassis?

As you sais, this really is a big revelation- I'd never heard of any of this before, I certainly don't recall it being mentioned in the UK press at the time? (I didn't really start reading Autosport etc regularly until the end of '84, so could have easily missed it- though I did do some researching of early Group A stuff many years back in a library that had early 80's Autosports on file, and don't recall seeing it). Bearing in mind the nature of the BTCC pull-out, perhaps ARG didn't want to make too much noise about any subsequent sale of the Metros??

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by northington

I am John H. Brichetto

Pleased to make your acquaintance then John - should save us all a great deal of time, as we can now ask you directly rather than searching the net.

In that case, does your car have any kind of chassis number anywhere on the car then, and if so, would you mind telling us what it is exactly?

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by northington

When we were offered our choice of the cars, one car was equipped with air jacks and one "did not" have air jacks. We were told the car without air jacks was a light weight "sprint" car for less than 45 minutes duration?

In that case then John, I am sure you are more than likely correct. There is very rarely anything as solid as actually being there at the time.

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by KA

As you sais, this really is a big revelation- I'd never heard of any of this before, I certainly don't recall it being mentioned in the UK press at the time? (I didn't really start reading Autosport etc regularly until the end of '84, so could have easily missed it- though I did do some researching of early Group A stuff many years back in a library that had early 80's Autosports on file, and don't recall seeing it). Bearing in mind the nature of the BTCC pull-out, perhaps ARG didn't want to make too much noise about any subsequent sale of the Metros??

You may well be right about that last statement KA - certainly sounds quite plausible.

I have some photos taken at the 1984 Oulton Park meeting, including quite a lot of static ones whilst I was loitering around the paddock - often the best place to be! - so I'll see if there is anything of interest amongst them and get them scanned and posted here.

[northington]

A press release was actually printed in Autosport concerning our purchase of the car and the conversion to IMSA specs. I think this was in '85 before the Miami Grand Prix event.

I have a photo of the car as it arrived in the US, I'll post shortly.

[MG Rover Sport]

I think I can speak for all of us and say that we'd be very interested in seeing any other photos you have of the car over the years.