Special Saloons

[Andrew Kitson]

Great Special Saloon Website! Nice photos of some long forgotten cars. My Dad was a mechanic on S/Saloons in the 60s/70s including a Boss V8 engined Capri that the owner bought from Doug Niven. Must have been 1975.
I guess the guy you need to get in contact with for old club racing photos is Ted Walker at Ferret Fotographics. I don't know if he is a member but he advertises in the racing comics such as Motor Sport.
Good luck and I will bookmark your site - check out mine!

[TimD]

Yep, Ted Walker's a member of 10-tenths. The member list should yield his website address.

[Andrew Kitson]

TimD, further to your earlier reply regarding DFVW - there is an interesting link here with the Renault F1 team!
I have fond memories of the Colin Hawker DFVW that was based on the tub of the DeCadanet Duckhams LeMans car. It was sponsored by the Toleman brothers and Alex Hawkridge of the Toleman Group. This was their first involvement in sponsorship - then they bought Royale RP21 F.Fords and raced themselves. In 1977 they sponsored Rad Dougall in a works FF2000 Royale (designed by Rory Byrne), then in '78 started their own F2 team and took Rad along as driver, Rory as engineer. In 1980 they built their own F2 cars (Tolemans) designed by Rory with Pat Symonds as Rory's assistant. Toleman then went F1, later to become Benetton and now Renault! Pat is still there as Technical director. I worked at Royale in 1977/78 as 'gofer' and recently painted the cover for the Royale book. I still see Pat and Rory now and then and it is amazing to see the heights these 2 have reached from the royale days. Anyway, an interesting link from the first 'Toleman' car.

[M Greenslade]

What about Colin Hawkers DFV VW, I beetle with an F1 engine, I remember that being fun in the mid 70's - Balders

[Andrew Kitson]

Yes Colin Hawkers DFV engined VW was awesome, but it was not a 'Beetle' bodied car but a VW Karmann Ghia, on the De Cadanet LeMans Lola tub ( see my post above). The Beetle at the time was Mick Hill's F5000 engined monster, later sold to Doug Niven. Super Saloons were awesome - great sounds and quick. Other cars I remember, Gerry Marshall's Baby Bertha, Tony Strawson's 7.2 litre Ford Capri, Nick Whitings Escort, Alan Minshaw's 4.8 litre Daf 55, Arthur Colliers 8.1 litre Skoda!! and Jonathan Buncombes 2 litre Imp. It was infact a Chevron B19 ( I think) just a plastic Imp body on top. Being so light it with only 2000cc it blew them all away, Gerry included, on the Silverstone GP track in '76.

[mickj]

Andrew
Colin Hawkers was NOT a VW Karmmann Ghia body, it was a Fastback t3 body.
Another awsome looking car was Ian Richardson Corvair v8

[Andrew Kitson]

Yeah..apologies you are right!
Ian Richardson's Corvair too...blue if I remember?
If only we could have a Goodwood style 'Revival' for these great cars but I fear most have been cut up, scrapped or turned back into single seaters! The DFVW has indeed been restored back to its Duckhams De Cadanet original.

[Rod Birley]

You might be interested to see the article on Tony Sugden and his various Skoda creations in this months Motor Sport magazine.

[mickj]

Rod
Thanks for the info. Tony has been around a while and deserves a write up.

[Rutle]

The dfvw (as the Duckhams DeCadanet) is now with a guy (name withheld) who used to race in the RJB Mining G6 Historic Sports Series. He had (just finished) it up at the Autosport Show at the NEC last year with the short tail bodywork but was thinking about putting it back to it's LM longtail version.

[Andrew Kitson]

If you have not seen any of the northern sports /saloon races with Tony Sugden's Skoda featuring (as posted above by Rod) - You should. The pace of that car and Tony at 70 years old + is amazing.

[Rutle]

origin. Andrew Kitson
The pace of that car and Tony at 70 years old + is amazing.

It is an amazing machine - in fact a pretty amazing combination (man and machine that is).

I saw him qualifying at Silverstone last year (or maybe 2000) where, because of the chassis, he was somehow made eligible for one of the RJB Thundersport Rounds. Unfortunately, I seem to remember he had a bit of an incident at Copse - (possibly off the start) - so we didn't see much of it in the race.

[Tony_Simpson]

It is a real shame not more of them are still around these days racing, as I remember full grids (of specials) at Mallory Park not 10 years ago, and it was great to see and watch.

In an ideal world I would love to design, build and race a special saloon somewhere, but we will see.

[maguire imp chassis no1]

hi tony harmen i would like to know if you remember chassis no de2 stiletto shaped imp,do you have any old pictures of it id love to see them a freind of mine now owns the car
keith

[BESSIE]

my bdh metro is still with me once upon a time it was a mini with an 8 port in the small class of wendywools then we fitted her with the BDH with a metro body now she will enjoy a Duatec soon to be out again

[Chris Wilson]

Anyone know what became of Dr David Enderby's (spelling?) Karmann Ghia Special Saloon? Did the F2 based Esprit of Ron Cumming get put back into single seater configuration? I ran an Andrew Wareing built Skoda S110 Couoe Special Saloon in the North West series for a few years, firstly with a 2.4 SOHC Ford then with a 2.4 Nelson built N/A Cossie Sierra engine. The latter cost a fortune, made the car .5 seconds a lap round Oulton faster, and harder to drive

[maguire imp chassis no1]

i think dr david enderby still owns the car that you ask off,however i am not sure but ive read elsewere in this forum that he has it
keith p s do you have any knowladge of john maguire ex works maguire imp perhaps pm me bye

[pete21]

Hi Chris its Pete Edwards here long time no see!! last time i saw you you were at chasewater with your gearbox kart, what are you doing theese days?

[col rooney]

Ron Cummings lives in ireland and had the lotus in the display at mondello in may 2008 at the 40th birthday bash

col

[Chris Wilson]

Originally Posted by pete21

Hi Chris its Pete Edwards here long time no see!! last time i saw you you were at chasewater with your gearbox kart, what are you doing theese days?

Why hello Pete, and a happy Christmas to you and yours. I haven't raced as such for a few years, but have done countless track days. I sold the Skoda (not sure where we diverged here....) and bought an 873 Reynard F3 and did ARP F3 for a while, with some Monoposto as well, then bought a 97 Dallara F3, with which I had an on / off relationship, literally, as I never got to grips with its monoshock front end. We then moved to Shropshire, and under duress from `er indoors sold it to help finance the move. We have been down here for about 10 years now, have loads of space and loads of animals, but loads of extra work I bought the ex factory Peter Sneller Zeus Sports Prototype, then another Zeus from the US, both of which are stunning to drive. About six months or so back I missed single seaters and decided that, before I was too old, I needed something to scare myself in and got an ex Frentzen Lola F3000 with a Mugen in it. So far most of the frights have come from Engine Developments who are rebuilding the donkey as a precaution, and have found a few "issues". They are being very supportive though, and are lovely people to deal with ....

Anyway, enough, this is supposed to be about Special Saloons. My e-mail is chris at chriswilson.tv Jane and I would love to hear what's happening and what you are up to. Didn't you buy an automotive spares outlet? Are you still watching the old lights change? I have only recently discovered these forums, it's a real nostalgia trip. Have a great, healthy and prosperous New Year Pete.

[haggispeed]

Chris - yes David still owns the original black Karmann Ghia (Tiga S2000) special saloon, hasn't been out in years, would love to see it out again sometime. He has been racing Radicals with his son Chris.
Keith, I think I may have some pics of the Stilleto, am trying to figure out if this was the White one the Doc had so not a full spaceframe ? I'll have to trawl through some old boxes of pics to figure it out, do you know the year ?
Bill that 8 port is the one you had off David's mini isn't it ? or did that one go to Mary G ? will you get more power from the Duratec than the BDH then ?

(it's still Tony - different log in name !!

[maguire imp chassis no1]

Definately a full spaceframe car,now in my freinds workshop undergoing repairs,i will be helping him out with panels as i now own the mould for these cars,i would love it if we could chat on the phone sometime in the future about maguire imp,tom sheppard raced my maguire saloon when it was new can you help me trce him perhaps

keith sorry i think it may have been approx 1982,after which the car went to sweeden i think

[BESSIE]

hi Tony parts of the 8port was Davids Marys 8 port is my developement long stroke 1460 its on loan she was runner up in the SEMSEC saloons with it also did you know her space frame mini is one of the very 1st Maguire minis.My Duratec is giving 300 bhp and will be racing this year

[BESSIE]

I have an old address and no for tom shepard carlswood Ind estate Earlwood Sollyhull 0156468665

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by BESSIE

I have an old address and no for tom shepard carlswood Ind estate Earlwood Sollyhull 0156468665

Tom Shephard is the principle of GTS Motorsport. Was chatting with him a few weeks ago and he's doing fine. He can be reached through GTS Motorsport here.

http://www.gtsmotorsport.co.uk/