Chevron B 6 & B 8

[Giraffe138]

Hi Nick, Firstly can I say that the authenticity or otherwise of your lovely B8 never crossed my mind. I was only prompted to investigate it's history when after posting a pic of it winning at Donington on my Facebook page, period B8 racer and 2 litre Le Mans (1972) class winner (in a Lola) Barrie Smith asked me which car it was.
I checked Chevron Heritage and consulted my Chevron book and neither were of any help. Allen Brown at oldracingcars.com has not got onto B8s as yet (there is no definitive register of B6/8s but Helen Malkie is attempting to put one together) so I put up a request for info both here and on TNF as I'm unsure when I will next see both you and the car in order to ask you, and I wanted to let Barrie know. My friend John Ruston has only just advised me that it was prepared by Racing Fabs, and that was going to be my next port of call.
I clearly remember David Good having the car, tho' I never saw him run it, and then my first memory of it's re-incarnation was at Silverstone in October 1996 where it was entered for Simon Leighton & where I took the picture below.
I became a huge fan of the B8 when I started marshalling at Aintree in 1968 and Derek Bennett used to come down and drive the works car, John Bridges the Red Rose car & Phil Silverston in DBE 37, (the car Ross Maxwell has been running in recent seasons) John Lepp in his B8 & John Scot-Davis in the B5-BRM. I used to chat with all those guys.
Next time I see you out with the car, I will make sure that I introduce myself, Nick!


By giraffe138 at 2011-03-24

PS Look after the car Nick; one just changed hands for £320k!!!

[Nick Fleming]

My apologies then. I misinterpreted your post but thank you for the explanation. I am obviously entirely biased but I think my B8 is the the most gorgeous and wonderful of all the B8's currently racing and as a consequence I am quite protective! If I could park her in my bedroom at night I probably would. Sad though it might seem...

I hope you haven't taken offence at me being miffed initially. I'll be at Silverstone in May for the next Guards race. Hope to meet you then as I have to admit my knowledge of B8 racing is horribly limited to more recent times (although my excuse is that I was only born in 1976) and it would be nice to know some of the history of the various cars that are on track.

Cheers
Nick

[Giraffe138]

No probs Nick. (I mean't 2006 not 1996!) See you at Silverstone!

[John Turner]

The B6/B8 is indeed a thoroughly gorgeous car and I'm impatient for individual histories on these cars, and I'm sure Allen will get around to adding them to his superb site - http://www.oldracingcars.com - in due course. In the meantime, I can tell you that I have been nagging Marcus Pye about their histories because I know that he has loads of stuff on them but he always mumbles something about all the info being stored deep in his garage or loft or something. However, Nick, if you were to approach him about your specific car, you never know!

[Giraffe138]

Nick, the plot thickens.... My pal Ted Walker (Ferret Fotographics) has just told me that Digby Martland had your car from new before David Good took it over. (I suspect that Ted will have period pics of it; I shall ask him).

[Nick Fleming]

This is excellent. I'm glad you posted now Giraffe! Allen at oldracingcars has come back to me saying he is familiar with the car and knows a bit of the history already so he's lined up to get stuck in once he's through a fairly hefty back log of other requests.

John, I will niggle Marcus next time I see him. I'm pretty sure he tested the car after Simon Leighton had finished the rebuild.

...and I know who Digby Martland is. He bought the first Chevron GT after seeing a balsa wood model on DB's desk I believe.

[Giraffe138]

Originally Posted by Nick Fleming

...and I know who Digby Martland is. He bought the first Chevron GT after seeing a balsa wood model on DB's desk I believe.

Digby beat Alan Minshaw to the Chevron gig, and he's still around. I knew his sister Helen years ago, and the family owned the funfair at Southport. He was John Woolfe's co-driver in the B12, and famously bottled a run at Le Mans after one practice lap in the Porsche 917 that went on to kill John.
It would appear that your car has some real Chevron history, Nick. Check out the 7th place at Kyalami in 1968 with DB co-driving (the works car with Redman & Schenken aboard finished 4th). The Chevron book says it was Digby's car......

http://www.racingsportscars.com/resu...1-09-4448.html

[grantp]

Not sure if this will be useful or a distraction - but what the hell it may give Chevron lovers and enjoyable few minutes ....

Nick, do you know if your B8 started out as a light colour? So many seemed to be dark in the old BW images.

Anyway - Digby Martland ...

On the Racingsportscars.com web site for the BOAC 6hours at Brands Hatch on 7th April 1968 is listed Number 47 - a B8 with BMW power with notes that it was driven by Brian Classic and Digby Martland. Also that Derek Bennett was listed as a driver but never drove.

No photo though.

However .... if you have a look at the Photohistoric.com web site and use the seach facilities by driver name (1 result for Martland) or car make (2 results for Chevron) you will find a photo of a gaggle of cars rounding the hairpin at the front of which is number 47 - a pale coloured B8. (Image reference PJR0184)

I have no idea if it is your car of course, Nick, but you never know ....

BTW at the back of that shot is the No. 50 B8 of Lepp and Bridges which also, according to Racingsportscar information, had Derek Bennett entered as a driver (who never drove).

[Giraffe138]

Originally Posted by grantp

Not sure if this will be useful or a distraction - but what the hell it may give Chevron lovers and enjoyable few minutes ....


BTW at the back of that shot is the No. 50 B8 of Lepp and Bridges which also, according to Racingsportscar information, had Derek Bennett entered as a driver (who never drove).

Derek was often on the entry list for the works, Red Rose & Lepp's cars so that he could help sort them during practice. He rarely raced them as he preferred a (very) low profile.
Whenever I recall talking to Derek, I think of him pulling his socks up which he seemed to be doing perminantly!!

[Giraffe138]

Here you are in October 2009 at Silverstone Nick....


By giraffe138 at 2011-03-25

...and grabbing 40 winks at Castle Coombe last year.....


By giraffe138 at 2011-03-25

You've got Barrie Smith to thank for starting me out on this thread & Chris Smith is currently restoring his original B8 (he had two) for Adam Singer.

http://www.frenchpix.com/racingtimes...evronb8tc.html

[Nick Fleming]

Originally Posted by Giraffe138

...and grabbing 40 winks at Castle Coombe last year.....

Ahh... not quite... my temperature gauge is on the right of the steering wheel so I would be warming her up. I know I can't be sleeping as I look much worse than that when I fall asleep. Although at least from a photo you can't tell the db level of my snoring. I would struggle to get past a static test at Snett for sure.

Thanks very much for all the input on this thread from yourself and Grant.

As for my car's original colour... not sure. Hopefully between Allen at Oldracingcars, Marcus ... and various input on here we can narrow down the specifics.

Thanks Gents

[Ted Walker]

If its the ex David Good car it was white as he bought it from Digby Martland.I have photos on its bebut at a Prescott test day

[MONDELLO MAN]

a colour pic of 47 at the 68 BOAC is on page 502 , of Georganos encylopedia of motorsport . attributed to Motor Sport , IIRC the same was used in the mags coverage of the race , and yes it is white .

[Alan Brown]

David Good had three different Chevrons for hill climbing. A profile in Autosport (March 19 1970) said that he had a B6 in the early part of 1968 before selling it to Ian Skailes to race and buying a B8. This was sold to Peter Lawson for circuit racing in 1969 and the B6 repurchased from Ian Skailes. This was sold to John Bamford and another B8 bought from Peter Gethin. Most of this is supported by Chris Mason in Uphill Racers who says that the second B8 was “a brand new orange B8”. The Peter Lawson car went to Reg Phillips who used it and then had it lightened and fitted with an open body (by GP Metalcraft) – this was the Fairley-Chevron BMW. This was recounted in an article on Reg Phillips in Motor Sport for June 1977 which said that the B8 was sold in 1971 ”to someone who soon wrote it off”.
Of the Chevrons, David Good was quoted as saying “the Chevron is a terrific car; anybody could get into one for the very first time and drive it so competitively”.

So is it the Lawson/Phillips car?

[Giraffe138]

Being DBE38, logically it must be the earlier car, the Lawson / Phillips car. I seem to recall Peter Lawson's B8 being white.

[Ted Walker]

As I remember it Good sold the car TO Lawson if that helps ??????

[Alan Brown]

Trawling through some Motoring News copies of 1968 I came across the following
11-4-68 Digby Martland/Brian Classick Chevron BMW number 47 is light in colour in a black and white picture of the BOAC 500 race at Brands Hatch.
9-5-68 Report of Prescott hill climb - “newly acquired ex Digby Martland Chevron of David Good”
13-6-68 Report of Shelsley Walsh hill climb – “David Good in his fiery red ex Digby Martland Chevron BMW”
20-6-68 report of Prescott hill climb - “red ex Martland Chevron-BMW” (David Good)
29-8-68 report of Shelsley Walsh – “David Good’s yellow Chevron-BMW”
29-8-68 first reference found to Ian Skailes Chevron BMW
5-9-68 report of Loton Park hill climb – “yellow Chevron” (David Good)
5-12-68 British hill climb review – “David Good in his bright yellow B6 Chevron BMW”

Conclusions – the red car seems to be the one that went to Ian Skailes and was replaced by a yellow one (I have a monochrome picture of the David Good Chevron at Great Auclum in August 1968 which shows a light (pale) colour car - see photo).

Digby Martland had/drove several Chevron BMWs

[Giraffe138]

I see Ian Skailes about quite a lot, and he was at the launch of the Martini Trophy at Autosport International in January. I bet he'll be at the first race at Silverstone in May as he seems to follow John Burton about, so I'll collar him there, if I don't see him before.


By giraffe138 at 2011-03-29

[Alan Brown]

10-4-69 Peter Lawson debuts his Chevron B8 BMW at Rufforth and then Cadwell Park – a photo shows that it is darker than in David Good’s hands
17-4-69 Wiscombe Park report – not only Peter Lawson in his ex-David Good Chevron but also David Good had his “red 1967 Chevron which he once sold to Ian Skailes, but recently re-purchased”.
24-4-69 Ian Skailes had a brand new B8 (CH-DBE-79) (listed in a Thruxton programme as green)
8-5-69 Peter Lawson’s car described as orange (listed in a Thruxton programme as orange and mauve)
29-5-69 Report on TT at Oulton Park – “purchased earlier in the week by John Bamford and was ex-Martland/Good/Skailes/Good” this was a Worcestershire Racing Association entry (listed in a Thruxton programme as red)
12-6-69 David Good had a “new Chevron”

My research does not sort out Nick Fleming's car, but may aid some discussion of B6/B8s.

[Giraffe138]

The Martland/Good/Skailes/Good car entered by WRA at theTT was a B6, so it would appear that Nick's B8 is not ex-Martland. As the car we are trying to trace is CH-DBE-38, this logically makes it the earlier yellow B8 that was sold on to Peter Lawson in 1969 & then to Reg Phillips where it became the Fairley Chevron 276. It would appear that Good acquired the car sometime between 20/6 & 29/8/68. Phil Silverston purchased the preceeding chassis CH-DBE-37 in early May 1968, so it makes sense. The 1968 British hillclimb review of 1968 mistook the B8 for a B6, it would appear.

[Andy Clegg]

I don't know if this is any help. I took this at Harewood in the '60s. I've no programs, so I don't know who was the driver.
Andy Clegg

[Alan Brown]

A claimant to the ex-Good/Lawson car. But it ignores the Reg Phillips link.

http://www.chevronheritage.com/regis...lman/B8_01.htm

[Giraffe138]

Good had sold the B6 for the second time to Bamford by May 1969, as I saw him run it at the TT. If he replaced it with his second B8 shortly afterwards, could this be Hugh Coleman's car? We have however to establish a Lawson connection for this car, if indeed one exists? Any clues on the unusual chassis number of this car?

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by Giraffe138

Good had sold the B6 for the second time to Bamford by May 1969, as I saw him run it at the TT. If he replaced it with his second B8 shortly afterwards, could this be Hugh Coleman's car? We have however to establish a Lawson connection for this car, if indeed one exists? Any clues on the unusual chassis number of this car?

I suspect that someone did not realise that David Good had two B8s and made the wrong connection. The chassis number is "odd".

[Giraffe138]

Originally Posted by Alan Brown

I suspect that someone did not realise that David Good had two B8s and made the wrong connection. The chassis number is "odd".

I ran the chassis number of Hugh Coleman's B8 -
76A-B8-6915-AM384 past Helen Malkie at Chevron Racing & she didn't recognise it. Next stop will be to ask Hugh.


By giraffe138 at 2011-04-01

At the recent HSCC meeting at Donington.