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THE STORY OF THE UK-OWNED FRENCH-BASED WINFIELD RACING SCHOOL
Jul 25th
WINFIELD RACING SCHOOL ‘ÉCOLE DE PILOTAGE WINFIELD’
Established as ‘Ecole de Pilotage Jim Russell’ by Bill Knight, his business partner and friend, jeweller Arthur Owen and well-known F3 driver, Jim Russell. The business was founded, with help from Gérard ‘Jabby’ Crombac, at Magny Cours near Nevers, France in 1963. Let’s use its correct name ‘Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
Knight and Owen had collaborated with Russell on land speed record attempts from the mid-fifties and were very good friends. Knight had sent his eldest son, Mike to Russell’s race school at Snetterton, which eventually developed into the school at Magny-Cours.
The name was changed in 1964 to More >
THE UK’S FIRST 911 REPLICA – THE PULSAR!
Jul 18th
STEVE HOLE tells the story of the UK’s first Porsche 911 replica. No, it wasn’t the Covin, rather, we’re talking about the Pulsar.
When we think of Porsche 911 replicas one always instantly thinks ‘Covin’. However, it may be the best-known but it wasn’t the first. That accolade belongs to the Pulsar!
That’s Mike ‘Parky’ Parkington, of Lemazone behind the wheel of the Pulsar demo car. Pic taken at Castle Combe in September 1986 by the author.
Unlike the Covin the Pulsar didn’t use a shortened VW Beetle floorpan but rather a box section ladderframe instead, although the veedub parts bin was plundered for More >
DAVID ‘LAZO’ LAZENBY – TALES OF LOTUS, HAWKE RACING CARS AND PACE PRODUCTS
Jun 27th
Here’s a little feature on a motorsport engineering personality from the sixties called David ‘Lazo’ Lazenby.
Like many of his peers, Lazenby had built Austin Seven-based Specials pre-war before he joined the RAF.
He joined Team Lotus in 1963, initially on the Elite production line and then joined the racing team under Jim Endruweit. He was Jim Clark’s chief mechanic when he won the Indy 500 in 1965.
Rick Morris leading an FF1600 race in a Hawke. Would love to credit the image but snapper is unknown
Later that year he transferred within Lotus again and became general manager of Lotus Components. They produced racing cars outside of F1 More >
THE ROTHMANS 50,000 RACE
Jun 13th
THE ROTHMANS 50,000
The late Brands Hatch boss, John Webb was a real motorsport showman, innovator and pioneer. His career was peppered with a variety of well-known events, championships and a variety of stunts. STEVE HOLE tells the story of the Rothmans 50,000.
The late John Webb was a master of motorsport marketing and publicity. He also knew how to put on a show, even if sometimes they sounded too wacky to be true. One such event that took place at Brands Hatch on August 28, 1972 (August Bank Holiday) was a race with a £50,000 prize fund (approximately £461,260, allowing for inflation, today), More >
THE STORY OF ENRICO NARDI – MUCH MORE THAN JUST EXQUISITE STEERING WHEELS
May 29th
STEVE HOLE tells the story of Enrico
Enrico Nardi was born in 1907 in Bologna and began his automotive career with Lancia in 1931 before moving to Etceterini Auto Avio Costruzione in Modena as a test driver.
In 1937 Enrico Nardi moved to Modena to work for Enzo Ferrari and a lifelong friendship was forged. Nardi was Ferrari’s first test driver.
Nardi was a top racer of the day, a gifted engineer, a racing mechanic, and a practical joker although he could be awkward.
The highlight of his driving career was competing in the Mille Miglia before building his first car, the Nardi-Monaco Chichibio More >
THE STORY OF BRP AND YEOMAN CREDIT
May 16th
STEVE HOLE tells the story of British Racing Partnership and Yeoman Credit, who pioneered sponsorship in motorsport, being the first team to give up the identity of the team and cars in return for sponsorship money, who became the YEOMAN CREDIT RACING TEAM.
One of the pioneers of motorsport sponsorship came from Joseph Samengo-Turner’s Yeoman Credit operation, founded in 1955. By 1959, Joseph’s sons – Paul, William and Fabian – were running Yeoman. In a nutshell, Yeoman was one of the earliest exponents of car finance and many of the country’s major – and minor – car dealerships offered their HP policies.
The More >
THE STORY OF GEOFF MONTY
May 1st
STEVE HOLE tells the story of the remarkable Geoff Monty, a renowned motorbike exponent but also a dealer for the Unipower GT.
Geoff Monty was a remarkable chap – motorcycle racer, motorcycle constructor, rider sponsor, retail bike dealer and repair shop and Unipower GT dealer for Kent and surrounding areas.
Geoff originated from Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey and opened his first motorcycle business in Hampton Road, Twickenham in the mid-fifties. In addition to modifying and repairing customer bikes, Geoff also designed, built and raced his bike, the GMS (Geoff Monty Special).
This was more than a simple tune-up of a proprietary motorcycle as he designed More >
THE TICI STORY
Apr 4th
STEVE HOLE tells the story of the brilliant ‘Commuter City Car’, the TiCi
The TiCi was created by Anthony Hill, Design RCA, a 34-year-old (in 1971) design consultant and lecturer based in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
Hill was a talented chap with a Royal College of Art pedigree. He’d previously designed a motorcycle and several domestic and industrial appliances and had also done consultancy work for the likes of Ford Motor Company and Hawker Siddeley. Clearly, a clever man.
There were also things as diverse as wheelchairs, locomotives and even a trimaran on his CV. He also had a desire to create his own ‘commuter city More >
FUNKY CHICKENS, PRICELESS ASTONS AND A STABLE THAT WASN’T A STABLE – THE STORY OF JOHN OGIER
Mar 21st
STEVE HOLE tells the story of JOHN OGIER
[standfirst] Sir John Lionel Eardley Ogier goes under the radar these days but deserves recognition for his contribution to British motorsport and the automotive industry in general. One thing is certain, despite his importance information is hard to come by, but Sir John Ogier sure was a fascinating man, with an amazing story. We are indebted to Ogier’s son, James for his invaluable help with this feature.
Ogier was born in India on October 23, 1920 (an interesting fact is that his brother, Michael was born on the same day in 1921), but was educated More >
MARCELO GANDINI, LEGENDARY AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNER, RIP
Mar 14th
We were very sad to hear about the death of legendary designer, Marcelo Gandini this week, aged 85.
Marcelo Gandini photographed in 1976, while working for Nuccio Bertone (unknown photographer – Wikipedia).
STEVE HOLE gives a potted career rundown of one of the greatest designers to pick up a pencil.
Gandini was the son of an orchestral conductor and working as an interior designer, when he approached another great designer, Nuccio Bertone, for a job in 1963. Bertone was impressed but was dissuaded from giving young Marcelo a job by his then chief designer (yet another great), Giorgetto Giugiaro who didn’t like him.
Lancia More >
