Lotus Cortina (merged with Alan Mann Lotus Cortina)

[stein johnsen]

A.Mann Lotus Cortina 1965
Reg.no KPU 384 C.
Engine 8465031 BRM
Chassi BA 74EV/59025


Car was sold by A Mann the 21.1.66 to a Swedish Ford dealer.
I have the invoice for GBP 1000 !!!!

I have the Swedish History of the car reasonably well covered but would like help with the earlier history.

Could somebody please help me with the earlier history of this car

stein johnsen

[Anuauto]

There were a few remaining questions when the thread on the Mk2s dried up. I was trying to put some data together on "works" Mk1 identities but the rallying situation is probably lost to history with so much re-shelling of "KPU" registrations. Seems likely the race cars retained their original identities but problem seems to be that the one Mann car that did all the winning in 65 is the one always featured in photos etc. Graham Robson probably has the best overall records now but there's not enough for a full book solely on competition Cortinas?

[zefarelly]

Sir John Whitmores ETCC winning car is alive and well, as is Sir John and Alan Mann.

I don't know if there's an 'official' record of cars prepared by AM, if the organisation was anything like Willment then I'd expect not.

As for reshelling, it was done when they where new, and obviously is still done today. I'm not convinced there are many if any genuine original race cars still in use, some of those that are have been built as replicas and originals either 'museumed' or scrapped

[Eric Falce]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

Sir John Whitmores ETCC winning car is alive and well, as is Sir John and Alan Mann.

I don't know if there's an 'official' record of cars prepared by AM, if the organisation was anything like Willment then I'd expect not.

As for reshelling, it was done when they where new, and obviously is still done today. I'm not convinced there are many if any genuine original race cars still in use, some of those that are have been built as replicas and originals either 'museumed' or scrapped

Bob Winkelman who resides in San Francisco has one of the original Mk1s shipped over to the States by Colin Chapman,original shell,alloy bonnet boot and doors,big alloy tank etc. He has owned the vehicle since new, or after Chapman finished racing with it, think he bought all three that wiped the boared in the sixty's, apparently they where driven by Clark ,Whitmore and co but no records kept of who drove what.

[TimD]

Well, I'm not a Ford person as such, but there's something about the Alan Mann and Willment cars which has always appealed.

I'd buy the book!

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally Posted by TimD

Well, I'm not a Ford person as such, but there's something about the Alan Mann and Willment cars which has always appealed.

I'd buy the book!

Yes indeed, such as the famous Gardner Escort XOO 349F and the gorgeous F3L.

[Carlos Guerra]

Sorry Stein if I am nitpicking a bit but, it must be an U, not a V, in that KPU 384C chassis number.

And yes, count me in too for the Cortina book!

[chunterer]

There was certainly some superb Ford touring cars prepared by both camps in the 60's.

The Cortina, Escort, Mustang, Galaxie, Fairlane?! I think even the Zodiac/Zephry was considered at one point early in the decade?!

The F3L is an interesting car Andrew, the story is something like if AMR had been properly funded by Ford after the GT40 programme it could well have gone on to achieve notable success. I think there were some concerns about the DFV's longevity and some vibration problems caused by it's installation? Len Bailey's basic concept was sound however.

I think Frank Gardner, and Graham Hill did a fair bit of shakedown work with the car. Actually the relative merits of this car versus say the GT40 and other prototypes of the time warrant another thread which would be superb!!

Stein, if you can find Mr Mann, still has some premises by his airfield in Surrey, then he would probably be able to help out with more info on your car.

Otherwise, if someone can find out if Alan fancies posting then get on it!!

[stein johnsen]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Stein, if you can find Mr Mann, still has some premises by his airfield in Surrey, then he would probably be able to help out with more info on your car.

Otherwise, if someone can find out if Alan fancies posting then get on it!!

I have contacted A.Mann but he recommended me to contact some Cortina clubs, may be they could help me !!!!!

[roger saretzki]

did this car hillclimbs as well in switzerland ? i think to have photos........

regards roger

[Anuauto]

Originally Posted by roger saretzki

did this car hillclimbs as well in switzerland ? i think to have photos........

regards roger

The European Touring Car Championship that the team competed in (and won in 1965) included hillclimbs then - but it was KPU392C that seemed to do all the winning.

[stein johnsen]

Originally Posted by roger saretzki

did this car hillclimbs as well in switzerland ? i think to have photos........

regards roger

Roger
If you could find the photo of the car I would be very pleased to receive it
Pls use my email
steinjohnsen@gmail.com

[Anuauto]

To add to the complicated story, I found mention that the new 1965 leafspring car first appeared at Mont Ventoux in standard white/green colours and carrying the registration number of 1964 A frame car. This new Whitmore car then became KPU382C but not sure whether this was only after the next ETCC round, the Nurburgring 6 Hours, when presumably it also became red/gold. By Zolder there was a second car for Peter Proctor and there was also a second car at Karlskoga, Snetterton 1000K (Proctor) and the final round, Zandvoort (Proctor). Only found Sears mentioned as second driver to Whitmore in the races that required two drivers. The penultimate round was "a Swiss hillclimb" (Ollon-Villars?), where Whitmore won the class and another earlier round class win for Whitmore was the Olympia hillclimb in Austria. Can find no mention of a second car at the hill climbs. So, a second car is mentioned as appearing at Zolder (second to Whitmore), Karlskoga, Snetterton (sixth to Whitmore) and Zandvoort (third to Whitmore and the Ljungfedlt Mustang). Question is, were there more than two 1965 cars? If not, the second is, presumably, KPU384C.

[Anuauto]

Last post 392 not 382.
Oh for an edit facility that is more than just instant....

[Anuauto]

Frank de Jong's ETCC site has a picture of the start of the final 65 ETCC round at Zandvoort with what may be the second Mann Cortina leading the Whitmore car. Reg no not clear.

Further to earlier posts, the second car was driven:
Monza (64 cars), Henry Taylor
Mont Ventoux, Peter Proctor
Zolder, Proctor
Olympia, Taylor
Karlskoga, Jackie Stewart (DNF)
Snetterton, Proctor
St. Ursanne (not Ollon -Villars as previously presumed), Taylor
No evidence of a 3rd Mann Cortina running anywhere (they were running Mustangs too).

[zefarelly]

The Ford in Touring cars book has lots of snaps . . . you can pick out a lot of the works registrations from that, however number plates would move from car to car on a regular basis. Alan Mann was the only person to get shells from lotus in anything other than white.

[Anuauto]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

Alan Mann was the only person to get shells from lotus in anything other than white.

Did he? Graham Robson records the two new Alan Mann 65 leaf spring cars as first appearing in white/green and initially carrying 64 reg nos (including the car that became KPU392C). Only later red/gold. The cynical might be tempted to consider whether initially using the earlier identity may not have been entirely unrelated to when homologation actually came through for leaf springs (not until June 65?).

[zefarelly]

I believe so yes. Ford supplied Lotus with 1200 delux shells in white or primer ( not sure) June 65 was the last of the A frame cars (as aerflow models)

[Anuauto]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

I believe so yes.

Interesting conflict with G. Robson's "Boreham" book (not doubting you - I have found other errors in the book!).
A new site
http://www.world-of-cortina.co.uk/
has a picture of the Whitmore/Sears Mann car at what it says is Nurburgring 65. This shows a white car with a 64 registration but is it the new leafspring KPU392C in disguise prior to painting red or is it still a 64 A frame car? However, no guarantee there either - the first picture on page 2 of the interesting Vic Elford feature on the same site is not of VE in a works car but of Roger Clark in his private GT and some other VE pictures are wrongly-captioned!

[simon drabble]

I have an Alan Mann liveried Lotus Cortina which carries on its FIA papers the reg KPU 393C although sadly the V5 documents have a different reg. The car used to be campaigned by Tony and Peter Lanfranchi and laterly Whizzo Williams took Tony's seat when he wasnt able to race due to his ultimately fatal illness.
I havent driven it yet but wil be at Castle Combe on Easter Monday so I cannot tell yo what its like but I have high hopes. Zeferally is currently casting his magic spanner over it!

[zefarelly]

I'd imagine the lack of history regarding 65-66 safari cars is because they didn't win !
reliability seems to have been the reason for success earely mid 60's which is exactly why the GT's where successful and the Lotus not so.

MK2 LC's where available in any colour as the shell was as the 2 door GT and built at Ford, with the exception of AM cars I don't think any cortinas left Lotus in any colour other than white

my 'magic spanners' are resting today, as my 'magic back' isn't feeling so magic after shifting 2 tonnes of ferrous tat on Saturday !