Need help tracing the history of an Alan Mann Escort

[Greg Cozier]

Right, I seem to have embarked on a long voyage in deep waters and could do with some help.

I recently acquired an old Escort Mk1 without the engine and have been tracing its history. It has the AMR front suspension setup but 6-link rear suspension and Atlas axle. the engine is missing and there is no chassis plate.

I have subsequently found out the car was brought to the Caribbean by Alec Poole and Derek McMahon who raced here quite allot. It came here with 1800 BDA on injection, ZF gearbox and Atlas. It is described in Poole's original notes as an ex Alan Mann/Ford Boreham/Don Moore car with rear suspension converted to Broadspeed 6-link (no AMR torsion bars).

I subsequently contacted Gillian Fortesque-Thomas who raced the car for Ford before Poole/Mcmahon got it. She says she raced two cars after the Mexicos, one was an old car that Boreham dusted off to use as a test mule for the new 2ltr alloy block and ran in shell colours in '72 run by Don Moore. The other was a blue/white car with a 1300BDA she used in the '73 Grand Prix support race where Brodie had his big accident.

I've spoken to Dave Brodie, he's trying to find me some info from Ford friends. My Ford friends (Martin Sharp and Barry Reynolds) reckon the car is X00 347F, chassis number is BB48GP18167 that was shipped to Poole in August 1973 and is probably an ex-AMR car.

My purpose now is twofold: firstly I have to confirm that this reg/chassis number is right because I have to ship the car back to Uk for restoration on the correct number. Bearing in mind Boreham's history of swapping about chassis numbers depending on what cars were going out the door, I'm not sure how far I can get other than establishing that no other car currently bears these numbers. I also would like to gather as much '68 to '71 race history just to stick in my file.

Any help appreciated.