Group A Rover 3500 SD1/Vitesse - History & Whereabouts - Page 49

Red Throbber · 22 Nov 2010, 09:19 (Ref:2794158)

Aye, that is me bidding!
Healthy market rules!!!

MG Rover Sport · 25 Nov 2010, 21:34 (Ref:2795823)

I've just found a link to Chassis No 019 For Sale at Nick Whale Sports Cars. Although now sold - as we know - there are some quite nice photos included in the advert, and some interesting race history of this particular chassis.

Apologies if this has already been posted before...

http://www.nickwhalesportscarsdirect...se-touring-car

GBRM · 26 Nov 2010, 10:16 (Ref:2795976)

I got sent this photo the other day - Donington 1982 and the taker said it was okay to post it:-

Blooming good photo!!

**chunterer** · 29 Nov 2010, 14:01 (Ref:2797171)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GBRM

I got sent this photo the other day - Donington 1982 and the taker said it was okay to post it:-

Blooming good photo!!

I'll say!

The off side rear tyre's off the off the rim on the SD1!!

The Spice run Capri (oh no i mentioned Capri in a Rover thread again!!!!) looks like it's been in a bit of a scuffle somewhere as well!!

**Peter Mallett** · 9 Dec 2010, 15:46 (Ref:2802028)

Anyone seen this thread?

Quote:

Originally Posted by johngee

Simon et al

That's all I know - culled from, what I presume to be, a press release

Motor Racing Legends has announced plans for a new historic race series featuring the Group 1, 2 and Group A Touring cars that pounded British and European circuits between 1977 and 1985.
The new series will be called the JD Classics Challenge, and the races will be for real race cars from the era, running to the correct period specification. To get us in the mood, they've sent us a couple of evocative pictures from the era to back up the announcement. (Which also prompted us to think this might be a good time to start a 'show us your period Touring car pics' thread...)
"We believe a lot of the genuine race cars still exist, sitting in garages, but they're not being brought out en masse as there isn't a series catering exclusively for them," says MLR's Duncan Wiltshire. "We hope to change all that. We're also looking at inviting selected cars from American series - IMSA production cars from the 1977-85 period.

"In Europe, it was the era of TWR XJ-S and BMW 528, of Alfa GTV6, Audi Coupé and Ford Sierra XR4i, piloted in their day by such stars as Win Percy and Andy Rouse. Before that came the likes of Triumph Dolomite Sprint, BMW 3.0 CSL and Jaguar XJ 12C - not forgetting the evergreen Ford Capri."
The first race is planned for the Donington Historic Festival over the weekend of 29 April to 1 May next year

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...=125957&page=2

MG Rover Sport · 12 Dec 2010, 22:10 (Ref:2803499)

Apologies to be the bearer of the sad news that Tom Walkinshaw passed away today, Sunday 12 December 2010, having lost his battle with cancer aged 64.

This great character not only masterminded a great many motorsport projects over the years, but was also a fierce competitor behind the wheel himself.

There are far too many manufacturers and models over the years for me to mention here, but I'm sure you know them all anyway! Of most relevance to this thread is his Group A Rover Vitesse European and British Touring Car Championship programme with Austin Rover in the early to mid 1980s.

The man is a legend - please dig out your copy of 'ETC & Magnificent Seven' and watch it tonight as a mark of respect...

Part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozm2whDhELc

Part 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4HeU...eature=related

Part 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_-ZC...eature=related

...for those who don't have it on video or DVD!

A few online tributes so far...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88672

http://ca.reuters.com/article/sports...6BB1NN20101212

http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=5638

RIP Tom Walkinshaw : 17 November 1946 – 12 December 2010

KA · 13 Dec 2010, 07:56 (Ref:2803647)

Thanks David- Just heard this on the BBC news and had the same thought.

TW's exploits with the XJS and Rover as driver and team boss are a major part of the reason that I went from being a teenager with a big interest in cars, and a casual interest in motorsport, to being the motorsport obsessive with a worrying fascination for 80's touring car trivia I grew up into...

RIP Tom

TWR ROVER · 13 Dec 2010, 10:54 (Ref:2803750)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KA

A little diversion from Australia to France- took a look at Forum-Auto (for something totally non-Rover related

hi KA, what fabulous pictures , the best anyone has found of the TWR Marlboro french touring cars...thanks for posting those,sorry for late reply.

these pics if from 1985 and in Marlboro colours in that championship is probably being driven by Jean Lois Schlesser?

according to the Rover club chassis achive on page 84 of this post it can only either be chassis #5 or chassis #14 but do you know which one?

im picking chassis 14 because of the white roll cage ,however it could possibly be chassis number 5 if they repainted the originally black rollcage when this car was repainted in marlboro colours?

why im interested in this is that we have chassis number 5 in restoration and now in a marlboro base colour scheme with the intention to put the livery over that of its last TWR driver J.L Schlesser.

can you find out if that is 5 or 14 and can you find any other pictures of the French touring cars in Marlboro (1984/1985) colours?... that would be very helpful as we complete this restoration and put the car back on the race circuit once more for 2011.

speaking of that we had #18 (the Bastos car) out racing at Christchurch(the Lady Wigram meeting) a few weeks ago in a very good 80's and 90's Grp A grid, Jag XJS,BMW 635(ex Jim Richards),SierraRS500etc etc ....very close racing and as usual the Rover doing so well.The old girl is still a real crowd pleaser and people love to see it racing as it has such presence on the track plus it sound good two.

lastly havent been to this web site for a couple of months or more but with the very sad news of Tom's passing was compelled to view some of the old Rover ETC videos ....the end of an Era....a great man,larger than life whose reputation will live on in his great cars.

DPUZEY · 13 Dec 2010, 15:43 (Ref:2803881)

Very sad news about Tom, I remember seeing him in XJS and the Vitesse and I was also at Le Mans when Jaguar won in 1988.

Re the pictures of the Marlboro car above, they are all of chassis 14. it has a white roll cage and the cage is to the later design.

corliss · 13 Dec 2010, 17:52 (Ref:2803943)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TWR ROVER

hi KA, what fabulous pictures , the best anyone has found of the TWR Marlboro french touring cars...thanks for posting those,sorry for late reply.

these pics if from 1985 and in Marlboro colours in that championship is probably being driven by Jean Lois Schlesser?

according to the Rover club chassis achive on page 84 of this post it can only either be chassis #5 or chassis #14 but do you know which one?

im picking chassis 14 because of the white roll cage ,however it could possibly be chassis number 5 if they repainted the originally black rollcage when this car was repainted in marlboro colours?

why im interested in this is that we have chassis number 5 in restoration and now in a marlboro base colour scheme with the intention to put the livery over that of its last TWR driver J.L Schlesser.

can you find out if that is 5 or 14 and can you find any other pictures of the French touring cars in Marlboro (1984/1985) colours?... that would be very helpful as we complete this restoration and put the car back on the race circuit once more for 2011.

speaking of that we had #18 (the Bastos car) out racing at Christchurch(the Lady Wigram meeting) a few weeks ago in a very good 80's and 90's Grp A grid, Jag XJS,BMW 635(ex Jim Richards),SierraRS500etc etc ....very close racing and as usual the Rover doing so well.The old girl is still a real crowd pleaser and people love to see it racing as it has such presence on the track plus it sound good two.

lastly havent been to this web site for a couple of months or more but with the very sad news of Tom's passing was compelled to view some of the old Rover ETC videos ....the end of an Era....a great man,larger than life whose reputation will live on in his great cars.

Are the photo`s all from 2 events? Something i have spotted before and posted much earlier in this thread, but if you look closely at all pics you will see at least 3 different front spoilers, 2 hole air ducts, 3 hole and 4 hole, also rear spoiler very wide with alloy end plates, others with no visible end plates at all, i have always thought that more than 2 cars competed in the French series, i often thought that Autorama had built quite a few cars and that TWR also supplied a chassis or two, i do know that at least one shell was wrecked and another car appeared shortly after at next event, any idea`s??
Skip

simon drabble · 5 Jan 2011, 17:06 (Ref:2811539)

I gather this has been discussed already but is this not as it seems? http://www.classic-auctions.co.uk/Au...Car-32677.aspx
at the guide price it seems "relative" good value

**chunterer** · 5 Jan 2011, 20:36 (Ref:2811623)

Quote:

Originally Posted by simon drabble

I gather this has been discussed already but is this not as it seems? http://www.classic-auctions.co.uk/Au...Car-32677.aspx
at the guide price it seems "relative" good value

Good post and good question....

Is this the original DPR car, the one that was out atin some classic meet at Dijon last year or the year before?

I must be having dejavu as I think I asked about this very car recently on here but can't find the relative posts!!!

davyboy · 6 Jan 2011, 21:54 (Ref:2812148)

I've seen that listed for sale elsewhere not so long ago.

GBRM · 7 Jan 2011, 11:15 (Ref:2812406)

We discussed a couple of months ago - was it no decidd it was a DPR-built Group 1 car that had been upgraded to Group 2 (but not by DPR) and now has a completely new engine (and maybe gearbox) and has quite a few other modifications? It was this car the prompted Gunter to post I think.
Might just be my memory playing tricks though!!

KA · 7 Jan 2011, 13:08 (Ref:2812469)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GBRM

We discussed a couple of months ago - was it no decidd it was a DPR-built Group 1 car that had been upgraded to Group 2 (but not by DPR) and now has a completely new engine (and maybe gearbox) and has quite a few other modifications? It was this car the prompted Gunter to post I think.
Might just be my memory playing tricks though!!

If it's what the advert claims it to be, it should be the DPR Group 2 car built for the 1980 TT- AFAIK it only seems to have made that one race appearance as a DPR entry, then passed through the hands of Martin Thomas/Patrick Motorsport (who don't seem to have raced it either?) before passing into Modsaloons and later Thundersaloons driven by Mark Hales amongst others.
http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-09-14-001.jpg
http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....postcount=1385
http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy239/geoffthomas5/autocavan%20racing%20etc/img014.jpg

I'm guessing it originally ought to have been a near-twin of Gunter's car built for South Africa, but it's obviously been hacked around a lot over the years...Something tells me a 4.5 litre TVR Tuscan engine wasn't part of 1980 Group 2 spec....

As Davyboy said, it seems to have been advertised for sale quite a lot recently

I'd love to know the full story behind it, because the 1980 TT entry does seem to be very much a forgotten part of the race SD1 history- it's certainly odd that they went to the trouble of building (or converting?) a Group 2 car and only ever raced it once.

**chunterer** · 7 Jan 2011, 13:14 (Ref:2812475)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KA

I'd love to know the full story behind it, because the 1980 TT entry does seem to be very much a forgotten part of the race SD1 history- it's certainly odd that they went to the trouble of building (or converting?) a Group 2 car and only ever raced it once.

Indeed, G2 was effectively dead as far as international touring car racing was concerned, GA was already known to be coming for 1982.

Is there any chance that ARG had been thinking of moving DPR over to this short term so that TWR could take over the G1 enginering, so that DPR wasn't out of the picture completely?

MG Rover Sport · 8 Jan 2011, 22:48 (Ref:2813057)

Can I just remind my learned colleagues that I actually posted some pres photos of the Group 2 car a 'few' pages back - although admittedly they were taken at a pre-1980 TT test session with Jeff Allam behind the wheel by the looks of things...

...I'll have to see if there are anymore in the set - I'm sure there are!

**chunterer** · 13 Jan 2011, 13:06 (Ref:2815236)

I just wanted to cover some gaps with the race cars again if I may.

Briefly grouparover (Paul) you can add the final round of the 1985 BTCC to your cars competition history. CS-H ran it at that final Silverstone (last race prior to it moving to Slako) round and it ran very well early on having a lurid dice with all the 635's before pulling off IIRC. You could contact William Dale Jnr as he might have something relating to this race that could be of interest to you.

Back to TWR cars I'm still wondering what happened to the Hepolite car (002) after 1983. If it didn't race again after that what, did we ever discover where it ended up and is it still around today?

Next we know from Dave Puzey's brilliant chassis list that the 2 Fleet cars were built for the 1984 season: 008 and 010. 010 was the one written off in the infamous Silverstone TT Woodcote shunt but i'm wondering which of the two was the car that Steve Soper raced in the two BTCC rounds early that year?

Also did we ever confirm which car was the Marlboro chassis that Bill Griffin ran for a season? Was it 001 or 005 as it is unlikely that it was 014 as although that car started life as a Marlboro in 1985 it was then run as an ETC car in Bastos colours and also resprayed (or re-shelled??) to win the 86 TT?

This car to me has maybe become the most interesting because it seems to have had at least 4 lives! Also as it was the prestigious TT winner, it is perhaps surprising that it wasn't kept rather than sold off to the Belgian privateer.

Anyone like to add further to these points?

KA · 13 Jan 2011, 16:17 (Ref:2815301)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunterer

I just wanted to cover some gaps with the race cars again if I may.

Briefly grouparover (Paul) you can add the final round of the 1985 BTCC to your cars competition history. CS-H ran it at that final Silverstone (last race prior to it moving to Slako) round and it ran very well early on having a lurid dice with all the 635's before pulling off IIRC. You could contact William Dale Jnr as he might have something relating to this race that could be of interest to you.

?

Do you mean the last round of 1984? The CS-H car was with Slako in Australia in early '85 and ran in a few ATCC rounds before being resprayed white and prepped for Bathurst

**chunterer** · 13 Jan 2011, 20:21 (Ref:2815386)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KA

Do you mean the last round of 1984? The CS-H car was with Slako in Australia in early '85 and ran in a few ATCC rounds before being resprayed white and prepped for Bathurst

Yes indeed, bloody typo!!

MG Rover Sport · 16 Jan 2011, 21:20 (Ref:2816517)

Good evening 'Duncs', and welcome to Ten Tenths!

We have actually chatted before about A379 VUK - well I say 'chatted as all we have done is corresponded via email over the last few weeks - it's David Sims here!

I knew that '379' had been rebuilt into a TWR bodyshell - as most of the others on here did too! - but I didn't know that it was actually TWR 015 bodyshell that was used. I'm not sure if you have looked back through this thread, but TWR 015 is documented on Page 84 as follows by Dave Puzey of the Rover SD1 Club...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPUZEY

Chassis 15 – This car was a Bastos liveried car driven by Jeff Allam, Armin Hahne and Jean Louis Schlesser in various ETC races in 1985.

I also never knew that Gartrac actually modofied the shell to rally spec either!

TWR 001 and 002 are similarly chronicled as follows...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPUZEY

Chassis 1 - The first car was used in the French Production Championship by Rene Metge and Jean Louis Schlesser in 1983and 84. The shell then became a show car and ended up in the Heritage Collection at Gaydon.

Chassis 2 - This was the Hepolite sponsored car driven by Steve Soper in the 1983 Trimoco championship and a few European Touring Car (ETC) championship rounds and won the Tourist Trophy race at Silverstone. One of the few TWR SD1s to be tested by a magazine, Jeremy Walton drove it.

My interest is the rally cars, but I'm sure my colleagues on here will get involved in all the touring car history with you. I am however in agreement with you that the other car you have in Bastos livery is TWR 001 - the show car from Gaydon.

Many thanks for taking the time to register here.

Kind regards,

David

terence · 28 Jan 2011, 08:04 (Ref:2821637)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

Good evening 'Duncs', and welcome to Ten Tenths!

We have actually chatted before about A379 VUK - well I say 'chatted as all we have done is corresponded via email over the last few weeks - it's David Sims here!

I knew that '379' had been rebuilt into a TWR bodyshell - as most of the others on here did too! - but I didn't know that it was actually TWR 015 bodyshell that was used. I'm not sure if you have looked back through this thread, but TWR 015 is documented on Page 84 as follows by Dave Puzey of the Rover SD1 Club...

I also never knew that Gartrac actually modofied the shell to rally spec either!

TWR 001 and 002 are similarly chronicled as follows...

My interest is the rally cars, but I'm sure my colleagues on here will get involved in all the touring car history with you. I am however in agreement with you that the other car you have in Bastos livery is TWR 001 - the show car from Gaydon.

Many thanks for taking the time to register here.

Kind regards,

David

RE 001,has "Bastos" been edged in gold please.

MG Rover Sport · 31 Jan 2011, 18:45 (Ref:2823388)

A momentous occasion recently went by un-noticed! We have now reached the giddy heights of 100 pages of historical debate - meaning I think we all deserve to give ourselves a wholehearted pat on the back!

PS - Where is everyone these days by the way?

**chunterer** · 31 Jan 2011, 20:19 (Ref:2823448)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

A momentous occasion recently went by un-noticed! We have now reached the giddy heights of 100 pages of historical debate - meaning I think we all deserve to give ourselves a wholehearted pat on the back!

PS - Where is everyone these days by the way?

Hahahaha so we have, fabuloso effort by all concerned!

I am aware that we have revisited several innner topics a few times in our quest, and I have been tempted to separate Grp 1 racers fro Grp A and also to filter the rally discussion into it's own thread but that would be just a tad time consuming, something not to be considered lightly.

I think MGRS, that with these things they go dormant for a while until some new info comes to light, or a new individual stumbles across the threads and opening it up again.

I mean as far as TWR race & rally cars are concerned we know most of what we need to know about how many TWR cars were built and what they were for initially. nice to always have new pics come up though!

Now what we need and really want is ths subsequent histories - it may well be that we will be wating a long time as owners might prefer to keep some details/locations etc well and truly under wraps!

Keep up the good work as we go though everyone!!

KA · 1 Feb 2011, 12:20 (Ref:2823798)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunterer

I mean as far as TWR race & rally cars are concerned we know most of what we need to know about how many TWR cars were built and what they were for initially. nice to always have new pics come up though!

Now what we need and really want is ths subsequent histories - it may well be that we will be wating a long time as owners might prefer to keep some details/locations etc well and truly under wraps!

Keep up the good work as we go though everyone!!

Using the list of the TWR Group A cars that Dave Puzey posted a few pages back, I think we might be able to pull together the immediate post-TWR history for most of those now, although there are still a few queries. I'll have a look at it later, and see if I can pull it all together, maybe with a few pic links for each car

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