Group A Rover 3500 SD1/Vitesse - History & Whereabouts - Page 57

KA · 3 Nov 2011, 14:35 (Ref:2981101)

**chunterer** · 3 Nov 2011, 21:34 (Ref:2981264)

More good historical images. Love it!!

Incidentally, totally OT for this thread and i'm still not sure where to put it, there's a shot in Robert's gallery of what appears to be a mid 70's BTCC race at Druids, Brands Hatch with a Mk2 RS2000 leading a Dolly Sprint?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertc...57616885741750

Been racking my brains trying to work out who the Escort pedaller is, and i'm presuming the Dolly is either Rouse or Dron.

Did Tom Walkinshaw run a Mk2 after his green Mk1 at anytime?

Anyone?

KA · 3 Nov 2011, 21:57 (Ref:2981277)

Yes, that one's been puzzling me as well- the interesting thing looking closely is that it's a left-hand-drive RS2000, which seems unusual for one of the BTCC regulars- maybe one of the occasional European visitors?

It seems to have Castrol sponsorship- didn't Erik Hoyer, who drove the Danish Castrol Corollas in the ETCC a few years later, turn up from time to time in the BTCC- but was it a Dolly Sprint or an RS2000 he usually raced in Group 1?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendama...in/photostream

(That Corolla pic gets us back on topic, as it's being lapped by the Walkinshaw/Percy Rover

)

Jesper OH · 4 Nov 2011, 05:53 (Ref:2981343)

Yes, Erik Høyer it is. The car sported this Castrol livery from new in 1976 to 1979, used exclusively on rallycross and dirt tracks (called autocross in Denmark) during 1978.

Jesper

KA · 4 Nov 2011, 12:02 (Ref:2981418)

Thanks Jesper- I had a suspicion you might know that one! Looking at the BTCC results for that period, I think we can narrow it down to results on Høyer's appearance at the October Brands BTCC meeting- the last round of that year's series. He qualified and finished 11th, having impressed in qualifying 'as he absolutely hurled an RS2000 round in dazzling style to claim the best place on the fifth row.'

http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...atch%20MS.html

The 'works' Broadspeed Dolomites here were driven by Rouse and Geoff Lees- I knew he later raced touring cars for Toyota in Japan, but hadn't realised he'd ever driven in the BTCC! Rouse started on the front row and finished 3rd, so I guess the Dolomite chasing Høyer might be Lees?

Looking at the result of that race (and in a bid to get back on topic

) it's interesting to notice the number of drivers in that race who later went on to either drive, or run (in some cases both!) Rovers in the BTCC and/or Europe- Rouse, Walkinshaw, Martin Thomas, Gordon Spice, Win Percy...

**chunterer** · 11 Nov 2011, 19:42 (Ref:2984491)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken clarke

No, I have not seen it since 1984/5, 26 years.

Steve knows I have it, an ex colleague at TWR saw him at the Goodwood FOS & told him. I would like to get it rebuilt over the next couple of years & put him in it at Goodwood.

Maybe???

Too soon?

I'm sure you know of this already!!

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130844

KA · 14 Nov 2011, 17:35 (Ref:2986240)

I was looking through some old BTCC reports in Motoring News over the weekend, and the question of what happened to the Graham Scarborough 'Letwchworth Roofing' car (the ex-Spice/McGrath car) after 'Skid' sold it came to mind, and sure enough the answer lay in a 1987 BTCC report- according to MN, at the Silverstone final round,

'Graham Scarborough had no problems, but every reason to keep the Vitesse in one piece- having already sold it to Modsaloon pilot Barry Barnes'

Another MN report from a couple of weeks later confirms that:

Barry Barnes has acquired the Rover Vitesse campaigned by Graham Scarborough in this years Dunlop BTCC. Barnes is using the Brands Hatch Winter Warmer GT series to acclimatise to his new mount and plans a full Dunlop BTCC campaign in 1988

Of course, having tracked that down, it turns out that Gordon Streeter had posted the answer to the question about 3 years ago...

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

I was actually talking to Skid today regards that car. Just to reiterate without going back through the thread, Matin Thomas built the car in "1983 ish" for Gordon Spice , then went to Clive Faine's Linden Racing who ran it for Neil Mcgrath, then to Letchworth Roofing for the 87 BTCC.
Skid said he never as much scraped the paint on the car all the time he raced it, however he did say it wasn't really a competitive car as it never had the HP of some of the others.
He said he thought the car was sold to Barry Barnes and thinks it was totalled at Mallory Park on a test day or practice, but not sure who was driving it at the time

**chunterer** · 14 Nov 2011, 20:25 (Ref:2986340)

Crikey, well done KA, how on earth did we all miss that!!

Belated thanks Gordon!!!!

So now the question probably moves onto what happened to the remains of that car after the testing shunt?!

Is this the BTCC car that Martin Thomas is said to have in a barn somwehere (also hinted at some time back in this thread)

MG Rover Sport · 14 Nov 2011, 21:29 (Ref:2986387)

Here's a few photo scans that have come my way via an ex-employee of the Austin Rover Press Office, and I knew they would be very much appreciated by my colleagues on here.

Some of them may well have been posted before amongst the previous pages, but I'm sure I can be forgiven if there are the odd duplicate.

First off we have the touring cars, and in no particular order - all courtesy of the Austin Rover Press Office...

MG Rover Sport · 14 Nov 2011, 21:31 (Ref:2986388)

And there's more - all courtesy of the Austin Rover Press Office...

MG Rover Sport · 14 Nov 2011, 21:33 (Ref:2986389)

And finally for the touring cars - all courtesy of the Austin Rover Press Office...

KA · 18 Nov 2011, 14:57 (Ref:2988271)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

I'm sure you're all aware, but for those that aren't, the 1980 TT Group 2 Rover 3500 is listed as Lot No 26 in the H&H auction at next weekend's Race Retro at Stonleigh with an estimate of between £25-30,000. The details are as follows...

Online listing : 1980 Rover SD1 V8S Group 2 Race Car

Going back to the subject of the Group 2 car for the 1980 TT, we've discussed this a few times, and established that it only ever appeared the once as a works-backed Dave Price Racing entry, for Allam & Needell in Unipart colours, before later being sold on to Mark Hales for Modsaloons. Curiously, IIRC Martin Thomas said way back in the thread that it was sold on not by DPR, but by Patrick Motorsport., and coincidentally or not, this pic of Hales in the car at Mallory in '82 shows a Patrick sunstrip
http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/y...etc/img014.jpg )

As I've said before, building a Group 2 car has always stuck me as a curious- and expensive- thing to do for just a one-off outing at the TT, and I've wondered a couple of times if there had been any other plans for the car which never happened- especially if it did switch homes from DPR to Patrick at some point

Here's a thing- the entry list from the programme at the 1981 Donington ETC round- #5. Drivers TBA, Entrant BL Cars, Rover 3.5 V8, Colour white
http://www.racingsportscars.com/cove...981-05-24e.jpg

According to any version of the result I can find online, it was a no-show, but this does suggest that BL maybe had some plans for the car beyond the solitary TT outing... Anyone with access to early 1981 Autosports or MNs able to shed some light on this abortive 1981 Donington entry?

KA · 18 Nov 2011, 15:01 (Ref:2988275)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

And there's more - all courtesy of the Austin Rover Press Office...

Some really nice pics there David- interesting to see the shot of the Rover and Metro Turbo together-
http://tentenths.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1321306221
From memory, we've had a couple of similar pics of a Computervision Metro running in close formation with an unsponsored Rover, which featured in demonstration runs at the Donington Rallysprint meeting in '84.
Presumably your pic is from the same day- IIRC the Rover was blue with a white cage and interior, so probably the 'Gitanes' car

Al Weyman · 18 Nov 2011, 16:16 (Ref:2988306)

KA I seriously think you need to get down to next weekends charity day at Snett and buy a ride in my mates awesome SD1 as you obviously love these old cars, you want be disappointed!

KA · 18 Nov 2011, 17:46 (Ref:2988344)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

KA I seriously think you need to get down to next weekends charity day at Snett and buy a ride in my mates awesome SD1 as you obviously love these old cars, you want be disappointed!

Love to Al, but sadly I'm already committed to be quite a long way from Snett next weekend...
Is that Gerry Cain's car in replica Bastos colours that ran in ModProds?- I remember seeing it race at Lydden in the late 90''s- it's quite a beast

Al Weyman · 19 Nov 2011, 10:25 (Ref:2988697)

Yeah thats the one I will take a few pictures and post up here. If anyone is interested he will be there on the Saturday,

Les Dalton · 19 Nov 2011, 21:17 (Ref:2988879)

Hi Al,
Would you please give Gerry my best wishes, its about 18 years since we raced on the same weekends, it would be great to hear the fabulous rumbling V8 again, has he still got the same mechanic?
Regards from France,
Les Dalton.

KA · 1 Dec 2011, 00:19 (Ref:2993739)

After watching the 1986 Nogaro Supertourisme & ETC clip that Florent posted in the 635 thread, I found this one- the Supertourisme race at Nogaro in '85., with Marlboro Rover much in evidence...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP_5w...eature=related

DPUZEY · 1 Dec 2011, 12:19 (Ref:2993939)

That looks like chassis 14. It looks like the French series did not require interior door trims unlike group A, and unlike all the other cars featured there were no underbonnet footage of the SD1!

KA · 29 Dec 2011, 08:49 (Ref:3005072)

Found these on the 'Roaring Season' forum, linked in one of the Australian/NZ Group A thread- The pink Tim Slako car, leased by 'Inky' Tulloch and Winston Wrigley for the 1986/7 New Zealand races

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/img051-1.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/img038-1.jpg

ken clarke · 29 Dec 2011, 09:26 (Ref:3005074)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KA

Found these on the 'Roaring Season' forum, linked in one of the Australian/NZ Group A thread- The pink Tim Slako car, leased by 'Inky' Tulloch and Winston Wrigley for the 1986/7 New Zealand races

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/img051-1.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/img038-1.jpg

Looks like this is chassis number 008 going by the bumpers, grille & rear wheel spats, however the fuel filler in the side of the rear wing is a little confusing as the TWR cars were all filled from the rear.

KA · 29 Dec 2011, 09:41 (Ref:3005077)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken clarke

Looks like this is chassis number 008 going by the bumpers, grille & rear wheel spats, however the fuel filler in the side of the rear wing is a little confusing as the TWR cars were all filled from the rear.

Hi Ken- the Slako car was originally Charles Sawyer-Hoare's BTCC car from 1983/4, so of Andy Rouse rather than TWR origin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendaman/5407698224/
(IIRC there's been a suggestion it might have actually started life as one of the Patrick Motorsport Group 1 cars before going to CS-H?).

It went to Slako in Australia early in 1985, initially keeping the ex-Sawyer-Hoare red/white/yellow colours, then plain white at Bathurst and finally the distinctive pink paintjob for 1986 onwards

**chunterer** · 29 Dec 2011, 14:10 (Ref:3005154)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KA

Hi Ken- the Slako car was originally Charles Sawyer-Hoare's BTCC car from 1983/4, so of Andy Rouse rather than TWR origin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendaman/5407698224/
(IIRC there's been a suggestion it might have actually started life as one of the Patrick Motorsport Group 1 cars before going to CS-H?).

It went to Slako in Australia early in 1985, initially keeping the ex-Sawyer-Hoare red/white/yellow colours, then plain white at Bathurst and finally the distinctive pink paintjob for 1986 onwards

Yes that's right, just to confirm it was the original Patrick entered/Martin Thomas run G1 3500 which first saw track action in June 1980. Martin Thomas posted about this one as well as advising who drove the other 1 or 2 cars he built.

Here's the current Rover chassis list (by no means complete....) The CS-H car is near the bottom under non TWR cars:

http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....17&postcount=9

ken clarke · 29 Dec 2011, 14:18 (Ref:3005156)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KA

Hi Ken- the Slako car was originally Charles Sawyer-Hoare's BTCC car from 1983/4, so of Andy Rouse rather than TWR origin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendaman/5407698224/
(IIRC there's been a suggestion it might have actually started life as one of the Patrick Motorsport Group 1 cars before going to CS-H?).

It went to Slako in Australia early in 1985, initially keeping the ex-Sawyer-Hoare red/white/yellow colours, then plain white at Bathurst and finally the distinctive pink paintjob for 1986 onwards

Ok, strange that it seems to be using ARG Fleet bumpers, spoilers & spats. Coincidence?

ken clarke · 29 Dec 2011, 14:30 (Ref:3005157)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunterer

Yes that's right, just to confirm it was the oroiginal Patrick entered/Martin Thomas run G1 3500 which first saw track action in June 1980. Martin thomas posted about this one as well as advising who drove the other 1 or 2 cars he built.

Here's the current Rover chassis list (by no means complete....) The CS-H car is near the bottom under non TWR cars:

http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....17&postcount=9

The list is incorrect in certain areas & needs updating.

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