Group 5 Zakspeed Escort

[zakspeed65]

Hi,

I am new to 10 Tenths, can anyone out there help with info, photos really anything regarding the Zakspeed Escorts Gp 2 and Gp 5 from years 75 - 78.

Also info no matter what on Zakspeed Escort, Chassis No; ZAK-E23/75.

[kurtiejjj]

Tell me more about your intentions with ZAK-E23/75 I have done quite some research on these zakspeed GP5, I even had some contact which owns not one but two, yes two of these beatiful monsters! Perhaps can I be of help, as well as you to me

[zakspeed65]

Hi,
I own ZAK-E23/75, I have been restoring this car over the last 6 years. I know quite a bit of the history, but always hope to find any info no matter how small. As you will know the Gp 5 Escorts were only around for a short time, so info is thin on the ground.

[zakspeed65]

The info I know so far, (Short Version) ZAK-E23/75 was built by Zakspeed in 75 to contest the DRM, Gp2 championship. The 76 season the car ran in Europa Mobel (White/Blue) livery, 2nd with Klaus Ludwig.
Zakspeed converted this car to Gp5 specs for the 77 season, it was in Mampe livery (Black). Stayed this way until Kassel-Calden 05/77 when it was used as a 3rd car for arrive and drive, by then the space frame Gp5 cars were built.
Was shipped to South Africa and then on to Macau in 78, was sold to Harper Motor Group in Kowloon (Ford Dealer) and was raced all over Asia, mostly Macau and Malaysia with great success.
Leif Norberg, living in KL owned the car from 89 to 91-92? Electrolux livery, carried out some restoration work and raced the car with very good sucess with both BDG and BDM. I believe smaller engine for Class 2 in East Asian Touring Car Championship.
I discovered the car in late 99 while working in Singapore/Malaysia, purchaced the car and sent it home to NZ.
Restoration started in 03.

Car is very close to completion but is now in storage as I am working in Moscow for 3 years.

Cheers,

Gary.

[Frank de Jong]

As far as I know Ford Cologne built one MkII Escort early in 1975 for Ludwig; Zakspeed built his own in the summer in 1975; this car was written off at Zandvoort. Zakspeed took over the "works" mkII, rebuilt the front with his own designs and this hybrid car took Heyer to the championship in 1975.
This car was used by Peter Hennige in 1976, as the third Zakspeed (black/castrol) entry. Both Heyer (black/castrol livery) and Ludwig (white/europamöbel) got new Zakspeed cars, which were indeed rebuilt into Group 5 cars for the first part in 1977.

[kurtiejjj]

Aha, this clears something up zakspeed65 I had never heard of zak escort gp5 living in Russia! But of course it turns out you're the guy in australia who does such a great job rebuilding the car; I've seen lot's of photos in a photo album on the internet! Could it be that your car was also the Ringshausen escort gp5 car? I can't find a photograph at the moment, but I will come back with one to show you.

BTW, you have spoken with the german with the polish name haven't you?

[zakspeed65]

Yes, I have visited them in Germany last year. I am not an Australian but a Kiwi, just thought I should clear that up.
I look forward to seeing photos etc.

[zakspeed65]

Hi,

I thought a few photos might help to jog the memory.

Dunhill Colours are when the car was owned by "Harpers" in Hong Kong, this photo was taken at Macau 79-80? Mampe colours as raced by Zakspeed DRM 77, Other 2 photos show some of the progress on the long road back to race trim.

[Adrian B]

Originally Posted by zakspeed65

The info I know so far, (Short Version) ZAK-E23/75 was built by Zakspeed in 75 to contest the DRM, Gp2 championship. The 76 season the car ran in Europa Mobel (White/Blue) livery, 2nd with Klaus Ludwig.
Zakspeed converted this car to Gp5 specs for the 77 season, it was in Mampe livery (Black). Stayed this way until Kassel-Calden 05/77 when it was used as a 3rd car for arrive and drive, by then the space frame Gp5 cars were built.
Was shipped to South Africa and then on to Macau in 78, was sold to Harper Motor Group in Kowloon (Ford Dealer) and was raced all over Asia, mostly Macau and Malaysia with great success.
Leif Norberg, living in KL owned the car from 89 to 91-92? Electrolux livery, carried out some restoration work and raced the car with very good sucess with both BDG and BDM. I believe smaller engine for Class 2 in East Asian Touring Car Championship.
I discovered the car in late 99 while working in Singapore/Malaysia, purchaced the car and sent it home to NZ.
Restoration started in 03.

Car is very close to completion but is now in storage as I am working in Moscow for 3 years.

Cheers,

Gary.

Hi Gary,
I think I saw this car racing in 1995/6 at either Shah Alam or Johor Bahru in Malaysia in a club event. It was in a fairly bad state and I think it had a rotary in it??? I seem to remember Harvey Yap(?) had something to do with car. He was clerk of course at Johor in the 90's. A friend of mine has been looking for the car in the last few years. I will put him out of his misery. Glad it is being restored, hope to see it on the track soon. Cheers.

[zakspeed65]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. When I found the car it had been fitted with a rotary engine and was in very bad condition. I hope to here from your friend in the future.
Cheers.

[zakspeed65]

Kurtiejjj,
I was reading through the 320 thread, and see that you were going to be looking at some old photos of the Gp2 and Gp 5 era. Did anything come of this?
Anything Zakspeed related?

[kurtiejjj]

Hi, first of all Gary sorry for mistaking you with an Australian I havefound a few photos of the Zakspeeds which were driven (entered) by 'Ringshausen' I will scan them soon, is there any evidence this is also your car? At least it was built from an old Gp 2 shell as well. Or is it another car, perhaps the one that is now in Mampe colours? Are you sure you also talked to the other Zak escort guru with czech name, or just the Mampe escort one? Not very nice to put it like that, but I'm reluctant to disclose their names for their own good.

[zakspeed65]

Hi,

I went to meet the guy,s with the mampe coloured car, i think not the zak guru with czech name!! Can this guy be contacted?
Are there any good sites you have found in your research?

I am very interested to see the car in the photos you have.

[zakspeed65]

Photo of Kart for Kart Idenitiy thread.

[Kiwijediracer]

Kart looks suspiciously like Kaarlson Zip Mirage copy made in NZ during the late 70,s If you have more photos it could help.

[zakspeed65]

Hi,

No more photos at this time but I have found out it may have been built by a guy Richard Tapper!! in CH CH.

[kurtiejjj]

Any chance of getting back to Zakspeed escorts Here we go; I have finally found the photograph of this not so well known livery:



Escort from the Ringshausen racing team, with the driver most propably being Bernd Ringshausen. Can you shed more light on this?

I will PM you the telephone number of the 'guru', I'm not sure if he speaks english though. I had a conversation with him once but had some trouble understanding his german I'm sure it was me, though.

By the way, you should've taken the escort with you to Moscow it's only.. well a lot of miles (still hopeful I'll see it racing one day here in europe)

[zakspeed65]

Thanks for the photo, this something new for me I have never seen this livery.
So this car was built from a Converted Gp2 Zakspeed car??
We may just be heading back to NZ sooner, so work might start up again!!

[kurtiejjj]

Yes I expect this car was built from a zakspeed gp2 car as I found some interesting information in a german book. Team Ringshausen entered a zakspeed gp2 car in 1976, which was converted to national gp5 spec (no huge arches) and entered as an RS1600 in 1977. The photo comes from 1978, so it would be quite logical the RS1600 was converted again, but now to proper group 5 spec. However there is the opportunity of course that Ringshausen may have px'ed the car at zakspeed for for an already existing Gp5 escort.

I was also gobsmacked seeing this car. I think I have to ask some germans over on another forum.

[Frank de Jong]

Ringshausen raced an Mk2 RS1600 (a car which did not really exist - a 1599 16-valve engine - a homologation wonder...) in group 5 national. It looked as a 1976-group 2 from the outside.
He raced a 1300 cc BDA in 1977 (Sekurit pokal) but also a 2-litre Group 5 car - make of that what you want...

[kurtiejjj]

Frank you're right, I was puzzled to see an RS1600 appearing But same could be said for the Zakspeed RS1800, it had 1975cc, not the 1800cc of the road car... And if were taling about homologation, when did you ever see a 4-valve BMW 2002 or BMW 320 or even an Opel Kadett GT/E?

To get back to the Ringshausen Gp5 Escort; it was used in May 1976 in the Nürburgring 1000km race and entered as an RS2000 BDG with the drivers being Ludwig, Hennige and Müller, it was sold to Ringshausen, he did a few DRM races in 1977 and then in 1978 an almost complete season.

Gary is there a possibility that this is your car? I'm thinking this might be the case, as Ringshausen only drove the last few races of 1977, which fits in with the fact that your car was in mampe livery only for the first part of the season. Is there any chance you could establish when in 1978 the car went to South Africa?

Best of all though, Autohaus Ringshausen still exist! I will send an email and see if Mr Ringshausen would be so kind to give some more information regarding his car and racing.

[zakspeed65]

Hi,

I have looked through some old paper work I have on the car and Leif Norberg states in one of his communications that the car was raced Armin Hahne in Macau in late 77, it was then raced at Shah Alam in KL Malaysia by him again. He says it was then sold away.
Macau was 20,11,77 and Kyalami was 5/11/77, so I don't know if Zakspeed sent this car to both events. For sure it was at Macau that much is fact as I know, but I am now trying to find the info i have about it in SA.

The Ringshausen contact sounds good, I will cross my fingers.

[zakspeed65]

Hi,
I have been in touch with Leif Norberg and have got some more info regarding the cars life after it european life.

Leif says the car was a joint effort between Harpers and Rothmans in Hong Kong and was driven by Harvey Yap (MAL) Ian Gray (AUS) and William Mei (MAL) while in Rothmans ownership.
He tells me that he purchased the car in 98 and set to doing a restoration to then race it Asia. Leif believes this to be the Heyer car as there was H Heyer etched into the Castings, Uprights, Hubs etc.

Leif is now trying to locate quite a number of photos of the car from it's Asian time, so I will let you all know as I see them.

[Alex E]

Some years ago I was offered a Zakspeed Escort Mk 2, it was an alloy spaceframed car with steel body dropped on the top. It was completely in pieces but completely original. Anyone know where it is now ?
Alex

[zakspeed65]

Hi Alex,

Is this the car you are talking about?

If so this car is now in Germany.

Cheers,

Gary.