Toleman / Royale RP21

[pantah]

I have aquired the ex-Toleman brothers 1976 Royale RP21. Since this was the Tolemans' first venture into motor racing, ultimately leading to their own F1 team, which became Benneton, then the current Renault team, it is quite an important car. we are restoring it back to original Toleman colours etc, but would appreciate any colour photos that anyone may have either in the hands of the Tolemans or Davif Wheeler who used it for a couple of seasons afterwards in the same colours.

I have already spoken to Alan Cornock about this, and he has no photos.... before anyone suggests it !!


Cheers.

Andy

[Alan Raine]

David Wheeler was sponsored by SDC. He also worked for them, although I am not sure if he still does. The company owners were into Motor Racing so might have some photos www.sdc.co.uk

[Andrew Kitson]

Very much doubt if Bob and Dave at SDC have any racing photos at all, especially of the Toleman FF1600s which were before their time. Dave Wheeler left SDC in the late 80s.
Alan C phoned me on this over Christmas. I reminded him that Dave Wheeler bought one of the 3 Toleman RP21s ( he's getting on a bit....joking Al if you are lurking!), I believe yours is the rebuilt one that Bob Toleman had his shunt in at Snetterton Andy? Alan was going to ask 'Wheels' if he had any pics - did he not get hold of him?

As I said to Alan, I don't have any colour shots but there is a nice black & white shot of David in his 21 on P149 of the Royale book 'Nowhere to hide'. It was mainly blue, but with an orange stripe bordered by two white stripes. The Toleman blue can be seen on the side of Rad's FF2000 on page 175, although I'm pretty sure the blue got lighter on this car but darker again on their F2 Ralts. For example the Toleman sponsored DFVW supersaloon was a much darker blue. The picture of Alan & David with the SDC car on page 179 ( with Jonathan Palmer's ex-JSM Joinery truck that David bought) is in the usual SDC blue, but I think the Toleman blue was a touch more
'purple'- a bit more red in it. I'll keep looking for pics.
Why not try a PM to 'Ted Walker' - Ferret photographics. Ted is a member here and has the copyright to many of the archives of the photographers on the scene at that time. He might have some colour ones but will need a race meeting date - i.e race meeting entered by Toleman at the time, race number etc as he has millions of negs tolook through. Give us a shout if you need a hand.

[pantah]

Thanks for the reply. naturally I have a copy of the book, with your VERY nice painting on the front. Don't suppose there are any large format prints of this painting available anywhere ????

I don't have the book here with me, but I have seen the BW photo on page 149. Since posting, Alan has informed me that the new body, in the correct colours is now ready to collect. I am trying to establish what other wording and decals were on the Toleman cars.

Any other info most welcome !!!

Cheers. Andy

[Andrew Kitson]

Here is the photo from the book, taken by John Gaisford.


As can be seen, David Wheeler raced it in 77/78 in the same colour scheme as the 1976 Toleman team of Ted & Bob Toleman with Alex Hawkridge in the 3rd car. Championship stickers can be seen on the chassis side panel - looks like 'Brush Fusegear', 'Townsend Thoresen' with a Duckhams sticker plus 'Ford' on the screen and David's Dish of the day (!) sticker from the Silverstone lady marshals. In '76 though, if the Tolemans had these stickers the 4 main Championships were BRDC Brush Fusegear, BARC DJM Records, RAC British & BRSCC Townsend Thoresen, plus Dunlop 'star of tomorrow' for novices.
If you want to contact Ted Walker for pics I have a programme from Mallory ( April 20/21st 1976 ) where Alex is entered in the Dunlop 'star of tomorrow' Championship. (Car no.3) Also have a Snetterton prog August 1st with Alex (no.14) and Bob (no.15) entered in a non-championship FF race 'The Steve Colyer Trophy'
I guess where DW has his name on the side the Toleman guys would have too. Not sure if 'The Toleman Group' appeared on the cars, can't remember.
And yes, the painting is available as a print, overall size 44 x 60cm.

P.S. Just to correct you though Andy - this FF team was not their first involvement in the sport. That was sponsoring Colin Hawker's special saloon Capri in '74 then the awesome supersaloon DFVW in 75/76,which was built on the tub of the Gordon Murray designed 1972 Duckhams Special Le Mans car.
Sponsoring obviously gave them the bug to have a go themselves. Being involved with the Royale marque they met RP21 designer Rory Byrne who they employed for their F2 team and beyond.

[Andrew Kitson]

Just out of interest here is a pic from our archives here of the DFVW, although the FF would not have been 2-tone blue like this.
http://tentenths.com/forum/attachmen...achmentid=4252

[Jerseyporter]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

David Wheeler was sponsored by SDC. He also worked for them, although I am not sure if he still does. The company owners were into Motor Racing so might have some photos www.sdc.co.uk

This is probably not at all relevant, but I have photo of myself aged about 13 sitting in David Wheeler's Formula Ford car from circa 1982 (not sure of exact year!). My father worked in the feed mill construction industry and was the managing director of a firm who did business with sdc. Once they found out that my dad (and my mum before she had me and my brother!) had been amateur rally drivers, and had always been huge motor racing fans, we started being invited to the sdc coporate box at Silverstone whenever David was racing. We were regular visitors to Silverstone anyway, and always had been (apparently my parents took me there for the first time when I was two weeks old!) particularly for Bank Holiday weekend meets.

Having the added 'bonus' of being able to go 'over the bridge' for nothing courtesy of sdc was great - I loved those days! I remember being instructed about how to get in and out of David's car so that I didn't damage it - I was terrified of doing it some harm!

Those were the days. Sadly I 'grew up' and moved to Jersey for work in 1990 so going motor racing at Silverstone is now only a dim and distant memory - I miss the noise, the smell, the canvas seats in the grandstand and the days when my Dad could park virtually behind the main grandstand on the start/finish straight and us children could just scramble up the grass bank and watch the action from what seemed like feet away with hardly any safety barriers at all between us and the track! It all looks so sterile and distant on TV now. I also remember how we'd (in our naivety as children) wish for rain and then sit at the Woodcote chicane (when it was still there!) and watch cars try to get through it in one piece. It sounds really masochistic putting it like that - no one was every hurt as far as I remember, but it sure looked good!

I have brought my daughters up the right way - both are huge motor racing fans from F1 downwards, basically anything we can watch on TV - but they will never know what I knew as a child watching it in person, and some of that is due to David Wheeler and the generosity of sdc!