Ansons

Dan Rear · 9 Jul 2007, 11:04 (Ref:1958454)

I don't think we've discussed these much over the years have we. I've always been interested in the later F3 cars, ie from 1981 onwards, not the Brabham copies of the 70s. From memory the SA3 came out in 1981, to be driven by Bernard Devaney, and originally looked quite revolutionary at the time. Not sure if it raced much that year did it, and if so, certainly not with the original body.

In 1982 2 F3 cars were due to run in the UK, Richard Trott and Mike O'Brien I think, plus a 'private' car for Carlos Arguelles. I think the latter was the updated original 1981 car, the former were new. Trott ran out of money, O'Brien ran all year, and scored some good results later on. 2 cars were also run in Euro F3 I recall later in the year, again with vaguely promising results, Langes and an Austrian IIRC. For 83, a few were sold into Europe, plus a good few Supervees in the US and Europe.

So anyone know how many were made in total, around 25-30 I'd guess, and do many still exist?

Chris Townsend · 9 Jul 2007, 15:24 (Ref:1958743)

SA3C F3
1981:
001 Dave Coyne, then 1982 Carlos Arguelles. Put in the skip after Arguelles' practice accident at Thruxton 14.3

1982 Production
002: Richard Trott/Chris Hodgetts/Carlos Arguelles/Gero Zamanga/Dave Coyne
003: Mike O'Brien
004: Claudio "Panda" Langes
005: Langes spare

Unknown Tiff Needell's car at Silverstone 3.10

1983 production SA4
Fernando Canzzaniga
Claudio Langes [works]
Oscar Pedersoli [later James Weaver]
Kris Nissen
Franz Konrad
Team Avia La Chatre had two cars, perhaps a spare.
Pier Alain Lombardi

Chris

Dan Rear · 9 Jul 2007, 16:45 (Ref:1958824)

Jeff Ward had 1 in F3 in 1983 too, used very rarely IIRC. And the next year, didn't Steve Bottoms use one in Class B.

allenbrown · 10 Jul 2007, 08:01 (Ref:1959346)

One of the SA4s then went hillclimbing with a Rover in the back - Alan Payne in 1984, 85 and 86; Paul Gething in 1990.

Steve Wilkinson · 10 Jul 2007, 18:30 (Ref:1959954)

Quote:

Originally Posted by allenbrown

One of the SA4s then went hillclimbing with a Rover in the back - Alan Payne in 1984, 85 and 86; Paul Gething in 1990.

Gething was using it earlier than 1990 as he heavily modified the car in 1988.

I'll see if I can spot him in my programmes.

Dan Rear · 11 Jul 2007, 12:43 (Ref:1960658)

Quote:

Originally Posted by allenbrown

One of the SA4s then went hillclimbing with a Rover in the back - Alan Payne in 1984, 85 and 86; Paul Gething in 1990.

I wonder whether this was a built around a new tub, or one of the F3 ones.

Having done a little more research, I see Ward is entered in 1983, tho' I don't think he raced much if ever that year. For the Donny Euro F3 meet, Kris Nissen and Langes are in works cars, plus 2 Avia cars, though only Huart started. In '84 Ward's now entered in Class B, as is Bill Coombs, both in SA4s. In the early 84 Donny F3 round this time, Byrne and Konrad are in works entered SA4s, the latter could have been his 83 car I guess, plus Matts Karlsson in a Swedish one.

In later years, David Dudley raced one for a good while in Monoposto.

As for Supervees, did anyone see any in Europe, or were they onl;y in the US?

adavies · 17 Jul 2007, 02:06 (Ref:1965307)

There are a number of SV's here in the US. Some are listed here:

http://www.formulavee.org/ballyhoo/r...docs/anson.doc

...and there are several other SA 4 and SA 6 cars not on that list that I know of. Also at least a pair of SA 7 FF's here.

Matt Speakman · 9 Nov 2007, 11:22 (Ref:2063664)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

In '84 Ward's now entered in Class B, as is Bill Coombs, both in SA4s.

In 1985 Bill Coombs drove an Anson SA4B in Class b for my Father

**ghinzani** · 12 Nov 2007, 01:40 (Ref:2065337)

There was a SA6 in 1985 driven by Keith Fine if memory serves me correctly. Mike Rowe racing may have evaluated in for Mark Peters something tells me also.

Miker · 20 Nov 2007, 08:40 (Ref:2071502)

Hi,
This is Mike Rowe.
I did indeed run an SA6 for Keith Fine and also the previous year I ran Tommy Byrne in an SA4, also Slim Borgudd for a couple of races.

The SA6 was a very good car, but with Gary leaving Anson's it became very difficult to get any help from the factory. In the end I returned the car to the factory for repair as the tub had delaminated, and the new owners repainted it and sold it to the USA as a new SuperVee. I never get my money back.
Happy Days!!

**ghinzani** · 20 Nov 2007, 09:12 (Ref:2071517)

Happy Days indeed Mike!! Welcome

Did you experiment with Alfa engines around that time? Do I also recall you had links to Swedish F3? the name Hasse Thaung rings a bell, also Steven Andskar did you run him for a bit?

Miker · 20 Nov 2007, 12:54 (Ref:2071659)

Yes we ran both Alfa and Volkswagen engines.
I was very involved with Sweden, I had lived there from 75 to 78 so I knew a lot of people,and spoke some Swedish, we ran Hasse in the Swedish championship in a Reynard 86 I think and Steven on various occasions both here and in Sweden in Ralts and Reynards.
By the way I am still enjoying F3, I work at Ultimate Motorsport and I was Esteban Guerreri's engineer this year running a Mygale, just to be different.

**ghinzani** · 20 Nov 2007, 13:03 (Ref:2071672)

Thanks Mike, I remember talk at the time that Andskar was very quick, the equal of Thomas Danielsson, and that both would be in F1. However Andskars first year of F3000 was pretty disasterous IIRC. He later went on to Japanese Group C for a bit of a career, but what did you think of his talent vs his wallet in the overall scheme of things? Over 20 years ago but it seems like yesterday, watching his March 87b coming back in bits!

Dan Rear · 20 Nov 2007, 13:10 (Ref:2071682)

Mike I remember you ran Peter Cox in F3, that great year of 1987. He seemed to come from nowhere, had a really good start to the year, then slipped down the field a little.

The 1984 Anson, did you run it on behalf of the works for Tommy B all year?

**ghinzani** · 20 Nov 2007, 13:18 (Ref:2071690)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Mike I remember you ran Peter Cox in F3, that great year of 1987. He seemed to come from nowhere, had a really good start to the year, then slipped down the field a little.

?

As other people got Spiess motors perhaps?

Miker · 20 Nov 2007, 14:32 (Ref:2071737)

With Peter we were running the Tom's motor which was a little top heavy, and unfortunately, we qualified 2nd for his first race in F3 and he thought it was all easy, and as we all know it is not, from there on although we worked very hard, the other circuits did not suit the caracteristics of the engine/chassis, the lighter Volkswagens and Alfas had the edge.
I ran TB from Manaco on. We switched from Alfa to VW for the last part of the season.
The only problem with the SA4 against the Ralts was the pitch sensativity, it had more downforce but it varied a lot with bumps etc. and it was very sensative to small set up changes.

allenbrown · 20 Nov 2007, 18:30 (Ref:2071886)

Welcome Mike!

Miker · 21 Nov 2007, 08:09 (Ref:2072269)

Hello Allen,
I haven't spoken to you for a long time.

allenbrown · 21 Nov 2007, 17:03 (Ref:2072623)

It was about 1982 when we first spoke - about JoBo's McLaren M7A if I recall correctly.

Miker · 22 Nov 2007, 11:58 (Ref:2073449)

Yes, thats right and then when I was in the States, we talked about the Lola 5000 car that had been made into a short oval car and then restored to original.

**ghinzani** · 6 Aug 2008, 18:40 (Ref:2264693)

Didnt the originl Anson project fold at the end of 1977 and Gary Anderson was forced to go back to F1 as a mechanic, I think with Mclaren?

Dan Rear · 4 Mar 2010, 13:44 (Ref:2644815)

I'm just into some early '82 A/Spurts and there's mention of Richard T being exasperated with the Anson team. Seems the car was ready very late, and the whole thing wasn't what he expected. Anyone know anymore? Was it the case that while Gary Anderson was talented designer, his organisational abilities were less good perhaps?

Matt Speakman · 5 Mar 2010, 13:55 (Ref:2645536)

I could have this wrong but I think it's not that the car was ready very late & more that the car was still being assembled whilst being scrutineered at Silverstone for the season's first race.

RICHARD.T · 5 Mar 2010, 17:55 (Ref:2645672)

Hi
all the pre season testing promises etc never happened and the car was still being put together as I was sitting in it as quolifying had started. The scruiteneer was standing in the garage, ticket in hand.
(Richard Branson was also in the garage, as we had got him to come along with the view to him sponsoring me)
I got a letter saying; the agreements like me being the no 1 driver in the team were no longer going to be honered, they started to argue over the agreement as to number of new tyres per race etc and I felt all that had been agreed over the winter, they were trying to change and go back on.
Also, I felt my money was being used to develp the car, as it was not initially as quick as the ralt, rather than go out and wining races. I was quicker in my old self run Ralt and I no longer trusted the team to deliver what had been agreed.

Pete Brennan · 15 Apr 2010, 21:44 (Ref:2673366)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miker

Hi,
This is Mike Rowe.
I did indeed run an SA6 for Keith Fine and also the previous year I ran Tommy Byrne in an SA4, also Slim Borgudd for a couple of races.

The SA6 was a very good car, but with Gary leaving Anson's it became very difficult to get any help from the factory. In the end I returned the car to the factory for repair as the tub had delaminated, and the new owners repainted it and sold it to the USA as a new SuperVee. I never get my money back.
Happy Days!!

Mike, check your PM's please.