60's Saloons Again!

[DaveM]

and why not.

I posted a couple of pics yesterday of Brian Robinson in an ex-works MkI Lotus Cortina (on the Roll Call thread). Here he is the following year in a MkII ex-works car. 17th March 68 at teh Race of Champions meeting rounding Clearways followed by Fitz, Ewer, Lague, Lanfranchi, Spice, Kay, Wayne, Janzen & Pierpoint.

[DaveM]

Robinson finished 4th, behind Muir, Elford and Gardner.

[DaveM]

This is Frank Gardner driving the Alan Mann version.

[DaveM]

and here is Gardner looking spookily like Anthony Hopkins.

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally posted by DaveM
and why not.

I posted a couple of pics yesterday of Brian Robinson in an ex-works MkI Lotus Cortina (on the Roll Call thread). Here he is the following year in a MkII ex-works car. 17th March 68 at teh Race of Champions meeting rounding Clearways followed by Fitz, Ewer, Lague, Lanfranchi, Spice, Kay, Wayne, Janzen & Pierpoint.

More gems there Dave!
Most of the competitors shown in your photos can be seen on the video 'Classic Saloon Car Racing 60s style'. Rare footage of the old Snetterton is included aswell as Mallory, Brands and Oulton. The film is 40mins, in colour and follows Frank Gardner in the Alan Mann Cortina MkII and famous XOO 349F Escort throughout the '68 season - battling the big Falcons.
Most of the good Motorsport video/bookshops stock it or it is available from the production company PP Video. Tel: 01885 488800 ( Hereford).
Definitely worth a look and I think it is about 15 quid.

[gfm]

Gardener was famous for his oh-so laconic humour.
Described taking the truck driving test in Australia (please imagine all this in the Australian drawl, wont cha?) for those monster truck-trains they use to ferry sheep in large quantities. The verbal part of the test included the following:
"So Mr Gardner, you've just started down a really long incline and your brake warning lights come on. You try the pedal, but there's no pressure. You pump and pump but all the back up systems gone. What exactly do you do next Mr Gardner?"
Frank leaned back and thought for a moment.
"Guess I'd wake me mate up" he said.
The interviewer looked puzzled.
"And why would you do that, Mr Gardner?"
Frank came back " because my mate's never seen a ****ing enormous crash!"

[DAVID PATERSON]

Frank Gardner was a guest speaker at a club meeting a few years ago and he told some fabulous stories in the most dry dead pan manner imaginable. Absolutely top night and if ever get keen enough I'll relate them in this forum.

[Bomn]

Is his famous hat the left over bit from when they make splash mats?

[DAVID PATERSON]

The Historic Sports and Racing Car Association of NSW made up some commemorative Frank Gardner hats to sell and raffle and i was the first winner. Very proud.

[DaveM]

Some more for Gardner fans - in the Boss Mustang at Brands...

[DaveM]

...and the famous Xoo 349F Andrew, at Crystal Palace.

[klaus]

as you mentioned Fank Gardner an the famous FVA Cosworth engined Alan Mann Escorts. Look at this Alan Mann Escort in the colours of Ford Cologne, only resprayed to enter the 500km race at Nurburgring in 1968, drivers were Hahne and Mitter.Unfortunalely both didn´t finish .
it would be interesting : which XOO- 3?? where entered from Ford Germany

[Andrew Kitson]

Hey Klaus,

That is very interesting. I never knew they had one resprayed just for the 'Ring. Thanks very much.
As you say, I wonder which XOO it was? It looks great in those colours.

[Frank de Jong]

It was probably not just resprayed for this race; it was the start of Ford Cologne works racing; the later capris probably had the same colors (until mid-1971).

[klaus]

Yes, it was the start in 1968, when Jochen Neerpash had to build up a racing department for Cologne. But they had no cars at this early moment, so they ordered Twin Cams from Boreham and this FVA Escorts from Alan Mann.
- Look at the right hand steering and the extra pair of air inlets at the bottom of the front panel(here you only can recognize at the middle white stripe ). These were only at Alan Mann`s Escorts.
- And:the "continental" position of the wipers (only at the very early 1967 shells)
- Also: they both had the formula II FVA engines,only Alan put in his cars to compete in the BTCC(it was XOO 349 F and XOO 344 F so far as I remember).
Two month earlier both cars were entered with Lotus Twin Cam engines for the 6 hours TCC event at the Ring, and as this was a FIA event, they were not allowed to take the Cosworth units. So at 500km race they started , refitted with the FVAs, as prototypes (look at "P" sign at the rear).
After this (sept. 1968) they went back to Alan Mann and never reappeared on the continent, I think ,it was also the year, when Alan Mann stopped his racing-engagement. So the only survivor, XOO 349 F should wear some blue and silver colour under it´s actual skin (Alan Mann red-gold), so far as it is a true Alan Mann car and not a fake, unfortunately 90% of the so called "works Escorts" are today.

[Andrew Kitson]

Superb Klaus, you know your stuff.
Alastair Lyall from Leicester has raced most types of car and he had a special saloon Escort back in the mid 70s - the red and yellow car that won the first race at the re-opened Donington in 1977. He claims the shell was one of the Alan Mann Escorts.

[klaus]

hello Andrew,(just saw a misunderstood in your comment)
it were TWO cars entered by cologne, BOTH resprayed .
here is the other one, I photographed in 1968 in the old paddock at the Ring. Look, this is the Mitter car.
Hope you enjoy these rare documents of English-German
"working-together".

[mickj]

Klaus
This is interesting, I did not know Gerhard Mitter raced tourers. I thought he raced Hillclimb, single seaters and Porsches. I have always had a soft spot for Gerhard, as back in the 60's I wrote to Porsche and they sent me some photos, 1 of which was a photo of Gerhard in a hillclimb Porsche. The 'kangaroo' ?

[Andrew Kitson]

Hi MickJ, good to hear from you. I thought that too re: Mitter. 10-tenth's certainly helps expand the knowledge from the good ole days! Anyone know of any contact from Racing Fxgt?- Few posts lately, excellent photos from him.

[racing fxgt]

Hi Andrew
Still here,There's been so much good stuff to look at and read I've been quite lazy,I'll have to have another look through my old mags again and upload some more.I'm going to Pukekohe again Sunday they have another big meeting with F5000 and classics, so i'll take loads of photo's to upload,also in February 1st and 2nd they have the Moto Guzzi 500v8 motor bike going around the track.

[DaveM]

Can anyone confirm if this is Terry Sanger (or just Giant Haystacks)? Certainly a Three Shredded Wheat man who would need a big engine to get him around.

[DaveM]

Since I've revived this thread, may as well put some more on. Here at Bottom Bend, Brands Hatch in Sept 68 is (probably) Brian Robinson (or Tony Dean) leading (probably) John Rhodes (or John Handley).

[DaveM]

Not the usual view from Brands, Brian Muir leads Frank Gardner down the hill from Druids to Bottom (now Graham Hill) Bend.

[DaveM]

Muir leads Gardner again, but in slightly different machinery, at the Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting August 1970.

[Andrew Kitson]

Dave- excellent again! That is Terry Sanger above and the rear view at Brands is infact leaving bottom bend onto bottom straight. This shows how the bottom straight used to be. It ran close up behind the pits before it was moved in '76 to accomodate the inner paddock. Incidentally, do you remember the races that were held on the 'paddock' circuit - must have been 67/68 I guess? Where the Escort is in the distance, the circuit would turn right, up the hill and rejoin just before Paddock. The same piece of road that now links the pit exit to the bottom straight. It was also used in the 80s as part of the rallycross circuit.