Irish race programmes or news articles - Arthur Collier - Daren Mk2

[rogerwills]

I want to find some 1969-1973 Irish race programmes or news articles where there is a mention of Arthur Collier driving his Daren Mk2 sports racer in any events.

Is there a supplier in Ireland of motorsport memorabilia (programmes etc)?

I've exchanged emails with Arthur and he is looking for whatever he has from his time racing the Daren. But I would be interested in anything else you might be able to provide.

Any assistance greatly appreciated.

Roger

[davyboy]

I have a few old Irish programmes from back then. I just leafed through them now and there's not a whole lot in the ones I have. In any event, here's what there is.

Bisquit Cognac Leinster Trophy Mondello Park 11.07.1971
Sports Cars and Specials race.
#51 A. Collier 1445 Daren Mk2
-------------------
Carlow Trophy Races Mondello Park 'August Monday'.1971
Formula Libre race
#51 A. Collier 1445 Daren Mk2
-------------------
Demolition Trophy Race Mondello Park 17.10.1971
Sports Cars and Specials race
#51 A. Collier 1991 Daren Mk3
-------------------
another Daren reference you may have interest in is this one for Tom O'Leary:
Demolition Trophy Race Mondello Park 22.10.1972
Sports Cars and Specials race
#43 T. O'Leary 1594 Daren
-------------------
There's just very slightly more in this next one. There's a photo of Arthur sitting in a racing car... but you only see Arthur not the car, so its difficult to tell what it could be. There's also a small piece of text, see below.
Phoenix Park Races 02-03.09.1972
" Arthur Collier (Bunclody), won the Duckhams Sports Car Championship at Mondello Park last year and was third in the Dunlop Hawthorn/Irish Shell & BP Trophy race. Drives the works Daren Mk3 this year. "

Strangely, in the programme itself the entry for Arthur in both the Handicap and Players No. 6 Grand Prix is :
#36 A. Collier 1790 Chevron B19 FVC.
There is a Daren entered for Tom O'Leary :
# 43 T.O'Leary 1594 Daren FVA.

[rogerwills]

Thanks, most useful. What I'm trying to establish is the engine the Daren Mk2 was running. I understand it was a Lotus twin-cam but would like to find programmes or other press reports which document this. I will see what I can find on any of the meetings listed.

Any other more detailed reports would be appreciated or anywhere that the engine is mentioned.

Thanks,

Roger

[Farbrooke]

If memory serves me right it was fitted with a Lotus 904 Twin Cam - Vauxhall block / Lotus head development engine - think I have an article mentioning the 904 engine was to be sold to Des Donnelly for the Blydestein Viva HC which I now look after - cannot check this until end of the month but the 1991cc I know is the original 904 engine size although the engine in Donnely's car is 2.3

[MONDELLO MAN]

Tom O Leary Bought The Daren From Arthur, I Am Pretty Sure It Had A Louts Vauxhall Engine , Will Check Photos .

[rogerwills]

I'm primarily interested in the Daren Mk2 and I believe the 1991cc engine Vauxhall / Lotus engine was in the later Mk3.

[rogerwills]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Bisquit Cognac Leinster Trophy Mondello Park 11.07.1971
Sports Cars and Specials race.
#51 A. Collier 1445 Daren Mk2
-------------------
Carlow Trophy Races Mondello Park 'August Monday'.1971
Formula Libre race
#51 A. Collier 1445 Daren Mk2
-------------------
.........................
-------------------
another Daren reference you may have interest in is this one for Tom O'Leary:
Demolition Trophy Race Mondello Park 22.10.1972
Sports Cars and Specials race
#43 T. O'Leary 1594 Daren
-------------------

Any ideas on what the 1445cc engine might have been or the 1594cc?

1594cc sounds like an FVA or a twin-cam perhaps?

[MONDELLO MAN]

1594 was a t/c, I think the 1445 is a misprint.

[rogerwills]

Would be nice to find some supporting documentation for the actual engine he ran in the Mk2. Anyone able to assist?

Roger

[MONDELLO MAN]

Writing in Auto Ireland magazine ,nov 1970, Linguard Goulding refers to the Collier daren having a Brian Hart built engine , Linguard took a keen interest in matters technical so we can be sure he checked his facts.

[Ted Walker]

Martin Raymond ran a 2Litre twin cam in his car in 69.That was the GT car.

[rogerwills]

Originally Posted by MONDELLO MAN

Writing in Auto Ireland magazine ,nov 1970, Linguard Goulding refers to the Collier daren having a Brian Hart built engine , Linguard took a keen interest in matters technical so we can be sure he checked his facts.

Any idea where I can get a copy of this? Or a photocopy / scan?

[Kale]

How much Daren MK2 are build ?
Who are the cars today ?
Any Picture ?

[rogerwills]

There were a total of 16 Mk2 chassis built but only 8 survived. We now know the location of 3 and a fourth seems to have materialised in the last couple of weeks. My car was entered in the Targa Florio in 1970 and 1971 as well as Nurburgring 1000 so has a nice history. I ran it last season with World Sportscar Masters but blew the engine at the Silverstone Classic and it is now being rebuilt with a Lotus twincam (I was running a BDA which was not period correct). I have a lot of pictures as well as a huge amount of history on all the cars but not with me at present (I'm away from home).

The son of Daren founder John Green has a website with some background on them - take a look at http://www.darencars.co.uk/daren1.html

Dave Green also owns one of the remaining Mk2s.

I'm also in regular contact with David Sewell who built the cars. Also Peter Richardson (who ran my car in period), Arthur Collier (another owner in period) etc. David Sewell is threatening to produce a history of Daren.

Another contact is Eli Solomon who owns the only Mk1 built. There are photos of my car as well as other Darens on Eli's website http://www.currypotproductions.com although not too many of the Mk2s.

What is your interest in Darens?

Roger

[Kale]

Hy Roger

I have send you a mail few days.

regards Kale

[John Turner]

Can we identify the 16 chassis nos and who they went to originally? How did we 'lose' 50% of them and what are the surviving chassis nos. and where are they all now? Put some of this together and I think we have another excellent candidate for the Chassis Archive!

[rogerwills]

Mistake in my message I think. The Mk2 there were only 8 made.

Sorry.

[peespeed]

Brian Foley of AutoIreland magazine would probabley be the best bet for sourcing photos of the car, I will try get you an email address and/or phone number

[rogerwills]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Can we identify the 16 chassis nos and who they went to originally? How did we 'lose' 50% of them and what are the surviving chassis nos. and where are they all now? Put some of this together and I think we have another excellent candidate for the Chassis Archive!

John, I've just dug through my files and found quite a lot of the info I put together when I purchased my car so I could send it to Kale who has purchased a chassis and suspects it may be a Daren Mk2 (photos he has sent me certainly look like mine).

I could try to put a few thoughts down on the cars that ran as far as I understand it but I don't have detailed chassis information (or even numbers) for the other cars, just that it was the "Arthur Collier car", or the "Jeremy Richardson car", etc.

Perhaps I will get time over the weekend to do this and post it here and you can then move it to the Chassis Archive if it is suitable.

[John Turner]

Roger, give us what you have on them. I'm sure it would make a great start.

[rogerwills]

OK, will post all I have here within the next few days and someone can then move / edit as appropriate.

It seems that the chassis Kale has is one of the 3 missing Daren Mk's.

There were 8 built. 2 were destroyed in competition and one in a garage fire in Ireland (Arthur Collier's). That leaves 5 survivors.

There are 2 known to exist today - my car (ex-Peter Richardson with Nurburgring 1000/Targa Florio entries) and the car currently owned by the son of Daren founder John Green (Dave). Dave's is the second car of Martin Raymond (first written off).

The 8 Daren Mk2 chassis that were made were numbers D6922 through D7029.

Deciphering the chassis numbers:

Mine is D6924

D=Daren
69 = year of manufacture
2 = model (Mk2)
4 = chassis 4

My car was the second Peter Richardson car, his first was written off at the Mont Ventoux hill climb.

Martin Raymond's first car D6923 was sold to the USA when the second (D7025) was completed. This is missing.

John Green scrapped D7026 after a serious accident at Thruxton. One of the destroyed chassis.

Arthur Collier had D7029 but this was destroyed in a garage fire in Ireland. Another destroyed chassis.

The 3 "missing" cars are Martin Raymond's first, Jeremy Richardson's car and one which went initially to the Springbok Series and was then apparently back in the UK hill climbing.

The chassis Kale has in Germany must be one of these.

David Sewell who worked at Daren in period has helped build a lot of this information and I hope he posts here at some point!

Regards,

Roger

[pantah]

Originally Posted by rogerwills

There were a total of 16 Mk2 chassis built but only 8 survived. We now know the location of 3 and a fourth seems to have materialised in the last couple of weeks. My car was entered in the Targa Florio in 1970 and 1971 as well as Nurburgring 1000 so has a nice history. I ran it last season with World Sportscar Masters but blew the engine at the Silverstone Classic and it is now being rebuilt with a Lotus twincam (I was running a BDA which was not period correct). I have a lot of pictures as well as a huge amount of history on all the cars but not with me at present (I'm away from home).

The son of Daren founder John Green has a website with some background on them - take a look at http://www.darencars.co.uk/daren1.html

Dave Green also owns one of the remaining Mk2s.

I'm also in regular contact with David Sewell who built the cars. Also Peter Richardson (who ran my car in period), Arthur Collier (another owner in period) etc. David Sewell is threatening to produce a history of Daren.

Another contact is Eli Solomon who owns the only Mk1 built. There are photos of my car as well as other Darens on Eli's website http://www.currypotproductions.com although not too many of the Mk2s.

What is your interest in Darens?

Roger

Roger. I realise a LONG time has passed since this was all written, but I bought a bare chassis from 'Kale' in Germany a few years back. Tube framed throughout (no square section). The rear end I am guessing had been very badly damaged at some time and had been the subject of very rough repair and modification. It came with bodywork identical to the MK2, and looks very original. Despite being painted red (many times!) the original gelcoat is a sort of yellow / orange. No one has ever been able to identify the chassis, and I am unable to find a photo of a MK2 to compare it with. Do you have any?

[Phoenix Special]

Update on the Collier Daren MK2 , the engine was a special Brian Hart twin cam , the car was burnt out on its way back from Mondello , the engine was fitted into an Escort rally car.I previously posted as Mondello Man , and was looking for something else when I found the thread.