1965 Ford Mustang 289

Christian Odin, 1965 Ford Mustang 289, Tour Auto, 1st  Special Stage 2016.

Pour plus de photos du Tour Auto 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Tour Auto, follow this link.

Ford, Dearborn, USA.  The first Mustangs appeared in 1964, even if they were referred to as 1965 models and were either 2 door hardtops or convertibles.  Driver train components were from the Ford Galaxy but the car was designed to have universal appeal, including to women, with bucket seats, room for 4 people and a $2,500 price tag.  The basic model had a low power 2.8 litre 6 cylinder engine but the 289 had a 4.7 litre V8 with better performance.  Top speed for the 289 was a little under120 mph and it had a 0-60mph time of a little over 8 seconds.   It was immediately a successful car with huge sales for Ford and the term "Pony Car" was created for it and its imitators.  The Mustang made its public debut as the pace car at the Indy 500 in 1964 and a convertible appeared in the film Goldfinger.  They were immediately raced and rallied worldwide.  In 1964 the Alan Mann entered Mustang 289 won its class and finished eighth overall in the Tour de France Auto driven by Peter Procter and Andrew Cowan.  The Mustang emblem on the front of the car has become a true automotive icon.

Answers to my New Year's Quiz

If youhaven't seen the quiz yet - click here.

Answers

1. Graham Hill and A.J.Foyt.  1 point for each correct answer..

2. Graham Hill, Phil Hill, Mike Hawthorn and Jochen Rindt. 1 point for each correct answer.

3. Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jacques Villeneuve.  1 point for each correct answer.

4. Clockwise from Top left - Nelson Piquet Jnr, Sam Bird, Robin Frijns, Loic Duval.  It is Loic Duval who has won the 24 hrs.  1 point for each correct answer.

5. Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell.  1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987. 1 point for each correct answer.

6. Top row from the left - Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans,  Laguna Seca,  the Charade circuit at Clermont Ferrand, Middle row from left - Dijon-Prenois, Zandvoort, Sonoma Raceway.  Bottom row from left - Autodrome Linas-Montlhéry, Magny-Cours, Brands Hatch. 1 point for each correct answer.

7. Jean-Eric Vergne, 2012, 2013, 2014, 6th place. 1 point for each correct answer.

8. Macau Grand Prix,  Antonio Felix Da Costa, Vern Schuppan , Geoff Lees, Ricardo Patrese have won it twice.  1 point for each correct answer.

9. The Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst, Armin Hahne, Denny Hulme. 1 point for each correct answer.

10. Sébastien Bourdais (2008, Magny Cours in a Torro Rosso), Alain Prost, René Arnoux and Jean-Pierre Jabouille.  1 point for each correct answer.

11. Jackie Stewart, Jean-Pierre Beltoise, Ronnie Peterson, Patrick Depailler, Alain Prost and Lewis Hamilton. 1 point for each correct answer.

12. Denny Hulme, Brabham, Lola, Rover, Oulton Park, Silverstone, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1986. 1 point for each correct answer.

13. Keke Rosberg, Brian Henton, Patrick Tambay and Johnny Cecotto. 1 point for each correct answer.

14. Japanese Grand Prix, Niko Rosberg.  1 point for each correct answer.

15. Imola (San Marino GP and Italian GP), Dijon-Prenois (French GP and Swiss GP), Nurburgring (German GP and Luxembourg GP).  1 point for each correct answer.

16. Jean Alesi, Olivier Panis and Juan-Pablo Montoya.  1 point for each correct answer.

17. Jacky Ickx, Giancarlo (Clay) Regazzoni and Ronnie Peterson. 1 point for each correct answer.

18. Niko Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado.  1 point for each correct answer.

19. Porsche, Ford and Lola Chevrolet. 1 point for each correct answer.

20. Jack Brabham, John Surtees, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Ludovico Scarfiotti.  1 point for each correct answer.

21.  Top row from left - Spice, Alpine-Renault.  Middle row from left - MG, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo.  Bottom row from left - Porsche, Jaguar.  1 point for each correct answer.

Maximum point are 101. I think you did very well if you got 65 or more.  Certainly a veritable expert if you got over 80.

Do take some time to click on the letters at the top of this page and then click on a car to search this blog

Maserati Gran Tourismo MC Trofeo GT4

Mark Klenin, Maserati Gran Tourismo MC Trofeo, Sonoma 2016, Pirelli World Challenge.

Pour plus de photos du Pirelli World Challenge 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge, click on this link.

Maserati, Modena, Italy.  This car is the racing version of the road going Gran Tourismo S and was designed for a 2010 one-make series.  It has a 4.7 litre V8 488 bhp engine powering its steel chassis and carbon fibre body.  The body has been lightened and given more aerodynamic aids compared to the base road car.  The windscreen and windows are all lightweight lexan.  The one make series ended with the 2015 championship.  Since then the cars have been raced in GT4 spec in series such as the Pirelli World Challenge and the European GT4 championship.  In GT4 spec the power is reduced to 430bhp.  A beautiful car like almost all Maseratis. 

Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback

Shelby Mustang 350GT Fastback, Rallye du Médoc 2015

Pour plus de photos du Rallye du Médoc 2015, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2015 Rallye du Médoc, click on this link.

Shelby, Los Angeles, USA. Shelby made high-performance versions of the sixties icon, the Ford Mustang from 1965 until the very early seventies.  The car pictured is the fastback version of the Shelby Mustang GT350 and is the version produced from 1967 to 1968.  The engine was a high performance 300hp 4.7 litre V8 Ford.    They had a top speed of just under 130mph and a 0-60mph time of just over 7 seconds.  In the USA in 1967 one would have set you back about $4,000.  The Shelby version had more aggressive styling than the standard Mustangs and from 1967 onwards were known just as Shelby GTs rather than Mustangs.  Ford produced the basic car and then deliveredcit to Shelby for upgrading.

Riley One Point Five

Riley One Point Five, Rallye du Medoc 2015.

Pour plus de photos du Rallye du Medoc, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2015 Rally du Medoc, click on this link.

Riley, BMC, Abingdon, England.  The Riley 1.5 was produced from 1957 to 1965. It used many of the parts of the Morris Minor but had a different body, larger engine and an MG gearbox. It was similar to the Wolsey 1500 but had twin SU carburettors which gave the engine 68hp. Top speed was over 80mph  The cars were often raced and rallied and can still be seen on historic events today.  Les Leston won Class B of the 1959 RAC British Saloon Car Championship in one and Pat Moss won some Ladies Cups rallying one the same year.

Cadillac ATS-VR GT3

Johnny O'Connell, Cadillac ATS-VR GT3 winning at Sonoma 2016 in the Pirelli World Challenge.

Pour plus de photos des GTs à Sonoma 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of GT cars at Sonoma in 2016, click on this link. 

Cadillac, GM, New York, USA.  In Europe we know Cadillac as a luxury car maker but in the USA they have had a successful racing program for many years.  The ATS model is a compact luxury sedan that has been in production since 2013.  For the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac has built a FIA GT3 version of the ATS-V coupe powered by a 3.6 litre twin-turbocharged V6 producing 600hp.  Cadillac have chosen to built a GT3 model for the first time so that they can if they wish sell and race versions of this car worldwide and thus build the brand.  The body is a production one but with reinforcement and a safety cage.  There is also the addition of an aero package to add downforce.   Top speed is around 170mph. Johnny O'Connell won the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge GT class in this car and came fourth in 2016.  His team mate, Michael Cooper came third in 2016. Between them they have nine victories.  

KTM X-Bow GT4

Martin Barkey, KTM X-Bow GT4, Sonoma 2016, Pirelli World Challenge.

Pour plus de photos de Sonoma 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of Sonoma GT racing in 2016, click on this link.

KTM, Graz, Austria.   KTM is a motor cycle manufacturer whose first  four wheel model was the spartan, lightweight and technologically advanced X-Bow. Together with Reiter Engineering they have produced a GT4 version of the car for racing.  It has a 4 cylinder 2 litre 335hp VW/Audi engine and an aerodynamic lightweight body and chassis.  Compared to the street legal X-Bow there is much more bodywork on the GT4 version. The car won the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class in 2016 driven by Brett Sandberg who had 3 victories over the year.

1956 Fiat 306/2 Bartoletti

Fiat 306/2 Bartoletti transporter at the Le Mans Classic 2016

Pour plus de photos du Mans Classic 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more pictures of the 2016 Le Mans Classic, follow this link.

Fiat, Turin, Italy.   This is a very famous and much travelled racing car transporter.  Maserati actually owned it first and had Bartoletti convert the 1956 Fiat bus chassis into a racing car transporter.   After Maserati withdrew from F1 racing in 1957 they sold the transporter to Lance Reventlow who needed one for his Scarab cars. Scarab raced in F1 in 1960 and in Formula intercontinental in 1961. In 1962 Scarab folded and the transporter was bought by Caroll Shelby. Shelby added the third axle which was needed for the weight of his Cobras.  After Shelby stopped using it, it went to Team Lotus and then Alan Mann Racing.   The next owner was David Piper, who rented it to Steve McQueen for the film Le Mans.  In the film it appears in a number of different colour schemes!  The Fiat originally had a Fiat 12 cylinder engine but at some stage that was replaced by a 11.5 litre Leyland 6 cylinder.   

1957 Fiat 642 RN2 Bartoletti

Superb 1957 Ferrari Transporter at the 2016 Le Mans Classic

Pour plus de photos du Mans Classic 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Le mans Classic, click here.

Fiat, Turin, Italy.  The best off-track display at the 2016 Le Mans Classic was undoubtedly that of the racing car transporters, including this beautiful Fiat truck used by Scuderia Ferrari.  This Fiat bus chassis was bought by the Scuderia Ferrari in 1957 and transformed by coachbuilder Bertoletti at Forli into their race car transporter which was used until the early sixties.   As well as transporting the cars it gave the mechanics a portable workshop and a place to sleep.  So much more inspiring than the modern versions! The Fiat had a 92hp 6 cylinder diesel engine and it could transport three GP or sports racing cars around Europe to famous tracks such as Spa, Monaco and the Nurburgring.  Must have been amazing to see one of these fully laden on the road.  Unlike the Ferraris it carried it had a very modest top speed of just 85 kph.

1937 Delage D6-70 Cabriolet Le Dandy Chapron

Beauiful Delage D6-70 Cabriolet Le Dandy Chapron in the car park at the Le Mans Classic 2016.

Pour plus de photos du Mans Classic 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Le Mans Classic pre-war cars, click here.

Delage, Paris, France.   The D6-70 was produced between 1937 & 38 and was a follow on from the D6-60S.  This was the era when Delages shared many parts with Delahayes but this model had a 2.7 litre 6 cylinder Delage engine.   Bodies were offered by a number of coachbuilders including the Chapron cabriolet version seen here with its torpedo wings.  Only about 3 of this particular example were made.  Henry Chapron had a coachbuilding business in Lavalois-Perret where Delage started off.  The Le Dandy name was used later on a number of Citroen DS Cabriolets produced by Chapron.

Ligier JS53 Evo 2

Ligier JS53 Evo 2, Magny Cours, TTE Racing 2016

Pour plus de photos de Magny Cours TTE racing, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of TTE racing at Magny Cours in 2016, click on this link.

Ligier, Magny Cours, France.  The JS53 Evo 2 follows on from the JS53, JS51 and the JS49. The project was one in conjunction with Onroak Automotive.  It is designed for CN sports prototype class racing such as the VdeV series or hillclimbs and has a 2 litre 255 bhp Honda 4 cylinder engine.  More powerful versions exist for hillclimbs.  This good looking car has a carbon fibre monocoque and glass fibre body.  Compared to the JS53 it has better aerodynamics and improved electronic management system.  First produced in 2013. 

1952 Jaguar XK120 C Type

Nigel Webb, Jaguar C Type - Le Mans Classic 2016

Pour plus de photos du Mans Classic 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Le Mans Classic, click on this link.

Jaguar Cars, Coventry, England.  The C of C type stood for Competition, there was no A or B type.  It was the first Jaguar to win Le Mans, doing so on its first attempt in 1951 and then again in 1953.  Th chassis had the engine and running gear of the Jaguar XJ120 in a special tubular frame and lightweight low drag aluminium body.  The 6 cylinder 3.4 litre engine was specially tuned to produce over 200bhp.  Over 50 C types were made in period and many replicas since.  As well as wining at Le Mans, C Types won the Tourist Trophy in 1951 and the Reims 12 hours in 1953 plus many minor national and international races. The car pictured above was the first privately owned C-Type Jaguar and was owned by Duncan Hamilton.  In his autobiography Duncan Hamilton said the C Type was last sports racing car that was equally as home being driven on the road and on the track.  

1986 Spice-Ford Cosworth 86C Group C2

The Chamberlain Engineering Spice-Ford Cosworth 86C, Brands Hatch 1000kms 1987.

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For more photos of the 1987 Brans Hatch 1000 kms, click on this link.

Spice Engineering, Brackley, England.  Gordon Spice had been a successful racing driver and entrant when he produced his first car with his brother Martin Spice and Ray Belm in 1986 for Group C2.  It was the Spice 86C and was powered by a 3.3 litre Ford Cosworth DFL engine. Similar cars were built for the IMSA Lights class with Pontiac engines. The team won victories at Silverstone and Jerez in their first season but only finished second in the championship.  The next year using both the 1986 car and the newer 87C they won the championship.

Radical SR3 RS

The Radical SR3 RS of Team Saint Aubin at Magny-Cours at the TTE meeting in 2016 

Pour plus de photos de la Trophée Tourisme Endurance à Magny-Cours, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the TTE meeting at Magny-Cours in 2016, click on this link.

Radical Sportscars, Peterborough, England.  Radical have been producing sportscars since the late nineties.  The SR3 was their third model and was built starting in 2002.  It is a two seater open sports racing car built to international racing standards and can race in the FIA C3 class.  Power is provided by a 1.3 litre Susuki 210hp motor-cycle engine.  Top speed is around 155mph and 0-60mph is just a little over 3 seconds so great performance for a car that can even be converted for road use.  There has been a one-make series for these cars.

Peugeot Spider THP

Romain Ronchin in a Peugeot THP Spider at Magny-Cours 2016 during the TTE meeting.

Pour plus de photos de la TTE Free Racing à Magny-Cours, suivez ce lien.  

For more photos of Free Racing at Magny-Cours, click here.

Peugeot Sport et Mygale, France.  THP stands for Turbo High pressure.  The THP Spider series was the follow on from the 207 Spider Cup.  The 207 Spider originated in 2007 and was a cooperation between Peugeot Sport and Mygale at Magny-Cours who designed and built the cars.  The THP engine is a turbocharged 1.6 litre injection engine that was a partnership between Peugeot and BMW.  In the Spider it generates 220hp.

1963 Wainer Formula Junior

Richard Smeeton in the Wainer during the Formula Junior race at the 2016 Dijon Motors Cup meeting.

Pour plus de photos de la Formule Junior voitures à Dijon, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the Formula Junior cars at Dijon, click on the link above.

Wainer, Milan, Italy.  Wainer is the Italian racing car manufacturer founded by Gionfranco Mantovani.   Their first cars were produced for Formula Junior in 1958.  There were a number of rear engined designs they produced for Formula Junior from then until 1963.   Drivers included Corrado Manfredini, Colin Davis and Ernesto Brambilla. The cars scored some wins as they tended to be relatively up to date designs and have the better Cosworth tuned 1,100cc Ford engines. The cars all had space frame chassis.  The body and nose of the 1963 car look very 1961 F1 Ferrari 156 inspired.   The gearbox was from a Fiat 600.  After the Formula Junior era, Wainer went on to produce F3 cars.

1973 Jensen- Healey

A Jensen-Healey racing in the Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge at Dijon in 2016 driven by Kim Christensen.

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For more photos of the Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge at Dijon in 2016, click on the link above.

Jensen Motors, West Bromwich, England.  This two seater convertible sports car produced between 1972 and 1976 was the best selling Jensen of all time.  The design was a join venture between Donald and Geoffrey Healey and Jensen Motors. Production was at Jensen's West Bromwich plant,  A lightweight alloy 2 litre 16 valve Lotus 907 4 cylinder engine was the powerplant. Performance was just under 120mph top speed with a 0-60 mph time in about 8 seconds.   Jensen-Healeys raced mainly in the USA where they were successful in winning the SCCA class D Production Car Championship in both 1973 and 1974.   Some continue to race today.

1973 March-BMW 732 Formula Two

March-BMW 732 racing at Dijon in Historic F2 in 2016 driven by Nick Osborn.

Pour plus de photos de la catégorie Formule 2, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of Formula Two cars at Dijon, click on the link above.

March Engineering, Bicester.  For the 1973 season, BMW gave March exclusive use of their new 2 litre Formula Two engine.  March produced a straightforward aluminium monocoque chassis.  Both Harvey Postelthwaite and Robin Herd were involved in the design and development of the car.    The works team had STP sponsorship and the driving talents of Jean-Pierre Beltoise, Jean-Pierre Jarier and Hans-Joachim Stuck.  There were lots of private 732s as well as March had to buy a minimum of fifty entries from BMW and thus needed the sales.  At the first race of the season at Mallory Park, Beltoise took pole position but Jarier took the win.  Jarier went on to dominate the Championship with seven outright victories.   Privateers such as Vittorio Brambilla and Jacques Coulon also had success with the car and took a win each.  The car was very successful as it had good braking and good acceleration out of the corners due to the BMW engine.

1999 Crosslé 9S-Ford "late run series"

David Strange, 1999 Crosslé 9S, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville 2016.

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville, suivez ce lien.

For more pictures of the VHC hillclimb cars at Etretat, click on the link above.

Crosslé, Hollywood, Northern Ireland.  Crosslé was founded in 1957 by John Crosslé and still operates from its original factory.  They claim to be the longest established specialist constructor of racing cars in the World. Many famous drivers competed in Crosslé cars including Nigel Mansell.  The original Crosslé 9S was conceived in 1965 to compete in 2 litre Group 6 sports car racing.   In 1966 drivers such as Peter Gethin and John Watson drove them, achieving some success at circuits such as Dunboyne in Northern Ireland and Crystal Palace.  The cars also raced in the USA.  Since the late nineties Crosslé have been producing late run series 9S cars from the original factory.  There has been an Irish Championship for them and since 2005 the HTP version can also be raced in Historic racing.  The cars have a tubular steel spaceframe and fibre glass body.  Various engine options are available including 2 litre BMW, Ford Twin Cam or Ford Zetec.  

Ligier JS49-Honda CN

Bruno Berton, Ligier JS49, Course de Cote de Sancerre 2016

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Fo more photos of the 2016 Sancerre speed hillclimb, click on the link above.

Automobiles Martini, Magny Cours, France.  In 2004 Guy Ligier acquired a majority shareholding in Martini and started building cars at their factory using his Ligier brand name.  One of the cars they produced since 2007 for amateur sports car racers is the Ligier JS49.  It is built to CN regulations and sold in Europe and USA.  It competes in hillclimbs, VdeV racing, Britsports and SCCA C sports.  It has an aluminium chassis, composite body, 6 speed sequential gearbox, and a 2 litre Honda V-tech engine producing 240bhp.  The car won the 2008 VdeV championship.

1967 MGC GT Sebring

Darren Brock, MGC GT Sebring, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville 2016.

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville, suivez ce lien..

For more photos of the 2016 Etretat speed hillclimb, click on the link above.

MG, Abingdon, England.  The MGC was a more powerful 2.9 litre 6 cylinder version of the MGB and was produced from 1967 to 1969.  To promote the model the BMC competition department developed an endurance racing version.  They reduced the weight by replacing the steel body panels with those made of aluminium.  The engine had an aluminium head and triple weber carburettors.  About 6 of these cars were made plus additional spares.  The first outing for the competition version of the 6 cylinder car was the 1968 Sebring 12 hours.  Amazingly the car finished 10th overall and first in its class driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Andrew Hedges.  The car also finished 6th overall in the 84 hour Marothon de la Route at the Nurburgring driven by Hedges, Tony Fall and Julien Vernaeve.  The last major race for the car was the 1969 Sebring 12 hours where Hopkirk and Hedges finished in 15th place overall. 

1987 Alpine Renault V6 GTA Turbo

Tim Jeffrey, 1987 Alpine Renault V6 GTA Turbo, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville 2016. 

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Etretat speed hill climb, click on the link above.

Alpine, Dieppe, France.  This was the first car produced by Alpine after the purchase by Renault.  It was an update of the A310. It had either a 2.8 litre Renault V6 engine or a smaller 2.5 litre V6 turbocharged engine. The latter produced 200bhp and powered the car to a top speed of over 150mph and a 0-60mph time of just over 6 seconds.  The car was lightweight with glass fibre and polyester body panels.  The body was quite aerodynamic and was a 2+2 coupé.  The handling was reputedly quite good.

1929 Frazer Nash Super Sports Special

Mark Roper, 1929 Frazer Nash Super Sports, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville.

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the Etretat Hillclimb in 2016, click on the link above.

AFN Ltd, Iseleworth, England.  The Frazer-Nash  Super Sports was produced from 1928 to 1930. They normally had 1.5 litre 4 cylinder engines but the one pictured has a Ford 3.3 litre engine.

Austin Seven Specials

Richard Wyatt, 1931 Austin Seven Special, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville 2016.

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Etretat speed hill climb, click in the link abobe.

Austin Seven Specials, UK.  The Austin Seven was a reasonably priced car produced from 1922 to 1939.  It had a 750cc engine.  Partly because it was a cheap available car pre-war and partly because of the 750 Motor Club after the second World War, many Austin Seven Special have been built.  Above is a single seater version raced regularly by Richard Wyatt.  Below is a Pigsty Special also based on the Austin 7.

Paul Geering, Austin Seven Pigsty Special, Course de Cote d'etretat-Benouville 2016.

1931 MG Midget Montlhéry C-Type

Chris Cadman, 1931 MG Montlhéry, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville VHC 2016.

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the old cars at the Etretat speed hill climb, click on the link above.

MG, Abingdon, England.  In February 1931 George Eyston achieved over 100mph at Montlhéry in a modified MG Midget.  This led to the revised 2 seater C type Midget being known as the "Montlhéry".   The car had a 750cc supercharged engine and even the road car could achieve 90mph. 0-60mph was in about 20 seconds which was good for the era in a car of this capacity.  In 1931 this car would cost you £575.  It was wonderful little sports car of the early thirties. They were entered in many races and won a number of them such as the 1931 RAC Tourist Trophy driven by Norman Black.  They were raced at Le Mans and Brooklands as well. Great to see one today.

1929 Morgan Super Aero

Sue Darbyshire, Morgan Super Aero, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville VHC 2016.

Pour pus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville, click on the link above.

Morgan, Malvern, England.  The Morgan Super Aero was a motor cycle engines three wheeler that was a cheap fast car in the twenties.  The exposed motor cycle engine was ahead of the of the front axle and powered the single rear wheel.   As well as good performance they benefitted from being taxed like a motor cycle.  They can be powered by various 2 cylinder engines including JAP, Blackburne, Anzani and Harley Davidson.   They had a two speed gearbox. The Super Aero had a tubular steel chassis and lowered streamlined bodywork.  In the twenties ad thirties they were regularly used in trials, hillclimbs and on racetracks such as Brooklands and Donington Park.  This tradition continues.  Sue Darbyshire has been competing successfully with this car for around 15 years which has a 1.2 litre engine.

1953 Cooper Bristol T23 Mk2

Stephanie Wilton, Cooper Bristol T23 Mk2, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville 2016

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Etretat speed hill climb, click on the link above.

Cooper, Surbiton, England.  This was the car that Cooper produced for the 2 litre Formula Two of the early fifties that became the Grand Prix Formula in 1952 and 1953. The Mk2 had a tubular space frame and front engine rear wheel drive like most cars of the time but unlike the F3 Cooper that preceded it.  The T23 was an upgrade of the T20  which had a box frame chassis.  Mike Hawthorn used the F2 Cooper Bristol car to great effect in 1952 and earned his 1953 works Ferrari drive as a result.   The Bristol 6 cylinder engine produced about 135bhp and was developed from the pre-war BMW 328 engine.  Top speed of the car was about 140mph which was not enough to beat the contemporary Ferraris and Maseratis very often.  Best GP result for the Mk1 was third place in the 1952 British GP of 1952 driven by Mike Hawthorn.  He also won the Lavant Cup at Goodwood and International Trophy at Silverstone.  in 1953 Ken Wharton won at Charterhall and Bob Gerard won at Castle Combe and Snetterton but these were minor races.

1938 Morgan F4 Three Wheeler

Nancy Thomas, Morgan F4 Three Wheeler, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville VHC 2016.

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville 2016, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Etretat speed hill climb, click on the link above.

Morgan, Malvern, England.   The F4 was a 3 wheeler produced by Morgan from 1933 to 1952.  It was called the F4 as it had a four seater body.  A 933cc Ford 4 cylinder motor was used at the front to power the rear wheel.  They were taxed as motor cycles and thus attractive to those on tight budgets until mass produced cheap 4 wheelers began to take their market..  This was the Morgan that moved away from the exposed motor cycle engines seen on previous models.  The chassis was steel.  Lovely to see one take part in a Hill Climb even though this was a Morgan known for its reliability rather than performance.

PBR Proto

Alain Bonnet, PBR Proto, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville 2016.

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Etretat Hillclimb, click on the link above.

PBR, France.  I have seen this pretty little car at a number of hillclimbs and slaloms.  It has its own facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/sportprotopbr/posts - but otherwise I can't find out much about it on the web.   Currently, I am assuming this is a homemade racer with an engine less than 1,600cc.  Perhaps it was originally made before 2004 as it is accepted into Class CNF1. 

1976 Matra-Simca Bagheera S

Liz Owler, Matra Simca Bagheera S, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville 2016.

Pour plus de photos de la Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville, suivez ce lien.

For more photos of the 2016 Etretat speed hill climb, click on the link above.

Matra-Simca, Romorantin, France.  The Bagheera was a seventies mid-engined rear wheel drive 3 seater sports car produced mainly from Simca components.  The body was polyester mounted on a steel chassis.  Engines were either 1.3 litre or 1.5 litre Simca 4 cylinders made in Poissy.  It had a top speed of around 116mph and took about 12 seconds for 0-60mph.  The car drove well but the steel chassis rusted badly.  

1960 Cooper T56 Formula Junior

Alan Harrison, Cooper T56 Formula Junior, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville 2016.

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For more photos of the 2016 Etretat speed hill climb VHC cars, follow the link above.

Cooper, Surbiton, England.  The was the second Cooper Formula Junior car, replacing the T52,  and raced in 1960 and 1961. It looked very much like the contemporary Cooper F1 car.  There were both works cars and those sold to privateers.  Steve McQueen raced one in the USA.  In Europe Tony Maggs won eight races and tied Jo Siffert in the  European Formula Junior Championship driving one.  Many other famous drivers drove them including Denny Hulme, Richard Attwood, John Love, John Rhodes, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Walt Hangsen. They normally had 1.1 litre Ford Cosworth or BMC engines.

Brussels Beer Bike

Feestfiets - Brussels Beer Bike / Bar on Wheels / Party Bike / mobile Bar

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Something a little unusual for a summer Sunday!   The beer bike is made for 20 people and ten of them have pedals.  Rather slower than the usual vehicles I feature as apparently the average speed of this one is just 4.5mph.  They can be seen in a number of Belgium locations - we saw ours going around Brussels.  So this is a way of drinking on the move and sight-seeing at the same time.  Nice idea.  Feestfiets.be if you are interested.

Alfa Romeo 4C Type 960

Alfa Romeo 4C at Mont Dore with Lac Chambon in the background.

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For more pictures taken at the 2016 Mont Dore Hillclimb, click on the link above.

Alfa Romeo, Modena, Italy.  This Alfa Romeo has been made at the Maserati plant since 2013.  It is a mid-engined rear wheel drive 2 seater sports car.  It has a top speed of 160 mph and a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds.  It has a turbocharged 4 cylinder in line engine of 1.75 litres mounted transversely.  One had been driven around the Nurburgring Nordschliefe circuit in 8 minutes 4 seconds which is the fastest for any production car with an engine of under 250bhp.  This is the first Alfa Romeo for some time to be available in the USA.

1988 GKW-Porsche 862 Group C2

Massimo Guerra, GKW 862, Le Mans Classic 2016.

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GKW, Monza, Italy.  This vehicle was conceived by Italian Gabriele Gottifredi in 1985 in his Olgiate Molgora workshops and built over the next few years.  Only one example exists.  It was designed to be a very light, relatively low cost Group C2 car which could accept various Porsche flat 6 engines. It has a simple aluminium alloy monocoque.  During the late eighties it appeared and tested at various circuits but never actually raced during the Group C époque, probably as it failed to get adequate financing.  We are now lucky to see it race in historic Group C racing and it finished eleventh at the Group C race supporting the 2016 Le Mans Classic.  It races with a 3.3 litre Porsche flat 6 engine from a 956.  Other 956 parts were also utilised.

1982 Rondeau M382-Cosworth Group C

Mr John of B, Rondeau M382, Le Mans Classic 2016.

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For more photos of the Group C cars at Le Mans in 2016, click on the link above.

Rondeau, Le Mans, France.  After winning at Le Mans in 1980, Rondeau produced a new design for the new Group C formula.  However the M482 was not ready in the first year so they used the existing chassis with a modified body and new suspension in 1982.  This was the M382.  Rondeau even sold some customer cars and thus some were raced at Daytona that year where they were classified 31st and 34th but later in the year came 3rd at Sears Point.  The works cars were more successful in Europe.  In round 1 of the World Endurance championship at Monza, Henri Pescarolo and Giorgio Francia won in the new Rondeau. They also finished second in the Nurburgring 1000km but were the first Group C car home and fifth at Silverstone where they were the third group C car home. This gave them the championship lead going into Le Mans. Unfortunately, the reliability of the Cosworth engine proved not to be sufficient for the 24 hours and the two OTIS works cars retired, and a private entry could only finish 15th.  A fifth place at Spa meant that they only finish second to Porsche in the Championship.  But what a great effort for this small manufacturer.  Otis were disappointed that they lost only because Porsche could score with a non-Group C car at the Nurburgring.

1989/1991 Cheetah G606 / SGR001 / ROC 002

Eric Richenbacher, 1989 Cheetah G606, le Mans Classic Group C Racing 2016.

ROC / Chuck Graemiger, Switzerland.  This rare Group C rare was produced by Chuck Graemiger and Racing Organisation Course and went through a number of name changes.  It only appeared at Le Mans and Magny Cours in 1991 where it started but failed to finish.  The drivers were Pascal Fabre and Bernard Thuner.  It had a Cosworth DFR engine and a carbon fibre monocoque.  The car was designed to sell to privateers but Group C was declining and it never happened.   It now appears as a welcome participant in historic racing.  First known as a Cheetah like Chuck's first Aston Martin engined car, it quickly became an ROC and an SGR.

1993 Peugeot 905 Evo 1 Bis Group C

Dominique Guénat, Peugeot 905 Evo Bis, Le Mans Classic Group C Racing 2016.

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Peugeot,  Vélizy-Villacoubray, France.  The Porsche 905 made its debut part way through the 1990 Sports Car championship and proved immediately to one of the fastest 3.5 litre cars.  In 1991 they completed a full season but were not as fast as the Jaguars. They did however win at Susuka but retired at Le Mans. Towards the end of the season they improved the aerodynamics with the Evo B model.  It then went on to win at Magny Cours and Mexico and thus Peugeot clinched second place in the Championship.  In 1992 with the main competition from Toyota, Peugeot won 5 out of 6 rounds of the Championship including the Le Mans 24 hours.   Yannick Dalmas and Derek Warwick won the drivers championship and with Mark Blundell, Le Mans as well.  In 1993 Group C racing imploded and thus the Peugeot team concentrated just on the Le Mans 24 hours with the Evo 1 model that they had ran the previous year rather than the Evo Bis 2 they had started to develop.  At Le Mans they managed a 1-2-4 victory with Eric Hélary, Christophe Bouchot and Geoff Brabham driving the lead car.  Following this, Peugeot used the engined for its F1 programme with somewhat less success.