Jensen C-V8

A Jensen C-V8 climbing up to Montmartre during the 2018 Traversée de Paris.

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For more photos of the 2018 Traversée de Paris classic car event, click here.

Jensen Motors, West Bromwich, England.   Alan and Richard Jensen were the brothers who set up Jensen Motors that originally built vehicle bodies and then went on to build complete cars.  The Jensen C-V8 was the last Jensen with which the brothers were actively involved in the conception.  It was launched in 1962 and produced until 1966.  It was a two door, four seater, front engine, rear wheel drive, luxury fast sports car.  It had a steel chassis, glass fibre body and was powered by big American Chrysler six litre V8 engine.  Performance was exceptional for the time both in terms of straight line speed and handling..  The MkI had a top speed of 132mph and a 0-60 time of 8 seconds.  The MlIII had a top speed of 139mph and a 0-60 time of under 7 seconds.   With the big V8 the fuel consumption was quite high at around 13 to 14 mpg.  Depending on your point of view, the Jensen is either rather beautiful or an ugly duckling.  Personally, I think it is rather desirable.   Only 500 were built so quite rare but quite good value as a classic car.  Not often raced, it did win the 24 hour Commander's Cup at Snetterton in 1965 with a team that included Roy Salvadori.   It featured in the sixties TV series The Baron and later London Spy.  

2017 Cadillac DPi-V.R.

The winning Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R. at the Twelve Hours of Sebring 2017.

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Cadillac, USA.  This car marks Cadillac's return to endurance racing.  It is made to IMSA's Daytona Prototype international rules which are similar to LMP2 but more liberal in terms of the engine and body work.  The chassis is an LMP2 chassis by Dallara.  The body work is by Cadillac Design.  The engine is a 6.2 litre naturally aspirated Cadillac V8 engine producing 600hp. With Wayne Taylor Racing, the car has already won the 2017 Daytona 24 Hours and the Twelve Hours of Sebring.  Action Express have also entered two cars and achieved podium finishes.

Kirkham Cobra 427

Kirkham Cobra, Bué near Sancerre 2017.

Kirkham Motorsports, North Provo, Utah, USA.  With their beautiful aluminium bodies these Cobra replicas are amongst the most desirable in the World.  The aluminium bodies are actually made in Poland in an old MiG fighter jet factory whilst the rest of the car is built in Utah.  Founded by David Kirkham the company stared in 1994.  Since then they have built over 800 replica 427s and 289s. The most popular are the big block Shelby American Ford V8 powered cars which make a magnificent sound.  Very desirable replicas of the sixties Shelby Cobra. They supply the cars either with original or uprated suspension and brakes.  Saw this one in France and I think the owner said it had a 550hp engine but they go up to 650hp.

1965 Ford Mustang 289

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

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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.

1974 Dodge Charger 7.0L Hemi V8

Christophe Schwartz, 1974 7 litre Dodge Charger Hemi V8, Lr Mans Classic 2016.

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For more photos of the seventies cars at the 2016 Le Mans Classic, click on the link above.

Chrysler, USA.  In the seventies there was a class for NASCAR cars at Le Mans in order to try and attract more cars following the fuel crisis.  In 1976 Herschel Mc Griff, a long time American stock car driver,  brought over an Olympia beer sponsored Dodge Charger in the colours pictured above to Le Mans . Unfortunately it only finished a couple of laps before retiring as the European fuel didn't suit the car because it had the wrong octane level.   The original car was lost but Christophe Schwartz has created a replica using a Petty prepared Grand National car that won the the 1977 USAC Stock Car championship winning car as a base. Top speed of the original car was 215mph along the Mulsanne straight.  The 1973 type Dodge Charge was a favourite amongst drivers of the time in NACAR and USAC racing.  In 1977 Paul Feldner drove the car above to its USAC title.  In 2016 Christophe Schwartz finished in the top half of the field in the Le Mans Classic just behind the ex-Robin Hamilton Aston Martin.

1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT

Malte Fromm, 1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT, Le Mans Classic 2016.

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For more photos of the 1962 to 1965 grid at the Le Mans Classic 2016, click on the link above.

Bizzarrini, Livorno, Italy.  Giotto Bizzarrini worked for a number of the prestigious Italian sports car companies but after being fired by Ferrari in 1963 set off on his own but also worked in collaboration with Rivolta's Iso company.    This collaboration produced the 5300 GT which was powered by a 5.3 litre Chevolet V8 engine.  It was front engined but had an engine very close to the cockpit.  Both racing and road version were built.  The Bizzarrini 5300 GT and the Iso Grifo AC3/C  are basically the same with Bizzarrini name being used after Rivolta's death.  They raced and in 1964 one racing under the Iso name finished 14th and won its class at Le Mans.

1969 Aston Martin DBS V8 RHAM/1

Paul Chase-Gardener & David Allen, ex-Robin Hamilton Aston Martin V8, Le Mans Classic 2016.

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Aston Martin, Newport Pagnell, England.  Robin Hamilton, an Aston Martin dealer, was the privateer who took Aston Martin back to Le Mans in 1977 and a number of years thereafter.  In 1977 the car was a modified 1969 DBS 5.3L V8 with a turbocharger and aerodynamic mods.  Driven by Robin Hamilton, Dave Preece and Mike Salmon they finished 17th and third in the GTP class.  The car was nicknamed "the Muncher" as it ate brake pads due to its weight, or in France as "Le Petit Camion" because of its size. The car also raced at Silverstone that year in the 6 hours where it ran in the top ten.  The car produced 520bhp and achieved 188mph at Le Mans on the Mulsanne straight.

2016 Audi RS5 DTM

Marcus Elkstrom, Audi RS5 DTM, Zandvoort 2016.

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For more pictures of the DTM cars at Zandvoort in 2016, click on the link above.

Audi, Germany.  The Audi RS5 won the DTM championship in Mike Rockenfeller's hands in 2013 and won the manufacturers title in the same championship in 2014.  It is powered by a 4 litre normally aspirated Audi V8 of about 460hp.  Like all DTM cars it has a carbon Fibre monocoque chassis, front engne and rear wheeldrive, steel rollcage and Drag Reduction System rear wing.   The car is now in its fourth season and the wins continue to come.  Marcus Elkstrom pictured has managed a number of second places this season.

2016 BMW M4 DTM

Tom Blomqvist, BMW M4 DTM, Zandvoort 2016.

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For more photos of the DTM race at Zandvoort in July 2016, click on the link above.

BMW, Munich, Germany.  The BMW M4 DTM first appeared in 2014.  The engine is a BMW P66 V8 that develops about 480bhp. Power goes through a six speed sequential box.  As with other DTM cars there is a Carbon Fibre monocoque and special aerodynamic body silhouetting parts of the road car.  The car won the constructers title in 2015 and 2015 and the drivers title in 2014 for Marcus Wittmann.

1990 Spice SE90C Group C

Eric De Doncker,  Spice SE90C, Le Mans Classic Group C Racing 2016.

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For more photos of the Le Mans Classic 2016 Group C racing, click on the link above.

Spice Engineering, Brackley, England.  Spice Engineering was founded by long time driver and team owner Gordon Spice and his brother Derek with funding from Ray Belm.  This, the SE90C, was one of the final cars produced by Spice Engineering.  It was for the 3.5 litre Group C when Spice found itself competing in the main category rather than C2 which it had dominated.  It had a Ford Cosworth DFR V8 engine.  Best results were 3rd at the Silverstone and Donington 480km events in 1990.  Drivers included Bruno Giacomelli and Tim Harvey.

1990 Mercedes-Benz C11 Group C

Shaun Lynn, Mercedes-Benz C11, Le Mans Classic Group C racing 2016

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For more photos of the 2016 Le Mans Classic Group C racing, click on the link above.

Mercedes-Benz/Sauber, Germany/Switzerland.   This was the first of the Sauber built Group C cars to carry the Mercedes-Benz name.  It superceded the Sauber C9 and used the same Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0 litre V8 engine as its predecessor.  Top speed was over 250 mph.  It did not compete at Le Mans in 1990, concentrating on winning the World Sports-Prototype Championship.  It scored one-two finishes at Monza, Dijon, Nurburgring, Donington plus wins at Spa, Montreal and Mexico.  It continued to have podium finishes at Susuka and Monza in 1991.  It competed at Le Mans in the 24 hours in 1991 and finished fifth.   Drivers included Michael Schumacher, Jochen Mass, Karl Wendlinger and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.  Mario Baldi and Jean-Louis Schlesser won the World Sports-Prototype championship for drivers in the car and Team Sauber Mercedes the constructors title in 1990.

EMKA-Aston Martin C83/1

Richard Hope, EMKA-Aston Martin C83/1, Le Mans Classic 2016 Group C racing.

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For more photos of the Group C cars at the Le Mans Classic 2016.

EMKA, Godalming, UK.  EMKA was the initials of Pink Floyd manager Steve O'Rourke's daughters. He invested in this Group C racer in partnership with Michael Cane who managed the program and assembled the car.  The body was a very aerodynamic design by Len Bailey.  The chassis was an aluminium monocoque but the innovative part that Len Bailey did was redesigning all of the engine accessories so that the bulky Tickford tuned Aston Martin V8 could fit into this small package.  In May 1983 it made its debut at Silverstone and qualified 17th but failed to finish.  At Le Mans it finished 17th driven by Tiff Needell, Steve O'Rourke and Nick Faure but was hampered by lack of top speed and many reliability issues.    The EMKA did not run in 1984 due to lack of funds but reappeared in 1985 as the C84/1 at Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Spa and Le Mans.  It retired in all of these except Le Mans. There with the same driving team as before but with aerodynamic changes it went much better, achieving 216mph on the straight and finishing 11th ahead of the Group 44 Jaguar and the Tom's-Toyota.  With more funding this could have been a good car.

1965 Ford GT40 Roadster

The Macedo Silva/Jorge Ford GT40 Roadster, Le Mans Classic 2016.

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For more photos of the amazing 1962-1965 plateau at the 2016 le Mans Classic, click on the link above.

Ford Advanced Vehicles, Slough, UK.  This is one of just five Ford GT40 Roadsters ever built and which were unusual because of their open top.  In addition a Ford GT MkII Roadster was built and called the X1 - this car with its 7 litre engine won the Sebring 12 hours in 1966 with Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby driving.  Cars like the one above had the smaller 4.7 litre engine.  They raced at Targa Florio, Le Mans and the Nurburgring in 1965 but did not finish any major races.  In 1966 and 1967 Peter Sutcliffe had some top three finishes in South African sports car races.  

Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE

Nygaard, Sorensen & Thim's Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE, Le Mans 24 hrs 2016.

Aston Martin, Banbury, England.   The road version of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is at the core of this GTE race car.  The aluminium chassis and core of the engine are the same.  However, the race car is lighter through the use of  carbon fibre body panels and because a lot of the interior is stripped out.  There is a big rear wing at the back and the 4.5 litre V8 engine is repositioned and tuned.  In 2014 The all Danish crew won the GTE Am class at Le Mans and finished an excellent 19th overall.  Aston Martin nearly repeated this in 2015 but crashed out in the last hour.

2015 Chevrolet SS Generation 6 NASCAR

Kyle Larson & Paul Menard at Sonoma 2015, Chevrolet SS Nascar Generation 6

The Generation 6 NASCAR.  This is the Chevrolet SS version which is rear wheel drive and powered by a fuel injected small block V8 Chevrolet engine and looking like the road going Chevrolet SS on the outside.