How about a 'period' classics pictures thread
Discussion
I saw 303 recently at CKL, and 302 lives here at Le Mans, having taken to the circuit but once in the nearly 20 years she has been owned by a Belgian, and that was the Revival 2010, when she toured round since he is fanatical about the condition of his car and didn't want it bent. Loads more stories of the owner but some of it not printable for libel reasons. 301 I have no idea. Here's 301 at the Revival in 2007 though.
All I'm prepared to say about 302 is that the owner thought the body looked "tired" so he had Bob Smith make a new one, exactly as per the original. I and a few others went berserk when we heard what he was proposing to do and eventually persuaded him to just repair the old shell to keep the history of the car. I eventually sold the new shell, shown here to an American to build an FIA papered D-type, which was done for him by CKL. But therein is another story which one day if we meet I'll relate.
Remember that this was a short nose, but Maurice Charles, when he bought it, got a new shell from the workd and all that was available was long nose and that's how she's stayed ever since. Note the air scoop over the rear wheel for the Monzanapolis race - she was overheating this tyre so the made the vent.
All I'm prepared to say about 302 is that the owner thought the body looked "tired" so he had Bob Smith make a new one, exactly as per the original. I and a few others went berserk when we heard what he was proposing to do and eventually persuaded him to just repair the old shell to keep the history of the car. I eventually sold the new shell, shown here to an American to build an FIA papered D-type, which was done for him by CKL. But therein is another story which one day if we meet I'll relate.
Remember that this was a short nose, but Maurice Charles, when he bought it, got a new shell from the workd and all that was available was long nose and that's how she's stayed ever since. Note the air scoop over the rear wheel for the Monzanapolis race - she was overheating this tyre so the made the vent.
You're getting into a very confusing period here Brett! The short nose cars were sold without fin - it was riveted on to the works cars when the cars were found to weave down the Mulsanne at over 150mph. This during the prelims in 1954. The 1955/6/7 works long noses though, had the fin as part of the body, and it is longer and incorporated into the spare wheel trap. If I may be permitted to put up a replica photo here by way of explanation, here are my Lynx short and long nose cars together:-
The head rest is wider, the fin is thicker, which was all aprt of the Jaguar development for speed on the Mulsanne.
Edit: To confuzz you further, here is another one-off rear end that 302 wore following a bad accident in 1959. The fin shape looks like a Ford Anglia rear window!
The head rest is wider, the fin is thicker, which was all aprt of the Jaguar development for speed on the Mulsanne.
Edit: To confuzz you further, here is another one-off rear end that 302 wore following a bad accident in 1959. The fin shape looks like a Ford Anglia rear window!
Edited by lowdrag on Thursday 3rd November 10:01
A couple of me in Marbella taken by my older brother, circa 1983.
I always had a soft spot for these, indeed owned a yellow rally prepped version with Elf livery. Sadly only the matchbox kind!
And here's one of me, at home in Wilmslow around the same time, 83ish, on top of the family wagon - a Rancho. Kind of an SUV 20 years before its time.
God knows how I got up there, my older brother probably put me up there!
Joel
I always had a soft spot for these, indeed owned a yellow rally prepped version with Elf livery. Sadly only the matchbox kind!
And here's one of me, at home in Wilmslow around the same time, 83ish, on top of the family wagon - a Rancho. Kind of an SUV 20 years before its time.
God knows how I got up there, my older brother probably put me up there!
Joel
Hoygo said:
As close a Renault can get to a Classic,the Fuego Turbo,great car.
Never seen a Fuego turbo around these years,they are mega rare.
M3DGE said:
Hoygo said:
As close a Renault can get to a Classic,the Fuego Turbo,great car.
Never seen a Fuego turbo around these years,they are mega rare.
lowdrag said:
Just a few from the archives:-
I've just come across this picture and am interested in when and where it was taken. Wearing my "bus spotter hat", I notice the registration number WHU 999 which dates from 1956 and issued by Bristol CC although the bus is a Bristol "L" with ECW coachwork and dates from 1946 to 1951 at latest. It has been rather modified for use on continental trips but would have been rather slow with a top speed of no more that 45mph at best. I see on the picture URL a description "gouldbristolbus" which now gives me a clue...was it owned by Horace Gould, the Bristol based racing driver who had various cars and ran a garage in Kellaway Avenue, Bristol which traded as "H.G. Motors" and was the first Skoda dealer in Bristol from 1961? If I'm right, my old neighbour and friend Bill Stokes used to be one of his mechanics when he raced at what is now Bristol International Airport but was then "Lulsgate Airport" and used by local motor clubs. Sadly Bill is no longer around to ask but if anyone has more information then it would be very interesting. Thank you! HQB
HQB said:
I've just come across this picture and am interested in when and where it was taken. Wearing my "bus spotter hat", I notice the registration number WHU 999 which dates from 1956 and issued by Bristol CC although the bus is a Bristol "L" with ECW coachwork and dates from 1946 to 1951 at latest. It has been rather modified for use on continental trips but would have been rather slow with a top speed of no more that 45mph at best. I see on the picture URL a description "gouldbristolbus" which now gives me a clue...was it owned by Horace Gould, the Bristol based racing driver who had various cars and ran a garage in Kellaway Avenue, Bristol which traded as "H.G. Motors" and was the first Skoda dealer in Bristol from 1961? If I'm right, my old neighbour and friend Bill Stokes used to be one of his mechanics when he raced at what is now Bristol International Airport but was then "Lulsgate Airport" and used by local motor clubs. Sadly Bill is no longer around to ask but if anyone has more information then it would be very interesting. Thank you! HQB
Update! I think that I have been able to answer my own question.. The bus is indeed that of Horace Gould but it is not him standing in front of it. I have discovered that he had an "old Bristol bus as a transporter" as early as 1953 but heavily damaged it when he set off home after a race at Davidstowe circuit in Cornwall on the 7th June and mistook the exit instead setting off down the main straight and hitting the low bridge thus ending all racing for the day. However, that must have been a double decker bus which would be an odd choice for a transporter. Therefore, the one in the picture must have been his second bus and possibly taken at Nurburgring in 1957 where he drove a Maserati 300S. So how did he have an 8/9 year old bus when it would be very strange for such a new vehicle to come out of service when most of that batch survived until the mid 1960's...and that question I have posed to another website where the bus experts devour such questions with fervour!
HQB said:
HQB said:
I've just come across this picture and am interested in when and where it was taken. Wearing my "bus spotter hat", I notice the registration number WHU 999 which dates from 1956 and issued by Bristol CC although the bus is a Bristol "L" with ECW coachwork and dates from 1946 to 1951 at latest. It has been rather modified for use on continental trips but would have been rather slow with a top speed of no more that 45mph at best. I see on the picture URL a description "gouldbristolbus" which now gives me a clue...was it owned by Horace Gould, the Bristol based racing driver who had various cars and ran a garage in Kellaway Avenue, Bristol which traded as "H.G. Motors" and was the first Skoda dealer in Bristol from 1961? If I'm right, my old neighbour and friend Bill Stokes used to be one of his mechanics when he raced at what is now Bristol International Airport but was then "Lulsgate Airport" and used by local motor clubs. Sadly Bill is no longer around to ask but if anyone has more information then it would be very interesting. Thank you! HQB
Update! I think that I have been able to answer my own question.. The bus is indeed that of Horace Gould but it is not him standing in front of it. I have discovered that he had an "old Bristol bus as a transporter" as early as 1953 but heavily damaged it when he set off home after a race at Davidstowe circuit in Cornwall on the 7th June and mistook the exit instead setting off down the main straight and hitting the low bridge thus ending all racing for the day. However, that must have been a double decker bus which would be an odd choice for a transporter. Therefore, the one in the picture must have been his second bus and possibly taken at Nurburgring in 1957 where he drove a Maserati 300S. So how did he have an 8/9 year old bus when it would be very strange for such a new vehicle to come out of service when most of that batch survived until the mid 1960's...and that question I have posed to another website where the bus experts devour such questions with fervour!Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff