Herbert Shepherd
Discussion
Hi
The thread on Nic Mann's Minor got me thinking of other speed event competitors from around that era of the mid/late 80s. This was when I was in my early teens and my parents started sprinting and hillclimbing a Dutton Phaeton. Mostly around the Midlands venues like Shelsley Walsh, Loton, Prescott and Curborough.
Anyway, one chap whose run I always looked forward to was Herbert Shepherd, who was an elderly looking gent (in the best meaning of the word) who drove a beautiful 4.2 Series 1 E-Type Roadster - yellow with a black hardtop and Minilites. He was very, and deceptively, quick by being very smooth. Always a lovely looking and sounding run.
Just wanted to give a PH nod of respect to him really.
Does anybody else know of him or his whereabouts now?
The thread on Nic Mann's Minor got me thinking of other speed event competitors from around that era of the mid/late 80s. This was when I was in my early teens and my parents started sprinting and hillclimbing a Dutton Phaeton. Mostly around the Midlands venues like Shelsley Walsh, Loton, Prescott and Curborough.
Anyway, one chap whose run I always looked forward to was Herbert Shepherd, who was an elderly looking gent (in the best meaning of the word) who drove a beautiful 4.2 Series 1 E-Type Roadster - yellow with a black hardtop and Minilites. He was very, and deceptively, quick by being very smooth. Always a lovely looking and sounding run.
Just wanted to give a PH nod of respect to him really.
Does anybody else know of him or his whereabouts now?
Yes - those 38s seemed to come out of nowhere. His runs looked like a nice Sunday afternoon drive and you looked at the clock and he was first in class.
That was a very competitive time for a roadgoing car back then. It took a long time and a lot of development before my parents' Dutton ducked under 40s at Curbourough.
But the thing I recall, and miss, most about those days was the lack of noise control. The Dutton had a quite highly tuned Triumph 2.5PI in it and of course you could run open pipes in those days. God, it sounded good. As did the non-silenced big single seaters...
I know that the records have tumbled and cars now are quicker, but that sound at a speed event before the noise limit was fantastic.
That was a very competitive time for a roadgoing car back then. It took a long time and a lot of development before my parents' Dutton ducked under 40s at Curbourough.
But the thing I recall, and miss, most about those days was the lack of noise control. The Dutton had a quite highly tuned Triumph 2.5PI in it and of course you could run open pipes in those days. God, it sounded good. As did the non-silenced big single seaters...
I know that the records have tumbled and cars now are quicker, but that sound at a speed event before the noise limit was fantastic.
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