BOBBY PARKES RALLYDRIVER

[parxy]

curious if anyone out there old enough to remember Bobby Parkes??
8th o/all monte carlo(jag)
alpine cup
works driver for reliant in sabre
3rd o/all circuit of ireland
family business small and parkes (don brakelinings) now mintex don.
owned some interesting cars
DD300 works healey
PMO 203 WORKS HEALEY (ex pat moss car)
uwl 333 aston martin db2/4
and many others...all sold for hundreds of pounds

[RW774]

Hi, Bobby Parkes amd Arthur Senior competed many times in internationa;l events during the 50s in a XK140.
In the 59 Alpine cup , they were in the most underated saloon of all time, the 3.4 Mk1 OKY 450.He was deducted points for driving up the stevio pass too quickly otherwise would have won his class .In the 59 RAC they finished 5th in class with the same car. In 1960 with Geoff Howarth ,in a 3.8 Mk2 they did win. they won their class in the 61 international circuit of Ireland.
He returned in 62 to the Alpine with a much modified 3.8,only to be beaten by a holed piston.
Great Rally driver, like the Morley bros,john Cuff , Ken Wharton etc etc all forgotten

[parxy]

RW774 said:

Hi, Bobby Parkes amd Arthur Senior competed many times in internationa;l events during the 50s in a XK140.
In the 59 Alpine cup , they were in the most underated saloon of all time, the 3.4 Mk1 OKY 450.He was deducted points for driving up the stevio pass too quickly otherwise would have won his class .In the 59 RAC they finished 5th in class with the same car. In 1960 with Geoff Howarth ,in a 3.8 Mk2 they did win. they won their class in the 61 international circuit of Ireland.
He returned in 62 to the Alpine with a much modified 3.8,only to be beaten by a holed piston.
Great Rally driver, like the Morley bros,john Cuff , Ken Wharton etc etc all forgotten

i have some great pics of oky 450 ....you know your jags! i was in a museum in the lake district recently and saw KFR 712 the xk140 (now white) looking great.
Jaguar took interest later on although not "officially" they tuned the engine on SCH 999 (3.8) and it would manage 150mph ...interesting on crossply tyres and a virtually standard car....most pics on corners show the front bumper almost touching the ground!
i will try and scan some pics.
many thanks for your reply
parxy

[RW774]

Hi I look forward to it.I`m interested in the Mk1, are you a relative of Bobby?

[parxy]

RW774 said:

Hi I look forward to it.I`m interested in the Mk1, are you a relative of Bobby?

yes i am his son....he is 84 and still hanging on in there...just..and i still have great conversations about the motorsport era.....i kept coming 2nd rallying as he reminds me

[a8hex]

parxy said:

i have some great pics of oky 450 ....you know your jags! i was in a museum in the lake district recently and saw KFR 712 the xk140 (now white) looking great.

That would be Holker Hall, I've photographed the car there.

parxy said:

Jaguar took interest later on although not "officially" they tuned the engine on SCH 999 (3.8) and it would manage 150mph ...interesting on crossply tyres and a virtually standard car....most pics on corners show the front bumper almost touching the ground!
i will try and scan some pics.
many thanks for your reply
parxy

150 in a Mk2 would be quite an achievement.

[parxy]

a8hex said:

parxy said:

i have some great pics of oky 450 ....you know your jags! i was in a museum in the lake district recently and saw KFR 712 the xk140 (now white) looking great.

That would be Holker Hall, I've photographed the car there.

parxy said:

Jaguar took interest later on although not "officially" they tuned the engine on SCH 999 (3.8) and it would manage 150mph ...interesting on crossply tyres and a virtually standard car....most pics on corners show the front bumper almost touching the ground!
i will try and scan some pics.
many thanks for your reply
parxy

150 in a Mk2 would be quite an achievement.

i realise that....but my father has never exaggerated in his life...if anything he is ultra modest and you have to drag achievements out of him! Coventry worked on the engine but he is unaware of the work they did...only that it was much improved afterwards. they did get some good class wins/publicity out of him but never "officially" sponsored the car.
i am amazed at the results as the spares package was a shovel !
happy days.

[a8hex]

I'm not doubting him, I'm interested.
If you look at what they achieved out of the XK120s with the 3.4 engines at Jabbeke great things were possible. But I know what is done to get 150MPH out of an XK150.

[parxy]

talked to my father today...he still amazes me with facts evry time i see him!
i got my jags confused a little.....the story on src999 (3.4) was after the monte result in 1960 (8th o/all and class win etc) someone called FRW England (lofty ?) at coventry arranged to reprepare the car for large events..and it vastly improved the performance...sorry i thought it was a 3.8!
he did buy one of the first 3.8 jags,i think sch506? which he said was powerful.
An intersesting jag story i didnt know......
My father met Sir william lyons and at that time the E type had been launched....for export only initially. He agreed,as a favour, to supply one,which my father collected from the factory,and we had the car for 6 months..... initially when there were none in the uk ! the car was supplied for Giles Newton (managing director of Cape ,who had bought small and parkes) .
He really enjoyed using the car when it was so new and said,as it was so beautiful, the admiration was incredible.
i unfortunately was a 1 year old boy....damn ! i wonder if anyone knows what happened to this early car?

[riley1.5]

Hi,
Interested to read this thread - as we own UWL 333! The old Aston that Bobby once had.

I'm pleased to report the car is still going strong and is raced on a very regular basis. We have just completed our fourth Le Mans Classic - finishing in the top 15! see us at ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs5b-wXt-2E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8bK5Xobm68

Parxy - let your dad know the car is still behaving itself ! - and send him our regards!!

Cheers

Roger

[parxy]

riley1.5 said:

Hi,
Interested to read this thread - as we own UWL 333! The old Aston that Bobby once had.

I'm pleased to report the car is still going strong and is raced on a very regular basis. We have just completed our fourth Le Mans Classic - finishing in the top 15! see us at ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs5b-wXt-2E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8bK5Xobm68

Parxy - let your dad know the car is still behaving itself ! - and send him our regards!!

Cheers

Roger

Many thanks for the reply.....i trust you are looking after the old girl!
I have some great pictures of the car...won a few rallies,as you may know.
My father used to drive the Aston to preston railway station every day,park it,get a train to manchester,collected by a chauffer driven limo...then the reverse!
Interesting to note that the car was never vandalised !
I do not have a chauffer any more......life with the credit crunch is becoming unbearable

[RW774]

Hi Parksy, same for all of us mate, but you have the benefit of a great dad, one of the unsung herores of Jaguar history. Would he agree to an interview?
let me know I would be honoured to meet him thanks,

[parxy]

RW774 said:

Hi Parksy, same for all of us mate, but you have the benefit of a great dad, one of the unsung herores of Jaguar history. Would he agree to an interview?
let me know I would be honoured to meet him thanks,

interview would be no problem...but you will have to be quick.....he is very frail and has had many strokes. As he has so many newspaper cuttings /pics/trophies...it would be great if someone could scan/photograph them properly. My father is er......old fashioned in that he has never been on a computer.....or eaten chips!!!but chose a jaguar to compete in!
If you would like to arrange something call me/mail me
my number is under (motorsport) tvr for sale...white tuscan race car
many thanks alan parkes

[parxy]

riley1.5 said:

Hi,
Interested to read this thread - as we own UWL 333! The old Aston that Bobby once had.

I'm pleased to report the car is still going strong and is raced on a very regular basis. We have just completed our fourth Le Mans Classic - finishing in the top 15! see us at ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs5b-wXt-2E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8bK5Xobm68

Parxy - let your dad know the car is still behaving itself ! - and send him our regards!!

Cheers

Roger

Hi pleasure to hear from you....are you a relative of peter riley?
Do remember father won the Morecambe national rally in the aston....at that time it was a big rally!
Another close friend of my father is peter foden,who i think has an aston also?
regards alan

[riley1.5]

Hi Parxy,

No not a relative of Peter Riley - but we race a Riley 1.5 as well as the Aston. However .... we did buy the car from Peter Riley!!
(Know of Peter Foden - but dont know him personally)

We have a big photo of your dad in the Aston on Morecambe seafront - so are aware of his success in the Aston. If I remember correctly the Morecambe Rally had international status in those days!

RW774 & Parxy .... if interview does materialize I would be very interested in hearing of any of the Aston memories and/or seeing pics of car/trophies it won!! (sorry RW774 if you have to start discussing the 'other' marque )

Cheers,

Roger.

[parxy]

riley1.5 said:

Hi Parxy,

No not a relative of Peter Riley - but we race a Riley 1.5 as well as the Aston. However .... we did buy the car from Peter Riley!!
(Know of Peter Foden - but dont know him personally)

We have a big photo of your dad in the Aston on Morecambe seafront - so are aware of his success in the Aston. If I remember correctly the Morecambe Rally had international status in those days!

RW774 & Parxy .... if interview does materialize I would be very interested in hearing of any of the Aston memories and/or seeing pics of car/trophies it won!! (sorry RW774 if you have to start discussing the 'other' marque )

Cheers,

Roger.

Now Roger did you know that the number UWL 333 was supposed to be returned to us
lol.
I upset father a some years ago when i bought the number plate NUK IE. he was not happy when it appeared on page 3 of the sun with a "girlie" wearing very little draped over my car.....just trying to sell the plate you understand, i sold it to roger decourcey (nookie bear).
then i got old and grey and stopped being silly
i will try and find all the aston merorabilia soon and see what i dig up.
Any questions you want me to ask about the car...i dont think he had it for long.?
regards alan

[riley1.5]

Hi Alan,

Number plate is stuck on the car - so will try and peel it off for you . Sorry didnt realise we had to return it !!!!! I thought after 50 odd years we could keep it .... lol

Thanks for looking for any of the old Aston stuff - I would be really interested in whatever you find. As far as I am aware your father only competed in the Aston for 1 or 2 seasons.



Cheers,

Roger.

[scimmie]

I had the pleasure of visiting Bobby Parkes at his home in August 2005 to talk about his time at Reliant when he drove the works Reliant Sabres. It was a great honour to meet him and he was such as gentleman and was still very enthusiastic about his rally days. He showed me some of his trophies, photos and newspaper/magazine clippings from his rallying career. I took him for a spin in my Scimitar while he showed me around town and then took me to lunch!

It was a very special day, one that I will never forget.



Bset Wishes Always!!

Dave Poole
www.sporting-reliants.com

[CatherineFlatt]

Just found this site and thought you would like to know that UWL 333 is hale and hearty - Donald has just driven it to Morrisons to get a New Year's Day bottle of Champagne.

I'm Roger's wicked stepmother by the way!

Edited by 246 Dino on Thursday 1st January 12:00

[robtoon]

As a small boy of five or six we lived opposite Bobby in house in Barton in Lancs. He fired the imagination of a small boy when he came home in the works Healeys.....I can hear them now.