Satan's barge - 1983 Ferrari 400i
Discussion
Some V12 goodness for a Thursday night
There's a minor oil leak whose origin I can't trace but should become obvious when I get it up on a ramp next week. That will be my first proper look at the underside of the car, and an opportunity to enhance the to-do list.
Centre console will need to come out to get the ventilation sorted, and at the same time the partly or non-functioning switches and gauges (i.e. most of them) can be rectified.
It's just a lovely thing to drive and has been completely hassle-free
These two pictures give a glimpse of the exhaust system, which includes six silencers and two resonators. All that pipework doesn't give much ground clearance, so I've learnt to take it very carefully over speed bumps
There's a minor oil leak whose origin I can't trace but should become obvious when I get it up on a ramp next week. That will be my first proper look at the underside of the car, and an opportunity to enhance the to-do list.
Centre console will need to come out to get the ventilation sorted, and at the same time the partly or non-functioning switches and gauges (i.e. most of them) can be rectified.
It's just a lovely thing to drive and has been completely hassle-free
These two pictures give a glimpse of the exhaust system, which includes six silencers and two resonators. All that pipework doesn't give much ground clearance, so I've learnt to take it very carefully over speed bumps
Nice to see some appreciation for the old thing. Cheers!
Yesterday morning, struck out from the Cotswolds for Bourne in Lincolnshire to see the heritage centre there, which is only open on weekend afternoons. The main attraction was the Raymond Mays room, which has a great display of pictures, trophies and documents telling the life story of the founder of ERA and BRM. This is a photo of him taken 100 years and one month ago, racing his Bugatti against a plane on the beach at Skegness
Lunched on bangers and mash at a pub in Bourne, then trundled over to the Devonshire Arms by the Chatsworth estate for the night. Good food, nice staff, no wifi but two free bottles of ale in the room. Classic dwarfed by moderns in the car park
The 400 really is a very practical car. Roomy cabin - there are no rear headrests, and the front ones don't adjust at all, so there is a clean, uncluttered view through the car from any angle
and there's plenty of boot space
Saw Chatsworth for the first time, on a perfect day for it
Then headed to Ambergate and the Great British Car Journey museum. I'd visited before and can't recommend it highly enough. It's a lively and wonderfully curated place crammed with terrific exhibits, and a superb range of British classics that you can actually drive and which will put a smile on your face for a very reasonable price. I took an Austin 7 for a quick spin, which was just delightful. It was the second oldest car I've ever driven. (If you fancy a driving day out like no other, go and see the Tuckett brothers near Winslow in Buckinghamshire, and you can drive Model T Fords until you're worn out.)
Some snaps from the GBCJ - I wanted a yellow GT6 for my first car, and still want one
The first V12 I ever drove was the 5.3 Jag, and this is such a superb name for a car
I've always really liked this odd fish, the Sunbeam Rapier Fastback
A new exhibit is this ex-Mario Andretti Elite. As a devotee of the wedge era of car design, this type of Elite is a particular favourite of mine.
A phenomenal ex-Elton John Bentley with a trick sound system in the boot
And, seemingly inconguous in the wonderful late '80s / early '90s colours of the French Larrousse F1 team, this is also a British car. A Lola chassis with a Ford engine, before Larrousse switched to the screaming Lamborghini V12s for their last Grand Prix campaigns. Such pretty cars.
The 400 handled atrocious potholes and pretty bad traffic jams with no issues. The fusebox didn't melt, it started first time every time, hot or cold, and never missed a beat. With the A/C still to be rectified and the colossal heat that the engine transmits into the car, it's seriously toasty even cruising with the windows open. But the sound is epic, and it's a just such a monster of a car. Love it!
Yesterday morning, struck out from the Cotswolds for Bourne in Lincolnshire to see the heritage centre there, which is only open on weekend afternoons. The main attraction was the Raymond Mays room, which has a great display of pictures, trophies and documents telling the life story of the founder of ERA and BRM. This is a photo of him taken 100 years and one month ago, racing his Bugatti against a plane on the beach at Skegness
Lunched on bangers and mash at a pub in Bourne, then trundled over to the Devonshire Arms by the Chatsworth estate for the night. Good food, nice staff, no wifi but two free bottles of ale in the room. Classic dwarfed by moderns in the car park
The 400 really is a very practical car. Roomy cabin - there are no rear headrests, and the front ones don't adjust at all, so there is a clean, uncluttered view through the car from any angle
and there's plenty of boot space
Saw Chatsworth for the first time, on a perfect day for it
Then headed to Ambergate and the Great British Car Journey museum. I'd visited before and can't recommend it highly enough. It's a lively and wonderfully curated place crammed with terrific exhibits, and a superb range of British classics that you can actually drive and which will put a smile on your face for a very reasonable price. I took an Austin 7 for a quick spin, which was just delightful. It was the second oldest car I've ever driven. (If you fancy a driving day out like no other, go and see the Tuckett brothers near Winslow in Buckinghamshire, and you can drive Model T Fords until you're worn out.)
Some snaps from the GBCJ - I wanted a yellow GT6 for my first car, and still want one
The first V12 I ever drove was the 5.3 Jag, and this is such a superb name for a car
I've always really liked this odd fish, the Sunbeam Rapier Fastback
A new exhibit is this ex-Mario Andretti Elite. As a devotee of the wedge era of car design, this type of Elite is a particular favourite of mine.
A phenomenal ex-Elton John Bentley with a trick sound system in the boot
And, seemingly inconguous in the wonderful late '80s / early '90s colours of the French Larrousse F1 team, this is also a British car. A Lola chassis with a Ford engine, before Larrousse switched to the screaming Lamborghini V12s for their last Grand Prix campaigns. Such pretty cars.
The 400 handled atrocious potholes and pretty bad traffic jams with no issues. The fusebox didn't melt, it started first time every time, hot or cold, and never missed a beat. With the A/C still to be rectified and the colossal heat that the engine transmits into the car, it's seriously toasty even cruising with the windows open. But the sound is epic, and it's a just such a monster of a car. Love it!
mat205125 said:
Was far too young and unappreciative of stuff like this, to have capitalised and experienced one when they could be had for £5k
Can really see the appeal as a weekend cruiser though. Lovely machine, albeit I'd be more likely to hurl my money into a pit of oblivion 456, if the opportunity presented itself
It seems that even scrappers can't be had for under £20k these days. Can really see the appeal as a weekend cruiser though. Lovely machine, albeit I'd be more likely to hurl my money into a pit of oblivion 456, if the opportunity presented itself
I was very tempted by the idea of a 456. The price for a good one is about the same as for a good 400, the performance is on another level, and they're more discreet than a 550. I must try one at some point. For my purposes, I think it'd be terrific, and less of an animal than the 400 as a regular driver. But the looks of the 400 just do it for me.
My car will be going for a snooze shortly for the next couple of months. I've done about 800 miles in the past ten days and it's been a blur of intense heat, huge noise and voracious fuel consumption. It's a bloody excellent way to travel. For a car made in such tiny numbers, the build quality compares surprisingly well to the Mercedes SL of the same age that I had until recently.
classicaholic said:
There was a huge row of these at the recent Le Mans classic, I cant find the photo though but it looks a great club.
There's a club weekend in Deauville at the end of September that I'm planning to attend. If, after they have been subjected to my attempts to murder the French language, they agree to renew my subscription, I'd like to go to the classic next year.B'stard Child said:
Rumdoodle said:
classicaholic said:
There was a huge row of these at the recent Le Mans classic, I cant find the photo though but it looks a great club.
There's a club weekend in Deauville at the end of September that I'm planning to attend. If, after they have been subjected to my attempts to murder the French language, they agree to renew my subscription, I'd like to go to the classic Nothing to report on the Ferrari, but I pottered around in the Royal Automobile Museum in Amman this afternoon, which has some Ferrari content. I hadn't been for over a year, and I don't think anything had changed, but at least one of the exhibits had been used recently.
The evolution of motoring in Jordan
A replica of a 1915 Rolls-Royce, basically the forerunner of the Cullinan but probably more capable off-road
1946 Humber Super Snipe used by King Abdullah I
DB2 Vantage acquired by King Hussein while he was at Sandhurst. He subsequently gave it to his cousin, King Faisal II of Iraq. It was much later discovered in a state of disrepair and sent back to AM for restoration. Is the racetrack in the second photo Goodwood?
One of the restoration photos is dated 1993
His first car was this 1952 Rover
Some creamy Mercs, and a photo on the wall of Hussein with his 1953 Bristol 401
Armoured Cadillac Fleetwood
The last time I had seen one of those was a few years ago outside the National Museum in Kabul, in the background of this picture
1984 Wood and Pickett Sheer Rover. This was actually wheeled out and used for the Crown Prince's wedding here a couple of months ago!
Two Phantom Vs, obviously too big to fit in one picture
Beautiful 1975 Merc
1936 Alvis Speed Twenty
Originally blue, this M1 was a gift to Hussein from Sheikh Zayed of UAE
How to stand out from the crowd of W123s that this part of the world is famous for
This enormous 1943 Mercedes 770K was given new by the German government to the Syrian president al Quwatli, then by one of his successors, Hafez al Assad (father of the current president) to King Hussein. It was restored in 1978 and again thirty years later
An Amphicar. Why not?
Couple of Ferraris and a mint Espada in the background
There were also photos and some film of King Hussein visiting Donington sometime in the late '80s. Inevitably, Jackie Stewart was there with his son Paul and one of their Camel-sponsored Formula 3 cars, which Paul was probably racing at the time. The king tried several cars from Tom Wheatcroft's magnificent and now sadly lost collection, including a BRM P25, one of the Austin Sevens that were so competitive at Donington in the 1930s, and................a Benetton F1 car! There's a framed photo of Hussein and Wheatcroft standing in the pitlane.
It's a nice museum. Well worth a visit if you're in Amman.
This time next month, the 400 will be back in action and about to embark on its continental tour. What larks, Pip!
The evolution of motoring in Jordan
A replica of a 1915 Rolls-Royce, basically the forerunner of the Cullinan but probably more capable off-road
1946 Humber Super Snipe used by King Abdullah I
DB2 Vantage acquired by King Hussein while he was at Sandhurst. He subsequently gave it to his cousin, King Faisal II of Iraq. It was much later discovered in a state of disrepair and sent back to AM for restoration. Is the racetrack in the second photo Goodwood?
One of the restoration photos is dated 1993
His first car was this 1952 Rover
Some creamy Mercs, and a photo on the wall of Hussein with his 1953 Bristol 401
Armoured Cadillac Fleetwood
The last time I had seen one of those was a few years ago outside the National Museum in Kabul, in the background of this picture
1984 Wood and Pickett Sheer Rover. This was actually wheeled out and used for the Crown Prince's wedding here a couple of months ago!
Two Phantom Vs, obviously too big to fit in one picture
Beautiful 1975 Merc
1936 Alvis Speed Twenty
Originally blue, this M1 was a gift to Hussein from Sheikh Zayed of UAE
How to stand out from the crowd of W123s that this part of the world is famous for
This enormous 1943 Mercedes 770K was given new by the German government to the Syrian president al Quwatli, then by one of his successors, Hafez al Assad (father of the current president) to King Hussein. It was restored in 1978 and again thirty years later
An Amphicar. Why not?
Couple of Ferraris and a mint Espada in the background
There were also photos and some film of King Hussein visiting Donington sometime in the late '80s. Inevitably, Jackie Stewart was there with his son Paul and one of their Camel-sponsored Formula 3 cars, which Paul was probably racing at the time. The king tried several cars from Tom Wheatcroft's magnificent and now sadly lost collection, including a BRM P25, one of the Austin Sevens that were so competitive at Donington in the 1930s, and................a Benetton F1 car! There's a framed photo of Hussein and Wheatcroft standing in the pitlane.
It's a nice museum. Well worth a visit if you're in Amman.
This time next month, the 400 will be back in action and about to embark on its continental tour. What larks, Pip!
ajb85 said:
This thing exudes class. Just the sight of that boot trimmed in Bordeaux carpet gets me all hot & bothered. Is this still your daily driver? Surely you've got a Fiat Panda or something to nip out for a pint of milk/lump of cheddar?
It is, more or less. Insofar as I don't actually use it daily because I walk to work, and I do have access to other vehicles (as an earlier poster pointed out, that is a condition of the insurance), but I rarely need to use them because I can cover all the miles I need to in this. It would only be if there was truly appalling winter weather or if the 400 failed to proceed. I have thought about buying an old banger to park on the street and shed around in on rainy days. In reality, it would never get used, and would just end up some moss-coated derelict-looking eyesore. Come to think of it, that would match my house quite well.This is just how I like to use cars. I couldn't have something that sits in the garage for all but a couple of sunny afternoons each month during the summer. I wouldn't feel like I was getting my money's worth. So, that means something versatile and comfortable. If I had something like a 308 - lovely car, of course - I'd get sick of clambering in and out of it all the time and wondering if I was going to be run over by a giant SUV.
Now with recharged air conditioning, the continental tour begins!
First of all, dropped a couple of spare wheels off for a refurb. These were bought very reasonably online, although one of them turned out to be wrong for my car. The first generation 400 had slightly different wheel dimensions to the second, the latter's rims have 180TR415 stamped on them. I'll sell on or swap the wrong one.
Early start yesterday to get to Portsmouth for the 0815 ferry. There'll be quite a lot of this going on
Pleasant crossing.
Arrived mid-afternoon and had a good run to Le Mans. I'd been here once, more than twenty years ago for some Porsche track days on the Bugatti circuit. One of my uncles raced a Callaway Corvette in the 24 Hours back in '95. That year, four McLaren F1s finished in the top five. His car started on class pole, he took the class lead overnight in torrential rain, and they finished third in class, 11th overall.
Headed south late morning for an easy run to Angouleme. Encountered a little convoy of Triumphs at a service area, two TR4s, a TR5 and a TR6, getting plenty of sunshine with the roofs down. This looked very smart
The 993 is a very pretty car. I drove some of the Turbo 4 versions ages ago and remember relentless power and huge grip.
And arrived near Angouleme, having a cool off
Now off to see what's what in town.
First of all, dropped a couple of spare wheels off for a refurb. These were bought very reasonably online, although one of them turned out to be wrong for my car. The first generation 400 had slightly different wheel dimensions to the second, the latter's rims have 180TR415 stamped on them. I'll sell on or swap the wrong one.
Early start yesterday to get to Portsmouth for the 0815 ferry. There'll be quite a lot of this going on
Pleasant crossing.
Arrived mid-afternoon and had a good run to Le Mans. I'd been here once, more than twenty years ago for some Porsche track days on the Bugatti circuit. One of my uncles raced a Callaway Corvette in the 24 Hours back in '95. That year, four McLaren F1s finished in the top five. His car started on class pole, he took the class lead overnight in torrential rain, and they finished third in class, 11th overall.
Headed south late morning for an easy run to Angouleme. Encountered a little convoy of Triumphs at a service area, two TR4s, a TR5 and a TR6, getting plenty of sunshine with the roofs down. This looked very smart
The 993 is a very pretty car. I drove some of the Turbo 4 versions ages ago and remember relentless power and huge grip.
And arrived near Angouleme, having a cool off
Now off to see what's what in town.
bolidemichael said:
I’ve been following the Angoulême thread out of curiosity and am looking forward to your write up.
I was in France in August and am guilty of mass murder of the French language. You’ll just be picking off the bones.
Oh, and the Schlumpf museum. That reminds me that I really must organise a visit.
Having not been to France since 2004, I was curious to see what I'd make of it now. Given all the wailing and gnashing of teeth about Brexit, the border control was dead simple. Stamp on the passport, open the boot of the car. I don't know what the procedure was before, but this is not a great struggle for a tourist punter like me. The main roads are just perfect for this type of car, and the lack of traffic is wonderful. Much more relaxing than driving in the UK. We dined out in Le Mans and Angouleme on the first couple of nights, and the food has been spectacular. Just perfect. So, I'm liking it so far, and already pondering a trip to Italy net year. I was in France in August and am guilty of mass murder of the French language. You’ll just be picking off the bones.
Oh, and the Schlumpf museum. That reminds me that I really must organise a visit.
Angouleme is much as expected. Narrow streets, hilly, teeming with Brits in pink trousers.
The main event yesterday was the concours, which seemed to kick off quite late in the evening while I was face down in a plate of blue steak in a nearby cobbled street. The area where the concours was happening was fenced off and had limited access - I think some advance booking is required - but I peeked through a little gap. I can't say that the ceremony itself was my kind of thing, and I couldn't have sat through an hour or more of cars trundling to the rostrum one by one for a bit of chat. It's like an auction but without the thrill of watching someone throw money away in real time. Besides, we'd seen some of what we assumed were concours entrants earlier on, including this swanky Simca
A ragtop Khamsin must be a very rare thing. This "needed work". The paint was flaking off, the leather was very, very tired, and it was smoking well from under the bonnet, looked like an oil leak onto something hot. But, what a wedge. Those old V8s are fine looking engines.
A gargantuan Simplex, with windscreen only for the driver
An Italian car
A German car
And a French wedge. The idea of owning something called a Matra is very tempting, but the reality of this would, I fear be disappointing, even for someone with such low expectations of life as I have.
Edited by Rumdoodle on Sunday 17th September 08:15
ajb85 said:
Fantastic write up and some lovely cars. The trip down to Le Mans has always been a pleasure. Not done the french haul since Brexit either, although I have heard the payages are pretty extortionate these days.
I think your 400 might possibly be my favourite old car I've seen here on PH, can't put my finger on exactly why. Looking forward to winter in her?
I think your 400 might possibly be my favourite old car I've seen here on PH, can't put my finger on exactly why. Looking forward to winter in her?
She's a delight. It's really nice to do some proper driving over long distances, such a civilised way to travel. After this trip, I don't expect to use it much until the spring except for a trip to Glasgow in December, which is a decent run of a few hours each way. Apart from that, I don't have much need for a car.
I'm not keeping track of the payage bill at the moment. That will be reviewed back in England, along with fuel expenditure. I'll report back.
Leisurely start this morning, as I decided to do some laundry before going out. We're staying on a farm. As I was hanging things on the line to dry, I bent down to get something out of the basket. I hadn't noticed the electric fence right behind me so I received a bracing zap to the posterior. I think electric fences are a good deterrent, as I won't be doing that again. Then, went for a stroll
The footpath led to a road where some jolly classic car owners happened to be passing
Quite an eclectic bunch. The main idea for today was that lots of cars set off from town first thing, potter about the countryside and then converge back in town late afternoon. I don't know how you sign up for it. It would be perfect in a little convertible, but it's not the sort of thing I fancy doing in the 400. I'm doing plenty of miles over the next couple of weeks anyway. Then, headed into town around lunchtime when it was fairly quiet, no traffic and easy to park for free.
It got gradually busier during the afternoon and there were nice classics dotted around everywhere, including lots of things that we hardly ever see in the UK. This superb little Matra, with four seats and two removable targa panels
A display of cars by Ballot, locals who produced some successful racers in the 1920s before selling out to Hispano Suiza
and this was the company van
Amilcars for very slim occupants
A 1953 Deutch Bonnet (nope, me neither)
A Venturi - the French Lotus?
Plenty of British stuff.
This 911 was absolutely mint, with the wonderful pasha interior. Back in the early '80s, my father had a 924 with the same trim.
Overhead artwork is rather amusing
And all in such a beautiful and interesting setting. For tomorrow's racing, we have front row seats at the starting grid. I expect it will sound fantastic, and the views from that spot are just incredible
I bought a print of the poster in the left of this picture, which shows Raymond Sommer in 1939
then headed back to the farm for a baguette and a bottle of Chimay.
This is hell. I can't wait to leave.
The footpath led to a road where some jolly classic car owners happened to be passing
Quite an eclectic bunch. The main idea for today was that lots of cars set off from town first thing, potter about the countryside and then converge back in town late afternoon. I don't know how you sign up for it. It would be perfect in a little convertible, but it's not the sort of thing I fancy doing in the 400. I'm doing plenty of miles over the next couple of weeks anyway. Then, headed into town around lunchtime when it was fairly quiet, no traffic and easy to park for free.
It got gradually busier during the afternoon and there were nice classics dotted around everywhere, including lots of things that we hardly ever see in the UK. This superb little Matra, with four seats and two removable targa panels
A display of cars by Ballot, locals who produced some successful racers in the 1920s before selling out to Hispano Suiza
and this was the company van
Amilcars for very slim occupants
A 1953 Deutch Bonnet (nope, me neither)
A Venturi - the French Lotus?
Plenty of British stuff.
This 911 was absolutely mint, with the wonderful pasha interior. Back in the early '80s, my father had a 924 with the same trim.
Overhead artwork is rather amusing
And all in such a beautiful and interesting setting. For tomorrow's racing, we have front row seats at the starting grid. I expect it will sound fantastic, and the views from that spot are just incredible
I bought a print of the poster in the left of this picture, which shows Raymond Sommer in 1939
then headed back to the farm for a baguette and a bottle of Chimay.
This is hell. I can't wait to leave.
skwdenyer said:
ConnectionError said:
It is a ver early Targa, with soft roof, I think
Every day’s a school day 
The existence of a soft roof targa completely passed me by.
bolidemichael said:
I hadn’t realised that we’d met. Anyway, that finger slip and the electric fence bottom-stinging are very amusing.
Angouleme sounds like a wonderful place to be, for this event. How did you manage to get front row seats, was it timing?
Entirely timing. The website opened ticket sales in late January and the stands sold out within a day or two, as far as I could gather. We got in early. The last corner is an uphill right hairpin and the exit leads immediately onto the starting grid, so it's a great spot to see the starts and also the cars gunning it onto the start/finish straight every lap. I'll add some more detail shortly. Suffice to say I'd love to go back next year.Angouleme sounds like a wonderful place to be, for this event. How did you manage to get front row seats, was it timing?
miniman said:
Had missed this thread previously. What a glorious car.
Are you at Bicester in October?
I usually try to be at the autumn Scramble, but this year the timing doesn't work for me and playtime will be over by then. I'll be out of the country. Maybe January, though. I'm going to the PH Saturday Service at Morgan at the end of this month, straight off the ferry at Portsmouth the evening before and arriving in Malvern around midnight. I thought it'd be a fun add-on to the end of this trip. My original plan was to spend that weekend in Deauville with the European Ferrari 400 Club. But, just after I registered for their event, they postponed it until next year. I'm sure those two things are entirely unrelated. Are you at Bicester in October?
Today was the last day at Angouleme. Went into town around 10am. The traffic was flowing in the centre but there weren't any obvious remaining spaces to park. I found a residential area outside of the remparts and left the car there. Basically, there are plenty of options if you're willing to walk ten minutes to the town centre and you're not bothered about having your car on display - which, admittedly, might not quite be in the spirit of the event. The Champ de Mars on Sunday was the main space for classics, and I made my way there at lunchtime. There were cars coming and going at that time, so it didn't feel like space was really at a premium. One of the things I liked about this event was that it was busy and had lots going on, but nowhere felt too crowded. Somehow, they managed to have just the right number of people and cars.
The day was slightly overcast, ideal for spending the afternoon in an uncovered grandstand. There was a shower mid-afternoon which made a couple of races a bit slippery, but overall we were very lucky with the weather.
As for the action, it was the most enjoyable racing event I think I've ever attended. Races were around ten to fifteen laps. As with most historic racing, there were a couple of frontrunners that were much quicker than everyone else - really well set-up cars with confident drivers - and a midfield that were either not really pushing it or not running right, and some eccentric backmarkers that were barely moving.
It's such a spectacular setting for vintage racing, and you're so close to the action. The Bugatti race was simply fabulous. Gorgeous cars, terrific noise and the air thick with the smell of Castrol R. There was a solitary and very fast straight eight Delage. Sleek and low slung, this was the type of car that Richard Seaman raced so successfully before graduating to the factory Mercedes Grand Prix team. It was running beautifully at Angouleme, sounded like thunder and finished high up among this horde of Bugattis. It may have been the ex-Seaman car. Only a few of these were made. A sister car appeared in a later race but was driven disappointingly gently.
The MG race had some great supercharged cars, including the gleaming aluminium bodied Bellevue Special, which looked like a work of art disappearing around the long curve of the start/finish straight.
The last race of the day had a noisy mix of race and rally cars from a Hillman Hunter to a Corvette, and with some notable drivers. Marc Duez was on pole in a Mk.I Escort, but he was soon overtaken by Francois Delecour in a Mk.II. The star was a blue Alpine A110 that came through from fifth to third. I'd always liked the look of these Alpines, but never seen one being raced, and they are really beautiful things in motion. This one was being driven flat out quite brilliantly.
A great day. I thoroughly recommend it and would definitely make a weekend of it again.
Seen during the day were lots of French things
a smaller version of my car
a perfectly proportioned straight eight Delage
manifestations of the Renault 25 for a certain type of Frenchman
everyday motors
more exotic
exotic but not French, this OSI looks great and reminds me a bit of the Monica 560, but only has a Ford engine. It's like a really ornate Scimitar
and miscellanea
The day was slightly overcast, ideal for spending the afternoon in an uncovered grandstand. There was a shower mid-afternoon which made a couple of races a bit slippery, but overall we were very lucky with the weather.
As for the action, it was the most enjoyable racing event I think I've ever attended. Races were around ten to fifteen laps. As with most historic racing, there were a couple of frontrunners that were much quicker than everyone else - really well set-up cars with confident drivers - and a midfield that were either not really pushing it or not running right, and some eccentric backmarkers that were barely moving.
It's such a spectacular setting for vintage racing, and you're so close to the action. The Bugatti race was simply fabulous. Gorgeous cars, terrific noise and the air thick with the smell of Castrol R. There was a solitary and very fast straight eight Delage. Sleek and low slung, this was the type of car that Richard Seaman raced so successfully before graduating to the factory Mercedes Grand Prix team. It was running beautifully at Angouleme, sounded like thunder and finished high up among this horde of Bugattis. It may have been the ex-Seaman car. Only a few of these were made. A sister car appeared in a later race but was driven disappointingly gently.
The MG race had some great supercharged cars, including the gleaming aluminium bodied Bellevue Special, which looked like a work of art disappearing around the long curve of the start/finish straight.
The last race of the day had a noisy mix of race and rally cars from a Hillman Hunter to a Corvette, and with some notable drivers. Marc Duez was on pole in a Mk.I Escort, but he was soon overtaken by Francois Delecour in a Mk.II. The star was a blue Alpine A110 that came through from fifth to third. I'd always liked the look of these Alpines, but never seen one being raced, and they are really beautiful things in motion. This one was being driven flat out quite brilliantly.
A great day. I thoroughly recommend it and would definitely make a weekend of it again.
Seen during the day were lots of French things
a smaller version of my car
a perfectly proportioned straight eight Delage
manifestations of the Renault 25 for a certain type of Frenchman
everyday motors
more exotic
exotic but not French, this OSI looks great and reminds me a bit of the Monica 560, but only has a Ford engine. It's like a really ornate Scimitar
and miscellanea
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