1973 Avon Tour 3 Litre Capris - Camaros - BMW 3.0 SI -
Discussion
neutral 3 said:
Gordon Spice took his Very Quick 3 Litre Capri to second place behind The Late Great James Hunt in his Monster Camaro.
Do any Ex Tour Cars Survive ?
That one doesn't:Do any Ex Tour Cars Survive ?
Manufacturer: Ford
Model: Not available
Year: Not available
Colour: Not available
Fuel Type: Not available
Engine Size (CC): Not available
VIN: Not available
V5C Issued: Not available
Tax
Tax Status: Not available
Expiry Date: Not available
Registration Date: Not available
6 Month Cost: £Not available
12 Month Cost: £Not available
I raced a Capri RS3100 in the Birkett 6 hr at Silverstone in 1982 in team Feedback, whilst practicing on the Fri beforehand my water pump gave up and as there was nowhere to buy one on the eve of the race I popped into Gordon Spice racing to purchase one of their spares. At that time they raced 3 litre Capri's in the touring car champs. Wow what a workshop, absolutely spotless you could have eaten food off any surface in there, I was impressed. Several dark blue Capri's at waist level and bright shiny paint top and bottom, I wonder what happened to it all.
Very interesting re G Spice . That Yellow 73 Tour car was the fastest 3 Litre Capri I'n the 73 Tour . Ahead of the Ford Works cars of Roger Chapman etc . It was prepared by Wisharts Of Crook , but I don't know who built it's Engine .
Spice was a very talented driver .
Shame that his Capri doesn't spear to have survived !
Spice was a very talented driver .
Shame that his Capri doesn't spear to have survived !
neutral 3 said:
The talented Irish Driver Adrian Boyd was 4th I'n his Consecutivly registered 3 Litre Capri RPU 932 K which was White . Has this one survived ?
Pretty sure there is some amuseing film of him commentating from the drivers seat on You Tube !
Apparently not. Same response as above. Remember though that's just DVLA records from VEL updates (so it shows no data as the car hasn't been taxed for many years) They might still exist at the back of someones garage not taxed and not SORNED. No way to know that other than word of mouth.Pretty sure there is some amuseing film of him commentating from the drivers seat on You Tube !
3.0 Si , what a car they were and So Underated . . I have one at the moment .
I'n the late 80s I was parked I'n Highgate, Nth London looking across at a Tatty L reg Polaris Si , when suddenly a Young west Indian guy jumps I'n it, looks across at me , smiles and then smokes the rear tyres for a long way down the Rd !!!
I'n March 1973 , Competition Car Mag wrote " This car is simply amazing, the 3.0 Si has the tractability of a limousine and the performance of an astonishingly quick sports - GT Machine !
Many rate them a far better drivers Car than the E 9 Coupe .
Roger Bell drove an S I on the 73 tour , I will upload a pic when I get a min .
I'n the late 80s I was parked I'n Highgate, Nth London looking across at a Tatty L reg Polaris Si , when suddenly a Young west Indian guy jumps I'n it, looks across at me , smiles and then smokes the rear tyres for a long way down the Rd !!!
I'n March 1973 , Competition Car Mag wrote " This car is simply amazing, the 3.0 Si has the tractability of a limousine and the performance of an astonishingly quick sports - GT Machine !
Many rate them a far better drivers Car than the E 9 Coupe .
Roger Bell drove an S I on the 73 tour , I will upload a pic when I get a min .
neutral 3 said:
3.0 Si , what a car they were and So Underated . . I have one at the moment .
I'n the late 80s I was parked I'n Highgate, Nth London looking across at a Tatty L reg Polaris Si , when suddenly a Young west Indian guy jumps I'n it, looks across at me , smiles and then smokes the rear tyres for a long way down the Rd !!!
I'n March 1973 , Competition Car Mag wrote " This car is simply amazing, the 3.0 Si has the tractability of a limousine and the performance of an astonishingly quick sports - GT Machine !
Many rate them a far better drivers Car than the E 9 Coupe .
Roger Bell drove an S I on the 73 tour , I will upload a pic when I get a min .
Oh wow, great to hear you're keeping the breed alive! I'n the late 80s I was parked I'n Highgate, Nth London looking across at a Tatty L reg Polaris Si , when suddenly a Young west Indian guy jumps I'n it, looks across at me , smiles and then smokes the rear tyres for a long way down the Rd !!!
I'n March 1973 , Competition Car Mag wrote " This car is simply amazing, the 3.0 Si has the tractability of a limousine and the performance of an astonishingly quick sports - GT Machine !
Many rate them a far better drivers Car than the E 9 Coupe .
Roger Bell drove an S I on the 73 tour , I will upload a pic when I get a min .
My dad was a BMW dealer from the mid 70s and he maintains that the 3.0Si was one of the best cars he drove, and that it had no equal when the practicalities of a saloon were factored in. Would love to see some pics of your car since you dont seem to see many nowadays!
C C , very interesting re your Dads time selling BMWs I'n the 70s . And yes, he is dead right re the S and Si, all the road tests of the day raved about them !!
Sadly so few now survive !
Does your Dad remember Pennine Motors of Dewsbury Rd Leeds ? Did he have much to do with trying to sell the hideously expensive ( but Again what a fab car ) 3.0 CSL ?? Of which 500 were bought I'n I'n late 72 early 73 for the UK .
And what does he recall about them ?
Sadly so few now survive !
Does your Dad remember Pennine Motors of Dewsbury Rd Leeds ? Did he have much to do with trying to sell the hideously expensive ( but Again what a fab car ) 3.0 CSL ?? Of which 500 were bought I'n I'n late 72 early 73 for the UK .
And what does he recall about them ?
neutral 3 said:
C C , very interesting re your Dads time selling BMWs I'n the 70s . And yes, he is dead right re the S and Si, all the road tests of the day raved about them !!
Sadly so few now survive !
Does your Dad remember Pennine Motors of Dewsbury Rd Leeds ? Did he have much to do with trying to sell the hideously expensive ( but Again what a fab car ) 3.0 CSL ?? Of which 500 were bought I'n I'n late 72 early 73 for the UK .
And what does he recall about them ?
I'm not sure i'll have to ask him. Yes he says they were very expensive. By the time he took over the garage at the end of '75 most of the UK allocation had been sold, but he took a few in part-ex, and told me a few stories of taking them out as a 22 year old and giving them a good hiding! Amazing how upmarket BMW were back in those days, a 3.0Li/LiA costing a ridiculous amount and the brand as a whole having nowhere near the market share they have today! Sadly so few now survive !
Does your Dad remember Pennine Motors of Dewsbury Rd Leeds ? Did he have much to do with trying to sell the hideously expensive ( but Again what a fab car ) 3.0 CSL ?? Of which 500 were bought I'n I'n late 72 early 73 for the UK .
And what does he recall about them ?
Interesting reply and would be great to know more re his time flogging BMs !
And yes the Li / Lia were hideously expensive , they were the Chairman / Captains Of Industry type of car . But, this is the interesting part re BMW sales I'n the 70s I'n Britain . Buyers were clamouring to buy the XJ 6 and particularly the XJ 12, but So few were available, Jag just couldn't make them fast enough , and build Quality was not good , so many buyers bought the S , Si , Li etc instead , which was readily available !!
This undoubtably helped to establish even more BMW as a Leading brand I'n Britain . I am trying establish E3 Sales Figures I'n Britain at the moment .
And yes the Li / Lia were hideously expensive , they were the Chairman / Captains Of Industry type of car . But, this is the interesting part re BMW sales I'n the 70s I'n Britain . Buyers were clamouring to buy the XJ 6 and particularly the XJ 12, but So few were available, Jag just couldn't make them fast enough , and build Quality was not good , so many buyers bought the S , Si , Li etc instead , which was readily available !!
This undoubtably helped to establish even more BMW as a Leading brand I'n Britain . I am trying establish E3 Sales Figures I'n Britain at the moment .
Just found a Feb 1973 Autocar Long term test of a Polaris Si ( CPM 263K ) that they bought new I'n early 1972 . They clocked up 22,000 miles I'n it and loved every minute !
They found that it was quicker to 60 than an Élan Plus 2 , a Jensen Healey an Alfa Montreal ( Love these ) and a Citroën SM .
But ... They also found it only 0.4 Secs slower than a V 12 E Type and 0.3 Secs slower than an Interceptor SP !!
They also stated that like All BMWs it is essentially a Drivers car and one that responds well to the Enthusiasts touch and gives a lot of pleasure and satisfaction all the time !!
They found that it was quicker to 60 than an Élan Plus 2 , a Jensen Healey an Alfa Montreal ( Love these ) and a Citroën SM .
But ... They also found it only 0.4 Secs slower than a V 12 E Type and 0.3 Secs slower than an Interceptor SP !!
They also stated that like All BMWs it is essentially a Drivers car and one that responds well to the Enthusiasts touch and gives a lot of pleasure and satisfaction all the time !!
neutral 3 said:
Just found a Feb 1973 Autocar Long term test of a Polaris Si ( CPM 263K ) that they bought new I'n early 1972 . They clocked up 22,000 miles I'n it and loved every minute !
They found that it was quicker to 60 than an Élan Plus 2 , a Jensen Healey an Alfa Montreal ( Love these ) and a Citroën SM .
But ... They also found it only 0.4 Secs slower than a V 12 E Type and 0.3 Secs slower than an Interceptor SP !!
They also stated that like All BMWs it is essentially a Drivers car and one that responds well to the Enthusiasts touch and gives a lot of pleasure and satisfaction all the time !!
Exactly, for its time absolutely unique. My dad said to me once how he used to get people come in, as you say to buy a BM instead of Jaguar, and they would bring it back for its 1000 mile service and ask if anything was wrong with it because it hadn't leaked oil on the drive! Never be like that nowadays. I would be interested to know how many are left of the 3.0 Si, I shouldn't think many.They found that it was quicker to 60 than an Élan Plus 2 , a Jensen Healey an Alfa Montreal ( Love these ) and a Citroën SM .
But ... They also found it only 0.4 Secs slower than a V 12 E Type and 0.3 Secs slower than an Interceptor SP !!
They also stated that like All BMWs it is essentially a Drivers car and one that responds well to the Enthusiasts touch and gives a lot of pleasure and satisfaction all the time !!
Great cabin, functional, 3 well-spaced pedals, manual box and no unnecessary driver aids... 
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