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The 21st Century magazine about cars and motorsport of the past and present Issue 116 May 2020
Classic and Competition Car Founded 2010
John Harris
Trial
2020
2CV Cross
1975
FIA GT Race
Donington 1998
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010
Alfa Romeo 60th anniversary
Page 5 News. Page 18 BMW Series 2
Contents Gran Coupe
Page 4 Opening Shot. Page 20 Sir Stirling
Moss
Page 25 Race from the Page 30 Page 36 Goodwood
Past - FIA GT Aston Martin Atom Festival of Speed
Donington 1998
Page 24 Book
Review - 2010
Citroen 2CV
Page 58 Lotus Page 60 2CV Cross
Page 57 Evora GT410 1975
Archive Photo
Page 52 VSCC of the month.
John Harris Trial
2020
Front Cover: Goodwood Festival of Speed - Alfa Romeo
Tipo 33/2 Le Mans © Simon Wright Our Team
1968VSCC John Harris Trial: Andy Newbound FORD A © Simon Wright-Editor. Janet Wright-Staff Photographer.
motorsport imagery Independent Freelance contributors in this issue.
2CV Cross © Peter McFadyen Pete Austin, Peter McFadyen, Syd Wall, Plus
1998 FIA GT race at Donington - Porsche 911 GT2 Konrad David Goose & Stuart Yates of Motorsport-Imagery.
Motorsport Martin Stretton Toni Seiler 13th 5th in class ©
Simon Wright
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 2
All content is copyright
Editorial. classicandcompetitioncar.com unless
Welcome to the latest issue of Classic and Competition car. We have a otherwise stated. All photographs are
slightly different look this month, due to the lack of live motoring events copyright and cannot be used for
commercial purposes unless by prior
taking place because of the pandemic lockdown. Until the situation approval of the original copyright
changes, we will be bringing you reports and features from our archives, holder. We try to ensure accurate and
with new material we have not published before. Relive some great truthful reporting but if you spot an
motoring and motorsport events from the past. We also upload new and error, please contact us and will we
different photos to our Instagram, Facebook and Flickr pages, so be sure verify and correct accordingly. We do
to check us out on social media. So stay safe and we look forward to not organise any events which are
seeing you at a motoring event in the not too distant future. mentioned and we are not responsible
if the event does not take place or is
cancelled. Please contact the event
Time on your hands?
Why not spend some time looking back when we had
organiser before making a long trip
real motoring events taking place. All our previous Classic and Competition Car is published
magazines can be downloaded free from the Previous by simonwrightphotos.com High View
Issue page on our web site Drive, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6
www.classicandcompetitioncar.com There are over 8HT
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photos please visit
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Classic and Competition Car May 2020 3
Opening Shot. With the 2020 Grand Prix season probably
By Simon Wright.
starting very late in the year, Ferrari are
preparing for any winter weather in later races
by bringing back the 1972 Ferrari 312 B3
Spazzaneve (Snowplough). They hope they
may make a clean sweep if the weather turns
wintery!
The car never raced in period and is seen here
at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 © Simon Wright 4
News chairman of the company, but in 1960 he sold 40% share to
Tony Crook, a leading Bristol agent, who became the sole
distributor. In 1973 White sold his share to Crook and at that
point British Aerospace (formerly BAC) requested Bristol
Cars to move from their Filton Aerodrome factory o new
premises. They set up in nearby Patchway, while the only
showroom on Kensington High Street in London became the
Head Office for the company.
The company produced at least six models, using famous
names from the aircrafts history, including Beaufighter,
Blenheim, Britannia and Brigand.
In 1997, Crook sold 50% of the company to Toby Silverton
with an option to take full control within four years. They
produced the Speedster, Bullet and 411 Series 6. In 2002
the company went into the ownership of Silverton and the
1955 Bristol 404 Tavistock Group and developed the two seater V10 Bristol
Beaufighter. In March 2011 the company went into
Bristol Cars in Administration. Administration for the first time. In April 2011 a new company
Founded after the second world war, Bristol Cars limited was formed by the administrators, the Bristol Automotive
have gone in to administration in March 2020, having been Group, to sell the original assets to Kamkorp. The new
taken over in 2011 by Kamkorp. company restored and sold all models of the marque while
It was originally the car division of the Bristol Aeroplane working on the development of a new model, the Bullet. This
Company, based at Filton in Bristol. They had made their was first revealed to the public in 2016. The company was
first light car after the first World war, the Bristol Monocar, wound up by the High Court of Justice with assets to be sold
plus they produced car bodies for Armstrong Siddeley and off to pay creditors. The Bristol Owners Club are actively
bus bodies for Bristol Tramways, to provide employment engaged with the liquidators to try and preserve what it can
for their workforce. After the end of the second world war, of the heritage and associated spares for the marque.
the company decided to manufacture their own vehicles
and began to work with AFN Ltd, makers of Frazer Nash
cars. They did a take-over of Frazer Nash in 1945 but by
1947, soon after the first cars had been produced, there
were differences between the board and Frazer Nash,
which resulted in the resale of Frazer Nash. The car
division then became independent of the parent company
and in 1960 Bristol Cars was sold after the Bristol
Aeroplane Company joined other British aircraft companies
to create the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). The
company was founded by George S.M White who was © Simon Wright
Bristol Fighter
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 5
circumstances
have led to
the difficult
decision to
permanently
close the
Chateau
Impney Hotel
and Exhibition
Centre, a sad
decision Autotest
which was not taken lightly by the company.
The closure will be a big loss to the local economy and to
the many people who were employed by the company. It
is also a major loss to local motoring enthusiasts. The
venue had held the Chateau Impney Hill Climb event for
the last five years, a revival of a former sprint event that
Hill Climb took place up until 1967. The new Hill Climb had been a
big success with competitors and enthusiasts and plans
Chateau Impney Hotel closes. were underway to hold the event again in 2020.
Unfortunately, the event was cancelled before the current
The Chateau Impney Hotel and Exhibition Centre closed on situation arose. However, the venue was also host to the
the 16th March 2020 as regular Footman James
part of the Government Coffee and Chrome
lockdown due to the Breakfast meetings for
Coronavirus pandemic, classic car owners during
which closed all hotels, the year, and local car
restaurants and places clubs were also using
of mass public parts of the venue for
gatherings. This autotest events and even
necessary closure was stages of historic tours.
for the safety of Plus the hotel also hosted
workers, guests and many car club annual
the wider society. This award dinner evenings,
was obviously beyond and the Exhibition Centre
the control of the had been used for several
company. These car auctions.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 Coffee & Chrome 6
record for a 2 litre road car at the time.
This achievement proved to be
invaluable publicity for the model and
helped lead to a renaissance of the
Triumph marque and the start of the
long and successful line of Triumph TR
sports cars.
After testing was completed in the mid-
1950s, the car was sold to a private
buyer. It was sold again in the 1970s
and the new owner dismantled the car
and boxed it up for storage. The owner
planned to restore the vehicle, but
unfortunately it didn’t happen. In 2015,
the boxed car was purchased by a
new owner who spent two years
restoring the vehicle to its original
glory, and fully drivable. Fortunately
almost the entire car had survived,
bodywork, engine and trim, which
allowed the vehicle to be rebuilt to its
original specification.
The car has now been secured for the
nation, with the British Motor Museum
purchasing the car for £280,000, as an important part of
TR2 Prototype at Gaydon. the UK’s motor history. It will be displayed at the museum
in Gaydon and occasionally it will be taken out to events,
A unique, record breaking Triumph TR2 prototype spots car allowing people to see the car in action.
has just been acquired by the British Motor Museum with the
help of £250,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund This hand built prototype of the Triumph TR2 is quite
(NHMF). different from the mass produced models. The prototype
It is one of just three prototypes of the successful 1953 was built around a wooden frame and the bodywork was
Triumph TR2 sports car produced by the Standard Motor riveted together rather than welded. The aero windscreen
Company (SMC), and it is the only one known to have and streamlined canopy were designed purely for the
survived. In May 1953 at speed trials at Jabbeke in Belgium, record breaking attempt and even the Triumph badge is
this car reached a speed of almost 125 mph. This was a unique to this vehicle.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 7
70 years of the scorpion legend. victories on track
and in hill climbs
On the 10th April 1950, the great champion Tazio in coupe and
Nuvolari ended his racing career behind the sports cars.
wheel of the Abarth 204A, the first model Abarth also went
constructed by Carlo Abarth. He took a class on to win the
victory in the legendary Palermo - Monte Pellegrino rally. International
This was a time trial run from the Sicilian capital of Palermo Manufacturers
Championship
six times Abarth 1000 in the 1966 4 hours of Monza
between 1962
and 1967 and took victories in the 1972 European
Championship for makes with Arturo Merzario at the
wheel. They also took four wins in the European Touring
Championship in 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1979. Success
also came in rallying with three constructors
championships for Fiat
Abarth in 1977, 1978 and
1980 including a World
Drivers Championship in
Tazio Nuvolari in the Abarth 204A 1980 for Walter Röhrl and
the FIA Cup for drivers in
up the steep climb of Monte Pellegrino, featuring multiple 1978 with Markku Alén. As
tarmac hairpin bends. The Squadra Carlo Abarth team saw well as these major
Nuvolari take 5th overall and a class win in the victories, other
1100cc two seater racing car. wins came in
Nuvolari and Carlo Abarth had become friends seven European
just after World War 2, when Nuvolari drove for Rally The Abarth Sport and Berlinetta
Piero Dusio’s Cisitalia when Carlo Abarth was that took victory in the
Championships Manufacturers World Championship
leading the racing team. Nuvolari already had between 1975
55 victories in International Grand Prix and and 2011. The Abarth 124 Rally continues the
major road races. When Dusio emigrated to winning ways in 2018 and 2019 in the FIA R-GT
Argentina, he sold the team to Abarth and Cup. The Abarth 124 rally continues to run in
Nuvolari became the spokesman for the the 2020 ERC as well as the team acting as
paddle shift tuning kits and exhausts that technical partners on track with the Italian and
Abarth sold. These kits converted road cars German F4 championships.
into race winners, while the race team scored
Fiat Abarth 131 Rally
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 8
FIA defer World RX electric switch to 2022.
The FIA has announced its decision to postpone the
electrification implementation plan for 2021 by one year,
due to the economic challenges presented by the COVID-
19 pandemic.
The decision was taken in consultation with IMG, the
promoter of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, as
well as Kreisel Electric, the approved supplier of the
electrification kit, and GCK Energy, the approved supplier
of energy. All parties remain committed to the original
strategy built around independent teams that are currently
Caterham launch Retro-themed Super Seven 1600. competing in, or looking to enter the series, which was
Designed to reflect the joy and glamour of motoring in the conceived with sustainability and cost control at its core.
1970s, Caterham have launched its latest retro inspired FIA President Jean Todt commented: “While the current
model, the Super Seven 1600. Prices start at £33,495 or situation has made it necessary to defer the switch to
£325.99 a month for 48 months for a car in component form. electric by one year to allow competitors further time to
This 135 bhp five speed sports car fits perfectly into adapt and to invest, the FIA remains committed to a new
Caterham’s existing heritage line of products alongside the horizon for World RX. This will create the most cost
popular limited edition Sprint and Super Sprint models effective environment and demonstrate the rapidly
launched in 2016 and 2017 respectively. developing performance capabilities of electric road cars in
The new model features class retro details and styling cues this FIA championship."
including classic flared front wings and retro inspired 14 inch "At this stage, plans for the new FIA eRX Junior
alloy wheels. Also adding to the retro feel is a spare wheel championship remain unaffected by this decision and work
and carrier like on the touring Sevens of old. The new model towards the electrification of this category will continue for
is also available in a choice of Seven heritage paint finishes 2021, with a complete car supply and championship
and an elegant wooden rimmed steering wheel and leather organisation on an all-inclusive arrive and drive format.
upholstery.
The car also offers some new for 2020 features, being
available with a wider and more comfortable large chassis as
well as the standard version. But the engine does hark back
to the 70s including DCOE
throttle body injection, as used
by lots of rally cars of the
period, producing a distinctive Historic Rally Festival postponed until October.
growl. This new, most powerful The inaugural Historic Rally Festival to be held at Telford and
Super Seven ever built is now Weston Park in Shropshire in June has been moved back until
available to order from the 24th and 25th October 2020. Saturday will be a free
www.thenew-oldschool.com ceremonial start after live scrutineering, while Sunday will see
historic stages used including Weston park.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 9
Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage TWINS. Celebrating Zagato’s centenary, bespoke automotive manufacturer R-Reforged has announced plans to produce its Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage TWINS by R- Reforged in-house at its new facility in Warwick. They will hand build the 38 Coupé and Speedster TWINS that celebrate the centenary of the Zagato Atelier (1919-2019) and the 60 year partnership between the Milanses ‘Signature’ and the British sports car manufacturer. The are offered only in pairs to just 19 customers, with the majority already sold, with the sporting Speedster and the timeless Coupé. Both will feature exclusively the 100th anniversary gold Z badging. Both models will feature a reworked version of the 5.9 litre Vantage V12 48 valve engine, naturally aspirated to produce 600 bhp, an increase of 85 bhp over the original. The all carbon-fibre body incorporates active aero and a deployable rear wing to improve stability at high speed while maintaining the clean surfaces and pure lines of the Zagato design. They also sport the new centre locking 19 inch bespoke alloy wheels designed by APP Tech. The first two cars were specified by Marella Rivolta Zagato, who co-runs the Italian design house, with one in gold and the other in Platinum. Classic and Competition Car May 2020 10
New Citroën Ami
The new Citroën Ami - 100% electric has won ‘The Disruptor
Award’ in the BBC Top Gear magazine Electric awards 2020.
The new Ami is inspired to make urban mobility accessible
and easy for everyone.
The car was unveiled in Paris at the end of February. It
TOCA issue revised 2020 BTCC calendar. features a 5.5kWh battery with a range of up to 43 miles and
These are provisional dates for the 2020 Kwik Fit British zero emissions and can be fully charged in just 3 hours from a
Touring Car Championship, pending future Government standard domestic socket. It has a top speed of just 28 mph
directives. The first meeting may possibly run without and is unique in that it can be driven by anyone from 16 years
spectators, behind closed doors. of age without a driving licence in some European countries,
and just 14 years of age in France.
August 1/2nd 2020 Donington Park (National). With space for two people in its compact size of 2.41 metres
August 8/9th 2020 Brands Hatch (Indy). long by 1.39 metres wide
August 22/23rd 2020 Oulton Park (Island). and 1.52 metres high, it has
August 29/30th 2020 Knockhill. a very tight turning circle,
September 19/20th 2020 Thruxton. ideal for city streets. It can be
September 26/27th 2020 Silverstone (National). ordered online and delivered
October 10/11th 2020 Croft. to your door, with prices
October 24/25th 2020 Snetterton (300). starting from just €6,000 or
November 14/15th 2020 Brands Hatch (GP). on a short term loan basis
through car sharing schemes
If the BTCC is unable to resume at this time, the calendar will such as Free2Move or longer
be amended accordingly. term rental options from just
€19.99 per month.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 11new Edition 1 has 19 inch alloy wheels, black exterior styling,
Matrix LED headlights with digital daytime running lights and
electrically adjustable and heated front sports seats in
Alcantara and leatherette. The top level Vorsprung adds a
panoramic glass sunroof, fine Nappa leather upholstery, the
Audi Phone Box and Bang & Olufsen audio. Plus on the
driver safety side it adds the heads-up display, traffic sign
recognition, parking assist and adaptive cruise assist.
There are three engine sizes available at launch. The 1.5 litre
direct injection 35 TFSI which produces 150 PS with a 6
speed manual transmission and can give 48.7 mpg. A second
version of this engine is fitted to the 7 speed quick-shifting S
tronic gearbox, which uses shift by wire technology. This
combines cylinder on demand efficiency with a 48 volt mild
New Audi A3 Saloon. hybrid system. This can return up to 50.4 mpg. The final
The latest Audi compact class saloon aligns with its five door version is a 2 litre TDI producing 150PS with the 7 speed S
Sportsback counterpart through a ground up redesign. It is tronic transmission which can give up to 62.8 mpg.
available in Sport, S Line, Edition 1 and Vorsprung Prices start at £26,870 OTR for the 35 TFSI Sport with
specification options. A Digital cockpit and touch display are manual transmission, rising to £32,220 for the 35TDI S tronic
standard throughout the range. Also fitted across the range is
Audi pre sense front which combines a camera behind the
interior mirror with frontal radar to help prevent accidents,
collision avoidance assist and lane departure warnings.
Selected models feature mild hybrid MHEV drivetrains. Also
the introduction of advanced Matrix LED lighting with new
digital daytime running lights on selected models give each
variant a specific light signature.
Compared to the previous model, it is 4 cm longer, 2 cm
wider and 1 cm taller while retaining the same wheelbase. By
repositioning the drivers seat, a 2cm gain in headroom has
been achieved.
The base model features 17 inch alloy wheels, twin leather
upholstery and dual-zone climate control. The S line adds 18
inch alloy wheels, LED rear lights with dynamic rear
indicators and privacy glass, with sports seats with S line
embossing and contrast stitching and upgraded inlays. The
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 12Salon Privé announces new dates for 2020.
Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding events in the UK,
the Directors of Salon Privé have decided to move the event
back 3 weeks. It will now take place between Wednesday
23rd to Saturday 26th September 2020 at Blenheim Palace.
This will be the 15th year of the event, which is now
recognised as one of the top events in the World alongside
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Concorso
d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
Ford Mustang Cobra Jet 1400
Ford Performance have just introduced
their first ever, one-off Mustang Cobra jet
factory drag racer with all-electric
propulsion. It won’t hurt your ears and
doesn’t use a drop of fuel, but it should
blast the quarter-mile in the low 8 second
range at more than 170 mph.
The battery powered Mustang Cobra Jet
1400 prototype is purpose built to deliver
over 1,400 hp and over 1,100 ft-lbs of
instant torque to demonstrate the
capabilities of an electric powertrain in
one of the most demanding race 2020 Festival of the Unexceptional - Postponed.
environments. Due to take place at Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire on
the 25th July 2020,
Due to the current
restrictions and
Government
guidance surrounding
Covid-19, Hagerty
have taken the
decision to postpone
the event until 2021.
A new date will de
announced later in
the year.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 13side vents. The interior has black pebble texture leather with
yellow diamond seat stitching, plus LE60 headrests and a
wooden dashboard. The Scintilla Silver version has 18 inch
Morgan goes Dutch for 60th anniversary. black Speedster wheels with yellow brake callipers and a
To celebrate 60 years of Morgan’s partnership with yellow 6 painted on
Dutch Dealership the grill. It also has
Louwman Exclusive, a yellow band runs
the Malvern based round the trailing
company have edge of the bonnet.
produced a bespoke The dashboard and
run of five cars gear tunnel top are
comprising of three in Silver.
unique The Almond green
specifications, each with its own three wheeler also has yellow
touches, plus a leather dashboard which
theme. The LE60 range consists features a laser-engraved design.
of just five cars been created - two All Morgan Plus Six are based on the
Plus Six models in Ice Blue, two in companies CX-Generation bonded
Scintilla Silver and a single 3 aluminium platform and are powered by
wheeler in Almond Green. The the BMW B58 6 cylinder
blue LE60 Plus Six feature 19 inch inline 3 litre
alloy wheels, evoking the look of a turbocharged engine
wire wheel but with a modern which produces 335 bhp.
twist. Yellow accents include the The car can accelerate
brake callipers, spot light casings from 0-62 mph in just 4.2
and LE60 decals on the bonnet seconds.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 14glazing at the rear
of the car. The
transmission also
uses Formula 1
grade material and
the exhaust system
is fully formed in
titanium, which is
40% lighter than a
comparable steel
McLaren weight reduction programme on 765LT. system. The track
As McLaren moves towards a new generation of hybrid tuned suspension
supercars, it confirms the “weight race” is a priority for the system features more motorsport derived ideas, such as
company. While Carbon fibre structures and components ‘helper’ springs that negate the need for heavier dual-rate
remain a primary source in delivering superlight supercars, sprint arrangement. Ultra-lightweight wheels with bespoke
McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) in Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo R Tyres, complete with titanium wheel
Yorkshire are leading innovators in manufacturing nuts save 22 kg.
composite materials, including carbon fibre. When ordering, it
The new McLaren 765LT illustrates the benefits of is also possible
minimising vehicle mass, with an 80 kg reduction being not to include the
key to delivering the performance advantages enjoyed by air conditioning
this limited and audio
edition systems in the
supercar. This specification,
minimised thise these driver
weight is the comfort features
result of can be included
meticulous at no additional
changes to the cost.
entire vehicle. With the 754 bhp
The 765LT (760PS) twin
makes turbo V8 engine,
extensive use of this supercar can accelerate from 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h)
carbon fibre, in just 7.2 seconds.
including exterior Just 765 individually numbered Longtail 765LT cars will be
body panels, aerodynamic components, seats and interior built to customer orders, and McLaren retailers are already
centre tunnel. Other weight saving measures include taking deposits for the cars.
lightweight side windows and motorsport style polycarbonate
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 15Mazda MX-5 R-Sport Special Edition.
As the World’s best selling 2 seater roadster enters its fourth
decade, Mazda have revealed the R-Sport Special edition.
Limited to just 150 cars, the convertible will feature Polymetal
Grey metallic paint with piano black exterior mirrors and a
grey soft top hood. Completing the unique exterior will be 16
inch RAYS
gunmetal
alloy
Audi to quit DTM at end of 2020. wheels.
Inside, it
Becoming a provider of premium mobility with a carbon- features
neutral footprint, Audi has decided not to extend its burgundy
involvement in the DTM racing series after the 2020 season. Nappa
Audi’s future motorsport involvement will focus on Formula E leather
and in customer racing teams. With over 41 trophies already seats with
Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler has been the most successful silver
Formula E team over the years since the series began. Away stitching.
from the circuit, Audi aim to generate 40% of their road car The car is
sales with electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2025. based on
Audi have been extremely successful in the DTM, having the 1.5
won 23 championship titles, including 11 drivers titles, plus litre 130
114 race victories, 345 podium finishes, 106 pole positions bhp 2020 Mazda MX-5 sports model and the equipment
and 112 fastest laps. With three out of three titles and features Navigation, Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, cruise
numerous podiums, 2019 has been the companies most control, heated seats and climate control. The car is priced at
successful DTN season in the companies history. £27,700 and customers can register their interest online now.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 16British Motor Museum rearrange show dates.
With the British Motor Museum at Gaydon
currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
they have had to postpone or cancel some of its
upcoming show.
The Land Rover show has been moved from 9th-10th May to
1st and 2nd of August. The UK Slot car festival has been
cancelled, but will return again in 2021. The Jaguar
Breakfast meeting for May has been cancelled, but hope to
run the next one in July. The Banbury Run for historic
Mustang earns World’s best selling sports car title. motorcycles has been postponed until the 16th August and
Celebrating its 56th birthday in April, the Ford Mustang was the Classic & Vintage Commercial Show has been
the best selling sports car in the World last year and the postponed until the 8th and 9th August. Tickets for cancelled
World’s best-selling sports coupe for the 5th consecutive year. events will be refunded over the next few weeks, will for
Since the sixth generation Mustang began global exports in postponed events, any tickets already sold will be valid for
2015, Ford has sold 633,000 in 146 countries around the the new date. Visit their web site for further information
World, which included 102,090 in 2019. Sales in Germany www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
increased 33%, in Poland sales rose by nearly 50% and in
France they almost doubled. In Europe, the Mustang is
offered in fastback and convertible body styles with a choice Hot Rods at London Concours 2020.
of a 5 litre V8 petrol engine Hosted at the Honourable Artillery
developing 442 bhp with either Company HQ from the 19th-20th August,
a 10 speed automatic or 6 the London Concours is the capital’s
speed manual transmission or finest automotive garden party. This
the 2.3 litre EcoBoost petrol year they will be hosting a ‘Speed of
engine, developing 287 bhp Sand’ celebration, a tribute to pre-1949
with a 6 speed manual American Hot Rods. The Vintage Hot
transmission. The special Rod Association hold an annual event at Pendine Sands, and
edition Mustang BULLITT the three-time ‘King of the Beach’, the fastest woman on the
featuring an enhanced 453 sand and a host of others will be at the London Concours.
bhp 5 litre V8 engine in a For further information see www.londonconcours.co.uk
fastback body style with a Auto Royale rescheduled.
choice of shadow black or The inaugural Auto Royale and British
classic dark highland green. International Concours d’Elegance
The Mustang is also America’s event which was originally scheduled
best selling sports car of the to take place in July has now been
last 50 years. rescheduled to summer 2021
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 17It accelerates from 0-62 mph in 8.7 seconds and a top
speed of 134 mph and returns a maximum of 47.1 mpg.
The 2 litre petrol engine in the M235i xDrive is the BMW
Group’s most powerful four cylinder engine, delivering 306
hp using BMW
TwinPower Turbo
technology. Peak
torque is 450 Nm
which takes it from
0-62 mph in 4.9
First ever BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé seconds and a top
BMW is adding to its successful coupé line-up with the sleek speed of 155 mph,
2 Series Gran Coupé. It made its World debut at the Los with a maximum of
Angeles Auto Show last November. It features the latest 37.2 mpg.
transverse mounted engine giving Front-Wheel-Drive or AWD The Diesel option is
as seen in the BMW Series 1, with cutting edge chassis the 2 litre four
technology to optimise cylinder BMW 220d
handling and driving which produces 190 hp with peak torque of 400 Nm, taking
enjoyment. It features a it from 0-62 mph in just 7.5 seconds and a maximum speed
new design of the rear of 146 mph. It can also achieve up to 57.6 mpg.
lights and has an The eight speed Steptronic sport transmission is available
exclusive in the BMW 220d and in the
mesh grille on BMW M235i xDrive.
the front of the The model will be available in
flagship M235i three variants, Sport, M Sport
xDrive M and M Performance M235i
Performance xDrive. The Sport model
model. It has features sports seats in Nivala
frameless side windows for all four doors, with its Cloth/Sensatec with orange or
silhouette comes straight from the classical coupé silver contrast stitching and a
blueprint. The model features full LED headlights sport steering wheel, plus 17
and rear lights. inch alloy wheels, front and rear
The car has a choice of three engines, two petrol Park Distance Control, two
and one diesel. The entry level 218i has a revised 1.5 petrol engine zone automatic air con, BMW
1.5 litre three cylinder petrol engine, developing Connected Package plus BMW
140 hp and peak torque of 220 Nm, with an over-boost Live Cockpit plus and Active Guard plus with Lane
th
function in 4 gear or higher which generates an extra 10 Nm. Departure Warning. The M Sport adds sports seats in
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 18Dakota leather and a M In the aim to improve handling, BMW have included ARB
Sport leather steering (Near-actuator wheel
wheel, plus 18 inch alloy slip limitation)
wheels, M Sport technology from the
suspension, M BMW i3s, which works
Aerodynamic body with the Dynamic
styling, M Sport Stability Control system
steering, plus electric to significantly reduce
folding mirrors, heated power understeer. This
seats, extended lighting, feature can be turned
Digital Cockpit Professional, BMW Intelligent Personal off if wished by the
Assistant and BMW connected package Professional. The driver. Other driver
M235i adds the M seats with integrated headrests assistance systems
upholstered in Alcantara cloth, exclusive Cerium grey 18 included are collision
inch alloy wheels, M235i specific M Sport suspension, rear and pedestrian warning BMW 235i rear view
spoiler, M Performance exhaust system, Limited Slip with city braking function, Lane Departure Warning with
Differential on the front axle and eight speed sport automatic active lane return and Cruise control with braking function.
transmission featuring launch control. An optional Parking Assistant offers automatic assisted
parking in parallel or perpendicular parking
spaces, taking care of the steering, accelerating
and braking.
The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé is available now
from £23,815 OTR.
BMW 235i xDrive M BMW 235i M Performance engine
Classic and Competition Car Performance May 2020 19© Janet Wright
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss OBE.
17th September 1929 to 12th April 2020.
A true gentleman and the greatest driver never to win
the World Championship.
Born in West Kensington in London, the son of a dentist, Alfred Moss
and his mother Aileen. His father was an amateur racing driver who
had finished 16th in the 1924 Indianapolis 500, while his mother had
competed prewar hill climbs in a Singer Nine, it was inevitable that
both he and his sister, Pat Moss, would continue the family tradition
of motor racing. Pat went on to become a successful rally driver and
married Swedish rally driver Erik Carlsson.
Stirling began driving at 9 years of age in an Austin & he got from his
father to drive in the fields around their home. He got his driving
licence at 15 and bought his own car.
He began racing in 1948 in a career that spanned 15 years until
1962. During that period he entered 529 races in all kinds of cars
and won 212 of them, in everything from saloons right up to Formula
1. In one year he competed in 62 races and over his career he drove
© Simon Wright
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 2084 different makes of car, including Mercedes Benz and the Alpine Rally (Coupe des Alpes). He also finished 2nd in
Vanwall. He preferred to race British cars if possible, stating the 1952 Monte Carlo rally driving a Sunbeam Talbot 90
“Better to lose honourably in a British Car than to win in a with Desmond Scannell and Autocar editor John Cooper as
foreign one.” At Vanwall he helped break the German/Italian co-drivers.
stranglehold on Formula 1 racing. Mercedes became interested in Stirling in 1953 and
An accomplished horse rider, Moss started his car racing Mercedes Benz racing boss suggested that Stirling buy a
career in his fathers 328 BMW, then used money won from Maserati 250F to © Janet Wright
horse riding events to pay the deposit for one of the first see how well he
Cooper 500 racing cars in 1948. His father wanted him to went before
become a dentist, but Stirling convinced him to buy the possibly joining the
Cooper. He quickly demonstrated his natural ability, winning Mercedes Grand
many races at Prix team. The car
both national was unreliable, but
and international Moss qualified
level. Even after alongside the A Maserati 250F like Moss raced in 1953 to
moving to higher Mercedes drivers win the Oulton Park International Gold Cup
levels of racing, several times and performed well in races before the car
he still returned failed. He did achieve his first Formula 1 victory in the
to compete in Maserati when he won the non-championship Oulton Park
Formula 3 International Gold Cup. At the Italian Grand Prix he passed
driving Coopers both Fangio in a Mercedes and Alberto Ascari in a Ferrari
and Kiefts. and led until the 68th lap when he retired with engine
His first major failure, leaving Fangio to take the victory.
Moss in a Jaguar XK120 victory came on In 1954 he became the first non-American to win the 12
© Janet Wright at Shelsley Walsh the eve of his Hours of Sebring driving the Cunningham 1.5 litre O.S.C.A.
21st birthday when he borrowed a Jaguar XK120 and won MT4 with American Bill Lloyd.
the 1950 RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod in Northern Ireland. Mercedes Benz signed Stirling for the 1955 season and he
He went on to win the Tourist Trophy six more times, in 1951 took his first World Championship victory at the 1955
driving a Jaguar C-Type, 1955 in a Mercedes-Benz 300SLR, British Grand Prix at Aintree, leading a Mercedes Benz
1958 and 1959 in an Aston Martin DBR1 and 1960 and 1961 1,2,3,4 finish and beating his team mate Fangio. Stirling
in a Ferrari 250 GT. also went on to win the RAC
Enzo Ferrari offered him a Formula 2 season in 1952 after a Tourist Trophy, the Targa
one-off drive at the 1951 Bari Grand Prix, but when Stirling Florio and the Mille Miglia.
and his father arrived in Puglia, they found out the car was to The Mille Miglia was
be driven by Piero Taruffi and were quite annoyed. possibly his greatest
Stirling was also a competent rally driver, winning a Coupe achievement, described as
d’Or (Gold Cup) for three consecutive penalty free runs on the “most iconic single day’s © Simon Wright
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 21© Simon Wright
drive in motor racing
history. He was paired
with motor racing
journalist Denis
Jenkinson, who had
prepared pace notes
for the 1,000 mile trip,
which they completed
in ten hours and
seven minutes.
He won the Nassau
Cup at the 1956 and
1957 Bahamas Speed
week and also in 1957
he raced for Vanwall.
He won the British
Grand Prix at Aintree
driving a VW5, the
Gran Premio d’Italia at
Moss won the 1957 British Grand Prix at
Aintrree in a Vanwall VW5 like this one. Monza and the Grand Moss driving the Ferrari 250 GT
Prix at the Pescara at Shelsley Walsh
© Janet Wright
Circuit in Italy, the longest track
every used for a World another historic victory in the 1960
Championship Grand Prix, with a lap Monaco Grand Prix driving Rob
length of 16 miles. He finished 2nd in Walker’s Lotus 18 powered with the
the World Championship behind his Coventry Climax engine. He
friend and Rival Fangio. repeated the victory the following
Between 1955 and 1961 Stirling year against the much more
finished as runner up in the World powerful Ferrari 156 driven by Phil
Championship four times and in third Hill, Richie Ginther and Wolfgang
place the other three times. He lost von Trips, also winning a partially
the 1958 championship by a single wet German Grand Prix.
point to Mike Hawthorn despite His career really finished following
winning 4 Grand Prix in both the Rob a heavy crash at Goodwood,
Walker Cooper Climax T43 and the driving the Lotus in the Glover
Vanwall VW5, compared to Trophy. He was in a coma for a
Hawthorns single victory. He took month and partially paralysed down
© Simon Wright
Lotus Climax 18
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 22© Simon Wright
his left side for six months. He did do a test in a Lotus 19 the In 1990 he was
following year but decided to retire from the sport. He made inducted into
a second career as a commentator for motorsport on TV in the International
America. Motorsports
However, the draw of racing always continued and Stirling Hall of Fame. In
made various one-off appearances in historic events and the New Years
also took part in the 1974 London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Honours 2000
Rally in a Mercedes Benz. He shared a Holden Torana with he was made a
Knight
Batchelor for
services to
motor racing
and on 21st March 2000 he was knighted by Prince
Charles, standing in for the Queen. In 2005 he was
awarded the Segrave Trophy and in 2006 he was awarded
the FIA Gold Medal for his outstanding contributions to
motorsport.
In 2009 Mercedes Benz in conjunction with McLaren
launched the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
edition, a limited run supercar to honour Stirling Moss, with
just 75 built. It used an AMG 5.5 litre Supercharged engine
and could accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 3.5 seconds,
with a top speed of 217 mph.
BTCC Audi 80 © Simon Wright
He died in London on the 12th April 2020 at the age of 90
Jack Brabham in the 1976 Bathurst 1000 in Australia, then with his wife Lady Moss at his side following a long illness.
shared a Volkswagen Golf GTi with Denny Hulme in the
1979 Benson & Hedges 500 at Pukekohe Park Raceway in
New Zealand.
He made a return to proper racing in 1980 for the Audi team
in the British Saloon Car Championship with Richard Lloyd
and his GTi team. He continued with the Audi in 1981 under
Walkinshaw racing, racing with Martin Brundle.
He continued racing in historic events until 2011, after
qualifying for the Le Mans Classic event, he decided to
finally retire at an age of 81. He continued to make guest
appearances at various events and was as popular as ever.
© Simon Wright
Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 23Book Review - By Peter McFadyen. examples built between 1960 and 1966, 80 went to the
Citroën 2CV – Different is Everything Spanish Guardia Civil.
Author: Malcolm Bobbitt Designed to provide comfortable if basic travel over less than
Publisher: Amberley Publishing perfect terrain, the 2CV inevitably found itself the transport of
Price: £14.99. Softback (234 x 165mm), 96 pages, illustrated choice for a number of adventurers such as the duo who
throughout in B/W and colour completed a 13,588 km tour of the Mediterranean coast
ISBN: 978 1 4456 8767 4 including the Middle East and North Africa in 1952. A year
later, one of the 375cc powered cars was taken on a 52,000
Created as a means of providing essential transport to potential km tour of North and South America via the Bolivian Andes to
customers who might never have been able to afford a car, the Tierra del Fuego and even a full round-the-world-in-12-months
unassuming Citroën 2CV (Deux tour was completed in a 2CV in 1959. Only
Chevaux) quickly became an object of slightly less adventurously, the chief
desire not only to those free spirits and designer of Rolls Royce is reported to have
free thinkers who frequented the bars and used a 2CV as his daily transport, pointedly
cafés of Paris’s Left Bank but also the parking it among his colleagues’ local
more affluent Parisians who judged it a produce at the Crewe factory.
status symbol. One of the most These are but a few of the myriad facts and
remarkable of many photographs in the stories which can be gleaned from this
book shows the mass of visitors remarkably informative book, clearly
inundating the cars on the Citroën stand belying its modest dimensions. The author,
at the 1948 Paris Motor Show when it as well as being the editor of SAHB Times,
was launched. Production would extend the magazine of the Society of Automobile
for 40 years with 2.4 million examples Historians in Britain, is a committed Citroën
having been built by 1966, not counting enthusiast and an authority on the marque,
almost 56,000 of the goods version, the a clue to that fact being that even his email
Fourgonnette, by that time. Over that address incorporates reference to the
period, many changes and upgrades company’s famous factory at Quai de Javel.
would be introduced along with variants He is a skilled writer, too, imparting this
including Ami 6, Dyane, Mehari and, for highly detailed account of the life and times
the British market only and made at the of the Citroën 2CV from its pre-war
company’s Slough factory, a fibreglass conception to the end of production – not in
bodied version named the Bijou and France but in Portugal – in such a readable
styled by Peter Kirwan-Taylor, previously manner that, once started, it is difficult to
responsible for the greatly admired Lotus put the book down. As a source of
Elite, no less. Along the way, Citroën everything you wanted to know about this
produced a twin-engined, 4-wheel drive little French marvel – and probably more
version, the Sahara, designed specifically besides – it is highly recommended and
for the oil industry although, of the 774 excellent value.
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 24Race from the Past.
1998 FIA GT Donington 500 kms.
Donington Park, 6th September 1998.
By Simon & Janet Wright.
The race winning GT1 AMG Mercedes
Benz CLK LM of Bernd Schneider and
Mark Webber who finished 1st
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 © Simon Wright 25Porsche 911 GT1-98
The seventh Jorg Muller Uwe Alzen
round of the 4th
Karl Wendlinger prepares to go out in the 1998 FIA GT
GT2 Oreca Chrysler Viper he shared with Championship
Justin Bell took place at
Donington Park
on the 6th
September 1998.
In its second
season, the FIA
GT © Simon Wright
Championship,
organised by the with local hero Allan McNish driving, the Porsche 911
Stéphane Ratel GT1 he shared with Yanick Dalmas still finished a lap
Organisation behind the Silver Arrows. A further lap down was the
(SRO), was a other works Porsche 911 GT1 driven by the all German
series for Grand crew of Jörg Müller and
Touring Cars Uwe Alzen, who just
with two classes beat the Persson
conforming to Motorsport Mercedes
GT1 and GT2 CLK GTR of Jean-Marc
regulations. Gounon and Marcel
There was a Tiemann.
separate drivers Rounding out the top
and team award six was the Zakspeed
in each class. Racing Porsche 911
GT1-98 of Armin Hahne
© Janet Wright Starting from and Andreas Scheld.
pole position The locally entered
was the AMG Mercedes CLK LM of Klaus Ludwig and GTC Competition
Ricardo Zonta. After 125 laps of action, it was a Mercedes McLaren BMW F1 GTR
1-2 at the chequered flag, with German Bernd Schneider driven by Geoff Lees
and Australian super star Mark Webber taking victory from and Thomas Bscher
their team mates Klaus Ludwig from Germany and Brazilian was in 7th place, five
Ricardo Zonta who finished 2nd. laps behind the
Their main rival for race honours, fellow German winners.
manufacturer Porsche, could only manage 3rd overall. Even The GT2 class winners © Janet Wright
Porsche 911 GT2 Proton Competition 26
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 Gerold Ried Patrick Vuillaume 17thMcLaren BMW F1 GTR Davidoff Classic GTC
Competition Geoff Lees Thomas Bscher 7th There were a
couple of
unusual cars in
the race, but Team Persson Motorsport Mercedes Benz
CLK GTR Christophe Bouchut and Bernd
unfortunately Maylander 12th overall 8th GT1
neither were
classified at the
finish. David
Brabham and
Éric Bernard
were driving the
DAMS GT1 6
litre Panoz GTR-
© Simon Wright 1, but dropped
out after just 56
were Oliver Beretta and Pedro Lamy in the Viper Team laps. The Marcos
Oreca 8 litre, V10 Chrysler Viper GTS-R, who finished 8th Racing
overall and completed 114 laps, eleven laps behind the International 5.7
overall winners. They took a two lap victory in GT2 ahead of litre Marcos
the Konrad Marcos Chevrolet LM600 Marcos Racing Chevrolet
Motorsport International Christian Vann Harald Becker Cor LM600
Porsche 911 Euser DQF driven by
GT2 driven Christian
by Altfrid Vann,
Heger and Harald
Franz Becker and
Konrad, who Cor Euser
split the two actually
Viper Team completed
Oreca cars. 112 laps
In 3rd place which
in GT2 were placed them © Janet Wright
Karl in the top
Wendlinger © Simon Wright ten finishers, but they were disqualified in post race
and Justin technical inspection for using fuel which did not meet
Bell in the second Chrysler Viper GTS-R, who were a FIA regulations. There was one other disqualification at the
further lap behind the Porsche in 10th place. end, the Roock Sportsystem Porsche 911 GT2 of John
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 27Zakspeed Racing Porsche 911 GT1-98 of Michael
At the end of the
Bartelsand Max Angelelli were 22nd on the road but season, the GT1
Not Classified. championship was won
by Klaus Ludwig and Chrysler Viper GTS-R Team Oreca Karl
Ricardo Zonta, with Wendlinger Justin Bell 10th 3rd GT2
AMG Mercedes taking
a second team
championship. The
GT2 title went to Olivier
Beretta and Pedro
Lamy and Viper Team
Oreca. This was the
final season of GT1 as
the category was
dropped from the FIA
GT Championship due
to lack of entries for
© Simon Wright 1999. © Janet Wright
Robinson and Hugh Price, who were 17th overall on the
road, but were disqualified for using an illegal amount of
DAMS Panoz Ford GTR-1 GT1 of Eric Bernard
turbo boost. and David Brabham retired from the race.
SportsystemRoock Porsche 911 GT2 of John
Robinson and Hugh Price who were
disqualified for using too much turbo boost
© Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 28Chamberlain Engineering Chrysler
GT1 Champions at the end of the season, AMG Viper GTS-R of Martin Short, Matt
Mercedes Benz CLK LM of Klaus Ludwig and Ricardo Turner and Ni Amorin finished 14th
Zonta finished 2nd at Donington 4th GT2
© Simon Wright
Konrad Motorsport Porsche 911 GT2 of
Martin Stretton and Toni Seiler 5th GT2
13th overall
© Simon Wright © Janet Wright
GT2 Class winners - Oreca Chrysler Viper GTS-R of
Oliver Beretta and Pedro Lamy 8th overall
© Simon Wright © Simon Wright
Zakspeed Racing Porsche 911 GT1-98 of
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 Armin Hahne Andreas Scheld finished 6th 29Aston Martin Atom.
By Peter McFadyen.
© Peter McFadyen
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 30car, the Atom. This car was to be the basis from which the
DB series of Aston Martins would grow and, eventually,
achieve Brown’s ambition of winning at Le Mans.
The ‘art deco’ movement had spread its influence to motor
car design during the 1930s, characterised by fixed-head
coupés with short cabs, rounded tails, clean lines and long
bonnets all alluding to aircraft streamlining. They became
known in many cases as ‘air-line’ models. As a practical
way of evaluating several new approaches to the design of
Aston Martins of the future, they built what Laurence
Pomeroy would call in a 1942 article in The Motor an
‘experimental’ car but which today would be recognised as
one of the first examples of a ‘concept car’. They chose to
© Peter McFadyen
Aston Martin Atom
Like many, if not all, small companies manufacturing
specialist vehicles, especially sports cars, Aston Martin has
been through its fair share of financial upheavals in its 100-
year history. In 1946, needing funds to develop models
which could compete in the post-war car industry, the
company was offered for sale by means of a small
classified advertisement in The Times – without revealing
the name of the company. It drew the attention of David
Brown, then head of his family’s gear making firm and
tractor manufacturing enterprise. In a situation resembling
the later Remington shaver company and Victor Kiam’s
memorable advertising account of his first experience of its
product – “I liked it so much, I bought the company” –
Brown’s decision to go ahead and buy Aston Martin was
based, in part at least, on his impression of the company’s
post-war plan as embodied in its experimental prototype
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 31call it The Atom, reflecting then popular connotations of small size
and great power.
For optimum performance and handling, light weight and rigidity
were primary objectives of the design and a combined chassis and
body structure was formed using steel tubing clad with aluminium
panelling with rounded curves and attractive ‘art deco’ styling.
Atom was more test-bed than an actual prototype so although the
saloon cabin sported four seats, the front ones being of the aircraft
style ‘hammock’ variety and noted for their comfort, the rear hardly
offered comfortable accommodation for adults. There was no
separate radiator grill as such, thereby saving more weight, cooling
air entering via a series of vertical slits, their lengths varying to form
© Peter McFadyen
© Peter McFadyen
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 32including Bugatti, Delahaye and Delage. In
addition to a conventional-looking floor
mounted gear lever which simply selects
forward or reverse, Atom has a tiny second
gear lever mounted close to the steering
column and operating in a conventional H-
pattern gate which controls the selection of
the four forward – or reverse - speeds. This
‘semi-automatic’ transmission theoretically
provided clutchless gear changes but, being
an epicyclic device and consequently
having relatively widely spaced ratios, an
element of ‘feathering’ the clutch during
changes smoothed the operation and
reduced strain on the whole system. Top
was 4.55:1, third 6.68:1, second 10:1 and
bottom 15:1. The novel use of the Salisbury
hypoid bevel back axle had the additional
advantage of enabling the prop-shaft line to
be some two inches lower than normal.
Lockheed 12 inch drum brakes were used
all round and tyres were 5.50 x 17 inches.
© Peter McFadyen
a triangular array, hinting at what would become the iconic shape seen on the
front of all later Astons.
The independent front suspension was advanced for its time, using coil
springs and short trailing links in a design patented by the Gordon Armstrong
company whose hydraulic lever dampers were also used. A cleverly designed
split track rod system maintained ideal steering geometry throughout the
range of movement and steering required just 2¼ turns, lock to lock. At the
rear, long, semi-elliptic springs were used, again with Gordon Armstrong
dampers.
The choice of gearbox was also very interesting, being the French
electromagnetically controlled Cotal design used in several other makes © Peter McFadyen
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 33For some time, Claude Hill had been
working on a replacement for Aston
Martin’s four cylinder o.h.c. engine but
initially it was this 1950cc unit which
was installed in Atom in mid-1939.
Forced to use war-time ‘pool’ petrol its
ignition had to be retarded
considerably to cope with its 7.75:1
compression ratio, considered high at
the time, dropping the maximum
power output - at 5,000rpm - from 95
to probably 75 bhp and speeds in the
gears to around a still respectable
60mph in third and 42mph in second.
With wartime work diverting Aston
Martin’s efforts, it wasn’t until 1944
that Hill’s 1970cc 4-cylinder push-rod
ohv unit was installed and it remains in
the car to this day.
Following the war and David Brown’s
momentous test drive, Atom passed
into new hands. According to the
records of the Aston Martin Owners
Club, the car was owned in 1951 by © Peter McFadyen
C.F.Mayo of the European Concours d’Elegance at Schwetzingen,
Gorleston on Sea. Switzerland where Atom would be among the participants
By 1953 it was in in 2002. After several more changes of ownership, Atom
the hands of Bob was bought by Nigel Mann in 1965 and was displayed
Gathercole, alternately at the motor museum which had opened at Le
godson of W O Mans in 1961 and at the Musée Auto Moto Velo at
Bentley and Châtellerault. After Nigel Mann’s death in 1986, Atom was
progenitor of purchased by Tom Rollason who brought the car to
many of today’s England and in due course, having spent time researching
major classic car the detail and history of the car, set about returning it to its
shows including original condition and conserving it.
© Peter McFadyen
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 34changed for modern units which were attached
to the bodywork rather than being mounted, as
the originals had been, onto brackets directly
on the frame, peering out from behind the front
wings; this arrangement was reinstated.
Since coming into Tom Rollason’s ownership,
the unique Aston Martin Atom has been
returned to its original condition and carefully
conserved in that way. It has appeared in a
number of major shows and concours
competitions, receiving many awards including
being voted Car of the Show at the NEC
Classic Motor Show in 2012. It has a special
place in the history of Aston Martin as the
forerunner of the DB series and in its own right
as one of the very first ‘concept’ cars as well
as for having so many innovative features.
Abbreviated from the article first published in
The Automobile
© Peter McFadyen
According to Tom, Atom had originally been painted a sort of ‘battleship
grey’ and then, at war’s end, in silver. Paint removed from the bodywork
showed that the car had subsequently received coats of many colours –
including red, then green and then blue. In a photograph of unknown
date, it wears two-tone paintwork, believed to have been silver over
black or maroon. With much of the work being carried out by Bruce
Young Coachwork in Worcestershire, it was decided that Atom should be
returned to its earlier silver livery.
The engine went to Rex Woodgate who carried out some work on the
head before the whole unit was reassembled by Bruce Young. The Cotal
electromagnetic gearbox required very little attention as did the
Salisbury back axle which needed only its bearing changed by
manufacturers GKN. Somewhere along the line, the headlights had been
© Peter McFadyen
Classic and Competition Car May 2020 35You can also read
