Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Devin MGA Roadster


Today’s feature is another “Special”. This time is one based on the iconic MGA with its performance enhanced with the help of a Supercharger. These specials are all very different. This feature is about the specific car offered at RM auctions a while back.
While the sleek, envelope-bodied MGA ushered in a new era at MG and culminated in the 1,600 cc Twin Cam of 1958-1960, many die-hard MG enthusiasts wanted still more performance. A popular modification was the addition of a Judson supercharger, which easily increased the output of the standard MGA to over 100 bhp.
Replacement of the steel body with an after market fibreglass unit was also relatively common in the late 1950s/early 1960s on both sides of the Atlantic. At the time, the most established manufacturer of such bodies in the US was Devin Enterprises of El Monte, California, operated by Bill Devin.
The Devin-bodied 1962 MGA Mk II offered here is typical of the high-performance “specials” built by enthusiasts during the era. Its MGA 1,622 cc engine is fitted with a Judson cylinder head and a vane-type supercharger. It is finished in Ferrari red and mounted on an MGA DeLuxe chassis, and we understand that when the body was first found, it was remarkably original and clearly had never been on another car, as it retained all the originally applied shipping tags.
The Devin-MGA formed part of the Gene Ponder Collection until 2007, at which point it joined a prominent private collection. It has logged few, if any, miles since then. The very well-detailed engine appears new, as does the red leather interior featuring rebuilt MGA competition seats, full carpeting, an engine-turned aluminum dash with a full set of Smiths gauges and a wooden aftermarket steering wheel.
Other features include a period-style Plexiglas windscreen, a quick-release gas cap, special engine cooling vents and 72-spoke chrome wire wheels. Following restoration, the Devin-MGA was thoroughly shaken down for nearly 100 miles prior to the installation of its speedometer. Properly stored and little used since it was last sold, this Devin-bodied MGA is a sprightly and very nimble sports car.
On to the numbers. Well, the performance is an estimated 110bhp from its 1622cc OHV in line 4 cylinder engine. The Judson Supercharger is of course in place with a four speed gearbox. The wheel base of the car is 94″
Source; Vasileios Papaidis

Motorsport is our Passion








Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Ecurie Ecosse


Ecurie Ecosse is French for “Team Scotland”. They were a motor racing team from Scotland. The team was founded in 1952 by Edinburgh businessman and racing driver David Murray and mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson, its most notable achievement was winning both the 1956 and 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team also raced in three Formula One races. Ecurie Ecosse’s cars were always distinctive in their Flag Blue Metallic paint.
Ecurie Ecosse had four Formula One Grand Prix entries, over three seasons. The first was by David Murray himself, driving a Cooper T20 in the 1952 British Grand Prix. However, he retired with engine trouble early in the race.
For the 1953 event the team entered two cars a Cooper T20 for Jimmy Stewart a new Connaught A Type was entered for Ian Stewart. Unfortunately neither of the drivers finished the race; Jimmy spun off track on lap 79, and Ian retired with engine problems.
The team’s last F1 outing was at the 1954 British Grand Prix, where the Connaught was again entered, this time driven by Leslie Thorne. Although this time the car did take the finish, it came in twelve laps down on the leaders. From this point onward the team concentrated on sportcar events.
Ecurie Ecosse also raced in the European Formula Two Championship, from 1969 until 1971. Their first race was in 1969 at Thruxton where driver Graham Birrell finished 11th in a Brabham BT23C. Enna Birrell couldn’t start the race because he had crashed the car in practice and the team couldn’t repair the car before the race.
In 1970 Ecurie Ecosse entered the same car for Birrell. At Crystal Palace Birrell finished in 11th position.
In the next race held at the Hockenheimring Birrell finished in 12th position. In Imola Richard Attwood took over from Birrell; after finishing sixth in the first heat, he was unable to start the second heat and was therefore not classified.
In 1971 Ecurie Ecosse had a new driver; Tom Walkinshaw, they also had a new car: a March 712M. At Thruxton Walkinshaw retired on lap three due to a puncture. At the Nürburgring, Gerry Birrell finished in ninth position. In their last two races, at Jarama and Crystal Palace, Walkinshaw failed to qualify for the race.
In the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson were the winning drivers in a Jaguar D-Type.
Ron Flockhart won again with a D-Type in the 1957 event, partnered this time by Ivor Bueb. The team’s second D-Type–driven by Sanderson and his new partner John Lawrence–finished second, a rare privateer 1-2 finish.
The 1958 Le Mans race was less successful; both of the Ecurie Ecosse D-Types, this time with Masten Gregory and Jack Fairman added to the driver line-up, suffered engine failure within a few laps of the start.
The team would again field a D-Type at Le Mans in 1959, alongside a newly acquired Tojeiro-Jaguar. Once again, neither car made it to the final flag, the D-Type suffering engine failure after 70 laps, and the Tojeiro a fire after 137.
Things went from bad to worse for the team in the 1960 running. The, by now much modified, D-Type was again entered, and lasted until the 168th lap before being forced out with a broken crankshaft. Ecurie Ecosse’s second car for this year, a Cooper T49 Monaco, did not even make it to the start line.
The entrants for the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans – a Cooper T57 Monaco and an Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite – retired after accidents in their 32nd and 40th laps respectively.
1962 saw Ecurie Ecosse moving on to a Tojeiro EE, but this too failed to finish after gearbox problems. This would be the last time that the original Ecurie Ecosse team would enter a car for the greatest endurance race in the world. Financial troubles and the self-imposed tax exile of founder David Murray had effectively ended the team’s competitive era by the mid-1960s.
The drivers included David Murray himself; Jimmy Stewart; his younger brother, three-time F1 World Champion Jackie Stewart; fellow F1 driver Innes Ireland; and CanAm legend and eventual Le Mans winner Masten Gregory; Ian Stewart; Leslie Thorne; Ron Flockhart; Ninian Sanderson; Roy Salvadori; Ivor Bueb; John Lawrence; Jack Fairman and John Tojeiro.
The original team ceased operating in 1971, but the team name was revived in the 1980s by enthusiast and driver Hugh McCaig. In 1986 the team won the C2 class of the World Sportscar Championship; they had been runners-up the previous year. They also entered Vauxhall Cavaliers in the British Touring Car Championship with some success in 1992 and 1993, including a win at Thruxton in 1993 for David Leslie.
Team boss Hugh McCaig announced that four young drivers, Alasdair McCaig Andrew Smith Joe Twyman and Oliver Bryant, would revive the team once more and drive a return to sports car racing for the team, 25 years after winning the World Sportscar Championship in 1986 in the C2 class.
The team entered an Aston Martin DBRS9, along with the help of Aston Martin Racing Partner Team Barwell Motorsport, into the 2011 24 Hours of Spa in the GT3 class. They were also participating at the 2011 edition of the famous Spa 24 Hours as it is the first time that GT3-spec cars are the top class of car, before it was GT1 (2000–2009) and GT2 (2010). The driver line-up will consist of Alasdair McCaig, Andrew Smith, Joe Twyman and Oliver Bryant.
One of the most famous and most photographed part of the team was their team transport. The Team was accompanied by a 2-axle double-deck car transporter capable of carrying three cars (one inside and two on top) together with a support crew, and with mobile workshop facilities.
The transporter was built by coachbuilders Alexander, of Falkirk, Scotland. Based on a Commer chassis it is powered by a Commer TS3 three cylinder horizontally-opposed two-stroke diesel engine.
The transporter has been restored and is still in use.

Video and history of the transporter here.

A short promo video with cars being prepared fro the race here.

More images here.

Motorsport is our Passion



 


Sunday, February 19, 2017

Singer


No, this is not about Tom Jones or Frank Sinatra. Nor is it about the sewing machines or motorbikes. Today, we are remembering one of the greatest race cars in the 1930′s. Singer, built right here in Coventry.
Les Vingt-Quatres Heures du Mans, or more simply Le Mans, is the hallmark of Road Racing. Its name has graced more than a few cars in over 75 years of automotive history, not the least of which has been the Singer from Coventry. But occasionally the mystique clouds the meaning and the memory, leading us to take for granted the essence of the event and its true relevance to the automobiles that participated. In this case, I refer to the pre-war Singer Sports, Le Mans and Replicas which ran with considerable success.
The Le Mans road race was conceived in 1923 by Charles Faroux, a noted French motoring journalist of the period, who had long been concerned with the inadequacies of automotive electrical equipment of the day. Hence, he suggested to two colleagues, the idea of running a night race in order to stimulate the perfection of these accessories. The idea gained ready acceptance and support from Faroux’s two colleagues, Georges Durand, Secretary General of l’automobile club de l’ouest, and Emile Coquille, Managing Director of the French branch of the Rudge-Whitworth Wheel Company. The first race took place in late May 1923.
The rules were generally straight forward and stressed the genuine advancement of touring car development. Competing cars had to conform strictly to catalogue specifications with fully equipped, four seater coach work, except in the 1100c.c. class. Tops and side curtains were mandatory, and after 1925, were to remain erected for twenty laps of the race. A French observer was heard to remark that at 21 laps, the majority of these would have collapsed of their own accord.
Le Mans actually consisted of two contests run simultaneously. The Grand Prix d’endurance was a straight forward long distance affair, which obviously favored the larger touring cars. Concurrent with this, however, was the contest for the Rudge-Whitworth Triennial Cup, later to be renamed the Biennial Cup, designed for the smaller cars which were run on a handicapped basis.
The handicap system for the Rudge Cup established minimum qualifying distances for each class to be covered within the 24 hour period of the race. The qualifying mileage’s were originally rather forgiving, varying from 503 miles (at an average speed of 21.9 m.p.h.) in the 1100 c.c. class, to 968 miles (representing an average of 40 m.p.h.) for the larger 4 Litre cars. These minimums were increased in 1924, so that even the 1100 c.c. class had to maintain an average speed of 38 m.p.h. over the 24 hours of the race.
Distance checks were performed every six hours in order to disqualify automobiles that were not maintaining the prescribed pace early in the game. Cars 20% below their established minimum distances at the six hour mark were eliminated. Similarly cars running at 15% below minimum at the 12 hour mark and 10% at the 18 hour mark were also disqualified. All those meeting or exceeding their minimums and finishing the race, would then qualify for the Rudge-Whitworth Biennial Cup. However, the actual winner of the Cup would be the Marque showing the greatest proportionate excess above its stipulated minimum over two successive years.
As conservative as the qualifying mileages seemed, there was good reason for it. Le Mans was, and is, for that matter, a grueling endurance test and any of a number of factors, such as electrical failure, faded brakes, engine fatigue or just plain poor driving could contribute to disqualification. Accordingly, the finishing rate for Le Mans was not high. In 1929, only ten cars finished out of twenty-five starters. 1930 saw only nine survivors, and in 1931, a meager six contestants qualified out of twenty-six. These figures perhaps best set the scene for Singer’s outstanding performance in June 1933 and their continued success in the following years.
Those familiar with the pre-war Singer sports models will recall that the Nine Sports first appeared in October 1932. It was a totally new car in the Singer stable, unique in design, not having been directly evolved from any previous production model. It was also built in a different factory located at Coventry , rather than Birmingham, where Singer continued to manufacture their other production models.
The Nine Sports was widely accepted by enthusiasts and the press alike because of its smart appearance and sporting performance. Indeed, it met with a high degree of success in virtually every motor sport event in which it was entered. The ultimate test of a car’s mettle, and its appeal at the retail distributorships, was Le Mans. Singer therefore set out to establish the worth of their new sports model at the 1933 race.
The vehicle which was entered was virtually stock, with the exception of a slightly modified gearbox, finer tuning and a larger gas tank which occupied the car’s entire rear seating compartment. Driven by F.S.Barnes and A.H.Langley, the Nine became the first unsupercharged British car under 1000c.c.’s ever to qualify for the Rudge Cup, having finished intact and maintaining an average speed of 49.4 m.p.h. Never mind that it placed 13th and last in the race. This was no mean achievement for a light, inexpensive sports car barely into its first year of production.
The Singer management , obviously impressed with this achievement, immediately introduced a Le Mans version of the Nine Sports to be entered for the 1934 season. This was, in fact, a logical development of the Sports Nine, but having a more compact two seater body, a greater capacity slab-style fuel tank and twin spare wheels mounted at the rear. In the engine compartment, the Le Mans had a supertuned, twin carburated engine with a fully counterbalanced camshaft and machined webs. Its high lift overhead camshaft had harmonic cams and the oil sump was of extra large capacity and ribbed for more efficient cooling.
In addition to the new Nine Le Mans, Singer introduced a 1.5 litre version with the same coachwork, featuring a large in-line 1493 c.c., six cylinder engine. With this impressive lineup, Singer was planning an all out assault on Le Mans for the 1934 race.
Armed with these two new and competitive models, Singer made an exemplary showing. The race saw the two 1.5 Litre Le Mans’ take 2nd and 3rd places in the Rudge Cup competition and 7th and 8th places overall. Of the smaller Nines, Norman Black and J.R.H.Baker came in 15th overall and placed 1st in the 1000 c.c. class. Wisdom and Barnes came in 18th and the Gardner/Beloe car placed 23rd.
In the 1935 Le Mans, no fewer than eight 9’s were entered, including a new Nine Replica, which had a supertuned engine and a more streamlined racing body capable of over 90 m.p.h. The Singer team again captured a 2nd place in the RudgeCup competition at the hands of Barnes and Langley, who headed a group of Nines in the 1000 c.c. class, where Singer finished 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th.
Their mounting successes at Le Mans showed exactly what a worthy line of vehicles that Singer had been able to produce in a very short period of time. There was every indication that they could compete in world class events with the best and win, which contributed to their increasing popularity in the retail market vis a vis their closest competitors, such as the MG’s and Rileys.

Singer owners club.

Motorsport is our Passion





Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Siata 208 S Balbo coupe


For many years Siata (Società Italiana Applicazioni Trasformazioni Automobilistiche) specialized in aftermarket products for Fiats. The Italian company used their intimate knowledge of Fiat’s products to launch the first Siata badged, Fiat based car in 1948. This was quite an achievement as the Turin based factory had been completely destroyed during a bombing raid some five years earlier. With a new convertible body and better performance, the Siata Amica was quite an improvement over the Fiat 500 Topolino it was based on. In 1950 the range was further expanded with the Daina, which was based on the Fiat 1400 and sported coachwork by a wide variety of ‘Carrozzeria’.
The introduction of the Fiat 8V in 1952 sparked the development the first Siata chassis. Constructed of tubular members, the new chassis was not designed exclusively for the ‘Otto Vu’, but could also take other V8s; preferably Chrysler’s. Eventually only one example was ever fitted with an American engine. While the chassis was brand new, much of the running gear was retrieved from the Fiat parts bin. The suspension was independent all-round by unequal length arms; at the front the top arm operated a shock absorber. This setup was directly derived from the Fiat 1100′s front suspension. Large aluminium drum brakes provided the stopping power.
With the exception of the one Chrysler engined machine, the new Siata used Fiat’s somewhat unusual 70 degree V8 engine. In stock trim the two litre OHV engine produced just over 100 bhp, and with Siata’s hotter camshaft and triple Weber Carburetors, the power could be boosted to 140 bhp. There are even reports of 160 bhp being achieved, but probably not very reliably. Siata’s sales brochure quoted a modest 110 bhp for the base model, which came equipped with two Webers. Sporting a big ram-air duct the light-alloy engine was bolted onto the chassis together with a four speed gearbox also sourced at Fiat.
Although only around sixty chassis were produced in 1953 and 1954, the new Siata received at least half a dozen type indications. The most common of these are the 208 S for the open cars and the 208 CS for the slightly larger coupe bodied machines. Especially the Motto built Spider body was a popular choice as it fitted the lightweight and fine-handling chassis perfectly. Sadly it is not known who exactly penned this very attractive shape; it was most likely either Franco Scaglione or Giovanni Michelotti. The coachbuilder of choice for the coupe body was Stabilimenti Farina. That company folded after just six examples were produced and a further nine were constructed along the same lines by Balbo.
The Siata 208 was launched to much critical acclaim late in 1952. The journalists had nothing but praise for the fine handling and good looking Italian thoroughbred. Californian car dealer and road racer Ernie McAfee placed an order for a large number of Spiders and it is quite possible that all Motto Spiders went to the United States. However much everybody liked the little Siata, its high price drove customers away to the much cheaper MGs, Jaguars or Porsches. McAfee struggled to find buyers for the cars and some were sold as late as 1956. Like the Fiat 8V, the nimble Siata is still well loved today and good examples are rare to find and very expensive.
Source and images; Wouter Melissen

A closer look at the car video here.

Another short video of the car at St James’s concourse de elegance 2013 here.

More images here.

Motorsport is our passion





Saturday, February 11, 2017

Riley 9 Brooklands


The Riley Nine was one of the most successful light cars produced by the British motor industry in the inter war period. It was made by the Riley company of Coventry, England with a wide range of body styles between 1926 and 1938.
The car was largely designed by two of the Riley brothers, Percy and Stanley. Stanley was responsible for the chassis, suspension and body and the older Percy designed the engine.
The 1,087 cc four-cylinder engine had hemispherical combustion chambers with the valves inclined at 45 degrees in a crossflow head. To save the expense and complication of overhead camshafts, the valves were operated by two camshafts mounted high in the crankcase through short pushrods and rockers.
The engine was mounted in the chassis by a rubber bushed bar that ran through the block with a further mount at the rear of the gearbox.
Drive was to the rear wheels through a torque tube and spiral bevel live rear axle mounted on semi elliptic springs.
At launch in July 1926 two body styles were available, a fabric bodied saloon called the Monaco at £285 and a fabric four-seat tourer for £235. The saloon could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) and give 40 mpg-imp (7.1 L/100 km; 33 mpg-US). Very quickly a further two bodies were offered, the San Remo, an artillery wheeled basic saloon and a two-seater plus dickie open tourer and there was also the option of a steel panelling rather than fabric for the four-seater tourer.
After the cars 1926 launch, Mark 1 production actually started in 1927 at Percy’s engine factory, due to some resistance in the main works to the new design. It was such a critically acclaimed success that after less than a thousand cars had been produced the works quickly shut down side-valve production and tooled up for the new Nine in early 1928. This switch to the main factory coincided with several modernisations of the Mark 1 – the cone clutch was dropped, the gear lever and handbrake were moved from the right to the centre of the car and a Riley steering box was adopted becoming the Mark II. The Mark III was a gentle update of the II at the end of 1928, evolving stronger wheels and a different arrangement of rods to the rear brakes.
The Mark IV was a thorough re working of the Nine – heavier Riley made 6-stud axles replaced the bought in five-stud rod brake items and a new cable braking system was introduced with larger drums.The range of bodies was further extended in 1929 with the Biarritz saloon which was a de-luxe version of the Monaco. The improved brakes were fitted using the Riley continuous cable system and if the cable stretched it could be adjusted from the driver’s seat.
More body variants were added over the next few years and in 1934 a Preselector gearbox was offered for £27 extra. The range was slimmed down in 1935 to the Monaco saloon, Kestrel streamlined saloon and Lynx four-seat tourer as the works started gearing up for production of the new 12 hp model.
In an attempt to keep costs down Riley entered into an agreement with Briggs bodies to produce a steel (non coach-built) body for a newly designed chassis. This new chassis was introduced in 1936 and incorporated such features as Girling rod operated brakes and a prop shaft final drive for the Nine (though the 12 hp variant retained the torque tube). The Briggs body was named the Merlin and was available alongside the last nine Kestrel variant, also built on the “Merlin” chassis.
The Briggs body evolved through 1937 with a large boot extension to be called the Touring Saloon and an additional body style was added on the same chassis – the higher specified special series Monaco (a completely new design from the previous car). The final version (and last nine model) was the 1938 Victor also available with 1496 cc engine. The Victor had the engine further forward to increase interior room, the battery moved to the engine bay and smaller diameter wheels.
The Riley company was bought by Lord Nuffield in 1938 and nine production ceased as the company pursued a strict two-engine line up, continued after the war with the RM series.
Riley’s first racing successes came at the Brooklands circuit in 1924, and this was commemorated with the Riley 9 Brooklands model with a four-cylinder 1087cc engine, built between 1929 and 1932. This was a very successful works and privateer race car at Brooklands, LeMans and in club racing. This car with chassis number VC8304/8089, with its aluminum body and lightweight components, placed well in the 1931 Irish Grand Prix and the Brooklands 500, and it gained a fourth place at LeMans in 1933 behind three supercharged Alfa Romeo 8Cs. It has more recently been seen at historic races both in the United States and in Europe.
The Riley Brooklands were used by the factory and privateers in racing endeavors during the 1920s and early 1930s. They were used in hill climbs, at LeMans, and numerous other stages.
The car would become on of the most successful racing cars of its era, amassing numerous victories and class wins.

Video of a 1929 Riley 9 Brooklands here.

Riley owners club.

More images here

Motorsport is our passion





Thursday, February 09, 2017

Jaguar XKR s GT


Today’s feature is a bit different. This car will only be available from 2014, but we are convinced it will be an instant hit and a definite classic despite the price tag.

Promoted as “the fastest Road going Jaguar ever”, priced at £135,000 and limited to 10 units for the UK, you can see what we are getting excited about.

Suspension and performance have been improved to achieve a much stiffer and lower ride as well as achieving a healthy 545bhp with its supercharged V8 driving the rear wheels. The power is transmitted via a 6 speed automatic gearbox to the huge 20inch wheels helping the car achieve 186 mph top speed. Braking is a new one for Jaguar with Carbon Ceramic brakes to make sure there is sufficient stopping power for this very quick GT.

With the 1713kg XKR-S GT’s tweaks, though, the 0-60mph time improves, falling 0.3sec to 3.9sec, placing it firmly in supercar territory.

The XKR-S GT was very quick around the Nurburgring Nordschleife and set the time of in less than 7min40sec. This is very similar to a Nissan GT-R.

All in all we feel this is the wildest and most hardcore British sports car to date (not taking the AC Cobra into account!)

Promo video here.

Jaguar owners club.

Motorsport is our passion





Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Ferrari Monza


Ferrari Monza is one of a series of cars built by Ferrari in the early 1950s. Ferrari shifted from using the compact Gioacchino Colombo-designed V12 engine in its smallest class of sports racers to a line of four-cylinder engines designed by Aurelio Lampredi.
Inspired by the success of the light and reliable 2.5 L 553 F1 car, the four-cylinder sports racers competed successfully through the late 1950s, culminating with the famed 500 Mondial and 750 Monza.
One important stylistic difference between most four-cylinder Ferraris is that they lacked the bonnet scoops common on V12 models. The V12 cars used down draft carburettors located centrally in the “valley” of the engine, while the in line-engined fours used side-draft units and thus did not need the bonnet scoops.
1953 was a breakout year for Ferrari, beginning with the new World Sportscar Championship series. The company augmented their traditional V12-powered 250 MM with the new 340 MM and 375 MM and introduced the new four-cylinder 625 TF and 735 S models. With this profusion of cars, Ferrari was able to sweep the first running of the sportscar championship.
The first four-cylinder closed-wheel sports racer from Ferrari was the 625 TF of 1953. Resembling the Vignale-designed 250 MM barchetta in most respects, the 625 TF used a 2.5 L (2498 cc/152 in³) straight-4 lifted from the 625 F1 car instead of the 250′s 3.0 L V12. It was a small car, with the same 2250 mm (89 in) wheelbase as the 250 but even lighter at 730 kg (1610 lb). The engine produced 220 hp (164 kW) at 7000 rpm and could push the little roadster to over 240 km/h (150 mph).
The lightweight car debuted at the hands of Mike Hawthorn at Monza on June 29, 1953. Although it could not keep up on the long straights at that track, Hawthorn still brought the car to fourth place at its début.
The same day that the 625 TF debuted, another car was fielded for Alberto Ascari. Sporting an enlarged 2.9 L (2942 cc/179 in³) engine, Ascari’s 735 S was more capable at Monza, leading the race until he collided with a 250 MM. The 735 S was a barchetta bodied by Carrozzeria Autodromo with recessed headlights, a drooping grille, and vents placed on the wings.
1954 saw the introduction of a new four-cylinder sports racer, the 750 Monza. Sporting a three-litre version of the 500 Mondial’s engine, the Monza was much more powerful, with 250 hp (186 kW) available, but barely heavier at 760 kg (1675 lb). The new-style body was penned by Pinin Farina and presaged the droop-nose look of the famed 250 GTO, but it was Scaglietti’s 750 Monza, with its faired-in headrest suggesting the flowing Testa Rossa that drew attention.
Mike Hawthorn and Umberto Maglioli piloted their 750 Monza to victory at Monza on its very first race, giving the car its name. Although they were strong on the track, the Monza was unable to hold off the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR in 1955, allowing the Germans to seize the sports car championship that Ferrari claimed in 1954.
The 750 Monza body was mated to the 3.0 L V12 to create the 250 Monza of 1954. This combination was not pursued, however.
With Mercedes-Benz pulling out of international sports car racing, the 860 Monza and new 290 MM showed well throughout 1956, bringing the sports car world championship home to Modena again. This despite the fact that Jaguar’s new D-Type took the crown at the newly restricted Le Mans and Maserati’s 300 S took the 1000km Nürburgring race.
Although little changed on paper from the 857 S, the 1956 860 Monza was much more competitive in international sports car racing. The engine was reworked with 102 mm (4 in) by 105 mm (4.1 in) dimensions for a total of 3.4 L (3432 cc/209 in³), though power output remained at 280 hp (209 kW). The wheelbase was lengthened by 100 mm (3.9 in) to 2350 mm (93 in), but a new front coil spring suspension, as on the 500 TR, allowed the 100 kg (220 lb) heavier car to handle well.
By 1956, Ferrari had reached the potential of the 4-cylinder by enlarging it even more for the 860 Monza. This helped the car achieve a 1-2 victory at the Sebring 12-Hours.
These days the cars appear at most historic events and races. They have been sold in recent years for prices in excess of $4,000,000.

Closer look video of the 750 Monza here.

Ferrari owners club.

More images on this car here.

Motorsport is our passion






Saturday, February 04, 2017

AMC AMX III


As our regular readers may recall, we covered the AMC AMX range of cars earlier this month (see the feature here)
As promised we return to this little piece of automotive history and delve a little deeper into one of the more unusual models they experimented with. The AMC AMX III.
Widely considered as the best AMC design of all time, a third-generation AMX concept car, the AMX/3, debuted at the 1970 Chicago Auto Show. Engine-less and fashioned in fiberglass, the original AMC/3 prototype was a show car only.
American Motors placed an order for 30 operational cars. The AMX/3 body mold was sent to Italian GT maker Giotto Bizzarrini, whose Turin facility hand made drivable mid-engined, steel bodied cars. Built on a 105.3-inch (2,675 mm) wheelbase, the Bizzarrini prototypes used the AMC 390 cu in (6.4 L) V8 and an Italian OTO Melara four-speed transaxle. Road testing was done by BMW, which declared the AMX/3′s chassis one of the stiffest and most neutral handling they had ever tested.
The steel Italian cars differed from the original AMC design in having fewer but functional rear boot lid louvers, louvered bonnets, and, in some cases, bonnet scoops to direct fresh air into the heating-A/C system.
Five completed cars were produced before the US$2,000,000 program was cancelled. Escalating costs and pending bumper regulations put a stop to the mid-engined AMX/3. The remaining extra parts were used to assemble a sixth car.
Another car, may be a little ahead of its time and a cancelled project due to American safety regulations. What a shame.
There are however, some reproduction models being produced in various countries. The AMX 390 is working on producing a full electric car instead of a petrol driven one. Watch this space.

Video of the AMC AMX III here.

Another video of two more cars here.

AMC AMX Club.

Motorsport is our passion






Thursday, February 02, 2017

Maserati 150S


Maserati introduced the ‘A6′ sports racer powered by a brand new 1500cc six cylinder engine. As regulations changed the clients of Maserati had no race cars when Maserati replaced the 1500cc with a 2000cc engine.
To fill this gap in the line-up, Maserati started developing a new 1500cc engined racer, dubbed the 150S, which they believed would appeal to broad group of privateer racers.
In 1953 a 4 cylinder alloy engine was developed. It was designed in such a way that it could also be enlarged for a potential two litre racer. Equipped with twin camshafts, twin plugs and a set of twin-choke Weber Carburettors, it produced 140 bhp at 7500 rpm. It was mated to a four speed gearbox.
The chassis was made up from two tubular longitudinal members with numerous cross braces, the chassis followed a familiar Italian design. To handle the expected high demand, Maserati commissioned the chassis to be built by Gilco, who also built many of the Ferrari frames. More advanced was the DeDion axle rear suspension, which was carried over from the 250F Formula 1 racer. Drum brakes were used all round.
The new 150S was developed in the first months of the 1955. This, together with the two litre 200S and the six cylinder engined, three litre 300S were built by Fiandri as roadster bodies and looked ready to take on the world.
Production began in June 1955. Jean Behra provided a vital boost to 150S sales by taking a very dominant surprise win at the Nürburgring 500 km in August against very strong competition. Even though the 150S’ international racing début was very convincing, Maserati engineers still found areas that needed improvement.
In cooperation with with new coachbuilder Fantuzzi a more aerodynamic shape was created with a much longer nose. This new body was fitted across the range. Also a 5 speed gearbox was developed for the following season.
The improvements paid off as the 150S continued to win its class at many occasions and also scored the odd overall victory.
Highlights were a scratch win in the 1956 Messina Five Hours and a ninth and second in class at Le Mans.
Although they managed to get the later engines to 165bhp, they decided to stop production of the 150S.
The 150S engine was also sold separately and continued to be developed for use both in other racing cars and in power boats. It continued to be used until the early 1960s when the 150S engine was used in Formula 1.
In all we believe that twenty seven racing cars were produced alongside the 200S
Most cars were sold to customers. The 150 GT (1957) was one spider bodied by Medardo Fantuzzi, built on a Maserati 200S chassis.

History of the car video here.

Closer look at the car video here.

Maserati owners club.

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