My Time At Trojan Works, London. By Ken Hyndman

[Grant Sprague]

Thanks Ken & Old fart...re the mk 3 Zodi , must have only raced it at Teretonga...I know it was raced at Ruapuna in production races ,, Mmmmm perhaps not in NI.....much appreciated my friends

[khyndart in CA]

Grant, You have probably seen all this before but have you been to this site ? (it is an outdated site but it may be of help to you )

http://www.oocities.org/zephyr_mark4/racing.html

Cheers mate. Ken

[Grant Sprague]

Ha ha ha he he .......Thanks Ken re the TV thing ....I remember this TV 3 interview they came down to check out Dad .. they were lucky to get that interview as Dad was not forth coming with media at all ........ a year or two later [on a visit] I had mentioned to Dad about going off [spinning] he said well a bit of grease on the circuit ..lol I said " NO WAY you got it wrong" I said well we sat there laughing until I cried with laughter true story WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES ...

[khyndart in CA]

[quote="Grant Sprague"]Yes this is a great shot, looks like he has a hand full by his arms & posture... I would not have noticed the tyre marks unless you had not mentioned , that would have been a big hit who ever it was ??/
Yes Denny was working hard in this race but only managed to come in 3rd behind his team mate Peter Revson and Jackie Stewart in a Lola T 260.
This car M8F #1 is now owned by Chris McAllister and well driven and immaculately prepared as shown in these photos.(It looks much better without the tire marks up the front left corner !)

(Ken Hyndman photos at Laguna Seca. August 2011

[khyndart in CA]

In June 2011 there was a meet at Infineon Raceway (Formerly Sears Point ) north of San Francisco and it was a tribute to Bruce McLaren and his cars. I got there early and was surprised at the lack of spectators. I wandered around and took some photos of the CanAm cars.
The first is the 1967 M6A-1 car that Bruce McLaren drove to win the 1967 Can Am series. Car number 4. The next photos are of the M-20mfrom the 1972 series where it had to compete against the Turbo Porsches.Car number 5.
The last car is a 1971 M8PF number 8. When I started at Trojan in 1972 they were just completing the last M8PF and it was a light blue. Chassis # 72-09. When I checked into this beautifully restored M8PF I found it was formerly # 72-09. It was neat to see how it looked again after 40 years !

This photo shows the stunning development of McLaren Can Am cars over just 5 years. 1967 to 1972

(Ken Hyndman photos. 2011..Infineon )

[Horizon]

Great Pics and stories Ken....Thanks

The M8FP has ben restored this year by Tony Nicholson of Robin Automotive(ex pat kiwi), back too the the Commander motorhomes entry.
This was the same Meeting Roger Williamson raced his M8E for the first time. The Green car in the back ground (M8PF picture) is a M8C (70-04) which broke a front hub while leading the Can-am race at Sears point.

[khyndart in CA]

The M8FP has ben restored this year by Tony Nicholson of Robin Automotive(ex pat kiwi), back too the the Commander motorhomes entry.
This was the same Meeting Roger Williams raced his M8E for the first time. The Green car in the back ground (M8PF picture) is a M8C (70-04) which broke a front hub while leading the Can-am race at Sears point.[/QUOTE]

Yes Tony does a wonderful job with restoring and preparing race cars and his knowledge of all McLarens is amazing.

June 4. 2011. Roger Williams waits as his M8E-F is prepared in the garage at Infineon Raceway.
( In the background is # 57. 1970 Boss 302 Mustang driven by Forrest Straight )

Roger Williams in # 51 leading Chris McAllister in # 5 (ex Denny Hulme M8F ) and Scott Hughes in another 1971 McLaren M8F into corner # 2 at Infineon during practice.

(Ken Hyndman photos )

[Oldfart]

Great pics of my favourite cars. Wide open spaces and not a flaggie in sight.

[Horizon]

Ken...Sent you a PM

[khyndart in CA]

COYS AUCTIONS

Lot 150 - 1973 Trojan T101 F5000

I see that some of my photos have been taken from this thread without my name or TRS. How dare they !
Actually I don't mind, I just hope the car goes to a good home.
I just have to remember I could have brought this car in 1974 for about 3500 pounds when I was earning 36 pound a week !
Instead I ran off to California and got married instead and my wife is priceless. So I won my race !

(Ken Hyndman photo )

(Ken Hyndman photo )

Check this Coys Auction site.

http://www.coys.co.uk/cars/1973-trojan-t101-f5000

Ken Hyndman.

[khyndart in CA]

I came across this 1969 Trojan brochure that brought back some memories.
Peter Agg was a good man to work for and he helped to keep Bruce McLaren going during the early years.
Enjoy the read.

http://www.myf5000.com/teams_trojan_mclaren_racing.html






(Ken Hyndman.)

[khyndart in CA]

This is one of the reasons I liked Mr. Agg and this is what helped pay my way to California in Dec. 1973 although I don't think that is what he intended for me when he handed these bonuses out !

(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

March, 2012.

"Peter Agg;

The Grand Prix entrant whose Trojan company manufactured McLaren sports cars and single-seaters under licence, has died aged 82.

Peter Agg moved from the family wine business into importing scooters during the 1950s, leading to reviving the moribund pre-war Trojan marque to build bubblecars. In 1962 he bought the Elva sports car company which two years later contracted to assemble M1s for McLaren. Over the next few years Elva and Trojan built some 200 cars for the Woking race team, including F5000 and CanAm chassis, but as McLaren expanded its own facilities, Trojan briefly became a race manufacturer in its own right.

Ron Tauranac designed F5000 and F1 cars, helping Jody Scheckter to the 1973 US F5000 title, while in 1974 Tim Schenken contested eight Grands Prix in the Trojan T103, an early DFV 'kit car'. Recognizable by his handlebar moustache, Agg also assembled a fine collection of vintage cars. "

http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/obituaries/in-memory-of-peter-agg-one-of-the-greats (The "Guvnor")


(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

The Trojan Company had a long history before it got into motor racing with Elva and McLaren.

A 1925 Trojan truck with solid tyres and a seat starter.

This site gives a good history of the Trojan vehicle products. Croydon, England. 1914 to 1965.

https://myntransportblog.com/2014/10/29/buses-cars-trucks-and-vans-trojan-croydon-england-1914-1965/


(Ken H)..I came to work here, off to the left of this photo.

[khyndart in CA]

One of my last jobs for Trojan was in December 1973.
In 1973 when Trojan purchased Effingham Park, Copthorne in Kent, I would go down with “Taffy Griffiths (Trojan maintenance man) in the Suzuki of Great Britain van to clean up the grounds and buildings so the vintage car division could move in. I took some of these photos on October 30th 1973 that show the van in the drive, horses waiting to be fed, Rolls Royces waiting to be restored and the main building. All I mainly remember is it being old and cold !

(Ken Hyndman photos )

[khyndart in CA]

Peter Agg had this property for about 20 years before selling it to a hotel chain. He displayed his car collection and also had a restaurant there.

Where the horses were is now a fine golf course and the place looks a little different to when we first arrived !

Note the chimneys are now gone as there must be better ways to heat that place as it was bitterly cold there in 1973 plus the beginning of the Arab Oil Embargo. I was glad to get away to sunshine !

The Effingham Park Hotel as it looks today.

https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/gatwick/copthorne-hotel-effingham-gatwick/


(Ken Hyndman. )

[khyndart in CA]

I also had a job after work where I would go around to a customer's home near Croydon and he would feed me dinner with the family then we would go out to his garage and would attempt to work on his 1956 Ferrari 410 SA V-12.
It was full of sand after being in Saudi Arabia and there was no information or GOOGLE back then so I pulled things apart and planned to reassemble in 1974. It was just an old dirty car and we were all frustrated and then I left it all to come to California !
So I got fed and worked from 7 pm until 11 pm and earned five pound a night and thought I was doing well.
I often wonder what happened to that car but I am too scared to contact that owner as some of pieces may still be scattered in that shed !
That car is probably worth about US $ 4 million dollars today if it did get restored.

A 1956 Ferrari 410 SA V-12 engine. (Without the sand !)

(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

The result of many hours was this 1928 Bentley 3 litre 4 seater being restored to start the Peter Agg collection in 1973.
Lisc # UC6468.

(Ken Hyndman photos in 1973)

Plus check out more recent photos of this car at this site.
http://www.vintagebentleys.org/carpages/uc6468.php#null




And there you have it folks. That is all my personal inputs on the Trojan Works.

Learn more about the Trojan makes at their interesting Trojan Museum site.
" http://www.trojanmuseumtrust.org/''


(Ken H )

[Grant Sprague]

Thank you Ken , how cool is all this VERY...Thank you for sharing this .

[Paul B]

Ken, You have been so fortunate to have been involved in Motorsport and the motor industry, throughout multiple countries and through one of the most interesting times. While you reflect on what you have achieved you should feel very proud to have made all of this happen in your life.
Great reading!
Cheers.