Just A Mix Of Pics - Ray Green Collection

[Kevin Hirst]

2004
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2012 - Tec Mec
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Techno
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Theodore
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Ray, I always thought the Tec Mec was a 250f with Chev v8 power, would love to know what else powered them

[Allan]

From what I can gather Kevin, left over 250F 2.5 litre engines. It was for sale at Bonhams with the original engine not fitted but as part of the deal, but the one fitted had to be bought as a separate deal. Only raced in one GP 1959 US GP (DNF) but apparently now is really well sorted and wins occasional historic races. Someone may like to confirm this but I believe this is the only one built and may also tell us what the story on it's NZ adventure was.

[ERC]

As above. All I know is that I first saw it in the Donington Collection, right from when it opened. In recent years, saw it in action at Monaco 2012 and also at the Goodwood Revival, so it must have been sold from the collection some time ago, unless it was on loan.

Totally agree with Allan in that it seems very well sorted these days.

From my copy of the book 'Great Racing Cars of the Donington Collection', by Doug Nye with Geoffrey Goddard (signed by Doug & Tom Wheatcroft, on my birthday 1976...).

The car was designed by Valerio Colotti who had the drawings when Maserati packed up racing in 1958. An engine and gearbox from an early 250F were fitted.

After the US GP it raced once at Daytona and then languished in a Florida garden (honestly!) until the late 1960's when it was rescued by Tom Wheatcroft. He had it restored and apparently it did take part in historic events.

Love one offs and less well known cars in any category. For years, F1 was open to privateers and many GP's featured local drivers in cars that sometimes were competitive and sometimes weren't.

The modern age of F1 limited to cars that look, sound and perform the same, has very little interest to those of us lucky enough to have some experience of F1 almost from when it started in 1950, certainly, we are lucky to have been able to experience those cars on track. Looking forward to the Revival (Covid19 not withstanding...) and really hoping that Duncan Ricketts has the Parnell there.

[Kevin Hirst]

As above. All I know is that I first saw it in the Donington Collection, right from when it opened. In recent years, saw it in action at Monaco 2012 and also at the Goodwood Revival, so it must have been sold from the collection some time ago, unless it was on loan.

Totally agree with Allan in that it seems very well sorted these days.

From my copy of the book 'Great Racing Cars of the Donington Collection', by Doug Nye with Geoffrey Goddard (signed by Doug & Tom Wheatcroft, on my birthday 1976...).

The car was designed by Valerio Colotti who had the drawings when Maserati packed up racing in 1958. An engine and gearbox from an early 250F were fitted.

After the US GP it raced once at Daytona and then languished in a Florida garden (honestly!) until the late 1960's when it was rescued by Tom Wheatcroft. He had it restored and apparently it did take part in historic events.

Love one offs and less well known cars in any category. For years, F1 was open to privateers and many GP's featured local drivers in cars that sometimes were competitive and sometimes weren't.

The modern age of F1 limited to cars that look, sound and perform the same, has very little interest to those of us lucky enough to have some experience of F1 almost from when it started in 1950, certainly, we are lucky to have been able to experience those cars on track. Looking forward to the Revival (Covid19 not withstanding...) and really hoping that Duncan Ricketts has the Parnell there.

The one I remember had a 327 fuel injected chev, Johny Mansel comes to mind, I remember it looking rather beat up at the time, was there more than one Tec Mec. or repowered in later life.

[Kevin Hirst]

The one I remember had a 327 fuel injected chev, Johny Mansel comes to mind, I remember it looking rather beat up at the time, was there more than one Tec Mec. or repowered in later life.

1961 Renwick 50 Rod Coppins Tec Mec4650cc

[Allan]

327 cu in is 5359cc whereas 4650cc would be 283 cu in.

[928]

327 cu in is 5359cc whereas 4650cc would be 283 cu in.

hard to tell the difference from the outside.

[Kevin Hirst]

hard to tell the difference from the outside.

Yes , correct, must have had motor change, the one that I remember had the famous fuelie injection system that came out in corvette's which I believe was only fitted to the 327 motor, including fuelie head's but open to any input from those that will know the car better than I remember it.

[ERC]

So did they build more than one or did it come to NZ, then back to the USA? No mention in the Donington book about the engine that was with the car.

2012 - Scirrocco

Gordini

Lancia

2016 - OSCA

[Allan]

The Bonham's auction I refer to was held in 2003 I believe. The description of the car makes no mention of any New Zealand connection. The auction description has a "Salesroom Note" attached which mentions the engines. Try bonhams.com/auctions/10228/lot/551/

[Kevin Hirst]

Yes , correct, must have had motor change, the one that I remember had the famous fuelie injection system that came out in corvette's which I believe was only fitted to the 327 motor, including fuelie head's but open to any input from those that will know the car better than I remember it.

In Eoin Young's book classic racers there is a photo ofJohny Mansel in the Tec Mec chasing a Cooper, car has exhaust pipes coming out both sides of engine cover.

[ERC]

Interesting that in the Bonham's blurb, there is no mention whatever of the car coming to NZ or of a second car. It was stated as 'unique' and no mention of being fitted with a Chev engine either.

Was this a local Maserati 250F converted and the name copied? Was it fitted with disc or drum brakes?

I wasn't around in NZ then but maybe there is more detail lurking somewhere in a local magazine article? The Bonham's blurb has to be accurate otherwise they'd have the same sort of legal issues that surrounded Lord Brocket.

The one I photographed must have been released from the Donington Collection by Tom Wheatcroft and not part of the decimation that followed his passing.

[khyndart in CA]

I found this comment from Paul Jaray;
" Rod Coppins' TecMec Maserati.
Originally raced in single seater form by Johnny Mansel, it was a 250F, (#2504), that received a Corvette engine. It later was bought by Rod Coppins.
"Coppins could see no future in trying to tame the wild TecMec to race against the rear-engined Coopers in single-seater racing so he converted it to a sportsracing car by the simple expedient of buying the central-seat Ferrari sports car body which had been imported in 1956 by Ron Roycroft, on the 4½-litre V12 Ferrari bought from Louis Rosier. Roycroft had raced the car in this form a few times before converting the Ferrari back to its original singleseater form."

What became of the car after this tragic event. March 20th 1963 at Pukekohe ?

From the G. Vercoe Golden Age book.

[ERC]

That makes sense Ken. It therefore seems to have been a converted 250F Maserati, rather than the real Tec-Mec which basically was a follow on from the 250F but had a 250F engine.

Was it merely the name they used on the NZ car and if so, why? I know that there are NZ Chevrons and UK Chevrons for example, but Tec-Mec seems a strange name to use considering it was a shortened version of the full company name - Studio Tecnica Meccanica.

Looking a the NZ 1963 photo above, it doesn't look like the original Tec Mec which was a slightly smaller, lighter, version of the 250F. A follow up or continuation if you like.

The NZ photo seems to me to be a full sized, original 250F. Maybe Jim Barclay would know?

[ERC]

2004

2012

As this weekend's Legends meeting was cancelled, I expect next week's Caffeine & Classics to be cancelled, it's a slim time for new photographs, so a reliance on the archives and maybe I'll get back to more scanning and filing?

I'm just hoping and praying that the Goodwood Revival goes ahead and that I'll be able to get there. Flights are booked and paid for.

[ERC]

2012 - Not a Ferrari! Fittipaldi

Back to Ferraris...

2016

[ERC]

Monaco F1 Grand prix and the Monaco historic meeting, both cancelled and won't be rescheduled.

1988 - Cisitalia at Donington

2002 - Bugatti

2004 - Dome

2008 - Begg

[ERC]

The smart ones amongst you may have realised that this is a dip into the non-British race car section of my library.

2009

2102 - Monaco

[ERC]

I suppose that now we are in lockdown, I could get stuck into more scanning, but with a crook shoulder, limited time on a keyboard. My lovely wife thinks I should be tidying the office...

2018

[Oldfart]

Ray, and the "lovely wife"please keep these coming. It's helping some of us who are now into second week of a 4 MONTH lockdown stay remotely sane. I suspect there will be bugger all in the sideboard by the time we come out of this. Right now I can't even register for food delivery as a 70 year old here in Outer Pongolia as the system is overloaded. Most likely the pyjama mummas getting more bog rolls, now the McDonalds is closed and they don't know how to feed their gluttony.I'm officially a "Vun rubble" as the radio announcers can't pronounce the English language.