The Roaring Season

Awesome photos as always Ray. The John Pope Special came on the market a few years ago. Twin-turbocharged Aston Martin V8. Really an incredible piece of work.

I did a brief piece on it here: http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?819-The-John-Pope-Special

Along with Ian Richardson's Chevvy Corvair, my favourite of the Super saloons. John Pope was indeed 'Gentleman John Pope'. I only met him the once at, I think, at a winter Silverstone Sprint. It used to be an annual series over 5 Saturdays on the Club circuit, and organised by 5 different clubs. Gave me my first ever class win in the 998cc Mini Cooper.

However, Ian Richardson had been a leading light in NSCC Club races firstly with an AC Cobra, then a McLaren, before building the Chev Corvair (with various CanAm McLaren bits and pieces). Ian's wife Pauline did a couple of Silverstone winter sprints with a Cooper S and at one meeting, Ian drove it. He claimed that as he was used to the point and squirt of the big bangers, he felt that the Cooper S gave him lots of time to examine the scenery and wave to the flag marshals! Nice family, with a garage in Amersham Bucks.

It is believed the Corvair bodyshell still exists, but the McLaren parts have probably gone back into a McLaren.

Great that the Pope Special has been restored and gone to a good home.

More newly scanned slides. There may be the occasional one that has been scanned and posted previously, but a determined effort to try and fully log what I have, which means cross referencing between computer pics, slides and negatives, spreadsheets, race programmes and personal diaries - not to mention some internet searches!

Digital is relatively easy, but the old stuff is what really takes the time.
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June 28th 1970. Famous car and famous driver.




Cadwell Park 1980


Shelsey Walsh hillclimb. Note the shirt sleeves...


Journalist Tom Leake's DB4GT


Ellerslie 1994 - I think. Dating older Ellerslie stuff before I went digital is very hit and miss as many slides were mounted in glass out of sequence.

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Ironically, dating this one was made easier by recognising the GT6 in the background.


This one has me a bit baffled as to date. Obviously at Donington - which reopened May 28th 1977 and the same car was at Silverstone July 1977, sign written, yet I can't get a real fix on the date. I've labelled it May 28th and keep my fingers crossed that the UK watchers on this site who wanted a pic of the car, can fill in the gaps.





June 1980. It took years to sort out the date for slides taken at this meeting! Once again, I emailed someone in the UK who had posted a pic at the same meeting on another website and he managed to confirm the date(s) which fortunately, filled in a lot of gaps for me.


End of the film, hence the strange colouring. Ginetta G4.


Tim's Morgan - obviously from the more recent digital age! 2010

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Great photos as always Ray.

Out of interest, what purpose would the two extended holes out the back of the E Type serve?

ERC wrote:[CENTER]


This one has me a bit baffled as to date. Obviously at Donington - which reopened May 28th 1977 and the same car was at Silverstone July 1977, sign written, yet I can't get a real fix on the date. I've labelled it May 28th and keep my fingers crossed that the UK watchers on this site who wanted a pic of the car, can fill in the gaps.
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Ray, 2 pics!

Steve Holmes wrote:Out of interest, what purpose would the two extended holes out the back of the E Type serve?

No real idea Steve! Maybe air vents from the cockpit, which no doubt would get pretty warm would be my first guess, but as they also have air scoops on the rear of the side window, air ducts from the inboard disc brakes maybe?

The Aston was obviously doing shakedown testing at Donington before Le Mans, so that still means it could have been May 1977 as Le Mans is usually in June.

I have also just scanned a pic of a Jaguar XK150 that Dave Preece was driving, but I remember so well his run at the tricky Curbrough sprint course in a DB4 Aston, where he just chucked it at every bend and corner. Very spectacular indeed.

ERC wrote:No real idea Steve! Maybe air vents from the cockpit, which no doubt would get pretty warm would be my first guess, but as they also have air scoops on the rear of the side window, air ducts from the inboard disc brakes maybe?

The Aston was obviously doing shakedown testing at Donington before Le Mans, so that still means it could have been May 1977 as Le Mans is usually in June.

I have also just scanned a pic of a Jaguar XK150 that Dave Preece was driving, but I remember so well his run at the tricky Curbrough sprint course in a DB4 Aston, where he just chucked it at every bend and corner. Very spectacular indeed.

Here, have a spanner, I suspect the issue is dates, the Aston first raced at Silverstone in the 6 hour race, 15 May 1977, so given that, yes Donington reopened for car racing on 28 May 1977, could it not be from an event outside of an actual meeting?

Good shot Nigel!

That is what intrigues me Sean, as I was involved in the Donington reopening, but sadly, as I wasn't keeping a daily diary from 1970 to 1990, I can't pinpoint this date. The May 28th NSCC meeting was indeed the first car meeting and I can't recall a practice day of any sort prior, but there were obviously several people there who look to be casual observers and not part of the Hamilton team. Why was I there I ask???? I wasn't working full time then, having just finished a full time training course, so it could even have been midweek.

That is the problem with colour slides, as with no pics either side, very short on clues. There is some track signage in place and the re-opening meeting was for motorbikes.

At the May 15th Silverstone meeting (thanks for that info), the car had some signage and the rear spoiler had been painted, though no race number. There isn't a race number on my pic, which suggests it hadn't raced at all, so must have been before May 15th and the scrawled note on the rear is a giveaway!

After leaving Rugby Engineering College, Robin became a staff engineer at Rolls-Royce, where he worked on advanced aero engines. However, in his spare time he began buying and selling cars, particularly sports cars, and became the proud owner of an Aston Martin. His hobby became a full-time occupation in 1971, when he left Rolls-Royce to set up his own company, which became a main distributorship for Aston Martin. He even developed a competition division that was responsible for taking Aston Martin back to Le Mans in the late 1970s, with himself, no less, as a driver. The company went on to produce the Nimrod series of cars, which competed in the World Sports Car Championships in the 1980s, gaining third place in their very first year of competition.

Robin Hamilton Aston Martin Ltd (company now dissolved - was registered in Nottingham apparently, though the business was Stafforshire) so was more local than I'd realised and was probably closer to Donington than Silverstone for testing. Later, Robin had designed a revolutionary house near Ashbourne, Derbys. Amazing what you can find on Google... That is another couple of hours of absorbing, interesting research, even though it didn't give me the one answer I was looking for!

More from the mounted glass slides section

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Prescott 1970


British GP meeting 1977. I don't think Bernie would allow any of those background cars into the paddock these days... or the people come to think of it.


The aforementioned Dave Preece, Jag XK150, Donington 1980.


Same race meeting, Lola T70


Kit car day at a soggy Mallory Park June 1987. A lineup of Midas.


Otaua hillclimb 1995

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Is that our mate Jim in the grey Wolseley........

Yup, next to a Chrysler Avenger with Dunlop alloy wheels - rare!!

ERC wrote:[CENTER]
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Ray can you recall when and where you took this photo? Could it be Prescott hillclimb?

I'm certainly no Ferrari expert, but I know these beautiful 225S Vignale Berlinettas are extremely rare. I believe only about 5 or so built. There was one for sale in the US recently which was said to be the very first built. It had Le Mans, Mille Miglia etc history and was a Ferrari factory team car.

Its details seem to match the car in your photo. But your photo would have likely been much later in its life, possibly early 1970s?

May 2nd 1971 Steve - photo ID is 171_0502. Definitely Prescott's annual Bugatti & Ferrari Owners Club meeting. I went in 1970 & 1971 and never even ventured up the hill! No Zoom lens so all on Dad's old Leica. At least I have the programmes for both years.

ERC wrote:May 2nd 1971 Steve - photo ID is 171_0502. Definitely Prescott's annual Bugatti & Ferrari Owners Club meeting. I went in 1970 & 1971 and never even ventured up the hill! No Zoom lens so all on Dad's old Leica. At least I have the programmes for both years.

Thanks Ray, definitely sounds like the same car. I found it on the Ferrari registry and the licence plate 711 HKR confirms this to be the first 225S built. Really special car, now worth very much money!

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[TD="width: 87, bgcolor: #FF0000"]Date[/TD]
[TD="width: 53, bgcolor: #FF0000"]Result[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FF0000"]Event[/TD]
[TD="width: 130, bgcolor: #FF0000"]Driver[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FF0000"]#[/TD]
[TD="width: 88, bgcolor: #FF0000"]Reference[/TD]
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[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"] [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]52/may/03-04
as 166 MM/53[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]9th OA 1st IC[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]Mille Miglia[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]Antonio Brivio Sforza/ Pasquale Cassani[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#537[/TD]
[TD="width: 88"]Tipo166 p139
FSN Red Arrows p82, 220[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]52/may - loaned to Pierre Boncompagni alias "Pagnibon", F [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"]"BO 15448"[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]52/jun/02[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]5th[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]GP Monaco[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]"Pagnibon"[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#60[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style5, width: 88"]SuR p61 C1 p17 Émotion Ferrari p67[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]52/jun/10 – Elio Checcachi, Prato-Florence, IT[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]52/jun/14[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]dnf[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]24h Le Mans[/TD]
[TD="width: 130"]"Pagnibon"/
Cole[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#30[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style5, width: 88"]FaLM p16[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]52/jul/29[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]dnf[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]Reims[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]"Pagnibon"[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#46[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]52 - 3 portholes with chrome rings in fenders[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style10, width: 87"]52/jun/29[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]4[SUP]th[/SUP][/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style10"]Mont Ventoux hillclimb[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]"Pagnibon"[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"] [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]52/aug/17[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]1st[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]Col Bayard hillclimb[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]"Pagnibon"[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"] [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]52/sep/09[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]2nd[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]Tour de France[/TD]
[TD="width: 130"]"Pagnibon"/
Macchieraldo[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#17[/TD]
[TD="width: 88"][font=Arial]SuR p56 BSL p96 "BO 15448"CR3 p86 Émotion Ferrari p78[/font][/TD]
[/TR]
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[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]52/sep/26[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"] [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]Autumn Cup, Monthlery[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]"Pagnibon"[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#131[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]52/oct/05[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]1st IC[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]Coupe du Salon, Monthlery[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]"Pagnibon"[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#26[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]53/feb/15[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"]2nd OA[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]Agadir[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]"Pagnibon"[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#14[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]53 - Returned to factory, engine installed from [font="]0218ET[/font] - engine 0152EL installed in 0218AT[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style5, colspan: 5"]61 - Dr. Ian Reid-Entwistle, Cheshire, GB[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"]“711 HKR”[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]62/... - Aintree circuit at the 1962 British Grand Prix meeting[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
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[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]62/oct/19 - offered in Autosport[/TD]
[TD="width: 88"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style10, colspan: 5"]62 - John Barlow, Oakham/Rutland, UK[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
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[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]62 - Dan Margulies, London, GB[/TD]
[TD="width: 88"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]62 - Paul G. Palumbo, Ascot, GB[/TD]
[TD="width: 88"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, colspan: 5"]70 - D.C. Pedler, London, GB[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
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[TD="class: auto-style5, colspan: 5"]70 - Brian Mulvaney, London, GB[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
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[TD="class: auto-style5, colspan: 5"]71 - John Ward, Coventry, Warwickshire, GB[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
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[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]71/apr[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"] [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]FOC Prescott hillclimb[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]Ward[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#23[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style5, colspan: 5"]72 - David Shute, Somerset, GB[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 88"] [/TD]
[/TR]
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[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]72/jul/02[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"] [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]FOC Prescott hillclimb[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"] [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#144[/TD]
[TD="width: 88"][font=Arial]PH35 p27
"711 HKR"[/font][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 87"]73[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 53"] [/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]FOC Prescott hillclimb[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1, width: 130"]Shute[/TD]
[TD="class: auto-style1"]#40[/TD]
[TD="width: 88"][font=Arial]PH35 p27
"711 HKR"[/font][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

ERC wrote:Good shot Nigel!

That is what intrigues me Sean, as I was involved in the Donington reopening, but sadly, as I wasn't keeping a daily diary from 1970 to 1990, I can't pinpoint this date. The May 28th NSCC meeting was indeed the first car meeting and I can't recall a practice day of any sort prior, but there were obviously several people there who look to be casual observers and not part of the Hamilton team. Why was I there I ask???? I wasn't working full time then, having just finished a full time training course, so it could even have been midweek.

That is the problem with colour slides, as with no pics either side, very short on clues. There is some track signage in place and the re-opening meeting was for motorbikes.

At the May 15th Silverstone meeting (thanks for that info), the car had some signage and the rear spoiler had been painted, though no race number. There isn't a race number on my pic, which suggests it hadn't raced at all, so must have been before May 15th and the scrawled note on the rear is a giveaway!

After leaving Rugby Engineering College, Robin became a staff engineer at Rolls-Royce, where he worked on advanced aero engines. However, in his spare time he began buying and selling cars, particularly sports cars, and became the proud owner of an Aston Martin. His hobby became a full-time occupation in 1971, when he left Rolls-Royce to set up his own company, which became a main distributorship for Aston Martin. He even developed a competition division that was responsible for taking Aston Martin back to Le Mans in the late 1970s, with himself, no less, as a driver. The company went on to produce the Nimrod series of cars, which competed in the World Sports Car Championships in the 1980s, gaining third place in their very first year of competition.

Robin Hamilton Aston Martin Ltd (company now dissolved - was registered in Nottingham apparently, though the business was Stafforshire) so was more local than I'd realised and was probably closer to Donington than Silverstone for testing. Later, Robin had designed a revolutionary house near Ashbourne, Derbys. Amazing what you can find on Google... That is another couple of hours of absorbing, interesting research, even though it didn't give me the one answer I was looking for!

Not only did Hamilton take it to Le Mans, but he drove it over the line, 3rd in class.

More slides...
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Not sure where or when this was taken, but I'm guessing at a motorshow held at Henderson and may be as early as 1983. I gather that only about 5 of these locally manufactured EMW's were produced. Again, Google comes up with just a little information.

*March 5th - Just found it entered at Whenuapai 22nd February 1987 and I think I have a pic of it there.*


Donington, July 1988 - I think...


Kern's Rd, MGCC Hillclimb, with Vice President Geoff Broadhead in his well known MGB


The very much still alive Clive Taylor, MG Midget.


Bruce Heasley's TVR Tasmin was a regular around that time. I think, June 3rd 1989.


Ellerslie, but as with so many of these slides, no idea what year! I'm guessing at 1994, but could be a lot earlier - or later.

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The Caffeine & Classics monthly meet at Smales Farm, Takapuna, celebrated their 4th birthday with no less than 1100 cars present! Every car park was full - and the grassed areas. They were still arriving when I left at 11am. I walked round falrly early, but should have walked round again as I missed so many cars.

Massive congratulations to the organisers and to Protecta Insurance and I think it was Milford Lions Club assisting with parking.

I haven't even copied these to the PC yet nor have I labelled them.

It was supposed to be 10am to 12 noon, but there were people arriving at 7:30 and as my pics are in strict time order, the first two or three were at 9:30am...

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Double trouble on my birthday! Celebrating 2 years to the day that MONZA8 was finally road legal. Unfinished, but road legal... Work in progress. Mind you, had I known when starting that it would weigh so little, I wouldn't have dreamt of towing the Marcos with it. Probably won't do it again either.




American LaFrance - manufacture Fire Trucks...




Buckler


Almac

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