EAO goes to Coys Auction at the Autosport Racing Car Show
– January 15th, 2011
Despite a top bid of £77,000 the car was unsold
having failed to meet its reserve.
From John Sprinzel: “Looking through your web page, I can still hardly believe that 2214UE is still around – after my rallying on the Liege and German Rallies half a century ago, John Patten’s drive with Paul Hawkins on the RAC and then Mike Reid’s efforts with the Octagon crowd, I wonder how many bits can still be original. Good fun though, to see what the cars managed. I read the auction brochure on the Hedges car and the huge list of owners. Did Donald and Geoff ever imagine their little car could stand up to so much for so long? Hope you are well and having a good New Year, in spite of what I hear about your weather. Aloha, John
A few more photos of
Peter White‘s Fastback (left)
in New Zealand.
[link]
When Michael Meerlo returned his Fastback (right) to Archers, from Holland, he decided to shrink-wrap it against the winter salt, etc!
From Albert Voogd in Holland:
I write to let you know that a friend of mine in Holland has a pair of Rolls Royce type
rear light units for sale, as used on some Robert Peel cars (see left). They are in very
good condition and include an extra set of lenses.
[I have asked Albert for a guide price-MEI]
[Also from Albert] “I would also comment on the picture of the Speedwell GT, RAM 36 of Barry Wood, – that was taken at Hugenholz corner at Zandvoort during the World Cup race there on Sept 2nd 1962. The circuit archivist Rob Petersen has confirmed this. RAM 36 was part of the 2-car team with Paddy Gaston, who took part as No.7 in RAM 35. Gaston finished in 11th position, 4 laps behind the winner Ben Pon in his Porsche Carrera Abarth. Wood finished in (?)12th position. John Whitmore and Julian Sutton came 2nd and 3rd in their Elits. Andrew Hedges and Alan Foster also took part in their BMC Jacobs Midgets, finishing 5th and 6th respectively. Great stuff!”
Mike Curtis’s Replica
awaits its roll cage (above)
More pictures.
From Neil Blaney in Australia: “When we were in England I rang Keith Brading at the Frogeye Car Company, to see if we could have a look at his making of the Frogeyes. He agreed and met us on the Isle of Wight when we came across on the ferry, taking us to the Simion Motor Works. We spent a couple of hours with him. He showed us how he made the cars and he had orders for 50 in the next 12 months, all to go to Japan. I attach some photos (right). Do you know if the Sebrings were completed, did they go to Japan and what happened to them? I was told one of the reasons for the Company’s demise was the lack of ‘A’ Series engines he could purchase.
From Gordon Higgs, who is building a replica Coupe: I hope 2011 finds you well. I’m sorry its been so long since my last mail. I’ve been keeping busy on the Sprite build. It seems I’ve been waiting ages to get her into the paint shop. A small local business called Lone Pine that’s been in the same family since the early 1950’s. They specialise in high class and classic cars. My Sprite was in outstanding company, while she was in, there was a Shelby Mustang bare shell waiting for paint, two Aston martins and a Rolls Royce, not to mention the 1930’s Bentley body parts being painted in cellulose! After our earlier mails I did some searching through our extensive paint colour information at work to see if I could throw any light on the Tartan/Alfa Red question and I foundthere were several Tartan Reds so I’ve chosen a lighter Tartan. It probably is not the same as PMO200 but I like it and that’s what counts. The Sprite is home now so the long build process can start. all the suspension parts have been plated and powder-coated, overhauled and are ready to refit(see picture below right).
More photos on:
Lauren Derancourt tells
me that his French club
Amicale now his a blog
with English translation
– at www.spritemidget.com
Ken Youngstrom writes re: The Falcon Sprite. At least one post-1961 owner was Walter ‘Kit’ Kitteridge of Brockton, Massachusetts. I recall riding with Kit in the Sprite on public roads and getting stuck in traffic near the Brockton Fair. The vivid memory is stopping next to a traffic policeman where my eye level was just at the policeman’s knee-cap! Kit was a rather slight person, who, when racing his battered TR3, would appear to disappear under the tonneau cover when reaching for 3rd gear.
Trevor McIlroy’s replica is now ready for painting (left).
More pics
Mike Wylie has sent me some new photos of John Sprinzel, this one (right) with Mike’s
son David – others later
From Ken Grasing: “Might it be possible to obtain copies of the FIA Homologation forms for the Sebring Sprites that raced in international events and create a section of the website for them? I would be particularly interested in the form for the standard-bodied works car that ran in the 12 hour Sebring event.”
[I have replied to Ken that I hope to include some forms in the new website to be released shortly]
From Gary Wolchover, re: JAX10 – 791 NAR, I note that the registration number was JAX 10. This went on to feature on a couple of big Healeys as well as an S Type Jag. Jack Wolchover wrote off a car (I can’t remember which one) in the mid 80s by crashing into a brewery wagon. To keep the registration number was so complicated, expensive and time consuming he gave it up.
New alloy tops and rears for FIA cars (above) from Craig Chapman,
CC Coachworks, Inverness,
Scotland.
tel: 01456 415382 email:
cc_coachwork@hotmail.co.uk
website:
www.cccoachwork.com
John Hill’s
“Memories of
Sebring and Le Mans
1960“
click here
John Hugenholtz of Belgium tells me:
“I brought RTL 304 (pictured left) back from the UK to Holland in the 80s having bought the car in South London for Dutch dealer Tonio Hildebrandt. I drove it on the road with an open exhaust to Sheerness for the ferry to Vlissingen – I had my road car and trailer and the car was taken home to Overveen (near Zandvoort). It had a 1293 Cooper S engine at the time. I think I tested it once at Zandvoort but never raced it. I sold it to Ecury. Wonderful to see it’s still around and looking lovely”.
RTL 304 – new pics from David Morys (left) – thank you!
