There are many ways to buy and sell a classic car, car dealer, classified ad and e-bay but perhaps the most intimidating is the auction.  For the uninitiated it can be a nerve racking experience.  To find out more we joined the bidders at the PCRS auction organised by Classic Car Auctions.

Most car auctions operate in a similar way though some terms and conditions and charges may be different.  Before you buy or sell at an auction you will need to check out the prospective auction house and familiarise yourself with all their requirements.

When I joined the other bidders, they were about half way through the lots.   It was almost a full house and along the edge were the telephone and proxy bidders.   I suspect that the majority of the business is carried out on line but you can’t beat the excitement of being there.

As soon as you take your seat you become very conscious of even the simplest of body movements for fear that you might accidentally make a bid.  In reality the auctioneers are very experienced and can tell the difference between an involuntary twitch and a bid.  Two auctioneers take each alternate car and rattle through them at great speed.  Watching them perform is very entertaining, even funny as they squeeze the bidders for every last pound.

Prices at auction can go in any direction.  There is no doubt that bargains can be had, especially if a collector is downsizing and doesn’t want to transport the car back home again.  But if you get two people wanting the same car then the price can rise beyond the market price, though of course the market price is what someone is prepared to pay.

There was a good variety of cars passing through whilst I was there.  A 1974 Lancia Fulvia 1.3 failed to sell but is available post auction for £8 650.   This is a one owner low mileage car but it was suffering from body rot.  It would make an excellent historic rally car following a full restoration.

This was followed by another Lancia, this time a modern Lancia Delta Integrale 16 valve.  It was imported into the UK in 2004 and had 47 000 miles on the clock.  It sold for a very reasonable £18 225.

Hot hatches from the 1980’s are booming at the moment and a very tidy Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI with 89 000 miles fetched £16 312.  A rarer Renault 5 GT Turbo with 70 000 miles pipped the GTI at £20 250.

Are you ready to take the plunge? You can bid in person by registering prior to the auction or alternatively you can bid by telephone, by leaving a commission bid or online on the auctioneers website. To comply with money laundering regulations, you will need to provide one proof of identification, such as a passport or drivers licence so don’t forget to take it with you if you plan to bid in person.

A commission bid is the maximum amount you are willing to bid up to (excluding the buyers premium and VAT). The auctioneer will then execute your bid as low as possible on your behalf.  Telephone bidding allows you to bid live during the auction. On the day of the sale, a member of the auction house will contact you, usually a few lots prior to your selected lots and will guide you through the process. You will need to provide alternative telephone numbers to ensure that they are able to contact you on the day. You can also leave a commission bid in the event that they are unable to contact you by telephone.

Online bidding may be available directly on the website (with no additional fee) as well as via a bidding approved partner who charge an additional fee of 1% plus VAT.

One of the most important things to understand is the final price that you will pay.  The hammer price is not the final price and you need to take this into account when you bid.  A buyer’s premium is charged at 12.5% +VAT on the hammer price.     Some lots may be VAT qualifying and subject to VAT on the hammer. Some lots may have been brought into the UK on a temporary admission and therefore import VAT will be due the hammer. These lots will be clearly marked in the catalogue.

Payments must be made in GBP, by bank transfer where possible. Payment can also be made in person by debit card (up to £20,000) and credit card (up to £5,000). Cash payments cannot be accepted.   Lots will only be released upon receipt of funds.

You will have only a limited time to collect your purchase and so you can bring a trailer or use the auction houses transport partner.  Driving the car is not really an option as it may not start after a period of storage and it will need to be both taxed and insured.

As the hammer falls a contract is made and you are obligated to proceed with the purchase. It is therefore vital that you are 100% sure before you make the final bid

Top tips:

1. Sort your registration and bidding requirements in advance.
2. Understand the additional charges that will be added to the hammer price.
3. Before you go, pick the cars you are interested in and set a bidding limit.  Base your limit on research and additional charges including commission and VAT.
4. Take a friend with you who will stop you overbidding.
5. Sort out how you will make payment
6. Work out how you are going to get your purchase home.

https://www.classiccarauctions.co.uk

Imagine driving 16,000 miles in 25 days over some of the rough­est terrain in the world, at altitudes up to 16,000 feet, where engines and lungs gasp for air. Imagine 500-mile speed trials over rocky mountain tracks, racing against the clock and 95 other cars. Imagine attempting this more than 50 years ago, without GPS or cell phones. In April 1970, 241 men and women from more than 20 nations did just that, setting out from London in wide range of vehicles, from the sublime competitions-ready Escorts, Triumphs and Citroëns to the seemingly ridiculous beach bug­gy, Rolls-Royces and even a camper van, all determined to get to Mexico City. Drawing on personal recollections of competitors, organizers, marshals and mechanics, this book recounts the ecstasies and agonies of per­haps the toughest endurance motorsports event ever—the London to Mexico World Cup Rally.

Following on from his book about the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon, and almost six years in the making, author Robert Connor has drawn from the memories of competitors and others who played important roles from right across the world – Australia, Mexico, the USA, France and up and down the UK.

Among those competing were several Yorkshire folks, representing both professional and amateur rally pedigrees – principle among these was the late, great Tony Fall. Driving for the Ford GB competitions team in a works-prepared Escort 1850, Fall’s illustrious co-driver was none other than soccer legend Jimmy Greaves! Initially seen as a novelty, under Fall’s patient tutelage, Greaves acquitted himself admirably, the media-friendly pair achieving 6^th place overall at Mexico City.

Other Yorkshiremen and women who buckled up for the 16,000-mile slog were life-long friends Christopher Marriott and John ‘Jack’ Dill, driving a slightly impractical Trident Venturer sports coupe, Tony Walker in a Vauxhall Victor estate car, rally veteran Phil Cooper and the great Pat Wright – sister of racing legend Cliff Allison, Pat’s meticulous navigation skills saw the all-women team led by Jean Denton achieve a laudable 18^th place at the finish.

Declaration: Classic Yorkshire received no payment or benefit for this article.

16,000 Miles to Mexico City by Robert Connor is available through:

https://www.eurospanbookstore.com/book/detail/16000-miles-to-mexico-city/?k=9781476669670

16,000 Miles to Mexico City

This Weekend

Rally Date: Sunday 1st May 2022
Place: Gaydon Heritage Motor Museum
Event: WCR50+2

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary (two years late due to the Covid) the Historic Marathon Rally Group will stage a reunion for all the surviving cars, competitors and supporting teams at the British Motor Museum.

Described as the ‘longest, toughest and most ambitious rally that the world had ever known’ the Gaydon event will showcase around 21 surviving World Cup Rally cars, including the winning Ford Escort FEV 1H, car no. 18, which has been released by the Ford Heritage organisation especially for 1st May.

Other memorable cars attending will be –

• Car 98 – Paddy Hopkirk’s Triumph PI which came in 4th overall.
• Car 18 – The Ford Escort driven by Sobieslaw Zazarda that came in 8th o/a.
• Car 32 – the Austin 1800 (SMO 227G) which came 11th and is the only car that finished both the London-Sydney 1968 and the WCR 1970.
• Car 45 – Ford Escort 1300GT crewed by Doug Harris and Michael Butler – it came both 1st and last – last car to finish but 1st in its class.
• Car 69 – a Ford Capri that did not finish but had also competed in the London-Sydney 1968.
• Car 70 – Austin Maxi driven by Prince Michael of Kent together with its teammate car number 20.
• Car 20 – Austin Maxi driven both cars failing to complete but still in original form.
• Car 83 – Hillman Hunter driven by Washington James, Alun Davies and Hywel Thomas – finished a creditable 15th o/a.
• Car 91 – the Austin 1800 called the Beauty Box driven by Jean Denton (Baroness Denton of Wakefield) Liz Crellin and Pat Wright which finished a very creditable 18th o/a.
• Car 12 – the Citroen DS21 driven by Patrick Vanson, Olivier Turcat & Alain Leprince – finished 7th overall and won the Private Entrant trophy – 22 hrs 3 mins after the Escort.
  

Marathon cars are also coming from other events such as the 1968 London -Sydney; 1974 World Cup Rally, 1974 London-Sydney and various other marathon events including the infamous Paris-Peking events and there will be displays by many car clubs with relevant historical rally cars.

The event is free, but there will be the usual fee for those wishing to visit the Museum (£14.50).

The 1970 World Cup Rally had 17 special stages (Primes) that were “the longest, fastest, highest and most demanding ever laid out”. Together with the multiple border crossings, done back then with relative ease, fuel available in barrels in outlandish areas to be hand pumped into the vast fuel tanks of hungry rally cars.

South America – over 15 days there were only 4 official nights’ rest – such long drive-times between a night’s much needed sleep that would be unthinkable in this modern era, and incredible average speeds set for all the open road sections. This truly was a never-to-be-repeated event.

The event was gruelling; with 4,600 miles in Europe and 11,500 miles in South America to be covered, the tight schedules demanded a high pace be maintained in order to make each timing point with the crews also requiring oxygen whilst travelling above 15,000ft in the Andes.

The five days in Europe contained as much competitive motoring as half a dozen normal international rallies. After the warming up section through France, Germany, Austria and Hungary to Sofia – the Bulgarian capital – the curtain rose with a high-speed section from Pec to Titograd. This stage, famous in the history of rallying’s Liege-Sofia-Liege, gave newcomers a taste of the rough and dusty trails of the Yugoslav interior. Another speed section further Westward brought the drivers across Northern Italy to the famous Monza racetrack for their first brief ‘rest’ of eight hours. Then on to the testing hills above San Remo for more snow-ravaged mountain tracks running against the relentless clock.

Seasoned competitors who had been over parts of it on reconnaissance runs agreed that they had never seen anything quite so long, tough and demanding before. Next – a 20-day route on to Mexico. The route from Rio to Sao Paulo is the only ‘easy section’ in South America. The two Primes in Brazil have an additional hazard – narrow wooden bridges. One example is 100 yds long with a 3-foot gap between the planks showing the fast-flowing river underneath.

The Primes can vary from 2 – 10 hours in length and up to 16,000 ft – never achieved before. The section in the Peruvian Andes is the most sensational timed stage in the world, much of it just wide enough for one car.

Picture if you can dirt track roads strewn with fist-size boulders winding high through the Andes mountains with treacherous drops of a thousand feet into the valley below. In some places the route went into the snow line – days later the drivers would find themselves in the tropical jungle in the hinterlands of Bolivia. Many of the tortuous ‘Prime’ sections consisted of roads that would cause the average family motorist to turn back. The rally drivers would average close to 50 miles an hour over these roads and tracks.

Out of 106 starters, only 23 reached the finish. Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm in the Ford Escort 1850 FEV 1H brilliantly won the event, with the British Leyland rally team of Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Sayer in the Triumph 2.5PI only 1 hrs 18 mins behind after 16,000+ miles – and the third placed Ford Escort of Rauno Aaltonen and Henry Liddon another 21 mins behind that!! In fact, 5 Ford Escort 1850s would finish in the top 8 – a tremendous achievement by the Ford team and this sparked the launch of the Ford Mexico later in November 1970.

Rosemary Smith, Alice Watson & Ginnette DeRoland finished 10th in the Works Maxi taking the Ladies prize, while the other Works Maxi finished 22nd. The Datsun 1600SSS of the Dutch team, Rob Jansson and Jacob Dik finished 21st o/a – nearly 2 days after the first car having had to virtually rebuild the car several times! To reach the finish was a massive achievement with the last car coming in only 56 hours after the first.

A quick reminder that next weekend will see the Barnstormer Weekend at Dunnington near York. A special event featuring 1950’s Dirt and Drag cars and bikes. I attended the sister event to this – Race the waves at Bridlington and thoroughly enjoyed it. The cars were amazing and the people fully immersed in the 1950’s. Sporting period clothes and hairstyles it is a great place for photographers looking for atmospheric pictures. So if you are free, slick back your hair, don your dungarees and take a run over to the Barnstormer Weekend.

It’s fair to say that this was an event that experienced more than its fair share of problems.  Conceived as a tribute to the Mintex Rally held in 1980 it was to feature 5 special stages from the original event.  Then Co-Vid hit and like every other event it was postponed for two years until the risk receded.

The rearranged event took place on the 8^th and 9^th April 2022.  A number of the planned stages were lost and the reformatted event started at Harrogate Rugby Club with stages at, Church Fenton, Odsal Stadium and Dunscombe Park.

However, the challenges kept coming and at the last-minute Church Fenton was withdrawn leaving just Dunscombe Park and Odsal Stadium.  The road book was hastily rearranged with Dunscombe Park providing the first and last stages with a run to Odsal Stadium in between.  Whilst Church Fenton would have broken the road mileage into two 35 mile runs it became a 70 mile dash to Odsal and another 70 miles back via the Rugby Club.  The Odsal stage comprised a short sprint round the perimeter track which was disappointing given the effort of driving 140 miles. 

Our own participation in the event was also in doubt.   I tested positive for Co-vid 10 days before the event and only finally tested clear the day before the start.  Our cars fuel sender had given up the ghost and the tank was removed waiting for a replacement.  The replacement never arrived and so it was reassembled with the faulty sender and we carried an emergency can of fuel. 

We arrived at the assembly point on Friday afternoon and signed on for the event.  The route book was issued but it required some marking up to accommodate the changes.  As explained previously this is not a competitive event and no licence of special preparations are required, though I would suggest a sump guard as a minimum.  Our car is a rally prepared SAAB 96 and is more than capable of dealing with the stages that lie ahead. 

As the afternoon progressed more cars arrived including some very nice MK2 Escorts, a TR8, Lancia Delta Integrale and some early classics including an Austin Healey and a Mini.  Once fully assembled the cars represented most classic eras of rallying from the 1950’s to Group B.

The day of the rally was bright and clear, though a thin layer of snow on the car was a warning of things to come.  As previously mentioned, this is not a competitive event and your performance on the stages is very much up to you.   Some people take the driving very seriously, others (like ourselves) enjoy showing off our rally car and chatting to fellow competitors and spectators.   This difference in levels of commitment became clear at the start.  At one extreme cars turned up, stuck on the numbers and set off.  At the other extreme there were immaculate cars, drivers in flame proof overalls and crash helmets supported by service crews that followed them round the stages with tools and tyres for every eventuality.

As car number 37 our start time was a very civilised 9am. Following the road book marked with tulips (more of that in a future article) we headed to Dunscombe park.  It was a beautiful day with crisp blue skies, green fields and roadside daffodils resplendent in yellow.  The fields were full of sheep with their lambs and Red Kites hovered in the air. Even with my head down reading the route I couldn’t help but enjoy the view.

The first stage started on a concrete road which led into a concrete road with a loose and damaged surface.  Through a narrow gate to enter a woodland track, about 30 yards and then a 90 right.  The track was slippery and the woodland path opened up into a woodyard where a chicane was placed.  There were a few major potholes which were jarring on the Saab with its ultra-stiff suspension but it coped admirably even if we weren’t the fastest or most spectacular team on the course.   We were given four runs and each one was an improvement on the last both in time and driving style.

We left Dunscombe park to head for Odsal Stadium and had already calculated that it was around 70 miles, something we weren’t looking forward to as the Saab is not a comfortable drive.   In fact Ian relayed to me a conversation he had with Stig after he drove the car, “ The problem with the Saab Ian is that it is so very slow……”  We were one of the last cars to leave the last stage and given the lack of road speed there was a risk that Odsal might close before we got there.  As we headed down the A1M I made an executive decision to abandon the road book and take the most direct route via the M1 and M62 and we became the fourth car to arrive.

There was chance to chat to the other drivers and members of the public who had come to see the cars.  The conditions were poor and there was a brief but heavy snow flurry.  The course was an uninspiring run round the service road and all too soon we were heading off to Harrogate Rugby club for a late lunch.  I must say that the Rugby Club were excellent hosts and the lunch was plentiful and catered for vegetarians.  Suitably replenished we headed back to Dunscombe Park for the final stage, the same as the morning stage but run in reverse.

We started at the previous finish and headed straight into the woods.  The ruts and potholes created in the morning had less impact and the course was a little more slippy.  This final stage was a lot more fun as we were able to run as many times as we wanted without having to queue at the start.  When we had our fill, we headed back to Harrogate Rugby Club where we loaded the car on to the trailer before heading to dinner at Rally HQ.

I am aware that these events ae controversial amongst the motorsport community.  For those who own valuable historic rally cars and don’t want to expose their cars to the type of impact of competitive stage rallies, these events offer a low cost driving opportunity.  I agree with the need for safety to be a priority and appropriate insurance for both drivers and spectators.  Some clubs have actively discouraged members from taking part as drivers or marshals though I think club support would improve safety and quality.

One of the joys of these events is the opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts.  Neil, is the owner and driver of a Renault 5 Turbo, a car very much from my era of rallying.  Neil was one of the first to set off but we passed him some time later broken down in a petrol station.   We didn’t see him again until the final stage at Dunscombe where he was having some real fun powering round the stage. At the dinner he was interviewed about his unfortunate breakdown. 

His response was interesting. 

Rallying presents challenges.  We broke down very early on but we fixed it and were able to catch the rally for the afternoon stages.   After two years we just wanted to get out there and have some fun.  Despite the problems that’s what we did. 

He was right, despite the issues we could still get out there and have some fun.

I would like to thank Ian Clark from Rallying History for the opportunity to navigate on the Mintex.

Entry list

1. Bob Bean/Miles Cartwright Ford Escort RS1600
2. John Midgeley/Mark Hill Porsche 911
3. Bob Dennis/James Dennis Subaru Legacy
4. John Shuffe/ Talbot Sunbeam
5. Bob Smith/ Escort G3
6. Andrew Storr/ Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
7. Toby Fairbank/ Escort RS1800
8. John Whalley/J J Whalley Lancia Delta Integrale
9. Justin Lawson/John Lawson Escort RS1800
10. Geoff Maybank/Will Midgeley Toyota Corolla AE86
11. Neil Brighton/ Renault 5 Turbo TDC
12. Gerald Davies/ Vauxhall Chevette HS
13. Peter Clarke/ Group 1 Escort RS2000
14. Ken Hemingway Escort RS2000
15. Les McGuffog/ Austin Healey 3000
16. George Heighway/Peter De Bono Opel Ascona
17. Dave Bonning/ Ford RS200
18. Jon Newall/ Audi Quattro S1
19. Bernard Nolan/ Ford Escort RS2000
20. Julian Cardew/ Mini Clubman
21. Chris Commons/ Peugeot 205
22. Richard North/Phil Hewitt Triumph TR7V8
23. Thomas Bradley/ Group 1 Mini 1275GT
24. Martin Pierson/Alan Ward Talbot Sunbeam 2.1
25. Chris Rae/ Toyota
26. Stuart Mason/ Ford Escort Twin Cam
27. Giles St John Barry/ Mini Cooper S
28. Philip Ashworth/ Volvo 142S
29. Jock Heighway/ Mini Cooper S
30. Tom Leeming/ Wartburg
31. Chris Steele/ Hillman Imp
32. Ian Clark/Mike Cowlam Saab 96
33. Mike Kirk/Malcolm Capstick Escort RS2000
34. Miles Cartwright/ Lotus Cortina

Gallery

By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse.

A Bradford-based car upholstery business is celebrating three decades fitting the very best trims on the market.

MJ Interiors is owned by Michael Pinnock who prides himself on offering a range of bespoke auto services built on over 40 years experience.

I met Michael in his workshop filled with top quality leather and cloth trim brought in from top UK, US and European factories including Dutch, Italian and German suppliers.

Two factory style sewing machines are further testament to Michael’s craft.

He describes his work as modern day ‘coach trimming’, a skill he has built up despite there being no formal training around to encourage this traditional craft.

Michael, helped by his experienced assistant Adrian, offers everything from repair work to full restorations and has customers from around the country.

Michael says: “A lot of my work comes from word of mouth. Lockdown really put the brakes on picking up trade at car shows.

“With every customer it’s about understanding their requirements, often they’re seen ideas on a websites or in magazines and then it’s a case of agreeing what works best for their needs.

“We use the finest hides including leathers from Audi and UK-based Muirhead as well as using man-made trim like Alcantara which looks like suede.

“What’s great about the job is not knowing what’s coming in next. We can do smaller jobs such as repairing a torn seat to making a hand stitched leather steering wheel cover.”

Michael’s work covers many models including Beetles, Minis, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Bentley and Rolls! He’s also worked on trucks, vans and even a helicopter!

Michael is widely know on the VW scene, completing countless restoration jobs on some classic favourites.

A look around his garage shows his passion for Golfs – he loves the Mk 2 – and Quattros. He also recalls working on a rare three-door Jetta.

Michael adds: “To me working on a top quality upholstery is the ultimate finishing touch to a classic restoration. It gives you that special experience of a real classic drive. It’s the icing on the cake!”

After spending time at his workplace I couldn’t agree more.

MJ Interiors offer a collection and delivery service and are happy to take enquiries by phone or online. To find out more go to http://www.mjineriors.co.uk or ring 01274 533370 or email michael@mjinteriors.co.uk

Title – Top five interior restoration projects for Summer

Now is a great time to make those small improvements to keep your cherished classic looking tip top.

1 Replace shoddy carpets – but make sure the floor is in good shape first and not damp
2 Replace worn seat upholstery
3 Replace headliner inside the roof of your car to avoid trim sagging
4 Replace scuffed or damaged door panels
5 Replace damaged car dashes and gauges

(‘Top five’ courtesy of legendaryautointeriors.com)

Declaration – I can confirm that Classic Yorkshire received no payment or benefit for this article.

For those who want to create a unique mini experience then a Shortie is one way to go. Take a classic Mini, cut out the back seat section, weld it back together and one of the smallest cars on the road becomes even smaller.

I haven’t seen other Shortie’s until I visited the Practical Classic and Restoration show where two unusual models were catching the eye. Both were based on popular VW models. Neither truly fit into the classics category yet and are not rare. So creating something unique out of them is not harmful in the big picture.

Is it right, should it be at a classic car show, make your own mind up.

The reborn Bizzarrini brand has achieved its next significant milestone. The first Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival prototype has taken to the road for final endurance testing before the first customer cars are completed.

Built at Bizzarrini’s dedicated facility using original blueprints and materials from original suppliers. The original car’s fuel tanks were located deep in the sills, as well as behind the driver but now – using advanced 3D scanning – Bizzarrini engineers have created a tank intricately shaped, filling the available void in the chassis.

First developed as a high-performance variant of the Bizzarrini-engineered Iso Grifo A3C, the 5300 GT Corsa was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro with refinements by Piero Drogo of Carrozzeria Sports Cars. Incorporating a tried and tested V8 engine, the 5300 GT was light, fast and reliable.

Famed for its performance in the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, perhaps the most legendary 5300 GT is chassis 0222. That summer, French racing drivers Regis Fraissinet and Jean de Mortemart took the over 5-litre class win at Le Mans, also finishing ninth overall. Not only did Chassis 0222 run the race at an average speed of 169km/h, Giotto Bizzarrini himself then drove the car back home to Northern Italy immediately after the race. The 5300 GT Revival Corsa prototype takes livery inspiration from this legendary car, encapsulating the spirit of a bygone age of high-performance race cars.

Bizzarrini fitted bespoke independent rear suspension and shifted the front-mounted engine as far back in the chassis as possible. This approach to weight distribution proved a key advantage against many contemporary front-heavy cars. In testing the Revival, modern measurements show that each corner of the car carries 25% of its overall weight, illustrating the visionary genius of Giotto Bizzarrini to design a car in 1965 that still delivers perfect balance in 2022.

24 new vehicles will be hand-built, with a lightweight single piece composite body, over a steel frame. Inside, the two seats are protected by a more comprehensive six-point roll bar and safety fuel cell, meeting FIA Appendix K historic racing regulations. Independent rear suspension to Giotto’s Corsa specification and all-round disc brakes are paired with a period-specific 5,300 cubic centimeter V8 with Weber 45 DCOE (Doppio Corpo Orizzontale E) carburettors developing between over 400 horsepower. At just 1250 kg, the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Revival Corsa has excellent power to weight ratio.

The original 5300 GT made extensive use of the strongest lightweight material of its day, glass fibre. The Revival Corsa will be offered with a full carbon fibre bodyshell as standard for those customers who do not need to conform to Historic Racing regulations.

Giotto’s work at Ferrari came to an unexpected end, during one of the most damaging moments in Ferrari’s history, informally known as the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ or ‘The Palace Revolt’. As the story goes four of Ferrari’s top engineers, including Giotto, revolted against Enzo Ferrari’s running of the business, and the sacking of commercial director Girolami Gardini. Il Commendatore responded by firing them too. For Giotto, it was partly a desire to settle the score with Ferrari that led him to take his creation to Le Mans in 1965, where it won its class.

Not many business success stories came out of the Covid lock-down, but Huddersfield artist David Kelsall used the time to start a business which is going from strength to strength and selling world wide.

David explains

“For years, relatives and friends told me that I should be selling my artwork, I just thought they were being polite.”

“I had previously painted pets of friends but this was more of a hobby.”

“When the lockdown came, it gave me the time to think about whether I should sell my work, so I created my own website and offered Limited Edition prints of my Motorsport and Aviation artwork that I had created over the previous two years”.

David’s main interest has always been Motorsport and is an ex Rally driver himself.

“I displayed some of my Rallying artwork on Facebook groups and it went ballistic”. 

One of the first orders David received was from Holland. “A gentleman called me and explained that he owned the famous car that won the RAC Rally in 1978 and loved the painting I had done of this car. He ordered the first ten prints. 

Since then, David has sold prints of his paintings all over Europe and recently to the United States and Australia.

David said,

“I was unable to take art at school, so I’m self taught which makes this a nice achievement.”

A print of one of David’s paintings like the Stig Blomqvist and Arne Hertz Saab above would cost around £35. Take a look at his website and on-line shop where you will find cars from various aspects of motorsport as well as motorcycles and other areas.

https://www.davidkelsallart.com/

If you are of a certain age you will remember when the Eastern Block started to sell their cars in the UK as a low cost alternative to western cars. Skoda was a relatively good car as they were improved by the importers before being sold to the British Public. Customers of other brands were less fortunate.

Price was without doubt the primary motivation for buying one of these cars or motorcycles. Wartburg, Moskovitch, Lada and MZ were the other brands that sold relatively well providing valuable foreign currency for the countries of origin.

Basic cars with 2 stroke engines they had little to recommend them other than price. However with the passing of time they have generated a small but enthusiastic following amongst those who like rare and unusual cars or have a passionate interest in cold war politics.

Many of these manufacturers had a proud history of producing quality cars before the Iron Curtain descended on them. Cars were then allocated rather than sold and without market pressure to differentiate their cars, there was no incentive to invest in improvements.

Today there is a thriving movement for Eastern Block cars and some cars never imported officially into the UK are being brought in as personal imports, particularly Trabants and Tatra’s.

The Wartburg Trabant IFA club was founded in 1969 and caters for enthusiasts of cars by the IFA group. Membership is a mere £12 a year and offers all the usual benefits including, very useful discounts on 2 stroke Oil.

Further information http://www.ifaclub.co.uk

The new RML Short Wheelbase’s Car Zero’, the very first Short Wheelbase to turn a wheel has now been put through its paces at UTAC-Millbrook . Chassis dynamics, powertrain and overall quality are rigorously assessed around UTAC’s myriad test tracks, which replicate the extremes of topography found on roads throughout the world.

UTAC’s dynamic tests are gruelling. A 2,000km stint on the High Speed Bowl provides data after the car has been driven at a constant high velocity over a prolonged period. Hundreds of kilometres of Belgian Pavé replicates some of the worst impacts that the car’s suspension will sustain, with additional ‘medium pothole’ tests thrown in for good measure. Repetitive, low-speed, manoeuvre-intense driving is also part of the programme, as are body torsion-twist tests which reveal any weakness in the car’s carbon-composite structure.

Enjoy the video of the testing and dream about your lottery numbers coming up as the retail price is expected to be between £850 000 and £1 000 000.

For more information:

 https://rmlgroup.com

YouTube videos of testing material:

Anniversary celebration

2020 was the 50th anniversary of one of the biggest motorsport events of its day, the Daily Mirror World Cup Rally from London to Mexico. As well as professional teams there were celebrity pairings, all designed to generate publicity for the 1970 World Cup. But don’t think that the presence of celebrities meant that it was just a long distance Sunday drive. In reality it was gruelling, dangerous test of endurance for drivers and cars. 93 cars started but only 23 finished.

On the 1st of May 2022, The Historic Marathon Rally Group will be celebrating the 50th anniversary, plus 2, the original celebrations being delayed by the Co-Vid pandemic. The celebration takes place at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. The display of cars outside the museum is free and admission to the museum is £14.50. Classic cars benefit from their own parking.

The display will include cars from the London to Mexico Rally as well as other marathon events. Some of the drivers from the event will also be available to talk about their experiences. Inside the museum there will be displays of memorabilia and films.

Further information: https://historicmarathonrallygroup.co.uk/

Tony Fall on the London to Mexico.

Yorkshire rally star Tony Fall was partnered with footballer Jimmy Greaves for the event and his story is repeated below from an earlier article.

The biggest event in Motorsport in 1970 was the London to Mexico rally with Jimmy Greaves, a top footballer whose playing days were coming to an end.  By 1970 he had been dropped from the Tottenham team and was aware that he would not be a part of England’s World Cup Squad for Mexico.   

Greave said later of the event:-

‘If I had realised how hard it was going to be, I doubt I could have summoned the courage to face it,’

Tony accepted Jimmy’s role was to generate the headlines and his was to get to the end of the rally in one piece.  25 000 spectators witnessed the departure of 93 cars from Wembley with Greaves’s car, number 26, the second favourite to win. 

Tony said at the time,

I thought drivers like Paddy Hopkirk and Timo Makinen were stars, but for the first time in my life I was exposed to super stardom.  Almost all of Dover turned out to see us when we set off to do a 3 week recce in Europe.  At the Mont Blanc Tunnel, the appearance of Greeves stopped the traffic.

Greave’s health declined in South America suffering from vitamin deficiency due to the lack of vegetables in their diet and altitude sickness.  In addition, the dangers of driving on these roads became apparent when swerving to miss a pedestrian the pair ended up hanging over a precipice with a broken axle.  A little further and they may have perished from the drop. 

Another serious incident happened on a desolate Panamanian road. Greaves had been asleep before the screech of brakes woke him as a horse galloped in front of the car. The Escort collided with the horse at 100mph killing it instantly.

They finished in sixth place, one of only 23 cars to survive the event.  A quite remarkable result for the inexperienced footballer who should be admired for enduring the battering, the sickness and the sheer exhaustion of the event.  But the main credit should go to Tony who did the bulk of the driving and successfully kept his partner in one piece all the way to the finish.