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Postcard from Silverstone Classic
Report & pics by Ed Brown |
4.8.08
The 4th Silverstone Classic took place over July 25/26/27, celebrating
60 years of both Silverstone and Lotus, along with Lola’s 50th anniversary.
With 21 races, 700 cars and 900 competitors on the specially adapted 3.14
mile Historic Grand Prix Circuit, combined with over 4000 cars on display
from 50+ car clubs (including our own) in the infield, there was something
of interest for everyone and it was a great weekend.
Racing celebrities abounded at this years event, all of whom were happy
to sign autographs and chat – “the voice of F1”, 83
yr old Murray Walker launched his new book, Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver
raced his regular historic mount, a BMW 1800TI, Red Bull F1 designer Adrian
Newey drove his freshly rebuilt Ford GT40 and comedian Rowan Atkinson
enjoyed track time in his Ford Falcon Sprint.
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This
was the 4th
Silverstone Classic |
Murray
- still rabbiting on |
Display
of the weekend
was undoubtedly
the 17 Listers |
The
late Richard Lloyd's Porsche 956 |
The organisers marked the recent loss of Touring car racer and BRDC member
David Leslie with a display of cars most associated with the affable Scot.
These were outside the driver hospitality area. Also lost in the same
aviation accident was Richard Lloyd (the former proprietor of GTI Engineering
and RLR Porsche Group C team manager in the late ’80’s) and
several of his car collection formed the backbone of the Bonhams sale
on the infield, including the Canon sponsored Porsche 956 racer, which
was a non-sale.
The National Straight was given over to the 200 + participants of the
Silverstone Retro Run (a one-day classic car tour through the Chiltern
countryside) whilst members of the Slowly Sideways Group B rally car association,
demonstrated
over 30 cars on an adjacent tarmac stage.
The popularity of the vintage aircraft “fly in” continues
to grow and the radial engined Waco and Edgware UK built Gypsy Moth, attracted
the most attention.
Much thought had gone into the organisation of the paddock, with each
race entry having a designated area, making it easier for the weekends
57,000 spectators to view the competing cars, as well as the adjacent
art gallery which showcased the talents of the UK’s foremost motoring
artists, with the most evocative, the action style of John Ketchell and
his painting of Wolfgang von Trips' Ferrari 156 Sharknose.
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Rarely
seen in rally spec,
this 308GTB was part
of the Group B
rally display
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The
Michelotto and
Facetti produced 308s
were tweaked to
give 315bhp |
Lancia
Fulvia to Fanalone spec looking for
a new owner |
Ari
Vatanen and David Richards were part of the Ford RS team before
moving on to Prodrive
and the EU parliament! |
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Last
demonstrated at
Race Retro by Marku Alen, this Lancia 037 Rallye
sounded good
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Troy
Ohio built, radial
engined Waco was the
centre display of the
vintage "fly-in" |
Produced
between '56
and '63 125,000 Porsche
tractors were built, this
is the most powerful -
the 50hp Master |
Alfa
8C Competizione
looked stunning
in black and
created much attention
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Close by, this year’s largest club marque was Porsche, where the
highlight for me was the tractor display! Congratulations must go to our
own Club’s team, who arranged a display of over 200 cars of varying
tipi (but no tractors) and were the first recipients of the Farecla Silverstone
Classic Trophy, for best car club display. This was presented to Club
Chairman Richard Allen and Secretary Peter Everingham on Sunday.
As always there were plenty of cars to catch the eye:
- Bristol 404 - launched in Autumn 1953 and subsequently tagged as the
“Businessman’s Express”, only 51 of these 2 door,
120 mph GT’s were built. Rarely seen and often in long term ownership,
an example was displayed in the BRDC members car park and resplendent
in dark blue, it was stunning.
- Lister - built in Cambridge UK between 1957-59, this multi-engined
sports-racer was the result of collaboration and continuous refinement
by Brian Lister, Frank Costin and body builder Williams and Pritchard
and was most successful when Jaguar engined (the same engine as the
D type) and driven by Archie Scott Brown. Behind the BRDC grandstand,
17 cars were displayed on the Sunday and fittingly Lister was on hand
to review his achievement
- Alfa 8C Competitzione - first shown as a design concept at the salons
in 2003, the Turin built 4.7 V8 powered, 450bhp (thank-you Maserati!)
made its public, production debut at the Paris Motor Show in 2006.Limited
to a production of 500, only 40 of which are destined for the UK the
car parks at the Classic revealed 2 examples in Alfa red and black.
Much reported elsewhere the track action was fast and furious, the highlights:
- Simon Hadfield’s superb drive in Frank Sytner’s Cooper
Monaco – timing their changeover pit stop to perfection, to win
the safety car interrupted 60 min Tony Rolt Trophy for ‘50’s
sports racing cars.
- After a difficult weekend at Le Mans, ex PMFC racer Peter Sowerby
had a great “Classic”, winning 3 races - 2 at the wheel
of his ex Carlos Reutemann Williams FW07C and the third, sharing his
Nissan RC90 Group C racer with Calum Lockie.
- Historic ace Martin Stretton had a fruitful weekend, sharing victory
with Fredy Kumschick in the latter's Spice GTP as well as with Jon Minshaw
in his Jaguar E Type and producing the drive of the weekend to 4th place
in David Coplowe’s Lola T70.
- Sometime FIA GT racer, Dutchman David Hart brought his superb Ferrari
512M to Silverstone and it sounded simply fantastic!
In a crowded August, the historic racing movement continues at unabated
speed, making its third trip to Copenhagen for the Danish Historic Grand
Prix and then to Nurburgring for the 36th Oldtimer meeting, before crossing
the Atlantic to California and the Laguna Seca circuit , where Alfa Romeo
will be the celebrated marque and Mario Andretti, the Guest of Honour.
The intense Pebble Beach Concours will salute the products of Lancia,
Lamborghini and General Motors, whilst the week’s 5 classic car
auctions, will include the sale of Jaguar E2A and 12 Bugattis from the
world’s most significant private collection of the Molsheim marque.
Very tempting though a trip to the Golden State is….there’s
a new event on the UK motorsport calendar - the Pageant of Power. A celebration
of endeavour on track, water and in the air at Cholmondley Castle nr.
Chester .…it's next. See you there!
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Nash
Kelvinator Corp
+ Donald Healey = the
very rare
RHD 1954 Nash Healey |
Jon
Minshaw and
Martin Stretton
won the Innes Ireland
Trophy with the
former's low drag E type |
Former
Porsche racer
Andy Purdie has seen
sense and got
a Nissan RC90 |
Lola
T70 Spyder
flanked the entrance
to the Masters
area to help
celebrate
Lola's golden jubilee |
Click here
to return to the Ferrari Happenings page.
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Gianpaolo
Dallara designed Cosworth powered De Tomaso Tipo 505 from 1970 was
Sir Frank Williams' second F1 car |
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Clive
Chapman's Historic Team Lotus crew spannered 2 Lotus 88s originally
driven by Mansell and De Angelis, but never raced
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Ex
Jacky Ickx 1971 Ferrari 312 B2 with Sachs Madass in the background |
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Competition
Daytona upgrade was displayed on the Hagerty Insurance stand and
is currently for sale at Cars International, London |
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Dutch
pairing Michiel Campagne and Allard Kalff shared this lean, mean
Chevrolet Corvette
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Raced
in 1958 by Masten Gregory for Ecurie Ecosse this freshly rebuilt
Lister Jaguar was superb |
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FIA
GT racer David Hart's Ferrari 512M was the star of the Denny Hulme
Trophy race |
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Grant
Troman and Neil Cawthorn shared this Abarth Osella in the same race
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Daytona
loving author also has a thing for American heavy metal |
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Manuel
and Diogo Ferrao's Ferrari 275GTB is superbly prepared by Martin
Stretton's team
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The
spectator friendly assembly area was an integral part of the paddock
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