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PHILIP MANN OBITUARY

Philip Mann Appreciation from FIVA President Tiddo Bresters It is with considerable regret that we convey to you the news of the sad demise of another former FIVA President, Philip Mann, who died in Switzerland aged over 100 years old. Not only was he the president of the Vintage & Sports Car Club of the UK, from 1969 to 1971, he was one of FIVA’s pioneers, already a member the FI...

CASTLE COMBE TO CELEBRATE 70TH ANNIVERSARY

Seventy years of Castle Combe Circuit On Saturday 4 July 2020, Castle Combe Racing Club will hold one of the UK’s first race meetings since the COVID-19 lockdown was enforced in mid-March. With support from its members, the Club has organised an eight-event card of double-headers for Formula Fords, Hot Hatches, Saloon Cars and GTs, competing in its in-house championships. The Club had be...

MIKE BELL OBITUARY

Mike Bell 1949-2020 Appreciation and images from Bob Bull A life well spentWell know preparer and driver of historic cars, Mike Bell, passed away on 27 May suffering from cancer of the liver, that was sadly diagnosed at an advanced stage. Mike ran his preparation business from workshops in Attleborough, five miles from Snetterton, and gained a reputation as one of the best preparers of his...

RETRO-MOTORSPORT REPORT - MONACO GRAND PRIX 1950

Prix de Monte-Carlo et XIe Grand Prix Automobile By Peter Baker As part of the 1950 World Championship of Drivers the 100-lap Monaco Grand Prix (formally known as Prix de Monte-Carlo et XIe Grand Prix Automobile), held on 21 May 1950, attracted a full field of 26 cars, with Juan Fangio driving for Alfa Romeo starting as favourite. In fact, eight Italian cars, driven by other stars such as...

RETRO-MOTORSPORT REPORT - THE 1983 MOTOR SPORTS SHOW

Recalling a great show with a quirky ending.... Staged in the rather grand setting of the Cunard Exhibition Centre, Hammersmith – currently the Novotel – the 1983 BRSCC-organised Motor Sports Show ran from 7-16 January. In a remarkable feat of nine-day endurance for exhibitors, doors normally opened 11.00 am and closed at 9.00pm, writes Ken Davies. The venue was ideal for the D...

JOHN PRICE OBITUARY

John Price 1944-2020 Appreciation by Ken Davies. Images courtesy of John Price Rallying archive. For 28 years, 1980-2008, John Price was a prolific rally driver and winner on an almost industrial scale, to the extent that the statistics would warrant his entry in the Guinness Book of Records. This remarkable route to success started on the family farm at Howey near Llandrindod Wells...

SIDEBAR TO JOHN PRICE OBITUARY

Adventure.… and mystery on the 1983 Monte-Carlo Rally By Ken Davies. Images by Steve Lloyd. During the 1983 Monte-Carlo Rally, John Price and Hywel Thomas crashed their Renault 5 Turbo at night while speeding across the flying finish of an alpine stage. The car then left the road and dropped down a bank, destroying the suspension and some lower panel work. After the accident, a helpf...

MAJOR REVAMP FOR RALLYE MONTE-CARLO HISTORIQUE

Revamped Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique for 2021 Long term competitor of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, Peter Barker, reviews some new developments in its format for the 24th running of the event. Soon after the end of the 23rd edition of their great European historic rally this year, the Automobile Club de Monaco announced that from the 24th edition, scheduled to run in early 2021, major cha...

RETRO-MOTORSPORT REPORT - MONTE CARLO CHALLENGE 1998

Marshalling on the classic ‘Monte’ On a crisp, bright winter’s morning in February 1998, over 180 classic rally cars set out from various points in Europe on the Monte Carlo Challenge, organised by Classic Rally Association’s Philip Young and Jeremy Dickson, writes Joan Williamson. We, Dave and me, together with Brian Hugh were one of 12 experienced marshalling crews who...

RALLYE DE PARIS 2020

Not just horses at Longchamp Click to view the Gallery. This year, the 27th Rallye de Paris held on 7-8 March 2020, and organised by Rallystory, started from the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans. One hundred crews in their classic and modern sports cars assembled at the Bugatti Circuit at 08.00 for documentation and a briefing. Between 09.00-10.00 drivers were allowed free practice laps to test t...

RETRO-MOTORSPORT REPORT - MILLE MIGLIA 1949

Ferrari takes first and second In 1949 Mille Miglia By Peter Baker The first of the 303 cars taking part in the 16th edition of the Mille Miglia got under way from Brescia at one-minute after midnight on 24 April 1949, with just 182 crews making it to the finish after covering 996 miles. The route did not include the familiar passes of Futa, Raticosa and Furio and, for the first time in i...

HISTORIC MOTORSPORT FOR YOUNG TALENT

NKHTGT encourages young talent in 2020 The future is for young people, especially so in historic motorsport. With this in mind, NKHTGT (the Dutch series for historic touring and GT cars) is offering new drivers under the age of 35, a 35 percent discount on the registration fee for the 2020 series, and there are still a few package deals available. The full registration fee is just euro3,150 for...

RACE RETRO 2020

Three days is not enough Words and images by Peter Baker Quite righty, Race Retro bills itself as ‘Europe’s No1 Historic Motorsport Show’, which is spot on, except, three days is just not enough. Maybe a few years ago, but now the show has become so popular, everyone, and I mean everyone, from the most passionate to the purely inquisitive, pass through the doors. Message ...

HSCC 2020 SNETTERTON WEEKEND

Archie Scott Brown to be remembered at Snetterton The life of the Archie Scott Brown will be celebrated during the two-day Historic Sports Car Club race meeting at Snetterton on 4-5 April, reports Paul Lawrence. The event, which already honours the life of Jim Russell and recalls the early years of the Formula Ford Festival at Snetterton will now be enhanced by the Archie Scott Brown Trophy, a ...

CLASSIC TOURING CAR RACING CLUB

CTCRC ready for another great year The Classic Touring Car Racing Club has provided well-structured and exciting events for over 40 years, writes Mike Luck. Over the years the Club has evolved and expanded and now encompasses eight separate championships, representing several years of manufacturer. These are then sub-divided into the traditional engine size classes with weight penalties to equa...

58TH NATIONAL AUSTIN 7 RALLY

Rally to welcome intrepid adventurer The 58th National Austin 7 Rally, to be held on Sunday 5 July 2020 at Beaulieu in Hampshire, will welcome intrepid adventurer Chris Blakey as Guest of Honour. For those who own these iconic little cars, would like to own one; or just love looking at them, the National Rally is the most anticipated annual event on the calendar. Hundreds of cars take part and...

DENIS CARDELL OBITUARY

Denis Cardell 1934–2020 Appreciation by Ken Davies Despite being a fiercely patriotic Welshman, Denis Cardell was quick to point out that his family originated from the Scottish Borders region of the UK. He started competing in major rallies in the sixties, first co-driving for Norman Harvey in a Cooper S on the 1963 RAC Rally and again on the 1964 Monte. Denis went on to drive and c...

AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL 2020

Some empty space but still impressive Words and images by Peter Baker Autosport International 2020 attracted record crowds with trade ticket sales up a mighty 100 percent over last year, despite the demise of both the Sid Watkins Lecture and the WRC launch. In fact, it’s true to say there is now less official manufacturer input, and more emphasis on the final two days when the next ge...

HSCC TO CELEBRATE JIM RUSSELL

HSCC to honour Jim Russell at Snetterton in 2020 The life of the late Jim Russell will be celebrated in a new two-day Historic Sports Car Club race meeting at Snetterton next spring, the Jim Russell Trophy Meeting on 4-5 April 2020, writes Paul Lawrence. Ten Formula Ford races will honour the memory of the racing school pioneer and also the early heritage of the Formula Ford Festival. Bef...

CHRISTMAS CRACKER RUN 2019

Classic quizzes on Christmas Cracker Run Organised by MG Cumbria, the 22nd edition of the Christmas Cracker Run on 1 December once again attracted entries from a wide area, reports Graeme Forrester. Open to classic and interesting cars of any age, the oldest was the 1926 Bentley of Graham Miller of Thursby and the youngest, Gordon Southward’s Morgan Plus 6. The event started at the Rheg...



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