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THE STORY OF THE UNFORGETTABLE JAMESON SPECIALS

HARRINGTON’S RICH HERITAGE

RECALLING THE PRODUCTS OF SUSSEX’S FORMER

COACH-BUILDER

BABY DRIVERSWE MAKE A MEMORABLE VISIT TO THE UNDER 17 CAR CLUB

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Classic Character 3 Merlin Magic 4-8Missing Moniker 9Baby Drivers 10-12 BMH News 13

Harrington’s Rich Heritage 14-17

Classic Motorsport 18-19

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Above: what might have been - the second of two Jensen P66 Interceptor prototypes, the first of which was a convertible. The model was intended to fill the gap created by the demise of the Austin-Healey 3000, for which Jensen built the bodies. The convertible was scrapped but the coupe lives on (Photo courtesy of MPL, National Motor Museum)

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Motoring Classics reproduction in whole or any part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The publish-er makes every effort to ensure the magazine’s contents are correct but can accept no responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions.

NB Motoring Classics is the printed and online publication of British Motor Heritage and its retail trading arm.

Publisher:British Motor Heritage Limited, Range Road, Cotswold Business Park, Witney OX29 OYB, UKTel: +44 (0)1993 707200Email: [email protected]

Editorial:Gordon Bruce AssociatesEmail: [email protected]: www.gordonbruce.com Design and production:Lead Designer: Emma Green Flipside Groupwww.flipsidegroup.com Printing:Hartgraph Ltdwww.hartgraph.co.uk

Our automotive world has become one of crazy extremes. We nowadays have totally legal road cars that will attain c.270mph (eg the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and Hennessey Venom GT), yet intended legislation will automatically prevent all our chosen chariots inching a mere soupcon above the country’s speed limits, even the maximum of which is 200mph below what Bugatti man could otherwise opt to travel at. Customising cars to taste has also become a minefield, with MOT tests becoming ever more finicky and some insurers even requiring prior knowledge of a switch from summer to winter tyres. All of which must surely be stifling the talents of Britain’s inveterate special builders. What better time then, to celebrate the wacky but wonderful 27-litre V12 creations of the late Paul Jameson, as we do on pages 4-8.

Of course, much of the aforementioned legislation is aimed at preventing drivers killing themselves or others, but while laws may curtail the excesses of bad drivers, they won’t make the culprits more skilled – only training will achieve that. How great then that bodies like the Under 17 Car Club exist to set youngsters on the right path from the moment they slip behind the wheel. We paid a visit to one of their meetings and were very impressed by what we witnessed.

Asked to list British coach-builders of the past, most enthusiasts could probably readily recall such names as H J Mulliner, Barker, Gurney Nutting and Thrupp & Maberly. However, there are numerous others who’ve contributed to our motoring memories, but about whom there have been less column inches, and in this issue we review the many and varied products of Thomas Harrington. Our Missing Moniker on this occasion is Jensen, a company arguably as successful at building vehicles for other manufacturers (Austin-Healey, Sunbeam Tiger, Volvo P1800 etc) as for itself, and quite a technological trailblazer in its heyday. For our Classic Character we have opted for Billy Cotton. Immortalised by his catch phrase ‘Wakey Wakey’, he was one of the great band leaders of his day, whose many other hobbies included motorsport. Coincidentally he was also the first owner of the 1957 Porsche 356A (‘UUL 442’) that Ian Scott Watson subsequently fielded for Jim Clark, setting him on a path to motor racing superstardom.

Happy reading!

Gordon Bruce Editor

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His first solo flight as a WWI pilot occurred on April 1, 1918, the day the Royal Flying Corps morphed into the RAF. But, a self-confessed daredevil, he had come a cropper by the end of hostilities. While landing a Bristol at RAF Yatesbury, he attempted to startle some cadets standing between the hangars, but ended up hitting another aircraft and a building, breaking both legs and an arm. Unbowed, he promptly invested £90 of his demob gratuity on a Norton, which he then raced at McGilligan’s Strand in Ireland.

The elevation to four-wheeled motorsport occurred in 1925, when the band was attached to the Southport Palais. He was encouraged by local sand racing hero Jack

Field, who allowed Cotton to compete in his ex-Segrave Talbot. The bug bit, which not only resulted in Billy later driving the ex-Malcolm Campbell Sunbeam Blue Bird at Southport, but owning it too. “Field said he would sell me the car for £50 if I would attempt to beat its former world record of 150.766mph. Only a burke (sic) would have said yes, and I did, even though there were only two speeds on that beast – fast and stop!” On September 5, 1936, in treacherous conditions, Cotton recorded a brave 121.570mph.

It was in 1935 that he began his short but meaningful spell as a circuit racer, progressing from a Riley Nine to an MG K3 Magnette and ERA. He enjoyed

notable success at Brooklands, where he became one of only five MG drivers to lap the circuit at over 120mph, and in the British Grand Prix - he and ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson finished 7th in 1938, while he was no less than 4th when sharing the driving with David Hampshire in 1949.

Cotton’s showbusiness career blossomed, progressing from dance halls to a Sunday lunchtime radio show, and then a BBC TV one boasting an audience of 20 million. This beloved entertainer suffered a stroke in 1962 and passed away seven years later while watching boxing at the Empire Pool, Wembley. His entertaining autobiography is appropriately titled ‘I Did It My Way’.


The Cotton dynasty has bestrode the world of British light entertainment for a century. Its latest representative is popular radio and TV presenter Fearne, Billy’s great-niece. His own career began on the drums, while simultaneously holding down the job of London bus conductor. However, he was always a man in a hurry, and by 1924 was fronting his own dance orchestra, the London Savannah Band.

BILLY COTTON (1899-1969) Racing driver, footballer, pilot, boxer – oh, and one of Britain’s greatest showbusiness personalities

Classic Character 3

L to R: Sallon’s wonderful cartoon of Billy Cotton the band leader and racing driver; here Cotton and ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson celebrate a class win and 3rd place in the 1937 JCC International Trophy race at Brooklands (Photo courtesy of MPL, National Motor Museum)

In seven memorable years of testing cars for Motor magazine I was lucky enough to drive pretty much everything from an invalid carriage to James Hunt’s F1 World championship-winning McLaren M23. But the maddest motor of them all was the 1760bhp Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered six-wheeled special of the late Paul Jameson. This is the story of that extraordinary machine, plus the two other 27-litre monsters for which he was responsible. Fasten your seat belts and prepare to be amazed!

GORDON BRUCE RECOUNTS THE STORY OF THE UNFORGETTABLE JAMESON SPECIALS

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JAMESON MK.1The inveterate constructor set about building his first car in 1966, the focus of which was a 27-litre V12 Meteor powerplant (ie the non-supercharged c.700bhp relation of the immortal Merlin) he’d salvaged from the belly of

a derelict Centurian tank. It was while testing the rolling chassis at Biggin Hill Airport that Jameson first met transmission guru John Dodd. At this stage, the car was immaculate and its maker had commenced the creation of a striking aluminium body to clothe it, yet was increasingly captivated

by the idea of building a fresh mount around a supercharged Merlin engine – ie something with over twice the power! Dodd’s attempt to purchase the unfinished Mk.1 therefore met with little resistance, opening the door to one of the more bizarre chapters in UK motoring history.


merlinmagic

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An extrovert to his finger-tips, Dodd commissioned Fibreglass Repairs of Santa Pod fame to envelop the car in a gargantuan two-door coupe body akin to a Ford Capri on steroids. The claims being made for this monster were even more outlandish than its looks, and included: a top speed of 217mph, 0-180mph time of 6 seconds, and a lap of the Nürburgring just 2mph shy of the track record. All complete poppycock, but great fun, and the public and much of the media lapped up the factoids for all they were worth. Rolls-Royce, however, were incensed that the snooker table-length bonnet terminated in one of its hallowed radiator grilles. A succession of court proceedings ensued, during which the judge reputedly accused Dodd of behaving in ‘a cavalier fashion’. Up until then he’d antagonised the bench by parking the offending car on the double yellow lines outside. Imagine their reaction then, when he, his wife and two children upped the ante by riding right up to the courtroom doors on horseback. Suffice to say he was ultimately charged with contempt and forced to commence a new life in Spain.

What of the car? The original body burnt to a crisp in Sweden, to be replaced by one in the vein of a Reliant Scimitar GTE, also on steroids. Like its owner, the restored behemoth now enjoys a more leisurely existence in the sun, but no doubt astounds and amazes a whole new generation of public whenever it comes out of hiding, so let’s drink a glass of Sangria to that.

JAMESON MK.2Jameson’s second creation was equally expertly engineered. True to his dream, Paul placed one of his precious ex-Argonaut Merlins in the centre of a home-brewed chassis, such as to achieve a c.50/50 weight distribution. Its 1760bhp passed via a Jameson-designed transfer box to a pair of Rolls-Royce Hydramatic transmissions, each of which was linked to its own Jaguar MK10 axle. Drive finally reached the road courtesy of a quartet of Wolfrace alloy wheels, shod with tyres from a V12 E-Type Jaguar. The considerable responsibility for keeping the Merlin cool, fell to two massive Ford truck radiators and Kenlowe fans mounted vertically in the tail, while the

exhaust gases exited through a pair of ginormous horizontally-mounted funnels. When I first met the car in 1976 it was completely body-less but, while I was only allowed to passenger in the Dodd machine (‘you wouldn’t be able to handle the power’!), Jameson was only too happy for me to strap a 7th (!) wheel on the back of the 150 percent more potent six-wheeler, and floor it down the runway at Blackbushe Airport.

The experience defied description. We hit 60mph in 4.8 seconds and 100mph in 10.4 – ie 2.7 seconds faster than the Lamborghini Countach of the time. At this point the supercharger chimed in and the beast really started to motor – the effect was equivalent to being hit up the back by a speeding double-decker bus – and at the 160mph mark was still accelerating like an automotive Usain Bolt. The only problem was that the end of the runway was approaching at a terrifying rate of knots, and I just had to hope the brakes were up to scratch - if they hadn’t been, you wouldn’t be reading this article! What speed could we have attained, room permitting? The car was geared for


Far left: Paul Jameson and his younger brother Robert aboard the newly completed Jameson Mk.1 rolling chassis. Above L to R: The Jameson Mk.1 again - this time complete with the controversial body commissioned by John Dodd; the car as it looks today; Dodd and family on horseback outside the High Court of Justice. Below L to R:

the Jameson Mk.2 complete with body; Robert Powell’s winning design on which the body was loosely based (Photo courtesy of LAT); the MK.2 and a model of Powell’s design at an Alexandra Palace car show (Photo courtesy of LAT)

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185mph at peak revs of 3,000 rpm, and I have little doubt it would have attained just that.

Following the test, we ran a competition for Motor’s readers to pen a body for the beast. The winner was Robert Powell of the Royal College of Art, and Paul duly employed Fibreglass Repairs to construct an open-roofed approximation of that design. The car was then road registered and appeared at a number of shows and events. It also left Paul’s brother Robert with many memories: “We were together one night when Paul decided we should pop down to Brighton in the car. En route we were stopped by the police on the pretext of ensuring it was taxed, but it was pretty obvious they just wanted to look at the six-wheeler. Little would they have known that if you floored the throttle at 140mph, all four rear wheels would light up – it really was that powerful!” Clearly there was scope for years of fun, but the monster’s

creator once more had itchy fingers, and this stunning (if less than beautiful) car was sold to the Autotron motor museum in Holland - more of which shortly.

JAMESON MK.3The basis of Paul’s third masterpiece was the chassis of a long-wheelbase 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II that had been advertised in Exchange & Mart for £500. Once restored, it was equipped with a front-mounted normally-aspirated Merlin from a de Havilland Mosquito. The power of c.700bhp passed via a 2.5:1 step-up box and heavy duty clutch to a four-speed Jaguar transmission.

Sadly, Paul Jameson succumbed to cancer before this vehicle was completed, a task that was then overseen by Robert Jameson, while a bespoke body of wood and aluminium was crafted by Angus, another member of the talented Jameson clan. Robert used the car for several years – not least for transport at

his own wedding – and had planned to keep it indefinitely, but a feature on it in Motor Sport magazine set the story on a different course. Recalls Robert: “I was sitting at home one day in 1993 when a chap knocked at the door, explaining that he’d come to purchase the car on behalf of American comedian/talk show host/avid car enthusiast Jay Leno. Apparently Leno had read the piece in Motor Sport and was determined to add the Jameson to his collection. Initially nonplussed, I ultimately agreed suitable terms.”

………..Leno takes up the story

Above, clockwise from top left: was this the first transformer?! - Paul Jameson demonstrates the intricate workings of the Mk.2’s extraordinary body; the Mk.2 blasting off the line at Brighton Speed Trials; Paul Jameson looks on as Gordon Bruce affixes the seventh (!) wheel to the Mk.2 prior to Motor magazine’s acceleration runs at

Blackbushe. Below: the Mk.2 flat out at Blackbushe with Bruce at the helm, plus the unique cockpit


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Above, clockwise from top left: the basis of the Jameson Mk.3 - a Rolls-Royce Phantom II chassis; the Mk.3’s new body taking shape in Jay Leno’s garage; the first body as constructed by the Jameson brothers. Below: Jay Leno at speed in the Mk.3 as it is today

“It’s true, I bought it unseen. I was on the road with my comedy show at the time and did the deal on a hotel phone. My thinking when purchasing old cars is if they’re all there and running, then that’s 90 percent of the problem solved. And so it was, though we’ve made a few changes over the years. For example, we rebuilt the top end of the engine and replaced the 4-barrel Holley with six twin-choke Webers. There was no precedent for running a Merlin on such Webers, but I love those carburettors and wanted to see if it could work. And it does, though they’re a little tricky to tune - by the way, the pattern for the inlet manifold was made on a 3D printer, as was that for the water pump check valve. We installed a pair of 30 gallon fuel tanks – one houses aviation fuel and the other is filled with premium unleaded. I start and finish a journey on the former and do my general running on the latter. The exhaust is just open pipes. You’d imagine it to be hellaciously loud, and if it was an

eight-cylinder engine it would probably sound like an octet of shot guns, but being a 12 it’s is surprisingly acceptable.

“The cooling wasn‘t ‘up to snuff’, so I had a guy build a special radiator core into the original shell, fitted a pair of electric water pumps and run the system on Evans Waterless Coolant. The car never now overheats, not even in the thick of LA traffic. We’ve made some changes to the driveline too. The torque of the Merlin kept snapping the teeth off the Jaguar gearbox cogs. So, after the third box had been trashed, I switched to a six-speed Dodge truck unit that drives through a Dana axle. The car still rides on wire wheels, but I had the spokes changed for ones twice the diameter. We retained the original bonnet and wings, but created a new period-correct body to go with them. The car is surprisingly easy to drive, and the torque of the engine so vast you could easily pull away in 6th gear. I take it to shows and recently displayed it at

an all all-English vehicle event, called ‘Queen’s English’. Other times I drive it to work just for fun.”Jay Leno’s collection is housed in premises of 140,000 sq ft, where the Jameson Mk.3 has a Meteor-engined replica vintage Bentley and a trailer-mounted supercharged Merlin for company, not to mention 185 other cars and 163 motorcycles!

TAILPIECE...While carrying out the research for this article, we discovered that the Jameson Mk.2 six-wheeler, which had latterly been part of the renowned Louwman Collection in The Hague, was about to be auctioned. We duly informed Robert Jameson, who wasted no time in purchasing it for posterity. So, it’s now back home in the UK for the first time in 36 years and all three Jameson cars live on around the world – facts I’m sure Paul Jameson would be truly delighted to know.

Continued overleaf>


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Paul Jameson’s father, Joseph, was a talented engineer, whose multifaceted company, J L Jameson, manufactured all manner of items including: the 1933 Jameson Special - a purposeful-looking racer, powered by a supercharged two-stroke engine of his own design, that competed at Brooklands in the hands of Dudley Froy, and was entered on a couple of occasions for none-other than Malcolm Campbell; a complete 500cc F3 single-seater that also featured a Jameson two-stroke powerplant; various engine and transmission components for Campbell’s Blue Bird record-breaking cars and boats; and powerplants for Lord Howe. By the time of WWII, the company was 120-strong and, post hostilities, largely concentrated on the manufacture of quality machine tools - everything from small ones for grinding asbestos brake linings (no you wouldn’t do that today!) to double-operator ones of c.60ft long

for turning marine propeller shafts. The sister business of Jameson Aero Engines constructed jigs for the likes of Rolls-Royce, and designed and made the innovative flat-four engine fitted to the early Cierva Skeeter helicopters.

It was in this high octane environment that Paul Jameson grew up, and it was while working for his father that he forged a relationship with renowned privateer race team owner Rob Walker, for whom he contributed to the restoration of prestige customer cars, and even provided race team support for Graham Hill’s Brook Bond Oxo F1 car. However, it was while learning to fly Tiger Moths at Redhill in c.1960 that he’d learnt of a BOAC Argonaut airliner that was being stripped for spares, and purchased a couple of its Rolls-Royce Merlin engines – an act that did much to define the rest of his life.

DISTINGUISHED ENGINEERING BACKGROUND


Lefthand column, the Jameson Mk.3 as it is today, in order from the top: the refashioned cockpit; the business end of things, including the fabulous exhaust manifold created by Robert Jameson; more automotive artwork - six twin-choke Webers atop of 27-litres of Rolls-Royce Merlin; the unique view through the V; the car’s Dana axle being readied for fitment; Jay Leno’s tribute to a friend’s father - a very personal reminder that, though the fabulous Merlin engine can be fun now, its original purpose was to help win WWII, which it did most effectively. Above, clockwise from top left: Joseph Jameson and Dudley Froy with the original Jameson Special at Brooklands, 1933; a Cierva Skeeter; one of many machine tools designed and built by J L Jameson Ltd

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Mentioning the name Jensen to most enthusiasts will most likely recall the last of the Interceptors that was the company’s flagship model from 1966 to 1976, but the company had enjoyed a fascinating and largely successful history long before that. The seed was sown as far back as 1926, when brothers Alan and Richard Jensen bought and stripped an unsuspecting Austin Chummy saloon and replaced the proprietary body with an open sports car one of their own eye-catching design. By 1932 they were ensconced at W J Smith & Sons of West Bromwich, where they created Jensen-monikered bodies for a raft of popular marques, including Wolseley, Morris, Singer and Standard. When William Smith passed away two years later they assumed control of the company, renaming it Jensen Motors Ltd.

Their kick-start to fame sprang from the

commission of Hollywood legend Clark Gable to design and build a Ford-based convertible. This quickly led to a run of similar so-called Jensen-Fords and then the ‘White Lady’, their first true production model that evolved into the handsome 3½-litre Ford V8-powered S-Type. Never ones to rest on their laurels, they were quick to spot the scope of aluminium for vehicle construction, a discovery that would put them at the forefront of commercial vehicle manufacture for a while, with the JNSN lorries and revolutionary Jen-Tugs – handy-sized articulated trucks offered with no less than 14 different types of trailer.

Jensen’s first post-war car was the imposing PW of which 18 were made, but it was the inaugural Eric Neale-penned Interceptor of 1950 that largely set the tone for all ensuing models until the company’s effective demise in 1976. Next up were: the 541 series, the

first production four-seaters to be clothed in fibreglass bodies; the CV8; the all new Interceptor with steel body penned by Touring of Milan; and the FF, which was the first production car to feature four-wheel drive and anti-lock brakes. And, though not universally loved, there were the Jensen-Healey and GT that actually accounted for 72.5 percent of all 19,002 Jensens made, of which the ill-fated S-V8 was the last. It’s not common knowledge that Jensen also built or assembled countless bodies for other manufacturers including ones for: the ‘Big’ Healeys, Austin A40 Sports, Sunbeam Tiger, some Volvo P1800 Coupes, and the Austin Gipsy.

Jensen Motors may be long gone, but if you hanker after an as-new Interceptor, both Cropredy Bridge Cars and Jensen International Automotive can oblige. Details for the active owners’ club can be found at www.joc.org.uk.

MISSING MONIKERJENSEN MOTORS

Above: one of the handsome Jensen-Fords. Below: a pristine CV8 (Photos courtesy of MPL, National Motor Museum)


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Motoring Classics made a memorable visit to the Under 17 Car Club

Let’s face it, kids don’t like being told what to do - who does? But, given half a chance, they will willingly ape what their parents get up to, especially if it’s fun and exciting. Driving cars is a perfect example, and many of our readers doubtless took to the wheel way before their 17th birthday. However, with an ever decreasing number of suitable off-road sites, it is much harder for today’s budding motorists to experience the pastime before they’re officially licensed to do so. The Under 17 Car Club (U17CC) created a solution to this problem no less than 43 years ago. So, if there’s a frustrated junior driver in your family, read on.

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Yes, cars can be huge fun, but they can also be exceedingly dangerous and, according to statistics from the road safety charity Brake, drivers aged between 17 and 19 account for a mere 1.5 percent of licence holders, but nine percent of all fatal and serious crashes. By engaging with members of this group before they hit the roads, the U17CC not only helps them pursue an action-packed hobby, but instil an attitude of safe driving that will remain with them for life. And, guess what, it works! According to a survey of former club members, while one in five youngsters will make an insurance claim for an accident within their first 12 months behind the wheel, those that have successfully progressed through the club’s programme are some three times safer, and nearly twice as likely to pass the DVSA test first time. 34 meetings a yearMembership for newcomers is open to those aged 11 to 15 and, for those wanting to test the water before joining, there are a number of free-of-charge

open days held up and down the country. Membership costs £295 per annum, in return for which the young drivers have access to no less than 34 meetings a year, with general driving days divided between: Bovington, Dorset; Castle Combe, Wiltshire; Kempton Park, Middlesex; Lyneham, Wiltshire; Malvern, Worcestershire; Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire; Saffron Walden, Essex; and Seighford, Stafford. For those who’ve attained the necessary grade, there is then the option of instruction in such additional skills as: night driving; first aid; skid pan control; rally driving; 4x4 off-road driving; motorway driving; plus the opportunity to experience vehicles as diverse as Caterham Sevens and articulated trucks.

The grading system runs from 5 for a novice who’s mastered the basic operational skills to 1, which is higher than the standard of the DVSA test. Then there’s Grade X, which is nearer the level associated with IAM RoadSmart (to whom the U17CC is affiliated) or RoSPA.

Each member has a folder of progression and requires an Associate – generally a parent or guardian – to provide a suitable car, and act as their primary tutor. Both members and Associates are regularly assessed by an instructor, all of whom are IAM or RoSPA qualified, or both. All those involved in the running of the club are volunteers, the current membership of which is around 225. Only the Members drive most of the time, but when both Members and Associates are given exercises to perform, it’s rumoured the kids generally fare better than their parents!

PathfindersThis is a concentrated 4½-5 day course based on the same principles and caters for those aged 15 to 17. This year seven such events are being divided between venues in Malvern, Driffield and Seighford, and held during half term and school holidays. The cost is from £170.

Continued overleaf>

“It’s truck day. I’ve only been driving for five months and I’m about to get behind the wheel of a Parcel Force lorry. It’s great. I can now say I’m 15 years old and the second vehicle I’ve ever driven was a 7.5 ton truck.”Katie, Member

“Miles driving at car club in year one = 2,100. Miles driving to and from the club = 5,950. Time NOT spent on a games console = 220hrs. Learning to drive safely - PRICELESS!”Mick, Associate

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Magic DayEvery year, the club runs an ever-popular event at the Castle Combe race circuit called ‘Magic Day’, to which friends and contacts bring a range of exciting vehicles for the members to ride in and/or drive. Aside of being great fun for all, it is a successful fund-raising occasion that has so far amassed over £60,000 for the Members’ charity of choice – the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Our visit to LynehamMOD Lyneham is an operational REME site with 7.8 miles of well surfaced roadway. For the hard working organisers, the day began with two hours of cone laying in order to create different areas of experience, including: a normal two-way road; motorway; one-way system; roadworks; passing places; and an area for practising reversing, parallel parking and other standard manoeuvres. Considering there were some 100 Members, 100 Associates and 20 instructors (ie 220 people) in attendance, everything seemed to run remarkably smoothly, and it was clear a good time was being had by all. To get a first-hand feel for what these youngsters are learning, we passengered with Josh Stagg. Now 14, this impressive young man joined four years ago and is now a bona fide Grade 1, but admits to a shaky start: “I was really keen and paid the subscription myself with birthday and Christmas money, but when I first

took to the circuit was reluctant to get out of second gear.” Well, clearly much has happened in the meantime, and after five laps alongside him in a Ford Focus ST we can confirm he’s certainly lacking confidence no longer, and was happily giving it the beans at times, but in a totally controlled, safe manner.

As he treated us to a guided tour of the different exercises he revealed: “As a Grade 1 I get to practice on my own now. It can be a little lonely at times, but great experience. I normally get to around 25 meetings a year, have made loads of friends and have so far driven at least 100 different vehicles including: a Ferrari, Aston Martin, various Porsches, Jaguar F-Type, Range Rover, Ford Mustang, single and double decker buses, and a whole variety of trucks. I’m currently studying motorsport engineering at Chippenham College, which I hope will lead to a career in Formula One, and also plan to do some racing myself, so my time with the club fits perfectly with my future plans.”

In an age when the whole world seems troubled and our young are constantly criticised, it was an absolute pleasure to see kids and their parents having such a great time, while producing drivers who are clearly going to be a lot safer than the majority on the roads today. What’s not to like?! For more information see www.under17-carclub.co.uk.

The historyThe club was created in 1976 by children’s author Sandy Barrie, with support from that irrepressible king of British club racing, Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams, who remained a patron until passing to that big race grid in the sky last year. Among the c.4,500 members to date, was the late Richard Burns – the only Englishman to so far win the World Rally Championship – who also became a patron and remained so until his premature death in 2005.

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MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN YEA REVEALS ALL

FROMBMH

HERITAGE

DEAD – MG LIVE! 2019

Finally, I am forced to return to that thorny, but vital, subject of the quality of replacement parts available in the classic market. The recent build of our two Mk1 Minis has highlighted that there are still parts being sold that are of very poor quality and, in some instances, downright dangerous. The first example was the track rod ends initially fitted to the race car to get it mobile for the 2018 London Classic Car Show. They did the job, as no attempt was initially made to establish the steering geometry of the car but, when it subsequently was,

two disastrous faults were discovered. Firstly, the internal threads on the rod ends where they attach to the steering rack were completely incorrect. The only way to have fitted them would have been to cross the threads, clearly a completely unacceptable action on a safety critical part of the steering. Secondly, the ball ends were virtually immovable. The huge frustration is that it doesn’t have to be this way, and the responsibility for ensuring such parts are fit for purpose lies with those who import them.

UNFIT FOR PURPOSE

Our first quarter of 2019 has been really busy, with the manufacturing department working flat out to reduce the level of backorders, while the order intake has exceeded budget, prompting the hire of additional labour on a permanent basis.

Less positive is the MG Car Club’s news that their excellent annual MG Live! event in June has been cancelled to allow Silverstone to undertake a full resurfacing of the track. The short notice has precluded the Club from finding an alternative venue and will require many people, including us at British Motor Heritage, to revise their plans - eg we will now be increasing exposure for our wares at the MG Car Club Donington meeting on July 20/21.

PROMOTING THE BRANDWe will also continue to promote our retail offering through the Motoring Classics website, while increasing our advertising presence in the established classic car press. To this end we hosted a photoshoot here at Witney on April 3, featuring two of our well-known classics, the white MGB roadster and green and white Mini Cooper S. Professional models were hired and a huge range of images produced, which were pronounced ‘excellent’ by Art Director Emma Green, who, incidentally, also designs this magazine. We look forward to revealing the results in the near future.


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HERITAGEHARRINGTON’S rich

Classic sports car fans will recall the Sunbeam Harrington Alpine, but many of you will probably have seen or ridden in cars or coaches built by Thomas Harrington Ltd without even realising it, such was the reach of this once prolific British coach-builder.

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Above: the one and only genuine Harrington Tiger. Right: Harrington’s Rootes showroom in Worthing showing a pair of Sunbeam Talbots and an early Hillman Minx (Photo courtesy of David Burgess-Wise)

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HERITAGEHARRINGTON’S

Thomas Harrington founded his eponymous company in Brighton in 1897, within a stone’s throw of the Royal Pavilion. Its earliest products were horse-drawn coaches and then charabancs, but by the mid-1920s the business was renowned for creating bespoke bodies for the prestige motorcar marques of the day. For example a British registered Bugatti Type 40 or 44 would almost certainly have sported a Harrington body built in the Weymann style, ie with a light, fabric-covered wooden frame featuring patented flexible joints for a rattle-free ride. The trio of Austro Daimlers that won the coveted team prize in the 1928 Tourist Trophy race at Newtownards were also clothed in Harrington coachwork, as were all Austro Daimler coaches.

1928 was a pivotal year for the concern as, having outgrown the Brighton site, the decision was made to purchase a seven acre brown-field plot in the Old Shoreham Road, Hove, on which the construction of far larger premises, fronted by an impressive art deco façade, was

commenced. It was also the year that Thomas Harrington passed away and control of the company was assumed by his two sons, Tom and Ernest. With motor manufacturers producing more and more of their own bodies, an early task for the brothers was to steer the business away from cars to the coaches which would become its mainstay.

THE HEYDAYIn common with the former Brighton premises, the second Harrington plant was remarkably self-sufficient, boasting its own foundry and departments for leatherwork, timber curing and other specialities. This, and the aptitude of the workforce, made it ideal for wartime engineering, and it played its part in the construction of Mosquitos, parts for Lysanders and Spitfires and even radar trailers. Such activity introduced the firm to new skills and materials, which allowed it to hit the ground running when assuming coach production post-war. Those steeped in such matters will recall the salient model names of Wayfarer,

Crusader, Cavalier, Grenadier and Legionnaire, of which Harrington supplied hundreds of examples to operators like Southdown, Ribble, Flights and Charlie’s Cars during the ‘50s and early ‘60s. The most famous of them all was arguably the 1964 Bedford VAL chassis clothed in Harrington Legionnaire body, that was last seen dangling perilously over an Italian cliff edge with $4 million of stolen gold on board – ie the one that starred in The Italian Job movie of 1969. And, if you’ve ever seen a coach adorned with a dorsal fin, then that was definitely a Harrington-built vehicle, as it was a company trademark. The late ‘50s were certainly Harrington’s heyday, during which it had as many as 600 employees.

THE CARSWith the passage of time Ernest and Tom’s positions were taken over by their offspring, with Tom’s son Gordon assuming responsibility for the firm’s Rootes franchise, which it had held since before WWII, and Ernest’s son Clifford taking over the management of

Continued overleaf>


Above, L to R: the first Harrington premises in Kings Road, Brighton (Photo courtesy of David Burgess-Wise); an aerial shot showing the full exent of the subsequent seven acre site in the Old Shoreham Road, Hove. Below, L to R: the most popular of Harrington’s many coaches, theCavalier model; the dorsal fin was a Harrington trademark; arguably the most famous of all the company’s coach products - the Legionnaire that starred in the Italian Job movie of 1969

vehicle manufacture. It was therefore on Clifford’s watch that the now increasingly sought-after Harrington Alpine and its derivatives came into being. The company’s relationship with Rootes and the fibreglass expertise gained from coach production made Harrington the perfect partner, and allowed Rootes to offer a coupe version of its premier sports car, as MG and Jaguar already did for theirs. Under the watchful eye of Clifford, the fastback roof was penned by Ron Humphries, the man who also designed the Harrington Cavalier, one of Britain’s most admired coaches. The styling of the tail was not dissimilar to that of the Aston Martin DB2, and featured a fixed rear window and shortened bootlid. Available as an ‘official conversion’ through Rootes dealers, the coupe was offered with three stages of engine tune by Hartwell, plus a number of interior upgrades.

Coupe production had hit the 110 mark by the time the Harrington Le Mans was unveiled at the 1961 Earls Court

Motor Show. This more radical design was already on the drawing board when Peter Harper and Peter Procter famously won the coveted ‘Index Of Thermal Efficiency’ award in that year’s Le Mans 24 Hour race, driving a uniquely modified Sunbeam Harrington Alpine (see sidebar for further detail). The newcomer was instantly recognisable by its radically refashioned rear, from which the Alpine’s trademark fins had been chopped, while Le Mans rather than Alpine badges were affixed to the front flanks. Production ultimately ran to 250 examples, at least half of which were exported to the United States. Regarded as an integral part of the Rootes range, the Le Mans could be found in the manufacturer’s dealerships and came with an upgraded engine as standard.

Production of the Alpine coupe continued alongside the Le Mans for a couple of years, with that of the Le Mans ceasing in 1963 and the Alpine in 1964. The 1962 Alpine coupe heralded the introduction

of an opening rear hatch, while those for 1963/1964 model years had roofs reshaped to account for the different windscreen of the Series III and IV roadsters on which they were based. Last, but certainly not least, was ‘DUU 550C’, the one and only works-built Tiger. Its origins remain a little cloudy, but it would appear to have been constructed on a prototype or pre-production Tiger roadster chassis for a member of the Rootes family, or somebody at Thomas Harrington. Still very much alive and well, it is these days immaculate in its original colour of Midnight Blue and resides in Canada.

With the experience of the Alpine project to assist, Harrington carried out a similar conversion on the Triumph TR4. Not for the manufacturer, but on behalf of L F Dove & Company, the Wimbledon-based Standard-Triumph distributor. The shape of the fibreglass roof complemented the Michelotti-penned body well, and there was sufficient headroom for rear

Below, L to R: coach-building in full swing at the Hove works; Clifford Harrington aboard a Harrington-bodied Bugatti

Above, clockwise from left: Harrington bodies on a Mercedes-Benz, Bentley and Bugatti respectively

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seat passengers, though an unchanged wheelbase meant they still needed to be both lithe of limb and limited in the leg department. Around 55 of the so-called Dové GTR4s were produced and, like the Alpines, are coveted in today’s market.

THE DEMISEIt has often been reported that Harrington was bought out by the Rootes Group. In fact it was purchased by Robins & Day, a Rootes dealer chain belonging to certain members of the Rootes family. Perhaps inevitably, the switch from Harrington family ownership changed the climate within the company, leading to the resignation of Clifford Harrington in October 1962. All production ceased in 1966 and the works, for so long a Hove landmark, was taken over by British Telecom before being demolished in 1999. Robins & Day retained the Harrington name for the car dealership premises in Hove and Worthing until the 1980s, at which point the moniker

ceased to be an element of the motor industry for the first time in over 85 years.

Many Harrington vehicles survive, and the ‘Harrington Society’ has regularly gathered to celebrate the coach-builder and its products, with cherished examples of the cars and coaches and members of the surviving family in attendance. Sadly, much of the company’s archive was destroyed when the works closed. However, Clifford Harrington’s son Clive, who grew up with every expectation of one day being involved in the business, retains a strong interest in the company’s history (as well as his own Sunbeam Harrington Le Mans), and is currently working towards producing the definitive book on the subject. If readers have any related information, he would be delighted to hear from them at [email protected].

Below, L to R: a pristine example of the Harrington Le Mans’; a shot showing the badging on the front flank

Above: a rare Harrington-built Triumph Dové GTR4A. Immediate right in descending order: ‘3000 RW’ at Le Mans in 1961; as rescued from a barn by Clive Harrington; racing at Goodwood following his restoration

1961 – HARRINGTON ALPINEPrepared by Rootes’ competition department, ‘3000 RW’ remains instantly recognisable by its unique aerodynamic, Harrington-designed and built nose, complete with fared-in headlights. Originally finished in Wedgewood Blue, it was resprayed in Seacrest Green at the time of its conversion for the 24 hour race. Following its Le Mans success it was pensioned off and its street specification reinstated. Many years later it was unearthed from a barn in Cheshire by Clive Harrington, who restored it and returned it to the race tracks. This historically important car now resides in the USA and remains in regular use.

1962/1963 – KAMM TAIL ALPINESIt is less widely known that Harrington also undertook the extensive body modifications for the three Alpines – ‘9201 RW’, ‘9202 RW’ and ‘9203 RW’ – that were prepared for the 1962 and 1963 Le Mans 24 Hour races. This included extensive use of aluminium and the creation of unique Kamm tails; an instantly recognisable feature. ‘9202 RW’ finished 15th overall in the 1962 event in the experienced hands of the two Peters, Harper and Procter.

THE LE MANS SUNBEAMS OF 1961, 1962 AND 1963

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www.motoringclassics.co.uk www.bmh-ltd.comwww.motoringclassics.co.uk www.bmh-ltd.com

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Motoring Classics in

Friday March 1 saw us at Brands Hatch with the A40 on a rather damp, drab day. It ran perfectly, but I’m unsure what we learned, as the wet surface caused wheelspin in second, third and top out of Clearways corner! Conditions were slightly better at Paddock, so I could try a little harder there, but, all in all, it was a gentle start to the year.

By March 18 we were at Goodwood for the HRDC track day, where the FIA Mini Cooper S made its long-awaited debut alongside our well-sorted A40. We were blessed with really good weather and the A40

again ran faultlessly, this time with Chris Ryan sharing the driving. The Mini had been run on the rolling road prior to the day and was seemingly good to go. However, once on the circuit it refused to pull strongly in top, yet at one point accelerated as I lifted off the throttle – all very strange! In spite of our best efforts, this problem persisted and prevented me getting a proper feel for the car at racing speeds. The decision was made to put it back on the rolling road, and a further test day was booked at Brands Hatch for Friday April 12, just before its maiden race at Silverstone.

The Brands test day was cool but dry, and the Mini ran really well, completing two half hour sessions without problem. The gearchange that had felt baulky and stiff in the paddock was fine on the circuit, and the car displayed no nasty vices at all. I was left with a huge sense of relief that it was so good out of the box and that, although I’d never driven a front-wheel drive competition car before, I now felt confident we wouldn’t be disgraced on our first outing. Moreover, the suspension was an interim set-up that would certainly be improved by the changes we had in store.

British Motor Heritage MD John Yea reports from the cockpit


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Sunday April 14 saw our season finally get underway, with us contesting the VSCC weekend at Silverstone in the HRDC Allstars with the Mini, and the HRDC Coy’s Trophy with the A40. First off was the Cooper S with a 15 minute qualifying session. The weather was clear and sunny and the track dry. The car immediately felt great, and I was soon running at a respectable pace compared to my perceived peer group, apart from the only other Mini in the race. It’s true to say I didn’t really find the absolute limit anywhere, and there were no wild or scary moments, but I was eager to see where I had ended up. My best time was 1 minute 18.7 seconds, set on the 7th of the 11 laps I managed. This put me 20th on the grid, a second a lap slower, and five places behind the Crossley Mini.

Our intention for qualifying the A40 was for me to do my obligatory three qualifying laps, and then hand over to Chris to set a time. This plan was nearly derailed when, while slowing down for the pit entry, I was clipped on the rear corner by an errant Jaguar and spun into the infield. Fortunately the car was okay and Chris was able to set some fast times, eventually getting down to 1 minute 13.0 seconds - the fastest the A40 had ever been, making him the best qualifier in our class, and ahead of all the Jaguars; an excellent result.

So to the races, and I was first out in the Mini, just after lunch. On my way to the grid I realised the last time I had attempted a racing start with a Mini was nearly 50 years ago, on a public road! However my getaway was good and I immediately consumed the row ahead, only to be caught behind a slow starting Mini Marcos as we went through Copse. At that point I went for third gear, only to find a box full of neutrals - clutch failure had ended my race.

After his superb qualifying, it was only right that Chris started the A40 in the race, a call that was immediately validated by him rocketing around the outside of Copse into 6th place, and behind only the infinitely more powerful quintet of Pete Chambers’ very rapid Lotus Cortina, three Ford Mustangs, and an Alfa GTA. He was also ahead of a Ford Falcon, and another Mustang, an amazing position that he held for three laps before the massive power difference prevailed. Unfortunately the little Austin then suffered complete brake failure, ending a great drive. Whilst we came away with nothing to show for the weekend, the potential of both cars fills me with optimism for the rest of the season.

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ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF STEVE GARTSIDE

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