The 1984 EMKA-Aston Martin Group C Le Mans Type C84/1 Chassis Number : MC 02-84C • A unique opportunity to own the last Aston Martin powered car ever to lead Le Mans. • Built for and raced by well know racer and Pink Floyd manager Steve O’Rourke, along with Tiff Needell and Nick Faure. • Fresh from a complete nut and bolt restoration, very much back on the race track and surely one of the fastest and most usable normally aspirated Group C cars of all time. Many of you will remember Steve O’Rourke’s warm smile, charismatic personality and rich enthusiasm for motor racing. Reputedly dismissed from one of his early jobs after being caught racing the company car at Brands Hatch, it was clear to everyone who met him that he was deeply passionate about motor racing and in particular Le Mans. The success of his career managing super band Pink Floyd allowed him to full fill this passion, one he shared with close friend and drummer of the Pink Floyd, Nick Mason. Amongst other racing achievements, Steve competed at Le Mans six times, finishing an impressive 12th overall on his first attempt driving his own Ferrari 512 BBLM and 4th overall in a McLaren GTR in 1998. In 1980 he flew to London halfway through the race to oversee a Pink Floyd concert, before returning to see the 512BBLM to the finish. T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected]www.williamianson.com
Transcript
�
The 1984 EMKA-Aston Martin Group C Le MansType C84/1Chassis Number : MC 02-84C
• A unique opportunity to own the last Aston Martin powered car ever to lead Le Mans. • Built for and raced by well know racer and Pink Floyd manager Steve O’Rourke, along with Tiff Needell and Nick
Faure.
• Fresh from a complete nut and bolt restoration, very much back on the race track and surely one of the fastest and most usable normally aspirated Group C cars of all time.
Many of you will remember Steve O’Rourke’s warm smile, charismatic personality and rich enthusiasm for motor racing. Reputedly dismissed from one of his early jobs after being caught racing the company car at Brands Hatch, it was clear to everyone who met him that he was deeply passionate about motor racing and in particular Le Mans. The success of his career managing super band Pink Floyd allowed him to full fill this passion, one he shared with close friend and drummer of the Pink Floyd, Nick Mason. Amongst other racing achievements, Steve competed at Le Mans six times, finishing an impressive 12th overall on his first attempt driving his own Ferrari 512 BBLM and 4th overall in a McLaren GTR in 1998. In 1980 he flew to London halfway through the race to oversee a Pink Floyd concert, before returning to see the 512BBLM to the finish.
With success a plenty in his career, Steve O’Rourke stepped up his motorsport commitment in 1981with the formation of his own team, dubbed EMKA Racing. The name taking its lineage from O’Rourke’s management company, EMKA Productions, which was named after his two daughters, Emma and Katherine. After campaigning a BMW M1 for a couple of seasons the team had their sights set higher and through discussions between Steve O’Rourke and Michael Cane Racing, the EMKA-Aston Martin project was born.
Designer Len Bailey, of GT40 fame, was recruited to undertake the design of the project, while Maurice Gomm’s factory built the aluminium monocoque and Protoco Mouldings made the outer body panels. The 5,340cc Aston Martin V8 engine was race modified by Tickford, who revised the design, shed around 50lbs of weight, while improving power delivery and reliability.
O’Rourke recruited the driving services of Tiff Needell and Jeff Allam as co drivers to himself and the EMKA - Aston Martin made its debut at the 1983 Silverstone 1000kms, designated C83/1 and painted red showing sponsorship from Virgin.
At Le Mans with the revised driver line up of O’Rourke, Tiff Needell and Nick Faure the EMKA struggled against the Turbo Porsches for speed but completed the race all the same gaining it the Motor Trophy for the first British car home. It’s time however was yet to come.
The EMKA team sat out the 1984 season and set about re-developing the car and that they certainly did. Richard Owen, who’s CV included the Shrike and Aquila race cars, as well as stints at BRM, TWR and Williams, was drafted in to redesign the
car. Amongst other details a new rear wing section and suspension redesign were undertaken and by the time the car re appeared in 1985, it had evolved so much to what you see today that it was re designated the C84/1.
When the team returned to Le Mans in 1985 with the same driver line up the difference was clear for all to see. In qualifying Tiff went 9 seconds faster than the car had gone in 1983, good enough for 13th, ahead of three Group C Porsches and both of Bob Tullius’s IMSA Jaguar XJR-5s. It was the fastest normally aspirated car on the grid.
Tiff started the race and in his words ‘the thing just flew down the straight’. By the time of the first fuel stops the EMKA lay 3rd overall. Some clever pit strategy led to a shortened fuel stop and by the end of the first hour the EMKA secured its place in history and officially led Le Mans. Briefly loosing the spot to David Hobbs in the Porsche 956, before it to had to re fuel, the EMKA went on to lead the race, on merit, for the next four laps before having to itself re fuel.
After suffering clutch problems on Sunday morning and a fuel leak just an hour before the finish, they went on to finish 11th overall behind the Group C Porsches and Works Lancia, an impressive feat for a car conceived on a budget of £150,000 and using a normally aspirated road derived engine.
This was the last time the EMKA team entered Le Mans in a car designed and built in house, but Steve did return two more times, in 1992 with a Porsche 911 GT2 and to take 4th place overall in 1998 with a McLaren F1 GTR. From Steve ownership of the EMKA-Aston Martin passed to John Denahaye before being bought by well know Group C collectors Jim and Penny Graham in 2002. They raced the car in Group C for four to five years before it was purchased by current owner in 2011.
The current owner then commissioned Michael Hibberd Motor Engineers to completely restore the car to its full racing glory. As such it has undergone a complete nut and bolt restoration. The car was stripped back to a bare tub, which as completely rebuilt and fitted with a new steel roll cage by Peter Denty. All of the ancillary components were fully restored and crack tested. Two new fuel tanks were supplied by Advance Fuel Systems. The engine was then completely rebuilt by Aston Engineering and the gearbox by PDS. A new body was manufactured, utilising the original doors and with the original body kept aside for posterity. Two new sets of wheels were commissioned and two old sets also come with the car.
After many hours of work and effort MC 02-84C was proudly presented back to the racing world by Andrew Hibberd, his Father Michael and the current owner, at this years Goodwood 73rd Members Meeting. As you can see from this short film https://player.vimeo.com/video/130696555 this fabulous piece of Le Mans and racing history is very much back to its former glory and will be racing in the Group C race at the upcoming Silverstone Classic.
As the historic Group C grid continues to go from strength to strength, with support races at Le Mans and features at both the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Members Meeting, we are proud to be able to offer this unique opportunity to carry on this fabulous cars rich racing history. The last Aston Martin powered car ever to lead Le Mans and arguably the fastest normally aspirated Group C car of its time.
We would like to thank Jacon Fong, Motorsport and LAT for the use of the photographs, along with GridStars for the film work.
